Comments on: Calvin’s #1 Hong Kong Film of the Decade

By: Sanjuro

Sanjuro — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:40:15 +0000

Thanks for reading, everyone. I appreciate your thoughts and input!

By: Marie

Marie — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:52:38 +0000

I really enjoyed your recounting how you came to see ITMFL and its impact on you. That was also the first Hong Kong movie I saw, and it wasn’t so long ago. I was home alone for the weekend and put the first disk of the Criterion Edition into the DVD player on Friday night. Let us just say that by Sunday morning, I was a WKW fan for life. I lived in a fevered dream for 36 hours and have never been the same again. It has only been 2 1/2 years since that fateful weekend, but I have seen hundreds of HK films since then and anticipate seeing hundreds (thousands?) more in the months and years to come. I never expected to discover such wonderful films, of all types, that I knew nothing about at my age (49 at the time). I was also very lucky to see so many very good films at the beginning of my sojourn into HK cinema: being a fan of Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Leslie Cheung in those early days led me to some of Hong Kong’s best films. I read a few books that turned me onto Stephen Chow (thank you David Bordwell) and many other directors and actors that are among Hong Kong’s finest.

It has been instructive to see the lists compiled by contributors to LoveHKFilm. I recognize many of the films and have seen at least half of them. Now I have some useful info on other excellent films to watch in the months ahead. Great stuff!

By: Populasian

Populasian — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:24:32 +0000

Thanks for your top 50 list Calvin. I am sad that the books you owned about HK films kept you away from Stephen Chow and Wong Kar-Wai for so long. Especially since Chow was such a prolific guy during the 90s. And Chungking Express gave me the ability to argue HK cinema as an artform for most of the 90s to anyone that would listen.

I also have In The Mood for Love for my #1 for the Aughts. I’ve seen 43 of your top 50. So I need to catch the others and most of your Honorable mentions.

I wouldn’t qualify Secret as an HK film even if Anthony Wong was part of it.

Thanks again and great write ups.

By: Tristan

Tristan — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:34:36 +0000

I think you should watch ‘Lust, Caution’ again. Especially considering that 5 of your top 10 star “little” Tony.

By: r

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:56:23 +0000

Thanks for this series Calvin. It’s great how you talked about some of the context in which you experienced these films. I think so much of what determines our favourites always comes back to this sort of context

By: Wongsaurus

Wongsaurus — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:58:59 +0000

Every viewer subconsciously carries around a list of favorites in their head that is unique. Some movie goers seem to get upset because their favorites aren’t on a reviewer’s Top 50 list or else they are happy because most of their favorites are confirmed because the titles are also on the reviewer’s list. I’ll take your Top 50 as recommendations to discover some films that I haven’t seen yet or to revisit some that I have. In the latter case it’s either to give them a second chance or just to enjoy a satisfying move again. My favorites have a way of changing over time based on the memories of the viewing experience. It would be difficult for me to come up with a neatly ordered ranking though.