Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week (March 23-29), from Antiporno to Beauty and the Beast
When a director notorious for films that objectify women produces a feminist romp, it’s worth seeing – plus there’s a rare chance to catch on the big screen one of the scariest Hong Kong films of all time
Click on film titles to read SCMP.com reviews
One of Japanese cinema’s worst offenders in objectifying women comes up with a feminist romp in this softcore drama. Director Sion Sono’s homage to the roman porno sub-genre offers a surprisingly vivid look at women’s sexual desire through a mind-bending narrative experiment. (Opens on March 23)
It’s unfortunate that this live-action remake of Disney’s beloved animation has been sidetracked by all that frenzy over a minor gay subplot. Girls from around the world could certainly follow the lead of Emma Watson, who stands for exactly the sort of progressive heroine we need right now. (Now showing)
3 The Imp
One of the scariest films in Hong Kong cinema history, Dennis Yu Wan-kwong’s 1981 horror classic – a representative title in the Hong Kong New Wave movement, and a distant riff on Rosemary’s Baby – still retains much of its shock value. (March 25, part of Revisiting the New Wave programme)
4 Silence
Martin Scorsese, who once caused great controversy with 1988’s The Last Temptation of Christ , is no stranger to the religious realm. His latest, long-gestating film, based on a novel by Japanese author Shusaku Endo, will resonate just as deeply with the faithful in spite of its utterly solemn tone. (Now showing)
5 Phantom of the Paradise
A precursor to The Rocky Horror Picture Show a year later, Brian De Palma’s glam-rock musical from 1974 – pitting a disfigured composer against an evil record tycoon who betrays him – is a campy update of The Phantom of the Opera and a cult classic in its own right. (March 28, part of Cine Fan programme)
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