The Twins Effect
Encyclopedia
The Twins Effect, also known as Vampire Effect in the United States
, is a 2003 Hong Kong film directed by Dante Lam
and Donnie Yen
. The film was derived from Cantopop
group Twins
, starring both members Charlene Choi
and Gillian Chung
in the leading roles. Co-stars include Edison Chen
and Ekin Cheng
. Jackie Chan
makes a special appearance in the film as well.
Following its release on March 8, 2003, The Twins Effect was a box-office success in Hong Kong, became the highest grossing domestic film of the year. The film gained huge popularity, mainly from fans of Twins.
Vampire hunter Reeve is depressed after his partner Lila is killed by vampires. He decides to train Lila's younger sister, Gypsy, to inherit her sister's duty and fight the vampire duke. However, Reeve's own sister, Helen, sees Gypsy as a rival.
At the same time, Kazaf meets Helen and falls in love with her, after which he intends to lead the life of a human being, but he is tracked down by the duke. Helen helps Kazaf and lets him hide in her home, where they are later discovered by Gypsy. Meanwhile, Reeve falls into the duke's trap while hunting vampires. Helen and Gypsy team up to save him.
in DVD as well.
The following are some differences between Vampire Effect and The Twins Effect:
, along with VCD
, released in Hong Kong
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a 2003 Hong Kong film directed by Dante Lam
Dante Lam
Dante Lam Chiu-Yin is a Hong Kong film director, an assistant director, actor, producer, writer, and action choreographer. In 2008 he won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director for his work on Beast Stalker.-Director:* Option Zero...
and Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
. The film was derived from Cantopop
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
group Twins
Twins (group)
Twins is a Hong Kong-based female Cantopop duo which was created in the summer of 2001 by Emperor Entertainment Group . Twins is made up of two girls, Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin and Gillian Chung Yan-Tung. They were a popular group in Hong Kong and a top band in China. Their fanbase included Japan,...
, starring both members Charlene Choi
Charlene Choi
Charlene Choi is a Hong Kong based actress and singer. She is a member of Cantopop group Twins, along with Gillian Chung.-Biography:...
and Gillian Chung
Gillian Chung
Gillian Chung is a Hong Kong based singer and actress. She is a member of Cantopop group Twins, along with Charlene Choi.-Early life:...
in the leading roles. Co-stars include Edison Chen
Edison Chen
Edison Koon-Hei Chen is a Hong Kong film actor, Cantopop singer, Hong Kong hip hop rapper, model, record producer, fashion designer, and a pop icon. Chen is also the founder of CLOT Inc., and the CEO of Clot Media Division Limited...
and Ekin Cheng
Ekin Cheng
Ekin Cheng is a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop singer. Early in his career he used the name Dior as a first name. He has also been referred to as Noodle Cheng, after a popular noodle product with a similar name...
. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
makes a special appearance in the film as well.
Following its release on March 8, 2003, The Twins Effect was a box-office success in Hong Kong, became the highest grossing domestic film of the year. The film gained huge popularity, mainly from fans of Twins.
Plot
An evil vampire duke seeks to kill and collect the blood of a royal family of European vampires in order to become all powerful. The last surviving member of the family, Prince Kazaf, flees to Hong Kong with his servant Prada. There, they are introduced by estate agent Momoko to live in an abandoned church.Vampire hunter Reeve is depressed after his partner Lila is killed by vampires. He decides to train Lila's younger sister, Gypsy, to inherit her sister's duty and fight the vampire duke. However, Reeve's own sister, Helen, sees Gypsy as a rival.
At the same time, Kazaf meets Helen and falls in love with her, after which he intends to lead the life of a human being, but he is tracked down by the duke. Helen helps Kazaf and lets him hide in her home, where they are later discovered by Gypsy. Meanwhile, Reeve falls into the duke's trap while hunting vampires. Helen and Gypsy team up to save him.
Cast
- Charlene ChoiCharlene ChoiCharlene Choi is a Hong Kong based actress and singer. She is a member of Cantopop group Twins, along with Gillian Chung.-Biography:...
as Helen - Gillian ChungGillian ChungGillian Chung is a Hong Kong based singer and actress. She is a member of Cantopop group Twins, along with Charlene Choi.-Early life:...
as Gypsy - Ekin ChengEkin ChengEkin Cheng is a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop singer. Early in his career he used the name Dior as a first name. He has also been referred to as Noodle Cheng, after a popular noodle product with a similar name...
as Reeve - Edison ChenEdison ChenEdison Koon-Hei Chen is a Hong Kong film actor, Cantopop singer, Hong Kong hip hop rapper, model, record producer, fashion designer, and a pop icon. Chen is also the founder of CLOT Inc., and the CEO of Clot Media Division Limited...
as Kazaf - Anthony Wong as Prada
- Mandy ChiangMandy ChiangMandy Nga-man Chiang is a Hong Kong singer signed to the Emperor Entertainment Group, Music Icon Rocords. Her music career first began in 2002 when she was partnered with Yumiko Cheng and Maggie Lau to form the female group 3T. The group released one EP and separated shortly after...
