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Nu wang feng fu qiao (1981)
Queen Bee , 1981, Original Taiwan version
My review and appreciation for Queen Bee is admittedly somewhat biased and skewed by my obsession with Lu I-Chan!
I first watched the original Taiwanese version of Queen Bee (i.e not the more common, crappy Filmark version with added Ninjas) around 15 years ago and instantly fell in love with the film - and its sizzling lead, Lu I-Chan. The most accessible version of the Taiwanese cut doing the rounds was/is without subtitles, so although the film was great fun, some finer plot details were missed.
At the beginning of 2023, I managed to acquire a rough, washed-out print but with burnt-in English subtitles, so I was finally able to fill in the missing plot points after all these years.
Lu I-Chan plays Yea Ping/Queen Bee, whose sister is raped (and consequently commits suicide) on the eve of her wedding. Yea Ping goes to a local godfather-esque character named 'Second Master' (O Chun Hung) for help.
Second Master eventually takes Yea Ping under his wing as his adopted daughter, renames her 'Queen Bee' and converts her into a total fighting and gambling bad ass.
From this point on, Queen Bee sets out to get her revenge on the scum that led to her sister's death, whilst getting into some gang-related scraps along the way.
The revenge element doesn't kick in until around the 40th minute mark but, when it does, it's a real joy to watch Lu I-Chan in a variety of great outfits, brandishing a shotgun, katana or throwing darts to dish out her ice cold brand of justice.
If you enjoy this one, check out the other Chester Wong & Lu I-chan collaboratins like the sequel Queen Bee's Revenge (released the same year), Mad Rose, The Imprisoned and The Outlaw (all 1982)
Dev Kani (1984)
Dev Kani (1984), Cuneyt Arkin
Another one of many Cetin Inanc & Cuneyt Arkin collaborations, 'Dev Kani' isn't quite as wild and trashy as their other efforts but still manages to deliver towards the end of the film for those with some patience.
Arkin plays Murat, a war hero, who has become something of an alcoholic and vagabond since returning home. He eventually begins to reconnect with people from his past, mainly his mechanic friend (Huseyin Peyda) and his old flame who has now become a stripper (Leyla Somer).
In parallel to this, a heroin epidemic has taken control of the city and the commissioner (Erol Tas) is tasked with cleaning up the city and taking down the main drug boss. As Murat has no ties or
family and showed great courage during the war, the commissioner blackmails him into taking a mission to wipe out the drug trade and all those involved.
'Dev Kani' takes quite a while to get going, in fact, it's almost 50-60 mins until we get to see Arkin in action which consists of the usual acrobatic trampoline bouncing, blasting and karate chopping his way through baddie scum.
Along the way we get a tame but easy-on-the-eye strip tease show, some amusing over-acting from caged junkies in prison cells, a dash of underage rape and a memorable bleached blonde villain sporting some shades straight out of Buggles 'Video Killed..' video.
As usual, the HD versions on Youtube are butchered (as of Dec 2023). The German Kalkavan VHS (which this review is based on) runs approx 16 mins longer with all the good stuff fully intact.
Ölümsüz (1982)
Ölümsüz (The Immortal)
Ölümsüz (The Immortal) is another deliriously trashy and fast-paced collaboration between Çetin Inanç and Cüneyt Arkin. It's not the best of their work together but certainly has its moments.
Arkin plays Ali Kaya, who has spent the past 15 years behind bars and returns to Istanbul to look for his wife and children. An older hooker whom Ali befriends suggests he looks around the drug dens and brothels throughout the city in case his son and daughter have fallen on hard times. Sure enough his daughter, now 19 yrs old has become a prostitute with a heroin habit and his son a pusher. Ali naturally flips and, with the help of his police officer friend (Ahmet Mekin) goes after the pimps and drug dealers who ruined his kids' lives. The usual Cüneyt Arkin beat downs ensue (including a nice eye gouging), with music jacked from Suspiria and Return of Ringo, plus a half decent (original??) theme tune.
Worth noting the VHS on Kalkavan label runs a good 15 mins longer than the current versions on Youtube (as of Dec 2023).
Qi an shi lu bai se tong dao (1992)
Heroin Tunnel
Peter Leung (Chen Kuan Tai), a popular Hong Kong business man known for his charity, is also involved in a large-scale heroin smuggling operation with General Pang. Pang operates a refinery, somewhere in an unidentified part of the Golden Triangle, which makes up 80% of the world's opium trade. The General has also invented a new brand of drug called' Heroin-5' which he boasts has no scent and can be applied to the skin, with no need for injection. Wong (John Cheung), Peter Leung's right-hand man, establishes a base in the Yunnan province of China to help import the goods into the mainland. Chan Tak (Robert Mak), an outstanding member of a special forces team in Hong Kong, is sent to Yunnan to bring down the operation.
An unspectacular but perfectly watchable film. It starts off strong in HK with John Cheung, rocking the Steven Seagal ponytail look, dispatching a few rival dealers in fairly brutal fashion. The location switch to rural Yunnan makes for an unusual backdrop for a kung fu film and, altough it lends the film a slightly unique feel, the middle section of the film does unfortunately drag. The final showdown in the refinery is pretty decent, with Robert Mak & John Cheung getting a chance to display their skills. Tsui Man-Wah, Wong's lover and sidekick, is sorely under-used. She faces off against, Irene, an undercover agent near the end. A lot more could have been made of it. Lo Lieh directs and also stars as the police chief in Yunnan. Certainly worth a watch, though could've done with a bit more action in the middle section.
