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This fortnight, 'Action, Hong Kong Style' ventures into the mean streets of Hong Kong and the intricate cat-and-mouse games linking the criminal underworld and law enforcement. It features director Ringo Lam's gritty, masterful action thrillers City on Fire 1987 and Full Alert 1997. Lam's intense action style reached its apogee with Full Contact 1992, which screens on 27 October.
The program also profiles folk hero Ip Man. A wing chun grandmaster, Ip Man is best known as the first teacher and mentor of action star Bruce Lee. Ip Man's biography has since been transformed into modern epics Ip Man 2008 and Ip Man 2 2010.
Don't miss the final instalment of the original folk hero Wong Fei-hung in Wong Fei-hung's Battle with the Gorilla 1960 on Sunday 3 November. This screens together with King Kong's Adventures in the Heavenly Palace 1959 in a gorilla action double inspired by the infamous Empire State Building climber King Kong 1930, released across Asia in the 1950s. |
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SPECIAL EVENT |
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| TIME: |
6.00pm |
| WHEN: |
Thursday 24 October |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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Join leading film scholars Sam Ho (United States/Hong Kong) and Professor Mary Farquhar (Australia), together with 'Action, Hong Kong Style' curator Kathryn Weir, Head of International Art and the Australian Cinémathèque, in a lively discussion as they explore the unique and defining elements of Hong Kong’s action cinema — from extraordinary physical feats to arcane codes of heroism and loyalty — through illustrated talks with film excerpts. Join this event on Facebook.
Free, no bookings required. |
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FILM SCREENINGS: 25 OCTOBER – 3 NOVEMBER 2013 |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Ringo Lam Ling-tung |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Fri 25 Oct 6.00pm (101 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'The undercover cop thrived in the late 1980s as crime thrillers became the dominant genre of Hong Kong cinema. In City on Fire Chow Yun-fat plays the cop who's torn between fulfilling his duty and betraying his friend, boss of the gang he has infiltrated. Ringo Lam established his signature style of dark, gritty, fatalistic drama punctuated by explosive bursts of violence with this film, which reputedly served as inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs 1992.' Hong Kong Film Archive. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Ringo Lam Ling-tung |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Fri 25 Oct 8.15pm (96 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'Jeff (Chow Yun-fat), a tough guy with a sense of honour, saves his debt-ridden friend Sam from loan sharks. Hooking up with gangster Judge and his dubious henchmen, the friends are double-crossed in a violent heist. Sam saves his own skin, while Jeff is left for dead. Big mistake. When Jeff comes back, he's mad. Ringo Lam is like John Woo, but lapsed — there are none of those spiritual affectations to clog up the works.' Time Out. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Jackie Chan |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sat 26 Oct 1.00pm (101 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'This film marked the most important turning point in Jackie Chan's career, adapting successfully to the cop thriller genre and turning his slapstick acrobatics and life-threatening stunts into large-scale action spectacles. From car stunts at a housing estate to jumping from a high-rise, to crashing into glass and stopping a bus, Chan's ruthless aesthetics and heroism look incredible to us today.' Hong Kong Film Archive. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Stanley Tong Gwai-lai |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sat 26 Oct 3.00pm (95 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| In Police Story 3: Supercop, Jackie Chan's Ka Kui is joined by former ballet dancer and martial artist Michelle Yeoh, assuming the role of a mainland policewoman. Chan's first female co-star to perform her own stunts, Yeoh is impressive, notably performing a motorcycle jump onto a moving train in one of Jackie Chan's best extended action sequences. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Tsui Hark |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sat 26 Oct 6.00pm (95 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'Dangerous Encounters – First Kind targets the social conditions of Hong Kong and all forms of repression. The movie expresses a nihilistic vision that is indiscriminate in its destructive power, a vision that is extreme and thoroughly personal. The movie is both social critique and also a subjective venting of frustration and indignation.' Li Cheuk-to, The Swordsman and his Jiang Hu: Tsui Hark and Hong Kong Film (2002) Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Johnny Mak Tong-hung |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sat 26 Oct 8.00pm (100 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| Johnny Mak's film was based on an interview with mainland gang members who enter Hong Kong illegally from Canton Province. He used non-professional actors with gang affiliations to achieve a documentary quality. At the time the film was made, Hong Kong was afflicted by a spate of crimes perpetrated by members of the mainland Big Circle gang, and prejudice against mainland Chinese simmered violently. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Ringo Lam Ling-tung |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sun 27 Oct 1.00pm (98 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'Like John Woo's Face/Off, Full Alert is an action thriller in which a police inspector hunts a criminal mastermind and vice versa. Full Alert is technically flawless and contains everything you could wish for from the genre: smoking policemen in blue-lit Venetianblinded offices, spectacular explosions, a sensational gold Mercedes shootout pursuit, psychological warfare and plenty of quotable tough language.' International Film Festival Rotterdam. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Sunny Luk Kim-ching, Longmond Leung Lok-man |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sun 27 Oct 3.00pm (102 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'Five Hong Kong police officers are kidnapped. Two deputy chiefs, Sean Lau and MB Lee, set out to solve the case. They are in competition for the chief position and distrust each other. Looking closely at the conflict between human desires and conscience, rather than the rivalry between good and evil, Cold War is a psychological thriller.' Kim Ji-Seok, Busan International Film Festival. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Andrew Lau Wai-keung |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Wed 30 Oct 6.00pm (97 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| Based on the 1992 comic strip Teddy Boy by Cowman and Dickey Yau, this is the first adaptation in a highly popular film franchise. Young and Dangerous is set in Hong Kong's fast-paced world of organised crime. A group of young students joins the triad society after falling foul of a psychotic killer from a rival gang. A visually frenetic melding of friendship, loyalty and violence, the film has been heavily criticised for glamorising the triad lifestyle. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Raymond Yip Wai-man |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Wed 30 Oct 8.00pm (114 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'In Portland Street Blues, the two most important Young and Dangerous gangs, Hung Hing and Tong Sing, have just ended a war. Sister Thirteen, the only woman of the twelve gang members, tries to rescue her girlfriend Sa Sa from the rival gang. Through betrayals and flashbacks, the acting is stunning.' International Film Festival Rotterdam. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Andrew Lau Wai-keung, Alan Mak Siu-fai |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Fri 1 Nov 6.00pm (97 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'Superstars Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau play a pair of undercover moles who, unbeknownst to each other, have burrowed their way deep into the other's organisation: cop Leung into a triad society, triad member Lau into the police department. The two men engage in a deadly and intricate game of cat-and-mouse, each trying to root out the other before his cover gets blown.' TIFF Cinémathèque. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Andrew Lau Wai-keung, Alan Mak Siu-fai |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Fri 1 Nov 8.15pm (119 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'Infernal Affairs 2 ups the stakes spectacularly. Edison Chen plays the young Andy Lau and Shawn Yue plays a young Tony Leung, but the movie belongs to their duelling father figures: Eric Tsang as the despotic triad mastermind, and Anthony Wong as the kind, patient cop who is Tony Leung's handler. IA2 turns the first film upside down, revealing that the heroes of IA1 are amoral villains who'll do anything for a promotion, and that the villains are decent men trying to make the best of intolerable situations.' New York Asian Film Festival. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Derek Yee Tung-sing |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sat 2 Nov 1.00pm (110 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'One Nite in Mongkok is a gangland tale set in motion when a triad war escalates in Hong Kong's most crowded and colourful district. An assassin is hired by a gang boss to kill a rival leader, but plans start to go awry when the killer crosses paths with Chinese prostitute and protects her from a rough customer. From street scuffles through chance encounters, One Nite in Mongkok tracks to a breathtaking conclusion.' Far East Film Festival. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Sammo Hung Kam-bo |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sat 2 Nov 3.15pm (104 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'Through the stories of two young martial arts fanatics — one good, one bad — Hung makes the point that walking in a father's footsteps is more a curse than a blessing, and mocks traditional father–son, teacher–disciple and master–servant relationships. The film demonstrates Hung's skills as a director — particularly strong are the parts combining Chinese opera and martial arts.' Hong Kong Film Archive. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Wilson Yip Wai-shun |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sat 2 Nov 6.00pm (106 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'Wilson Yip has crafted a gripping, beautifully structured yarn, built around a charismatic star performance by Donnie Yen and magnificent action sequences choreographed by the legendary Sammo Hung. Ip is most famous as the principal teacher and mentor of a San Francisco-born kid Bruce Lee.' Andrew O'Hehir, Salon. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Wilson Yip Wai-shun |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sat 2 Nov 8.15pm (95 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| 'In this explosive sequel, Ip Man (Donnie Yen) arrives in Hong Kong in 1949, only to discover that martial arts schools there operate like triads rather than respectable institutions. As a conflict brews and tempers flare, an English boxing champ (Darren Shahlavi) insults the Chinese people and challenges the whole establishment to an East vs. West showdown.' Chinese American Film Festival. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Wu Pang |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sun 3 Nov 1.00pm (95 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| King Kong escapes to earth from a celestial zoo and goes on a rampage in human form (with the shape-changing assistance of a divine charm). As Kong leaves death and destruction in his wake, Qing official Cheung Chungkai pleads with the gods to deal with him — but to no avail, until finally the Goddess of Mercy steps in to sort out the beast, and then the neglectful immortals. Read more |
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| DIRECTOR: |
Wu Pang |
| PROGRAM: |
Action, Hong Kong Style |
| WHEN: |
Sun 3 Nov 3.00pm (95 mins) |
| WHERE: |
Cinema A, GOMA |
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| Wong Fei-hung and his disciples hear that a small village is being terrorised by a ferocious gorilla. It turns out that the beast is actually a small-time crook in a gorilla suit under the orders of a precious-metal smuggler who wants to intimidate the villagers. The crook takes advantage of his disguise to abduct a beautiful girl and escape to the mountains, but a surprise is in store for him. Just how many gorillas are loose in them there hills? Read more |
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Contact Us
Stanley Place, Cultural Precinct,
South Bank, Brisbane
Queensland 4101, Australia
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| Opening Hours |
| 10.00am – 5.00pm |
| Closed Christmas Day & Good Friday |
| Open from 12 noon ANZAC Day |
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(The Gallery has late opening hours when evening
Australian Cinémathèque screenings are scheduled.) |
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