https://www.scmp.com/rss/4098/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Richard James Havis Richard James Havis It was not all John Woo Yu-sum when it came to Hong Kong crime films in the late 1980s – filmmakers were still making a variety of interesting cops-and-robbers movies. Here, we look at two hidden gems produced by Tsui Hark that were directed by Johnnie To Kei-fung and Kirk Wong Chi-keung, respectively. The Big Heat (1988) This skilfully executed police thriller features some gruesome violence – it opens with a dream sequence in which an electric drill rips through a hand – but the sometimes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350298/why-these-1980s-hong-kong-crime-movies-produced-tsui-hark-are-hidden-gems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350298/why-these-1980s-hong-kong-crime-movies-produced-tsui-hark-are-hidden-gems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Kung fu and action comedies dominated Hong Kong’s comedy genre in the late 1970s and 80s, but the city’s film industry was also still making mainstream comedies at the time – and audiences loved them. We take a deep dive into three crowd favourites. Itchy Fingers (1979) Hugely popular upon its release, this odd-couple comedy might feel a bit tame for modern viewers. But director Leong Po-chih, a notable member of the Hong Kong New Wave, was a consummate craftsman. He delivers a well-paced romp... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349459/3-hong-kong-comedy-classics-1970s-and-80s-became-local-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349459/3-hong-kong-comedy-classics-1970s-and-80s-became-local-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Celebrated novelist Eileen Chang Ai-ling was not only a film fan, but she also worked as a film critic and wrote movie scripts. Chang’s own novellas were often considered difficult to adapt for the screen. “Her stories are beautiful because of their language and details, not their plots,” critic Paul Fonoroff wrote in the South China Morning Post. Nevertheless, the great Hong Kong director Ann Hui On-wah has tried three times, with Love in a Fallen City (1984), Eighteen Springs (1997) and Love... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Anthony Wong Chau-sang is generally known as a character actor who specialises in crazed and outlandish roles. However, long before the Hong Kong cinema veteran became associated with these extreme stereotypes, he spent the early 1990s proving his expansive acting range, as showcased in these three films. 1. Full Contact (1992) Wong plays second fiddle to Chow Yun-fat in Ringo Lam Ling-tung’s hyperviolent actioner, but it is a meaty supporting role that links Chow to his would-be nemesis, played... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347937/3-anthony-wong-films-early-1990s-show-hong-kong-actors-wide-range?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347937/3-anthony-wong-films-early-1990s-show-hong-kong-actors-wide-range?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The late Hong Kong action maestro Benny Chan Muk-sing made his name with the hit triad love story A Moment of Romance (1990) and the acclaimed police thriller Big Bullet (1996), before going on to direct popular action extravaganzas such as 2013’s The White Storm. Bridging these two eras are two pivotal films from the early 2000s that demonstrate Chan’s unique flair for action – Heroic Duo and Invisible Target. Heroic Duo (2003) Shot before 2002’s mega-hit Infernal Affairs fully rejuvenated the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347240/how-two-benny-chans-2000s-films-bridged-old-school-stunts-and-modern-hong-kong-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347240/how-two-benny-chans-2000s-films-bridged-old-school-stunts-and-modern-hong-kong-action?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Herman Yau Lai-to began his career as a cinematographer before transitioning to the director’s chair. He gained notoriety as a pioneer of Hong Kong’s Category III (adults-only) exploitation era, directing gruesome genre classics such as the 1993 serial killer thriller The Untold Story and 1996’s Ebola Syndrome. Since then, the prolific filmmaker – an academic with a PhD in cultural studies who is just as often recognised by his signature rock ‘n’ roll T-shirts – has worked ceaselessly. Known for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346304/how-hong-kong-director-herman-yau-went-gory-cult-films-action-blockbusters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346304/how-hong-kong-director-herman-yau-went-gory-cult-films-action-blockbusters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong martial arts maestro Chang Cheh’s legendary acrobatic fighters, the Venom Mob, have remained firm favourites of genre fans abroad since their screen debut in 1978. The bedrock of that enduring popularity is The Five Venoms (also known as Five Deadly Venoms), the cult classic that launched their iconic run. For the uninitiated, the Venom Mob are not a fictional movie team like Marvel’s Avengers, but a group of actors – brought together by Chang – who appeared in