Happy Halloween!

CAT III MAN, to the rescue!

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Just a quick post here as i'm a few short hours away from heading to Laguardia. I am taking Wei to meet the grandparents in sunny West Palm Beach, FLA. Heaven's waiting room. Del Boca Vista, phase III (Seinfeld reference. Sorry.) We will be back Sunday, Halloween night. I'm hoping to get some color on my milky man boobs.

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The above pic is from a Halloween party that Wei and I went to last weekend. She stayed true to her personality and went as Snow White. A Chinese Snow White, but Snow White none the less. And I went....well....as...CAT III MAN!!!! True to my personality as well. I had to lop off my head from the photo as I would hate for this pic to get into the wrong hands. Especially that dastardly CAT I MAN! Wei made my cool CAT III shirt because she is very artsy fartsy. We are polar opposites but somehow make it work? She doesn't care for the more 'exuberant' side of HK cinema but allows me to jump in and wallow. I try and coax her into watching a CAT III movie every now and again to which she often refuses. She has been heard to say, however, "I would prefer to watch something with a lot of nudity than a lot of gore." How can you NOT dig a girl like that?

Mail call!
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Mail call this week found an awesome Shaw Bros. package arrive at my door from a great friend of the blog, J. 11 Shaw Celestial VCD's for $50! A mere pittance for such a wonderful package. I can't wait to return from vacation and rip into a few of these. THE SUGAR DADDIES, CRAZY SEX, DREAMS OF EROTICISM, THE CALL GIRLS, and THAT'S ADULTERY, quickly move up to the top of my ever growing 'want to watch' stack of movies. Also included in this generous gift was a copy of a somewhat obscure (I have seen the laser disc on sale over @ Ebay, costing about a weeks pay) mid 90's CAT III crapper, OFFENCE STORM. This one will be first on my list when I return from Florida as I will sit and watch it while I recover from sun poisoning and rub cool aloe all over my man boobs. Thanks J for the movies! Yours will be in the mail in about a week or two. Or three. Or maybe around the holidays? You know how I roll.

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Okey dokey. To finish out this post, below are some fun fractured subs and a quick video from one of my favorite CAT III films, Otto Chan Juk-tiu's GATES OF HELL. I will eventually post more info about the awesomeness that is GATES OF HELL, as I hope to throw a quick review of the film up here as well as post location pics from a few noticeable spots around San Francisco, where the majority of the flick was filmed.

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All right folks! I'm off like a prom dress! Off to the Jewish promised land to spend some time with my 90 year old grandparents. It's gonna be a rager! Would it be in poor taste to watch a CAT III flick on the plane?

"It's peanut, it's syphilis only." DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS II (1994)

"You nuts! You're not human, you're transvest"-REBEKAH (1996)

"Sperm absorbing stance?!"- DEVIL'S WOMAN (1996)

SAUSALITO (2000) SF film locations pt.4

The next film I'll be giving the US/HK film location treatment to is Andrew Lau Wai-keung's 2000 romantic comedy, SAUSALITO, starring my lover Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, Leon Lai Ming, Eric Kot Man-fai, Richard Ng Yiu-hon, and Suki Kwan Sau-mei. I have quite a few pics of a bunch of locations I visited on my last trip to SF so I will be breaking them up as I get a bit pissy when my posts are toooooo long. I don't like reading long posts so i'm trying to make a conscious effort to keep my posts a reasonable length.

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The back of Maggie Cheung Man-yuk's noggin' (insert dirty joke about me seeing the back of Mags noggin')can be seen in the above pic as she looks out upon a picturesque hillside in the city of Sausalito. In the film, not much time is spent in this gorgeous area just north of The Golden Gate Bridge, but it is where Maggie's character dreams to settle down. Below is a pic of the same hillside full of homes that Maggie is peering out over. This pic was taken on my first trip to SF, back in the spring of 2008.

