It’s been nearly a month since I attended the 12th Udine Far East Film Festival, but I have yet to post more than one or two photos detailing the trip. In past years, I’ve usually written quickly about the experience, but this year? It didn’t happen. Besides a podcast I did over at Paul Fox and Kevin Ma’s KongCast, all I did was put up one photo of LGM and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here’s a photo of me taking that photo:

That’s GALLANTS co-director Clement Cheng in the background,
wondering why I’m interrupting an interview to take toy photos.

Obviously, I act in a completely professional manner while I’m over there.

I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to finally get this post up. It could be me splitting my time between the site, Twitter and other commitments, but it may also be because this year felt oddly special and it took me a couple of weeks to process it. I will not discuss why I consider it special because doing so would be oversharing. And even though the Internet is all about oversharing (Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare — I’m looking at you), I’ll do my best to remain solidly impersonal. That’s why I’m putting up a photo like this:

Nobody enjoys Udine more than Anpanman, LGM and Pero Pero

Quick photos and text highlights follow. I’m going to attempt to do this all in one entry, so beware. If you don’t make it to the end, I won’t blame you.

So, this is the Teatro Nuovo, the converted opera house where most of the screenings take place:

I walked this path about 284 times over the entire fest

The exterior may not be as sumptuously decorated as it has been in previous years, but that’s not such a big deal. After all, it’s all about the movies.

Guests this year included Pang Ho-Cheung, attending for the world premiere of DREAM HOME, plus legendary Hong Kong filmmaker Patrick Lung Kong, who received a well-deserved retrospective.

Pang Ho-Cheung and Patrick Lung Kong

Pang and Lung actually share some similarities in that both are very concerned with Hong Kong social issues, overtly addressing them via a variety of different genres. The DREAM HOME screening featured the uncut version of the film, and is infamous in that someone actually fainted in the audience. It was not me.

Of Lung Kong’s films, I most enjoyed THE WINDOW and TEDDY GIRLS, though a large part of that has something to do with star Josephine Siao.

Patrick Lung Kong, Josephine Siao and Yeung Yip-Wang in THE WINDOW

In watching STORY OF A DISCHARGED PRISONER, which is well-known as the inspiration for John Woo’s A BETTER TOMORROW, it’s surprising that the emphasis seems to be not on brotherhood or honor, but on a real social issue: the difficult life of an ex-con. It’s a different, but no less valuable film than Woo’s famous heroic bloodshed actioner, and it’s quite sad that there isn’t a better version available on video than a lackluster unsubtitled VCD.

Someone put this film on DVD.
Blu-ray would be better but I shan’t be demanding.

Also in attendance were the directors of GALLANTS, Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng:

“Our movie is awesome despite what LoveHKFilm.com says.”

I already saw the film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, so this was my second go-around at GALLANTS. On June 3rd, I’ll likely take in the film a third time at the proper local venue, the Dynasty. Currently the film is getting a good promotional push courtesy of Focus Films so I hope it manages some local box office. If it can’t do it, then I blame the moviegoing public, who blew their wad at IP MAN 2.

Director Jang Hun showed up to present his blockbuster SECRET REUNION:

“Don’t listen to LoveHKFilm when they review my film.
They know nothing about Korean movies.”

The film is an effective commercial thriller with dynamite action and star performances — and that’s pretty much why 80% of us go to the movies. Talking to Mr. Jang at our 11am interview was also very nice. Too bad I was hungover at the time.

Udine also means filmmaker panels, so here are some pictures from those. Here’s Patrick Lung Kong with Sam Ho, programmer at the Hong Kong Film Archive:

“Hey you, are you sleeping in my panel?
Wake up if you know what’s good for you!”

Korean film programmer Darcy Paquet, webmaster of koreanfilm.org, and Lee Yong-Ju, director of THE POSSESSED:

“What is that guy shouting about over there?”

Teddy Chen, director of a little film called BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS, alongside Festival Senior Manager Chiu-Yee Cheung and Hong Kong programmer Tim Youngs:

“I’m telling you, I’ve never met Andrew Lau. Who is he, exactly?”

Derek Kwok and Chapman To, attending along with his new film LA COMEDIE HUMAINE:

“I really don’t want to sit next to this guy.”

Chapman To spoke English during his entire panel, and he said one thing that I found especially moving. When asked why he sticks with Hong Kong movies despite the industry’s shifting fortunes and well-documented difficulties, To said, “Hong Kong movies have given me many things. So I have to do it.”

I won’t go into why his words affected me so much, but my respect for Chapman To grew exponentially after he said that. The second most important thing he revealed at the fest was his alternate title for BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS. He calls it FIGHTING AND CRYING.

