Using unprecedented degrees of violence young Joey Tai becomes the head of Chinese mafia in New York and undisputed leader of Chinese community. Stanley White the most decorated cop in New York who hates Asian people since his service in Vietnam is put in charge of Chinatown. Both men are prone to breaking long-established rules and both men are unlikely to make compromises with each other which leads to unavoidable and bloody conflict.
In The Black Sheep Affair special forces agent Yim Dong (Chiu Man Chuk--the brilliant wu shu marital artist star of 1995's The Blade) is transferred to the fictional ex-Soviet Republic of Lavernia, actually Hungary, where the explosive Now You're Dead (1998) was filmed. Soon he has arrested Mishima, played by Hoi Lin who delivers a chilling performance as a ruthless Japanese terrorist who believes he is Christ returned to bring bloody redemption. Before long Mishima's fanatical followers are causing mayhem, while in a bittersweet sub-plot Yim revives his relationship with the girl he loved in Beijing before the 1989 uprising. The comparatively low budget shows occasionally, and even in the Cantonese version all the Lavernians are dreadfully dubbed with American voices, one duplicitous official coming across like a camp Oliver Reed. Against that there is an attempt to offer some political substance, and the action--a mixture of martial arts and gunplay--is fast, furious and stunningly staged, so that even as it goes ludicrously OTT it remains exhilarating. The "shoot-the-hostages" finale reaches an emotional intensity and breaks rules no Hollywood action flick would dare, turning into a John Woo-like slaughterhouse which makes the likes of Die Hard (1988) look tame. On the DVD: The end titles carry the Dolby Digital logo, so why both the Cantonese subtitled and English dubbed versions of a 1998 film are presented in two-channel mono is a mystery. The anamorphically enhanced 1.77:1 image is good but not exceptional, and exhibits some clear compression artefacts. The "music promo" is essentially one of Hong Kong Legends' own specially-made trailers, and is accompanied by more trailers for a further five films. The photo gallery is pointless but the text biographies of the two main stars are detailed enough to be interesting. Two minutes of poor quality video show Chiu Man Chuk demonstrating some wu shu moves, while a four-minute interview conducted at the same time via a translator for French television does little more than reveal the star as an amiable chap. Several of the features are also present on the DVD of Chiu Man Chuk's Body Weapon (1999). --Gary S Dalkin
Elite. Specialist. Undercover. Squad. ESUS is an experimental unit set up to try and forge closer links between MI5 and the police force. The unit is headed by MI5 agents but the rest of the team have been seconded from regional police forces because of their specialist undercover expertise. ESUS' brief is to investigate cases that go beyond the remit of either the regional police forces or special branch.
Set in the exotic surroundings of Russia before the First World War Flame of Love tells the tragic story of the doomed love between a young Chinese dancing girl and the adjutant to a Russian Grand Duke. One of five British films featuring Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong Flame of Love (also known as Hai-Tang) was the star's first 'talkie' made during her stay in London in the early 1930s when Hollywood's proscription of love scenes between Asian and Caucasian actors deprived Wong of leading roles. Also featuring Blackmail star John Longden and German actor Georg Schnell Flame of Love is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Special Features: Image Gallery
It's been a while since 'Category III' movies (Hong Kong's own classification for films which mix sex and violence) have been in the news here but following Hong Kong Legends' release of the originial Cat III mega-hit 'Naked Killer' comes another all-action femme fatale thriller from Hong Kong Classics. 'The Huntress - Her Name Is Cat' is from 'Naked Killer' director Clarence Ford produced by the legendary Wong Jing ('Sex & Zen' and many more) and stars statuesque Chinese beauty Almen Wong - who stands out from any crowd of her countrymen by virtue of being almost six feet tall in her boots or stilletoes! Clarence Ford expertly recaptures the thrills and atmosphere of the 'babes 'n' bullets' genre in this stylish action movie which features former Elle model Almen Wong as Cat - a highly trained assassin from mainland China forging a new career as a paid killer on the edge of the Hong Kong underworld. When her path crosses that of tough cop Michael Wong and another female assassin is sent kill her Cat turns huntress to survive..... 'The Huntress - Her Name Is Cat' is a perfect example of what Hong Kong femme fatale cinema is all about: scantily clad muscular and sexy women cool lighting ballistic mayhem and ass-kicking insanity!
