American and Hong Kong Action Films When comparing the action films of Hong Kong to the typical action films of America, certain differences are clearly visible. The films from Hong Kong feature more melodrama, more fast-paced action scenes, and most noticeably, more graphic violence, than the action films released in the US. When looking at what these Hong Kong films were influenced by, especially the films of John Woo, it is surprising to see that many of these differences from American cinema are,
if you’ve never seen action. Who does all his own stunts.” Jackie Chan, known for his reckless stunts, comedy, and bizarre English, has introduced Hollywood to a newly perception and invented martial art that appeals to all sorts of audiences. He incorporates his knowledge from his younger days in the Peking Opera and China Drama Academy under the guidance of Master Yu Jim- Yuen, a famous Peking opera wu-shen performer, who is considered to be the grandfather of Hong Kong martial arts movies. Not
Jung’s analysis of The Get Down, “B-boying is the epitome of pop-cultural dance, because they took, unbeknownst and knowingly, stuff from the Nicholas Brothers, from Bruce Lee, from kung fu theater, [and] from '70s gang culture ...If it wasn't for Hong Kong cinema, hip-hop street-dancing culture would be a bit different” (E. Alex Jung, Vulture). Aspects of Asian culture also show up during the voguing scene in the episode. In one scene, you see a drag queen wearing a short Cheongsam dress and voguing on
In Hollywood today, most films can be categorized according to the genre system. There are action films, horror flicks, Westerns, comedies and the likes. On a broader scope, films are often separated into two categories: Hollywood films, and independent or foreign ‘art house’ films. Yet, this outlook, albeit superficial, was how many viewed films. Celebrity-packed blockbusters filled with action and drama, with the use of seamless top-of-the-line digital editing and special effects were considered
National Identity is the notion and cohesive whole of a nation. It’s the particular way factors such as culture, language and tradition build a nation. In this essay I will examine how Hong Kong (HK) horror is empirical to the nation’s identity. My case study will be ‘A Chinese Ghost Story’ (1987) as well as other supportive substantiations i.e. Books and websites. The integrity within Chinas national identity is said to be ephemeral changing since the archaic China. After The Treaty of Nanjing (1842-1997)
of Asian directors, particularly in the context of Hong Kong cinema, one name that immediately comes to mind would be none other than Wong Kar-wai. Any Asian film student would probably be familiar with his signature works. Wong Kar-wai has been considered as "the very latest auteur produced by the second wave" in Hong Kong cinema (Teo 193). His passion for stylistic filmmaking and pursuit of film artistry gave him the recognition as a Hong Kong auteur. His auteur status arose from the distinctive
Full Service Cinema: The South Korean Cinema Success Story (So Far) Fifteen years ago, South Korean cinema was in precipitous decline. It was facing deadly competition from Hollywood as import barriers were dismantled, and had almost no export market. Today, South Korean cinema is widely considered the most successful and significant non-Hollywood cinema anywhere in the world today. It is successful both in the domestic market, and internationally. This essay sets out to understand this phenomenon
The Construction of the ‘Western Other’ in Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Hong Kong has always remained a very unique city, one which is said to have ‘a Western past, an Eastern future’. Since its colonisation by the British in the 1860s, it has maintained to a very large extent its Chinese identity and its connection to its Motherland, while at the same time, has frequent contact with the Western world, politically, economically, and culturally. Hong Kong’s unique position has made the city a
John Woo The bread-and-butter of the film industry is the action movie. Each summer, audiences can expect to see car chases, gunfights and explosions, and studios can expect to see millions and millions of dollars in return. Though most viewers and critics see these movies as "fluff" entertainment (and rightfully so), there is one director that puts as much heart and soul into his "fluff" as any number of talented directors put into their "serious" movies. His name is John Woo. Even though you
symbolism. Furious 7 realizes and accepts that it is that summer blockbuster action extravaganza, and that’s exactly what it strives to be. It doesn’t try to reach into other genres or change the dynamic of the action film. It is very clearly your tried-and-true, off the wall action movie. There are two scenes in