“I kick so much ass.”

Besides films and filmmakers, Udine is all about food. At least, it is to me. Some samples:

I didn’t eat Anpanman

The stone is a potato. The sauce is cheese.
Arnold is Derek Kwok’s. Everything else is mine.

They all want some of the gelato

Even the simple food is awesome. This is half a ham sandwich, given to me by Teddy Chen. Little did I know that when I went to Udine this year, the director of DOWNTOWN TORPEDOES would give me a ham sandwich. Life is full of surprises.

Mmmm…ham

No trip to Udine is complete without a couple photos of me and the guests:

Me and Teddy Chen:

“Pay me back for the sandwich, kid.”

Me and Chapman To:

“I don’t know this guy, but he seems to know who I am.”

Me and Clement Cheng:

Our opinions differ on FUTURE X-COPS

I don’t have a similar photo with me and Derek Kwok, but here’s a photo featuring the two of us:

Clearly, we are the best of pals

The above photo was taken on an afternoon sightseeing tour right near Udine. Yep, besides movies, food, and meeting filmmakers, a person can also do some great sightseeing at the Udine Far East Film Festival. No Venice this year for me, but that’s okay. I did my laundry instead.

Some photos from that afternoon:

The view from my Hong Kong apartment is startlingly similar

Some of my nightmares end this way

That’s one happy piece of bread

One side product of bringing Anpanman to Italy is it allows me to introduce the super-righteous red bean bread man to international audiences. Really, only 2-4 people in Italy seem to know who Anpanman is, which is shocking. Why hasn’t everyone overseas heard of him? Maybe it’s because he saves kids and animals by allowing them to eat his head. After hearing the story, Gabriele Roberto, composer of DREAM HOME and MEMORIES OF MATSUKO, revealed that he has a deep-seated fear of Anpanman. Thankfully, they made up for this photo:

Afterwards, Gabriele tortured Anpanman
by drowning him in a glass of water

One potential guest who couldn’t make the trip to Udine was JJ Jia, co-star of GALLANTS. Luckily, Clement Cheng and Derek Kwok brought a picture of her so that it would appear that she came along for the trip:

Probably the closest I’ll ever be to JJ Jia

JJ Jia aside, meeting people is always a great part of FEFF. Sure, you only see them for 8-9 days out of a whole year, but at least you can walk away with lots of good memories, not to mention new friends on your Facebook account. This photo includes some of the many wonderful people I met this year:

It’s a still from UDINE FRIENDS,
starring Derek Kwok as mildly disinterested smoking guy

Finally, here’s a photo featuring Derek Kwok, Teddy Chen, Clement Cheng, Chapman To and Lee Yong-Ju:

A classy photo

Unfortunately, Chapman To had something to do so he got up:

“Got some business to attend to.”

Um…well, maybe it’s not such a classy photo:

Alcohol must have been involved

Aaaaaaandd that’s it for another fine year at the Udine Far East Film Festival. Other attendee mileage may vary, but I can never complain about my experience there. I enjoy myself immensely in Udine and cherish the fact that the staff and guests can put up with my widely-reported lousy personality. Actually, as I’ve probably said many, many times before, I am blessed to be able to go to the FEFF on a nearly yearly basis, and it’s one of the things I’m most thankful for when I think of what LoveHKFilm has given me.

As usual, I encourage everyone else to go to the Far East Film Festival, no matter their age, gender or religious beliefs. Udine is a place where people really love Asian Cinema, and simply attending to talk to everyone is worth the price of admission. As I like to say, it’s never too early to become a fan of Asian Cinema.

To illustrate, here’s a photo I took in the lobby of the Teatro Nuovo:

“Yeahhhhh!!!!! DREAM HOME rocked!”

This baby is now a fan of FEFF for life.

I hope to see everyone next year! Especially the baby.

Enjoying myself here in Udine at the Far East Film Festial, but have neglected a lot at the website and blog. I don’t think I ever published my Top 20 Hong Kong movies of the 90s, so that ancient poll still isn’t done. I also have laundry to do so life is full of troubles.

The evil ash cloud has prevented many a filmmaker from attending, but a host of people have shown up, including Chapman To, directors Derek Kwok and Clement Cheng, Pang Ho-Cheung, and also Patrick Lung Kong, the focus of the main retrospective. Saw a lot, and may write some, but it’ll have to be after I clear my main backlog of reviews.

