Ian Adams' Top Ten Hong Kong Movies
Here's my top ten, in no particular order. I would be the first to admit
that not all of these are great works of art, some in fact are probably viewed by most
people as trash. However they are all films that have entertained me in one way or
another.
1) CALAMITY OF SNAKE (1982/D William Chang Kee)
The best animal rampage movie ever. The LD & tape from Ocean Shores does not
have subtitles, but believe me, you don't need them. If that release proves difficult to
track down then check the action section of your local video store for a title on CIC/TAFT
called Serpent Warriors (1985/D John Howard). This American movie about a
snake-worshipping cult has over half its run time made up of the best footage from Calamity
of Snake.
2) FULL CONTACT (1992/D Ringo Lam)
What more do you need from a movie that has Chow Yun Fat, Anthony Wong, Simon
Yam, guns & slow motion shots of flying bullets.
3) THE UNTOLD STORY (1993/D Herman Yau)
I first saw this at the cinema on a memorable double bill with (the not so great)
Raped by an Angel. Anthony Wong deservedly won the best actor award at the 1994
HK Film Awards for his portrayal of the killer who turns his victims into pork buns. Wong
& Director Yau teamed up again three years later for the equally gross, but less down
beat Ebola Syndrome.
4) EBOLA SYNDROME (1996/D Herman Yau)
The most outrageous Anthony Wong performance yet, now that is saying something.
No film this tasteless has ever made me laugh so much. Unfortunately this never made it
onto local Chinatown screens, so you'll just have to find the Universe Laser & Video
release.
5&6) BULLET IN THE HEAD (1990/D John Woo) & THE BLADE
(1995/D Tsui Hark)
Everyone is going to have at least one from each of these directors, so these are
mine.
7) THE SEEDING OF A GHOST (1983/D Yang Chuan)
Made at the tail end of the early 80's horror boom, this Shaw Brothers production
is my favourite HK horror movie. Thankfully free of the lame humour that plagues movies of
this type. It's all played very straight, but does have some wild scenes that raise a
smile due to their sheer craziness, the ending is simply delirious.
8) KILLER SNAKES (1972/D Kuei Chi-Hueng)
I guess I must have a thing about snakes, because here is the second movie on my
list to feature them. This early 70's Shaw Brothers take on the American movie Ben tells
the story of a bullied young man who uses his friendship with snakes to take revenge
against his tormentors. Something Weird video in the US offers this on tape in a very
scratchy print. Until Shaw Brothers open there vaults to a new release, and maybe put out
their other exploitation pieces like the Black Magic series, then this version
will have to do.
9) RED TO KILL (1994/D Billy Tang)
Quite how this managed to slip by the censors is beyond me. Not a film for
everyone, but well worth seeking out if you like the more seedy side of HK cinema. The
final showdown when the rapist’s victims seek revenge is thrilling stuff. This still
turns up sometimes at the Harbour Cinema in Sydney.
10) MR TEPANYAKI (1984/D Michael Hui)
Finally, here is a nice family comedy just to prove to Mark that I'm not a total
deviant. This was the first HK comedy to make me laugh out loud. Michael Hui is fantastic
as the downtrodden husband of an abusive wife & her bullying father. The game of
tennis played with frying pans is wonderful. Check for it on SBS, along with Hui's equally
good Chicken & Duck Talk.
27 Jan 2000 © Ian Adams
IAN ADAMS is Heroic Cinema's
Sydney correspondent. Originally from England, a country where it is impossible to see HK
films apart from a film festivals. He thinks that most Aussies don't know how lucky they
are being able to see these new release films on the big screen. He became introduced to
HK cinema in the mid 80's in a search for the same thrills that came from the Italian
exploitation films of the 70's & early 80's.
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