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Richard James Havis
Wheels on Meals, starring Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao and filmed in Spain, was a mix of incredible fight scenes and a great plot.
Josephine Cheung’s paintings vanished from view after her death at 35. A loyal friend worked tirelessly to restore her place in art history.
Tsui Hark’s popular martial arts fantasy A Chinese Ghost Story spawned a number of sequels. We look at two of Hark’s follow-ups.
Chow Yun-fat and Sally Yeh charmed in Yu’s 1984 horror The Occupant, while Tsui joined Joey Wong and Sam Hui in 1985 comedy Working Class.
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Lee Rock, Lawrence Lau’s two-part Hollywood-style biopic of infamous policeman Lui Lok, painted a vivid picture of 1960s Hong Kong.
We revisit three of Michael Hui’s best films as a comedy actor and co-screenwriter, aided by brothers Ricky and Sam, from the 1980s onwards.
![Black and white file photo of Nora Miao Ker-hsiu (left), film director Lo Wei (2nd left), and actor Bruce Lee Siu-lung [Bruce Li]. 3 Sep 71.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2025/07/04/5c1f3dc7-65f6-490f-98e7-dcbae1c99d63_eed4a7eb.jpg)
Lo Wei, Hong Kong’s first ‘million-dollar director’, made hits including The Big Boss and Fist of Fury but had a big ego that caused issues.
We take a look at three of John Woo’s Hollywood movies from the late 1990s and early 2000s and what they meant for the Hong Kong director.
Wai Ka-fai’s Peace Hotel, Too Many Ways to Be No. 1, and Needing You featured stars including Andy Lau, Chow Yun-fat and Cecilia Yip.
Ringo Lam infused 1999’s Victim with notes of The Exorcist, and teamed up with Tsui Hark and Johnnie To for 2007’s ‘chaotic mess’ Triangle.
A happy-go-lucky hero was deemed the missing ingredient for an action comedy hit. Sam Hui was hired for Aces Go Places. 4 sequels followed.
Soi Cheang Pou-soi’s first horror films were very low-budget and relied on clever use of cameras and cuts instead of special effects.
Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman sees a Hong Kong film character fight a Japanese one. Who won depended on which film version you saw.
In the 2000s, Lau added action star to his CV with roles involving martial arts, guns and gangsters. Three films show his versatility.
Spurred by Mission: Impossible’s success, Chen made three films full of CIA agents and explosions aimed at Western audiences. None did well.
1984 Leong Po-chih film with Chow Yun-fat as one of a trio of friends stays character driven while showing Japanese atrocities, expert says.
Hong Kong cinema was late to the exploitation genre, but made up for lost time. We recall three 90s classics full of sex, violence and gore.
Although beautifully staged, this Hong Kong-US-China production starring Tony Leung and Tang Wei had a muddled story and misguided messages.
1994’s The Final Option, starring Michael Wong, was such a hit it spawned a prequel and sequels. We recall them and how they were received.
Hong Kong martial arts actor Donnie Yen rose to super stardom with Ip Man, but some of his films as a young actor showcase his skills best.
Hong Kong filmmaker Chang Cheh wanted to do justice to Louis Cha’s The Legend of the Condor Heroes. But his trilogy is dense and confusing.
From a film starring Kelly Chen and Donnie Yen to an Indiana Jones rip-off with Jet Li, 4 of Tony Ching’s lesser-known productions.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Riley Ip made films featuring stars such as Takeshi Kaneshiro and Anthony Wong. Here are the 3 best.
We recall a lurid mix of wuxia and witchcraft, Cheng Pei-pei in Dragon Swamp, and two films featuring a risible lizard and non-giant spider.
Angela Mao, all glammed up, plays an assassin in Broken Oath, a 1977 remake of a Japanese classic. It is one of her greatest performances.
Hong Kong’s film industry suffered a huge slump from 2000-2009, but did the mainland Chinese market and China co-productions save it?
John Woo teamed with Tom Cruise for a ‘boring’ hit. Peter Chan turned to romance. Ringo Lam and Jean Claude van Damme made stomachs churn.
Known for the Infernal Affairs trilogy and Young and Dangerous films, Andrew Lau’s output is wide-ranging. We recall some lesser known films.
Sword-fighting films were popular in the 1960s and 1990s. Tsui Hark and Derek Yee were among directors who reinvented the genre this century.
