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| Madam City Hunter (1993) Directed by: Johnnie Kong |
The English title Madam City Hunter obviously evokes thoughts of this being somehow in cahoots with the Wong Jing helmed Jackie Chan vehicle City Hunter. Unless it's subtle (and the film certainly isn't), I missed the connection and instead Johnnie Kong brings us nonsense of the worst kind combined with the Yuen Clan doing action of the fun, over the top kind. So as far story goes, wherever it is, you'll get Cynthia Khan being hunted down by the Ring Gang, her father (Wu Fung) engaging in a relationship with sexy vixen played by a stunning Kara Hui, Anthony Wong as an off-beat private dick with his crazy wife Sheila Chan along for the ride and finally Tommy Wong has the hots for Cynthia Khan. Coherence or a sense of fun transferred from filming to screen doesn't occur and this juggling act of extreme moods ain't pretty. Treats can be found in the action though including a rare chance to let Anthony Wong flash his actual fighting skills, exchanges of blows and weaponry of the frenetic kind and even some witty Wuxia style action. |
| Madame Fung Shen's Lover (1992) Directed by: Ha Jo-Fai |
Bearing the much better title The Demon Wet Nurse on its vcd cover, this Category III period drama featuring power struggles and naughty things within the imperial palace walls definitely has effort put forth but immense chunks of plot holes are nowhere near filled up. Much seem missing in the story of poor Ru Yee who applies to be the nurse maid of the Emperor's son. She gets help to gain access by Wei (Tan Lap-Man) and soon they are both heavily involved inside the palace. She as the nurse maid and he as a eunuch in training. Wei also finds time to murder Ru Yee's sick husband and child... a fact barely mentioned after it's happened. So you wait for Ru Yee, who clearly is seen playing Wei early on, to reveal some sort of master plan of revenge but the directions taken by director Ha Jo-Fai veers almost totally into Wei's desire to take over the palace instead. But in Ho's favour, the big sets are utilized very well and it's one of a handful of cheap efforts of its kind that doesn't want to settle on point and shoot only. Thankfully but up for heavy criticism nonetheless. Watch out for the scene where Wei has his penis bitten off (or damaged) by a black dog and Charlie Cho as the Emperor who often kills off women he beds thanks to his intense prowess. Buy the VCD at: |
| Madam The Great (1993) Directed by: Wong Wai-Yip |
KENNETH'S REVIEW: Also known as The Way Of The Lady Boxers and distributed by IFD as Angel Kickboxers, the original really feels like a cut & paste mess at times as well. Basically being a poster boy for Hong Kong and Mainland China co-operation, that is represented by cops working and fighting together. Then there's also some limp romance between Robert Mak's cop and the girlfriend of our villain. All being thin elements and rather sloppily put together. Sadly the action fails to impress largely as well. When good, it's a showcase for painful and daring stunts with or without Sharon Yeung. When at the other end of the spectrum, pace and editing beats up intentions into a stiff pulp and injecting high flying wire-fu at points just doesn't gel within this particular flick. Carter Wong also appears. |
| Made In Hong Kong (1997) Directed by: Fruit Chan |
After one early directorial attempt, the ghost/romance Finale In Blood and bit parts in movies such as Haunted Cop Shop and 3 Days Of A Blind Girl, acclaimed director Fruit Chan found his desired path as as a filmmaker with the independent effort Made In Hong Kong. Armed with a low budget and utilizing amateur actors, the end result was met with 3 Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Picture and Best New Artist for star Sam Lee (who was hanging out in the streets of Hong Kong and studying to be an electrician when he was discovered by Chan). Co-produced by Andy Lau, Chan's story of disillusioned youth, coupled with the uncertainty of the 1997 handover, is in a minor way a terrific but challenging film. Using voiceover akin to Wong Kar-Wai's work and mostly emplying a straightforward style (most of the final act is the one leaning towards arthouse), Chan isn't about to easily let in the viewer on his theme. It's not a drama that has a hook 5 minutes in, it's rather through some well-placed and even haunting voiceover towards the end that Chan seals his