John Woo

John Woo

Birth : 1946-09-22, Guangzhou, China

History

John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2. He also created the comic series Seven Brothers, published by Virgin Comics. Woo was described by Dave Kehr in The Observer in 2002 as "arguably the most influential director making movies today". Woo cites his three favorite films as David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï.

Profile

John Woo
John Woo

Movies

The King of Wuxia
Self
The life of the epoch-making master of martial arts cinema, King Hu.
Life in 24 Frames a Second
Himself
"Life in 24 Frames a Second" is a film about hardship, misfortune, perseverance and triumph. The personal stories of John Woo (The Killer), Anurag Kashyap (Sacred Games), Rithy Panh (The Missing Picture) and Lav Diaz (The Woman Who Left), who survived extreme poverty, disease, sexual abuse, genocide and civil war to go on to become maestros of world cinema. 'Survivors' united by their abiding love of the movies.
Manhunt
Writer
Accused of a murder he didn't commit, a prosecutor sets out on a mission to clear his name.
Manhunt
Director
Accused of a murder he didn't commit, a prosecutor sets out on a mission to clear his name.
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
The gripping story of legendary American actor John Travolta: his rise to stardom in the 1970s; his agonizing fall in disgrace in the 1980s; and his stunning artistic rebirth in the 1990s.
Ken San
Self
KEN SAN pieces together the puzzle of the life and legacy of Japan's mythical acting icon, Ken Takakura. Collaborators, friends and family tell intimate stories of Ken's journey: how one man of quiet dignity became a cultural barrier-breaking film star.
The Crossing II
Director
A story of three couples and their intertwining love stories set in 1940s Taiwan and Shanghai, centered around the 1949 sinking of Taiping.
The Crossing
Director
During the Chinese Revolution in 1949, three couples flee from China to an island of Taiwan.
Breaking the Waves
Executive Producer
Xiaoyue, a fiery and irritable dragon boat trainer learns patience from her sunny boyfriend, Tianhua.
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge
Producer
After the uprising at Wushe, Mona Rudao faces a guerrilla war against the militarily superior Japanese and Seediq clans. He and his followers must fight for their dignity and honor so that they can truly be "Seediq Bale" or "real men." Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge is Part two of the two-part, four-hour Taiwanese edition of the film Warriors of the Rainbow.
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag
Producer
An indigenous clan-based people living in harmony with nature find their way of life threatened when violent interlopers from another culture arrive, intent on seizing their natural resources and enslaving them. Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag is Part one of the two-part, four-hour Taiwanese edition of the film Warriors of the Rainbow.
Beginning of the Great Revival
Lin Sen
A chronicle of the events that led to the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
Kurosawa's Way
Self
Eleven major film makers from Europe, America and Asia talk about Akira Kurosawa and discover surprising influences on their own work.
A Better Tomorrow
Screenplay
Two brothers on different sides of the law go head-to-head.
Reign of Assassins
Co-Director
Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains. She begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place, and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power-wielding secret.
Reign of Assassins
Producer
Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains. She begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place, and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power-wielding secret.
The Founding of a Republic
National Army officers
The tale of one man who fought against the tyranny of a ruler and led his people in battle in the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
The Founding of a Republic
Liu Wenhui
The tale of one man who fought against the tyranny of a ruler and led his people in battle in the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Himself
More than just a biography, this film explores Bruce Lee's global impact to see how he has influenced all areas of popular culture including fitness, cinema, music, sport, dance, video games and philosophy. A journey across the United States, Asia and Europe, takes Shannon Lee on a trip back to her father's roots in Hong Kong and China. With unique access to the family's photographic archive, home movies and all material owned by the Bruce Lee Foundation.
Red Cliff II
Producer
The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?
Red Cliff II
Director
The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?
Red Cliff II
Screenplay
The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?
The Long Road
A documentary on the filming of the movie Red Cliff
Red Cliff
Producer
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.
Red Cliff
Screenplay
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.