Anyway, met Derek Kwok and he’s a big fan of Hong Kong action figure manufacturer HOT TOYS. He even brought along the new TERMINATOR 2  Movie Masterpiece 1/6th scale action figure and is snapping photos. I added my own toy and we got a crossover going:

LGM enjoys the feel of Ah-nuld’s hair beneath his toes

I’m doing work here for YesAsia plus LoveHKFilm, but the Udine Far East Film Festival is also largely a holiday for me. No real pressure, I can talk to directors or actors during lunches or while lounging around, and the staff is always exceptionally helpful. I sincerely doubt I would ever enjoy Cannes or other high pressure film fests. Hell, the HKIFF always threatens to make me sick. In Udine, I can just be and you can’t really put a price on that.

See you in a few.

On the list of things that I should be doing at this very minute, putting up a complete list of our recent Top 100 Hong Kong Films of the Nineties is not one of them. But it’s been nearly two weeks since the results went out so I figured I should finally get to it.

These guys were happy with the results:

“We have triumphed again, Tony.
Wilson and Donnie have nothing on us!”

Can’t wait for the scene in Wong Kar-Wai’s IP MAN where Ip Man kicks ass and then smokes in slow motion for about half-an-hour.

Speaking of Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, he’s the star of the Top 2 films on this list, CHUNGKING EXPRESS and HARD BOILED. On our list of Top 50 Films of the Aughts, he also starred in the Top 2 films, INFERNAL AFFAIRS and IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. What does that mean? Is Tony Leung Chiu-Wai really that good? Or did he strike some deal with the Devil to put him in quality films?

“This panda below my sink is the true source of my power!”

Anyway, here’s a recap of the Top 100. I didn’t account for ties below, but you can get the idea anyway. As usual, you can find reviews at LoveHKFilm.com by cutting and pasting into Ye Olde Search Box.

1. Chungking Express (1994), 673 points, 24 first place votes
2. Hard Boiled (1992), 547.5 points, 9 first place votes
3. The Mission (1999), 412.5 points, 7 first place votes
4. A Bullet in the Head (1990), 370 points, 7 first place votes
5. Drunken Master II (1994), 350.5 points, 6 first place votes
6. Running Out of Time (1999), 342.5 points, 5 first place votes
7. Once Upon a Time in China (1990), 335.5 points, 4 first place votes
8. Once Upon a Time in China II (1991), 306 points, 2 first place votes
9. Days of Being Wild (1991), 304.5 points, 4 first place votes
10. God of Cookery (1996), 293 points, 2 first place votes
11. Comrades Almost a Love Story (1996), 276 points, 7 first place votes
12. Fong Sai Yuk (1993), 242 points, 1 first place vote
13. Happy Together (1997), 232 points, 3 first place votes
14. C’est La Vie Mon Cheri (1993), 227.5 points, 3 first place votes
15. Fallen Angels (1995), 218 points, 3 first place votes
16. A Chinese Odyssey (1995), 212.5 points, 4 first place votes
17. Ashes of Time (1994), 200.5 points, 4 first place votes
18. King of Comedy (1999), 190.5 points, 1 first place vote
19. Fist of Legend (1994), 187.5 points, 2 first place votes
20. Iron Monkey (1993), 180 points
21. A Moment of Romance (1990), 178 points, 5 first place votes
22. Police Story 3: Supercop (1992), 161 points, 2 first place votes
23. Swordsman II (1991), 156.5 points
24. The Bride with White Hair (1994), 148 points
25. From Beijing with Love (1994), 140.5 points, 1 first place vote
26. Young and Dangerous (1996), 118.5 points
27. The Blade (1995), 115 points, 1 first place vote
28. He’s a Woman She’s a Man (1994), 113.5 points
29. Fight Back to School (1991), 113 points
30. Full Alert (1997), 112 points, 1 first place vote
31. The Longest Nite (1998), 109.5 points, 1 first place vote
32. Beast Cops (1998), 108 points, 1 first place vote
33. Dragon Inn (1992), 104.5 points, 2 first place votes
34. Expect the Unexpected (1998), 98 points
35. A Hero Never Dies (1998), 96 points
36. Green Snake (1993), 88 points, 1 first place vote
37. The Storm Riders (1998), 84 points
38. Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 (1998), 83 points
39. Tai Chi Master (1993), 82 points
40. Made in Hong Kong (1997), 81.5 points, 1 first place vote
41. Love on Delivery (1994), 73.5 points
42. Forbidden City Cop (1996), 70.5 points
43. Centre Stage (1992), 69.5 points, 2 first place votes
44. Full Contact (1992), 65.5 points
45. The Untold Story (1993), 65 points
46. Once a Thief (1991), 62.5 points
47. The Heroic Trio (1993), 59.5 points, 1 first place vote
48. All for the Winner (1990), 56 points
49. Lost and Found (1996), 55 points, 1 first place vote
50. The Lovers (1994), 53 points, 1 first place vote
51. Bullets Over Summer (1999), 53 points
52. Young and Dangerous 3 (1996), 49 points, 2 first place votes
53. Gen-X Cops (1999), 46.5 points
54. The Longest Summer (1998), 42.5 points, 1 first place votes
55. God of Gamblers 2 (1990), 40.5 points
56. Summer Snow (1995), 38.5 points, 1 first place votes
57. Young and Dangerous: The Prequel (1998), 38.5 points
58. Royal Tramp (1992), 37.5 points
59. Sex and Zen (1991), 37 points
60. Flirting Scholar (1993), 36.5 points
61. 92 La Legendary Rose Noire (1992), 36 points
62. All’s Well Ends Well (1992), 35 points
63. He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Father (1993), 34 points, 1 first place vote
64. Tricky Brains (1991), 34 points
65. Wing Chun (1994), 33.5 points
66. Metade Fumaca (1999), 33.5 points
67. Little Cheung (1999), 33 points, 1 first place vote
68. Naked Killer (1992), 32 points, 1 first place vote
69. Big Bullet (1996), 32 points
70. Fly Me to Polaris (1999), 32 points
71. King of Beggars (1992), 31.5 points
72. City of Glass (1998), 30.5 points, 1 first place vote
73. Shanghai Grand (1996), 28.5 points
74. Dr. Mack (1995), 28 points, 2 first place votes
75. The Chinese Feast (1995), 27.5 points, 1 first place vote
76. Viva Erotica (1996), 27 points
77. Rumble in the Bronx (1995), 26.5 points
78. Task Force (1997), 26.5 points
79. God of Gamblers’ Return (1994), 26.5 points
80. Saviour of the Soul (1991), 26 points
81. Anna Magdalena (1998), 26 points
82. Hail the Judge (1994), 26 points
83. The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993), 25 points
84. High Risk (1995), 25 points
85. Casino Tycoon (1992), 23 points, 1 first place vote
86. Crime Story (1993), 23 points
87. Justice My Foot! (1992), 23 points
88. Armour of God II: Operation Condor (1991), 22.5 points
89. Sealed with a Kiss (1999), 21.5 points
90. Swordsman (1990), 20 points
91. She Shoots Straight (1990), 20 points
92. Lifeline (1997), 19.5 points
93. The Odd One Dies (1997), 19 points, 1 first place vote
94. A Chinese Ghost Story 2 (1990), 19 points
95. Royal Tramp 2 (1992), 19 points
96. Ebola Syndrome (1996), 18.5 points
97. Tempting Heart (1998), 18.5 points
98. My Father is a Hero (1995), 18 points, 1 first place vote
99. Red to Kill (1993), 18 points
100. A Chinese Ghost Story 3 (1991), 17 points

