Terrific Shaw Brothers martial arts mixed with a mystery plot line with horror elements. There are three brothers mostly referred to as first second and third brother. They are out to get an evil master who has killed 36 members of a family. But what they don't know is there are two sisters who are living dead girls! Their master has trained them in the finger of doom. They wear gold metal long pointy nails that shoot spikes into the backs of men's necks. This turns them into invincible living dead! One sister is evil and the good sister joins up with the first brother to defeat the evil sister and her zombie sword fighting slaves. The zombies can't stay in the sun or they'll melt so they do all their evil deeds at night mostly when it's both foggy and creepy. The evil sister spikes second and third brother and not only has a romp in bed with the living dead third brother she takes off her clothes and tries to seduce the first brother. There are plenty of great sword fights but they are not as bloody as some Shaw films. The nudity is not full on either but just suggested. There are some terrific moments of zombies carrying the coffin in the fog but there are no hopping vampires here. The evil sister talks about drinking blood but it's never shown. I highly recommend this to fans of Shaw Brothers martial arts films. HK Flix has this region 3 DVD. The other review here is basically a quote from the HK Flix review which smells of promo. But don't let that stop you from buying this DVD.
4 Reviews
Finger of Doom - multiple fingers of much doom
Drealmer7 November 2018
This is an action drama that takes itself mostly seriously but not quite all of the time (to be clear, it's not somber or super-serious.) It looks like everyone had fun making it and it's a solid movie all around. The director had a firm grasp on what he wanted to do and how to accomplish it, and the movie never suffers from lack of direction or uncertainty (many martial arts movies geared towards 'get me to the main baddie' tend to have a period that drags on between the 2nd and 3rd acts, non-existent here.)
Heavier on the story and plot points than many movies in a similar vein, I never found myself bored or wanting (it's unique too), and there were plenty of action sequences too. The kung-fu is pretty below-average, but not in any way jokey, dull, or hackneyed, and is pretty much all done with swords.
Great sets and decent choreography and cinematography serve the action sequences well, as it's very much the "swooshing motions with dancing around" (again, done well) and not much at all real kung-fu. Minimal blood and cutting, but not non-existent, this movie definitely cared about the story, sets, cinematography, and acting, and was not just looking for a way to show some slicing+gushing - not at all a 'fast sword motion show the sliced body' type movie.
There are a handful of main characters and each is introduced and continuingly presented in a thoughtful way, and while it is clear who the good and bad guy's are, this is no obvious movie and predictability is relatively low. It gets props for originality but it's not at all outstanding and didn't wow me in any way.
Enjoyable and worth watching. 5.9stars
Heavier on the story and plot points than many movies in a similar vein, I never found myself bored or wanting (it's unique too), and there were plenty of action sequences too. The kung-fu is pretty below-average, but not in any way jokey, dull, or hackneyed, and is pretty much all done with swords.
Great sets and decent choreography and cinematography serve the action sequences well, as it's very much the "swooshing motions with dancing around" (again, done well) and not much at all real kung-fu. Minimal blood and cutting, but not non-existent, this movie definitely cared about the story, sets, cinematography, and acting, and was not just looking for a way to show some slicing+gushing - not at all a 'fast sword motion show the sliced body' type movie.
There are a handful of main characters and each is introduced and continuingly presented in a thoughtful way, and while it is clear who the good and bad guy's are, this is no obvious movie and predictability is relatively low. It gets props for originality but it's not at all outstanding and didn't wow me in any way.
Enjoyable and worth watching. 5.9stars
Interesting but average venture
Leofwine_draca5 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I've long been a Shaw Brothers fanboy and always eager to check our their horror-themed work alongside their better-known martial arts spectaculars. FINGER OF DOOM (1972, original title Tai yin zhi) is an odd little 'martial world' escapade, made on a lower budget than many and without a famous cast, although former musical starlet Ivy Ling Po grabs the female lead. This is more of a mannered action-mystery told through a horror tableau than the full-blooded supernatural adventures of the BLACK MAGIC films and THE BOXER'S OMEN which came later.
