When once is not enough

[STSH]

What HK films can you watch repeatedly, or feel compelled to watch more than once and, briefly, why ?

A few of mine :

God Of Gamblers Return.
Seen 3 times.
Wong Jing throws in everything, and goes all out to entertain.
Chow Yun Fat, in a role which fits him like a glove.

Love And The City.
Seen at least 3 times.
Wildly overdone melodramatic love story. Emotional manipulation par excellence. Ng Man Tat showing that he really can act, and the luscious Ng Sin Lin.

Madam Q.
Seen at least 3 times.
Something like a Cat III version of God Of Gamblers Return, but even wackier.

[MrBooth]

STORMRIDERS - seen it 6 times and the pleasure I get is only barely diminished. ASHES OF TIME 4 or 5 times, but the last time I didn't enjoy it so much.

Hmmm... not a lot else. OUATIC and ACGS both stood up to quite a few viewings, but I can't watch them in full anymore. I'll rarely watch something more than 2 times, 3 if I really like it.

[gordo]

The Prodigal Son---Just a kick ass film.

[evirei]

I must say Tricky Brain. I remember when I was in my secondary years. There is this 1 month long holiday. I watch this show 2 - 3 times a day for the whole month and yet I can still laugh when I watch it now

Other movies that I can watch over and over again, the old stephen chow movies (hail the judge, chinese oddesy 1 and 2, fight back to school 1 and 2), infernal affairs and the aces go places.

[fartbubble]

Drunken Master 2: Watch it about once every month or so. The Hatchet Gang fight is still one of my favorite scenes.

The Blade: Watch it when I am hanging out with a girl. My favorite Hark film that should be mandatory viewing to all newcomers. One of the few movies that have actually made me shed a tear.

Fire Dragon: Seen it atleast a dozen times. First movie to make me look for films by action choreographers and not actors or directors.

Burning Paradise: Movie usually on constant rotation. Great story with a awsome finish.

Blade of Fury: Watched it enough to ruin my original tape. Great fights and still can't get over the horse running through a wall.

Haunted Cop Shop 2: Seen it 6 times or so. Still can't forget the line "We will remember him every time we urinate!"

[j.crawford]

My DVD of Kung Fu Cult Master finds its way into my player several times a month. I'll watch 10-15 minutes for a quick dose of fun and/or inspiration.

Of more recent films, I've watched To's The Mission and Lau's The Duel more than a couple of times each. [The latter is a guilty pleasure of mine.]

[Brian Thibodeau]

HIGH RISK: Oddly the only Jet Li movie that has compelled me to several viewings, probably for the same reason STSH likes GOD OF GAMBLERS' RETURN: Wong Jing pulls out all the stops.

ACES GO PLACES 2: Another one with everything but the kitchen sink. I've always felt that if a newcomer could dig this film, they were a prime candidate for becoming a Hong Kong cinema junkie.

BURNING AMBITION: Fantastic, underrated triad action thriller with some phenomenal fight sequences and stunts. Perhaps the cast of solid second-stringers makes this an easy repeater, not sure.

THE MISSION/EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED/LONGEST NITE/FULL TIME KILLER. Love those dark Johnny To noirs! They're aging quite well...

BIO-ZOMBIE. Love the concept of this one, and the execution is bang on, with a just-right mix of comedy, suspense and gore, plus a killer performance by Wayne Lai.

[JohnR]

1. City Hunter. I love the fight scenes at the end, especially Jackie vs. the main villain.

2. Fallen Angels. It casts a spell over me; the soundtrack is unbelievable; and Michelle Reis and Karen Mok!

3. Royal Tramp, especially the second. Non-stop laughs and hyper-cute Chingmy.

4. I've already watched Infernal Affairs (first) four times and know I will watch it more.

5. Although I don't watch them much now, I watched the heck out of the Young & Dangerous series.

6. Comrades Almost a Love Story - Charming. I just realized I've listed two movies that star Leon Lai and one where he's a main character. His role in City Hunter is nothing, but he does a good job in this one and Fallen Angels.

