Hong Kong genre cinema of the 70-90s

[Funcrusher]

F
Four of them, but they aren't related.  They all dramatise completely different and separate stories.  They're only linked by their main theme of utter hopelessness.  And low brow toilet gags.

The one I've seen has a gang of Chinese ex-servicemen breaking out of mainland China to carry out a heist gone wrong in Hong Kong.

[Goldentony]

Looked up this On The Run thing re the ending and apparently for years the version easily available had the ending cut out entiely, odd! Would be great to get it from 88. Hoping Eureka somehow gets Police Story 3 aswell, seem to recall that had a nightmare legal issue.

[Shit Good Nose]

@Shit Good Nose It's not a Golden Princess title, is it? Anyway, fingers crossed that something has changed since you asked. Seems very in keeping with the other rumoured and confirmed stuff for next year.

On The Run passed by the BBFC, so 88's OTR is indeed On The Run.  Absolutely overjoyed at this news. 

[Famous Mortimer]

Finally watched Fantasy Mission Force, thanks to my mate on Twitch. I'm not sure what the script must have read like, but it feels as if someone wanted to make every genre of movie all at the same time. I love it!

[Sonny_Jim]

Sat down and watched Breathing Fire after it was featured on the No such thing as a bad movie podcast:

It's got yer man Ke Huy Quan otherwise known as Short Round from Temple of Doom having a fairly decent go at some Hong Kong-esque fight scenes.  Apparently he went into being a stunt coordinator when he got older, which is interesting I suppose.

The actual plot is complete bobbins, the big bad is his stepdad, but he doesn't realise he's this massive crime lord that

Spoiler alert

killed his mum

[close]

.  Literally the only good thing about it is the fight scenes which feel like a HK action movie.  It turns out it's a remake of a 70's HK movie called 'The Flash legs'

1/5 stars, no bucket of popcorn.

[Spiteface]

THe Infra-Man - Hong Kong superhero/Ultraman-alike lark that inspired Power Rangers

Was in HMV yesterday, saw this, bought it on a whim, remembering this thread. Seems very much up my alley.

ALthough not exactly accurate to say it "inspired" Power Rangers. That series itself is an adaptation of the Super Sentai series that started the same year Inframan came out, with Himitsu Sentai Goranger.

Kamen Rider is a more likely source of inspiration.

I am that picky. Sorry. But thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Will be keeping an eye on this thread in the future.

[George White]

I was thinking Dragon Mom/Rita Repulsa.

[zomgmouse]

In fitting with this thread I watched my first Herman Yau film: The Untold Story (1993) (aka The Eight Immortals Restaurant). Fictionalises the Eight Immortals Restaurant murders with Anthony Wong hamming it up as the killer. This is such an unashamedly brash and daft and gross film which is what I enjoyed a lot about it (save for the unfortunate rampant misogyny, including a really horrific rape scene). Some really inventively icky moments and an overall wholly and effectively unpleasant tone despite the bits of levity, particularly in the final flashbacks. Assuming all of Yau's films are like this? Or have I started with his best one? I have a couple others on my list that I'd like to see at some point (including one that I know @Small Man Big Horse viscerally hated: Ebola Syndrome). Wondering what others here think of him.

[Small Man Big Horse]

In fitting with this thread I watched my first Herman Yau film: The Untold Story (1993) (aka The Eight Immortals Restaurant). Fictionalises the Eight Immortals Restaurant murders with Anthony Wong hamming it up as the killer. This is such an unashamedly brash and daft and gross film which is what I enjoyed a lot about it (save for the unfortunate rampant misogyny, including a really horrific rape scene). Some really inventively icky moments and an overall wholly and effectively unpleasant tone despite the bits of levity, particularly in the final flashbacks. Assuming all of Yau's films are like this? Or have I started with his best one? I have a couple others on my list that I'd like to see at some point (including one that I know @Small Man Big Horse viscerally hated: Ebola Syndrome). Wondering what others here think of him.

I think you may have been thinking of someone else as I don't think I've seen Ebola Syndrome (though my memory is terrible so it may be my mistake).

[zomgmouse]

I think you may have been thinking of someone else as I don't think I've seen Ebola Syndrome (though my memory is terrible so it may be my mistake).

You're right! I had it confused with Bio-Zombie.

[Small Man Big Horse]

You're right! I had it confused with Bio-Zombie.

Ah, yes, that I certain did hate!

[Herbert Ashe]

Assuming all of Yau's films are like this? Or have I started with his best one? I have a couple others on my list that I'd like to see at some point (including one that I know @Small Man Big Horse viscerally hated: Ebola Syndrome). Wondering what others here think of him.

I found Taxi Hunter a lot of fun; IIRC it's firmly misanthropic rather than misogynistic; it has some satirical edge, but you do also still have Anthony Wong going nuts.

I also preferred his Ip Man films to the Donnie Yen ones.

[zomgmouse]

I found Taxi Hunter a lot of fun; IIRC it's firmly misanthropic rather than misogynistic; it has some satirical edge, but you do also still have Anthony Wong going nuts.

Good to know - I was indeed interested in that one! One day I'm sure

[Spiteface]

I was thinking Dragon Mom/Rita Repulsa.

She is DEFINITELY in the vein of that kind of Tokusatsu villain. Machiko Soga played a few of them, not just Bandora/Rita.

Infra-Man himself, seems like a mashup of Kamen Rider (dude becomes a cyborg and fights monsters) and Ultraman (goes giant, also does the same thing with his arms that Ultraman does when firing his Spacium ray). Monsters feel like Shocker mutants from the original Kamen Rider, too. That Spider monster feels like a homage to the "Spider-Man" from the very first episode.

Yeah, watched it this afternoon, good stuff.