# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Cop Image (1994) Directed by: Herman Yau

Traffic cop Wong (Anthony Wong) dreams of being the cool supercop and gets his chance after a night of drinking with cop and childhood friend Johnny (Bowie Lam). Johnny is mysteriously gone the next day, leaving only his cell phone behind and it immediately starts ringing. It seems Johnny is connected to a recent robbery by Mainlanders and Wong, having acquired skills in investigating, uses his time off to pose as a cop and crack the case. He tracks down Johnny's girlfriend Linda (Linda Wong) and the triad Dee (Andy Hui) becomes his informer in the quest to solve the mystery that is Johnny...

Herman Yau offers up no surprising developments as a director through this action-comedy but again proves that he has an ability to make Anthony Wong blossom under his direction. Wong has also stated that working with Yau has generated some of his own personal favourite films (Taxi Hunter being one). He's a riot as the very skilled, in theory, action hero but real life tends to be different from the movies, leading to some very fun action sequences where heroic moves just don't go down as well compared to when Chow Yun-Fat performs them. The movie references throughout can get a little tiring but mostly Yau creates an amusing aura in Cop Image that entertains in a very solid way. Also with Lau Kong and Herman Yau himself appears briefly in the disco scene.

Cops And Robbers (1979) Directed by: Alex Cheung

Alex Cheung (Danger Has Two Faces) logged an incredible and harrowing debut here with the 1979 production Cops And Robbers. Opening in a light hearted manner with kids playing the famed game that easily turns sour sets the stage for a story that completely corresponds with the English title of the film. Cheung, who also co-wrote, is clever in his execution of cop types (Wong Chung's character is the Dirty Harry of the force for instance) and gives the film not only a gritty look but a realistic view of police procedure. The job can include much laughter, humanism but coincidence changes moods and these cops are well-trained enough to snap into the correct one. Fans of Milkyway's movies should definitely get vibes of Patrick Yau's Expect The Unexpected.

As the sole robber remains on the lose, Cheung's social commentary about lack of faith in the law and cops in the eyes of the Hong Kong citizen gets injected, even cleverly so through the use of a Master Q comic strip. Cheung's points are well-made due to them never stopping the film dead to preach and it's equally powerful of him to insert his points through the often shocking violence. The film follows a formula for much of its running time but by favoring a portrayal of humanism and chance, the events take on extra tension and unpredictability. It's cinema at its very best and Cheung gives us answers we can identity with through the various performers pitch perfect embodying of their particular type. Biggest kudos goes out to Wong Chung's commanding presence, Cheung Kwok-Keung as the timid, rookie cop and last but not least, the triumph/misstep in Cheung's framework, Hui Bing-Sam. It's a misstep in a sense that the major nut job he plays goes overly cartoonish ways but at the same time overpowering all that is a superbly frightening aura brought out by Hui. Cops And Robbers may look and feel dirty for no apparent special reason but behind it is a smart storyteller who overcomes etched in stone conventions to deliver fresh and felt cinema. The film also stars Kam Hing Yin, Chan Chik-Waai, Phillip Chan and composer Teddy Robin appears briefly.

Corpse Mania (1981) Directed by: Kuei Chih-Hung

Knowing Kuei Chih-Hung's The Killer Snakes, it's no surprise his graphic murder mystery Corpse Mania strikes a high note visually. Not as demented as the title suggests, Kuei enlists cinematographer Li Hsin Yeh in order to realize his visions of colour, smoke and movement. Li responds and creates excellent atmosphere that will trigger the agreeable center of the brain with giallo and Dario Argento fans. Story-wise, the film lacks truly surprising twists but there's enough injected for the atmosphere to dominate. And it should. With Tanny Tien, Tso Tat Wah and as the intuitive detective of the piece, Wong Yung.

Celestial restored the film almost all the way through (an embarrassing lengthy freeze frame suggests laziness) and deemed it worthy of vcd only status only.

