Billy Chung's new wave swordplay effort can be easily summarized as very slight. At barely 80 minutes, the potential for an epic, sweeping Wuxia isn't there but Wen Shui-On's original novel isn't extensive as such and naturally, the movie seems to correspond to that. While there is a theme of swordsman Tong Po Ka (Zhang Fengyi - Farewell My Concubine) trying to regain and maintain his inner soul, Chung doesn't prove adept at dramatic beats. We move way too quickly into and away from everything but The Assassin does possess better traits on an entertainment level.

Cinematography by Chiu Fei and Jonathan Wong's (Dr. Lamb) traditional score gives the gritty nature to the film a boost while the Category III rating allows action directors Tung Wai and Benz Kong to more constantly amp the blood and guts compared to other new wave efforts at the time. This darker aspect is otherwise a minor Chung forte (see Love To Kill) and outside of the action, he presents a fair few grisly in your face sights, including torture involving sewing prisoner's eyes shut. Still, when no performer makes an impact either (film also stars Max Mok and Rosamund Kwan), you should turn to Ringo Lam's Burning Paradise and The Blade instead as they succeeded on many more accounts.

The old Star Laserdisc and vcd (both had no subtitles) featured the full cinema edit but subsequent video versions (including releases by Tai Seng and Winson) are missing about 6 minutes worth of footage.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com

Acclaimed writer Matt Chow (Bullets Over Summer, Juliet In Love, Going Home) scored critical acclaim eventually as director with Itchy Heart only to totally hit a brick wall with 2004's The Attractive One. Showcasing no confidence in making simple romantic and comedic material fly or in his stars (Lau Ching Wan and Joey Yung), the film wanders endlessly in unspecial territory until it hits you during one of Chapman To's aggravating scenes. However it's not a positive revelation, it's just the definite proof that Chow has strung together contrasting material, hoping it will be poignant, funny and strangely does not realize that it's stupid decisionmaking all the way here. Somehow I have my doubts that surreal wacky material such as Joey Yung's character growing a moustache whenever things are going bad or the breakout into further surrealism is audience pleasing (and Lau's Ching Wan with his huge birth mark never gets an even slight mention or examination. Now that's money wasted on make-up!). Others do this better, others do romantic comedies better. When you summarize a film like The Attractive One as weird, you're approaching disastrous levels and Matt Chow's film can't be embraced for the poor level it's at either! Now, when is Lau Ching Wan, who does showcase a second or two of his undeniable coolness and charisma, going to choose movie projects more wisely?

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com
Yesasia.com

Teenage girl Wai (Li Pui-Wai) and Tokio (Japanese actor Masatoshi Nagase) share an autumn's tale, not a love story but a story of emotions. From Wai's point of view it's about daring or choosing to show emotions towards the school boy she's in love before immigrating to Canada where her parents are waiting. A fear is also to lose a big emotional anchor in the form of her grandmother, who is going to be left behind for practical reasons. Tokio is at the other end of the spectrum, having experienced so many emotions that he's now numb and completely disillusioned...

Much featured can be recognized from previous Clara Law movies but Autumn Moon is a different beast nonetheless. Law and partner Eddie Fong this time again explores issues surrounding immigration but shot within an art house style, utilizing voiceover of self contemplation, long uninterrupted takes and slow pace. But what's important to point out that it's never painfully slow nor is the film abstract. Law shoots in her natural static ways, mixing video and film, adding a subtlety not previously visible in her work but she proves to be very adept in communicating through that narrative choice. Adept is also her direction of leads Li Pui-Wai and Masatoshi Nagase, both mainly using rough English delivery but not in any way does that hinder the emotions, intentions and journeys they both have to embody. Li reportedly never starred in a film again which is a shame because she's a definite natural talent.

The Category III rating is due to a few scenes of fairly graphic sex but Autumn Moon represents a rare example where it's definitely part of the storytelling. Tony Cheung's cinematography is simple but beautiful without being intruding and comedian Tats Lau switches to composer with very atmospheric results.

