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Hong Kong had been making kung fu movies for many years when, in the mid-Eighties, a new style was developed. These films were as quick as the martial arts movies, but instead of flinging limbs, the main characters threw bullets. John Woo led the field with A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hardboiled. His operatic gangster sagas were ballets of blood and bullets. They borrowed from Sam Peckinpah, Martin Scorsese and Vincent Minnelli. The impact was both immediate and enormous. The style was called Heroic Bloodshed. With the handover of Hong Kong to China, many film-makers decided to make their living in America. Hollywood had already plagiarised many of the set-pieces from the Heroic Bloodshed movies, but now the originators had a chance to unload more clips on ammo than ever before. John Woo led the way with Hard Target, Broken Arrow and Face/Off. Ringo Lam, Tsui Hark and Kirk Wong have followed in quick succession. Hong Kong action cinema is alive and well and living in Hollywood! What's in this Pocket Essential guide? As well as an introductory essay there are interviews with both John Woo and Wong Kar-Wai, plus a feature on Ringo Lam. The essential Heroic Bloodshed movies are listed and reviewed in all their bullet-riddled glory plus there is a handy multimedia reference guide.
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