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The next pic is an obvious one to spot, even in the pre-dawn hours as pictured above. The scene: after a night of drinking, Maggie and Leon have just done the deed in the back of her cab. As the sun rises, we see Maggie's cab parked at the Fort Point National Historic site. Wei and I visited the area while on the San Francisco Movie Tour, this past spring. The tour comes highly recommended and it was a lot of fun. Incidentally, Fort Point was also used in the Alfred Hitchcock film, Vertigo. If you look at the below pic (because it's brighter) you can see Fort Point on the left hand side of the picture, below The Golden Gate Bridge. In Vertigo, Kim Novak takes a header into the water and Jimmy Stewart jumps in and saves her. That scene was filmed here. Just one of the film nuggets provided by the San Francisco Movie Tour.

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The next two pics are of the San Francisco City Hall and the Heart of the City Farmers Market. After Maggie and Leon meet for another tryst, this time at his work space (pictures coming), Mags does the walk of shame through the Farmers Market. Above is a nice shot of City Hall in the distance and below we see the back of Maggie, again, as she tramps through the market.


Below is a two for one shot as you can surely make out City Hall in the background as I stand in the Farmers Market and snap the pic. You can see, there appear to be more vendors at the market now than ten years ago. Also check out the spherical lights that run the length of the market on both sides in the pic below. They are more appealing than the box-like fixtures from the above pic from 2000. Another film nugget from the San Francisco Movie Tour, a sequence from the Francis Ford Coppola film, TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM, was filmed outside of City Hall. Good stuff!

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I chose this series of pics to post first as more of an introduction to the SAUSALITO film locations. They are the more noticeable spots in the film. Some of the other locations are a tad more obscure.

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Before moving forward I have to give MAJOR props to the site Filminamerica. They helped me out with most, if not all, of the SAUSALITO locations. Propers!

Chinatown Kid (1977) SF film locations pt.3

Alrighty. Back to the HK/US film locations. Earlier this year, Wei and I were in San Francisco. So, she humored me and came along as I visited a few locations where HK films had been shot. A few months back I posted a location from the cool Billy Tang Hin-sing/ Jet Li/ Stephen Chow Sing-chi/ Dick Wei film DRAGON FIGHT and a few locations from the opening credit sequence of the Chang Cheh/ Alexander Fu Sheng film CHINATOWN KID. I intended to put all of the locations up soon after my trip was over but I got side tracked with, among other things, the laziness bug. So, I'm back. And here are some more locations from CHINATOWN KID.

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Above is another shot from the opening credit sequence. It was taken on the corner of Grant Ave. and Sacramento St. in San Francisco's Chinatown. You can see the Transamerica Pyramid rising in the background. Above photo is circa 1977. The below pic is of the same location, taken this past spring, 2010.

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The above and below pic are of the same location as the two pics above, the intersection of Grant Ave. and Sacramento St. This pic focuses a bit more down Grant Ave. The building directly across the street looks exactly the same today as it did in 1977. Though the orange window awnings look to have taken a beating from exposure, leaving it a victim of passing time. And though the style of sign looks to have been changed throughout the years, on the left side of both pictures you can still see a vertical Bank of America sign.











Yes, Fu Sheng. There're Chinese characters in U.S.? The famous Chinatown Gate is featured above and below. 33 years apart. This is the beautiful gateway to Chinatown, situated at the intersection of Grant Ave. and Bush St. Depending on the time of day, it is usually mobbed by tourist taking pictures non-stop. And Wei and I were guilty of that as well but we woke our lazy butt's up early to get a jump on the picture snappin' Asian tourist-like crowd....and the thrush of HK movie morons like myself who were visiting HK/SF film locations. Because i'm sure I wasn't the ONLY idiot doing it? Right?








And finally passing through the Chinatown Gate, we enter into C-town. As you can see, so did Fu Sheng. Walking up through the gate, Fu Sheng looks snazzy in his Springtime duds. The same area is pictured in the two photos below. In the second photo you can see my finger pointing to the path tread by Fu Sheng. I'm a bit of a dope.


