Counterfeit Jet

Yup, this is how I think of Jet Li, in a dress jacket and t-shirt... Really? This is a depiction of Jet Li? Isn't there a death sentence in China for bad wax figure sculptors? If I were Jet Li, I'd demolish this pale imitation with my fists! Here is the source for the photo, with a fluff bio piece on Li.

Jet Li poses with his wax figure in Shanghai [Photo: baidu.com]

Season's Greetings!

From Hong Kong Movie News, December 1979

My eBay auctions for Dec 19th!

Back with more auctions of doubles from my personal auctions. Got a couple are rarities in this lot. They might be a little pricier than some of my usual offerings, but these are so hard to find, I can't let them go at bargain basement prices. Stay tuned as there will be some steals in auctions to come. I have a wedding in January that I need to pay for, so stuff is going on the auction block!

Have a look, browse around and if the feeling hits you, BID!

My eBay page

My current auctions

when there was fun to be had at Yonge + Queen

Don't care much about the headliner, but imagine seeing a Zatoichi film on the big screen!?

(from The Toronto Star, December 26 1976)

new Jackie Chan film, but am I excited...?

Not sure I can get excited by this. Looks like a rehash of fights from Dragons Forever and Armor of God 2... Zzzzzz

Keanu-Fu

From Film Business Asia comes this news: Universal boards Reeves' Man of Tai Chi.

Reeves will also appear in front of the camera, though the star will be Tiger CHEN 陳虎, a martial artist who previously worked on The Matrix with both Reeves and Village Roadshow.

The contemporary, Beijing-set story is the "spiritual journey of a young martial artist (Tiger Chen), whose fighting skills brings him to a realm opportunities and painful choices."

Sounds curious and not passing any judgment on this one yet...

Run Run Shaw Announces Retirement at Age 104

Legendary producer, Run Run Shaw, co-founder of Shaw Studios, has announced that he will step down from his position of Chairman at TVB, Hong Kong's biggest television company (which he also co-founded) on December 31st.

Shaw's contributions to film and television are nearly untouchable, and my love of film would most certainly be a much more pretentious and less enjoyable beast without his work. I'm beyond thankful for his films. If anyone deserves their retirement, it's him.

ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR!!!

Source: Bloomberg.com

Attention casting agents!

Just found a bunch of photos that were scanned for my old film zine Asian Eye and there are some goodies in that folder. Like this one. AMAZING! The buddy cop film we never knew we needed...

lastest batch of my auctions (ending Dec 4)

Back with more auctions from my personal Hong Kong movie poster collection!

Thanks to all those who bid on last week's auctions! Your posters are in the mail and I am off to a good start adding to the nest egg for my wedding in January.

All the following auctions are of various doubles from my collection and there are some fine and rare posters here, if I don't say so myself!

Several auctions feature "Buy It Now" pricing for the impatient collectors. Have a look, browse around and if the feeling hits you, BID!

My eBay page
My current auctions

vintage buddha palm blast on eBay!

As I was rooting through the various eBay listings for Hong Kong movie posters, I stumbled across these amazing stills for old Hong Kong swordplay fantasy films from the 50s & 60s. ANIMATED MARTIAL ARTS SUPER POWERS ARE GO! These rare stills feature actors Yu So Chau, Tso Tat Wah, Lau Hark Suen (wo starred in over 460 films!) and Yu Lai Jan in a number of unidentified films, but one seems to be from one of the entries in the Buddha's Palm series. Do I buy myself a Christmas present now?

One of these framed on the walls of the temple would we a great way to start off the New Year...

Auction

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My eBay Auctions Nov 20-27

As some of you devoted blog disciples may know, I occasionally put up eBay auctions of items from my personal Hong Kong movie poster collection, but it has been some time since I listed anything. Well, I have a wedding in January that I need to pay for, so back in the auction ring I go!

All the following auctions are of various doubles from my collection and there are some fine posters here, if I don't say so myself! I hope to list new auctions every week and will soon be listing some mega-rare lobbycard sets!

Starting bids for some of the posters start at $2.99 and I have a few auctions with "Buy It Now" pricing. Have a look, browse around and if the feeling hits you, BID!

My eBay page

My current auctions

Two heads are BETTER than one

Found on eBay:
custom A BETTER TOMORROW 1/6 Action figure head SET

RIP Ricky Hui

I've been archiving my posters today (an ongoing task) and game across the poster for Games Gamblers Play which made me realize I didn't share the news of Ricky Hui's passing this week. I have a fondness for him as he starred in Mr. Vampire, which was one of my entry points to Hong Kong cinema. Watching him then, little did I realize his contribution to Hong Kong comedy and of course the relation to his other entertainer brothers, Michael and Sam. 

Here is a selection of only a few of the Ricky Hui images I have in my collection.

Rest in peace Ricky.

Read the asiaone story for more details.

Lost Secrets of The Royal

I just came back from the reception at A-Space Gallery for "Lost Secrets of The Royal" that showcased two of four installations made from odd reels of 35mm Hong Kong films that I rescued from Toronto's The Royal cinema back when it was the Chinese cinema, The Golden Princess.

While I donated many of the complete prints to the University of Toronto, but with the odd and incomplete reels, I donated it to the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) with the stipulation they be used and recycled. The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, of which I sit on the advisory board, commissioned four installtions with LIFT that were unveiled at this week at the festival. You can read more about it here.

I really loved the two pieces, "SNAKE'S SHADOW" and "OFFICER TUBA MEETS THE HAPPY GHOST" Both artists "got it" in my opinion. Well done! If in Toronto, go see it! I hope to post more photos from the show later this week.