different roles in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345671/how-five-venoms-pioneered-superhero-team-chinese-martial-arts-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345671/how-five-venoms-pioneered-superhero-team-chinese-martial-arts-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Patrick Lung Kong, also known as Long Gang, is an anomaly among Hong Kong filmmakers. Working at a time when martial arts films ruled the local box office, Lung made socially conscious contemporary dramas that focused on Hong Kong issues and were highly didactic. Lung, who died in 2014, believed that society’s ills, rather than an individual’s failings, turned citizens to crime, and he was not afraid to express this explicitly in his work. But Lung also realised that audiences did not like to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344718/love-better-tomorrow-hong-kong-director-and-film-inspired-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344718/love-better-tomorrow-hong-kong-director-and-film-inspired-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Legendary Hong Kong film director Li Han-hsiang is best known for stately historical dramas like the lavish Empress Wu Tse-tien (1963), but he also made important huangmei diao opera films. Originating in mainland China’s Hubei province, this folk opera style spawned massive 1960s box office hits. Notably, these productions were not filmed stage operas but fully formed cinematic experiences, akin to Hollywood musicals. Here we look at two very different huangmei diao films directed by Li. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Seeing is believing, right? Well … perhaps not. In the early 1700s, the philosopher Bishop Berkeley pointed out that we never experience the outside world directly – we only experience what our sense perceptions tell us about that world. We assume that our sense perceptions realistically portray the outside world and provide us with accurate information about it. So if we see a cat, we think that the cat exists pretty much as we see it. While this is a good – and necessary – assumption for going... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3343800/why-your-brain-forces-your-senses-perceive-reality-fit-preconceived-ideas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3343800/why-your-brain-forces-your-senses-perceive-reality-fit-preconceived-ideas?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 07:15:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong New Wave director Allen Fong Yuk-ping transitioned from television to filmmaking later than his contemporaries, but his neo-realist social dramas did prove immediately successful. He won best film and best director at the inaugural Hong Kong Film Awards in 1982 for his debut feature, Father and Son, and repeated the double for his next film, Ah Ying, two years later. He won best director again in 1987 for his third effort, Just Like Weather. Here, we take a deep dive into Fong’s first... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343267/why-hong-kong-new-wave-director-allen-fongs-father-and-son-and-ah-ying-are-true-gems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343267/why-hong-kong-new-wave-director-allen-fongs-father-and-son-and-ah-ying-are-true-gems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis To the uninitiated, the sight of a blood-soaked swordsman fighting on with an arrow lodged in his chest seems absurd. Yet, in the world of Hong Kong cinema, realism is rarely the point. Martial arts films, whether “kung fu” fisticuffs or “wuxia” sword-fighting, operate on a unique logic of physical poetry and historical myth. Below, to help find your footing, we punch out some commonly held misconceptions about this widely cherished tradition. Why the unrealistic fights and injuries? Martial... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342311/beginners-guide-watching-hong-kong-martial-arts-movies-and-why-realism-doesnt-matter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342311/beginners-guide-watching-hong-kong-martial-arts-movies-and-why-realism-doesnt-matter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong cinema has always prided itself on speed and adaptability, yet the industry has often been guilty of merely repackaging old formulas. However, the 1990s brought a wave of existential anxiety – both political and commercial – that forced filmmakers to take drastic risks. Below, we revisit two ambitious productions from the beginning of that decade and the turn of the next one that attempted to rewrite the rule book: one a dark fantasy reliant on extravagant home-grown special effects,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341761/how-hong-kong-movies-wicked-city-and-2000-ad-rewrote-citys-cinema-rule-book?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341761/how-hong-kong-movies-wicked-city-and-2000-ad-rewrote-citys-cinema-rule-book?