as Momoko - Josie HoJosie HoJosephine "Josie" Ho Chiu-Yi is a daughter of Macao casino magnate Stanley Ho, and a singer and actress from Hong Kong.-Movie career:She was involved in numerous movies, TV commercials, TV dramas, and singing performances....
as Lila - Maggie LauMaggie LauMaggie Lau is a Hong Kong actress and singer. She starred in New Police Story, The Twins Effect and also had a small acting part in The Myth alongside Jackie Chan and Korean actress, Kim Hee-sun....
as Nurse Maggie - Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
as Jackie Fong, the ambulance driver - Karen MokKaren MokKaren Joy Morris, known more commonly in the Sinosphere as Karen Mok or Mok Man-Wai, is a three-time Golden Melody Award-winning Hong Kong-based actress and singer-songwriter.- Biography :...
as Ivy - Chapman ToChapman ToChapman To Man-chak is a Hong Kong actor, best known for specializing in comedic roles in films such as Infernal Affairs and Initial D.-Career:To began his acting career in TV soap operas and moved to the big screen in 2000...
as Ken - Mickey HardtMickey HardtMickey Hardt is an actor, model and martial artist born in Switzerland. He is best known for his role in the German television series Der Puma - Kämpfer mit Herz. Hardt is experienced in Taekwondo and Savate.-Life and career:...
as Duke Dekotes - Cheung Tat-mingCheung Tat-MingCheung Tat-ming is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, director and writer. Cheung married Ho Nim-chi in September 2001. Ms Ho is a doctor...
as Jackie's friend - Ricardo Mamood as Ethan
- Winnie Leung as Deborah
- Digger Mesch as Vampire Thomas
- Marky Lee Campbell as Vampire Boz
- Mark StrangeMark StrangeMark William Strange is an English actor, film producer and martial arts action performer. Strange has worked on a number of feature films including The Medallion and The Twins Effect along with Jackie Chan and Batman Begins to name but a few...
as Vampire Smashing - Philip Chen as Vampire Lebrow
- Daniel Whyte as Vampire Ice
- Simon Robida as Vampire Zoolander
- Daniel O'Neill as Vampire Dan
- Bey LoganBey LoganBey Logan is a respected expert on East Asian cinema, particularly Hong Kong action cinema. He is also notable as a screenwriter, film producer and as a martial artist who has had roles in a number of films, including the 2003 Dante Lam film The Twins Effect.He has written two books - Hong Kong...
as Vampire John - Robert Meister as Vampire Elron
- Michael Clements as Vampire Nobals
- Don FergusonDon FergusonDon Ferguson is a Canadian actor and is one of the stars of XPM and Royal Canadian Air Farce. He is also the only Canadian-born original cast member of Air Farce....
as Vampire Train - Philip NgPhilip NgPhilip Wan-Lung Ng is a Hong Kong based actor and action choreographer.- Biography :...
as Ambulance Vampire (uncredited) - Matthew Sturgess as Vampire Food (uncredited)
- Spencer Lam as Jackie's father
- Matt Chow as Matt
- Yumiko ChengYumiko ChengYumiko Cheng is a Hong Kong-based Cantopop singer. Cheng was given the Japanese nickname "Yumiko" by her friends in secondary school, and upon signing with EEG, adopted it as her official stagename.-Career:...
as a wedding guest - Victy Wong as a wedding guest
- Ho Wai-yip as a wedding guest
- Yeung Yung-lin as a wedding guest
Alternate version
After its release in Hong Kong, the film was renamed to Vampire Effect and some sequences were slightly altered. The new version was released in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in DVD as well.
The following are some differences between Vampire Effect and The Twins Effect:
- Several scenes and timelines in the opening sequence are altered
- Some scenes' editing are different
- Some dialogues were modified
- About 20 minutes of footage were cut from the original film, but some new scenes were added
- The new film length is shorter than the original version (88 minutes for Vampire Effect)
- Some film scores / music / instrumentals differ from the original version (different composer)
DVD releases
There are five versions of DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, along with VCD
VCD
VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic, semi-professional football team* Video CD* Voice command device* Value change dump * Vocal cord dysfunction* Visual Communication and Design...
, released in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
- DAY FOR NIGHT Limited Edition (Limited 3000 sets. 2 DVDs come with Special Packaging, Vampire Slayer's sword, 4 autograph photos and individual printed code on the cover sleeve)
- DAY FOR NIGHT Limited Edition - 2nd Edition (2 DVDs comes with Bronze colour Special Packaging, Bronze colour Vampire Slayer's sword, and 4 autograph postcards)
- First Press 2 DVDs with Metallic / Silver Cardboard Slipcase
- Second Press 2 DVDs with Cardboard Slipcase and altered disc print
- Standard 2 DVDs (no slipcase)
- First Press VCD with Metallic / Silver Cardboard Slipcase
- Second Press / standard VCD with Cardboard Slipcase
External links
- The Twins Effect at the Hong Kong Movie DatabaseHong Kong Movie DatabaseThe Hong Kong Movie DataBase is a bilingual website that was created in 1995 by Ryan Law to provide a repository for information about movies originating from Hong Kong and the people that created them....
- The Twins Effect official Hong Kong website