Du ming xi yang (1992)
Behind The Curtain, 1992
Ting (Kara Hui) is an undercover agent investigating a gang that's using her Uncle Liu's shipping company to smuggle drugs. The leader of the gang, Yong (Henry Lo) is effectively pimping his wife to Uncle Liu in order to get closer to him. This is all a very intricate plot by Yong to get revenge for the death of his father (Dick Wei) forty years ago...
Man, this was a real chore to sit through! There is a decent film buried deep in here somewhere but this is largely in reference to the Dick Wei and Chung Fat footage used during the flashbacks, which has clearly been shoe-horned in from another production (I would hazard a guess this footage was filmed around the same time as Yellow Rain, 1991, which shares a similar cast & crew).
Due to the cut 'n' paste nature of the film, the story is a convoluted mess. Everybody in the film is related to everybody and there is tons of melodrama and crying..
On the plus side, we do get Kara Hui and Dick Wei who try to lend a dash of quality to the proceedings. A female drug dealer called Scorpion, sporting a pretty cool female-Rambo look is sadly under-used.
The fight scenes, when not excessively undercranked, are fairly well choreographed but, these brief scenes get overshadowed by the overall cheapness and incompetence of the film. Kara Hui and/or Dick Wei completists may as well check it out but for everyone else, it's not really worth the effort of tracking down.
Ying qian zhuan jia (1991)
Money Maker, 1991
Gambling Queen (Sandra Ng) obtains a briefcase containing $500,000 cash and some incriminating evidence against the Thai Gambling King (James Tien). After the Gambling Queen is killed in a face-off against the Thai King's thugs, her ghost enlists two hapless, bumbling gamblers (Wong Jing and Ng Man-Tat) to help protect her sister (Chingmy Yau) who is now in possession of the suitcase.
As usual for a Wong Jing film, Money Maker is a mash up of multiple genres - in this case ghost/comedy/gambling with a dash of kung fu. Not everything works but there's certainly enough here for a few chuckles. Admittedly, I found Sandra Ng's OTT antics quite amusing in this and a funny Charlie Chin cameo early on in the film gets things off to a good start. There are a few neat visual effects too - especially the card animations and a flying head gag. There's also the mandatory Taoist vs Black Magic battle during the climatic card game with Lam Ching-Ying putting in one of his usual turns as a priest.
The film drags slightly in spots and the ending could've been better but recommended if you're a fan of HK comedy or any of the lead actors.
(Review source: Taiwan VHS (Mandarin with English subs) & HK LD (Cantonese only))
3 out of 5.
Sha chu Xiang Gang (1988)
City Warriors, 1988
A criminal ring, using mostly mainland Chinese prostitutes to serve rich and influential underworld figures, finds themselves in hot water when one of their girls dies from a rough, drug-fuelled sex session with a Yakuza boss. Her badly decomposed corpse is found in the sea triggering a police investigation led by O Chun-Hung. Meanwhile, Lok Han (Dick Wei) has come from China to Hong Kong, to find his sister, who has ties to the prostitute ring that's under investigation...
Man, does Johnny Wang Lung Wei know how to shoot tough and gritty action scenes! I love all of his directorial efforts (Widow Warriors and Hong Kong Godfather being my favourites) and revisited 'City Warriors' recently for the 3rd time.
Despite a fairly convoluted way of telling, what it essentially quite a simple story, the action , which is what most of us are here for, hits hard when it counts. The scene of a ferocious husband & wife gang shooting it out with the police is fantastic and up there with the best of what HK action cinema had to offer at the time. Shum Wai in drag as a sleazy, sadistic pimp is pretty entertaining and there are several solid scenes with Ken Lo, most notably when he scales an apartment block to carry out a hit.
Performances are generally respectable all round. Carina Lau is top-billed but the film mainly belongs to Dick Wei, Ken Lo and O Chun-Hung who are all on top form.
Nu er dang zi qiang (1993)
Lady Supercop, 1993
Not to be confused with Cynthia Khan's Super Lady Cop, Lady Supercop stars Carina Lau as the serious and ambitious Police Madam, Winnie Chang. After a promotion, Winnie is transfered to the same precinct as her cousin Lo (Teresa Mo) with whom she also shares a flat with.
Winnie's informant, May, witnesses a murder during an arms deal involving gun smuggler Chin Ho and May's boyfriend. After her identity is revealed to Chin Ho, May first seeks refuge at the policewomens' apartment but later goes on the run, fearing for her life. This triggers a cat and mouse chase between Chin Ho's gang and the informant, May.
The story is nothing new here but the film benefits greatly from some exciting, hard-hitting action scenes. Highlights include a shootout within the tight confines of Winnie and Lo's apartment and a chase sequence during a jewellery heist gone wrong. A torture scene involving a power drill is an homage (...or rip-off?) of Marathon Man, albeit significantly nastier and bloodier than the Hoffman classic.
Chan Wai Man, Waise Lee and Eric Tsang all appear in smaller roles. Their 'star power' is certainly welcome, although none of their stories are particularly integral to the main plot. Waise Lee is pretty much wasted but Chan Wai Man does have a chance to get in on the action briefly.
The director chose to film some scenes with a hazy, orange hue which I probably could've done without (it's more prominent in the World Video print than the Star release) and the ending felt slightly choppy and rushed but, overall Lady Supercop is well worth a watch, elevated by 2 or 3 really tough action sequences.
