The Women In Prison sub-genre within exploitation meets the supernatural Hong Kong style but the result is painfully dull. However this comes from a genre with filmmakers producing thrash, something all involved knew including the select audience working up a sweat to obtain these films. While there are numerous excuses for cat fights, shower scenes etc, it's strange really how Jail House Eros never ignites despite. Amy Yip's character name is the only piece of inspired comedy here....wait for it...Chesty!

KENNETH'S REVIEW: Chu Yen-Ping re-visits Island Of Fire territory, the original product that contained shot for shot scene theft from other films and in full length form (Hong Kong version was shortened substantially), some actual good drama. With The Jail In Burning Island, the prison movie gets rerun before us, containing back stories about legal and not legal characters before they went to prison, bonding, beatings, corruption in the higher ranks, the lowly getting affected by their newly gained power in the jail, solitary confinement, the big boss getting anything you want including hookers and even drama about the fear of being released. There's a slick movie on display here, with plenty of violence, grit, stylized cinematography and the trademark of Chu's action being very loud and direct. It works on that level but is more of a flimsy, very basic drama otherwise. Chu is not that much better than what we get here but the sole well intended melodramatic piece of the film in regards to one of the prisoners being released in a world he's afraid of combined with well choreographed gunplay doesn't elevate him. With Takeshi Kaneshiro, Nicky Wu, Ng Man-Tat, Anthony Wong, Jackson Lau, Wong Yat-Fei and Yvonne Yung.

Solid actor as seen in Daughter Of Darkness and Brother Of Darkness, Hugo Ng turned to directing but kept going within the confines of the Category III rating. Considering the talent he was working for in the latter film (director Billy Tang), it's quite encouraging to see Ng take exploitation seriously. The titular jail is on a remote island where prisoners are apparently sent with only one way to get out and that is by the time they reach the age of 60. Run by a sadistic and generally disturbed Westerner (a viciously overacting Richard Grosse, who launches a ton of F-bombs at us throughout), the prisoners will need to stand together through the worst of times and the best of times, knowing little of what future holds for them...

Shot in synch sound and lensed competently by Go Chi-Ho despite the little locales utilized, there's no shortage of nastiness on display as the muddy surroundings and penalties inflicted upon prisoners equal that of the graphical. One of the dogs, as the prisoners are constantly referred to, has had his feet either skewered or shot and is crawling around while another scene has on-screen defecation and subsequent forced eating of it (probably the one scene the BBFC had problems with when the film was released on video in the UK). But within this loosely plotted movie, that basically has doomed characters anyway, Hugo displays a quiethood when he deals with the daily island life. Work, dorm interaction and the rare light side to the overall comrade, it's part of his structure to showcase how the different walks of life stand together under these circumstances and it all is part of a professionalism you simply don't expect out of The Jail Of No Return beforehand. By no means way above average though, one of the best aspect of Ng's dedication comes when directing Ku Feng who he clearly has a lot of respect for as the camera simply sits on the veteran in various scenes. Starring Karel Wong.

As with Li Han-Hsiang's Golden Lotus and recently Cash Chin's dual Category III attack The Forbidden Legend Sex & Chopsticks I & II, Jin Pin Mei tackles the novel with plenty of material for filmmakers wanting to put out an adult product out there, Jin Ping Mei (The Plum In the Golden Vase). Reportedly clocking in at 100 chapters, the makers of the 1996 version went to town and produced 6 movies (although the movie at hand here and New Jin Pin Mei 1 may in fact be the same movie) in the same year. All directed by Tam Yui-Ming and starring Tan Lap Man (as the notorious deviant, manipulative, sadistic, feet obsessive pervert Simon Hsin) and Yeung Si-Man as one of his main wives in the Hsin household. The amount of movies may suggests so but Jin Pin Mei doesn't track Simon Hsin (or Ximen Qing) all the way back to childhood. No, he's at his most influential, powerful, evil and horny kid in a candy story type impulsive at the start as we see the scenario that traps Chinny Wu (Yeung Siu-Man) in the grip of Simon. She inadvertently poisons her husband (Simon actually provides the poison in secret, a plot point changed drastically in other mentioned movies as there the wife gladly helps take her disabled husband's life) and is forced into the jam packed household of Hsin's where the wives battle for position. One of the more key and interesting aspects of the novel is the game of power and influence the women play because they're likely not going to be free women anytime soon. You live in a new universe and rules so it's adhering to those that's the name of the game.