Aaaand, here are rest of the films that were voted upon. First place votes give a film 10 points, which means that anything that got a first place vote automatically shot into the top 140. This is why we need more people to vote. All told we got about 140 voters. If we had like 300 or so, the results would be even better and my life would be a living hell. Everybody would win.

I have annotated a few films below with my comments, and then bolded them. If you see them, hooray!

101. Lee Rock (1991), 16.5 points
102. Rave Fever (1991), 16 points, 1 first place vote *gotta love RAVE FEVER showing up this high. I thought everybody had forgotten about this movie. This was made when Terence Yin still had promise as an actor.
103. Somebody Up There Likes Me (1996), 16 points
104. Sex and Zen 2 (1996), 16 points
105. Swordsman III: East is Red (1993), 16 points
106. A Chinese Torture Chamber Story (1994), 15.5 points
107. The Case of the Cold Fish (1995), 15 points, 1 first place vote *Easily one of the most underrated Hong Kong films ever. Michael Chow and Michael Wong don’t seem like a must-see duo, but they work wonders here.
108. Once Upon a Time in China III (1992), 15 points
109. Bio-Zombie (1998), 15 points *It is a crime that BIO-ZOMBIE couldn’t break the Top 100. It could be Wilson Yip’s best film. Really. His second best film? Obviously TEACHING SUCKS.
110. Hu-Du-Men (1996), 15 points
111. Casino Raiders 2 (1991), 15 points
112. Full Throttle (1995), 14.5 points
113. Kung Fu Cult Master (1994), 14.5 points
114. Loving You (1995), 14.5 points *I remember when this Johnnie To romance-crimer came out on laserdisc back in 1995, the girl behind the counter shoved the thing in my face and told me how great it was. This was before To took over the known universe.
115. Story of Ricky (1992), 14 points
116. Moonlight Express (1999), 13.5 points, 1 first place vote *Fun fact: the first film I ever saw in a Hong Kong cinema.
117. Executioners (1993), 13.5 points
118. Where a Good Man Goes (1999), 13 points
119. Who Am I? (1998), 13 points
120. Gorgeous (1999), 13 points
121. The Mad Phoenix (1997), 12.5 points *Not enough people saw this film. That’s a shame because it’s really good. Not on DVD.
122. Tom, Dick and Hairy (1993), 12 points, 1 first place vote *Two Tonys are not enough this time.
123. Beyond Hypothermia (1996), 12 points *Did poor DVD availability doom this early Milkyway Image flick?
124. Hitman (1998), 12 points
125. Police Story 4: First Strike (1996), 12 points
126. Troublesome Night 3 (1998), 12 points *Also should have been in Top 100. Easily the best of this horror trend, and a a Top 10 resident in Herman Yau’s filmography. Hell, it could even be Top 5.
127. Portland Street Blues (1998), 11.5 points
128. Queen of Temple Street (1990), 11.5 points
129. City Hunter (1993), 11 points
130. Boys Are Easy (1993), 11 points *Yay, BOYS ARE EASY! Wong Jing can’t make films like this anymore. Which is really strange if you think about it.
131. Once Upon a Time in Triad Society 2 (1996), 10.5 points *I voted for this because it’s really, really good.
132. Bodyguard from Beijing (1994), 10.5 points
133. Dances with the Dragon (1991), 10.5 points
134. Fight Back to School 3 (1993), 10.5 points *The BASIC INSTINCT parody is priceless.
135. Run and Kill (1993), 10.5 points *Hahaha, this movie has some serious issues. Back in 1993, Simon Yam would do almost anything.
136. Cageman (1992), 10 points, 1 first place vote *It’s a shame that CAGEMAN only mustered one vote. It Won Best Picture at the Hong Kong Film Awards, remember?
137. Once Upon a Time in Triad Society (1996), 10 points
138. Ballistic Kiss (1998), 9.5 points *Donnie has seen better days than this.
139. The Enigma of Love (1992), 9.5 points
140. Hero (1997), 9.5 points