Kai fa qu sha ren shi jian (1994)
Marked For Murder, 1994
The Japanese Wolf Gang catch Kwai Hoi San embezzling large amounts of money from his company. The bank code is engraved on a pendant and, before Kwai Hoi San is killed by the gang, he manages to give it to one of his workers, Lo Saohai, for safe-keeping. The Wolf Gang, led by Iro Yamakuchi (Ben Lam) are aware of this and set out to find Lo Saohai by any means.
Jin Yang is a stand-out member of an all-female Special Ops squad from Mainland China. She is tasked with protecting and escorting Lo Saohai back to Hong Kong, where she is accompanied by Sergeant Liang (Lam Wai). However, their mission becomes increasingly difficult, as it becomes apparent there may be a mole somewhere within the ranks of the police, as the Wolf Gang seem to be hot on our heroes' trail with every turn.
Marked For Murder looks and feels like a Taiwanese girls with guns action film from 5 years earlier. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing of course but it doesn't quite have the slickness or flair of other Hong Kong films from around 1994. The gunplay is solid though fairly ordinary but, where the film does manage to impress is in its fight scenes. The actress who plays Jin Yang (Ngan Bing-Yin) is very capable and shines in pretty much every action sequence that she's involved in. Later on in the film, there's a decent home invasion ninja attack and the showdown involving our heroes vs. More ninjas, and a menacing Ben Lam, is a definite highlight.
Beardy - minus his trademark beard - has a non-action role as Superintedent Chen and is mainly included for some light, comic relief. Lam Wai - also minus his trademark moustache - has a far meatier role as Chen's brother-in-law, and although his character isn't always played straight, it's a decent enough performance, even though he is upstaged by Ngan Bing-Yin most of the time.
Jie du (1981)
Champ Wang is The Reformed Gambler, 1981
Lan Shao Hua (Champ Wang) is a lonely, ace gambler who returns from abroad after the death of his parents caused by a wealthy industrialist (Paul Chang Chung). Lan Shao Hua is naturally looking for answers and justice. Through his love of gambling, he meets Sung (Ma Sha) at a casino and the two bond, helping each other out in the various scuffles and problems they both get themselves into. However, complications arise when it's revealed Sung works for Wong, the businessman responsible for Lan Shao Hua's parents' deaths.
'The Reformed Gambler' is, for the most part, a fairly light and routine action film which alternates between the requisite gambling scenes and adequately staged brawls. The film is a little episodic in structure for the first half hour but it soon settles down once the main story kicks in.
Things take quite a dark turn in the final 20 minutes after Violet Pan's character (who is shacking up with Ma Sha) gets a nasty roughing up by some thugs, which leads up to a pretty hectic finale including slashings. Some axe-wielding and a bloody pitchfork impalement...
The movie benefits hugely from a top cast of familiar faces. Aside from those mentioned above, there's Shih Szu who plays a savvy card shark (watch out for the strip poker scene, sadly Szu stays clothed!), Chen Sing has a cameo as a burly mechanic and dependable, regular baddies such as Lung Fei, Chen Hung Lieh and even the weasly Suen Lam turn in their usual performances.
Watch out for 'borrowed' music cues from Japanese electro group Yellow Magic Orchestra and the Spaghetti Western sounding theme tune with its blaring mariachi style trumpets!
And finally, worth pointing out Champ Wang and Ma Sha's impressive skills on the pool table where they pull off a number of nifty trick shots without any editing or camera trickery.
Chuang jiang (1985)
Clash of the Professionals (1985)
Luo Kang (Jimmy Wang Yu) is a tough-as-nails private investigator who works alongside his bumbling reporter childhood friend.
Luo Kang is assigned to an initially standard case of adultery and is to gather evidence of a cheating husband. This links him to a young lady named Donna, a nightclub performer who is soon being used as a drug dealer and mule for Kamizawa, head of a powerful Tokyo + Taipei cartel (which includes some old school faces such as Chen Hung Lieh and, frequent Wang Yu collaborator, Lung Fei).
After saving her life, Luo Kang and Donna become romantically involved but it isn't long before the cartel want Luo out of the picture and their popular starlet back.
Clash of the Professionals may well be one of my favourite Jimmy Wang Yu films. The action is tough, exciting and varied with some locations you don't often seen in a kung fu flick e.g. The fights in an ice hockey rink and another taking place in a ski resort are particular highights. There's also a decent motorbike chase thrown in for good measure with Wang Yu handling some pretty dangerous stunts on his own.
The pace is more or less non-stop , the action is hard-hitting (women are roughed up, a rival drug dealer is stabbed through the head, innocent pedestrians are mowed down) and the 'borrowed' music from various sources is used to good effect (inc. Goblin and even Ollie And Jerry's 'There's No Stopping Us' (!) ),
Strong recommendation for fans of 80's Taiwanese action !
Du ming shuang xiong (1992)
Desperate Duo (aka Two Gambling Men), 1992
Standard 90s Taiwanese action tale of two rival gangs, headed up by dependable regulars Chen Sing & Ku Feng, battling for territory and power. However, the pace is pretty brisk throughout and the film is never boring with some fairly decent set pieces - especially the frenetic action-packed finale. Suen Kwok Ling (looking remarkably like Norman Chu during his permed days) is serviceable enough in the lead, ably supported by Alex Fong, Dick Wei, Charlie Cho and many other familiar Taiwanese bit part actors. The cheapness of the film let's things down a little, for example, I spotted several henchmen who died earlier in the film, only to miraculously come 'alive' again for the showdown! There is also a pretty illogical plot point near the end when our heroes agree to wait for a more strategic, quieter time to attack the enemy. Yet, in the next scene we see them simply walking through the front gates of a meeting of the two heads of families surrounded by 100s of henchmen. Stealth option out the window! Despite these flaws, the film still remains highly watchable for fans of low budget Taiwan action.
