19822
Dragon Lord
| • | Nominated for Best Action Design |
1983
Winners & Sinners
| • | Sammo Hung’s Stuntman Association won for Best Action Design |
| • | Richard Ng nominated for Best Actor |
1984
Project A
| • | Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association won for Best Action Design |
| • | Jackie Chan nominated for Best Actor |
Wheels on Meals
| • | Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association nominated for Best Action Design |
1985
Police Story
| • | Won for Best Picture, Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association won for Best Action Design |
| • | Nominations: Jackie Chan for Best Director and Best Actor, Brigitte Lin for Best Actress, Cheung Yiu-cho nominated for Best Cinematography, Cheung Yiu-chung nominated for Best Editing |
| • | Won for Best Song |
| • | Nominations: Jackie Chan for Best Actor, Sammo Hung’s Stuntman Association for Best Action Design, Lam Man-yi nominated for Best Music |
My Lucky Stars
| • | Sammo Hung’s Stuntman Association nominated for Best Action Design |
1987
Project A II
| • | Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association won for Best Action Design |
| • | Cheung Yiu-chung nominated for Best Editing |
Armour of God
| • | Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association nominated for Best Action Design |
1988
Dragons Forever
| • | Sammo Hung’s Stuntman Association nominated for Best Action Design |
Police Story II
| • | Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association won for Best Action Design |
1989
Mr. Canton & Lady Rose
| • | Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association won for Best Action Design |
| • | Nominations: Jackie Chan for Best Actor, Cheung Yiu-chung for Best Editing, Eddie Ma nominated for Best Art Direction |
1991
Armour of God II: Operation Condor
| • | Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association nominated for Best Action Design |
1992
Supercop
| • | Nominations: Jackie Chan for Best Actor, Stanley Tong for Best Action Design |
1994
Crime Story
| • | Cheung Yiu-chung won for Best Editing Nominations: Kirk Wong for Best Director, Jackie Chan for Best Actor3, Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association nominated for Best Action Design |
1995
Drunken Master II
| • | Lau Kar-leung, Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Association won for Best Action Design |
| • | Cheung Yiu-chung nominated for Best Editing |
1996
Rumble in the Bronx
| • | Nominations: Best Picture, Jackie Chan for Best Actor, Anita Mui for Best Actress, Francoise Yip for Best Supporting Actress, Cheung Yiu-chung for Best Editing, Stanley Tong and Jackie Chan for Best Action Design |
Thunderbolt
| • | Sammo Hung Stuntman Association, Jackie Chan Stuntman Association nominated for Best Action Design |
The following is an excerpt (in translation) from the script of Mr. Nice Guy, which opened in Hong Kong on Chinese New Year 1997. Directed by Sammo Hung, this film (and this scene) clearly has his signature mix of brutal action and light humor—all in the tight confines of a van. Sammo set up this sequence, and the actions are kept quick and personal.
To set up the scene: Jackie is captured by the notorious Demons gang, who are also holding Jackie’s girlfriend hostage in return for an incriminating video that supposedly shows Demons’ gangleader (Richard Norton) killing a man. The intensity of the van situation is kept intact despite the humor of a bicyclist (Sammo Hung) who blunders into the scene. The shaking of the van, Chan’s facial expressions, and his unexpected actions also contribute a lighter tone to the violent aspects. “At one point, this Demons gang member could not get the rhythm down in throwing a punch at Jackie, so Sammo just steps out of the director’s chair, goes into the van, and shows him exactly how it’s done,” describes Barrie Pattison, a reporter on the set.
Original script page from Mr. Nice Guy. (Courtesy of Edward Tang)
Scene 27/Daytime
Inside the van. Victor is holding a gun pointed at Jackie’s head. Two members of the Demons gang are hitting and kicking Jackie violently. Jackie uses his hands to cover his head.
Jackie: Where’s Miki?!? I don’t care what you do with me, but let her go!
Victor grabs the videotape out of Jackie’s hand and hits him over the head with it.
Victor: Damn you. How dare you report me to the police! Do you want to play with me? I want to see what you can do now. I told you—no cops!
The van stops at a traffic light. From outside, people can see the van swaying left and right as Jackie is getting pummeled. A bicycle rider happens to stop next to the van at the red light. His hand rests against the van to keep himself balanced. The rider feels the vibration of the van’s movements, and he looks a Demons member right in the eye.
