Blog Archives

Vulgaria (2012)

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Posted on September 21, 2012 by John Snadden

Director Pang Ho-Cheung is one of Hong Kong cinema’s chameleons. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, he is well worth discovering. In just over a decade he has made quality and sophisticated dramas like Isabella and Beyond our Ken, which sit comfortably with his cunning and often ground breaking (and at times violent) satires such as You Shoot, I Shoot and Dream Home. His recent RomComs Love in a Puff and Love in the Buff are intelligent and … (read more)

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The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2011)

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Posted on February 8, 2012 by Justin

Remaking Hong Kong cinema’s greatest hits seems to have been all the rage lately. Last year we had Wilson Yip’s swing at remaking A Chinese Ghost Story and Tsui Hark’s second go at King Hu’s classic Dragon Inn. To be fair, Tsui’s Flying Swords of Dragon Gate ended up as more a sequel to New Dragon Gate Inn than a remake, and it was considerably more fun than I was expecting — I’ll write it up when I get … (read more)

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Three… Extremes (2004)

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Posted on March 25, 2007 by Deni

Three… Extremes is both an obscure and a completely appropriate title for this cross-cultural horror film anthology. Obscure because, as titles go, usually you can kind of work out what you’ll be watching or at least the genre it’s going to be presented in, just from the title. This title, however, doesn’t give away a lot up front. I mean, what’s with the ellipsis? Three dot dot dot Extremes. Yeah okay. Clever way to label it a sequel to Three… (read more)

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My Lucky Star (2003)

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Posted on March 11, 2007 by Eugene

Ah, another Romantic Comedy. If I was the paranoid sort, I’d suspect Mark Gor was sending me to these things with the intention of brightening my outlook and making me a happier person. That may very well work for the weaker amongst us but worry not faithful reader, be comforted that I am much too bitter and cynical to fall for such a weak and obvious ploy.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…

Yes. Well.

No, instead that cynicism comes in to recognise My Lucky … (read more)

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Dumplings (2004)

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Posted on March 4, 2007 by Alison

Okay, everyone knows that the surprise is that there’s no surprise: the age-defying dumplings are filled with foetuses. Chan shoves that fact in our face right up front, with no coy pretence, so we know this is not a mystery with a horrifying secret to be revealed in the final scene. So, given that the whole plot is given away in the first few minutes, what keeps us watching?

Well, gentle readers, what keeps us watching is that Chan is … (read more)

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Love Undercover (2002)

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Posted on November 25, 2005 by Ching Yee

I caught this 2002 Miriam Yeung vehicle early this year, then her third collaboration with Joe Ma, and was pleasantly surprised by how charming it was. Since then the duo has teamed up to make Sound of Colours, and a sequel to this one, Love Undercover 2. Joe Ma is now planning on a third installment to the adventures of bumbling police officer Fong Lai Kuen — in animated form!

The first installment details the (mis)adventures of Fong … (read more)

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Drink, Drank, Drunk (2005)

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Posted on October 29, 2005 by Ching Yee

Were you among those who (a) felt like your neck was snapped by the ending of One Nite in Mongkok , (b) felt completely numbed and brutalised by the whole experience or (c) watched it purely for its reputation but didn’t like it. Well, rejoice because Derek Yee has done a 180 back-flip and lightened up considerably with his latest effort, Drink, Drank, Drunk.

Starring the effervescent Miriam Yeung and the currently ubiquitous Daniel Wu, this is charming romantic … (read more)

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Three of a Kind (2004)

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Posted on August 12, 2004 by Alison

Three actors, four stories, no continuity.

How could they do this?!?

What were they thinking?!?

It starts well, at least enough to dull suspicion. Devoted aide (Yeung) secretly in love with playboy boss (Lau). Cantankerous, writers-blocked father (Hui) who hasn’t written a book in ten years. Assorted minor characters of a humorous bent. Then it all goes to hell, complete with handbasket. Or, in the case of Hui, complete with sword and straw veiled hat.

About every twenty minutes, the … (read more)

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