"Actor: Valerie Chow"

• Chungking Express | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Chungking Express tells two stories loosely connected by a Hong Kong snack bar. In one, a cop who's been recently dumped by his girlfriend becomes obsessed with the expiry dates on cans of pineapple; he's constantly distracted as he tries to track down a drug dealer in a blonde wig (played by Brigitte Lin, best known from Swordsman II and The Bride with White Hair). Meanwhile, another cop who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, from John Woo's Hard-Boiled and A Bullet in the Head) mopes around his apartment, talking to his sponge and other domestic objects. He catches the eye of a shop girl (Hong Kong pop star Faye Wang) who secretly breaks in and cleans his apartment. If you're beginning to suspect that neither of these stories has a conventional plot, you're correct. What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The film was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together, Ashes of Time), using only available lighting and found locations. The movie's loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless than any recent film--and that's high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

• Chungking Express | DVD | (26/01/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Cult filmmaker Wong Kar Wai's hugely influential breakthrough film is a supremely stylish combination of love story and thriller set in and around Hong Kong's infamous Chungking Mansions a vast complex of shabby hostels bars and clubs. The film tells the stories of two lovelorn cops (Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung) and the women with whom they become involved: a mysterious blonde-wigged drug dealer (Brigitte Lin) and an impulsive young dreamer (Faye Wong). Featuring a charismatic cast a cool pop soundtrack and stunning photography by Christopher Doyle Chungking Express is both unconventional and dazzlingly original.

• The Blade | DVD | (17/04/2000) from £29.99   |  Saving you £-10.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Legendary Hong Kong Director Tsui Hark blends violent action and stunning swordplay in his remake of the Shaw Brothers classic One-Armed Swordsman. The Blade is a sweeping epic which highlights the incredible fighting talent of Chiu Cheuk Hong Kong's latest action start. When a master sword-maker adopts the son of a murdered friend (Chiu Cheuk) the boy learns the master's craft well. As a young man he learns about his fathers death at the hand of a mysterious tattooed killer (Xiong-Xin-Xin). He takes fathers broken blade and sets out to seek vengeance. The daughter Ling follows but is caught in a bloody ambush. When he tries to rescue her his arm is hacked off in the battle and he is believed dead by all except Ling and his friend who set out in search of him. But he is saved by a hermit girl who nurses him back to health where he finds an old kung fu manual and practices with the broken blade to perfect the art of one armed swordfighting. In a breathtaking finale unlike anything you have seen before our hero sets off once again to find the tattooed assassin a quest that leads to an explosive and spectacular showdown.

• Phantoms | DVD | (07/01/2002) from £45.15   |  Saving you £-30.16 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Either Dean Koontz shouldn't adapt his own bestsellers, or his 1983 novel Phantoms was a pack of horror clichés to begin with, or this movie is 15 years past its due date. What might have seemed fresh at the time of Poltergeist now feels like it was made from a derivative script with pages missing. Plagued by reckless leaps of logic, the movie starts with adequately eerie atmosphere and a perversely twisted performance by Scream 2's Liev Schreiber, but decays into a familiar hash of gross-out effects, resulting from the annihilation of a small Colorado town by an evil force known as "The Ancient Enemy". In a dreary role that insults the twilight of his distinguished career, Peter O'Toole plays a paleobiologist whose crackpot ideas have become tabloid fodder; but he holds the key to conquering the beast. Or does he? Sure enough, an obligatory coda leaves room for anticlimactic doubt. Phantoms has a few genuinely creepy highlights, including a devilish beastie resembling an angry flying scorpion, and horror fans will surely find something to admire, but everyone else is advised to proceed with caution and lowered expectations. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Meltdown | DVD | (10/05/2004) from £3.80   |  Saving you £2.19 (57.63%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Jet Li can always be relied upon when it comes to action movies, and Meltdown is no exception. No surprises with the story line: Kit Li witnesses his wife blown up in a gangster attack masterminded by the nefarious Doctor, only to be confronted by the same "no risk, no reward" gangster two years later, now aiming to steal the Russian crown jewels from a hotel complex. The shadow of Die Hard falls heavily across the action, with its skyscraper stunts and marauding helicopter, given an appropriate twist by the high-velocity martial-arts sequences and director Wong Jing's stylish take on the high-tech metropolis that is Hong Kong. Jackie Cheung adds a comic element as Frankie Lane, the action-movie star seemingly past his sell-by date, and Kwan Sau Mei's Doctor is the epitome of suave nastiness. On the DVD: Meltdown on disc has a 1.85:1 widescreen picture that reproduces the plethora of monochrome conference rooms and exploding glass panels with dizzying clarity. This release comes ready dubbed into English--don't check the synchronisation too often and you'll hardly notice--with subtitles in 12 languages. The photo gallery is enlivened with Jet Li trivia, while the filmographies are unusually frank about the commercial nature of the Hong Kong film industry in general and Wong Jing's contribution in particular. But done with this degree of panache, films such as Meltdown are never less than 110# entertainment. --Richard Whitehouse