I believe that should be it for the CHINATOWN KID location pics. As Shaw Bros. flicks go, 99.9% of the action takes place on a sound stage/set. So, outside of the opening sequence and maybe an establishing shot or two, there weren't many places to visit. But, I still have location pics for ALAN AND ERIC: BETWEEN HELLO AND GOODBYE, SAUSALITO, and one or two from THE WESLEY'S MYSTERIOUS FILES. I would like to get them up before the years end. But, as you should all know by now....say it with me.... I'M LAZY!!!!

Fun with Charlie Cho Cha-lee in LOVE IS OVER (1993)

OK. So I enjoyed LOVE IS OVER (1993). Not much of a surprise. Right? And though it wasn't CITIZEN KANE, it had way too many choice Charlie Cho Cha-lee moments to pass over. Hence, why I went a bit haywire with the screencaps. So spend some more time here with Charlie, if you will. And afterwards, break out that old prescription of Valtrex. For Charlie might be here a brief moment. But that burning sensation lasts forever.

Love Is Over (1993)

LOVE IS OVER (1993)

Damn! It's been 2 weeks since my last post? I would like to blame my brief hiatus on laziness but it's work that's been kicking my butt. I've been doing some unwanted overtime and when i'm not at work i'm usually hitting the pillow and dreaming CAT III dreams. Instead of another quick round of Monday Moo Shu I decided to give you a quick look at the enjoyable CAT III bang around, LOVE IS OVER.

LOVE IS OVER is a 1993 nudie romp that sees some popular CAT III players play with each other. My booty snatchin' sifu, Charlie Cho Cha-lee, plays a lecher (of course) whose goal in the film is to bed the lovely mamasan of a massage parlor, played by the oft naked stunner, Otoma Rena. This slight plotting opens itself up to a ton of grab assing at the hands of Charlie and his cohorts, Lee Chung-ling and Chui Bo-lun, two actors no stranger to sticking it to the lovelies in HK skinema. Dirty shenanigans ensue, much to our delight. Hooray!


LOVE IS OVER is an erotic comedy whose strength primarily lies in it's familiar actors and their well known predilection for ass play. When you have all of these wonderful CAT III faces in one film you sure hope not to see much of their faces. Along with genre stalwarts Charlie Cho Cha Lee, Lee Chung-ling, Chui Bo-lun, and Otomo Rena, we get bits by Amy Wong Oi-mei, who's possibly best known for her turn as the girlfriend of Simon Yam Tat-wah in DR. LAMB. Stuart Ong also shows up in very funny support including a laugh out loud conclusion. The first 15 minutes or so of the film is given to the lovely Pauline Chan Bo-lin. Here she plays the wife of Cho and in an extended sex scene with her hubby, Pauline is given the CAT III treatment, and we're all the more better for it. Chan is sexed up by Cho and the camera just loves her. After this intercourse interlude, Chan is given short shrift as she only makes a few short appearances throughout the remainder of the film. And she is fully clothed. As in the vast majority of HK CAT III cinema, it's a man's world here and LOVE IS OVER is for the boys.



The majority of us that have followed HK and CAT III cinema know the sad story (or what parts are available) of Pauline Chan Bo-lin. Pauline was more than just another pretty face. She actually had talent outside of displaying her naked body. And that talent far outreached the constraints of CAT III film. But as the good ol' days of CAT III came to a close, the taint of the seedier side of HK cinema seemed difficult to scrub away and her film roles were few and far between.

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I'm not a biographer or an essayist so i'm not going to attempt to chronicle her life and/or downfall, but in my blog travels I have come across a post or two that so excellently, and in brief, tells her tale. Written by blogger friend Brian over at his great site, Asian Cinema-While on the Road, Brian does us all a service in writing about this notable woman in HK cinemas wild history. He also includes a few reviews of some of Pauline's films. Most of the films are widely available so if you haven't done so yet, check 'em out.

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Below are links to two separate posts about Pauline from Asian Cinema-While on the Road as well as some shots of the sexy poster I have for the film. Enjoy!

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THE PERILS OF PAULINE- By

ASIAN CINEMA-WHILE ON THE ROAD

Pauline Chan Bo-lin 1

Pauline Chan Bo-lin 2

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LOVE IS OVER (1993)

Pauline Chan Bo-lin

What my dreams are made of...

