Originally I only planned to write about Hong Kong films from the 1990s, but more than one friend mentioned why there were no films from the 1980s. I thought about it and decided to write an article. After all, the 1980s was the peak era of Hong Kong films. The peak mentioned here does not necessarily mean the best movie, but from the perspective of production quantity, market, and type, these ten years have laid the foundation for the glory of Hong Kong movies.

If Golden Harvest makes movies personal, then New Art City makes movies collective. The creative team of New Art City has a working room, which is less than ten square meters. Everyone stays up all night in such a small place to think about the script. There are not many people in New Art City, but everyone has their own talents, so a movie actually gathers everyone’s wisdom. Everyone does what they are best at, and they work together to complete a movie. . So it can be said that the emergence of New Arts City has greatly accelerated the maturity of Hong Kong genre films, because they have set a precedent for various genres that no one has tried before. In 1982, "The Best of Us", which imitated the 007 movie but made it localized and funny, broke the box office record and created a miracle. Later, the "Happy Ghost" series written and starred by Huang Baiming left the best childhood memories for many children who love fantasy. Not to mention Tsui Hark, John Woo and others, who have used their new wave hearts to make commercial genre films. While making genre films good-looking, they have also injected a lot of personal style and artistic sense. New Art City has made More modern comedy films, police and gangster films, and gunfight films have become mainstream.

In the 1980s, there were still more than ten years before Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Although Hong Kong people knew that this would still be something they had to face more than ten years later, they were still drunk today. In these ten years, Hong Kong films have developed themselves to the best according to their own rhythm before the situation has changed. In the past ten years, mainland China has just started reforming and opening up, and most Hong Kong films have not yet spread to the mainland. Hong Kong movies have shocked audiences in Hong Kong and Taiwan time and time again, and have become popular all over the world. Hong Kong movies have become a whirlwind in Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia. For example, John Woo's "The Bloody Heroes" even aroused enthusiastic cheers from Western movie fans at overseas film festivals... This is the best of times, because it turns out that our Chinese-language films were once on top of the world. This was also the worst era, because the mainland, which was far away and right in front of us, had almost no idea that the films made by the Chinese at that time could have such a great influence. Again, today I have selected my ten favorite Hong Kong films from the 1980s to recommend good films to everyone and review the glorious Hong Kong films of the past.

No.1 Bloody Heroes

Director: John Woo

Year: 1989

What is the aesthetics of violence? ! What is loyalty? ! The violence shown in the movie is originally a very bloody and cruel thing. But John Woo made the hero in his movie the embodiment of justice, principle and loyalty. In this context, we see Fa Ge holding two guns, wearing a suit or windbreaker, killing hundreds of people in never-ending slow motion. Thousands of people, but they don't think it's cruel or wrong to kill like this at all. Instead, it makes people feel very immersed in watching it, and they long for themselves to be on the screen, holding two guns, and killing people constantly in the church.

The loyalty described in John Woo’s movies is by no means superficial or superficial. As long as you are a person who still has even a little bit of awe-inspiring heart, you will be infected by his movies. The loyalty in his movies is not like that in the "Fast and Furious" series. The two big guys casually say a few seemingly manly lines, and they are good brothers who cherish each other and appreciate each other. The friendship in John Woo's movies has content, rather than just saying a few empty words, "I am very loyal". The characters in his movies have many details and behaviors to support the emotions between the characters, so that we, the audience, can see for ourselves In terms of this person's behavior, we can say that he is really loyal and not just superficial. It is a pity that because too many movies nowadays are not well made, they have given many female viewers of the same age, and even male viewers, a wrong perception. Girls who have watched too much "Fast and Furious" will say that you guys really like this kind of brotherhood and loyalty, but we girls can't understand it. In fact, this has nothing to do with gender. The reason why many girls can't understand it now is because these movies are very hollow and miss the point. Loyalty is not just about fighting and killing on the surface. It is actually an emotion that transcends race and gender. It is actually a kind of human nature. When you see another person, whether male or female, who is really willing to give everything for you, treat you sincerely, and will definitely do what he promises you, I think everyone will feel very touched. If you are a conscientious and kind-hearted person, you will naturally choose to treat him without reservation as he treats you. This is an emotion that is inherent in human nature and comes from the heart. Rather than what some girls think, boys only like these kinds of fighting, big scenes, and passion. We girls just like to watch Disney princesses and cannot understand these violent things. The moment Sir Li shouted Zhuang's name and rushed out with a shotgun to shoot him, the emotions contained in the movie jumped out of the screen and hit the hearts of every audience.

There is actually an interesting anecdote about this movie. Before I was born, my father collected a large number of Hong Kong film tapes. Once, our home was robbed. The thief not only stole money and jewelry, but also Stealing the videotape of "Bloody Heroes".