The largest lake in California becomes a symbol of a lost idyll in DJ Caruso's excellent noir-ish thriller The Salton Sea. Val Kilmer is superb as lowlife Danny Parker, or perhaps trumpeter Thomas Van Allen; a man so far over the edge in tragedy, duplicity and drugs he no longer knows or cares who he is. A warped revenge drama occupying similar territory to Memento, The Salton Sea is not as ingenious as that instant classic, but is more elegantly stylised, boasting superb production design, cinematography and music, the latter by Thomas Newman. Along for the ride is Deborah Kara Unger, and those who remember her from The Game will do well to take Kilmer's narration to heart when he says nothing is as it seems. Distinguishing what could have been simply a good thriller are elements not just of humour, but of laugh-out-loud hilarity funnier than most recent comedies; indeed, The Salton Sea is the most striking fusion of laughter and darkness since the admittedly very different An American Werewolf in London (1981). In this respect, Vincent D'Onofrio delivers a side-splitting and audacious performance as drug baron Pooh Bear. Watch out for the rabid badger. On the DVD: The Salton Sea is presented anamorphically enhanced at 1.77:1, with a flawless picture that captures the rich tones and extreme visual contrasts to perfection. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is crystal clear and deeply atmospheric. Extras are the theatrical trailer, plus features on the production design (eight minutes) and cast and crew (nine minutes). More intelligent than the expected Electronic Press Kit material, the running length means they are still fairly perfunctory. --Gary S Dalkin
Into the perilous night... Set against a TsimShaTsui that never sleeps a stolen police gun triggers a suspenseful chain of events. Tracking down the missing gun before dawn cop LO first gets his car vandalized then his butt kicked. Suddenly he is wedged between two gangs on the brink of bloodbath while staving off investigations by both the Anti-vice Squad and Homicidal Unit who are embroiled in their own turf war. His only lifeline is a maverick team of Police Tactical Un
Titles Comprise: Java Head: The port city of Bristol England in the 1800s is home to Java Head a sailing ship line company. The owner has two sons. One a handsome seafarer is in love with a local girl but cannot marry her due to a long-running feud between their fathers. After a lengthy voyage he returns with a very exotic noble Chinese wife which scandalizes the conservative town. His other son a landlubber seeks to convert to steamships to the disgust of his father. Even worse he is secretly dealing in contraband. Tiger Bay: A young Englishman abroad Michael visits the local low-life spot of Tiger Bay to test his assertion that the spirit of human romance survives even in the most unpromising of circumstances. He intervenes when a local criminal protection racketeer targets a Chinese nightclub and falls in love with the owner's young English foster-sister. But Olaf's gang have only just started their campaign against Lui Chang the cultured elegant woman who owns the premises... and she is determined not to be intimidated or driven out of business under any circumstances...
Winner of nine Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor following Pu Yi the last of the Emperor's of China from his birth in 1908 through his childhood in the fortress-like Forbidden City and his later misguided collaboration with the Japanese in World War II THE LAST EMPEROR tells the history of modern China through the eyes of the man brought up to believe that he was the country's divine ruler. One of the biggest and most ambitious films of the era filmed almost entirely on location in China in 1986 Bertolucci and his producer Jeremy Thomas were the first Western film-makers to be allowed to make a film about modern China.
