Police Story 3: Supercop (1992)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Justin

The Police Story series is one of Jackie Chan’s best-loved series of films. The first one, made in 1985, is lauded by many as one of the best action films ever made. As well as showing off Jackie’s talents, they made stars of actresses Maggie Cheung (Jackie’s long-suffering girlfriend in the first three films) and Michelle Yeoh, who almost out-stunts Jackie in Police Story III.

It’s a slower film than the first two Police Stories, this one. Made … (read more)

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Peppermint Candy (2000)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by James

Backwards narration has become a rather fashionable way to present a story on screen. Memento and Irréversible are two recent examples of films utilising reverse-narrative structures. Some of the dominant characteristics of this technique are its systematic engagements with notions of temporal linearity, the past, of memory and the state of remembering (or, in Memento’s case, the inability to remember). If the act of observing and listening to a story told backwards is fascinating, it is perhaps due to … (read more)

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Pistol Opera (2001)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Deni

I’ve been procrastinating on this review for the simple reason that I was, as I left the cinema, feeling just a little confused. You see, I really enjoyed this film, but I’m not entirely sure I understood it. Having seen Seijun Suzuki’s Branded to Kill (God Bless SBS) to which Pistol Opera is a sort of modernized sequel, and not actually having seen any other Suzuki films, I suppose I was expecting something similar. While some of the cinematic and … (read more)

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Operation Pink Squad 2 (1987)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Angus
  • Laugh — At cross-dressing men (and women too!)
  • Feel — The pain of someone getting stabbed in the butt with a screwdriver!
  • See — A ghost’s head flying around attacking people’s sensitive spots!
  • Enjoy — A tasteless parody of A Better Tomorrow!
  • Gasp — As men are frequently threatened with castration!

Yes, it’s the demented oddity Operation Pink Squad 2. It’s trashy, over the top, illogical and cheap (even by HK standards). It’s also good clean fun. The … (read more)

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Otogi Zoshi (2004)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Andy

With the success of Rurouni Kenshin / Samurai X, historically based stories of period Japan are undergoing something of a renaissance in anime at the moment. Frankly, you can’t move for the ‘ching’ of the unsheathing of katana nor round a corner without witnessing a tale of honour and betrayal. There’s Samurai Champloo, Peacemaker, Kai Doh Maru and the soon to be released Samurai Gun. Each of these series brings its own unique bullet point to … (read more)

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Over the Rainbow (2002)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Ching Yee

Do not be fooled by the poster! That perky and colourful poster screams “Sanitised romantic comedy!” Over the Rainbow is nothing of the sort. For one thing — there is nothing perky about it – in fact none of the characters raises above a subdued chuckle during the whole movie. Being labelled as a romantic comedy is probably misleading because I’m sure sappy Hollywood romantic comedies spring to mind.

That is not to say that Over the Rainbow isn’t enjoyable, … (read more)

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Running Out of Time 2 (2001)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Ching Yee

If you liked Running Out of Time as much as I did then you’d have been hanging out to see this sequel by Johnnie To.

First off, the good news — Lau Ching Wan returns as the likeable, determined smarty-pants cop Inspector Ho Seung Sang. Other regulars from the first film such as Lam Suet, Ruby Wong and Hui Sui-Hong also returns (Lam Suet in a break from continuity tradition returns as a different character just to mess with our … (read more)

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Osaka Elegy (1936)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Jason

Naniwa Elegy, or, as many know it, Osaka Elegy is often cited as Kenji Mizoguchi’s first real masterpiece. It won the Kinema Jumpo in 1936 as Japan’s third best film, and marks the first collaboration between Mizoguchi and his long time screen writer Yoshikata Yoda.

Naniwa Elegy is a bitter film. There is no other way to suitably describe it, especially in terms of its narrative effect. The story looks at Ayako Murai (played by Isuzu Yamada), a young … (read more)

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