Other candidate films: A Better Tomorrow

No.2 Police Story

Director: Jackie Chan

Year: 1985

< p> Thanks to Jackie Chan, if it weren't for him no one would know Buster Keaton. Thanks to Buster Keaton, if it weren't for him no one would like Jackie Chan. "Police Story" is Jackie Chan's first modern film in his directorial career and one of the best action films in film history. The climax in the shopping mall at the end of the film is insurmountable. Jackie Chan's directing style is deeply influenced by Buster Keaton. He uses long shots to show spatial distance to highlight the insignificance of people. When filming dangerous actions, there is no editing in the end to achieve the strongest sense of reality.

Looking at the history of movies, the last time someone made such an action was back in the silent film era with Buster Keaton

When I was a kid, I only saw this movie because of it. Escalators have the desire to jump around and do dangerous moves. "Police Story" was not only a milestone in Asian action films, but also had a huge impact on Hollywood action films. (Today's Hollywood blockbusters will seize every opportunity to break the glass. No one will believe it if it is not influenced by "Police Story") Back then, Jackie Chan wanted to break into Hollywood with "Person of the Road" but failed again. Dissatisfied with the quality of American directors, Jackie Chan decided to return to Hong Kong to write, direct and star in a modern action film, thus creating the miracle of Best Picture at the Hong Kong Film Awards. When we see Jackie Chan jump from a seven-story shopping mall, we know that this death-defying Hong Kong movie has surpassed all Hollywood blockbusters.

Regarding why he is willing to do so many dangerous actions for the movie, Jackie Chan once said: "Many people ask me, are you afraid after doing that? Of course I am. I said I am not Superman, I just I am just a very ordinary person, just like you, but I am brave enough to do it. And...ah, I love movies, and I regard movies as my son. Then I will know that after I finish it. Well, the movie can last for a long time, and it can last for many years. And when I watch the movie, I can tell my friends, my son, and my grandson that when I am eighty years old, that will be me!”

Other candidate films: Master Long’s Plan A, Plan A’s sequel, Police Story’s sequel Miracle

No.3 Prison Storm

Director: Lam Ling-tung

Year: 1987

How many close friends are there in this world

How many friendships can last forever

Farewell today*** you both shake hands

Friendship is always in my heart

As soon as I watched this movie, my first reaction was that I wanted to contact my best friend in junior high school.

The character played by Tony Leung Ka Fai in the film is a typical honest man who does not know how to be sophisticated and tactful in the face of the extremely vicious prison world. As for the character played by Chow Yun-fat, although he is a carefree and carefree person who likes to joke and smile, and knows how to be a good person, he is also a kind and honest person in nature, so he cannot integrate into any gang. One must always be vigilant and smart to survive in this world. He is the only one who will help Tony Leung Ka Fai's character because he is a good person. Even though it means that he will cause a lot of trouble for himself, he still doesn't want to see this honest man living alone and being bullied by others. However, these two absolutely good people are destined to be bullied by others, because others are not so honest and will always scheme and bully honest people like you for their own benefit. This is actually no different from the real world we live in.

He always said that he would tolerate the calm for a while, but he was bullied too much and finally he couldn't help but burst out. I once played this movie to my mother. After the movie, she had tears in her eyes.

Other candidate films: Dragon Tiger, School Storm

No.4 Ghost Fight

Director: Sammo Hung

Year: 1980

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This classic work written, directed and acted by Sammo Hung is a mixture of horror films, ghost films, comedy films, kung fu films, action films, fantasy films, zombie films and other types of classics, creating a zombie The film became a hit and sparked a series of zombie films produced by Sammo Hung and starring Lin Ching-ying. I first saw this movie on TV when I was in elementary school. At that time, I thought Sammo Hung was just a famous comedian. He was surprised to see the screenwriter and director, and he couldn't imagine that his fat body could actually do it. Perform so many flexible and difficult moves. I made a bet with others to stay in a house for one night, and I had to follow the instructions of the master to survive until the next morning. This setting scared me to death when I was a child. The plot of hiding on the rafters to evade zombies is so tense that it makes you hold your breath. In fact, regarding whether you believe in ghosts, zombies and other supernatural things, I think it is the same as whether you believe in UFOs.

When I was a kid, I read a book about UFOs, and I definitely wanted to choose a side. Should I join the side that believes in it, or the side that doesn’t? Of course it will be more fun and exciting if you believe it! If you are a little boy who loves fantasy and longs for adventure, how can you say that I believe there are no ghosts, zombies, UFOs, or aliens in this world? "Ghost Fighting" filmed the process of Maoshan Taoist priests casting spells in great detail, just like the real thing. The way zombies appear, as well as the presentation of various folklore and voodoo magic, all look very real and believable, creating a real supernatural world. The climax of the game involves the gods, Sun Wukong fighting Nezha, and Red Boy fighting Lu Dongbin, which is really exciting. Sammo Hung's performance as Sun Wukong was like Sun Wukong, and his performance as Red Boy was like Red Boy. It left an indelible impression on me when I was a child.

