Scorecard

SEPTEMBER

FILM OF THE MONTH: The Killer ☆☆☆☆
They Live ☆☆☆☆
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ☆☆☆☆
The Flight of the Phoenix ☆☆☆☆
Pulp Fiction ☆☆☆☆
Captain America: The Winter Solider ☆☆☆☆
Jason and the Argonauts ☆☆☆☆

Weekend Retrospective - Glass Story

POLICE STORY (1985)

Jackie Chan's output between the late 70s and early 90s is often something I find difficult to choose a favourite from, with hits and their sequels cropping up almost as soon as he began working for Golden Harvest after a brief stint at Seasonal Films brought him into the public eye. Fans of hair raising stunts, action comedy and goofy facial expressions are pretty much spoilt for choice in this era.

It's often an embarrassment of riches, whether you prefer the classic old school thrills of The Young Master or the later more refined period adventures in Project A. There are plenty of team ups with his old opera school pals to choose from with familiar faces popping up throughout. Where to even begin? For me though it always comes back to the eye watering, glass breaking, shanty town destroying madness that is Police Story.

Martial Arts Mix - Little Fortunes

PART THREE - YUEN BIAO MOVIES

If you've ever sat watching Jackie Chan movies from the late 1970s through to the early '90s, as well as the other movies from Hong Kong in this period, a few faces will start to become familiar. Not only because many of them are part of the JC Stunt Team but because so many actors and stunt performers were taught in the same opera schools as children. They had to make a living on the silver screen when demand for traditional entertainment died out. Jackie's 'brothers' from those days include Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao who became stars in their own right. Here I'll be taking a look at the latter. As the acrobat of the group he often can be found doing hair raising feats alongside Sammo (Eastern Condors, Millionaires Express) Jackie (The Young Master) or even both (Project A, Dragons Forever) which are all classics in their own right. But for now I'll try and stick to the features where he gets top billing.

Martial Arts Mix - In the line of Duty

PART 2 - MICHELLE YEOH MOVIES

During this latest Hong Kong cinema mini-marathon I took time out from the usual Jackie Chan vehicles to look at a few of the best adventures from Miss Malaysia herself, Michelle Yeoh. Sometimes credited as Michelle Khan or Michelle Kheng because of studio interference, (and overseas marketing plans) the credited names and the names of the film sequels can be a bit confusing. Particularly when it comes to the Yes, Madam or 'In the Line of Duty' series. I just wish that I had more of them to hand to expand this review. Regardless she does a great job right out of the gate, with the acting chops and charisma to match her male contemporaries, as well as being able to translate her dance background into action and stunt work.

Martial Arts Mix - Die Harder

MELTDOWN (1995)

Tonal shifts and hard cuts from comedy to extreme violence are often an issue with action films from Hong Kong in the 1980s and early '90s. It often feels like a cultural difference; something unique to this period and region in cinema. The earliest examples of kung fu comedy showcase this to some extent, for example the opening death from Drunken Master which effectively introduces the villain, but is quickly dropped in favour of wacky teenage hi-jinks and disobedience. Later it can be seen in something like Armor of God II: Operation Condor at which point it's evolved into a far more extreme version of this trope. An unarmed group of desert travellers is brutally killed by mercenaries, immediately before a series of juvenile gags involving Jackie Chan and his companions. There are many examples, but in some ways the tonal incongruities from Jet Li's Meltdown (aka High Risk) are amongst the most absurd.