Red Cliff
Director
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.
Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki
Short focusing on the collaboration between John Woo and Shinji Aramaki in Appleseed Ex Machina.
Appleseed: Ex Machina
Producer
As members of ESWAT, the elite forces serving Olympus, Deunan and Briaereos are deployed anywhere trouble strikes. Olympus finds itself under a stealth attack - cyborg terrorism, deadly nanotech zealots, and rioting citizens are just some of the threats that Deunan must contend with as she fights to save Olympus!
Blood Brothers
Producer
Three best friends who are barely getting by as fishermen seek their fate in 1930s Shanghai. Upon arriving in the bustling city, the naïve trio gradually find their innocence corrupted as they fall into the deepest depths of the criminal underworld.
The Making of Stranglehold
Producer
The Making of Stranglehold is a fantastic look into the development of the classic video game being the last time Chow Yun-Fat and John Woo collaborated together.
Song Song & Little Cat
Director
Short film for All the Invisible Children.
All the Invisible Children
Director
Seven short films - each one focused on the plight of a different child protagonist.
A Century of Light and Shadow
Himself
Revisit 100 years of Chinese cinema through the RTHK TV program A Century of Light and Shadow. Aired in 2005, this interesting and informative documentary traces the development of the Chinese film industry from the pioneering years to contemporary times. From the volley between Mandarin and Cantonese films to the rise of the New Wave, this program touches on all the major trends and developments that have helped define Chinese cinema and explores different genres and representative figures and films. From actors to directors, over 200 film industry names, including Jackie Chan, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Connie Chan, Andrew Lau, Peter Chan, and Lau Ching Wan, appear in the program, bringing their intimate knowledge of the industry and providing insight about what lies ahead for Chinese cinema.
Crossings: John Woo
Crossings: John Woo starts with Woo's emotional homecoming to Hong Kong in 2004 to promote his latest blockbuster Paycheck. It leads you through his teen years where he made avant garde films, his apprenticeship with Shaw Brothers' martial arts director Chang Che, his coming of age as a director directing slapstick Hong Kong comedies through the 70s and 80s. It charts the genesis of the groundbreaking A Better Tomorrow starring Chow Yun Fat, a film that creates a new genre in Hong Kong cinema and launches Woo's career into the international arena.
The Robinsons: Lost in Space
Director
In the year 2082, the Earth was invaded by aliens after it was long determine that existence of extra terrestrials was long thought to be science fiction. Major cities crumbled from the destruction of the beings from beyond the stars. The invasion came to a halt when Earth's own armed forces led by Col. John Robinson fought off the invaders and thus Earth won the battle which came to be known as "Robinson's Raid". 15 years have passed by and John Robinson attends a ceremony for his retirement from his services in defending the Earth from alien threat. This disfunctional family is one of the fewest families chosen to be part of the space program that is heading for a planet called Nova which will become occupied with a new farming colony.
Paycheck
Producer
Michael Jennings is a genius who's hired – and paid handsomely – by high-tech firms to work on highly sensitive projects, after which his short-term memory is erased so he's incapable of breaching security. But at the end of a three-year job, he's told he isn't getting a paycheck and instead receives a mysterious envelope. In it are clues he must piece together to find out why he wasn't paid – and why he's now in hot water.
Paycheck
Director
Michael Jennings is a genius who's hired – and paid handsomely – by high-tech firms to work on highly sensitive projects, after which his short-term memory is erased so he's incapable of breaching security. But at the end of a three-year job, he's told he isn't getting a paycheck and instead receives a mysterious envelope. In it are clues he must piece together to find out why he wasn't paid – and why he's now in hot water.
Bulletproof Monk
Producer
A mysterious and immortal Tibetan kung fu master, who has spent the last 60 years traveling around the world protecting the ancient Scroll of the Ultimate, mentors a selfish street kid in the ancient intricacies of kung fu.
Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia
Himself
A full journey from the beginning of "Swordplay" movies in Shanghai, growth in Hong Kong cinemas in the 60's and 70's and Ang Lee's epic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000. The series also features interviews with such luminaries including John Woo, Chu Yuen, Lau Ka Leung, Gordon Lau Ka Fai, Sammo Hung, David Chiang and Cheng Pei Pei.
Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong
Self
Filmmaker Ian Taylor examines the impressive legacy of Hong Kong cinema -- specifically, how martial arts crossed borders and become an international phenomenon -- with the help of footage and interviews with the stars who made the genre what it is today. Director Lau Ka Leung (who helmed The 36th Chamber of Shaolin) joins in, sharing his thoughts on how certain cinematic technologies have improved martial arts films and expanded their appeal.
Hostage
Director
The Driver is hired by the FBI to help defuse a hostage situation. A disgruntled employee has kidnapped a CEO and has hidden her, demanding $5,088,042. The Driver delivers the money, writing the sum on his hand as instructed by the hostage taker. After he is told that he holds the life of a person in his hand, he is ordered to burn the money. As he complies, the federal agents break in and attempt to subdue the man, who shoots himself in the head before he reveals where the woman is hidden. The Driver then tries to find the hostage before she drowns in the trunk of a sinking car. As a twist, the kidnapped woman is revealed to be the hostage taker's lover. She coldly taunts the dying man in the hospital.
Red Skies
Executive Producer
A young Chinese female cop comes to Southern California on a hunt for a high-profile criminal from mainland China.
Windtalkers
Producer
Joe Enders is a gung-ho Marine assigned to protect a "windtalker" - one of several Navajo Indians who were used to relay messages during World War II because their spoken language was indecipherable to Japanese code breakers.
Windtalkers
Director
Joe Enders is a gung-ho Marine assigned to protect a "windtalker" - one of several Navajo Indians who were used to relay messages during World War II because their spoken language was indecipherable to Japanese code breakers.
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies
Self - Interviewee
Hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, this in-depth documentary offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the martial arts film -- from the genre's rebellious beginnings to high-flying modern epics. Jackson takes you through the best moments of 100 movies, including Charlie's Angels and Oscar winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Interviews with martial arts film veterans Sammo Hung, John Woo and Ang Lee round out the video.
Mission: Improbable
Self
A behind the scenes look at the stunt work of "Mission: Impossible 2", told through one stunt man who looks like a certain superstar, who's got his looks, but certainly not his smarts.
Mission: Impossible II
Director
With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
Self
A profile and history of film director Akira Kurosawa.
成龍的傳奇
Himself
Jackie Chan is one of the world's biggest action stars, famed for his wacky sense of humor, remarkable martial arts techniques, and willingness to perform incredible stunts without the use of doubles -- or a net. This video takes a personal look at Chan as he works on screen projects in Hollywood and Beijing and candidly discusses his life and work.
Blackjack
Producer
After saving Casey, a daughter of his friend, from hired assassins, Jack Devlin is hit with a strange phobia - fear of white color. But when his other friend, who works as a bodyguard for a supermodel, is wounded, Jack decides to step in for him. Now he must confront his fear and the assassin, who seems to be well aware of Jack's problem.
Blackjack
Director
After saving Casey, a daughter of his friend, from hired assassins, Jack Devlin is hit with a strange phobia - fear of white color. But when his other friend, who works as a bodyguard for a supermodel, is wounded, Jack decides to step in for him. Now he must confront his fear and the assassin, who seems to be well aware of Jack's problem.
Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema
Himself
This highly personal film essay demonstrates that Chinese cinema has dealt with questions of gender and sexuality more frankly and provocatively than any other national cinema. Yang ± Yin examines male bonding and phallic imagery in the swordplay and kung fu movies of the '60s and '70s; homosexuality; same-sex bonding and physical intimacy; the continuing emphasis on women's grievances in melodramas; and the phenomenon of Yam Kim-Fai, a Hong Kong actress who spent her life portraying men on and off the screen.