• Meltdown / The King Of Kickboxers / American Haolin | DVD | (04/07/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Meltdown (1995): He redefines revenge! After failing to save his wife from 'The Doctor' Kit Li is working as a bodyguard and secret stunt double for the cowardly martial arts film star Frankie Lane. Frankie attends an exhibition of the crown jewels of Russia at a Hong Kong hotel and when the Doctor's gang take over the building in attempt to steal the jewels Kit is the only thing standing in their way. Will Frankie regain his courage? Will romance blossom between Kit and the nosy reporter? Who has the best Kung Fu? The King Of The Kickboxers (1991): The murder of his brother has left Jake moody and frustrated. The killer was a martial arts champion who is now asking for volunteers to star in his new kickboxing movie. Jake decides to take him up on his invitation.... American Shaolin (1991): Humiliated in front of a national audience American martial artist Drew Carson travels to China's mythical Shaolin temple seeking enlightenment. Only after exhaustive training can he return to his homeland as a true master and attempt to settle the score...

• Bridge Of Dragons | DVD | (15/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Cross it at your peril. The warrior is the perfect soldier. Adopted by Warlord Ruechang he is a trained killer. What he must become is the perfect warrior. As a soldier he is taught only to obey. But his loyalties are swayed when he meets a young princess fated to marry Ruechang and rule over the oppressed people. When she flees the marriage Ruechang sends the warrior in pursuit. Now the perfect killing machine must find the humanity within that will guide him towards rebellion and justice. His quest for honor will make him a true warrior. But before he takes that path he must first defeat the forces of the man who saved his life and finally face Ruechang in an explosive bloody fight to the finish.

• Chungking Express | DVD | (09/07/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Chungking Express tells two stories loosely connected by a Hong Kong snack bar. In one, a cop who's been recently dumped by his girlfriend becomes obsessed with the expiry dates on cans of pineapple; he's constantly distracted as he tries to track down a drug dealer in a blonde wig (played by Brigitte Lin, best known from Swordsman II and The Bride with White Hair). Meanwhile, another cop who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, from John Woo's Hard-Boiled and A Bullet in the Head) mopes around his apartment, talking to his sponge and other domestic objects. He catches the eye of a shop girl (Hong Kong pop star Faye Wang) who secretly breaks in and cleans his apartment. If you're beginning to suspect that neither of these stories has a conventional plot, you're correct. What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The film was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together, Ashes of Time), using only available lighting and found locations. The movie's loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless than any recent film--and that's high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

• Chungking Express | Blu Ray | (26/01/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Chungking Express is the ultra-stylish film by internationally acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai. Using gorgeous Hong Kong stars and perfect pop music 'Chungking Express' tells two stories of lovelorn cops dangerous drug smugglers and California dreamers. The first story takes place in the infamous Chungking Mansions as melancholic Cop No 223 meets a mysterious woman in a wig and dark glasses in a late night bar little dreaming she's a big-time heroin smuggler up to her neck in trouble. The second story is set around the Midnight Express fast-food joint where Cop No 663 played by Hong Kong heart-throb Tony Leung orders his dinner each night. So broken-up over an air hostess who's flown away 663 fails to notice that the girl who serves his food (Hong Kong rock star Faye Wong) has a massive crush on him. Until to the soundtrack of California Dreaming she takes drastic action to mend his broken heart...

• Inner Senses | DVD | (13/11/2006) from £18.88   |  Saving you £-3.89 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Are you ready to be possessed and believe that ghosts are real? A young woman haunted by fleeting images of ghosts visits a psychologist who tells her that the visions are all in her mind. But when the psychologist starts having the same visions the two begin to unravel a mystery that leads to a forgotten past... This was the final big screen performance from the wonderful Leslie Cheung (1956-2003) who took his own life shortly after the film was released.