141. The Bare-Footed Kid (1993), 9 points
142. Downtown Torpedoes (1997), 9 points *I enjoyed this film once upon a time, but it’s seriously, seriously dated.
143. God of Gamblers 3: The Early Stage (1996), 9 points *I remember really enjoying this film back in 1996. Jordan Chan ruled the nineties.
144. Song of the Exile (1990), 9 points
145. A True Mob Story (1998), 9 points
146. The Day the Sun Turned Cold (1994), 9 points *Kino Video: if you’re paying attention, PLEASE PUT THIS FILM ON DVD.
147. Love is Love (1990), 9 points
148. The Magic Crane (1993), 9 points
149. Future Cops (1993), 8.5 points *This is where FUTURE COPS really ended up. It should make a reappearance on later reader votes.
150. Her Fatal Ways (1990), 8.5 points *Based on its impact, this should be in the Top 100. We’re ashamed that there is no review on LoveHKFilm.com.
151. The Kid (1999), 8.5 points
152. Temptress Moon (1996), 8.5 points
153. Days of Tomorrow (1993), 8.5 points
154. Dr. Lamb (1992), 8.5 points
155. Bishonen (1998), 8 points
156. Victim (1999), 8 points
157. Dragon in Jail (1990), 8 points
158. The Days of Being Dumb (1992), 7.5 points *I voted for this film and do not regret it.
159. The H.K. Triad (1999), 7.5 points
160. Magic Cop (1990), 7 points
161. Out of the Dark (1995), 7 points *Thought for sure this would rank higher given the retroactive Stephen Chow love seen on the Internets.
162. Moon Warriors (1992), 7 points
163. Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (1993), 7 points
164. Prison on Fire 2 (1991), 7 points
165. The Age of Miracles (1996), 7 points
166. Girls Without Tomorrow 92 (1992), 7 points
167. God of Gamblers 3: Back to Shanghai (1991), 7 points
168. In Between (1994), 7 points
169. Tricky Master (1999), 7 points *Not exactly Stephen Chow’s finest hour, but I think every one of his films got voted on.
170. Yesterme Yesteryou Yesterday (1993), 7 points
171. Fong Sai Yuk II (1993), 6.5 points
172. A Man Called Hero (1999), 6.5 points *A sequel to this would make sense. Ekin Cheng is actually nearing the correct age to play the part.
173. Mermaid Got Married (1994), 6.5 points
174. Blue Lightning (1991), 6.5 points
175. The Legend of Speed (1999), 6.5 points *Deserves more points simply for its classic screenwriting. I can quote this film endlessly.
176. The Legend of the Liquid Sword (1993), 6.5 points
177. The Ninth Happiness (1998), 6.5 points
178. Yang +/- Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema (1996), 6.5 points
179. Young and Dangerous 2 (1996), 6 points
180. Purple Storm (1999), 6 points
181. Skinny Tiger and Fatty Dragon (1990), 6 points
182. Hold You Tight (1998), 6 points
183. Island of Greed (1997), 6 points
184. Lee Rock II (1991), 6 points
185. Operation Scorpio (1991), 6 points
186. Thunderbolt (1995), 6 points *Hard to call this quality, but it rnks high on my list of nineties guilty pleasures.
187. Young and Dangerous 5 (1998), 6 points
188. Peace Hotel (1995), 5.5 points
189. The Private Eye Blues (1994), 5.5 points *Another great movie left at the bottom of this list.
190. Teaching Sucks (1997), 5.5 points *Wilson Yip again. Another film that I wish would show up on DVD. It may never happen though.
191. Walk In (1997), 5.5 points *One of Herman Yau’s great multi-genre efforts. A shame that it’s been forgotten. Someone needs to start a Danny Lee retrospective.
192. Twentysomething (1994), 5 points
193. Century of the Dragon (1999), 5 points
194. Feel 100% (1996), 5 points *Youth romances deserve more cred than this. A shame not a single one cracked the Top 100. FEEL 100% is actually not a bad movie. The MOMENT OF ROMANCE parody is awesome.
195. Love is Not a Game But A Joke (1997), 5 points *Probably the youth romance that should have made the Top 100 cut. CAUSE WE ARE SO YOUNG is pretty good too, but nobody voted on that.