intentions. There exists a gap in the film between the adult world and the youths but Chan passes judgment on both (although characters like Sam Lee's Moon seem to possess more nobility than hopelessness). Made In Hong Kong clearly does present a gallery of doomed characters though, living in the transitional, bleak times according to them and I'm sure that communicated very well to the Hong Kong people but Westerners still have much to appreciate. If you want to be rewarded, you can with Made In Hong Kong but its scattered narrative may be frustrating for some. Currently there's no ideal dvd release for the crowd that needs English subtitles. Dvd's are available in both France and Japan but neither have English subtitles. A subtitled release surfaced in Malaysia a while ago but not only is that out of print, it was sourced from the theatrical print with burned in Chinese/English subtitles. In Hong Kong, Asia Video Publishing handled the vcd release but never got round to doing a dvd edition. Buy the VCD at: |
| Mad Mad Ghost (1992) Directed by: Billy Chan |
Another Billy Chan directed ghost-comedy (Chan also did Crazy Safari) with Lam Ching Ying, the icon of the genre ever since Mr. Vampire. Despite coming long after the original and the numerous copies, Mad Mad Ghost still contains enough of the Lam Ching Ying magic in both the authority of being a master to his excellent deadpan comedic expressions. The plot this time around sees Lam and annoying ghost busting students move into a house occupied by a ghost couple (Jacqueline Law and Mandy Chan) in a marriage marred by abuse. There's also apparently a gold treasure on the grounds that a couple of gwailos (Eddie Maher and Mark Houghton) are after. Best sequences reside in the first half as Lam rescue Jacqueline Law's character and the creativity on display makes for good entertainment Hong Kong style. Not that things take a turn for the worse but the energy otherwise throughout is one resembling autopilot for the genre Nonetheless, it's the Lam Ching Ying show and any moments of him doing his trademark thing makes it all worth it. Watch out for the crude and odd detour in full on patriotism during the finale. Anything goes... Buy the VCD at: |
| The Mad Monk (1993) Directed by: Johnnie To |
Johnnie To and Stephen Chow team up again after the hugely successful Justice, My Foot (1992) but The Mad Monk proves to be an uneven experience for Western audiences. The plot involving Chow as a god trying to get a beggar, a whore and a thief change their ways is a no-brainer but not knowing much about the religion makes the narrative less accessible. There's enough slapstick to merit a viewing and the cast (including a gorgeous Maggie Cheung) liven up proceedings. The Ching Siu-Tung wirework and several other bizarre images ranks as highlights as well. Buy the DVD at: |
| Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979) Directed by: Lau Kar Leung |
Lau Kar Leung helmed Mad Monkey Kung Fu after the kung fu comedy antics of Jackie Chan (defined in the Seasonal films Snake In The Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master) had blossomed into a box-office phenomenon but it's easy to forget that it was Lau himself who first distinctly introduced the blend of martial arts and comedy in The Spiritual Boxer and later in its sequel The Shadow Boxing. So with this 1979 production, Shaw Brother's clearly was turning to one of their greats to give them their master and pupil movie of that year. While not as distinctly layered as Lau's Heroes Of The East or Challenge Of The Masters, as an imitation if you will, Mad Monkey Kung Fu ranks as one of the best. Even though the mix between dark and light does not always seem appropriate (about 500 other Hong Kong movies are guilty of the same thing), there is a successful core of the film embodied by director Lau Kar Leung himself (in his first starring role after some excellent support and cameos in his own films prior) and the great acrobatic talents of regular player Hsiao Hau (translated as Little Monkey). Their relationship on screen resonates fairly well, proving that this story aspect makes a film of its kind last in history (also see Snake In The Eagle's Shadow for a prime example of this storytelling quality). Lau of course also directs the martial arts action, combining both generally fun comedy scenarios with Hsiao Hau and the always intricate and powerful fight set pieces. Lau's standards have always been high but with its action combination, Mad Monkey Kung Fu may feel less distinct compared to the rest of Lau's body of work. I'd like to see a dozen other directors/action directors come up with a package this good though. Lo Lieh dependently takes on the villainous role while Kara Hui, Lam Fai Wong and San Sin co-stars. Buy the DVD at: |