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Alexander Fu Sheng, who died in a car crash in 1983 aged 28, is best remembered for his Shaolin kung fu films, such as 1974’s Heroes Two. But the martial arts star, born Cheung Fu-sheng, also expanded his range through his short career, performing in modern-day actioners like Chinatown Kid and kung fu comedies. Here, we look at a few of Fu’s more unusual later works. Chinatown Kid (1977) A hit with fans abroad, Fu’s rare foray into modern-day action was a good fit for his cheeky persona and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340777/3-hong-kong-martial-arts-legend-alexander-fu-shengs-more-unusual-movies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340777/3-hong-kong-martial-arts-legend-alexander-fu-shengs-more-unusual-movies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong filmmaker Ronny Yu Yan-tai’s little-seen The Postman Fights Back (1982) is a highly unusual martial arts film that plays more like an American Western than a traditional wuxia. It features Leung Kar-yan as a courier in Republican China tasked with delivering a mysterious cargo to a violent mountain bandit, whose motley crew of associates includes a young Chow Yun-fat. Here we discuss The Postman Fights Back with film historian Frank Djeng, who provided the commentary with Yu for the 88... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340019/why-ronny-yus-postman-fights-back-starring-leung-kar-yan-unusual-wuxia-gem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340019/why-ronny-yus-postman-fights-back-starring-leung-kar-yan-unusual-wuxia-gem?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Chinese superstar Gong Li rose to fame as the muse of China’s Fifth Generation directors, starring in art-house classics such as Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell My Concubine. But during the 1990s, she found time to make a batch of lesser-known commercial films in Hong Kong. Below, we revisit a few of her most noteworthy outings in the city. 1. Flirting Scholar (1993) Gong had appeared with superstar comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi once before, in a dual role in 1991’s God of Gamblers... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339254/3-times-gong-li-surprised-hong-kong-films-including-flirting-scholar-stephen-chow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339254/3-times-gong-li-surprised-hong-kong-films-including-flirting-scholar-stephen-chow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong producer-writer-director Wong Jing churned out so many films in the 1990s that some were bound to succeed. The underrated gem The New Legend of Shaolin, starring Jet Li Lianjie, stands out as a highlight, marrying lighthearted comedy and above-average action to good effect. The storyline, while simple, is logical and tightly structured, with highs and lows hitting the right beats. Moreover, Wong’s signature penchant for lowbrow comedy is deployed with restraint. When the cheesy jokes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338386/why-jet-li-and-wong-jings-1994-martial-arts-movie-new-legend-shaolin-underrated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338386/why-jet-li-and-wong-jings-1994-martial-arts-movie-new-legend-shaolin-underrated?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 08:15:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis What is the quickest path to happiness? It could be to trade our smartphones for saffron robes and head to a monastery on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island or in the Himalayas. There, we can lead a life of quiet reflection – with clean food, fresh air and few overheads. For most of us – navigating the pressures of career, family and a city that never hits the “pause” button – monkhood is not an option. As we begin a new year, the question remains: is happiness something we find or something we... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3338397/how-concept-happiness-has-evolved-through-ages-and-ways-achieve-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3338397/how-concept-happiness-has-evolved-through-ages-and-ways-achieve-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 11:15:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Chen Zhen, a fictional character first played by Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Fist of Fury, became a cultural phenomenon in Hong Kong because of the way he stood up to the Japanese in Shanghai in the early 1900s. A scene in which Chen makes students at a Japanese karate school eat the paper on which they had written “China is the sick man of Asia” was especially popular, as was the scene in which Chen smashes a sign outside a Shanghai public park reading “No dogs or Chinese”. Here, we look at two... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337793/how-stephen-chow-and-donnie-yen-reinvented-bruce-lees-classic-chen-zhen-their-own-ways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337793/how-stephen-chow-and-donnie-yen-reinvented-bruce-lees-classic-chen-zhen-their-own-ways?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong filmmaker Chor Yuen is known today for directing magical martial arts classics like The Sentimental Swordsman. Recently, however, a number of his rarer titles were made widely available again. Below we look at a few of his lesser-known wuxia gems. Duel for Gold (1971) Chor had only one martial arts film to his credit, Cold Blade, before joining Shaw Brothers in 1970. He had previously established himself by directing around 70 dramas and romances, many of which achieved both commercial... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336890/how-chor-yuens-forgotten-hong-kong-wuxia-films-mixed-magic-realism-and-complex-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336890/how-chor-yuens-forgotten-hong-kong-wuxia-films-mixed-magic-realism-and-complex-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong cinema had many martial arts heroines beyond Michelle Yeoh, and some were bigger stars locally. Here, we look at some lesser-seen films featuring three of the city’s top female fighters. 1. Righting Wrongs (1986) – Cynthia Rothrock American martial arts expert Cynthia Rothrock, who had debuted with Yeoh in the cop hit Yes, Madam!, was on a roll when she starred in Righting Wrongs – also known as Above the Law. Directed by Corey Yuen Kwai, who had discovered Rothrock while scouting for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335995/3-female-action-stars-who-ruled-hong-kong-martial-arts-cinema-alongside-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335995/3-female-action-stars-who-ruled-hong-kong-martial-arts-cinema-alongside-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Chow Yun-fat’s career has progressed through many phases: television performer, box-office poison, action superhero, Hollywood hopeful. In the 2000s, following the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Hong Kong cinema icon made a number of films in mainland China, beginning with Zhang Yimou’s Curse of the Golden Flower. Here, we evaluate the quality of Chow’s mainland output. The Postmodern Life of my Aunt (2006) Superstar mainland actress Siqin Gaowa was popular in Hong Kong in the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335180/chow-yun-fats-mainland-chinese-films-confucius-let-bullets-fly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335180/chow-yun-fats-mainland-chinese-films-confucius-let-bullets-fly?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis By the mid-2000s, Hong Kong director Johnnie To Kei-fung was in full command of the style, form and content of the gangster genre. These three films demonstrate a master of technique at the height of his powers. Exiled (2006) To’s 1990s crime films played out like neat French policiers. But Exiled is more Italian in style, with the classical cinematography and Grand Guignol (bloody and dramatic) scenes evoking Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. Together with art director Tony Yu Hing-wah, To... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3334342/how-johnnie-redefined-hong-kongs-gangster-genre-3-mid-2000s-classics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3334342/how-johnnie-redefined-hong-kongs-gangster-genre-3-mid-2000s-classics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 07:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The year 1972 was when Bruce Lee rose to superstardom in Hong Kong. The Post’s roving reporter Jean Chan covered Lee’s rise – and much more – in her film column. Chan’s articles throw light on the state of the local industry in the early 1970s. Business was booming, and Hong Kong had become a hub for the Asian film industry, with Taiwanese stars being especially popular. Martial arts films dominated, but other genres remained popular. A challenger to Bruce Lee on the rise? In early 1972, Lee’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3333344/how-bruce-lee-hit-big-time-1972-and-other-hong-kong-cinema-highlights-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3333344/how-bruce-lee-hit-big-time-1972-and-other-hong-kong-cinema-highlights-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong romances are often melodramatic, and in the 1990s, increasingly geared towards teenagers. However, some filmmakers were still experimenting with the genre. We look at three outliers: a surreal science fiction romance, a love story that morphs into a fantasy and a film about a presumed incestuous relationship. Saviour of the Soul (1991) This postmodern sci-fi romance, loosely based on the popular Japanese manga City Hunter, is a thoroughbred romance at its core. Set in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332751/when-hong-kong-romance-movies-got-weird-saviour-soul-anna-magdalena-and-isabella?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332751/when-hong-kong-romance-movies-got-weird-saviour-soul-anna-magdalena-and-isabella?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 08:15:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis American-style gorefests like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were glaringly absent from 1980s Hong Kong cinema, which is why The Island (1985) was such a brutal outlier. Directed by Leong Po-chih (Hong Kong 1941), the film sees a teacher (played by John Sham Kin-fun) take a group of students on a field trip to a deserted island – in reality, Tung Ping Chau – where they are hunted by three crazed brothers. With the film now getting a new Blu-ray release from Eureka Entertainment, we spoke to film... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331867/revisiting-1985-horror-gem-island-hong-kong-cinemas-attempt-rural-gorefest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331867/revisiting-1985-horror-gem-island-hong-kong-cinemas-attempt-rural-gorefest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong actor Chan Koon-tai may not have been the best-looking of Chang Cheh’s “second wave” of martial arts heroes in the early 1970s, but unlike his colleagues, he had studied martial arts before embarking on his film career. Chan had trained in the “Monkey and Axe Hammer” style since he was seven and was a regional kung fu champion. His exceptional martial skills saw directors put him to good use on the screen. Man of Iron (1972) This old-school kung fu movie is a follow-up to Chang Cheh’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331054/how-hong-kong-actor-chan-koon-tai-bruce-lees-counterpart-wowed-his-kung-fu-skills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331054/how-hong-kong-actor-chan-koon-tai-bruce-lees-counterpart-wowed-his-kung-fu-skills?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Sammo Hung Kam-bo began his career as a child star before moving into stunt work and martial arts choreography, often taking supporting roles in the films he worked on. But his ambition since the age of 14 was always to direct. He learned the craft by closely observing the filmmaking process on set. “Whether it was martial arts or operating a camera dolly, I was always up for the challenge,” Hung told the Hong Kong Film Archive. “Whenever the foreman asked me to do something, I showed myself to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3330049/how-sammo-hung-came-direct-his-first-film-then-complete-bruce-lees-game-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3330049/how-sammo-hung-came-direct-his-first-film-then-complete-bruce-lees-game-death?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Million-dollar longevity clinics, IV drips, personalised genome sequencing – the quest for a longer, healthier life often feels like a science fiction movie with an exclusive ticket price. But as the wellness industry chases expensive, hi-tech immortality, longevity expert Dr Eric Topol, one of the world’s most cited medical researchers, argues the real secret to a longer, healthier life is not hidden in a vial or a complex algorithm – it is surprisingly ordinary. In his book Super Agers: An... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3330009/want-live-longer-how-new-drugs-ai-and-daily-habits-can-extend-lifespan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3330009/want-live-longer-how-new-drugs-ai-and-daily-habits-can-extend-lifespan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 23:15:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Belgian action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme has always had a close association with Hong Kong. Besides appearing in John Woo Yu-sum’s Hollywood debut Hard Target and numerous films by Ringo Lam Ling-tung, the actor sometimes used the city as a de facto base for his Asian shoots. Here are four of his films with deep and sometimes surprising Hong Kong roots. No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) While he had a short scene as a gay karate expert in 1984’s Monaco Forever, Van Damme landed his first... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3329346/jean-claude-van-damme-films-hong-kong-roots-bloodsport-knock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3329346/jean-claude-van-damme-films-hong-kong-roots-bloodsport-knock?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Stephen Chow Sing-chi became a Hong Kong superstar in 1990, inheriting the comic crown that was worn by Michael Hui Koon-man in the 1970s and kung fu comedians like Sammo Hung Kam-bo in the 1980s. But by the middle of the decade, overexposure had caused his star to wane. A more thoughtful filmmaker than his scatterbrained films often suggested, Chow realised he needed to make a change, focusing on increasing the quality and decreasing the quantity of his films. Consequently, the 1996 film The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3328469/how-stephen-chows-god-cookery-proved-hong-kong-comedy-star-could-do-much-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3328469/how-stephen-chows-god-cookery-proved-hong-kong-comedy-star-could-do-much-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong filmmakers have rarely focused on stories about modern history – historical films are expensive and the themes have always been considered too politically sensitive to address, even in colonial times. Unusually for a Hong Kong director, Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting described the broad sweep of history in The Soong Sisters. The 1997 epic depicted the lives of three politically influential Chinese sisters: Soong Mei-ling, who married Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Nationalist Kuomintang... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3327731/how-mabel-cheungs-1997-historical-epic-soong-sisters-portrayed-modern-chinese-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3327731/how-mabel-cheungs-1997-historical-epic-soong-sisters-portrayed-modern-chinese-history?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Alzheimer’s disease is not the most appealing subject for a film, and that was especially true in early 1990s Hong Kong, where those with mental or physical disabilities were often stigmatised or used as the butt of jokes. It is a testament to Ann Hui On-wah’s skill that she not only managed to get 1995’s Summer Snow produced, but also made the result so palatable that it performed respectably at the box office. The light drama features Josephine Siao Fong-fong as a busy working woman who must... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326926/how-ann-hui-skilfully-tackled-dementia-summer-snow-award-winning-hong-kong-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326926/how-ann-hui-skilfully-tackled-dementia-summer-snow-award-winning-hong-kong-film?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The late Ringo Lam Ling-tung’s City on Fire was such a big hit that the Hong Kong director decided to follow up with another gritty crime drama, Prison on Fire. But that film and its sequel were quite different to City on Fire. Here’s how. Prison on Fire (1987) While the name of this local classic saw Lam leaning on the title of City on Fire, the film itself differs considerably in style. City on Fire is far from realistic – though it is justifiably considered less stylised than John Woo... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325993/how-ringo-lams-prison-fire-films-starring-chow-yun-fat-mix-action-and-social-comment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325993/how-ringo-lams-prison-fire-films-starring-chow-yun-fat-mix-action-and-social-comment?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong actress Carina Lau Ka-ling always brings a strong sense of presence to her work, whether she is appearing in drama or comedy, as a leading actress or a supporting player. Here we chat with film historian Frank Djeng about her long-lasting career. Carina Lau has been acting since the 1980s – that is a long time for a Hong Kong actress to keep working. Yes, she started her career back in the mid-1980s at TVB, and she has kept going strong, although she has had quite a lot of career... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325122/how-hong-kong-actress-carina-lau-became-top-film-star-and-her-best-movies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325122/how-hong-kong-actress-carina-lau-became-top-film-star-and-her-best-movies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Although it is not often screened today, Queen of Temple Street (1990) deserves to be recognised as one of the best films ever made in Hong Kong. Directed by Lawrence Lau Kwok-cheong(also known as Lawrence Ah Mon), the drama about the relationships between a Mong Kok madam, the prostitutes who work for her, and her own family is shot in a free-ranging social-realist style that carefully avoids portraying any of the characters in a clichéd way. Moreover, there is not a hint of moralising in the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324354/why-prostitution-drama-queen-temple-street-one-best-hong-kong-films-ever-made?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324354/why-prostitution-drama-queen-temple-street-one-best-hong-kong-films-ever-made?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Like all Hong Kong actors who have sustained long careers, Louis Koo Tin-lok has performed in many genres. The last 15 years in particular have seen Koo excelling in hardcore action roles, even though, unlike Andy Lau Tak-wah, he received no early training in martial arts. Koo always tries to instil his action performances with human drama. Here we look at three of his best 21st-century action films. 1. Drug War (2012) Koo mainly plays it introspective and quiet in this rough crime caper from... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3323485/how-hong-kong-movie-star-louis-koo-fared-his-action-roles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3323485/how-hong-kong-movie-star-louis-koo-fared-his-action-roles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 04:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Happiness can be elusive. When you get what you expect will bring happiness – a cool new job, a flashy car, the date you always wanted – for a time, you feel great. But that feeling subsides, and you start to feel that, really, you had it wrong, and you need that other thing you wanted to be happy. That is the problem with thinking that happiness comes from changes in our environment, says Laurie Santos, a professor of psychology at Yale University in the US. “One of the worst things about... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3323273/how-feel-happy-and-stay-way-experts-science-rewiring-your-brain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3323273/how-feel-happy-and-stay-way-experts-science-rewiring-your-brain?