dbborroughs Nasty category three (adults only) horror film about a cop who's life is complicated by some killings that have ties to black magic and which are very much directed at ruining his life. Bloody, unpleasant and creepy this is one of the better Hong Kong horror films I've seen in the last few months. Give it a couple of extra points for not being about a ghost with long dark hair.It also feels more like a police procedural rather than a horror film for a good portion of it. This is a film that takes the Black Magic films of the 1970's and 80's with centipedes and floating heads and updates them for the current sensibilities. Then again many of the black magic films were often good and gross, so why mess with them? It doesn't. I was on edge for a good portion of the film, how can you not be with the nastiness that befalls an infant? Clearly anything is possible. I won't over sell the film by insinuating that its perfect, its not, some of the talking scenes are a bit draggy and the final sequence, which at times is gruesome, maybe goes on a bit too long. Still there is something about the film that makes you sit bolt upright and watch dreading the next nasty turn. If you like your horror bloody and full of bugs give this film a shot.

cutshaw-2 I'm gonna comment on this one for the same reason someone else here did. It's odd that the majority of the small number of comments are negative, and they always show up on the main page whenever I check this film. So the first user comment is usually "terrible" or along those lines, and this movie is certainly far from terrible. As a fan of the Black Magic movies of the seventies and eighties, and I'd include "The Devil" in there too, Gong Tau is a great film in the franchise. Gory and shocking, with interesting characters and a good plot that puts the black magic curse in a modern police setting. Without giving away too much, there are a lot of interesting and gruesome scenes and images for the adventurous viewer and it is a nice return to Cat III film-making for the awesome Herman Yau. Every frame of this film bleeds atmosphere, it comes as no surprise that Yau was a cinematographer before becoming a director. A must watch for horror fans and fans of the bizarre and it's no small wonder that extreme horror novelist Edward Lee cites this as being his favourite horror film of 2007.

fertilecelluloid This Category III effort from Herman Yau, the director of "The Ebola Syndrome" and "The Untold Story", is not a terrible movie, but it isn't a great movie, either. "Gong Tau" is a type of voodoo which is visited upon the wife of a cop (Mark Cheng) who betrayed a woman in Thailand. Cheng and the dependable Suet Lam spend much of the movie on the trail of a criminal who is sending bad voodoo curses to Cheng's wife and making her life unpleasant. Director Yau is expected to deliver grisly violence and messy gore in his Cat III work, so the presence of crawling centipedes, a baby stabbing, blood vomiting, and brutal beatings is not surprising or unwelcome. The film is beautifully shot, but it is dramatically schizophrenic and unfocused. It is more of a police procedural than a horror film, with too much time devoted to people standing in offices talking. Yau always manages to push a few buttons and up the shock value in his movies, but he doesn't go quite far enough in "Gong Tau", so the audience loses.

Jin Wang Normally I don't write reviews, since I think that not many people will read it anyway. However, with the few or one review out there I might give a try. Now the other guy has given a two, but that's too rash. This movie deserves better.The theme itself is something quite extraordinary among the nowadays Hong Kong movies. So that's extra point and especially when the subject is quite appealing too. Gong Tau, to curse someone, is a subject we need to see more of. Unfortunately many of the movie aspects are poorly executed. The drama was bit annoying and drags on as the story continues. The only motive, which keeps you watching is too see how ridiculous funny it is to see the Gong Tau moves and motives. Exaggerated in some ways, but yet hilarious to see the dark and humorous computer effects.You have been Gong Tau-ed and I rate this one a 7 for those who're interested in Black Magic and want a break of the current Hong Kong movies.