196. Once Upon a Time in China IV (1993), 5 points *I personally think Part V is better, but it got ZERO votes.
197. Temptation of a Monk (1993), 5 points
198. Ordinary Heroes (1999), 4.5 points *No offense to Ann Hui, but this may be the least liked Best Picture winner of the nineties. Although TO BE NUMBER ONE actually got ZERO votes.
199. Shaolin Popey 2 (1994), 4.5 points
200. Twin Dragons (1992), 4.5 points
201. Banana Spirit (1992), 4.5 points
202. Forbidden Arsenal (1991), 4.5 points *Now available on DVD so get it.
203. Kid From Tibet (1992), 4.5 points
204. The New Legend of Shaolin (1994), 4.5 points
205. Sea Root (1995), 4.5 points
206. What Price Survival? (1994), 4.5 points *Made back when Daniel Lee style-over-substance actually seemed to work. Besides, it had Jack Gao.
207. The Lucky Guy (1998), 4 points
208. Fist of Fury 1991 (1991), 4 points
209. Full Moon in New York (1990), 4 points
210. Mr. Nice Guy (1997), 4 points
211. Who’s the Woman Who’s the Man (1996), 4 points
212. Best of the Best (1992), 3.5 points *Sammi Cheng’s debut. Once upon a time that actually meant something to me.
213. Erotic Ghost Story 2 (1991), 3.5 points
214. Front Page (1990), 3.5 points
215. The Fruit is Swelling (1997), 3.5 points *Umm…okay.
216. Hong Kong Gigolo (1990), 3.5 points
217. The Soong Sisters (1997), 3 points
218. Au Revoir Mon Amour (1991), 3 points
219. A Day Without Policemen (1993), 3 points
220. Gun n’ Rose (1992), 3 points
221. The Last Blood (1991), 3 points
222. The Masked Prosecutor (1999), 3 points
223. Outlaw Brothers (1990), 3 points
224. The Raid (1991), 3 points
225. Sixty Million Dollar Man (1995), 3 points
226. The Adventurers (1995), 2.5 points
227. Arrest the Restless (1992), 2.5 points
228. Intruder (1997), 2.5 points *Damn you Chinastar for not releasing this on DVD.
229. Last Hero in China (1993), 2.5 points
230. Erotic Ghost Story (1990), 2 points
231. Taxi Hunter (1992), 2 points
232. The Blacksheep Affair (1998), 2 points
233. The Conman (1998), 2 points
234. Fatal Vacation (1990), 2 points
235. Fight Back to School 2 (1992), 2 points
236. Look Out Officer! (1990), 2 points
237. Love and the City (1994), 2 points
238. Red Dust (1990), 2 points
239. Black Mask (1996), 1.5 points
240. A Chinese Ghost Story - The Animation (1997), 1.5 points *Tsui Hark, please buy this film back from Chinastar. Hell, can anyone buy all of Chinastar’s nineties films and re-release them on DVD?
241. The Fun, The Luck & The Tycoon (1990), 1.5 points
242. The Golden Girls (1995), 1.5 points *Still Joe Ma’s best film, with LOVE UNDERCOVER being the possible exception.
243. Legend of the Wolf (1997), 1.5 points *Awesome Donnie Yen cheesefest.
244. A Moment of Romance 2 (1993), 1.5 points *I know Andy Lau. I’ve worked with Andy Lau. Aaron Kwok, you are no Andy Lau.
245. Phantom Lover (1995), 1.5 points
246. Wonder Seven (1994), 1.5 points
247. Eighteen Springs (1997), 1 points
248. Project S (1993), 1 points
249. Satan Returns (1996), 1 points
250. The Truth About Jane and Sam (1999), 1 points *I know the person who sent in this vote.
251. Angry Ranger (1991), 0.5 points
252. Burning Paradise (1994), 0.5 points *It’s a super crime that this movie didn’t get more votes. When will Discotek finally release their new DVD?
253. Deadful Melody (1994), 0.5 points
254. Don’t Give a Damn (1995), 0.5 points *Takeshi Kaneshiro in blackface = this movie will never be on DVD.
255. Finale in Blood (1991), 0.5 points
256. First Love - The Litter on the Breeze (1997), 0.5 points *You can buy this on UK DVD. Please do. This website is quoted on the cover.
257. Hot War (1998), 0.5 points
258. Kawashima Yoshiko (1990), 0.5 points
259. Saga of the Phoenix (1990), 0.5 points