Rider: Is everything all right in there?
Demons member: Just fine.
At this moment, Jackie happens to be kicked and lands near the driver. Jackie screams out for help to the bicyclist. But before he can finish saying “Help!”, Chan is pulled furiously to the back of the van by the Demons gang.
Rider: Hey—you—
One of the Demons pushes the rider away.
Demons member: You go to hell!
A shot shows him falling off of his bike and on to the ground.
Two of the Demons drag Jackie outside of the van for more punishment. Victor lifts his leg and blocks the doorway.
Victor: Hold it!
Jackie is pulled back inside the van.
Victor: Let’s keep him until we’re sure this is the right tape.
Jackie: That is the right tape! Now let Miki go!
Victor: Let’s go back! (talking to the driver)
Jackie is facing Victor’s gun. He is thinking about how to escape.
Victor: If you’re jerking us around, you and your girlfriend are both dead!
The van stops at another light and the beaten up bicyclist pulls up next to the van again. This time he is cautious, and keeps his distance.
Inside the van, Jackie is sitting back to back against the driver’s seat. His hands accidentally touch the emergency brake handle.
When the light turns green, the van starts to move.
Jackie suddenly jerks the emergency brake handle.
Everyone loses their balance inside the van. Jackie pulls the seat adjustment lever. He causes the Demon’s member sitting at the front passenger seat to fall back. Jackie hits him as he falls backward. Fighting starts between Jackie and all the other Demons members.
The driver tried to keep the van under control, but he was knocked off balance because of the fight sending the van to run up on the sidewalk.
As the van begins to slow down, everyone bails out.
When the driver finally regains control of the van, the bicycle rider holds up a baseball bat that fell out of the van. He smashes the windshield shocking the driver in the process. The van loses control and hits a light pole.
The bicyclist shouts out with great joy. He carries his busted up bicycle and exits the scene.
Inside the van, Jackie grabs Victor, opens the door quickly and together they fall out. All other Demons members are trying to catch up with them.
Although most of Jackie Chan’s films will eventually make their way to local, mainstream video outlets, you do not have to sit idly by waiting for the rare risk-taking American distributor to release his films for mass audiences. More than 95% of all Hong Kong films are subtitled in English, and there are many Asian video stores across the United States that carry these films. Exploring the world of Hong Kong cinema can be a fun and exciting challenge—much like Chan’s quest to find the “armour of god”—but it will also be hard work. Locating a specific film in an Asian store will not be as easy as just walking into an English-speaking video store and being able to find the video sitting on a shelf, nor will you be able to ask the clerk, “Where can I find Thunderbolt with Jackie Chan?” Locating these films is going to require a basic knowledge of the two main Chinese languages: Cantonese and Mandarin. This section will provide the basic information needed to locate Hong Kong videos for those who want their Jackie right now!
The first step is finding an Asian video store. Most areas with large Asian populations will usually have primarily Asian shopping districts, and there will most likely be an Asian video store in these areas. If not, some Asian supermarkets carry laser discs, and try any place that promotes karoke. While Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese stores are good places to search, the main avenues for finding these films are Cantonese and Mandarin video stores. The main differences between Cantonese and Mandarin video stores that will affect your search for Hong Kong films is the pronunciation of their spoken languages and the speed with which the various outlets are able to get recent Hong Kong releases.
(Courtesy of Golden Harvest)
Cantonese video stores generally have professionally recorded films from major distributors like Tai Seng and World Video, both of which are American companies. While these two companies also produce Mandarin-dubbed versions, Taiwanese-owned Mandarin stores often rent bootleg tapes made in Taiwan. The quality varies, but bootlegged Mandarin-dubbed versions of films are sometimes available on video months before the Cantonese versions. In some instances, if a film is released first in Taiwan, its Mandarin-dubbed video bootlegs may become available in the United States before the film actually opens in theaters in Hong Kong. An example would be the film Wing Chun, directed by Yuen Woo-ping and starring Michelle Yeoh. The film opened first in Taiwan, and Mandarin-dubbed tapes surfaced in America two months before it was released in Hong Kong.
