Hong Kong

HUA YANG DE NIAN HUA, a fascinating 2m 28s montage of images Wong kar-wai pulled from a number of vintage Chinese features, most of which were considered lost until some nitrate prints were discovered in a California warehouse during the 1990s. Focusing on the popular actresses of the time, the short’s lovely vintage costumes and imagery perfectly compliment the look and feel of the main feature. Unfortunately, the transfer (provided to Criterion by Wong’s company, Block 2 Pictures) is framed too tightly on top, bisecting a number of heads.Read More »

PLOT SUMMARY
A group of idealistic Chinese students move into Toyko’s Shinjuku district to attend school in a more relaxed, less competitive setting. However, they soon find themselves inextricably embroiled in the Yakuza underworld with little hope of survival.Read More »

Synopsis:
A group of people are crowded together in a crappy tenement slum. The place is ruled with an iron fist by its strict landlady, who along with her sleazy husband, tries to exploit their tenants in whatever way they see fit.Read More »

Synopsis:
Lo Wei was twenty years into his notable career when he wrote, directed, and co-starred in this tale of a murdered lord, a hired killer who unknowingly becomes friends with his intended victim, a vicious bandit chief, a kind blind woman, and a death duel which explodes into an ambush and then a slaughter. Star Yueh Hua would go on to an exceptional acting career, while Lo himself would give both Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan their “big breaks.”Read More »

Synopsis:
Jun arrives in Hong Kong from mainland China, hoping to be able to earn enough money to marry his girlfriend back home. He meets the streetwise Qiao and they become friends. As friendship turns into love, problems develop, and although they seem meant for each other they somehow keep missing out.Read More »

In another one of Lo Wei’s excellent wuxia films, the powerful Jade Dragon Sword is stolen by the devious Tang Dachuan (Wong Chung-Shun). His plan involved the seduction of the owner’s daughter, Fan Ying (Cheng Pei-Pei), and when she is found and the sword recovered, she is banished to the Dragon Swamp for 20 years. Now, 20 years later the sword has been stolen again, and it is up to Master Fan of the Lingshan Clan (Lo Wei) to send his disciples out into the world to recover it. One of them is the daughter of Fan Ying (unknownst to her and again played by Cheng Pei-Pei) and she gets involved with the Roaming Knight (Yueh Hua) who happens to be searching for his long-lost love, Fan Ying. Together, they brave the Dragon Swamp in search for answers about the whereabouts of Fan Ying and possibly, the Jade Dragon Sword.Read More »

This is no street gang or gang of mobsters. It’s a Yuan Dynasty army, out to destroy the Hsien Lung “gang” of anti-Yuan revolutionaries. Their leader is the redoubtable Chen Kuan-tai, the real-life South-East Asian Chinese Martial Arts Tournament champion and master of “Monkey-King Split and Deflecting Arm” kung-fu, who must face paternal murder, brother against brother plots, and shocking discoveries that could change the course of history.Read More »

A young gung fu student named Kao Chien (Yuen Te) saves the life of a man whom he later finds out is the famous gung fu master, Chin Tien Yun (Chen Kuan-Tai). Chin Tien Yun senses that Kao Chien is a good lad and asks if he could teach him some of his gung fu and breathing techniques. Kao Chien realizes this is against school rules, but agrees anyway to be taught. During his training, Kao Chien is told the story of a infamous gang called the “3 Evils” who terrorize the lands. Shortly, Kao Chien is expelled by his Sifu (Lau Hok Nin) for being a traitor, and then shortly later Chin Tien Yun meets his match and is killed by the “3 Evils”. The “3 evils” then take over Kao Chien’s school and make it a home base to plan their evil deeds along with forcing the remaining students and Kao Chien’s Sifu to act as their servants. Kao Chien, armed with new gung fu and breathing techniques, decides to take on the “3 Evils” one by one until all are dead.Read More »

Quote:
O (Takashi Sorimachi) is the number 1 assassin in all of Asia. Tok (Andy Lau) wants to dethrone him and become the premier hitman in the world. What these two have in common is that they are in love with the same woman, Chin (Kelly Lin). And Chief Inspector Lee (Simon Yam) wants to catch them both. Thrown into a gauntlet of razor blade shoot-outs and a feeding frenzy of warfare, this film is a story about two men of the most excessive lifestyles competing in a world where men die young and the victor not only walks away with the most money, but with the most valuable reputation. Bursting of style and pimp slapped with full on octane entrenched cinema, Johnny To presents his action masterpiece, “Fulltime Killer.”Read More »