Liu Jai (Home for the Intimate Ghosts) was one of the Cat III efforts that followed in the wake of the success of Erotic Ghost Story (that based its plot on the same collection of stories as Liu Jai), a production that not so much exuded quality in itself but was understandably commercially viable. While it doesn't have the babe factor of said effort, Liu Jai (Home for the Intimate Ghosts) ends up, quality-wise, alongside it.

It's all dangerously stage play-esque for the longest of time and really lacks a full on narrative all up till the reveal of the ghost angle. Not even that is expanded upon further outside of the quest for humanity through sex for these demons but do you need anything else if you've decided to look up this movie? Answer is clearly no and with large amount of sex, nudity, a little bit of torture, a little bit of graphic violence, dopey comedy and a hokey special effects climax, Liu Jai (Home For The Intimate Ghosts) is a success within the realms of its genre. Starring Lam Man-Yuen, Elsie Chan, Charlie Cho (as a rather mediocre demon hunter) and Chong Fat.

The Hong Kong police comes up with a new tactic in catching brutal gangs and that is to bring in a trio of Mainlanders (Elvis Tsui, Ben Lam and Yuen Yat-Chor) to go undercover alongside cop Biggy (Alex Man)...

Watching edited highlights from the seminal Long Arm Of The Law right at the very beginning, that is the sole connection which is risky and unnecessary because quality has dropped quite a bit compared to Johnny Mak's original. Even with writer Phillip Chan on board again, no underlying politics or character depth manages to come alive to an acceptable extent and we're left with a standard effort. However the piece flows fine and Chin Yuet-Sang's directed violence is tough and bloody. Out of the actors Elvis Tsui and Alex Man bring good presence to the table, making notions of lowly status as an undercover cop and Mainlander respectively take on an actual meaning. Kong Lung, Ng Hoi-Tin (also in the original) Pauline Wong, Wong Chi-Keung and another Wong Chi-Keung with the English name Kirk (acclaimed director of Organized Crime & Triad Bureau and Gunmen and here logging one of his patented rascal performances) also appear.

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This is what you get when scraping the bottom of the Category III, softcore porn barrel... 80 minutes of waste, almost toxic. Opening with a shower scene for no apparent reason other than making doubtful viewers stay for one extra minute, Long Hot Summer (aka Love Must be Crazy) in a very boring way subsequently gives us the world's most off-putting striptease, throws in some nonsense plot about a rival model company stealing a commercial ad script and nothing gets better from this point. No pace, no means to spice up the frame with at least editing or suitable music (prepare to be stunned when you hear the lowest of the low stock music chosen here). Crummy locations means crummy, long sex scenes with not even a hint of steam, Charlie Cho gets his obligatory chance to perform in a rape scene, Shum Wai and Ku Feng cashes a very minor check and the most thankful you are as a viewer comes during a 10 minutes period when the English subtitles go missing. It's an excuse to fast-forward! Also with Tsui Man-Wah who despite a wonderful performance in Temptation Summary II looks as lost as everyone else here.

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Outside of a jet ski chase and some very slight gunplay, there's nothing to suggest that this lighthearted caper comes from the usually dark mind of Ringo Lam, returning to comedy for the first time since the 1980s. I welcome versatility but when there's only the occasional glimpse of inspired comedy and action, one can almost imagine the mainstream minded Johnnie To (who produced) himself in the directing chair and the result would've been equally stale. What it really boils down to is a select bunch of good to so-so actors (Shu Qi, Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Hui Siu-Hung, Ruby Wong) and some not so talented (Andy On, Raymond Wong, Chapman To) enjoying the Malaysian sun and acting relatively silly. While semi-amusing at times and giving us some wild characteristics for Simon Yam's flamboyant villain, the proceedings are in the end rather unimpressive and disposable. Which is not a grade I'd want to lay on a Hong Kong film by Ringo Lam.

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Released the month before Stephen Chow's definite breakthrough vehicle All For The Winner, this Cosmopolitan production (headed by Shaw Brother's who now has the rights) is very much in the style that is now synonymous with Chow. Despite the inclusion of brutal murder, gunplay and ghosts, much time is devoted on behalf of director Lau Shut Yue (Ghost Fever) to let Chow thoroughly go his silly, outlandish comedic ways. The results are mostly hilarious (save for a few foul, low-brow gags) and really what's missing here, and what was solved in All For the Winner, is Ng Man Tat. Also with Bill Tung, Stanley Fung, Vivian Chan, Sunny Fang and Amy Yip.