• The Wong Kar-Wai Collection | DVD | (26/01/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Titles Comprise: Ashes of Time Redux: In ancient China on the edge of a vast desert swordsman Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung) lives the life of a vagabond controlling a network of deadly assassins. Pitiless and cynical his heart has long been wounded by a love he neglected then lost. But as seasons friends and enemies come and go he begins to reflect back upon the origin of his solitude. Action-packed and visually dazzling with an all-star cast of Hong Kong cinema greats and extraordinary cinematography by Christopher Doyle Ashes of Time Redux is the ultimate edition of Wong Kar Wai's long-lost martial arts classic brilliantly re-cut and remixed for the 21st Century. Chungking Express: 'Chungking Express' is the ultra-stylish film by internationally acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai. Using gorgeous Hong Kong stars and perfect pop music 'Chungking Express' tells two stories of lovelorn cops dangerous drug smugglers and California dreamers. The first story takes place in the infamous Chungking Mansions as melancholic Cop No 223 meets a mysterious woman in a wig and dark glasses in a late night bar little dreaming she's a big-time heroin smuggler up to her neck in trouble. The second story is set around the Midnight Express fast-food joint where Cop No 663 played by Hong Kong heart-throb Tony Leung orders his dinner each night. So broken-up over an air hostess who's flown away 663 fails to notice that the girl who serves his food (Hong Kong rock star Faye Wong) has a massive crush on him. Until to the soundtrack of California Dreaming she takes drastic action to mend his broken heart... Happy Together Cult director Wong Kar Wai's first film shot outside of Hong Kong is a spellbinding tribute to blind passion that features two of Asian cinema's biggest stars. Lai (Tony Leung) and Ho (Leslie Cheung) arrive in Argentina as lovers but while driving south in search of adventures something goes wrong and Ho leaves for Buenos Aries. Devastated Lai finds work in a tango bar but is consumed by thoughts of being happy together once more with Ho. A heady cocktail of sound and vision Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle marry the rythms of Buenos Aries and Frank Zappa's jazz to an astonishing array of images.

• Street Angels - Sexy And Dangerous | DVD | (24/04/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Category III sex kitten Chingamy Yau returns to set the screen ablaze in Street Angels. Paired with Simon Yam her original co-star from the groundbreaking erotic thriller Naked Killer as the sado-masochistic Triad psycho-sleaze supermo Yau brings her own distinctive brand of erotic sizzle to the brutal streets of downtown Hong Kong. Denigrated and exiled to the backroom bars and karaoke lounges of Kowloon's infamous Portland Street after being sidelined by mob boss boyfriend Walkie Tung Yen rises like a phoenix to energise the local club circuit into a playground of sensual fire and untamed passion. An uneasy alliance with druglord KIng and fevered romance with a debonair playboy Man guarantees a fragile existence right on the edge of danger. When the shadowy figure of Walkie emerges from self-imposed exile in Amsterdam to reclaim past glories Tung Yen is suddenly thrust into a desperate battle for survival as Walkie sadistically carves his authority into the underbelly of the local gang scene in a brutal struggle for overall supermacy and determines to re-possess her whatever the cost....

• Hero | DVD | (08/11/2010) from £7.52   |  Saving you £2.47 (32.85%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A series of Rashomon-like flashback accounts shape the story of how one man defeated three assassins who sought to murder the most powerful warlord in pre-unified China.

• Bridge Of Dragons | DVD | (11/09/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Cross it at your peril. The warrior is the perfect soldier. Adopted by Warlord Ruechang he is a trained killer. What he must become is the perfect warrior. As a soldier he is taught only to obey. But his loyalties are swayed when he meets a young princess fated to marry Ruechang and rule over the oppressed people. When she flees the marriage Ruechang sends the warrior in pursuit. Now the perfect killing machine must find the humanity within that will guide him towards rebellion and justice. His quest for honor will make him a true warrior. But before he takes that path he must first defeat the forces of the man who saved his life and finally face Ruechang in an explosive bloody fight to the finish.

• Future Sport | DVD | (25/10/1999) from £7.66   |  Saving you £1.32 (28.27%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Shades of Rollerball! Director Ernest Dickerson and executive producer Wesley Snipes ponder the sport of the future and come up with... "Futuresport", a combination of handball, ice hockey, and skateboard hot-dogging begun as an inner-city alternative to gang warfare and transformed into a glitzy media sensation. Dean Cain stars as the reigning Futuresport hero, a cocky glory hound who counts his cash and "popularity index" ratings with a smug grin until his narcissism costs him the championship game. As a ruthless terrorist group pushes the world to the brink of war, the suddenly altruistic Cain hatches a plan to bring Futuresport back to its roots. With the help of reporter (and former flame) Vanessa Williams and the game's creator (a rastah-inflected Snipes, who gives himself the film's best role), Cain proposes a winner-take-all game to settle the territorial dispute. Beefy former TV "Superman" Cain makes a better reformed hero than a snotty superstar and looks great in the game scenes, but Snipes steals the film with his funky turn as the inner-city guru with more on his mind than the game. Dickerson gives this TV film a handsome look and even injects a little grit into the otherwise bland screenplay, but apart from the zippy game scenes (which Dickerson films with an electrified energy), it's a familiar and rather flat bit of science fiction hokum. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com

