March 3rd, 2010
Top 100 films of the Nineties - Voting Closed! Results to be announced mid-March
Voting is now officially closed for the Top 50100 Hong Kong Films of the Nineties. Thanks to everyone who sent in ballots — all 130+ of you. Turnout was less than last time’s 150+, but considering the subject, that’s not a surprise. After all, it’s likely that many of this site’s readers were BORN during the nineties.
One day this kid will be ready to vote for the Top Hong Kong Films of 2010-2019.
This is probably my oldest fan
Generally speaking, the results were not hugely surprising, though my early pick for the Top Film actually did not win. I guess I don’t know the site readership as well as I thought I did. Also, a lot of great films got shafted; some terrific films got nominated, but received little support. If you see something missing from the final list don’t be surprised.
Maybe when the whole thing is over I’ll post up an occasional blog entry pointing out one or two films that people might have forgotten. An elaborate countdown of the results should start sometime in mid-March, assuming I can figure out how to manage my time correctly. I’ll probably announce the actual start time on the regular LoveHKFilm site after I get my bearings.
Once this whole thing is done, we’ll have to consider a vote for the Top Hong Kong Films of the 80s. Honestly, though, I’m leaning towards a vote for the Worst 100 Hong Kong Films Ever. Debate would be lively, if not positive.
In the meantime, Happy Year of the Tiger! Louis Koo says “Hi.”
“Thanks for voting for ON FIRE!”
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:53 am
Where’s the list??
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:23 am
I figure Kozo’s early pick would have been either Hard Boiled or Chungking Express, but I bet the real winner turned out to be Feel 100%.
March 3rd, 2010 at 7:27 am
The Worst 100 of all time sounds like more fun than the Top of the 80’s. That is almost going into prehistory for the younger demographic.
March 3rd, 2010 at 7:47 am
The initial idea of Top50 was great. 100 movies cover too broad of the spectrum, resulting a dilution of the power of the list. Part of the 90s was also the dark side of HK movie-making: tireless repetition of knockoffs, bad sequels, senseless Category-III wannabes. I can only pray that the list covers the best of the 90s and not the garbage of it.
My thought: worst HK films is a welcomed idea.
Since you started it, who’s the baby and what function was it anyway?
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:31 am
@AlHaru
Even there are more garbage in 90’s, it has also more better movies than past decade. More movies done, more garbages too.
But I hope Young And Dangerous will not be in TOP10, because that series is HK crime triller for kids. x)
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:44 am
@Lord Garth, the list is coming when I figure out how I want to present it. I don’t think I’ll have the bandwidth to write 100 blurbs similar to last time. I also have to sort through comments on the votes, to incorporate them.
@Wongsaurus, the 80s will be tough, but worth it, I think. Would really like to see what people come up with for such a vote. If only 60-70 people participate in that one, I’d call it a success.
@AlHaru, I think the list of 100 works in this case. As Leemoy says, the 90s had more good films overall than the aughts. There were some genuine question marks in the overall voting but what made it to Top 100 can be justified. A lot of worthwhile stuff was still left off. I may bemoan some at a later date.
The photo was taken in the Teatro Nuovo during my visit to the Far East Film Festival in Udine last spring. The baby was with one of the attendees and I asked to take a photo of him. Instead, the woman handed me the baby. Meant to post it last year during Part 2 of my trip to Italy blog posts, but it never happened.
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:49 am
80’s list would be better than worst 100 of all time. I’ll be one of the 60-70 people voting.
March 3rd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Kozo I regret I didn’t send in my list. It was really difficult for me to rank movies from different genre that were equally as good.
March 3rd, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Let the predictions begin!
Am I the only one who’s been thinking Drunken Master II would take the top spot?
Maybe I’m out of touch with the broader HK movie cult nowadays… it’s certainly possible. I’m probably skewed by the fact that it was the movie that gave me my addiction, and remains my favorite HK movie ever, and it was the one I used over and over to make converts in those early days - in which capacity it worked quite often.
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:42 pm
@Kiddo, I am with you. I would love to vote for the top 80s movies.
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
I didn’t vote because when I started to make my list it was too obvious. Given the sad state of HK cinema in parts of the 00s, the voting was an opportunity to highlight some missing gems or good performances. With the 1990s, I felt like I’d just be voting for the same films as everyone else — I can almost predict that top 5, though maybe not the order.
Have you considered a list of performances in specific films? Even the mediocre actors and actresses have at least one role to their credit.
