Live Hard (1989) - new aliases and Nishiwaki removal?

[Shiomi]

http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?i ... ay_set=eng

What's really remarkable about this movie is that there's an international version that differs so very widely from the HK edit. The international cut is shortened at numerous points, but five huge action sequences were added which don't appear on any HK version I've inspected (DVD, Laserdisc), and all that gives it a different look. Actors were added too, e.g. is Mark Houghton in the export version, he does not appear in the HK cut. I added some shots from the German VHS to the gallery. What's also noteworthy is that the villainesses haircuts change at random. So much for continuity. As for the changes I suggest:

A
Michiko Nishiwaki is in the cast list here. I can't remember her being in that movie and haven't found such info on any other MN filmography. I always doubted this cast entry since I noticed this on the film's DB sheet. And while doing the gallery, I paid some extra attention on her possible appearance, but still didn't see her anywhere in Live Hard. There are two other (names unknown to me) Asian ladies in fighting roles:

They're both not Nishiwaki for sure, but caused perhaps a mix-up? I wonder where that information originated. But I'd vote for removing Nishiwaki. Or somebody maybe can bring up more evidence than I could that she's in?


Finally, in the English opening credits of that international market version, there are some new aliases hidden:

B
While gweilo fellow Farlie Ruth Kordica is credited under the same name (as Kordick),
Kim Maree Penn is credited as "Vanity Jones, 1989 Light Weight Karate Champion". I guess that name is to add to her sheet then:
International version

HK version

Why they switched the year of the underline - I don't know.

C
I strongly suppose that Pak Bill is another alias for Jason Pai Piao:

Cheung Lap Kei = missing alias for Cheung Laap-Gei.

D
Chung Gam-Gwai, producer, is listed as David Chung (alias not in DB):

[Brian Thibodeau]

Man, I've always thought this was a suprisingly good little thriller with some kick-ass action scenes (especially at the end), but now I'm wondering what I missed!! Why do I have the feeling your German tape is probably the only extant version of the international edit?!

Usually, I don't care much to track down and view multiple edits or alternate scenes, as there are plentiful websites taking care of that already, but this sounds like a significantly different beast! FIVE additonal action scenes?!?

Definitely don't recall Nishiwaki in the HK edit of this either.



(P.S. I've always wondered if somewhere out there is a David Heavener-free version of DARK SIDE OF CHINATOWN, another agreeable time-waster from the same period, since the entire style of production changes drastically, and for the better, once he's out of the picture!)

[Shiomi]

@ Brian
I think world sales of that movie were not widely spread. FYI, the German tape was very rare and hard to locate even here. I just came across it once in my life. And let's face it, if there wasn't the well-executed action, you couldn't really sit through Live Hard with satisfaction. The international cut has several drama footage being left out, but got pumped up with those five nice extra action scenes. I secure you this doesn't make the movie plotwise any better. The HK version runs 93 Mins. NTSC (would be roughly 89-90 Mins. in PAL) while that international version only runs 79 Mins. (PAL) so you can imagine what storm went through the editing room making the international cut. Very unsual regarding the few decent changes you could find in some Golden Harvest movies, for example. My theory is that they wanted to put in just more western faces for better world sales. The addition of Mark Houghton and that other guy (I think it's Steve Tartalia) made absolutely no dramatic sense, while the three Kim Penn scenes were probably taken from another, unfinished release. But just a theory.


EDIT:
Look at the scan of the back cover of the German VHS. In the lowest picture of the right column, there's a shot from a scene that is neither in the HK, nor in the international cut. Cleaning boy of HK movie companies would have been a nice job, considering what you could have picked up from the cutting room floor.

[Brian Thibodeau]

And let's face it, if there wasn't the well-executed action, you couldn't really sit through Live Hard with satisfaction.

Granted, although given my tolerance for bottom-of-the-barrel cinema, I'm not so sure!

Look at the scan of the back cover of the German VHS. In the lowest picture of the right column, there's a shot from a scene that is neither in the HK, nor in the international cut.

Actually, that shot of Simon about to strike is on the back of my HK DVD as well. Perhaps it was a promotional still?

Cleaning boy of HK movie companies would have been a nice job, considering what you could have picked up from the cutting room floor.

I can imagine at least a couple of "directorial" careers that might very well have begun this way.

[Shiomi]

Actually, that shot of Simon about to strike is on the back of my HK DVD as well. Perhaps it was a promotional still?

That image is also on the back sleeve of the Star HK Laserdisc. Strange, if this image is on any sleeve but not included in any version - oh yes, I guess there was much still left out here.

[calros]

Removed Nishiwaki. Added aliases.

Thanks to you I found that David Chung and Chung Gam-Gwai are the same person. If nobody stops me in 15 days I will merge them.