Hong Kong Action Cinema

From the dazzling choreography of martial arts movies to the gore of the "heroic bloodshed" genre, Hong Kong action films are masterpieces of style and fury, and a prime source of inspiration for Hollywood. Tracing the background of this enticing film genre from the influences of Chinese opera to the mixture of fantasy and fast-paced action of the present day style, this is essential reading for both the intrigued layman and the die-hard Hong Kong fan. Photos, 95 in color. This Book Tells You Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The High-octane World Of Far Eastern Film-making: From The Balletic To The Ballistic, From The Grace Of Bruce Lee To The Bullet-ridden Bloodletting Of John Woo, From The Comedy Stunts Of Jackie Chan To The Action Choreography Of Ching Siu Tung, From Versatile Leading Man Chow Yun Fat To Fighting Females Michelle Khan And Cynthia Rothrock, From Prolific Action Director Samo Hung To Tsui Hark, Dubbed The 'steven Spielberg Of Hong Kong'. It Is Also A Comprehensive Guide To The History Of Hong Kong Cinema, Tracing The Background To This Exciting Film Genre From Filmed Chinese Opera, Through The Work Of The Shaw Brothers And Lau Kar Leung, To The Mixture Of Fantasy And Fast-moving Action That Typifies The Present Day Style.--book Jacket. In The Beginning: From Peking Opera To A Shaw Thing -- Bruce Lee: The Dragon Discovered -- Lau Kar Leung: The Undisputed Martial Arts King -- Jackie Chan: The Clown Prince Of Kung Fu -- Samo Hung: The Multi-talented Star -- Chinese Ghost Stories: The Far Eastern Flights Of Fantasy -- Heroic Bloodshed: The Ballistic Ballet Of John Woo -- Comedy Capers: Carry On Out East -- Fighting Females: The Far East's Favourite Females Of Fury -- The Next Generation: New Dragons Rising. Bey Logan. Origianally Published: London : Titan Books, 1995. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 188) And Index. Includes Filmographies. Traces the growth of Hong Kong's film industry through the martial arts films of the 1970s and provides information on contemporary stars, directors, and genres