Billy Tang
Hin-
sing's 1989 crime-
actioner DRAGON FIGHT is another film
lensed in San Francisco. Before Tang was the Tang that we all have come to know and love (the CAT III Tang), he tapped 2 rising young stars, Jet Li Lian-
jie and Stephen Chow Sing-chi for this above par action film. Dick Wei stars as the baddie and also does the action directing. For some fans of the 2 stars, this film is seen as a lesser effort, or a hiccup, on their path to stardom. I say it's a pretty darn good flick for both Li and Chow that fits in nicely alongside other
HK action flicks of the late 80's.
Anyway, below are pics of a car chase scene through the streets of SF, a la Steve McQueen's
BULLIT. These photos also show the intersection of Grant Ave. and California St, the same location I mentioned in my previous post about
CHINATOWN KID. If you look toward the center of the picture, as Li and his wife Nina fly down California St, trying to elude a few of Dick Wei's dastardly henchmen, you will see a
McDonalds. This is the exact same place that was the Chinatown Wax Museum back in 1977 and The Chinatown Food Court today! 1980's corporate greed take over a section of C-town. For a short while anyway. Mickey D's in C-town!? Did they serve General
Tso's Chicken Nuggets?
Durian Pie? Duck Egg
Mcmuffin? A Big Mao? OK. that's enough of that.
NYC's C-town still has a Popeye's Chicken and a Mickey D's smack dab in the middle of it. So I can't be too harsh on Mickey D's trying to gentrify
SF's C-town once upon a time.
In April 2009 my fiance (I think this word sounds silly, so I don't plan on using it much) and I went into to Chinatown for dinner and DVD/VCD shopping. After a long and cold winter the warm air began to pop up and walking around C-town became more tolerable. During our travels we came across Eldridge St. at the corner of Division St. and the above scene. I immediately remembered a news report from a few days prior stating that Nicolas Cage was in the city shooting scenes for his upcoming Disney film, THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE. I wasn't entirely sure if this set up was for the film, but after I enquired it was confirmed that this set up was in fact for the Cage film. I took a few shots from the closed off street/set. Also came across a really cool prop that was to be used in the film (pic below). So, as THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE is about to be unleashed on the film going public, I figure I would give ya'll a glimpse of one of the sets used. I probably won't see the film. It's not my cup of tea. If any of you do see the film, let me know if you come across this c-town set up.
We kept our eyes peeled for a glimpse of Nic Cage but we couldn't spot anyone with a rats nest hairdo. After the thrill was gone we made our way to my usual HK DVD/VCD haunts, spent $ I didn't have on way too many HK movies, then tried a new spot for dinner. We contemplated hitting our favorite eatery, Big Wong's, but decided to try Big Wong's sister location just up the street, Big Wing Wong's. Same greasy chopstick atmosphere and same cheap and tasty food. Pretty nice spring day in Chinatown.