Now’s the time when I usually list statistics, but with over 250 films to factor in, that’s a bit beyond my current capacity. As such, we’ll simply call it a day. I suppose I also need to post my personal Top 20 to round this thing out. That’ll be our next post.

Again, thanks to everyone for participating. We’ll do this again in a couple of months or so, after my trip to Italy, the LoveHKFilm Awards, the HK Film Awards, and the usual spate of movie reviews. It’s 5 am and I’m working on everything simultaneously.

Hello and welcome to the final episode of the Top 100 Hong Kong Films of the Nineties, as decided upon by LoveHKFilm Readers who had far too much time on their hands. This countdown has dragged on for a week now, so people must be ready to find out what’s in the Top 5. You’re all excited, right?

“I can’t have any more movies on this list, so what do I care?
These people are morons if they can’t rank me higher than #10!
I call shenanigans! Screw this! I’m going home!”

Well, maybe not everyone is that excited.

Anyway, it was necessary to drag this thing out for so long because A) we needed to manufacture suspense, and B) we needed to delay things to finish writing the blurbs, resizing the photos, and attending to that thing called a day job. But hey, we made it. We can finally return to our regular life, which involves sleep, some hopeful PS3 time and maybe some attention paid to the main LoveHKFilm website. Last we checked, it still existed.

We’re always required to always say this: if you’ve just joined us, check out the earlier entries so as not to ruin the experience of reading the countdown from the very first entry. We urge you to punish yourself and start from the beginning:
Numbers 100-81
Numbers 80-61
Numbers 60-41
Numbers 40-31
Numbers 30-21
Numbers 20-11
Numbers 10-6

Okay, let’s finish this thing! Then we can forget that it ever happened.

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Welcome to the latest entry in our Top 100 Hong Kong Films of the Nineties, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah. You know the drill, so let’s get to it, okay? We’re not getting any younger.

“God, that Webmaster Kozco is so rude, Charlene!
And what’s this comment about not getting any younger?
Thanks to digital photography, I’ll be 23 forever!”

Today’s entry introduces you to Numbers 10-6, as usual determined by actual LoveHKFilm readers. We’re down to ten left, but because we enjoy dragging this thing out until the very end, we’re splitting the final ten into two posts with five films apiece. You can do math with that information.

Standard boilerplate: If you have yet to start reading this Top 100, we highly suggest you go back to the beginning so that you don’t inadvertently reveal to yourself that the #12 movie on this list is RUMBLE AGES. Earlier entries:
Numbers 100-81
Numbers 80-61
Numbers 60-41
Numbers 40-31
Numbers 30-21
Numbers 20-11

Let’s get this thing going!

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We were always Twits, but now we’re on Twitter. Look who’s excited:

“Yesssssss! I’m STOKED for this, man!”

Oh, hmm, wrong guy for this site. How about this:

“Oh boy! LoveHKFilm.com on Twitter!
It makes me drool. I also need walkies.”

The official LoveHKFilm Twitter feed can be found RIGHT HERE GO NOW. There’s actually another LoveHKFilm Twitter out there but I have no idea who runs it or what they do. I’m guessing it’s not related to me because my multiple personality disorder was cured back in 2004.