When searching for videos in these stores, it is going to be important to have a basic understanding of Cantonese and Mandarin. This is because most of the films in an Asian video store will not have box covers, although the title and stars’ names will usually be listed on the actual tape. As mentioned earlier, Cantonese is the main variety of Chinese spoken in Hong Kong, although that will change with the country’s reunification with Mainland China. Mandarin is the most widely used variety of Chinese spoken in Mainland China and is also spoken in other parts of Asia, such as Taiwan; it even has different dialects.
Shaolin Wooden Men
Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin
The Killer Meteors
To Kill with Intrigue
Magnificent Bodyguards
Half a Loaf of Kung Fu
Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow
Spiritual Kung Fu
Dragon Fist
Drunken Master
The Fearless Hyena
Fantasy Mission Force
Young Master
The Big Brawl
Cannonball Run
Dragon Lord
Winners & Sinners
Cannonball Run II
Project A
Wheels on Meals
My Lucky Stars
Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars
Heart of Dragon
The Protector
Police Story
Armour of God
Project A II
Dragons Forever
Police Story II
Mr. Canton and Lady Rose
Armour of God II: Operation Condor
Island of Fire
Twin Dragons
Police Story III: Supercop
City Hunter
Crime Story
Drunken Master II
Rumble in the Bronx
Thunderbolt
Police Story IV: First Strike
Mr. Nice Guy
Who Am I?
While Cantonese and Mandarin have two different spoken languages, Cantonese uses Mandarin written characters, so these are universally understandable. For example, someone who speaks Cantonese but not Mandarin and someone who speaks Mandarin but not Cantonese would be able to communicate with each other through written language even though their spoken languages differ. This becomes important to your video search when you realize that Jackie Chan’s name in Cantonese is Sing Lung, but the Mandarin translation is Chen Long. Both names sound different when spoken and are spelled differently in English; but as long as you know what the Chinese characters for Jackie Chan are, you will be able to find his films in either a Cantonese or Mandarin video store. Similarly, the English name of Chan’s costar in Police Story is Brigitte Lin. Her name in Cantonese is Lam Ching-ha and in Mandarin is Lin Chin-hsia, but the written characters for her name are exactly the same.
Another interesting fact about Chinese names is that the family name comes first as a show of respect. The first character represents the family name, while the second or third characters represent what would be the individual’s “first” name. (A Western version of the Chinese name uses a hyphen to show that these second and third characters form the first name—so the hyphen in Sammo Hung Kam-bo shows that “Kam-bo” is his first name.) Let’s examine the name Yuen using the characters in this section. In Yuen Woo-ping, Yuen is the family name shared by all the brothers and the father. Notice the characters. In Yuen Biao, the character for Yuen is not really a family name but a stage family name derived from the name of Master Yu Jim-yuen. So the character is different. Jackie Chan’s Peking Opera name uses his original family name of Chan, followed by his stage name of Yuen Lung. But what about Ng See-yuen? The third character is different from both of the other Yuens because that is part of his first name. As a show of respect for his family an acquaintance would address him as Mr. Ng, but a close friend would call him See-yuen.
The characters in this section represent only a portion of the names of people discussed in this book. However, it should serve well as a basic reference for locating specific Hong Kong films in an Asian video store. All of the people listed have made many great contributions to Hong Kong cinema in addition to their work with Jackie Chan. Sammo Hung’s resume more than doubles Chan’s, and even Hwang Jang-lee can be found in close to forty films.
Also, the English titles for Hong Kong films are usually afterthoughts and are rarely exact translations. For example, the literal translation of the Chinese characters for the film with the English title Armour of God would be Dragon Elder Brother, Tiger Younger Brother, so knowing the characters for the titles of films can come in quite handy. Being acquainted with these characters will enable you to find a Hong Kong treasure of your own.
bak-sing choy-li-fut A combination of the northern and southern fighting styles, it uses both long and short arm movements as well as kicking, punching, elbows, and backfists. It was used by Chan in Drunken Master II, along with his playful breakdancing, to lighten the blows.
drunken style Mimicking the ways of a drunkard, the proponent sways back and forth to keep his or her opponent on guard. The style employs what is commonly referred to as an “ox strike” or “crane” technique, which resembles holding a cup. Like many other kung fu systems, drunken style is often paired with others to increase its effectiveness. In Drunken Master, Chan goes through a particularly difficult drunken style known as the “Eight Drunken Fairies,” which was created by an eagle claw master.
