Message from lmoakes

[Anonymous]

Hong Kong action films are amazing. Ang Lee, Tsui Hark and John Woo created an important and influential cinematic genre. John Woo made many films with Chow Yun Fat (A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow II, The Killer, Hard Boiled)
There is a wonderful book A Bullet in the Head about this gangster, action genre. I love to watch these when they are rereleased at revival theatres (like Nu Art)
Here ia a section of text from one website concerning this genre.
http://www.greencine.com/static/primers/hk.jsp

But there was more to the Hong Kong New Wave than just flowing robes, killer swordplay and fancy footwork. John Woo handed out automatic weapons to his actors and brought back the old Heroic Bloodshed genre with a vengeance in his gangland epics A Better Tomorrow (1986) and A Better Tomorrow II (1988), which made a movie icon out of the cool, effortlessly charismatic Chow Yun-Fat. The pair reunited for the explosive gunplay and slow motion carnage of The Killer (1989) and Hard-Boiled (1992), two of the best action films since Sam Peckinpah yelled "Cut!" on The Wild Bunch.
But Chow also found the time to team up with director Ringo Lam for the gritty City on Fire (1987), a heist film that some believe was the inspiration for Reservoir Dogs, and the outrageous comic book action of Full Contact (1992). Meanwhile, future Bond Girl and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Khan presented a strong image of pistol-packing, kung fu-equipped lady cops in the amazing In the Line of Duty series.

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions.
Linda