[pjshimmer]

Wong Kar Wai
---
Ashes of Time - I think about the film on a daily basis; listen to the soundtrack on a weekly basis; and watch parts of the film on a monthly basis. It's mesmerizing because it still remains mysterious and detached after all these years, and always feels fresh to me. As you may imagine, this is currently my all time favorite.

2046 - currently my all time most memorable.

In the Mood for Love - currently holds my highest opinion for any film by WKW.

Chungking Express - although STSH detests it, I've watched it numerous times and it gets better.

Fallen Angels - the film that jumpstarted my love for WKW. Michelle Reis and Leon Lai are absolutely fucking great here (pardon my enthusiasm)

The Follow - this is not a HK film, but Wong Kar Wai demonstrates excellent control over his cast including Adriana Lima and Clive Owen in this mood-driven short film. Although made in America, this is stylistically unmistakable Wong Kar Wai.

Others
---
Fist of Fury 1991 part 2 - the funniest comedy I ever saw. The comedy never diminished over the years for me.

Kung Fu Hustle - could have been better with more sparkling imagery during certain scenes, but still damn good.

Shanghai 13 - the star power and the lack of a real story propels it to the top of my list. I've seen this at least 5 times.

Infernal Affairs - gets better with each viewing. Now a personal favorite

Tokyo Raiders - fun

The Sword (1980) - Wong Kar Wai definitely learned a few tricks from his mentor Patrick Tam

General comment
---
HK cinema is too commercialized to leave me much lasting memory. I find that films from Japan and China offer more timelessness due to their sophistication and ambiguity. Most HK films--even the ones I enjoy a lot--I have no desire to see again. However, nearly every Mainland or Japanese film I have seen has found a place in my memory bank or improved with subsequent viewing. Admittedly, this may not be a fair comparison since I have seen WAY more HK films than others, which means I've seen the good, bad, and the crap, whereas for China and Japan I may have only seen the goods.

[steve_cole1]

I watched Police Story 3 I cant count how many times
The Infernal Affairs films countless times
Drunken Master 5plus times
A better tomorrow 1 and killer 5 plus times

[Zethzen]

I can pretty much watch anything John Woo, with exception of his American and earlier work, over and over again. I have seen the Killer and Hard-Boiled countless times. Ong-Bak (although not an HK movie) at least 5 times. Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle at least 5 times each. I've seen A Better Tommorrow 2 quite a few times also. Tai Chi Master, probably my favorite wire-fu film, finds its way into my player from time to time.

[fartbubble]

I will agree with High Risk, Jacky Cheung's fight where he wears the yellow jump suit is pretty sweet.

[Mikestar*]

1. Forbidden City Cop (Must have seen it at least 6 times.. I know... people tend to either absolutely LOVE or HATE this film)

2. Fist of Legend (Almost for the fight seqeunces alone)

3. Eastern Condors

4. A Better Tomorrow

5. Chungking Express (had to be at least ONE Wong Kar-wai film

6. Nomad (an oldie but goodie)

7. Her Fatal Ways

8. On the Run

9. Prison on Fire

10. Made in HK

[adamas85]

Mr. Vampire (havent watched it this year, shame on me )
Kung Fu Hustle
Young & Dangerous series
Millionaires Express

im probably missing out loads.

[Fueled By Fire]

Humm...some that come to mind would include:

John Woo's - Bullet in the Head, Hard Boiled, The Killer, A Better Tommorrow
Tsui Hark's - Dragon Inn, The Lovers, Peking Opera Blues, Swordsman
Wong Kar Wai's - As Tears Go By, Ashes of Time, Chunking Express, Fallen Angels
Johnnie To's - A Moment of Romance, The Mission, Needing You, Running Out of Time