Buy the VCD at:
Yesasia.com

The Corruptor (1999, James Foley)

After a more non-verbal and familiar role in his US debut The Replacement Killers (echoes of John Woo's The Killer hovered over that one), The Corruptor sees Chow Yun-Fat getting a first chance to be a chatterbox and display multi-layered acting for a bigger, English language audience. The duality of the cop he plays who is to a degree playing both sides in a bloody gangster war in New York's Chinatown comes through via both said non-verbal passages but also a combination of both an out there charisma which smoothly transitions to a calm, collected cool. Especially since he now has to deal with a rookie (Mark Wahlberg) assigned to the Asian Gang Units task force. James Foley deals in violence and action but keeps matters more claustrophobic and realistic. Shootouts go more for the gut punch than the balletic and the incredibly violent car chase mid-movie isn't a setpiece that makes the movie stray either. Because Foley puts his attention on duality and whether there is a moral center to his characters, gets passable chemistry between the leads but the core themes are elevated more through supporting cast such as Brian Cox (as Wahlberg's father) and Ric Young as a flamboyant, manipulative gangster. It's admirable material that has stood the test of the time and while it doesn't come off as a commercial, mainstream leap-off point for Chow Yun-Fat, it's comforting to know he got to handle material rather than being designated a path that desperately echoed his Hong Kong days.

Couples, Couples, Couples (1988) Directed by: Cheung Ji-Kok

John and Mary (Jacky Cheung and Cherie Cheung) are together but not registered for marriage as he deep down wants to maintain a sense of bachelor life while she feels her biological clock is ticking. Despite a loving and successful foster parenthood of friends Pao Niu's (Lowell Lo) and Hsiao Pao's (Sally Kwok) baby, the couple aren't on the same page when it comes to parenthood. So this lack of communication leads to her making holes in John's condoms and then moving out when she's timed their sex with her ovilation. Nice. Moving in with Dauphne (Elaine Kam) whop's businessman husband (Melvin Wong) may have just returned from his excursions with AIDS, let the complications begin...

Star power and the pleasant atmosphere is a highlight here in a package that starts out real and strong but spirals into a bit too flimsy comical misunderstandings package that didn't need the, albeit only fair, broadness it delivers. It's nice seeing our lead desire each other and getting on in a really felt way initially but mentioned misunderstandings involving cheap gags about AIDS and possible homosexuality makes the strong start fade. However Couples, Couples, Couples is fluff entertainment for its time, something that is miles ahead of today's equal products. Wu Ma and Corey Yuen appear as flirting boyscouts!

Buy the DVD at:
Yesasia.com

Crazy Blood (1983) Directed by: Lee Siu-Wa

As downbeat as you can imagine, Olivia Cheng plays psychologist Min , dedicated far too much towards her cases and little to her family (husband is played by Eddie Chan). Fortunately he is a loving father but circumstances surrounding Min's devotion results in the most harrowing event of all: the accidental death of their son. Burying herself in work, he instead snaps mentally...

Director Lee Siu-Wa likes being heavy handed and blatantly obvious in his ways, going from beat to beat without much inspiration. A fair bit of kudos goes to his unusual tac of showing a non-linear narrative at points but the twist is already established even without this device. Uneven overall, there are a fair few scenes of very disturbing violence and Eddie Chan shows memorable actor devotion in these scenes.

Buy the VCD at:
Yesasia.com

Crazy Couple (1979) Directed by: Ricky Lau

Dean Shek and Lau Ga-Yung team up, go through skit after skit, shenanigans after shenanigans and then there's some plot about stolen jewels inserted so evil one essayed by Fung Hak-On must make sure there's kung fu action available. The directing debut of Ricky Lau (Mr. Vampire), Crazy Couple is perhaps THE endurance test for viewers trying to understand the "magic" of Dean Shek. In pony tails, with a high pitched dubber making noises (it's not dialogue, it IS noises) running through the entire film, it's a recipe for headache and a possible reprisal of that scene from Scanners. Yep, it's not infections fun but intolerable and even on paper manic inclusions of Eric Tsang as the daughter of the medicine man played by Wong Ching doesn't play. The amount of mugging and annoyance can be forgotten briefly when Fung Hak-On flashes his action directing (along with Huang Ha) on the film. But overall the real action blended with a comedy vibe to it doesn't register as a standalone element because there needs to be likeable context for this aspect to work. One sole cute scene of Lau Ga-Yung and his monkey could've begun a nice sidetrack in the script but the monkey is soon dead! Ho Pak-Kwong, Lily Li and Peter Chan Lung also appear.

Crazy Guy With Super Kung-Fu (1978) Directed by: Wong Lung

A showcase, perhaps THE showcase of the retarded nature of the kung-fu comedy... in a bad way. The classics set the tone, others followed quickly, cheaply and poorly. So despite opening pretty hardcore with quite an intricate fight scene with the thugs of the piece, you know this peace and quiet will be broken soon. Living up to the crazy but not super of its title, Lee I-Min and company start to inhabit the frame, learning some kind of kung-fu to battle the thugs while also engaging in a poetry competition along the way. Dean Shek is also let out of his cage to cross dress, make loud noises and continue the tradition of a retardation angle to fight choreography. This assault, in PARTICULAR Shek's, means we have no patience to appreciate when peace is restored action-wise later. Still, filmmakers don't veer away that much from established atmosphere and Crazy Guy With Super Kung-Fu can't engage in that two way manner the title suggests.

Crazy Love (1993) Directed by: Roman Cheung

Loletta Lee abandoned cuteness of the past via roles in among other things The Happy Ghost and Mr. Vampire Saga 4 for something way more adult. Or rather sleazy and steamy as she bared it all (or as much as the Category III rating would allow) in Crazy Love. A sizeable hit looking at the numbers and I'm sure she was a marketing tool too, there's no slow tease here. No, first scene is Lee in the shower so those typical Hong Kong moviegoers arriving 15 minutes late, tough luck! But there IS more folks. What follows is a series of barely and sometimes connected scenes having to do with Lee's Jane trying to figure out what type of love is right for her. A bit of a tease, a free spirit and prone to dishing out jealousy happily/irrationally, the various adventures around Hong Kong (instead of the UK trip she was supposed to be on) definitely holds potential in small ways as the notions put forth about love are valid, albeit rather simple-minded. But while the definition of love as a true union of emotions is a fine message, unfortunately it's buried in what barely defines itself as a structured film. Director Cheung's stock also is considerably lessened as he gives us stereotype after stereotype. Yes, Jane encounters rapists, flamboyant homosexuals, horny characters her age, horny characters not her age and punctuating some of these skits within the painless running time really gives no edge to Crazy Love. However Loletta is loving the camera and the camera is loving her. Sold! Tommy Wong, Shing Fui-On, Joh Chung, Terence Fok, Tin Ching and Poon Jan-Wai also appear.

Buy the DVD at:
Yesasia.com

Crazy Love For You (1993) Directed by: Hon Wai Daat

image stolen with permission from lovehkfilmc.om

With close-up images reminiscent of The Silence Of The Lambs, the reveal is that Simon Yam is the one putting make-up and a wig on so this Category III ride gets off to an assuring start. He plays Fred, working at a security company at day and being a psychotic stalker at night. His eyes have fallen on popular reporter Kitty (Yvonne Yung - A Chinese Torture Chamber Story)...

With Yam prancing about his apartment surrounded by high-tech camera setups, mannequins, all while acting up a storm, it's definitely a rape-fantasy movie with equally humorous and disturbing touches blended together. There's nothing really inappropriately light on display. It's just giggle-inducing to see Yam go for it. As a tale, the film addresses real issues of fan devotion but that doesn't get in the way of a fair amount of grim behaviour from director Hon Wai Daat's chair. Including Yam posing as Yvonne's boyfriend at a costume party, practically making love while dancing and a highlight reel, grim murder during the finale. Capping it all off with the memorable subtitle: "You shot my dicky! You are that cruel!" and Crazy Love For You cements its status as a suitable mixture for its exploitation audience.

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