eagle claw Northern style of kung fu, also known as Ying Jow Pai, emulates the movements of a bird with long open hand strikes. Hwang Jang-lee used the style in Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow.
hapkido Korean martial arts style that includes kicking and punching as well as throws and joint locks. Karate, judo, and aikido are essentially combined to make the “comprehensive” martial arts fighting style. Jackie Chan still studies this style under his current master, and Master Whang Inn-sik shows off his skills in Young Master and Dragon Lord.
hung gar One of five southern styles of kung fu taught in the shaolin temple, it was used by the real Hwang Fei-hung. As a descendent, Lau Kar-leung is one of the style’s leading practitioners using it in Drunken Master II as well as his famous Shaw Brothers films. The foundation for the style is the horse stance, which is said to be the “strength” for it lowers the person’s center of gravity.
kata A practice form made up of a prescribed set of movements designed to teach technique. Too much reliance on katas and not enough on sparring has led to the deterioration of American martial arts.
kung fu Although the name has been associated with martial arts (and made popular in America with David Carradine’s television show), it actually means skill or ability. The literal translation is kung, “energy,” and fu, “time.” Although many different styles exist, kung fu can be divided into northern and southern schools. The northern schools encompass more long-range fighting and kicking techniques while the southern schools rely on more hand movements for short and mid-range fighting (kicks are used as well). Another term generally accepted to describe what kung fu has been used for is wu shu, or wu su, meaning “martial arts,” or “martial arts technique.”
lion dance Put on to celebrate good fortune (such as during the Chinese New Year), the lion dance also displays the expertise of the martial artists working the lions. Typically, there are two people inside the lion: one in the front operating the mouth and eyes and one in the back wagging the tail (a more difficult task given the poor visibility). During the dance, the lion must make its way through a number of obstacles—small benches, platforms, tightropes—to reach a lettuce or cabbage head hanging from a rope. The lion operators must work in perfect synchronicity.
sawhorse Also known as a small bench, a sawhorse is a narrow wooden plank with two supporting legs nailed to each end. It is a common sight in China. In southern China, a martial arts form by the name of Ban Deng Shu was even developed to use sawhorses as weapons.
Shaolin The first Shaolin temple was reportedly built in A.D. 377, and the primary basis was for preaching and worship. In 527, a Buddhist monk from an Indian tribe came to the temple, and ultimately paved the way for the monks to learn martial arts. Many kung fu films are set in and around Shaolin temples because of the unique relationship the monks had to morality and spirituality with hand-to-hand combat. The film Master of Zen (1992), directed by Brandy Yuen, focuses on the Indian monk who brought kung fu to the Shaolin monks.
tae kwon do Literally meaning “the art of kicking and punching,” this Korean fighting style has become the most popular style in North America. Unfortunately, it has been watered down in America from the original version, which closely resembles hapkido. While the blocking mechanisms are poor, the style relies on varied, powerful kicking techniques. Hwang Jang-lee uses tae kwon do in Drunken Master.
Thai kickboxing A deadly style of kickboxing that remains active today in Thailand, former champion Kenneth Low Houi-kang uses the art’s skills in his films with Chan. What separates Thai kickboxing from American kickboxing is the pain threshold for which the average career for a Thai kickboxer lasts only a couple of years due to injury.
JACKIE CHAN FAN CLUBS
Jackie Chan International Fan Club
145 Waterloo Road
Kowloon, Hong Kong
www.jackiechan.com
The Jackie Chan International Fan Club is run by Willie Chan and his assistant Davis Fung. This club gives its readers a slick, color thirty-or-so-page magazine filled with pictures, as well as film, biographical, and other information. Postage rates vary by country so one might want to try reaching them by fax at (852) 2338-7742.
Jackie Chan Fan Club USA
P.O. Box 2281
Portland, Oregon 97208 USA
ChanFansUS@aol.com
The US fan club sends out a monthly newsletter chronicling Chan’s activities, and encloses an order form for movie posters and other memorabilia. Club members are alerted about Chan’s US appearances so that they have opportunities to see him in person.
