Richard James Havis

The wild days of Hong Kong’s Category III era: when sex and gore went mainstream

The adults-only, Category III rating was introduced in 1988, making stars of actresses including Shu Qi and Amy Yip.

Director Ronny Yu put Jet Li’s martial arts skills and acting chops to good use in this classic, blending superb fights and a human story.

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The writer-director’s You Shoot, I Shoot (2001) and Men Suddenly in Black (2003) injected a dose of dark satire into a waning local industry.

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The two follow-ups to The One-Armed Swordsman are somewhat different to the original hit film but plenty of blood runs through all three.

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Director Ann Hui has adapted three of Eileen Chang’s stories for the big screen. We look at two: Love in a Fallen City and Eighteen Springs.

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Before becoming stereotyped for extreme roles, Wong gave nuanced turns as a whiny gangster opposite Chow Yun-fat and as Veronica Yip’s tormentor.

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2003’s Heroic Duo and 2007’s Invisible Target were full of the director’s flair for action, reckless stunts and literal explosive scenes.

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Related Topics
Asian cinema: Hong Kong filmWellnessAmerican cinema