Matatalim na pangil sa gubat (1986)
Sharp Fangs in the Forest, 1986
Based on a Filippino comic, Matatalim Na Pangil Sa Gubat is a fairly gory creature feature with a slight ecological slant. A group of villagers unwittingly awaken a giant crocodile after chopping down part of the forest. The crocodile then makes its way into the village and starts to attack and kill at random. The villagers, led by Arsenio, and a mute comic relief character named Igor, set out to hunt the animal down. Pretty obscure Filippino horror that has a fair bit of the red stuff but the POV crocodile attacks become slightly repetitive after a while. Still, for what it is, it's fairly well made and moderately enjoyable for fans of the genre.
Yi bu rong ci (1989)
Mission Recall, 1990
Emily Chu stars as a lawyer who ends up defending an old flame, Chang Kuo-chu, who is on the run for murder after intervening for a friend of the family. Robert Mak is the weasely dope head to be saved.
Fairly dark Taiwanese bloodshed film. There is plenty of frequent action, not always expertly staged, but enough of it to keep your attention. Wang Hsieh as usual plays a slimy mob boss. Scenes of electrocutions, frequent rape and stabbings keep the tone grim.
Fairly abrupt ending takes a dark turn. Overall fairly watchable.
Nu gui sheng si lian (1991)
Ghost's Love (1993)
A young woman called Sin Yun (played by Wong Wing-Fong / Dassey Wong), gets tricked by gangster Wu Tien (Chung Fat) who spikes her drink with a date-rape drug. He has sex with her while she's semi-conscious and, when she refuses to become a mule for one of his heroin deals, she is killed and dumped in a nearby lake. Taking pity on her spirit, the 'Land God' (a kind of gatekeeper to the afterlife) allows Sin Yun's spirit to inhabit the earth temporarily so that she can get revenge on Wu Tien and his gang.
The lake, it seems, is a bit of a rape 'hot spot' and several more women are attacked and also thrown in. Sin Yun possesses the body of one of the dead victims, Chin Wan (Yang Shu-Hua) and uses her to get around from place to place. Whilst occupying Chin Wan's body, Sin Yun's spirit also finds time to fall in love with Yung (Chin Wan's boyfriend and hence the title of the film) before finally catching up with the gang who murdered her. Amidst all of this nonsense, there are several sub-plots involving Yukari Oshima and Dick Wei who are cops on the trail of Wu Tien, and also Tu Kuei-Hua and Chung Jan-Wang , Sin Yun's siblings, who spend the bulk of the film looking for their sister.
If you can accept the premise of Wong Wing-Fong's spirit morphing into a talking beetle that leads Tu Kuei-Hua to her sister's killers, then you will find some entertainment value in Ghost's Love!
One of the main reasons to sit through it is for the women who are mostly very attractive. Director Yu Chik-Lim makes the most of his two lustrous leads with lots of close up shots and frequent nudity.
There are a number of sex scenes (some fairly explicit), with some brief full frontal courtesy of Pai Yu-Chen (Beauty's Evil Roses, 1992) and also an unwelcome glimpse of Chung Fat's cock...though I think this was a result of poor editing than anything else!
The other reason why most people will seek out Ghost's Love is for Yukari Oshima (and/or Dick Wei). Although their clumsily inserted fight scenes are presented quite jarringly in contrast to the main plot, they are very welcome and of surprisingly good quality. Yukari in particular displays some crisp, bone crunching kicks, facing off in a few brief exchanges with Chung Fat. The mighty Dick Wei also gets a few moves in, as does Tu Kuei-Hua during the second half. Yukari fans may be disappointed that she isn't present throughout the entire film but what little there is of her is certainly entertaining. Towards the end of the film, Ghost's Love does end up becoming a bit of a jumbled mess but, the attractive leads (Dassey Wong & Yang Shu-Hua), presence of Yukari and a smattering of decent fights earn this a mild recommendation.
2.5 out of 5
Review source: World Video, Laserdisc (USA) (Cantonese language with English subtitles)
Gung hoi keung gan fung bo (1993)
Rape In Public Sea / Sad Story of Saigon (1993)
The Sad Story of Saigon is better known by its more striking, alternative title of Rape In Public Sea. The film was re-edited with some additional sex scenes thrown in to capitalise on the CAT3 popularity at the time. Both versions of the film contain exclusive footage (the more common CAT3 Rape In Public Sea cut features more sex but less action) but for the purpose of the review, I'll focus on the Saigon edit which is arguably the more coherent of the two cuts.
A crooked customs officer, Yuen Wan Tai (Choi Jeong-Il), massacres a group of Vietnamese gun-runners aboard a trawler and takes a cache of weapons they were smuggling. Yuen has been making a fortune selling stolen guns to a local Hong Kong arms dealer, Lu Fang Chun (Shum Wai).
Back in Hong Kong, a close-knit community of Vietnamese immigrants led by Brother Nan (Lam Ching-Ying) are united, not only by their ethnicity but also by a common hatred for Yuen Wan Tai. Their families having either been killed or brutally oppressed by the cruel officer.
Meanwhile, Interpol agent Claudia (Sophia Crawford) is given the task of bringing Yuen to justice with the help of fellow agent, Alan (Jeff Falcon). We learn that Claudia also has a personal motive for taking the assignment. The two Interpol agents eventually join forces with Nan and his group to take down Yuen and Lu Fang Chun.