Australian Jackie Chan Fan Club
P.O. Box 795
Gladesville, NSW 2111
Australia
Jackie Chan United Kingdom Fan Club
P.O. Box 1989
Bath, BA2 2YE
United Kingdom
The Canadian Jackie Chan Fan Club
3007 Kingston Road
Box 109
Scarborough, Ontario
Canada M1M 1P1
FANZINES
Asian Eye
253 College Street #108
Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R5, Canada
Covers all areas of Asian cinema sans personal comment. The fanzine’s main advantage is its origin, since many Hong Kong film stars and directors live in Canada.
Cineraider
P.O. Box 240226
Honolulu, Hawaii 96824-0226
For those who want their information laced with the latest gossip, look no further than this very enjoyable, intelligently written fanzine from Hawaii. Chinese characters are listed with many of the films that are reviewed.
Eastern Heroes
3a Buck Street
Camden, London, NW1 8NJ, England
Covers only Hong Kong action films. The fanzine has started selling its own films dubbed in English for the European market, and they have frequent interviews with stars and directors. Naturally, they tend to talk about British stars who work in the Hong Kong cinema. Nevertheless, the information is excellent.
Hong Kong Film Connection
P.O. Box 867225
Plano, TX 75086-7225 USA
Editor-in-Chief, Clyde Gentry III
Covers the complete spectrum of Hong Kong cinema as well as Jackie Chan. It is not limited to just action films, but it is limited to Hong Kong cinema. The fanzine is self-published on slick paper and has frequent interviews with stars and directors. Chinese characters are placed next to the films in discussion.
BOOKS
The Essential Guide To Hong Kong Movies, Rick Baker and Toby Russel, Made in Hong Kong, 1994.
From Bruce Lee to the Ninjas: Martial Arts Movies, Ric Meyers, Citadel Press 1984.
Hong Kong Action Cinema, Bey Logan, Overlook Press, 1996.
Sex and Zen & A Bullet in the Head, Stefan Hammond and Mike Wilkins, Fireside/Simon and Schuster, 1996.
VIDEO
Facets Video
1517 West Fullerton Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60614
1-800-331-6197
sales@facets.org
Special Hong Kong action and Asian video catalogs in addition to its regular catalog.
Far East Flix
5913 68th Avenue
Ridgewood, NY 11385
Send three dollars for their catalog.
Tai Seng
170 Spruce Avenue
Suite 200
South San Francisco, California 94080
415-871-8118
www.taiseng.com
US distributor of Hong Kong videos. Catalog available.
World Video and Supply Inc.
150 Executive Park Boulevard
Suite 1600
San Francisco, California 94134
415-468-6218
US distributor of Hong Kong videos.
CYBER SITES
Many have sprung up—either for Chan, specific films, or Hong Kong films in general. Browsing for “Chan” or a specific film title (especially one picked up by for U.S. distribution) will always turn up something interesting. Here are a select few:
Jackie Chan International Fan Club
www.jackiechan.com
Jackie Chan Fan Club USA
www.spiritone.com/~chanfans
Drunken Master Homepage
shell.idtnet/~bellap
Hong Kong Movies Homepage
www.mdstud.chalmers.se/hkmovie/
Special section on Chan. Good place to start for information on Hong Kong movies.
The Original Martial Arts Encyclopedia (Tradition-History-Pioneers), John Corcoran and Emil Farkas, Pro-Action Publishing, 1993.
Great quick reference book for all styles and forms of martial arts with biographies galore on some of the best martial artists around. Chan is featured (but the filmography given is inaccurate).
King of the Ring, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, Pro-Action Publishing, 1995.
Fantastic guide for learning the do’s and don’ts of training either for health and/or competition. Urquidez covers all the different uses for bags, building hand-eye coordination on the speed bag, and teaches how to properly wrap hands.
The Martial Arts Explorer, CD-ROM, Soft Key Multi-Media Inc., 1995.
Interactive CD-ROM that gives the user a plethora of information on martial arts including philosophies, styles, and techniques on everything from Chinese Kung Fu to some of the Middle Eastern styles. It doesn’t stop there since it has an actual moving video showing a master performing the techniques from each style. For less than thirty dollars, it’s a godsend for martial arts enthusiasts.