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Eric Tsang's first ventures into directing (after having been employed on various behind the scenes gigs in the capacity of stuntman and screenwriter) to this day keep and should be receiving praise. Both The Challenger and The Loot were independent productions but the latter can proudly stand beside any of the studio greats and not be ashamed. Much having to do with Chan Siu Leung's excellent martial arts choreography that also has the advantage of key players having been directed by the great Lau Kar Leung at one point.

Tsang also keeps a rather involved plot afloat quite well and while David Chiang is playing it broad mostly, when he eventually teams up fully with Norman Tsui, the movie gets a lot of momentum and even strays away from the typical comedy of the period to deliver actual wit. Best sequence being the obligatory expository one where the duo struggles to keep a man alive in order for the plot to be AAAALMOST fully exposed. Also starring Phillip Ko, Lily Li and Kwan Yung Moon.

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Andy Chin's (Call Girl 92, Love Among The Triad) last movie to date, seemingly shot with a mixed cast in Chinese locations without the use of synch sound. A rare choice considering the filmmaker.

The age of old story of the spoilt, rich boy whose gullibility is exploited and he's reduced to beggar status, Chin starts off with fairly picture-esque visuals but also with an awfully talky, boring narrative. It's only when he thrusts leading man Tse Kwan.Ho (The Mad Phoenix) into the lows he goes through, even experiencing a re-birth first hand in a lot of ways, the film becomes semi-passable. Tony Leung Siu-Hung's action is even good for the brief moments it lasts, times where lead Tse shows the best of his commanding presence. At times off-beat but not overly broad, The Lord of Hangzhou does represent Andy Chin himself having lost something but there's no doubt, his body of work is highly respectable. Also with Waise Lee and Chan Kwok-Bong.

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Despite the setting of a male youth prison, Samson Chiu's Lost Boys In Wonderland is at core dead on similar to the likes of Girls In The Hood (especially so since they came out around the same time) but Chiu shows why an actual good filmmaker will nail storybeats much better. Mixing the light with the dark since there exists an extremely thin line for it in regards to his characters, the youths go about their lives flashing the disrespect towards society and family to instead put all their being into loyalty towards their scoundrel brothers. Lam Ming-Lun plays Chi who willingly takes a prison sentence just to be around his big brother but as he's no longer at the same prison, Chi must face the world alone. Redefine his thoughts on society status. Symbolism is strong and valid in Chiu's visuals as they include both multiple shots of heaven and its birds but registers most favorably when featuring a story connected to the comic book character of McDull (Chiu recently directed the 3rd of the feature length adaptations of the little pig's exploits). You pay a debt for clearly going against proper values, take some beating but hopefully come out sunny side up. Chiu is right in underplaying the melodrama of the situation, the darkness and in the end, his varied answers to what fate holds for the characters. To provide hope and darkness is not a bad way to go cinematically. The young cast do fine work, especially otherwise triad character actor Samuel Leung.

James Ha is credited with the story as well as being action director and it doesn't seem wrong to think this is a personal story of his.

He dabbled in romance, martial arts with a lean towards sadism but in Lost Souls, director Mou Tun-Fei displayed what has been evident in his work after leaving Shaw Brothers: a socially conscious mind willing to showcase the back alleys of human evil, times ten! The narrative here surrounding illegal immigrants from China being tortured and abused by smugglers makes a point. Mou's downfall is that he's already clearly made a point early on and the remainder of the film just goes into extreme overdrive trying to hammer home the message via exploitation elements. Not that he's ever been afraid of doing so or is the first director on the block with these sensibilities but the disgust that is generated doesn't lead into favorable impressions about the filmmaking. This verdict is something I've gathered from Mou's subsequent known output Men Behind The Sun and Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre so I can honestly say it's a shame a conscious mind squanders his opportunities to give the world something to REALLY think about. Chan Shen is one of the only recognizable faces in a lead role.

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The hunt is on for Lu Nan-Jen (Tien Peng) as villainous clan Tien Cheng Chao wants to obtain The Fragrant Sword from him. Twists, trickery, personal relationships, treachery... it's a regular time with Wuxia cinema and it's worthy of being disliked. Reportedly originally destined to be a Shaw Brothers production, their prolific writer Ni Kuang did however adapt yet another Ku Long novel that has been squeezed into 90 minutes. With a production knowing being extravagant is a key for this type of fantastical setting, director Lee Ga contributes little else but that as he plows through the twisty, turny plot. Despite trying to favour human interest at points, no interest is created and what The Lost Swordship basically offers up as it gets more muddled is the occasional flash of the genre creativity you would also expect. Best example being a fight in the classical setting of the bamboo forest and it's not a poor echo of A Touch Of Zen either. Outside of these highlight reel type moments, it's doubtful anyone would connect emotionally to the so called tension or the drama. Co-starring Pai Ying and Hu Chin.

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