PRESIDENT THEATER
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As we traipsed around the entirety of HK, or what we could get to anyway, I wanted to try to hit up a few of the movie theaters. And, if not actually sit and watch a film there, at least get a pic or two. And I managed to actually do both. Above, and a few pix below, are of the President Theater in Causeway Bay. A friend of ours was taking us on a walking tour through some of the cooler spots on HK island one night before we headed over to the hot-sex-on-a-platter bouillabaisse that is Wanchai and then over to the debauchery of Lan Kwai Fong for some drinks.
The Last Tycoon
The Grandmaster, The Last Tycoon, and The Last Stand
The Grandmaster
DYNASTY THEATER
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Back on the Kowloon side, a few friends told me that it was a MUST to take in a movie @ the Dynasty Theater. It's reputably a theater of questionable repute and one of the last bastions of old world HK film theater uncleanliness. Unfortunately, I was only able to take a few pics of the facade. But I'll DEFINITELY make a show there the next time I'm in HK.
The Tower and Hansel and Gretal: Witch Hunters
The Last Tycoon and The Grandmaster
BROADWAY CINEMATHEQUE
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The Broadway Cinematheque is in Yau Ma Tei, also on the Kowloon side of HK. It's more of an artsy fartsy theater featuring more international fare. We stayed in Yau Ma Tei so we walked by or were in the area of this theater quite often. We didn't stop in for a show, though. We wanted to check out WKW's THE GRANDMASTER, but, for whatever reason, only a few theaters released it with English subs.
The Grandmaster outside of Broadway Cinematheque
NEWPORT THEATER
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The Newport Theater is in on Soy St., around the Ladies Market area of Mongkok. Our hotel was actually a few blocks south and we made our way to the Ladies Market often for quick bites to eat. Time and our itinerary stood in the way of checking out any films here. But, we wouldn't be deterred.
The Grandmaster and The Last Tycoon
The Last Tycoon, The Grandmaster, and Les Miserables
iSQUARE THEATER
Unfortunately, I was so caught up in a walking tour by a friend of mine that i forgot to take some snaps of the outside of this multi-leveled shopping palace in Tsim Sha Tsui. The iSquare Theater is an IMAX spectacle that takes up the top few floors of this mall. But, we were able to find a subtitled print of THE GRANDMASTER. And we sat. And we watched. And it was gooooood.
The Grandmaster
CHINACHEM GOLDEN PLAZA CINEMAS
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In Tsim Sha Tsui East, on Mody Rd., my wife and I were able to hit up the freshly released YOUNG AND DANGEROUS: RELOADED at the Chinachem Golden Plaza Cinemas. I was also steered here by a friend who touted it's heyday HK movie charm. Y and D: RELOADED was released in theaters in both a IIB and III version. Guess which version we saw? Ha! CAT III all the way. And we enjoyed the just-a-tad-seedy atmosphere of a Sunday night @ the movies. Young punks smoking in the theater and all. Fun movie. GREAT TIMES!
Chinachem Golden Plaza Cinemas
YOUNG AND DANGEROUS: RELOADED
YOUNG AND DANGEROUS: RELOADED
THE GRANDMASTER
THE LAST TYCOON
CAT III is for me!
THE GRANDMASTER
CAT III Warning
Love it or leave it!
THE GRANDMASTER
THE LAST TYCOON
Outside of the theater, THE GRANDMASTER
Y and D: RELOADED, once more
THE LAST TYCOON, again
SHILIN MARKET THEATER
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And, finally, our last stop. Here at the Shilin Night Market in Taipei. One of the largest Night Markets in Taiwan. Just before we left the orgy of cooked animal entrails, my wife's cousin, and also our tour guide, pointed out this theater @ the market. We didn't have time to see a flick here, and probably wouldn't have made it through without a toilet break or two after gorging ourselves with every little bit of marinated animal bits and pieces know to this earth. But, THE GRANDMASTER was playing.
THE GRANDMASTER in Taipei
Looks great, will have to check them out if I ever get over there.
ReplyDeleteAlso the Hong Kong Film Archive where I sourced the Cantonese titles for my reviews from.
Hong Kong theatres, colder than your average freezer!
ReplyDeletethanks for the awesome tour! Makes me want to go back to HK soon. I didn't realize Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Mau Tei was an artsy type of theater. The surroundings and the building itself looked like a dive. I thought it would of hosted nothing but cat iii types.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the somewhat fancier but great looking & sounding theater at The Grand Cinema at the Elements mall.
Wonder what you thought about the Chungking Mansions on Nathan Road?!
A friend of mine loves the theater at the Elements Mall and recommended it to us but we didn't have time to go there. I much prefer the older and more seedy movie theaters, though. Not into fancy multiplexes at all.
ReplyDeleteWe walked through Chungking Mansions a few times while we were there. Now that was an interesting place. I was able to buy a few nudie books there :)
I hear ya. The older grimier theaters have a lot more personality and sleaze :) On my trips there, I've always wanted to check out the HK Film Archives. Somehow, I do picture the HK film archives a bit more swank than Anthology film archives on 2nd ave.
DeleteWe also went to the HK FIlm Archives. It was definitely more swank than Anthology. Maybe I will do a post about it. I bumped into someone 'special' while at the Archives. :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Mr. C, keep an eye out for the Subway Cinema crew in the coming weeks. They are holding an old school kung-fu weekend at Anthology. April 19-21. The films playing haven't been released to the public yet.
very cool, thanks. I love the vibe at Anthology and nothing better than catching some old skool fu films there!
ReplyDeleteI wonder who this someone 'special' is?!