• The One / Legend Of The Red Dragon / Meltdown | DVD | (03/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The One (Dir. James Wong 2001): In order to save the universe he will have to fight the fiercest enemy he has ever faced: himself! A sheriff's deputy fights a diabolical and deadly mirror image of himself that has escaped from an alternate and parallel universe. Sometimes the difference between good and evil is only a matter of degrees... Legend Of The Red Dragon (Dir. Wong Jing 1995): The epic story of a man who challenged the limits of courage and fought for the heart of a nation. When his wife and entire village are brutally murdered by evil Manchu soldiers the master warrior Kwun (Jet Li) sets out on a mission of vengeance with the only survivor of the massacre - his son Ting. For seven years the two journey across ancient China on their quest for revenge always staying one step ahead of the deadly army. But Kwun is forced to face the past when they come across a wealthy benefactor with five young Shaolin masters in his charge who unbeknownst to Kwun have the detailed map to a priceless treasure trove tattooed on their backs. It is not long before Manchu officials find out about the maps and deadly soldiers came after the masters. Now in an ancient battle that will pit Kwun against one of the very soldiers who helped to kill his family he and Ting will unite with the young masters of Shaolin for a fight to the death. Get ready for an ancient martial arts battle with the world's most masterful warriors! Meltdown (Dir. Wong Jing 1995): After failing to save his wife from 'The Doctor' Kit Li is working as a bodyguard and secret stunt double for the cowardly martial arts film star Frankie Lane. Frankie attends an exhibition of the crown jewels of Russia at a Hong Kong hotel and when the Doctor's gang take over the building in attempt to steal the jewels Kit is the only thing standing in their way. Will Frankie regain his courage? Will romance blossom between Kit and the nosy reporter? Who has the best Kung-Fu?

• Adrenalin Charged | DVD | (18/10/2004) from £6.95   |  Saving you £13.04 (187.63%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Butterfly & Sword: Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh - Enough said! You only need mention the names of these two superstars in relation to a Hong Kong movie and you know you're dealing with a quality production. Such is the adrenaline-charged swordplay fantasy Butterfly & Sword (18) - a hugely impressive showcase for the dazzling skills of both - which also stars Hard Boiled's Tony Leung. Directed by Chin Siu-Tung (who choreographed Jet Li in Swordsman II) this breathtaking spectacle explodes into action from the very first scene and continues at a mind-blowing pace until the stunning climax. During the ride viewers are treated to jaw-dropping locations awesome fight choreography and surreal violence with all the key performers in top form throughout. Butterfly & Sword is full of the stylish sweeping action which later would make Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Michelle Yeoh again) such a huge worldwide hit. Characters routinely spin upside down through the air use soccer balls as deadly weapons run up walls with ease and in one particularly memorable sequence use each other as human bows and arrows - sending Tony Leung flying straight through the bad guys like a hot knife through butter! Such a sumptuous visual experience as this tends not worry too much about plotting and this is no exception. The story is sufficiently convoluted as to be unfathomable so we'll just say this: Michelle Yeoh is a loyal defender of her King's empire under siege from an army of revolutionaries. That'll do! This is Hong Kong cinema at its most exuberant: an action adventure which bombards the viewer with amazing images and gorgeous cinematography but isn't afraid of delivering some startling scenes of violence and gore to boot. The Blade: Legendary Hong Kong Director Tsui Hark blends violent action and stunning swordplay in his remake of the Shaw Brothers classic One-Armed Swordsman. The Blade is a sweeping epic which highlights the incredible fighting talent of Chiu Cheuk Hong Kong's latest action start. When a master sword-maker adopts the son of a murdered friend (Chiu Cheuk) the boy learns the master's craft well. As a young man he learns about his fathers death at the hand of a mysterious tattooed killer (Xiong-Xin-Xin). He takes fathers broken blade and sets out to seek vengeance. The daughter Ling follows but is caught in a bloody ambush. When he tries to rescue her his arm is hacked off in the battle and he is believed dead by all except Ling and his friend who set out in search of him. But he is saved by a hermit girl who nurses him back to health where he finds an old kung fu manual and practices with the broken blade to perfect the art of one armed swordfighting. In a breathtaking finale unlike anything you have seen before our hero sets off once again to find the tattooed assassin a quest that leads to an explosive and spectacular showdown. What Price Survival: 'What Price Survival' is the stunning reworking of the Shaw Brothers classic 'The One Armed Swordsman'...... An eye for an eye... An arm for an arm...

• Hero | DVD | (02/09/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  This gripping martial arts thriller shows how dangerous times make heroes of desperate men. After a severe drought Ma Wing Jing and Tai Cheung leave Shantung for Shanghai and are forced to work as coolies. Ma earns the hatred of a crime boss when she saves the life of his rival.