The Black Tavern

THE BLACK TAVERN

黑
店

Hēi Diàn

Hearing the rumor of a rich official traveling with a chest full of bribes, robbers gather and squabble at a kèdiàn.

Having had enough of Wang Hsieh's polyester terrycloth ensemble, Ku Feng pops his eyeball.

For a while, especially during the fake-bloody-foot kitchen scene,
there is a hope this would actually be a grisly and ghastly
Bender Family type of movie, and create a true hēidiàn genre.
But it turns out to be a kèzhàn movie
minus the intelligent, social, and artistic aspects
of King Hu productions.
As it is, Hēi Diàn is an action movie that isn't particularly good,
until the fight finale in the last five minutes
pulls it together and redeems everything else before.

A singer with the same style and rhythm
as Yueh Hua in Dragon Gate Inn
and Han Ying Chieh in The Fate of Lee Khan.
Who knew he would be the one to save the movie?

Shih Szu

THE BLACK TAVERN

黑店

黑
店