In Tam Yui-Ming's hands, this is the aspect that resonates more than anything else. Albeit there is more to the story waiting to be told, the craftsmanship on display isn't done with all that much heart or initiative and I suspect such will be the case in the remainder of the movies. Jin Pin Mei pretty much feels and looks like most period softcore porn movies of the 90s in Hong Kong and Tan Lap-Man isn't sinking his teeth as thoroughly into the outlandish role as he needs to. He does get to shine in a few cruel and sadistic scenarios sporadically but much of the product feels unguided and indistinct. Still, the sparse moments of interest that the novel worked up beforehand remains somewhat present in the movie and it's what saves it from total dismissal.

KENNETH'S REVIEW: Early days of Chow Yun-Fat and especially comedy Chow Yun-Fat aren't pretty, nor good. In fact, there's little the future superstar could do around this time to salvage matters and Joy To The World is further proof. He plays Lung, a medicine salesman who gets thrust into the position of a manager at a garment company. All being part of a bet between rival heads. One of the designers at the company is Tung Tung (Cora Miao) and Lung dare not reveal the fact that he's her boss and into a double life he goes. Actually, it seems very hard to find the plot in this stinker of a film on all fronts. Direction is stale and stagey without taking on a fine aura of theater like it could have plus director Gam Yan is clearly a bit of a voyeur as there are a handful of scenes of gratuitous nudity thrown in just for the heck of it. Desperate indeed and it's the only "talent" Gam Yan can show as his cheap cartoony comedy is sleep-inducing (despite Tin Ching running around with a Hitler moustache and a mirror on his foot to sneak a peak of women's panties). Chow Yun-Fat and Cora Miao's scenes are cute however, borderlining on cheesy in a joyous way. Of note especially is a scene at a club where the biggest laugh comes from the translation of the happy song performed before them. Available on Hong Kong dvd as King Of Comedy.

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Continuing producing his brand of horror-comedies involving writer Abe Kwong, Wellson Chin is again out to echo the notion of pairing up cop-characters. Chin, David Wu and Michelle Reis are out there making quite a valiant attempt but July 13th for all its positive aspects can't quite reach an acceptable level. Wu and Reis are cops and former lovers tackling a case of mysterious suicides where it's said an old woman (Helena Law Lan) has always appeared as well. In need of diving deeper into the case, they turn to former cop turned mental patient Pierre (Dayo Wong) who once was on the very same assignment...

A haunting passage from a suicide book opens the movie and it is to become a key to the mystery on display. First thing you notice is the extreme lengths Chin goes to evoke dread, both on the audio and visually. Always having one colour dominate and choirs on the soundtrack, July 13th comes off as having the higher division tools but ultimately trying way too hard to use them. True to his trademark form that but when comparing this film to the likes of The Third Full Moon, the aura of wacky banter and dread worked so much better when Michael Chow and Lau Ching-Wan had the frame. David Wu and Michelle Reis aren't quite that pairing. When bringing in Dayo Wong, the character may be an unpredictable loon but the low-brow gags (in particular one involving flatulence) doesn't gel. This overall really is Wellson Chin's arena of expertise though and the movie is on the verge of being that combo of playful and eerie but having featured exactly that doesn't bring the movie home effectively. Shame about the effort therefore.

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Headed by directorial rookies Josephine Siao (award winning actress in Summer Snow) and Leung Po-Chi (Hong Kong 1941), this gritty, documentary-esque Hong Kong cop thriller has the marks of stuff seen before and since. But thanks to a keen eye for placing the narrative amongst the Hong Kong people and the world they would be familiar with, Jumping Ash immerses well. Ga Lun is Callan Leong, whose cop life and straight line of administrating the law gets a bit blurred at times. Working in the Kowloon Walled City for instance, a little corruption, immoral attitude and bribes solves crimes in a society that's heading downhill. The big fish in the pond is drug king Tung (Nick Lam) however and the two killers from Amsterdam (Michael Chan and Chen Sing). The former protects Tung, the other wants him dead and the closer Callan gets to Tung, the closer he gets to co-operation with the opposite side....

