Jump to content

Zodiac Killers: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
m Reverted 1 edit by 90.221.149.41 (talk) to last revision by NinjaRobotPirate. (TW)
Undid revision 623900983 by NinjaRobotPirate (talk)
Line 27: Line 27:
| gross = HK$9,081,083<ref name=hkmdb>{{hkmdb title|7445}}</ref>
| gross = HK$9,081,083<ref name=hkmdb>{{hkmdb title|7445}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''Zodiac Killers''''' is a 1991 [[Hong Kong action cinema|Hong Kong action]] [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] [[drama film]] directed by [[Ann Hui]] and starring [[Andy Lau]], [[Cherie Chung]] and [[Junichi Ishida]].
'''''Zodiac Killers''''' is a 1991 Hong Kong [[crime film]] directed by [[Ann Hui]], and produced by [[Eric Tsang]]. The film stars starring [[Andy Lau]], [[Cherie Chung]] and [[Junichi Ishida]].


The inspiration of ''Zodiac Killers'' came from the case of a mainland Chinese female student studying abroad in Japan who died when she fell onto the tracks. ''Zodiac Killers'' is [[Hong Kong New Wave]]'s representative Ann Hui's first attempt at making a commercial film, which, however, did not perform very well at the local box office. Even after finishing the film for a long time, no film producers came to her to make a film.{{fact|date=June 2014}}
The inspiration of ''Zodiac Killers'' came from the case of a mainland Chinese female student studying abroad in Japan who died when she fell onto the tracks. ''Zodiac Killers'' is [[Hong Kong New Wave]]'s representative Ann Hui's first attempt at making a commercial film, which, however, did not perform very well at the local box office. Even after finishing the film for a long time, no film producers came to her to make a film.{{fact|date=June 2014}}
Line 84: Line 84:


[[Category:1991 films]]
[[Category:1991 films]]
[[Category:1990s action thriller films]]
[[Category:1990s crime drama films]]
[[Category:1990s crime thriller films]]
[[Category:1990s drama films]]
[[Category:1990s martial arts films]]
[[Category:Hong Kong films]]
[[Category:Hong Kong action thriller films]]
[[Category:Hong Kong drama films]]
[[Category:Hong Kong crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Hong Kong martial arts films]]
[[Category:Gun fu films]]
[[Category:Yakuza films]]
[[Category:Cantonese-language films]]
[[Category:Cantonese-language films]]
[[Category:Golden Harvest films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ann Hui]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ann Hui]]
[[Category:Films set in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Golden Harvest films]]
[[Category:Gun fu films]]
[[Category:Hong Kong crime films]]
[[Category:Hong Kong films]]
[[Category:Yakuza films]]

Revision as of 19:58, 9 September 2014

Zodiac Killers
Film poster
Directed byAnn Hui
Screenplay byRaymond To
Wu Nien-jen
Produced byEric Tsang
StarringAndy Lau
Cherie Chung
Junichi Ishida
CinematographyDavid Chung
Edited byDavid Wu
Kam Ma
Music byWong Sze Yuen
Production
companies
Friend Cheers Limited
Paragon Films
Distributed byGolden Harvest
Release date
  • 20 July 1991 (1991-07-20)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguagesCantonese
Japanese
Box officeHK$9,081,083[1]

Zodiac Killers is a 1991 Hong Kong crime film directed by Ann Hui, and produced by Eric Tsang. The film stars starring Andy Lau, Cherie Chung and Junichi Ishida.

The inspiration of Zodiac Killers came from the case of a mainland Chinese female student studying abroad in Japan who died when she fell onto the tracks. Zodiac Killers is Hong Kong New Wave's representative Ann Hui's first attempt at making a commercial film, which, however, did not perform very well at the local box office. Even after finishing the film for a long time, no film producers came to her to make a film.[citation needed]

Plot

Hong Kong student Ben Lee becomes friends with his mainland Chinese classmate Chang Chih while studying abroad in Japan. Ben is unmotivated to study and only cares about money and on the other hand, whenever Chih encounters a Chinese person, he would ask whereabouts of his childhood sweetheart. Ming is also from Hong Kong and in order to elevate his social status, he becomes involved with a bar hostess and owner Yuriko, hoping to become Yakuza leader Yamada Ishikawa's brother in-law.

In Yuriko's bar, Ben encounters Chinese student Mang Tit Lan, who is there to earn some extra money, and falls in love with her at first sight but is not favored. Lan and her friend Mei Mei live with their guarantor and suffers a lot of humiliation.

Lan is in love with Hideyuki Asano, who works as Yamada's top assassin, who went to South America to kill Yamada's enemy, nut eventually came back to reunite with Lan. However, Yamada send his men to have Asano silenced and right before he dies, he asks Lan to expose Yamada to the police but Lan faces the underworld's pursue to kill her.

Since Lan's passport was detained by her guarantor, Ben had to help her sneak out of Japan on a boat, but the thugs arrive right after hearing the news. Ben and Lan attempt to leave the oppressing country.

Cast

Theme song

  • Red Dream (紅塵夢)
    • Composer: Wong Sze Yuen
    • Lyricist: Thomas Chow
    • Singer: Andy Lau

Release

Considering its large budget for this commercial film compared to Ann Hui's other art films, Zodiac Killers grossed a disappointing HK$9,081,083 during its theatrical run from 20 July to 8 August 1991 in Hong Kong.[1]

Reception

Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader wrote, "As an action movie, this is just fine [..] But as a portrait of cultural displacement, this is evocative and sometimes very moving."[2]

Awards and nominations

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Zodiac Killers at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
  2. ^ Sachs, Ben (9 May 2012). "What's new again: Ann Hui's Zodiac Killers". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 20 June 2014.