Once A Gangster

飞沙风中转 (Fei Sha Feng Zhong Zhuan)



May, 2010, Hong Kong release that stars Jordan Chan and Ekin Cheng as warring ex-gang members who are supposedly vying for the head-dragon spot left open by Chan's gang boss who is so heavily in debt that he can't think of any, other way out but to have someone else appointed to take his place.

Roast Pork (Chan) was once a gang member who wanted to save his family's small food stall from ruthless extortionists who are actually under the head dragon he now works to protect.

Sparrow (Cheng) knows his way around a sword, and he ends up spending twenty years in the slammer as a result, but his drug-addicted mother is as brash and powerful as ever, vowing to make her 'baby' the head dragon at all costs.

Turns out Roast Pork is only interested in keeping his thriving restaurants afloat while Sparrow has turned over a new leaf inside prison, coming out a learned man whose soul has also been saved.

This is obviously meant as a comedic endeavor that brought back a few of the bad-ass hoods from the Y & D series, and the director made sure to throw in a few, other movie references as well ... especially some hilarious scenes robbed from the Infernal Affairs saga.

I've just been so STARVED for stuff like this from Hong Kong, that even if it turned out to be a total disaster, I'd probably have still enjoyed the watch - but wait!

This was funny, it was interesting, and SO close to what Hong Kong film once represented that I had to give it five hearts.

I'm not looking forward to it, but I still await the day when Cheng and Chan start to show their age - and after watching Once a Gangster, it looks like I'll still have to wait, because neither, handsome gentleman appeared any older or worse-for-wear imho.

Ekin Cheng and Jordan Chan in Once a Gangster

The first time I ever heard about the unlikelihood of there being such a product on any market as this ...



was when I watched Anna Magdalena, starring Takeshi Kaneshiro and Aaron Kwok Fu Sing.

It puzzled me then as it still does now how something like this is even plausible, much less functional or even desirable to anyone in the whole world.

I don't get it, but if I am ever blessed with the opportunity to travel Asia, you can bet it will be one of the FIRST items I search for AND buy when shopping over there.

Ok - I know my first crush is married now and totally off-limits more so than ever before, but since he IS my first crush, it isn't likely I'll ever get over him.



... so that means I'm still able to and likely always will continue to dream about a guy as amazing as Jordan Chan.

Here's the trailer if you're interested, and I've linked the blog title to the video at youtube, but I don't know how long it'll be before they shut it down ~ so quick! watch this one, cause I know you'll enjoy it!

Once A Gangster (trailer)

Read More

Driving Miss Wealthy

Not that this 2004 Cantonese (Hong Kong) movie was bad or anything - and the stars are Gigi Leung and Lau Ching-wan, but it wasn't a 'great' movie.

It's the story about a spoiled rich girl who lets people take advantage of her so she will feel loved and wanted.

Her father wants her to stop spending all his money and get a grip on reality, so he hires a guy to drive her everywhere, and then he fakes his own death (I know, creepy) in order to force his daughter to take responsibility for her own life.

Lau's character is happy to play along and especially likes the big money he's making, and Leung's character refuses to budge at first until gradually coming to terms with her reality and then making the most of it.

The two leads end up with romantic inclinations toward one another, and then there is the sad climax followed by the fairytale ending.

Trust me, it's a movie you have to see to be able to fully appreciate or gain anything from, but it isn't the best thing to come along - which is not, really such a big deal this time.

Read More

Playboy Cops / Fa Fa Ying King

花花型警

This seemed as if it would be a silly movie (based on the title alone), until I saw that Jingle Ma was the director, and then I knew that it would be better than expected.

After watching Playboy Cops (Fa Fa Ying King in Cantonese), I was very grossed out, but thoroughly pleased with the film. It started out at one end of the spectrum, became utterly intense in the middle, and then it ended at the other end: as gruesome and sad as Ma would no doubt have it end.

What I'll never understand about these types of movies though, (action/suspense) is how they let you know the 'whodunit' part practically five minutes into the film! Maybe Ma thought that by showing the Yacht scene, that it would perhaps throw most of us off, but I wasn't having it. I think maybe that his direction is so, well advised, and that his style is so pristine, that the element of surprise no longer works for a man of his genius.

Knowing who did it so early in the film did NOTHING to lessen my interest in Playboy Cops, though! Shawn Yue as Michael Mak Ho Man, Linda Chung as the love interest, Lisa, and Chen Kun as Lincoln Lam made an awesome duo. Linda Chung, however, did not seem like the type of woman that not one, but TWO billionaire players would fight over (sorry!)

I first saw Chen Kun in Balzac & the Little, Chinese Seamstress. That was a terrific movie, and he played a terrific role. Shawn Yue is cool, and throughout this film, I kept thinking that he looks an awful lot like Edison Chen.


































If I ever find the time (and the inclination) I might, just do a cover story on Asian Actor look-alikes.

Anyway, these two made an awesome pair, and they worked well together imho!


Chen Kun (l) Shawn Yue (r)

Read More