The Man From Hong Kong + Q&A
WHERE Greater Union Bondi
Price: $15 / $12 conc
Fast! Fierce! Fantastic! Nothing can stop… The Man from Hong Kong
From maverick action film director Brian Trenchard-Smith (BMX Bandits) comes this 1970s spy-flick spoof starring Kung Fu extraordinaire Yu Wang. Super cop Fang Sing Leng is an ass-kicking, bed-hopping Hong Kong James Bond with an ax to grind. He arrives in Sydney with a mission: to bring down a mob boss (George Lazenby), woo some ladies and show the Aussies how they make a man in Hong Kong.
Join Popcorn Taxi for this big screen bonanza of Kung-Fu, Sydney style – plus a live Q&A on stage with vetern stunt man who lived through it all – Grant Page, actor Roger Ward, and down the line all the way from LA; Brian Trenchard-Smith! Hosted by that incurable expert on the genre; Jaimie Leonarder.
A martial arts thriller which begins with a spectacular opening sequence of a kung-fu fight on top of Uluru (no, really!) and a car chase scene in the desert nearby that comes dangerous close to beheading the cameraman. True to its genre, the film is complete with numerous fight scenes and action sequences that still stand the test of time today – not to mention a ferious car chase in volving a beautiful blue Valiant Charger and a car that drives straight through a bloody house!
Starring Jimmy Wang Yu as Inspector Fang, a detective and kung-fu fighter from Hong Kong to crack a drug syndicate run under the cover of a martial school in Sydney managed by Jack Wilton (played by George Lazenby, the one-time James Bond).
Wang Yu was himself a director and star of many martial arts films made in Hong Kong. Trenchard-Smith uses the exotic backdrop of the Australian landscape to create an action packed comic strip style feature, with impressive stunt work and stunning cinematography by Russell Boyd. It’s alo of note that in July 1975, the film was released in the United States by Twentieth Century Fox under the title,The Dragon Flies.
Director’s Comment
"I am proud to have been the architect of Australia’s first co-production with Asia. The time is ripe for more of them. Taking a fresh look at The Man From Hong Kong now 28 pictures wiser and still learning, I wince a little at my errors in judgement, but on balance feel it has a lot of entertainment value for action fans with a retro sense of humour.
"I grew up on early James Bond, so I have always been amused by the crypto-fascist superhero who causes enormous destruction of property and loss of life in the name of justice. So I set out to blend the conventions of the thud-and-blunder thriller with the delirious excesses of the Kung Fu genre. Perhaps it is fortunate that there are only 18 minutes of my dialogue in 106 minutes of non-stop action. I think the picture’s energy and sense of fun made it a success across the world. I want to thank the cast and crew for all the support they gave to help me through my first picture.
"Everyone else, switch off your politically-correct inhibitors, settle back for a couple of hours of laughs and gasps." ~ Brian Trenchard-Smith, Director
Thanks to Popcorn Taxi we have 5 double passes to giveaway to The Man From Hong Kong + Q&A to 5 lucky IF readers. Email win@www.if.com.au for with your contact information and the subject heading ‘Hong Kong’ for your chance to win.