Sex and Zen and a Bullet in the Head, by Stefan Hammond and Mike Wilkins
Hong Kong Babylon, by Frederic Dannen and Barry Long
Review by Jeffrey M. Anderson
Buy Sex and Zen and a Bullet in the Head, by Stefan Hammond and Mike Wilkins
Buy Hong Kong Babylon, by Frederic Dannen and Barry Long
These two books together make a decent reference guide to the exciting
Hong Kong film industry of the 1970's through the early 1990's.
Fortunately for the books, but unfortunately for the films, they were
both published during the industry's decline. When ownership of Hong
Kong reverted from the British back to Communism, many filmmakers fled,
fearing for their creative freedom. Among others, John Woo, Jackie Chan,
Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark, and Ronny Yu have come to America to make films,
and the films made in Hong Kong since have only been a pale shadow the
glory days covered in these books. Sex and Zen and a Bullet in the
Head is written from a fan's point of view. It's divided into
chapters on Woo, Chan, and Tsui, genres like women's action and film
noir, and a chapter devoted to the legendary Shaw Brothers. There are
long reviews with detailed plot synopses of several key movies, and a
guide with titles written out in Cantonese to help with shopping for
videos in Chinatown. Hong Kong Babylon is more academic,
providing analyses of key directors and stars, and a comprehensive plot
synopsis section for just about every major Hong Kong movie of the
period. There are also "personal" sections in which
intelligent critics such as Dave Kehr and Chuck Stephens choose their
favorites, and a comprehensive list of the best of the best. (John Woo's
Bullet in the Head ranks #1, followed by Stanley Kwan's
Actress and Wong Kar-wai's Chungking
Express.) Since most normal video guides still don't list many of
these movies, these books are indispensable.
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