Joining Twitter is just another part of this website’s quest to take over the universe, or at least find other ways to prevent our eventual death. As the site enters its ninth year online, we haven’t done much to enhance ourselves beyond some barely updated blogs and a greater dedication to writing about movies that nobody cares about. There are some personal reasons in there too, but I shan’t bore you with them because this post is about LoveHKFilm.com and not the dope who runs the thing.

Right now, I’m the only one who’s using it, but sooner or later, I hope to add a few other people so we can collectively dispense news, tidbits or chatter relating to Hong Kong Cinema and the HK film scene. As such, when I write about myself on Twitter I will likely be talking in the 3rd person. I’m sure that’ll excite people.

“Actually, this news makes me sad. Why does
LoveHKFilm have to find new ways to hurt us?”

Sorry Cecilia. We’ll stop making fun of you for a week.

Anyway, LoveHKFilm Twitter is now launched. If we can use it for another 6 months before mothballing it, it’ll already be a success.

It’s put up or shut up time as we enter the Top 20 of our Top 100 Hong Kong Films of the Nineties. Basically, everything that appears from here on out had better be a nearly-unassailable classic, or we’ll have a lot of explaining to do. Already people are jockeying for position:

“Man, we are so going to own this Top 20!”

For the record, right now Tony Leung Chiu-Wai has 5 films in the Top 100, and Stephen Chow has 14. Tony does have some hole cards, though.

As explained in every single entry in this series, this list was selected by actual LoveHKFilm readers who took the time to send in their picks for their favorite Hong Kong films. Judging by the results, you can learn a lot — not only about who reads this site, but also about the general state of international Hong Kong Cinema fandom. Generally, we all watch too much Stephen Chow, plus we have stopped appreciating such fine artists as Carol Cheng, Ekin Cheng and Sammo Hung. Everyone out there, where is your sense of history?

Oh yeah, if you’re just joining us, please check out the previous entries first so you don’t ruin the surprise of finding out that the number one film is INFATUATION:
Numbers 100-81
Numbers 80-61
Numbers 60-41
Numbers 40-31
Numbers 30-21

Enough talk, it’s time to see what shows up for numbers 20-11!

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Hello and welcome to Day 174 of our year-long look at the Top 100 Hong Kong Movies of the Nineties, as voted upon by actual LoveHKFilm readers who had the time and the generosity to compile their lists of favorite nineties films and send them in. On our end, we compiled the results using five irritable monkees who live on the balcony of my apartment. I think they did a good job.

This guy is still waiting for his first appearance on this list:

“I can’t believe nobody has voted for my films!
I’m going to wear regular glasses to hide my shame.”

As usual, if you’re just joining us today you should really check out the previous lists so that you don’t ruin the surprise and/or aggravation of seeing what shows up:
Numbers 100-81
Numbers 80-61
Numbers 60-41
Numbers 40-31

Today’s list covers numbers 30-21 of the Top 100. At this time I should thank the numerous readers who sent in their lists with comments added, as I can reprint them here to enhance the film blurbs AND spare myself a little time copywriting. You know who you are, and since your names get listed with your comments, now everybody else does too. Thanks a lot!

Hit the jump to get started!

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Welcome to the latest edition of the Top 100 Hong Kong Films of the Nineties. Now that we’re past the halfway point, we’re slowing down a bit, with this entry revealing numbers 40-31 of the Top 100. We’ll do ten more a day until the very end, when we’ll slow to maybe five per day. If we feel like dragging it out even longer, we’ll move to only one a day. Nobody can stop us.

“God, this site is so annoying.”

Sorry, Charlene. We also apologize because it’s impossible for you to have any movies on this list. Most of the time you were in junior high, anyway.

Anyway, if you’ve just tuned in, we highly suggest that you check out previous entries to make it even more exciting/frustrating:
Numbers 100-81
Numbers 80-61
Numbers 60-41

Will Stephen Chow see even more domination? What about Wong Jing? Hit the jump to see Numbers 40-31!

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It’s the third in our 23-part series of the Top 100 Hong Kong Films of the Nineties, as decided upon by actual LoveHKFilm Readers. This time, we’re revealing numbers 60-41 of our Top 100. Most likely, you won’t find THE FRUIT IS SWELLING here.

If you’ve just joined us, we highly suggest that you check out previous updates first:
Numbers 100-81
Numbers 80-61

For those keeping score: thus far Tsui Hark had something to do with 5 films, Leslie Cheung has appeared in 6, and Stephen Chow has starred in 7. Johnnie To clocks in at only 4 films. Wong Jing? He’s involved in a whopping 9 out of a possible 40 films. We sense domination.

“I’ve got aces in my pants, too!”

Hit the jump to see what shows up!

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