The Sad Story of Saigon is notable for both Jeff Falcon and Sophia Crawford having substantially more screen time than normal - so even though Lam Ching-Ying gets top billing, in my opinion, the gweilos steal the show! Jeff and Sophia go up against some thugs in a car park in a brief but crisp fight (which is cut from the Rape In Public Sea edit) which showcases both of their considerable talents well. Similarly in the finale, Jeff Falcon takes on four baddies at once on a rooftop in dazzling fashion (if a little undercranked).
The showdown is solid if unspectacular with all remaining cast members getting in on the action. It was nice to see Hon Gwok Choi, normally confined to playing goofball characters, in a more or less straight role here. Overall, there's a good balance of gunplay and hand-to-hand action on display along with a few brutal scenes e.g. Sophia Crawford takes quite a nasty beating while being held captive and there's decent hanging scene near the start of the film which I found quite effective.
The choppy editing leaves large plot gaps in both versions of the film, and while neither version can be considered essential viewing, the Sad Story of Saigon cut edges it for me for having more action.
3 out of 5
Review source: Tai Seng, VHS (USA) (Cantonese language with English subtitles)
Po jian ji xian feng (1991)
Thunder Run (1991)
Ju (Ray Lui) and Leong (Alex Man) are members of the Flying Tiger squad, a SWAT team led by a cigar-chomping Jason Pai Piao. After the excessive handling of a fatal hostage situation, the two are sent to Laos to investigate some drug smugglers, where it is assumed they would not get into as much mischief. The pair are greeted at Laos airport by Ju's cousin, Jane (Ha Chi-Chun) who is a local guide there and agrees to help them get around. It doesn't take long for our heroes to land themselves in hot water. Leong is mistaken by local authorities as a drug trafficker and sent to the impregnable and notorious Devil Prison camp located in the heart of a booby-trapped jungle. It is then up to Ju and Jane to find a way to release Leong from the camp before he cracks under the pressure of the sadistic warden (Wiliam Ho) and the ruthless inmates.
After an exciting and promising opening involving mainland terrorists taking a group hostage, the action and focus switches to the jungle prison setting which forms the bulk of the film. Actor / Director Hsu Hsia, who helmed Shaw Brothers classics like Kid from Kwangtung (1982) and Lion Vs Lion (1981) kind of goes through the motions a little here. The situations and conditions Leong encounters in the prison have been seen many times before - mess hall brawls, the hero befriending a weaker inmate who is being bullied, brutal prison wardens etc . But none of these scenes are executed with any type of originality or flair, and most have been done more effectively elsewhere.
Still, Thunder Run scores some bonus points for Ha Chi-Chun who steals each scene she is in. She is used to much better effect in Angel Enforcers (1989) for example, but her few brief fights are certainly welcome here. Alex Fong's character is a bit too whiny for my liking. It's tough to accept that his spirit can be broken so quickly (he's basically a snivelling mess) after such a short amount of time in the prison camp. Ray Lui does a pretty decent job with what he has to work with. With the talent involved, the film could have and should have been a lot better. But, the strong opening and the finale, which contains a chase through the trap-filled jungle, help to make up for a slow middle section. For Hong Kong films set in the jungle, in my opinion, you are better off with Stone Age Warriors (1991); Angel II (1988) (also with Alex Fong); Eastern Condors (1987); or even Jungle Heat / Last Breath (1985).
2.5 out of 5
Review source: Ocean Shores Video, Laserdisc (Hong Kong) (Cantonese language with English subtitles)
Shi da qiangji yaofan zhi shasheng zhuangyuan (1993)
He-Born To Kill (1993)
Li Chien-Ping (Jaguar Force Thunderbolt) directs and stars in this Taiwan action film that charts the downfall of a hot-headed, local gangster named Sing-Fa Cheng / Ah Long (Jack Kao).
After a bloody shoot-out with Fu-Hsiung, a cop he has known since a child, a wounded and delirious Cheng looks back on his life via a series of vignettes and flashbacks.
In the hands of a more skilled and competent director, the decision to tell the story via flashback may have worked out better. Unfortunately, Li Chien-Ping's direction and general staging of the action is merely average and the film probably would have benefitted from a more linear structure.
Sing-Fa Cheng is portrayed as a mean-spirited, troubled soul. While the narrative suggests that this is due to a defect at birth, it's hard to sympathise with a character that murders shopkeepers, beats up hawkers , roughs up the homeless and makes a living from extortion!
Alex Man plays Fu-Hsiung, as a cop who tries hard to mentor and warn a young Cheng of the perils of the fast life. This is painfully unconvincing due to the fact that Jack Kao and Alex Man are roughly the same age in real life, yet Alex Man is meant to be at least 20 years his senior.
Still these various gripes aside, it's certainly interesting to see Jack Kao (an intense looking actor whom I quite like) in an early leading role. Pauline Chan is a tad under-used and, although getting to show some skin, her final (non-nude) scene in the film is the more memorable and striking image of the whole movie.
The lack of budget perhaps prevented the finale from having the slam bang ending the film needed, but there are echoes of Long Arm Of The Law (1984) in the showdown in Cheng's hideout, with the heavily-armed police closing in on the gang with precision. A brief scene of an attack on a police station is also filmed with a good amount of energy and style.
He-Born To Kill is ultimately let down by not really having anyone to root for. I do love a good anti-hero or villain but Cheng is too joyless and depressing to care much about. Still, there are plenty of bloody squibs, throat slashings, stabbings and sex scenes in the mix to keep things ticking along. As mentioned at the top of the review, the ingredients are all there, and with some stronger direction (and better budget), He-Born To Kill could have been more than just a luke-warm recommendation.