Other candidate movies: Beware of Little Hands’ Ingenious Schemes and Five Lucky Stars Food Truck

No.5 God of Gamblers

Director: Wang Jing

Year: 1989

When I was a child, "God of Gamblers" was broadcast on TV at ten o'clock in the evening. My parents both said this movie was quite good, very good. They are born like this, and they will praise good things to the sky, because they really feel that they are so good and particularly important. Basically, everyone reading this article I wrote is doing the same thing as them, it's just in a different form. I thought to myself at the time, is it really that beautiful? Then I must see how beautiful it is. But what's annoying is that the most critical moment of the show is when Gao Jin regains his memory as the God of Gamblers, but his memory of the fool before is gone. When he doesn't know Dao Zai, he actually breaks into commercials. When I was a kid, I always went to bed early and got up early. It was already 12 o'clock, so I couldn't hold on anymore and had to go to bed. Although I didn't watch it at that time, "God of Gamblers" was definitely one of the most shocking movie-watching experiences for me as a child, and I really felt that my parents didn't lie to me. It was indeed quite good, and I really wanted to know about Gao Jin's recovery. Remember how the plot will develop and how the story will end. There are traces of Wang Jing's imitation of John Woo in this movie, such as letting Long Wu hold two guns, which is very impressive and looks cool. The gunfight in the mall was shot very well, and it also imitated the gunfight in Odessa from "The Untouchables." Gao Jin, who has lost his memory, picks up the gun at the critical moment, as if his memory has been restored and his soul is possessed. This scene can still ignite the torch in my heart no matter how many times I watch it.

Other candidate films: Thousand Kings Fight Thousand Tyrants Demon Jade

No.6 Best Partner: The Queen’s Secret Order

Director: Tsui Hark

Year: 1984

When it comes to Hong Kong films in the 1980s, the "Best Partner" series is a classic that must be mentioned. When Jackie Chan was still playing bench and kicking shuttlecock in the environment of the Republic of China, New Art City's "The Best Partner" had already started the trend of modern fashion action movies. In a movie full of Chinese people, it is really a 100% entertainment feast to see the dangerous stunts of the 007 movie, as well as all kinds of funny plots and spoofs of classic movies. One of the best movies in the "Best of Us" series is "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", the third film directed by Tsui Hark. Just by listening to the title, you know that this movie must have borrowed from many 007 movies. At the very beginning, we saw two classic villains from the 007 movie, the strange hatter in "Goldfinger" and the Big Teeth in "The Spydermen". King Kong, played by Xu Guanjie, also climbed the Eiffel Tower in Paris and launched a thrilling life-or-death duel with two villains. Tsui Hark put his wild imagination and unique sense of rhythm into this film. The beginnings of the first two parts were extremely shocking, but by the end, I felt like they were wilting. Although they were also very exciting, they were not as shocking as the beginnings. Personally, I feel that the third film directed by Tsui Hark is the most compact and complete one. And you have to know that the 1985 James Bond movie "The Last Days" was also shot at the Eiffel Tower, but "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was a 1984 movie, a full year earlier than "Thunder". At this point, Hong Kong movies are actually ahead of the authentic Western 007 movies, which I have to say is worthy of admiration. In fact, when I was a child, I always thought that Xu Guanjie and Jackie Chan were very similar. They had the same hairstyle, both were funny, and they both performed wonderful stunts in the movies. Moreover, the "Best Partner" series also made Xu Guanjie very capable. < /p>

Year: 1980

Produced by Shaw Brothers, it must be a good film. I think of the large number of horror films produced by Shaw Brothers back then. They were short, concise, terrifying, sexy, and cult-like. "Die Xian" is a Shaw Brothers horror film composed of two stories. The first story is "The Shadow", directed by Chu Yuan, the famous Cantonese feature film director and one of the four Shaw Brothers directors. The second story is "Die Xian" is directed by Mou Dunfu, who is "notorious" for "Black Sun 731". The first story is about the weirdness and horror of the East, and the second story is about the blood and eroticism of the West. I admire Director Chu Yuan very much. His story-telling rhythm is unique and is usually faster than the audience's reaction time. Therefore, even if it is a very simple plot, you feel like you are being led around, one wave after another. Wave, very enjoyable.