| The Mad Phoenix (1997) Directed by: Clifton Ko |
Clifton Ko and Raymond To-adopted stage play with famed theatre actor Tse Kwan-Ho reprising his role as Kiang Yu-Kou. The Mad Phoenix details his life as the wealthy 13th son of his family with a passion for Cantonese opera. His dreams of composing eventually takes off and now known as Mr. Thirteen in the opera circles, his genius certainly isn't disputed. However the eccentric and erratic behaviour drives his surroundings crazy. With absent love in his life, Kiang himself also is driven insane, all taking place over several years of changes in Chinese society. It's the age old E! True Hollywood Story in structure and Clifton Ko also certainly makes no secret of the stage play roots of The Mad Phoenix. However with a mesmerizing Tse Kwan-Ho performance, it's easy to simply be swept away by acting and dialogue. A gem from 1997 that deservedly received honors at the awards subsequently. Most notably a Golden Horse Award to Tse Kwan-Ho and the Hong Kong Film Award to Raymond To for Best Screenplay. Poon Chan-Leung (Love Au Zen) and James Wong appears in supporting roles. Buy the VCD at: |
| Mad Stylist (1997) Directed by: Steven Yip |
Dee (Wong Hei - The Accident) fails as a hair dresser but a reunion with his childhood friend May (Hilary Tsui - Lost And Found) transforms into a romance with a killer edge....towards others! Finally Dee can materialize his mad stylist dreams! A sign of weakness leads Dee to sparing and taking in a mentally retarded girl (Annie Man - Koma) into his and May's lives. All while the cops (led by Kent Cheng and Michael Wong) do their best to catch them... Bizarre, wild, funny and macabre Cat III offering that uses the distance from the golden era of the rating's filmmaking to deliver something akin to fresh. Far from the graphic and offensive nature of movies like Daughter Of Darkness (among many others), director Stephen Yip actually gives us a character driven story made to work by the performances of Wong Hei and Hilary Tsui. Utilizing a simple starting off point of a harsh childhood as almost always seen in these films, he constructs a story between Dee and May that succeeds mostly in its outlandish ways but also manages to be affecting. Yip isn't out to rival any of the great character dramas obviously but out to make a mark in a genre where it's usually ok to not put in effort. Even his portrayal of the cops as fairly smart and intuitive is original for a Cat III slasher thriller. With only some unfortunate animal cruelty and overly repetitive cinematography choices to drag the grade down, Mad Stylist surprises, amuses, probably disgusts to a degree and affects. Kind of hard to believe and admit. Watch out for the on-screen duet between Michael Wong and Kent Cheng, performing "Diana". Yes, it's that kind of movie where everything halts to concentrate on that! Buy the VCD at: |
| Mafia Vs Ninja (1984) Directed by: Robert Tai |
TROY'S REVIEW: The ever impressive Alexander Lou stars in this hugely entertaining knockabout as Jack, a down on his luck sort who one night with the aid of a new found friend called Charlie saves the life of an affable old mob boss from an attempted assassination by his own cronies. Regretfully, this benevolent act proves only to stave off fate for a short time however as four hired professional killers are subsequently called in to kill the old chap, which they eventually succeed at doing. But wait, because now Jack and Charlie are now honour bound to take revenge...ninja style! What follows is a series of non stop, superbly choreographed fight scenes as our heroes fight for justice against an army of bad guys including a gambling addict knife thrower, a samurai who bears an uncanny resemblance to the late Oliver Hardy, a jive talking kickboxer (played by Lou's regular co-star Eugene Thomas aka. Eugene Trammel) and more ninjas than you can shake a stick at. Yay verily, this is awesome stuff from start to glorious finish and is made all the more fun as true to form, Lou acts against the preposterous material with deadly straight faced seriousness. Buy the DVD at: |
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