The tale sees Chin Han playing the leader of three brothers who come up with a blackmail plot but instead get drawn into the rivalry between two sisters: one good, one evil. The sisters are vampire types, dressed all in white and sleeping in coffins by day, although they don't actually drink blood. What they do do is practice the ancient 'finger of doom' technique by which they stab victims in the back of the neck and thus turn them into mind-controlled zombies. So they're the old fashioned WHITE ZOMBIE type of undead rather than flesh-eaters.
Other supernatural content is mentioned but never explicitly shown on screen. Instead, this is a stock action romp for the most part, although director Pao Hsueh-Li seems to be having an off day; the fights are strictly routine and never reach the quality of those staged in THE WATER MARGIN, for instance. This is the kind of film crying out for the presence of Liu Chia-Liang or Yuen Woo Ping as choreographer. Still, the creepy plot ingredients count for something, and there are lots of gloomy, fog-enshrouded temple and mausoleum sets to enjoy, alongside the opportunity to see a different kind of screen zombie.
The tale sees Chin Han playing the leader of three brothers who come up with a blackmail plot but instead get drawn into the rivalry between two sisters: one good, one evil. The sisters are vampire types, dressed all in white and sleeping in coffins by day, although they don't actually drink blood. What they do do is practice the ancient 'finger of doom' technique by which they stab victims in the back of the neck and thus turn them into mind-controlled zombies. So they're the old fashioned WHITE ZOMBIE type of undead rather than flesh-eaters.
Other supernatural content is mentioned but never explicitly shown on screen. Instead, this is a stock action romp for the most part, although director Pao Hsueh-Li seems to be having an off day; the fights are strictly routine and never reach the quality of those staged in THE WATER MARGIN, for instance. This is the kind of film crying out for the presence of Liu Chia-Liang or Yuen Woo Ping as choreographer. Still, the creepy plot ingredients count for something, and there are lots of gloomy, fog-enshrouded temple and mausoleum sets to enjoy, alongside the opportunity to see a different kind of screen zombie.
Reliably fun and well done, as we expect from Shaw Brothers
I_Ailurophile9 August 2023
There's no missing the fact that we're launched into the plot as soon as the film begins. It's fair to wonder how much a language barrier might further that slant, as translating the complexity of the Chinese language to English for subtitles isn't without its stumbling blocks; moreover, there are unquestionably elements of a picture written and designed in one culture that just don't come across with the same meaning for another culture. All this is to say that 'Finger of doom' feels extraordinarily direct in its storytelling (even in its scene writing and plot development), and moreover is built with a rather brisk pace even within each scene itself. Even the direction, editing, and cinematography carry this ethos at many points, and I can't help but think that the picture would have benefited from a bit more of a delicate and nuanced touch, and a measure of restraint, to allow the proceedings to manifest, breathe, and resolve of their own accord.
Be that as it may, it's not for nothing that the Shaw Brothers have the reputation that they do as a legendary studio for martial arts flicks. While this isn't without its faults in terms of the fundamental construction, in all the ways we expect and hope, it's very well done and enjoyable, if not as resoundingly vibrant as some of the company's many other productions. Such fare out of Hong Kong, especially in the 70s and 80s, usually bears a common look and feel, and this fits right in among that company. The sets are flush with detail and are downright gorgeous; costume design, props, and weapons are no more than a half-step behind. Fu-Liang Chou's dramatic score is a delight, ably lending to the mood of any given moment, and the sound effects are plainly terrific. Though the overall tenor is a tad overzealous, Hsueh-Li Pao's arrangement of shots as director, and the cinematography that was a joint effort of Pao and Ting-Bang Yuan, reflect a keen sense of artistry that lends some spirit to the feature. Moreover, the cinematography is wonderful lively and dynamic (if sometimes too much so), at its best helping to immerse us in the viewing experience. And while the stunts, effects, and action sequences are not necessarily as predominant in 'Finger of doom' as in other contemporary titles, those that we do get are reliably outstanding, and indisputably a key highlight of these ninety minutes that makes it all well worth exploring.
