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| BEAST COPS (1998) Synopsis
from Next Magazine: Mike, a Westernised, by-the-book police officer, assigned to work
with Tung, an animalistic, rule-bending cop equally at home among cops and mobsters, is
heading for a collision course with a crime world which is full of grey areas between
right and wrong.
Crime film directed by Gordon Chan, starring Anthony Wong,
Michael Wong, Sam Lee, Kathy Chow, Roy
Cheung, Stephanie Che and Tam Yiu Man.
Winner of 5 awards at the 18th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Film, Best
Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Anthony Wong) and Best Supporting Actor (Tam Yiu
Man); also nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Stephanie Che), Best Film Editing and
Best Sound Design. Awarded Best Film and Best Actor by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society:
"Beast Cops stands out for its portrayal of humanity through a generic
structure; its morally ambivalent theme and almost hysterical psychological state are also
oblique statements of our time."
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| EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED (1998) Synopsis
from MovieWorld Hong Kong - On a routine jewelry store robbery, three inexperienced
robbers run into patrolling police officers and escape in a panic, only to accidentally
run into the nest of another gang's cold blooded robber. A team of top serious crime unit
officers without any preparation suddenly faces unusually great fire power. Some give
their all, some remember the object of their affection, some are on the edge of death due
to serious injuries......life is unexpected, a dangerous chance may just be the chance at
survival......
Crime thriller directed by Patrick Yau and starring Lau
Ching-Wan, Simon Yam, Ruby Wong and Yoyo
Mung.
Joint winner of Best Screenplay for 1998 from the Hong Kong Film Critics
Society, and listed in their Films of Merit for 1998: "a refreshing
cop drama that captures a genuine feeling of life through ensemble acting".
Nominated for Best Screenplay and Best New Performer (Yoyo Mung) at the 18th Annual Hong
Kong Film Awards.
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| HITMAN (1998) Synopsis from Next
Magazine: A wealthy Japanese man dies under the gun of the "King of
Killers". The fund that the wealthy man set up before his death to avenge himself
begins rolling -- whoever can uncover the King of Killers and his employer will receive
100 million. Thus, all of the world's famous assassins participate through their agents,
including an assassin organization led by the wealthy man's grandson Chung Boon.....
Action movie directed by Stephen Tung and starring Jet Li,
Eric Tsang, Gigi Leung and Simon Yam.
Nominated for Best Action Choreography at the 18th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards.
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| THE KID (1999) Synopsis from Next
Magazine: Inspired by Charlie Chaplin's The Kid, the film looks at the problem of
abandoned or neglected children in H.K.. When Maise's husband walks out on her, she leaves
her baby son in a luxury yacht, hoping that he'll be adopted by affluent parents. Little
did she know that its owner Daniel has lost everything in derivative speculation that very
day. Four years later, Maise has pulled herself together to become a successful charity
fund manager. She meets the down-and-out Daniel, living with his adopted son in a shabby
rooftop flat...
Heartwarming film directed by Jacob Cheung Chi Leung,
starring Leslie Cheung, Shaun Tam, Carrie Ng,
Qi Qi (Kei Kei), Amanda Lee and Erickson
Yip Ching Nam.
Director Jacob Cheung and stars Qi Qi and Shaun Tam (Ti Lung) are special guests
of the festival. Ti Lung has just been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 36th
Golden Horse Awards.
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| THE LONGEST SUMMER (1998) Synopsis
from Next Magazine: In 1997, the sky of Hong Kong was especially busy with all kinds of
firework celebrations. However behind all the joy there are even more hidden stories that
no one knows about. Chinese British soldier Ng Ka Yin suddenly finds being on the brink of
retirement from his duty hard to face. Amidst the helplessness he loses his direction. He
joins his younger brother Ng Ka Suen's underworld organization and with boss Ho Siu Wing
he robs banks and steps on the road of no return......
Directed and written by Fruit Chan, starring Sam Lee,
Tony Ho, Jo Kuk Cho Lam, Chan Sun, Peng
Yik Wai, Lai Chi Ho, Leung Yiu Wai and Lee
Lei.
Nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor
(Sam Lee), Best New Performer (two nominations, Tony Ho and Jo Kuk), Best Original Film
Score and Best Original Film Song at the 18th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards, Cited by the
Hong Kong Film Critic's Society as a Film of Merit in 1998: "an independent film that
successfully brings out the confusion and hopelessness of the time through characters who
are victims of the historical transition in 1997".