Fists of Muck

Improved Guillotines?

Via Twitch comes this poster for the Peter Chan produced reworking of The Flying Guillotine. Not crazy about the Transformers-like font and isn't that just a sword...? The cast is less than impressive, but then that is just me being woefully nostalgic.

Towering Adventure!

Behind the Scenes Video of 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER

Check out this great behind the scenes video of the making of 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER, featuring Lau Kar-leung having Gordon Liu perform an action scene over and over again until they get it right--both of them sweating with stress and concern. You also get to see LKL's sweet ride, and multiple young fighters audition for a role in the film.

No English subs but it's still fascinating stuff.



Thanks to Blake for posting it on Facebook!

Hong Kong Movie Posters: Kung Fu Zombie - Wu long tian shi zhao ji gui (198...

Hong Kong Movie Posters: Kung Fu Zombie - Wu long tian shi zhao ji gui (198...: Wa Yat-Wang

kill bill fantasy!

Yours for only $62US on ebay!

Kill Bill /Kung Fu Master Fancy Dress Costume Catsuit-M

Hot Kill Bill-style Kung Fu Master costume.

Brand new.

It is a yellow and black stretch catsuit which moulds to your body shape and has bootleg-cut legs - also features a very handy hidden zip around the crotch so you do not have to remove the entire catsuit for bathroom breaks - or for any other purpose!

It is tagged as a Medium and due to the two-way stretch is recommended for an Australian size 8 to a small size 14 (US size 4-10 / UK size 6-12), but please see the below measurements for specific fit.

The approximate measurements are:

Bust - 86-118cm / 34-46.5 inches
Waist - 74-108cm / 29-42.5 inches
Hip - 90-124cm / 35.5-49 inches
Length (neck to crotch) - 68cm / 27 inches
Leg Inseam - 78cm / 31 inches

evil cat scratch fever (凶貓)

Time for a little Evil Cat (凶貓)! Nope, not a YouTube video of someone's pet running amuck, but a fun little horror film starring Shaw Brothers director Liu Chia-Liang (who also served as the film's action director) and Mark Cheng. It's been a long time since I saw it, but I remember it as a fun mix of Eastern superstition topped with kung fu action. HK comedy/trash king Wong Jing penned and stars in it and it was directed by Dennis Yu, who had a short run as a horror film director after debuting with the brutal and violent revenge film The Beasts (1980) and The Imp (1981). (Photos from my collection)

quote of the day

"I used to love Hong Kong. I had hopes for it, and that’s why I was constantly critical. Now I just hate it. I look at the younger generation, young couples hugging teddy bears in the street—what hope do we have?" - Anthony Wong, actor

(via HKMDB Daily News)

My Neighbours Are Phantoms

A random lobbycard from one of the early Hong Kong ghost comedies that I rented when I started going into Chinatown video stores. I think I still have a dub of this somewhere on VHS! Some good ghostly boob jokes in this one!

Haven't posted for awhile as I have been pre-occupied with other jobs and projects including this one that I will be detailing over on my other blog: http://spiltpopcorn.blogspot.com/2011/06/spooling-up.html

name this poster....

Trying to identify some of the posters in my collection and looking for an English name for this one. Anyone got any ideas?

cash for films

In the the "out of touch with the market price" dept, I found this seller on eBay selling 2 full 35mm prints of two Hong Kong films for $600 each. EACH! Yikes! And these titles are not exactly in demand. Okay, The Tigers would be cool, but Lung Fung Restaurant? Well, there are some fanatical Stephen Chow fans, but...

If you care to bid, here you go:

The Tigers

Lung Fung Restaurant

Lung Fung Restaurant

Lung Fung Restaurant

The Tigers

A young Tony Leung and Andy Lau in The Tigers

not many took a liking to these balls...

An ad from a mainstream US magazine circa 1973. Click on photo to enlarge.

From Here To There

Muscles sore from moving 21 35mm prints (each weighing 45lb-50lbs) from the old storage space to the new one. Thank God I have an accupuncture appointment for Thurs.

My new address has far less charm than the old digs but I'll spruce it up and get those portraits up on the wall somehow!

Moving Day

Spent a good part of the day moving my posters, boxes of video tapes & paper film ephemera and 35mm film prints to a new storage space. Nothing says "I Love HK Cinema" more than moving 50lb boxes of films including Taoism Drunkard, Sword of Many Loves, Robotrix, Prodigal Son, and Eastern Condors. Goodbye 253 College Street.

VHS - vertical hold sucker

This is fantastic.


From The Scandy Tangerine Man's Tumblr

Not Showing....

The Far East Theatre at Dundas and Spadina in Toronto. Today.

is that you... Bruce?

Found today on ebay:

MASK - CHINESE BRUCE LEE KARATE KUNG FU MASTER MOVIE

It can be yours for only 99 cents starting bid plus shipping from China.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/MASK-CHINESE-BRUCE-LEE-KARATE-KUNG-FU-MASTER-MOVIE-/140536709417?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b8a40129#ht_882wt_1062

who's a Big Rascal? (大惡客)

A blurry photo from my poster collection and an playbill that was up for sale on eBay. Plus the opening credits!

put the needle on the record

I am expecting it to be middle of the road or crap, but I am looking forward to watching Robert "Enter The Dragon" Clouse's Golden Needles that I just got a copy of. Let's just see how Joe Don Baker is as a hero (and a lover, yikes!), the evil menace of Burgess Meredeth's bow tie, Roy Chiao's sinister sulk, all set to a score by Lalo Schifrin.

And as a reward for getting to the end of this post, go grab some free soul music from one of my favourite blogs, Funky 16 Corners!