Placing their camera quite effectively in the midst of environments alive with activity, the realism of Jumping Ash isn't a fashion statement at all. It adds to a sense of doom, grit, danger and the obvious social commentary about the struggles of the outnumbered cops. There are equally important moments of lightheartedness such as one scene with a stakeout at a brothel and Callan is both the clichéd movie cop and suitably struck out of a mold the filmmakers have witnessed on their beloved Hong Kong street. That mold contains some quite grave stupidity in terms of decision-making which leads to a questionable scene towards the end but no doubt, Jumping Ash remains important today. As a statement and view, even though it probably rightly won't be looked at as an edge of your seat work. Crude isn't bad in this case either and the worse print quality you can find of the film, probably serves of it. Josephine Siao also appears as Callan's wife.

Getting no heritage from his foster father, Big Light (Frankie Chan) will have to learn to earn money the hard way. Earning some cash when he's mistaken as a gigolo, he mostly helps out friend Lemon (Liu Wai-Hung) in romancing Sally (Sally Yeh). Lessons of friendship and earning a living looming... or something. Because Frankie Chan's comedy is really hard to penetrate (especially at an excessive 100+ minutes). Often loud exchanges, situation comedy and misunderstandings are elements that dominate but without any distinction, the fun between characters does not travel to an audience. There's some momentum created when the trio of Chan/Liu/Yeh all take charge of the frame but situations such as Chan getting a bee beard and the slightly action-oriented ending are merely glimpses of what would've made Just For Fun actual fun. Frankie only realizes at points that excessiveness needs to be cranked up to cartoon-levels in order to at least suffice as escapist entertainment. Co-written by Wong Kar-Wai and co-starring Wu Ma, Melvin Wong, Wong Wan-Si and Charlie Cho.

Just Heroes was conceived as a charity movie for legendary but struggling director Chang Cheh. Rounding up most of the old school stars alongside some of the contemporary profiles (sans heroic bloodshed icon Chow Yun-Fat) and the hottest director of modern Hong Kong action cinema should've resulted in overwhelming success right? Disappointingly no as Just Heroes flopped and Chang himself ended up donating the money to further the study of cinema. So one of the greatest Shaw Brother's directors sadly had to fade out as someone whose movies was not desired anymore.

Veteran screenwriter I Kuang, John Woo & Wu should've known it had been proven that a little substance and depth to a triad actioner did lure people into the theatres during the era (although the presence of Chow Yun-Fat also helped). Here they stack the triad movie clichés high instead, messes up any entertainment value by talking the movie to death and even the action sees Woo on autopilot. Out of that grows a generic filmmaker of heroic bloodshed. To be fair, the film was co-helmed officially by Wu Ma and unofficially by Danny Lee and David Chiang.

The sole fun of this film is the plethora of old school performers in major to walk on roles but the most jarring casting when viewed today's eyes is Stephen Chow in a purely dramatic role prior to his breakthrough as Hong Kong's King of Comedy. Also, in a clever touch, Woo has fun mocking the impact A Better Tomorrow had on the Hong Kong youth as the film features an all too avid fan of the film, leading to the all so standard subtext that triad life is bad for ya!

Hong Kong versions were cut for violence as was a few minutes of plot twists before the action climax. MIA released both an uncut VHS and Laserdisc in the UK and currently there is a French uncut edition on dvd (no English subtitles).

Allen Fong (Ah Ying, Father And Son) portrays the strains of marriage through the eyes of a very young couple (Christine Lee & Chan Hung-Nin). They're trying to agree on whether moving to America is an option but they have conflicts of their own to solve regarding pregnancy, work situation etc etc. The content and makings of a sappy drama...normally.

Blurring the line slightly between fiction and documentary with a non-linear narrative, these aspects becomes puzzlers at times as Fong clearly stages fiction but seems to bring in real life at the same time (he appears as the interviewer). But in the end, Just Like Weather is far from sappy and instead all about Fong the excellent, low-key observer. Kirk Wong appears in an uncredited cameo.

Fong got his third Best Director prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards as well as his editing team and lead actress Christine Lee.

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