2.5 out of 5
Review source: Best Friend, VHS (Taiwan) (Mandarin language with English subtitles)
Nam yee mou jeu (1992)
No Guilty (1992)
The handful of reviews that I've seen for No Guilty are generally unfavourable and appear to be penned by viewers hoping for some of the depravity that a CATIII rating often dishes up. If approached without these expectations, the film does offer some moderate, if sporadic entertainment.
No Guilty is a triad / action movie set against a serial killer backdrop. Neither themes are rare for Hong Kong / Taiwan cinema but you don't often see them interwoven as they are here.
The film wastes no time in earning its CATIII stripes, opening with a female being slashed to death (after a gratuitous shower scene of course!) and the killer, dubbed the 'Wolf of Hong Kong', having sex with the body...
Meanwhile, childhood friends Jack (Lam Wai) a cop, and Ming (Siu Yuk-Lung) a hot-shot photographer, are out drinking and get into an altercation over a pretty model, Pau (Chan Wing-Chi).
Ming, who is dating a string of ladies thanks to his fashion world credentials, becomes prime suspect when one of his girls is the ninth victim of the Wolf of Hong Kong. Only Pau holds the key to the killer's identity after unwittingly witnessing the murderer at the scene of the crime. With the help of Jack, the pair set out to expose the killer and save Ming from heavy-handed Inspector Lee (Alexander Lo Rei), who is convinced Ming is the culprit.
No Guilty had all of the ingredients in place to be a solid, low-budget action film but the director unwisely spends too much time focussing on Ming and the boring sub-plot involving his fiancée, Pearl. This causes the middle section of the film to drag a little. In my opinion, the film works better as a sleazy slasher than an action film, with some suitably nasty scenes of sexual violence (e.g. Killer removing some panties with a knife and probing the victim's crotch with the blade) plus a lengthy strangulation and hand impalement.
Having said that, the action-filled finale, set in a deserted factory (where else?!), is also decent and features Lam Wai running amok with a shotgun and Chang Shan (Kung Fu of Seven Steps & Shaolin Vs. Lama) on fine, slimy form, displaying some brief but impressive kicking. A little more sleazy action, some tighter pacing and less of Ming's whiny character and No Guilty would've been a stronger recommendation. The film is not without highlights though. I did enjoy it but I think the fairly flat direction and pacing may put some viewers off. (Bonus points for Chan Wing-Chi getting naked though!)
2.5 out of 5
Review source: Tai Seng, VHS (USA) (Cantonese language with English subtitles)
Duo bao qiao jia ren (1990)
Dead Target aka Chasing in Pattaya (1991)
The alternative English title is more appropriate than the generic sounding Dead Target, as the film is basically one long chase through various exotic and scenic Thai locales.
A Caucasian treasure hunter (Corwin Sperry) and his militia are out to steal a precious Chinese relic in Thailand. Poon Chi-Man is a Chinese soldier who is entrusted with a pendant that holds the key to the whereabouts of the treasure (a jewel-encrusted crown). The pendant is sent to his grand-daughter (Sharon Kwok), a fitness instructor in Hong Kong, for safe keeping. However, she later receives a letter from her grandfather asking her to come to Thailand. On the outbound flight, she meets an Interpol agent (Chin Siu-Ho) and, after a shaky start to their relationship, the two team up to try and save grandad and find the relic.
Dead Target's strengths lie in the chemistry between the two charismatic leads, Sharon Kwok and Chin Siu-Ho (who were already married in real life when the film was made), and the Thailand setting, most of which is shot on location. The hunt for the treasure has our heroes chasing through massage parlours, crowded ladyboy clubs, shootouts aboard a train and coming face-to-face with indigenous tribesmen. The budget is clearly low but despite its shortcomings, the film moves along at a decent pace and offers up plenty of variety. Where else can you find a herd of elephants fighting and impaling the bad guys in a kung fu film?
The director takes full advantage of Sharon Kwok's looks and infectious smile, wisely keeping the camera on her whenever possible. During one chase, Kwok must have gone through at least four costume changes, ending up fending off some thugs in the street with just a bath towel around her!
Chin Siu-Ho is impressive as usual in the film's few fight scenes but these are marred slightly by some lame comedy. There is a touch of mild gore too with a bloody machinegun maiming near the start of the film and impalement by an elephant tusk.
Dead Target has all the right ingredients but somehow not everything gels as it should (for 'kung fu in the wild' done right, see Stone Age Warriors, 1991). A higher budget, a few more fights and some familiar faces in the cast may have helped. Although not a highlight of the genre, the film is still worth a watch for fans of Sharon Kwok or those looking for something different from the usual Hong Kong or Taiwan settings.
2.5 out of 5
Review sources: Star Entertainment, Laserdisc (Hong Kong) (Cantonese language with Chinese subtitles) ; Scholar / Long Shong, VHS (Taiwan) (Mandarin language with English subtitles)
Do wong (1990)
King of Gambler (1990)
After losing a high stakes ($700 million dollars) poker game to a US Gambling Queen, the Japanese enlist the help of a HK triad boss (Roy Chiao) whose future son-in-law (Lam Wai) may be the only person skilled enough to beat the American in a rematch. However, there are hidden motives behind the tournament which eventually results in a body count to rival a Schwarzenegger film.
The acting in King of Gambler is frequently pitched at such hysterical levels (Alex Man hams it up to the maximum here) and boasts a body count that is so over the top, you have to wonder whether the director had his tongue firmly in cheek while making the film. The seemingly endless number of identically attired goons in shades that line up like lemmings to get gunned down (in slo-mo) is unintentionally hilarious.
