John Chong Movies

A young girl witnesses a horrific street accident. A man (Anthony Wong in a pivotal cameo) is hit by a trolley and decapitated. Fifteen years later, June (Shu Qi) is all grown up, and doesn't even remember the accident. One night at a club, Peter (Eason Chan), an unhappy young man, sees June dancing, wearing an eye patch, and approaches her. She quickly uses him to get away from another man, and drags him to a karaoke bar. Just as abruptly, they leave the karaoke bar, and she has him take her to his place. The next morning, he awakens to find his apartment splattered with red paint, and fifty dollars missing from his wallet. He and his roommate, Simon (Sam Lee), then discover Peter's father (James Wong) lying in the bathtub, jabbering about how he doesn't have Alzheimer's, but he's possessed. Eventually, Peter runs into the elusive June again, and they seem to be developing a relationship. But despite his romance with this mysterious woman, things continue to go badly for Peter. He loses his job as a hairdresser, and his father commits suicide. Soon, he discovers June's secret. Ever since she was a little girl, she's seen ghosts. She wears dark glasses or an eye patch sometimes, so she won't have to see them. Soon, it becomes clear that one ghost in particular is haunting June--the ghost of a man demanding his head back. As Peter gets closer to June, he begins to unravel the mystery, and discovers a connection to his own family's past. Visible Secret was written by Abe Kwong and directed by Ann Hui (Ordinary Heroes). Kwong would later direct the sequel. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Hong Kong director Teddy Chen follows up on his hit Downtown Torpedoes (1997) with this breathless action flick that recalls the South Korean mega hit Swiri (1999). Just as Hong Kong's new airport is set to open, a band of terrorists strike a Korean cargo ship, but they leave behind three encoded computer discs and Todd Nguyen (Daniel Wu), an American-educated Cambodian-Chinese man who has complete amnesia. Anti-terrorist cop Ma Li (Emil Chow) and psychiatrist Shirley Kwan (Joan Chen, whose voice is dubbed into Cantonese) struggle to turn Todd against his comrades and to wrest the secrets from his blanked memory. Meanwhile, Soong (Kam Kwok-leung), the crazed leader of the terrorist group, and his sexy sidekick Guan Ai (Josie Ho), plot to unleash a deadly chemical weapon somewhere in Hong Kong. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Making its American debut as part of the cable TV anthology Jackie Chan Presents, Metal Mayhem was originally released theatrically in Asia and Europe as Tejing xinrenlei 2 -- a title which roughly translates to Gen-X Cops II, proof enough that the film was intended as a sequel to the futuristic money-spinner Gen-X Cops. Paul Rudd is seen as "loose cannon" FBI agent Ian Curtis, one of several high-tech peacekeepers assigned to protect a group of American scientists at a Hong Kong-based international exposition. The fun begins when state of the art attack robot RS-1 (Skip Wilder) is unveiled at the exposition -- only to be promptly stolen by disgruntled ex-designer, Kurt (Richard Sun). With the help of this new super-weapon and a virtual army of hypnotized Hong Kong cops, Kurt intends to either take over the world or destroy it in the attempt. Aiding and abetting Curtis in his efforts to retrieve the robot is his slinky girlfriend, Jane Quigley (Maggie Q). Originally released at 110 minutes, Metal Mayhem was televised in the U.S. in a two-hour slot (plus commercials) over the Sci-Fi Channel on February 23, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Renowned actor/director Sylvia Chang created this richly layered film about memory, regret, and lost love. The film opens as successful filmmaker Cheryl (Chang) discusses a script idea about young love with a young screenwriter. She pitches a story about Shao-rou (Gigi Leung) a beautiful though clumsy schoolgirl who falls for a quiet, guitar-playing young man named Ho-chuen (Takeshi Kaneshiro). They develop a deep and enduring passion in spite of meddling parents, jealous friends, and their own naïveté. Yet when they are caught stealing away for a night at far-off Lantau Island, they face the wrath of Shao-rou's mother. The strain proves too much and they tearfully break up. Shao-rou's best friend Li (Karen Mok) responds to the news by offering both emotional sympathy and a bungled attempt at physical affection. The already distraught teen flees, ending their long friendship. Later, when Hou-chuen and Shao-rou meet by happenstance in Tokyo, they quickly realize that time has not altered their feelings for each other. She has become a successful fashion designer while he has become a less-than-successful tour guide. The twist comes when we learn not just that Hou-chuen is married but also who his wife turned out to be. As Cheryl describes the affair, it becomes increasingly difficult to tell if she is outlining a storyline or reminiscing about an old flame. Leung and Kaneshiro, one of Asia's biggest heartthrobs, give sensitive and charismatic performances as both awkward teenagers and world-weary adults. Chang employs a complex narrative structure of flashbacks and flashforwards to tell this beautifully wrought, quietly touching story. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Gordon Chan directed this Hong Kong action drama about Kowloon cop Tung (Anthony Wong). Addicted to gambling, Tung takes an occasional bribe. He shows his new partner, American-born Michael Cheung (Michael Fitzgerald Wong), aka "The King of Killers," the usual neighborhood routines. The duo deals with triad trickery after gang leader Big Brother (Roy Cheung) leaves town. Mike meets Yoyo (Kathy Chau), one of the women Big Brother kept on a string. Left dangling after Big Brother's departure, Yoyo begins a relationship with Mike. Shown at the 1998 Hong Kong Film Festival and in the Market section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

A notable entry among the many action films released in Hong Kong in the 1980s and 1990s, this is director He Ping's homage to swashbuckling epics and American westerns. Most of the film occurs in the canyon of the title, rendered in Mandarin as Riguang Xiagu. A traveling mercenary known as the Avenger arrives in the valley to settle an old score. He befriends the widowed owner of the local inn and her son while waiting for his enemy to arrive. The Avenger also meets up with Crazy Man (Ku Feng), an old warrior who has been waiting for years for his enemies to come to the canyon and in the meantime has become a devout Buddhist. Crazy Man's foes arrive, and the Avenger joins in the battle on his behalf. His experiences in the valley lead the Avenger to question the purpose of his life as a fighter. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

A young punk escapes to a remote village in mainland China and discovers his roots in this Hong Kong drama. Fai, a young gangster, thinks he killed a Hong Kong cop. He escapes to Guangzhou until the situation blows over. The foolish boy immediately wastes the money his boss gave him. Now he is penniless and at the mercy of the mainland gangs. He is wounded in a scuffle. Again he escapes, this time into an isolated village in the Shaanbei province of northern China. He is cared for by a tough old soldier and his granddaughter Xiuxiu. Rural life does not come easily to Fai. While he is there he accidently burns up the village maize field and subsequently causes the death of prize bull. Soon he begins to adjust. He finds himself adopting rural values and enjoying the simple love of Xiuxiu. Finally he knows he must return to Hong Kong and allow justice to be served. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide