Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent reference, August 27, 2000
This new book strikes a very nice balance between thefan-oriented publications and the more analysis-heavy (sometimes downright pretentious) coverage afforded to HK movies by recent American books. The reviews and plot synopsis are well-written, informative, and often make a point of providing extra information about how the film started new trends, was a remake, etc. There are cast/character and crew listings, a detailed index, and information about video availability in various formats. Like most McFarland books, this is not cheap but it's worth the price and I have already learned a lot about various actors and films in the week since I got it in. Highly recommended!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally! The Leonard Maltin Film Guide of Hong Kong Cinema!, October 14, 2000
This is the reference that I know I was waiting to find, and am very glad it is as definitive and well written as it is. Covering a huge amount (over 1,100) movies and providing invaluable information about each, it doesn't get much better than this book if you're a fan of Hong Kong film genre. Each movie listed is packed full with ratings, incredibly complete cast (with character names) and crew listings, video, DVD and VCD info, as well as a very well written and concise review covering not just the film, but interesting references and behind-the-scenes information. A little expensive, but if you're a fan of this genre, it's a must buy. You won't be disappointed!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hong Kong Filmography, 1977 - 1997, September 23, 2000
At last there is a comprehensive encyclopedia available for movie buffs now that Hong Kong cinema has saturated western pop culture. The Hong Kong Filmography contains 1,102 reviews spaced three small print columes over the course of 350 plus pages and arranged by their most popular English titles. The anatomy of a typical review crams in plenty of credit information (including Cantonese/Mandarin and English title akas; crew personnel) and even identifies the principal cast by who they portray. The distraction of photographs is not missed because the detail of the author's credits will enable you to pinpoint even minor cast members across the numbers of films they appeared in. Thus, you can easily study a significant part of the career of even a criminally underappreciated talent like the charming Fennie Yuen Kit-ying, who shared the limelight with better known HK cinema icons such as Chow Yun-fat, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Sammo Hung.Additionally, each entry includes a short but detailed plot summary (often with observations on the significance of when and where a movie was set), braced with pointed criticism of the production and enough peculiar facts about its story to swiftly familarize novice viewers with the characteristics of cinema from this region while enthralling even veteran fans. For instance, I learned that the 1990 woman warrior film, She Shoots Straight, starring Martial Law actor Sammo Hung Kam-po's future wife Joyce Godenzi, is a contemporary retelling of a Sung Dynasty story that would appeal to fans of period drama and knowing that pedigree casts irony on what would have otherwise been a typical thriller. Such informative detail will make viewing these movies a more enjoyable experience. The author viewed each movie in the context of the culture it was made in as well as its place in world cinema, observing the exchange of influences between the HK film industry and the rest of the world. The author's Video Watchdog journalism experience comes in handy when he briefly touches upon the presentation of these titles on video, vcd, laser and dvd (new fans of Jackie Chan will appreciate John's observations on the "Americanizing" of Chan's HK films for consumption by western viewers). Finally, The Hong Kong Filmography offers up to date listings of video resources, a glossary of movie terms relevant to the industry and Chinese culture, a short bibliography and a detailed index of titles and personnel.I do recommend arming yourself with this volume the next time you require a HK cinema fix.
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