ByTowne Cinema proudly presents a retrospective of essential titles produced in the creative epicentre of Hong Kong, newly scanned in 4K and restored from original camera elements.
Featuring works from directors John Woo, Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, and Ching Siu-tung, these stories of cops and criminals, Chinese opera, and supernatural forces showcase one of the most explosively inventive eras in modern filmmaking.
Please Note: All screenings will be in their original Cantonese with English subtitles
John Woo - 1986
This story is the tale of two brothers: one a successful counterfeiter and the younger a fledgling graduate of the HK police academy. The plot revolves around the split when the younger brother learns the other is a criminal and the efforts of the criminal brother to reform. Along the way are plenty of heists, double-crosses, and shoot outs.
John Woo - 1987
In this sequel, Ho initially refuses to go undercover to bust the gang he used to work for in exchange for his release from prison. He only accepts after his little brother, the policeman Kit accepts the assignment. Meanwhile in New York Ken Gor, the twin brother of Mark Gor from the 1st movie, shelters the boss of the gang, who has had to flee after it is taken over by a more aggressive leadership.
Hark Tsui - 1989
At the end of the Vietnam war, Cheung goes to Saigon, intent on bringing his uncle and cousin back to Hong Kong. In Saigon, Cheung meets beautiful gangleader Chow, and relies on her help for their safe return. A love triangle develops between the cousins and Chow Further complicating matters, Chow's lover Ho, a gang leader, appears Ho deports the cousins, and kills their uncle. Cheung and his cousin return to Vietnam seeking revenge, while Chow and Ho also become entangled with a local vietnamese warlord. Chow tries to stop the battle, but the warlord kills Chow and Ho. Just before her death Chow gives the cousins the last two air tickets with which to leave Vietnam
Siu-Tung Ching - 1987
Ning Tsai-Shen, a humble tax collector, arrives in a small town to carry out his work. Unsurprisingly, no-one is willing to give him shelter for the night, so he ends up spending the night in the haunted Lan Ro temple. There, he meets Taoist Swordsman Yen Che-Hsia, who warns him to stay out of trouble, and the beautiful Nieh Hsiao-Tsing, with whom he falls in love. Unfortunately, Hsiao-Tsing is a ghost, bound for all eternity by a hideous tree spirit with an incredibly long tongue that wraps itself round its victims and sucks out their life essence (or 'yang element')....
Siu-Tung Ching - 1990
In this installment of a phenomenal saga of the supernatural, four young people are caught in a tug-o-war of evil between an Imperial Wizard and a corrupt General. A wandering scholar (Leslie Cheung), still mourning the loss of his ghostly love, escapes wrongful imprisonment and falls for a rebellious woman (Joey Wang). Meanwhile, an evil monster threatens to destroy all hopes of love unless a maniacal Taoist ghostbuster (Jacky Cheung) can stop it first! Outrageous special effects galore..
Siu-Tung Ching, Hark Tsui - 1991
A soft remake of A Chinese Ghost Story, this third installment in the trilogy sees the evil Tree Spirit back with yet another romantic ghost played by Joey Wong. The Swordsman Yen and Leslie Cheung characters are replaced in this installment by a Buddhist Abbot and his disciple (Tony Leung), who seeks shelter in the Orchid Temple as the amorous ghost attempts to court him. Jacky Cheung also pops up again, this time as a money-grabbing swordsman with a neat bag of tricks.
John Woo - 1990
In 1967, on the way to the wedding of a friend a young man is accosted by a local gang member. Later, the three friends administer justice, in the process of which the gang member is killed, so they leave Hong Kong to avoid the police and the gang. They run black market supplies to Saigon and get embroiled in the war, being arrested as Viet Cong, then later captured by the Viet Cong, and find that their friendship is tested to the limits as they try to escape.
Ringo Lam - 1990
Ko Chow is about to resign from the police force when he is asked to take on one more case. He is to go undercover in a gang that is robbing jewellery stores. He accepts the task and successfully infiltrates the gang. It is a very dangerous mission, not just because the gang might discover his true identity but because many of the police suspect he may well be a criminal.
John Woo - 1989
Mobsters are smuggling guns into Hong Kong. The police orchestrate a raid at a teahouse where an ace detective loses his partner. Meanwhile, the two main gun smugglers are having a war over territory, and a young new gun is enlisted to wipe out informants and overcome barriers to growth. The detective, acting from inside sources, gets closer to the ring leaders and eventually must work with the inside man directly.
Hark Tsui - 1986
Set in chaotic 1920's China, when warlords fought each other for power while Sun Yat-Sen's underground movement tried to establish a democratic republic. The movie tells the story of three young women and two young men who are thrown together. One young woman grabs a box of jewels during the looting when one warlord takes Peking. A deserting soldier joins her, but the jewels end up at the Peking Opera. Here we meet the daughter of the head of the troupe, who dreams of being an actress. But even female roles are played by men in the opera. Soon, the daughter of the currently ruling warlord and a male agent of the democratic underground are involved.
John Woo - 1989
A Hong Kong hitman accidentally blinds an innocent woman during a hit. He is determined to get her surgery to help her regain her sight but he needs to complete one more hit first. He completes the job but then is ambushed as he tries to escape: someone wants him dead. Meanwhile a resourceful, unorthodox police detective is hot on his trail.
Hong Kong cinema in the ’80s and ’90s was renowned for its thrilling action choreography, distinctive visual styles, and emotional storytelling. This remarkable era in cinematic history produced crime thrillers, martial arts classics, and action films that have left an indelible mark on Hollywood. Their influence can be seen in everything from Quentin Tarantino's movies to the iconic Matrix and John Wick franchises.
Among these are many acclaimed and popular early works by renowned filmmakers John Woo, Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark, Corey Yuen, Gordon Chan, and Johnnie To. The list also includes internationally renowned actors Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Leslie Cheung, and Tony Leung Ka-fai. Many of these highly sought-after movies from Shout!’s Golden Princess library and seminal Hong Kong classics have been dormant and out–of–print for decades outside of Asia.
| TYPE | TIER | PRICE | TAX | FEE | SERVICE FEE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child (3-13) | Admission | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.99 |
Purchases: $0.00
Service Fees: $0.99
Sales Tax: $0.00
Total: $0.00
Wednesday, January 10, 7:00 p.m.
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