Released by Joseph Lai's IFD in 1985 as with many of their schlocky products "Deadly Darling" was presumably a movie cut down and added upon for their version.No info seems to exist on the original rape-revenge thriller but clearly it was shot around the end of the 70s as some people look just a little bit too groovy for 1985.A model who can't bring her rapist to justice and a nosy reporter taking law into her hands after falling victim to a group of rapists,the credited female director makes very standard statements about the views of society towards these women.Valid points but in a mediocre package that's only for the exploitation crowd anyway.You'll want to set aside slick storytelling and look for the nastiness instead.That is delivered on more than a few occasions,including in a very lengthy attempted rape (more of one done mentally and this version of the film doesn't have any nudity in fact),grisly sights of body parts delivered as threats by our vigilante female and a gory meat hook murder."Deadly Darling" flies by fast enough and delivers the unashamed goods during a few minutes.
3 Reviews
Saw 2 versions on the net -- SPOILERS are necessary for clarity
mikepal6023 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Each version has different extended scenes, unique to that version, of gore from the several different revenge murders committed by Hsiao-Fen Lu.
In one version, Hsiao-Fen Lu fails at killing her last two assailants, and she ends up in prison for life. In the other version, she succeeds in killing all her assailants, and overall, there is a tiny bit more sleaze. In this better version, Hsiao-Fen Lu confronts and kills her final assailant inside the house that her erstwhile fiancé had built for her before he left her because she was assaulted. At the end, we see Hsiao-Fen Lu standing silently inside this house at the window, staring out into the empty darkness of night. Sirens are heard off in the distance as the camera slowly moves away from the house, leaving her alone.
In one version, Hsiao-Fen Lu fails at killing her last two assailants, and she ends up in prison for life. In the other version, she succeeds in killing all her assailants, and overall, there is a tiny bit more sleaze. In this better version, Hsiao-Fen Lu confronts and kills her final assailant inside the house that her erstwhile fiancé had built for her before he left her because she was assaulted. At the end, we see Hsiao-Fen Lu standing silently inside this house at the window, staring out into the empty darkness of night. Sirens are heard off in the distance as the camera slowly moves away from the house, leaving her alone.
rape revenge flick with some eery shots involved
trashgang16 October 2013
Deadly Darling never had a proper release outside it's own country. The only way European people could watch it was on a Greek VHS badly and silly dubbed with Greek subtitles. For example when a girl stands on a building they shout at her, don't jump, don't kill yourself, the apartments aren't been hired... Do I need to say more.
But Deadly Darling is sought after by the lovers of rape/revenge flicks. Even as it is low on part of the revenge it still can be disturbing to some. The second rape takes almost over 6 minutes. There's no nudity to spot but it's the way it was shot that gave it an eery look. It doesn't look like the rape scene in Irreversible (2002) but still, it has shock value.
When a model is being raped the rapist isn't convicted and walks free. A journalist without fear does believe the girl and goes out on research behind the rape but is raped herself. From that moment on her loverboy doesn't want to see her again because she has been raped and his friends would laugh at him. Taking a shower, again shot in an eery way, her mind goes berserk and she's out for revenge.
Some might think that this is a bit like I Spit On Your Grave (1978) and in some ways it does but here the gore is left out. We do see some killings here and there and a bit of martial art but on the horror or even gore it's very low. It's not that bad at all, because it do offer a few weird moments, especially when she goes to bed with one of her victims and while making love slashes his throat with razor and dig out her sword to make the final kill.
Once discovered by the cops who is the killer of men, the movie goes really fast and suddenly it's all over. Only for rape/revenge lovers but extremely hard to find on a legal way.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5
But Deadly Darling is sought after by the lovers of rape/revenge flicks. Even as it is low on part of the revenge it still can be disturbing to some. The second rape takes almost over 6 minutes. There's no nudity to spot but it's the way it was shot that gave it an eery look. It doesn't look like the rape scene in Irreversible (2002) but still, it has shock value.
When a model is being raped the rapist isn't convicted and walks free. A journalist without fear does believe the girl and goes out on research behind the rape but is raped herself. From that moment on her loverboy doesn't want to see her again because she has been raped and his friends would laugh at him. Taking a shower, again shot in an eery way, her mind goes berserk and she's out for revenge.
Some might think that this is a bit like I Spit On Your Grave (1978) and in some ways it does but here the gore is left out. We do see some killings here and there and a bit of martial art but on the horror or even gore it's very low. It's not that bad at all, because it do offer a few weird moments, especially when she goes to bed with one of her victims and while making love slashes his throat with razor and dig out her sword to make the final kill.
Once discovered by the cops who is the killer of men, the movie goes really fast and suddenly it's all over. Only for rape/revenge lovers but extremely hard to find on a legal way.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5
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