November 15, 2014: My Top 12 Hong Kong Movie Nite Favorites!

Way back when I was living in Montreal, I would attend something called Hong Kong Movie Nite.  It was a weekly tradition, hosted by my buddy Nigel, that saw us gather at his place for wings, Jamaican takeout, Jack Daniels, occasional cigars, and screenings of some of the most bad-ass and weirdly wonderful offerings from the Hong Kong film industry.  This was before Hollywood discovered John Woo and Jet Li, before Chow Yun-Fat had become a global star, before Quentin Tarantino had “borrowed” elements of Ringo Lam’s City on Fire for his first modest kick at the cinematic bucket, a movie called Reservoir Dogs.  Paul and I would swing by from work and take in double, sometimes triple features with the likes of Supa, Champion, Flipski, and Sushiman – big boys, mostly of Carribbean descent, who were as fun and furious as the movies themselves.

I miss the Movie Nite Crew.  And all those testosterone-fueled action flicks that have, in time, become classics of Asian cinema.

Reflecting back over the countless films we watched, I’d have to say that these were my Top 12 favorites…

12. LOVE ON DELIVERY

This delightfully ludicrous romantic comedy was my introduction to funny man Stephen Chow – who makes several appearances on this list.

11. NAKED KILLER

A gloriously over-the-top entry in the Girls with Guns sub-genre that became an instant cult classic.

10. A BETTER TOMORROW

The movie that made uber-cool Chow Yun-Fat a superstar.

9. RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RICKY

Cartoon ultra-violence reigns supreme in this near future actioner, probably the craziest movie I’ve ever seen.

8. THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR

Romance, tragedy, fantasy, and plenty of swordplay.  A beautiful film.

7. KUNG FU HUSTLE

Nobody mixes action and comedy like Stephen Chow.

6. FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE

And here he takes a turn as the Hong Kong’s 007 in this James Bond spoof with a definitive Asian twist.

5. INFERNAL AFFAIRS

Adapted by Hollywood, practically scene for scene, as the Oscar-winning The Departed.

 

4. FIST OF LEGEND

Jet Li at his bad-ass best.

3. HARDBOILED

One of my very first forays into Asian cinema, this one remains one of my very favorites.  The action sequences are so exquisitely choreographed that my brain was buzzing for hours after our initial screening.

2. SHAOLIN SOCCER

Stephen Chow is at the top of his game here, playing a master of kung-fu who enlists the help of his fellow Shoalin monks to form a soccer team,  one that incorporates martial arts into the beautiful game – with hilarious results.  One of my very favorite comedies ever.

1. THE KILLER

A ruthless assassin attempts to make amends for a past mistake in this cinematic classic.

Tagged: favorite Hong Kong movies, Hong Kong film, Hong Kong movies