Five Fingers Of Steel
A guide to popular science. Discover the scientific principles that shape our world.An irreverent and fun magazine-style series looking at how science shapes the world around us. A team of experts grapple with hands-on experiments; relating to everything from amateur space travel to artificial life. From exploring the world's most advanced technological breakthroughs to learning how we can test and manipulate science in our own backyard, this series will put scientific theory to the test.Flight engineer Jem, biochemist Liz, science-mad Dallas and roving reporter Dr Yan take part in big stunts and team challenges, and get a glimpse of the technology of the future. With a PhD, a collection of science degrees and an enduringpassion for all things scientific, the four presenters are the perfect group to bring cutting edge science to your screen.
Kevin Shepard is a tech-savvy young genius who uses his intelligence to slack off. When greedy video game executive Alan Wolf gets a hold of his ideas for a video game, Kevin and his best friend Becca set off for Seattle to make Wolf's life miserable through a series of pranks.
Explosive prequel to last year's Hong Kong hit about an undercover cop and triad mole in the police force.
The Black Boss Yellow Tiger and Merciless Tsang join forces and snatch a million dollars. The Black Boss is responsible for hiding the money temporarily and keeps a map of it's whereabouts.But Yellow Tiger and Merciless Tsang are impatient and want their split early.The dispute ends with the Black Boss dead and only one person knowing the location of the money - his daughter.The heat is on as his daughter and the man who befriend her try to recover the money and outfox their pursuers.
And Now You're Dead may nominally be a heist movie about two rival gangs out to steal a diamond, but in reality it's an excuse for a series of exceptional action set-pieces as only Hong Kong cinema knows how to do. The film is actually set in Prague and features both a mixed Chinese and European cast, and some fairly horrendous dubbing. Fortunately no one is going to be watching for the dialogue, and the plot--assorted gangsters betray each other, while others find friendship and redemption--has been replayed endlessly since John Woo's A Better Tomorrow (1986). While Michael Wong makes an acceptable Chow Yun Fat substitute as professional thief Marty, Shannon Lee's ruthless assassin is a revelation. She is Bruce Lee's daughter, and having already appeared in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and Blade (1998), she delivers perhaps the toughest action heroine since Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor in T2. It's a breathtaking performance, especially in a deliriously extended police station battle which recalls the original Terminator. Overlook the clumsy comic relief and the sub-Bond finale, and settle back to enjoy an insanely frenzied bloodbath packed with over-the-top stunts and razor-sharp martial arts. --Gary S. Dalkin
Brandon (Brandon Lee) is a tough young man working by day as a car compactor in the auto junkyard and by night as a waiter. Good looking and skilled in martial arts Brandon has one major weakness an unceasing desire to use his might to fight for justice. A so-called friend Michael (Wong) manages to get Brandon framed for the slaughter of a cop and consequently sent to prison. In jail he becomes a close friend of a clever small-time crook called Hoi after coming to Hoi’s aid during a fight with some other inmates. When Brandon learns how he was set up by Michael he and Hoi try unsuccessfully to break out of jail. Six years later they are released and by now Michael has become a Mafia boss leading an army of bloodthirsty thugs. Having armed themselves with the latest weapons Brandon and Hoi declare war on Michael. The final confrontation escalates into a bloodbath that will determine their ultimate fate!
Teddy is an ex Secret Service man living out the quiet life as a chiropractor. His kids think he's a delusional loser, yet when a shadowy villain from his past re-appears, his license to thrill is dusted down and the high-kicking, crazy action begins.
Action aplenty when Manchus and Mings are out for revenge after their people are massacred by the menace of the Flying Guillotine...
A triple bill of Hong Kong action classics from director Andrew Lau (Wai Keung Lau). The Stormriders: The most eagerly awaited Hong Kong movie event boasting Hong Kong's highest ever production budget and box office take. It is a visually stunning epic blend of swordplay explosive martial arts and breathtaking special effects to create the ultimate final fantasy. A Man Called Hero: Based on the comic book series by Ma Wing Shing 'A Man Called Hero' is a spectacular
Frank Yuma a long time enforcer and hit man for an organized crime syndicate is suspected of being an informer for the FBI. The syndicate orders a hit on Frank and hires his own crew to do the job. But unfortunately for them Frank Yuma survives.
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