The Big Hit
Executive Producer
Affable hit man Melvin Smiley is constantly being scammed by his cutthroat colleagues in the life-ending business. So, when he and his fellow assassins kidnap the daughter of an electronics mogul, it's naturally Melvin who takes the fall when their prime score turns sour. That's because the girl is the goddaughter of the gang's ruthless crime boss. But, even while dodging bullets, Melvin has to keep his real job secret from his unsuspecting fiancée, Pam.
The Replacement Killers
Choreographer
Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.
The Replacement Killers
Executive Producer
Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.
Face/Off
Director
In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.
Task Force
Lin is a plain-clothes cop in the crime-riddled district of Mongkok who bungles a vice operation directed at mainland prostitues. He falls for a ditsy hooker who tells him the love of her life is a killer who once svaed her life in a shootout.
Once a Thief
Director
Set in Hong Kong and Vancouver, the story follows Mac Ramsey and Li Ann Tsei, lovers and professional thieves who are separated while fleeing the powerful Hong Kong underworld crime lord who raised and trained them. After being imprisoned in Hong Kong, Mac is forcefully recruited into a clandestine international crime-fighting unit by a hard-nosed, menacing Director. He is teamed in Vancouver with Li Ann, who thought Mac was dead, and her new fiancé Victor Mansfield, an ex-cop who is attracted to the unorthodox methods of the agency. Conflict flares between Mac and Victor as the trio take on their assignment. They soon learn that their principal target is their foster brother Michael Tang, who had been given Li Ann as his future wife and who has vowed to hunt down the pair for their disloyalty to the "family".
Broken Arrow
Director
When rogue stealth-fighter pilot Vic Deakins deliberately drops off the radar while on maneuvers, the Air Force ends up with two stolen nuclear warheads -- and Deakins's co-pilot, Riley Hale, is the military's only hope for getting them back. Traversing the deserted canyons of Utah, Hale teams with park ranger Terry Carmichael to put Deakins back in his box.
Don't Cry, Nanking
Producer
In December 1937, during the Second Japanese-Sino War, a Chinese doctor, his Japanese pregnant wife, their teenage daughter and their young son travel from Shanghai to Nanjing seeking shelter in the Capital during the Japanese invasion. The family faces the Rape of Nanking by the Imperial Japanese Army, with rapes, mass murder of prisoners of war and civilians including women, children and elders, and disrespect of international conventions.
Peace Hotel
Executive Producer
After his wife's murder, widow Wong A Ping sets up a Peace Hotel to act as a sanctuary for anyone who needs protecting. One day a mysterious women shows up who seeks shelter from a gang hunting her. Vowing to never turn anyone away, Wong A Ping must decide whether to help the women or risk confronting the gang.
Cinema of Vengeance
Himself (uncredited)
A documentary study of martial arts films and their leading protagonists. Included are profiles of such artists as Bruce Lee, Cynthia Rothrock, Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme and John Woo favourite Chow Yun Fat.
Hard Target
Director
When a woman's father goes missing, she enlists a local to aid in her search. The pair soon discover that her father has died at the hands of a wealthy sportsman who hunts homeless men as a form of recreation.
Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kino
Himself
A German documentary on Hong Kong cinema.
Hard Boiled
Mr. Woo
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Hard Boiled
Editor
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Hard Boiled
Author
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Hard Boiled
Director
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Twin Dragons
Priest
Twins, separated at birth, end up as a Hong Kong gangster and a New York concert pianist. When the pianist travels to Hong Kong for a concert, the two inevitably get mistaken for each other.
The Banquet
Man on stairs
Developer Tsang Siu-Chi and his agent have bought two of a group of four properties. Rival developer, Boss Hung has secured the other two properties. Both aim to buy all four so they can knock them down and build hotels.
Once a Thief
Stanley Wu (uncredited)
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.
Once a Thief
Screenplay
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.
Once a Thief
Director
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.
Rebel from China
Kwong
Prolific action director Woo proves his thespian mettle on screen as a destitute, desperate Chinese defector who, with his brother in tow, tries to find a foothold in the Hong Kong underworld.