Kickass poster art, the uniting of fighting, shooting females Moon Lee, Cynthia Khan, Yukari Oshima and Nishiwaki Michiko sets up potentially classic material but in the end The Avenging Quartet ranks as one of the most forgettable that came out of the genre-boom. To his credit, director Stanley Siu doesn't seem to possess the worst eye for visuals and story driven cinema. He does grow tired of trying eventually and just mixes up action and useless comedy (co-star Chin Ka-Lok as wacky cop being responsible for that tangent) that sacrifices the actual small story at hand. Saving grace would've of course been action of the highest order but without much flow or excitement, what seems to be a lot going in is in fact very little and standard. An attention grabbing violent and gory final reel doesn't make the last parts of the film boring but they don't mean anything on any level.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com
Yesasia.com

Part of what arguably is a 1990s roll for creative director Cha Chuen-Yee (writer Rico Chung played a crucial part too), ending up being best utilized in the satirical Once Upon A Time in Triad Society in 1996. Awakening plays with more manic tools and certainly can be argued to belong to a large, distinguished family of Hong Kong movies being all over the place. But few have the vision Chuen-Yee has in Awakening. Feng Shui master Liu Sheng Ming (Anthony Wong) gets in the eyeline of vengeance desiring Lam Cho Wen (Simon Yam). Dissatisfied with Liu's services prior that apparently meant the loss of his wife and kid, Cho Wen, in magical and sneaky ways, goes about destroying the life of the master...

On a minute budget, Cha Chuen-Yee goes to work by involving his camera heavily and in quite clever ways talking of transitions alone. Certainly eccentric, quirky, broad and disgusting, the plate of Awakening manages to cohere ALMOST all throughout and it even dips into a serious re-examination of lives of the characters (the awakening of the title). With elements in interaction between Anthony and Simon involving the latter combing Wong's hair, wanting to lick his finger clean of germs and the appearance of a white horse on the streets of Hong Kong, these out there elements can't be argued against logically as Cho Wen is countering with magic of his own while trying to expose Liu as a fraud. Even targeting his wife Dicky (Anita Lee) who Liu constantly neglects and shoots down, here enters the fairly successful awakening. It's basic drama but within a rather extreme frame, it manages to resonate. Anthony going insane at points and engaging in the "Double Practice" (it is indeed sexual) with various clients (including the mysterious Fei Fei, played by Carman Lee and her appearance means Hong Kong now has their own moment also present in a famous Forest Whitaker movie...), the mix doesn't always cohere but it's still a thorough pleasure to see Cha Chuen-Yee engaging his cast in this emotional insanity. Also with James Wong.

Also known as Chuang Tzu Tests His Wife, swordplay in the Wuxia style tradition isn't the primary focus here despite early signs seemingly cementing that fact. Blending in layered character depth with an eventual more ghostly angle, debut director Fu Ching-Wa showcases some novice strengths while unfortunately letting the film go about its business in far too boring ways in other areas. General Tieng is murdered by ninjas sent out by the people behind Duke Hsuan Ch'i (Tung Lam), unbeknownst to the Duke however (bringing in the point of main rulers being the ones scheming less compared to the people around them). Left surviving is Tieng's daughter Szu Chin (Sam Suet-Jan - Lady 9 Flower) as she is rescued by Chang Chou (Cho Kin). The two flee, fall in love but Ch'i Chuan wants to win over the love of Szu Chin and take revenge against Chang Chou who scarred his face...

Featuring only a small array of crudely staged fight scenes (this is still 1969 folks), what Axing Of The Coffin tells of is pretty much the tragedy of its female character Szu Chin. As she actually eventually loses her love Chang Chou, she's a character having difficulties surviving loneliness and will embark on new marriage as long as rituals concerning the burial of Chang Chou and the aftermath is handled correctly. It makes for an interesting sympathetic/unsympathetic character portrayal but it's wrapped in far too stagy direction (it really does feel like a filmed play more often than not). Getting more mileage out of a later spooky reel, director Fu Ching-Wa displays noble stylish and technical desire for his Taiwan cinema. Transitions into dreams are accompanied by effects not commonly seen at the time and there's even basic composite work done for a very atmospheric, latter reel terror ride as the titular coffin takes center stage.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com