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Yuen Biao is not as well known today as Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung Kam-bo, his “brothers” at their teacher Yu Jim-yuen’s Beijing Opera school, but the Hong Kong martial arts actor certainly has his own style. Biao, the youngest of the trio known as the “Three Dragons”, was lean, flexible and acrobatic in his youth, often mixing somersaults and backflips with his kung fu. The actor, who is still working, was also known for being the best looking of the three – although he has noted that did not... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322644/better-looking-jackie-chan-and-sammo-hung-yuen-biaos-rise-martial-arts-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322644/better-looking-jackie-chan-and-sammo-hung-yuen-biaos-rise-martial-arts-star?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 07:15:11 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Ann Hui On-wah is rightly praised for her realistic films about social issues and Hong Kong society. But the acclaimed director has made films in many genres during her career. Here we look at her once-lost martial arts masterpiece and a ghostly horror film. The Romance of Book and Sword / Princess Fragrance (both 1987) This epic three-hour wuxia film, released in two parts, is still one of Hui’s most ambitious projects to date. Shot in the deserts of Xinjiang and the Jiangnan region in mainland... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3321929/why-director-ann-huis-rare-spins-martial-arts-and-horror-film-genres-were-special?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3321929/why-director-ann-huis-rare-spins-martial-arts-and-horror-film-genres-were-special?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Sammo Hung Kam-bo’s Wheels on Meals (1984) operates on a simple premise: unite three of Hong Kong’s greatest martial arts talents and let the magic happen. The action comedy, starring Hung alongside Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao, works brilliantly within its own parameters. It is entertaining throughout, has few cringeworthy comedic moments, and benefits from a surprisingly well-structured storyline. If that was not enough, the action scenes are superb, and the fights are rightly considered to be... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3321022/how-wheels-meals-featured-some-jackie-chan-and-sammo-hungs-best-action-scenes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3321022/how-wheels-meals-featured-some-jackie-chan-and-sammo-hungs-best-action-scenes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 07:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Born in Hong Kong in 1954, Josephine Cheung Shuk-fong died in 1989 just as she was starting to make a mark on the art world. The painter grew up in Sheung Shui, then a rural part of the city, and died in Toronto, Canada, from lung cancer at the age of 35. Cheung moved to Canada in the 1970s and spent the rest of her short life there, apart from a year in New York. The paintings she left behind either went into storage at her husband’s Montreal gallery or were sold privately, while others were... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3320388/hong-kong-born-artists-works-finally-shown-again-36-years-after-dying-young?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3320388/hong-kong-born-artists-works-finally-shown-again-36-years-after-dying-young?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 07:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Directed by Tony Ching Siu-tung and produced by Tsui Hark, A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) set the style for the colourful fantasy martial arts films of the 1990s. The story, set in a mythical China, featured Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing as a naive debt collector who falls in love with a beautiful ghost played by Joey Wong Cho-yee. Here we look at two very different sequels Tsui produced. A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation (1997) Animations have never been a favourite of Hong Kong producers,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3320235/how-tsui-hark-and-tony-ching-followed-classic-fantasy-film-chinese-ghost-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3320235/how-tsui-hark-and-tony-ching-followed-classic-fantasy-film-chinese-ghost-story?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Ronny Yu Yan-tai made unusual ghost films before becoming a superstar director with the kung fu fantasy The Bride With White Hair, while Tsui Hark made comedies before reinventing the martial arts genre in the 1990s. Here we look at two relatively unseen works from the star Hong Kong directors. The Occupant (1984) “Long before he scared Hollywood with The Bride of Chucky and Freddy vs. Jason, director Ronny Yu Yan-tai made this spooky horror hit for Cinema City, a suspenseful mystery that is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319584/2-films-star-hong-kong-directors-ronny-yu-and-tsui-hark-you-probably-havent-seen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3319584/2-films-star-hong-kong-directors-ronny-yu-and-tsui-hark-you-probably-havent-seen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Lawrence Ah Mon, sometimes known as Lawrence Lau Kwok-cheung, was one of the second group of Hong Kong New Wave directors who made their mark in the late 1980s. Lau, who cut his teeth at Hong Kong broadcasting company RTHK, made his name with two documentary-style social realist dramas: 1988’s Gangs and 1990’s Queen of Temple Street – still one of the city’s finest films. But his follow-up, the two-part Lee Rock, was something entirely different: a four-hour-long Godfather-like crime epic... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318567/how-andy-lau-played-hong-kongs-most-corrupt-cop-godfather-crime-epic-lee-rock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318567/how-andy-lau-played-hong-kongs-most-corrupt-cop-godfather-crime-epic-lee-rock?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The Hui Brothers – Michael Hui Koon-man, Ricky Hui Koon-ying and Sam Hui Koon-kit – defined Hong Kong comedy in the 1970s with films like The Private Eyes, The Contract and Security Unlimited. But Michael, helped by Ricky, continued to make hilarious films throughout the 1980s and beyond. Here we look at three of his best as a comedy actor and co-screenwriter. 1. Inspector Chocolate (1986) A return to form for Michael Hui after a fallow period, this humorous detective film was directed by Philip... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3317692/how-hui-brothers-hong-kong-comedy-giants-1970s-kept-laughs-going-later?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3317692/how-hui-brothers-hong-kong-comedy-giants-1970s-kept-laughs-going-later?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 08:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Lo Wei was one of Hong Kong’s most renowned directors in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but disparagement from Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan tarnished his reputation. Lee hated the way that Lo, who directed The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972), tried to take credit for his success. Chan disliked the way Lo tried to turn him into a clone of the deceased Lee in films like New Fist of Fury (1976). Below, film historian Frank Djeng discusses how it could be time for Lo’s voluminous body of work... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316809/bruce-lee-and-jackie-chan-disliked-hong-kong-film-director-how-good-was-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316809/bruce-lee-and-jackie-chan-disliked-hong-kong-film-director-how-good-was-he?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis John Woo Yu-sum’s final Hollywood films before he returned to Hong Kong in the mid-2000s were excellent – with one exception. Here we look at the films made near the end of his first Hollywood adventure. 1. Face/Off (1997) Woo made his US debut in 1993, but it took the director a couple of films to figure out how to integrate his style with the demands of the Hollywood studio system. Face/Off, which starred John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, was the first – and only – film in which he succeeded... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315922/how-john-woos-face/windtalkers-and-paycheck-showed-his-experimental-side?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315922/how-john-woos-face/windtalkers-and-paycheck-showed-his-experimental-side?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong filmmaker Wai Ka-fai made his name when he co-founded Milkyway Image with Johnnie To Kei-fung and went about producing, writing, directing or co-directing innovative genre takes like The Odd One Dies, which made the company internationally famous in the late 1990s. For quite some time, Wai kept himself in the background, leaving the ebullient To as the face of the company. But his creative input was never in doubt. Here we look at Wai’s first three films as director. 1. Peace Hotel... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315045/how-hong-kong-director-wai-ka-fais-first-3-films-revealed-his-storytelling-range?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3315045/how-hong-kong-director-wai-ka-fais-first-3-films-revealed-his-storytelling-range?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2025 04:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Ringo Lam Ling-tung, who died in 2018, was best known for his early films like the trendsetting City on Fire. But the Hong Kong director, who would not compromise his vision in the face of commercial concerns, delivered high-quality work throughout his career. Here we look at two of Lam’s lesser-seen mid-period works. 1. Victim (1999) Victim was an attempt by Lam to inject his crime thrillers with a new dimension: the supernatural. This was not a completely new genre for Lam; his 1983 movie... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3314308/how-hong-kong-director-ringo-lam-freshened-crime-genre-victim-and-triangle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3314308/how-hong-kong-director-ringo-lam-freshened-crime-genre-victim-and-triangle?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2025 08:15:07 +0000