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| MOONLIGHT EXPRESS (1999) Synopsis
from Next Magazine: Tung's fiance Tat Ya passed away in an auto accident. Tung takes a
vacation in Hong Kong to keep her mind off of the matter. In Hong Kong, Tung encounters Ka
Bo, a man who looks exactly like Tat Ya. Ka Bo originally was a cop, but because of guilt
over his girlfriend's suicide he chose an undercover assignment to keep himself numb.
After their encounter, Tung's romantic persistence begins to melt Ka Bo's icy heart.
Unfortunately, on a mission, Ka Bo falls into his superior officer's trap.......
Drama directed by Daniel Lee Kong Yun starring Leslie Cheung
and Tokako Tokiwa.
Won Best Cinematography award at the 44th Annual Asia Pacific Film Festival.
Visit the Moonlight Express
website (Chinese and English).
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| ORDINARY HEROES (1999) Synopsis
from Next: Young So Fung meets Siu Tung thanks to a wallet theft. Siu Tung is upset at
his brothel owner mother and leaves his family. He is quiet and though he has fallen for
So Fung he dared not say anything; So Fung however is in love with a student movement
activist Yau Ming Foon. Besides the trio stood an Italian priest Gum Jai who always
benefits the society. After a few years, everyone has grown up and experienced a lot. When
Yau Ming Foon is about to marry girlfriend Yau Ho Foon, So Fung lets her romance grow even
wilder......
Drama directed by Ann Hui and starring Rachel Lee, Lee
Kang-Sheng, Anthony Wong and Tse Kwan Ho.
Ordinary Heroes has received 10 nominations at the 36th Golden Horse Awards,
including Best Drama, Best Director (Ann Hui), Best Actor (Anthony Wong), Best Actress
(Rachel Lee), Best Cinematography (Daniel Yu) and Best Sound Effects. It was chosen as the
opening film for the 23rd Hong Kong International Film Festival, and was also selected for
competition at this year's Berlin Film Festival. It has been entered as Hong Kong's entry
for preselection for the Best Foreign Film category at next year's Oscars. Director Ann
Hui was a special guest at last year's inaugural Hong Kong Film Festival in Australia.
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| THE STORM RIDERS (1998) Adapted
from Netvigator - "In a world of endless tumult and bloodshed, only true heroes
can ride the storm." Adapted from a cult Hong Kong serial comic by Ma Wing-sing, The
Storm Riders is a riveting martial arts film about the friendship and rivalry between
two swordsmen, Wind and Cloud, brought up together by warlord Conquer to help him fulfill
a fortune-teller's prophesy of ruling the world. Caught between them is the one woman they
both love: Conquer's daughter, Charity.
Fantasy film directed by Andrew Lau and starring Aaron Kwok,
Ekin Cheng, Sonny Chiba, Kristy Yeung, Anthony
Wong, Hsu Chi, Roy Cheung, and many others. Special effects by Centro.
The highest-grossing film at the Hong Kong Box Office in 1998. Winner of 2
awards at the 35th Annual Golden Horse Award: Best Visual Effects and Best Image Design.
Winner of 4 awards at the 18th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Film Editing, Best
Costume & Make Up Design, Best Original Film Score and Best Sound Design; also
nominated for Best Film, Best Actor (Sonny Chiba), Best Supporting Actress (Hsu Chi), Best
Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Action Choreography and Best Original Film Song
(two nominations). Cited by the Hong Kong Film Critic's Society as a Film of Merit
in 1998: "skillfully uses computer effects to create the feel of video games".
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| TEMPTING HEART (1999) Synopsis
from Netvigator: A music contest brings Yau and Ho together, but the unknown future
forces them to separate. Love from her best mate is not acceptable, but the love from Ho
is neither approved. After years, they meet in Tokyo unexpectedly, will it be a mercy or
it is just another painful separation...
Romantic drama directed by Sylvia Chang, starring Gigi Leung,
Takeshi Kaneshiro, Karen Mok, Elaine Kam Yin
Ling, Sylvia Chang, William So and Jo
Kuk.
Visit the Tempting Heart
website (Chinese).
Tempting Heart has been nominated for Best Drama, Best Actress (Gigi
Leung), Best Supporting Actress (Elaine Kam) and Best Cinematography (Lee Ping-ban) at the
36th Golden Horse Awards.
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CREDIT:
Most film summaries are from Jerry Chan's excellent The Special Administrative Region (Hong
Kong) Film Top Ten Box Office Home Page. The pictures are mostly from Netvigator, or from the
House of Mak. |
H E R O I C * C I N E M A
http://www.heroic-cinema.com
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