Weirdly, the pacing of plot development is a tad more relaxed than the gait of each individual scene, and for that fact there's a fair bit of the runtime for which one must work to stay engaged. Where the movie chooses to deemphasize action, it instead spotlights an air of horror and mystery in its storytelling, and along the way crafts welcome measures of tension and unsettled atmosphere. I don't think the narrative bears a cohesiveness that's wholly steady and consistent throughout the length, but it's complete and coherent nonetheless, not to mention strongly compelling. Furthermore, while this is uneven in various ways, all the many parts do ultimately gel, with the latter part of the picture surely being the best of all in every regard. Whether one wants to say "the last half" or "the last third," 'Finger of doom' builds its strength over time, and to whatever extent it was troubled or deficient earlier on, we're treated to a superb finish. In fact, to put it simply, had earlier scenes been as sharp and focused as the last stretch, I've no doubt that this 1972 film would be marked with greater esteem and recognition than it is.
It's not so special as to utterly demand viewership; it's entertaining, but not impeccable. There's just one thing we want out of the Shaw Brothers, however, and we definitely get it. The martial arts action is fantastic, the title looks and sounds as good as any of its brethren, it's an all around good time. While 'Finger of doom' may not be a total must-see, in my opinion it's well worth checking out if one has the chance, and I'm happy to give it a solid recommendation.
Be that as it may, it's not for nothing that the Shaw Brothers have the reputation that they do as a legendary studio for martial arts flicks. While this isn't without its faults in terms of the fundamental construction, in all the ways we expect and hope, it's very well done and enjoyable, if not as resoundingly vibrant as some of the company's many other productions. Such fare out of Hong Kong, especially in the 70s and 80s, usually bears a common look and feel, and this fits right in among that company. The sets are flush with detail and are downright gorgeous; costume design, props, and weapons are no more than a half-step behind. Fu-Liang Chou's dramatic score is a delight, ably lending to the mood of any given moment, and the sound effects are plainly terrific. Though the overall tenor is a tad overzealous, Hsueh-Li Pao's arrangement of shots as director, and the cinematography that was a joint effort of Pao and Ting-Bang Yuan, reflect a keen sense of artistry that lends some spirit to the feature. Moreover, the cinematography is wonderful lively and dynamic (if sometimes too much so), at its best helping to immerse us in the viewing experience. And while the stunts, effects, and action sequences are not necessarily as predominant in 'Finger of doom' as in other contemporary titles, those that we do get are reliably outstanding, and indisputably a key highlight of these ninety minutes that makes it all well worth exploring.
Weirdly, the pacing of plot development is a tad more relaxed than the gait of each individual scene, and for that fact there's a fair bit of the runtime for which one must work to stay engaged. Where the movie chooses to deemphasize action, it instead spotlights an air of horror and mystery in its storytelling, and along the way crafts welcome measures of tension and unsettled atmosphere. I don't think the narrative bears a cohesiveness that's wholly steady and consistent throughout the length, but it's complete and coherent nonetheless, not to mention strongly compelling. Furthermore, while this is uneven in various ways, all the many parts do ultimately gel, with the latter part of the picture surely being the best of all in every regard. Whether one wants to say "the last half" or "the last third," 'Finger of doom' builds its strength over time, and to whatever extent it was troubled or deficient earlier on, we're treated to a superb finish. In fact, to put it simply, had earlier scenes been as sharp and focused as the last stretch, I've no doubt that this 1972 film would be marked with greater esteem and recognition than it is.
It's not so special as to utterly demand viewership; it's entertaining, but not impeccable. There's just one thing we want out of the Shaw Brothers, however, and we definitely get it. The martial arts action is fantastic, the title looks and sounds as good as any of its brethren, it's an all around good time. While 'Finger of doom' may not be a total must-see, in my opinion it's well worth checking out if one has the chance, and I'm happy to give it a solid recommendation.
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