Why Pulp Fiction is a Must-See Film Looking for an action film with a great soundtrack and amazing characters? Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino 1994) is a must see film, comprised of several different stories. The soundtrack includes upbeat tunes that keep the viewer engaged while the characters are interesting and complex along with amazing action scenes. Throughout the film the audience sees the story of a couple of thieves, two hit men, a mob boss’ wife, and a boxer all join together to create
Directed by John Woo the film should contain fast paced action and a considerable amount of gunfire. This is proven in the opening scene. The main protagonist, Ethan Hunt, is first sighted by the audience climbing a mountain somewhere in south America with no safety harness. Already there is the element of danger which is typical of an action film. Also, later on in the scene, he seems to be being chased by a helicopter. Another action film then? I’m sure we’d all agree. However, many other
their leisure time. Following the development of film industry, more and more film genres appear. There are about 10 main movie genres. They include action, adventure, comedy, drama, historical, horror, musicals, science fiction, war and westerns. Each kind of movie will has its distinctive characteristics to let people distinguish it and others. Action movie usually has a lot of non-stop motion and physical stunts. It adopts the technique of battles, fights or escapes to show movies’ motif. And it
soon as you look at it you can tell that this movie is an intense action film. The Kill Bill magazine advertisement accomplishes its purpose very well by its eight person sword fight picture, explosive entertainment, and catchy background. The whole purpose of this ad is simply to get you to go out and buy the Kill Bill DVD. By looking at this ad and seeing six people with swords there is no doubt that this is going to be an action movie. Also there is blood red color all throughout the background
Two men from different sides coming together under one common goal, to save the world; sounds like just another action movie, doesn’t it? Well this is exactly what director Guy Ritchie creates in his most recent film “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” This action, adventure, comedy film definitely fits the description straight to the core, being just another spy movie. It is offered on DVD or Blue-Ray with a DVD copy and an UltraViolet Digital HD code. Based on the television series “The Man from U.N.C.L
is a film worthy of rivaling the very best in action movie history and certainly deserves a place in our top ten modern action films due to its riveting action sequences, flamboyant stunts and surprisingly good cast. If you wanted to find a classic action movie which contains absolutely everything an action movie is forecasted to have and be, look no further. Speed is a classic action film with emphasis on the action. The stereotypical action film we know today is the product of over a
males. This is another stereotype. Within the last few years, we’ve seen actors such as Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, and Zoe Saldana take the lead roles, so it can’t be said that there are no non-white heroes, but there certainly isn’t many. Hollywood action movies, moreover than other genres, are typically loaded with an abundance of stereotypes. The way these movies are composed and structured can tell us a great deal about the views held within the American psyche and who holds the social power. The
Jie-Lun Chou Jie-Lun Chou is a Taiwanese musician born on 18 January 1979. He is also an actor, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and a director. He was born to parents who taught him fine arts. His music career started when he was only four years old. The young boy loved to play piano and to listen to music when alone. Like any other child, he had hobbies, and his was playing basketball (Play it yet 1). However, he never attended college, and, thus, he did not have any good academic records.
the return of the R-rated action movie. It is the dark and savvy remake of John Carpenter’s 1976 cult classic of the same name, which in turn was inspired by Howard Hawks’ 1959 Rio Bravo. French Director Francois Richet’s American filmmaking debut has done right by the cult favorite about a ragtag group of cops and criminals trapped in a police station. The thrill of this dark action flick is rightly focused on the characters, eerie setting, and tons of stripped down action and gunplay that truly brings
to talk about his mouth. He does cool things with his mouth. Smoking cigarettes is no longer an emblem of cool in the USA, but Chow does wonders with cigarette smoke in Prison On Fire. Director Ringo Lam understands this; like most of the great Hong Kong directors, he loves using slow motion and freeze frames to pinpoint important moments in his movies, and he saves a few of the most elegant slow-motion sequences for Chow blowing smoke and looking cool. In John Woo's over-the-top classic, Hard Boiled