Still, the ever-reliable Lam Wai and Alex Man definitely work well together on-screen (they would team up again a year later to much better effect in the superior Heroic Brothers, 1991). And Kathy Chow, as Lam Wai's fiancée gives a quite a good performance here. Michiko Nishiwaki, on the other hand, is wasted in a cameo as the Japanese Gambling Queen.
The elegant surroundings and locations are all aesthetically pleasing and the build-up to the main poker game, and the match itself, are probably the film's strongest points. It's never boring but due to the execution it just all comes across as a bit dumb. If the director would have exercised a little more restraint in places, it would have certainly have resulted in a far more effective and credible film.
2.5 out of 5
Review source: Ocean Shores Video, Laserdisc (Hong Kong) (Cantonese language with English subtitles)
Hua gui lu xing tuan (1992)
Forced Nightmare (1992)
In a village in Mainland China, a woman named Jia Ling (Sandra Ng) with supernatural abilities uses her telekinetic powers to cure the villagers from all manner of ailments. She is summoned by a village official to travel to Hong Kong to find a certain person who is needed for a kidney transplant.
Jia Ling boards the bus bound for Hong Kong which she shares with some petty gangsters, a prostitute, a buck-toothed guy with chronic bad breath and a mysterious, bad-tempered passenger who likes to kill chickens (Yau Gin-Gwok).
The bus driver inadvertently raises a deadly curse while driving through a haunted village and the bus topples over the edge of a cliff killing all passengers, except for Jia Ling. Reacting to Jia Ling's supernatural powers, the passengers are magically reanimated and the tour group continues their journey to Hong Kong, blissfully unaware that they are dead.
Elsewhere in Hong Kong a Taoist priest (Lam Ching-Ying), who is coincidentally the person Jia Ling is looking for, is alerted to the arrival of the undead Mainlanders, who are now all staying at the same hotel. The priest and Jia Ling unite to rid the hotel of the troublesome ghosts and send their souls back to their resting place.
While not breaking any new ground in the HK Ghost Comedy genre, Forced Nightmare benefits from some cheap but fun visual effects (e.g. Dismembered body parts chasing each other down the hotel hallways) and solid performances from Sandra Ng and Lam Ching-Ying. In fact, this may well be one of Sandra Ng's best roles from her early 90s period. The entertaining final fight has Sandra accidentally super-glued to a zombie's back whilst Lam Ching-Ying battles the spirit. There's some mild gore which mainly consists of a few bloodied faces and protruding entrails. Sultry Eliza Yue has a sexy cameo as a woman who asks Lam Ching-Ying to reanimate her dead lover so she can make love with him! Charlie Cho also has a cameo as a pervert (no surprise there!) who likes to secretly film his sexploits but gets a big shock when he plays back the tape.
Forced Nightmare was the last film from director Lau Shut-Yue's short but credible resume (e.g. Ghost Busting, 1989; My Neighbours Are Phantoms, 1990; Saga of the Phoenix, 1989). If you enjoyed any of his other films for their creative effects and crazy antics, then I'd recommend giving Forced Nightmare a look, as it is more of the same - but not necessarily in a negative way.
3 out of 5
Review source: World Video, VHS (USA) (Cantonese language only)
Yu yan qing nong (1988)
Brief Encounter (1988)
A naïve man named Lung (Poon Chun-Wai), desperate for a job, gets duped into being a bodyguard in a Hong Kong brothel. Meanwhile, a young woman, May (Cheung Choi-Mei) arrives in HK from Malaysia with dreams of becoming a famous singer. She too is immediately tricked and is forced to work in the same brothel that Lung has just taken a job at.
After a mysterious assailant kills one of the customers in the brothel, Lung and May flee together fearing that they'll be implicated in the murder. With nowhere to go, and her passport stolen, Lung takes pity on May and allows her to stay at his place. To comfort each other, they end up sleeping together.
Lung begins a new job at a nightclub run by 'Madam' (Margaret Lee), a tough businesswoman with much underworld clout. Madam becomes obsessed with Lung and, desperate to make him her plaything, attempts to trap him with the lure of money, lifestyle and sex. But when realises that Lung still loves May, Madam turns nasty and hatches a plot to drive them apart with disastrous results for all.
Brief Encounter is a small-scale erotic action / drama, with a minor cast, that still manages to be effective despite its limitations. The most recognisable faces in the cast are the always reliable Eddy Ko (Heroes Shed No Tears, 1986; Thundering Mantis, 1980) as a hitman who develops a bond with May, and perennial sleazebag Shum Wai (in what amounts to an extended cameo). The bulk of the film is carried by Cheung Choi-Mei and Poon Chun-Wai, who most viewers will recognise as 'Dick' from Pantyhose Hero, 1990. He is less memorable here and slightly bland for this particular role. However, top marks go to Margaret Lee (Centipede Horror, 1982; Red Panther, 1983) as the ruthless, sexed-up Madam. She plays each scene with a level of intensity, so you're never quite sure what her character is going to do next.
The steamy sex scenes are fairly strong but filmed with a bit more style than similarly budgeted films of the time. There's also quite a rough attempted rape to crank the sleaze levels up a few extra notches. The action is mainly courtesy of Eddie Ko's hitman character but there's also a decent enough massacre in a textile factory which ends the film on bloody and downbeat note.
3 out of 5
Review source: Rainbow Audio & Video, VHS (USA) (Cantonese language with English subtitles)
Di er si zui (1989)
Other Kind of Death Penalty, The (1989)
Three gangsters in trench-coats spray the screen with bullets during the title sequence, which also features a montage highlighting the general camaraderie and bond between the men. They are Ton, the leader of the group (Kao Chiang), Fong (Chang Yi-Tao) and Third (Go Lim-Gwok), a trio of sworn blood brothers on the rise in the Taiwan underworld. After brokering a truce between two rival bosses, Hu and Chow, Ton is rewarded a highly lucrative patch of land downtown to conduct his business. A female Uzi-toting drug dealer named Lily (Yuan Chia-Pei) is caught selling in Ton's territory and a bloody tit-for-tat ensues, erupting in a full-scale gun battle in broad daylight. Lily escapes unscathed and joins forces with Chow with the aim to put an end to Ton and his gang.
Meanwhile, another leading underworld boss named Chou starts to take notice of Ton. Initially the two men are cautious of each other but a series of chance meetings brings Ton together with Chou's daughter Yuin (Chui Pei-Yi). Ton and Yuin begin to date, and despite a troubled start to the relationship, they soon decide to marry. But, as well as the increasing threat from Lily's gang, closer to home in Ton's own camp, there are feelings brewing that Ton is losing his touch...
A very entertaining low-budget bullet-ballet from Taiwan, The Other Kind of Death Penalty contains regular bursts of, often unexpected, violence with bloody gun battles unfolding onto busy streets and crowded public places. Yuan Chia-Pei as the ruthless and trigger-happy Lily is great fun to watch as is Kao Chiang who cuts a cool figure as the ruthless but virtuous Ton.
The pace lags a little towards the end before picking up again for the downbeat finale. There is a wedding scene which draws some parallels to the baptism in The Godfather, where the ceremony is intercut with scenes of gun battles and executions. The frequent action mainly consists of gun battles - with bodies frequently riddled with bullets. In places this actually threatens the credibility of the film, as you wonder how some characters were able to survive after being pumped with so much hot lead! Despite a few minor flaws, The Other Kind of Death Penalty is a solid B-movie that is definitely a cut above similar Taiwanese triad films from the same era.
Note: The Korean VHS, although presented in the film's original language (Mandarin) is heavily censored in almost all of the more violent scenes. It is also missing the opening credit sequence montage.
3.5 out of 5
Review sources: Pan Asia, VHS (USA) (Cantonese with English subtitles); Seo Jin Trading, VHS (South Korea) (Mandarin with Korean subtitles)
Passionate Dream (1992)
Passionate Dream (1992)
Annie (Ngok Hung) is a cartoonist working on a popular fantasy comic series. She uses her close friends and those around her as inspiration for some of the characters in her comic, casting herself as the main heroine. Her real-life friends, Little Giao (Vincent Chiu Yan-Chun) and Sheh-Jeh (Alexander Lo Rei) are also cast as the villain and hero respectively. As the villain ends up getting the girl in the comic, Giao misinterprets this as Annie having affections for him. However, it is really Sheh-Jeh whom she likes which causes some friction between the three friends.
Meanwhile, Annie's sassy younger sister complains she was harassed by some workers at a garage, so Giao and friend, Chiu (Chiu Ying-Hong) go and teach them a lesson. The garage is actually a front for Boss Kuen (Chang Yi-Teng) and his illegal activities. As bad timing would have it, Chiu and Giao enter the garage at the same moment a transaction of valuable diamonds is taking place. During the scuffle, the diamonds disappear and our heroes become the prime suspects and given three days to return the goods.
Giao starts to become increasingly delusional, unable to separate the fantasy world of the comic with reality. In an almost trance-like state, Giao 'transforms' into villain "Gu-Yun" (from the comic) and begins to work for Kuen as a hitman, much to the disapproval of his friends. Closely mirroring the comic's plot, and unable to accept Annie's feelings for Sheh-Jeh, Giao starts to gear up for a duel to the death with his former best friend.
I wasn't sure whether the director was trying to make a point about how some people can be affected by the stories and violence they read in movies and books... but, although the overall premise of Giao becoming 'possessed' by Annie's comic is a bit ridiculous, it does make for an entertaining film!
The USA World Video cover art is very deceptive and makes one believe they're in store for a wuxia film rather than the modern day actioner that it is. In fact, the fantasy / period elements are only there to depict the action in Annie's comic book - a sort of film within a film. Although these scenes don't add anything to the actual plot, they are certainly welcome and very well done (complete with cackling white-haired villain and death by bloody palm strike).
The film blends the scenes of action, fantasy and romance well for its obvious low budget and the pace never lags. The few hand-to-hand fights on display are crisp and hard-hitting but Passionate Dream's director clearly favours gun play and explosions, and I mean lots of explosions!
For example, one shootout in a warehouse contains lots of conveniently stacked gasoline cans which explode with every bullet fired for maximum effect. Even a crossbow manages to cause explosions when fired during the finale! Speaking of the finale, it's an action packed and bloody one, with our heroes pitted against an almost indestructible Boss Kuen (who seems to defy the laws of gravity with some of his moves). Parts of the end fight are spoilt by some excessive wirework which, works well in the fantasy sections of the film, but are arguably un-necessary in the modern setting. Still, the finale is so over-the-top and frenetic, you won't really have time to criticise some of the film's shortcomings.
One last thing I have to mention is, there is a serious overabundance of bad hair on display in Passionate Dream! The male cast look like they've just stepped off the set of Conan the Barbarian with all those flowing manes of hair but, stick with it all, and under those curly locks lurks a decent little action film!
3 out of 5
Review source: Mei Ah, Laserdisc (Hong Kong) (Mandarin language with English subtitles)