"The Ghost" has a fast pace, weird scenes, and a full horror atmosphere. The level of scares is not much worse than the current James Wan horror movies. "Die Xian" is filled with a lot of bloody and naked scenes, and the scale is comparable to a third-level erotic film, but I have to admit that it was really enjoyable to watch. The final way of death is also unexpected, bloody, violent, pornographic, and cult, none of them are missing. In the second half, the betting method of placing coins on the paper and burning the paper with cigarettes is one of the most creative, imaginative, and exciting gambling methods I have ever seen. 27 years later, Tarantino and Rodriguez came up with the masterpiece "Grindhouse". Although the inspiration actually came from the fact that B-level movies in the past were often screened in two consecutive films, but who can say that "Grindhouse" will not be a masterpiece? Has the pattern of Shaw Brothers horror films been inherited in one continuous line?

Other candidate films: Shaolin Booth Builder Diary of an Evil Man

No.8 A Lang’s Story

Director: Johnnie To

Year: 1989

This film is the best interpretation of the story of the prodigal son. Here I quote my good friend Zhi Chen’s short review of the film: “From sloppy long hair to neat short hair, Alang cuts off his years as a prodigal son, and what he keeps cutting away are the regrets, nostalgia, worries, and worries that have accumulated over the years. Guarding. In the blazing fire, Alang watched his beloved rushing towards him until his eyes were blurred with blood. I think this scene should be the best footnote to the song "Fa Ge". The way he looked back after cutting his hair short was so handsome, and it also brought a strong sadness to the final tragedy. The character of Alang is basically a commentary on a real man. When he was young, he was restless and made big mistakes. Now he just wants to be a good man. Although he and his son were poor, they lived a happy life together. My wife has returned from the United States and can provide good material conditions for the child, but he is the one who has the most emotional connection with the child. For the sake of his child's future, he would rather sacrifice himself to drive the child away and force him never to come back. He was indeed wrong before, but now he wants to repent. What he is trying to do is forgive, but he cannot get understanding. In the final first-person perspective, his wife and son were laughing as they watched him drive by, but with his face covered in blood, he no longer had the strength to go back and reunite with them.

Other candidate movies: Happy Ghost Collision

No.9 The Story of a Mad Man

Director: Er Dongsheng

Year: 1986

When I was in junior high school, I was in a period of serious admiration for foreign countries. Because I had just started to fall in love with movies and became a movie fan at that time, I felt that foreign movies were made well, foreign actors were serious, foreign directors were careful, and Chinese movies were all rubbish. At that time, I was actually very disgusted with the Hong Kong movies that I loved as a child. I thought these movies were crude and fake. Even though I couldn't understand foreign movies at all when I was a child, only these Hong Kong movies were completely understandable. But when I was in junior high school, I watched the movie "The Story of Mad Men" on TV, and it still completely held my attention, even though I initially watched it with the attitude of criticizing Chinese movies. The whole movie is very shocking to watch, especially the long shot of the mentally ill character played by Qin Pei being beaten by the crowd at the top of the stairs, which has a very strong impact on people. The scene where Qin Pei entered the kindergarten with a knife was really scary. The whole atmosphere was created and the sense of terror was exaggerated. The children sang innocently, but the bloody killings were hidden under the excitement. It can break out at any time. It can be said that it is difficult to find a work that can reach such a good state in Western movies. The feeling that you can't negotiate and have no way to escape, but people outside see it but can't get in and can't do anything is suffocating. Behind this terrifying fear is actually caused by society's prejudice and incomprehension towards mentally ill patients, a special vulnerable group. The world needs more tolerance and understanding. There are many professions that sound disgraceful and don’t pay much, but they are actually very important, and there are always enthusiastic people engaged in them, but we just don’t know it.

Other candidate films: Psycho

No.10 The Little Fox Fairy

Director: Chen Xunqi

Year: 1985

Chen Xunqi and Wong Kar-wai are indeed golden partners. Wong Kar-wai first wrote the script for Chen Xunqi, and Chen Xunqi later provided music for Wong Kar-wai. The works of the two collaborated and produced many classics. "Little Fox Fairy" is not a very great or profound movie, but it is good in that it is very comfortable to watch. The story is actually very simple, the duration is short, the rhythm is bright, and the music is relaxing, allowing people to experience laughter, laughter and sadness in a short period of time. This movie expresses a very interesting theme: When you love someone, do you love her appearance or do you really love her as a person? If your girlfriend suddenly turned into an eighty-year-old woman overnight, but her memory and soul remained unchanged, would you still love her, would you still be willing to kiss or even go to bed with her? If you truly love someone and love her soul, will you love her no matter what form she appears in? This movie is full of hilarious jokes that you can’t see in other movies, and it’s very pure and not as exaggerated as the nonsensical movies of the 90s. The love in it is sincere and touching, and the ending is also thought-provoking and endlessly memorable. A romantic comedy not to be missed.

Other candidate movies: The Owl

The above are my personal favorite ten Hong Kong movies from the 1980s. There is no such thing as the best or worst movie, only favorite and least favorite movies. So the ten movies I selected are just a reference. Everyone has their own ten movies that they would choose. If they are willing to share, I hope more people will show their ten choices.