The End

Monday Moo Shu

So, work has been a bear this past week and i've been lazier than usual. Trying to catch up on some zzzzz's and really don't feel like posting anything heady. I have more HK/US film locations to post as well as my final day at the NYAFF, which was way back in July!? Damn! I AM lazy. I also have a butt load of HK posters to throw up here. I'll get to it. Eventually. So as I sit here nursing my evening energy drink, I've decided to post some quick and easy nonsense as part of my Monday Moo Shu, ie. Kingwho? is a lazy so and so! Above is a pic of HK film critic Paul Fonoroff's rare book Silver Light: A Pictorial History of Hong Kong Cinema-1920-1970. The book was sold to me (for a rather meager paypal transaction fee) by a buddy of mine, Glenn, over at the ever readable A Pessimist is Never Disappointed blog. I have yet to tear into the packaging, sit, and enjoy the book but I plan to do so soon. Thanks again, Glenn!

I dislike reading film reviews, so in general, I don't. Even my own. It's all diarrhea of the mouth and who the F are you to tell me what you think and how I should think? And are you really going to tell me about the whole f'reakin' movie?! Really?! I much prefer to read a quick note or bullet review on a film. Nudge me in the right direction and let me take it from there. Above is a post it note I found on a laser disc I purchased from Ebay. It's from the CAT III Pauline Chan Bo-lin film, A SUDDEN LOVE. The film is quick and painless and has it's fair share of CAT III T&A, plus a very relaxed and assured performance by Pauline. She looks wonderful here and is even fully clothed until the very end! Anyway, this pink post it note sports my kind of review: A SUDDEN LOVE stars a deceased nudie starlet, a guy named Dick, has English subs, and is CAT III! Sold!

Pictured here is one of the coolest items of clothing you are bound to see. Anywhere. Ready just in time for Bullets Over Chinatown's fall fashion week, Brian over at Shelf Life Clothing has rubbed one out for the fans. A limited edition CAT III beauty of a T. I'm not sure if this will be available to the general, non CAT III lovin', population? Best thing to do is click on over to Shelf Life Clothing and hit up Brian. He's a swell guy. Pick up a cart full of his other kick booty clothing to butter him up a bit. I plan on at least buying 2 of these bad boys as I fear that one of them will end up rather sticky? Or bloody? Or both?

The man, the myth, the King of CAT III himself, Sleazy K from So Good Reviews, branches out with the video review site, Sleazy K's Video. Sleazy K had a messy break-up with that bitch whore Youtube.com, and took his goodies elsewhere to pimp out to the sticky floor crowd. Now, with his own site, K offers up dirty ass video reviews as companion pieces to his great smut write ups from his main So Good Reviews site. It's a CAT III lovers wet dream! Sleazy K's is open for business, so come on in! Just remember to clean up after yourself. If you don't have a tissue, then use a sock.

"With me here, you'll enjoy sex."

"I can enjoy two girls at the same time"

THE LOVE THAT IS WRONG (1993)
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Charlie Cho Cha-lee bides his time while waiting for his limited edition CAT III T from Shelf Life Clothing. Oh Charlie! You're incorrigible!

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The below video is a great sequence from the wonderful 1999 Riley Yip Kam-hung film, METADE FUMACA. The film comes highly recommended and is chock full of notables. The video here shows my second all time favorite sequence in a HK film. The first being the tea house shoot-out in John Woo's, HARD BOILED. I remember rewinding this sequence numerous times and just gushing in wonder. Set up like a music video and set to the catchy Brazilian flavored tune, Refazenda, by Gilberto Gil, the scene lovingly flashes back to the HK triad scene of the 70's and pits Stephen Fung Tak-lun vs. Sam Lee Chan-sam. Also lookout for appearences by Vincent Kok Tak-chiu, Tony Ho Wah-chiu, Jessica Chan Pooi-wa and Cheung Tat-ming. Enjoy!