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Strange that I would be saying this as I would never have thought this phrase would come out of my mouth. If one category III film comes out (there were like hundreds in the 90s) in the top 10 - let it be Sex and Zen.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:57 am
I need to vote for Rouge. Give me Top 80s!
Worst HK film would be tough because most are pretty forgettable. I won’t even know where to start or what to choose
March 4th, 2010 at 6:20 am
Conmen in Vegas??????
March 4th, 2010 at 6:46 am
Count my vote with those wanting a top ’80s list. And what’s all this about prehistory? Some of my all-time favorite HK films are from the *gasp* 1970s. (Hello “36th Chamber of Shaolin”, “Fist of Fury”, “Enter the Dragon”, “Heroes of the East”!)
IMHO, compiling a list of the Worst *100* HK Films Ever is too much of a good thing. A huge job for Kozo, and for what? Perhaps focusing on the worst 10 or 20 films would provide enough opportunities for folks to vent or rant if that’s what folks really want ….
March 4th, 2010 at 11:17 am
A top films of the 80’s vote is doable — I just figured it would be nice to cleanse the palate with a bad movies list first. I’m hoping the bad movies list will have supreme badness, like FUTURE COPS or WESLEY’s MYSTERIOUS FILES, and not forgettable stuff like, um, TROUBLESOME NIGHT 47, HAPPY GO LUCKY or BLESS THE CHILD. Limiting the list to 50 is a good idea, if only to keep myself sane.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Kozo, when you start listing the movies out, would you mind also putting in each movies’ highest position on a particular list? It would be a nice little tidbit to know.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Hey Glenn, I’ve been thinking on-and-off about a list for performances, but I have this nightmare that I’ll get lists that are all Andy Lau performances or something equally fannish. As such I’d have to create some ground rules (like maybe only 2 votes for a single actor), but it’s not a priority. Maybe after the eighties list? Or before it?
By the way, if I do this many votes/lists, it should last me until 2011. I wish I could up the frequency for these, but it’s just not possible. It’s not like I’m made of time. If I was, there’d be a DC comic about me.
Hi Garvin, your request is also related to time. I will put how many first-place votes a film gets, but I’d prefer not to give away that much. Especially since, at a certain point on the list, everything becomes: Highest Rank = 1. The best thing is if we just know what made it to #1 and how many times.
As usual all this is just IMHO.
March 5th, 2010 at 12:33 am
Please don’t limit the “best performances” to only two films, not with actors like Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun Fat, etc. doing some really good work that is spread out over more than 2 films. The beauty of HK film is that there is a core group of actors who have acted in a majority of HK’s best films. Every one of the films they worked on may not be a gem, but their batting average is much higher than average. The cream, so to speak, does tend to rise to the top.
March 5th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Hi Marie, I’ll take your thoughts into consideration. I know only 2 votes per actor is very limiting — I’m just wary of what the turnout will be like. The last thing I want to do is start a vote and end up calling it off because an idol is winning “Best Performance Ever” for their latest EEG film.
Maybe what I’ll do is simply IMPLORE people to really think of a “Best Performance” as something truly award worthy, rather than rewarding a favorite. Honestly, I think we’re all smart enough to put Tony Leung’s performance from IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE before Edison Chen in, oh, anything. It just makes sense.
Regardless, a “Best Performance” vote is probably a little ways away. Again, I’d love to run these things more frequently, but it’s just not in the cards.
March 8th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
count me in as well as one of the 60-70 voters for a 80’s list.
wouldn’t be able to vote for worst movie because i try to avoid those…
March 10th, 2010 at 9:41 am
oh noo…the 80’s list wouldn’t have enough people..
i mean…i tried voting for the 90’s one but i wasn’t even born yet when half of them came out…i have trouble just naming twenty 90’s films…let alone 80’s…xDD
the worst film ever would be soo much more interesting….
March 10th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
I’m actually really surprised by how young this site’s readers are.
March 11th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
I think you should go with ONE PERFORMANCE by each actor. It is Best Performance, and best does constitute the top of the pile. You may think Andy Lau was great in seven movies, but instead of just fanning out over him, you have to actually think, back up and present what you think is the best they have EVER done, not just your five favorite Tony Leung movies… just because he is Tony Leung.
I back you on two performances per actor, but I will only choose one since the list is asking for the best, not ‘My Favorite Actor and All the Movies He’s Been In”, or else I am going to put everything Louis Koo on my list from Protege and Throw Down down to Why Me Sweetie and Rob-B-Hood.
Just my opinion as it makes people actually work on thier votes this time…
March 12th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I complete agree with Mat.