Bullet in the Head
Policeman
When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.
Bullet in the Head
Editor
When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.
Bullet in the Head
Producer
When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.
Bullet in the Head
Screenplay
When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.
Bullet in the Head
Director
When three close friends escape from Hong Kong to war-time Saigon to start a criminal's life, they all go through a harrowing experience which totally shatters their lives and their friendship forever.
Just Heroes
Director
The assassination of a gang lord triggers a power struggle amongst his men. Who will win the game the righteous or the villain?
The Killer
Screenplay
Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.
The Killer
Director
Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.
Sunset in Paris
The story of "Sunset Paris" tells that Leslie Cheung, who plays Leslie, and Maggie Cheung, who plays Maggie, are a couple. Leslie gets an opportunity to study at the University of Paris, so he leaves Hong Kong to go abroad to pursue his ideals, but has to separate from his girlfriend Maggie for a short time. While living in Paris, Leslie meets a painter, Cherie, played by Cherie Chung, and develops a relationship with her. Things get complicated when Maggie comes to Paris on a visit and realizes that things are not the same...
Starry Is the Night
Father Fan
As Cai Mei, a single 40 year old woman and a social worker starts a relationship with a teen-ager Tian-Ah, she remembers her relationship when she was young with her professor, a married man older than her.
A Better Tomorrow II
Writer
A restauranteur teams up with a police officer and his ex-con brother to avenge the death of a friend's daughter.
A Better Tomorrow II
Director
A restauranteur teams up with a police officer and his ex-con brother to avenge the death of a friend's daughter.
The Thirty Million Dollar Rush
Ling's Husband
Treasury employee Fatty (Eric Tsang) discovered that bags of used 30 million in Hong Kong Dollars have not been incinerated due to a system error; therefore, he hatches up a plot to grab the doe before they are burned. He seeks his friends Mark (Mark Cheng) and Tomboy (Anglie Leung) to help him with the heist; but, they also enlist actual thief Baldy (Karl Maka), who had just been released from prison, to double the assistance with his thievery skills. But, Baldy wants the money for his own and to share it with love interest Siu-Fung (Paula Tsui). Hot on their trail is a hothead inspector (Ching Wong) and a nun, Sister Maria (Brigitte Lin), who wants to save them for redemption.
A Better Tomorrow
Producer
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
A Better Tomorrow
Inspector Wu
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
A Better Tomorrow
Screenplay
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
A Better Tomorrow
Director
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
Love, Lone Flower
Producer
Wau Fong and Pak Yuk are attractive hostesses in a cabaret with a great following. One of Wan's suitors, Or Ah Chun is a powerful and prominent figure with strong Japanese connections. But she is reluctant to accept his affection and offer of good life. A postgraduate returning from Japan, Lin San Lon is deeply in love with Pak. The musically talented Lin composes the song LOVE, LONE FLOWER for her. But an American bomber puts an end to their relationship, killing Or and Pak in the debris of the cabaret. Wan becomes "Chieftain" of May Flower Restaurant after the liberation. Among the girls under her supervision, she is surprised to see the late Pak...
Super Citizen
Producer
A young man from the country comes to Taipei to search for his sister from whom he has heard nothing during the past year. Beginning in a tenement slum, the young man travels through the city's lowlife, where street hustlers sell fake Rolex watches and other contraband, gangs fight each other, and the ubiquitous sex businesses ply their trade. The young man befriends a rich teenage girl and a young prostitute as he and a hustler who knew his sister search for her through a trail of clues leading to restaurants, dance joints, and brothels.
The Time You Need a Friend
Director
John Woo's melodramatic tragicomedy The Time You Need a Friend (1985) stands at the crucial crossroads in the director's career. Woo had been churning out innocuous comedies for more than a few years, and after establishing the "heroic bloodshed" genre, he'd never look back. But this tale of two comedians - estranged former pals who bury the hatchet for one last show together - blends the pathos and male-bonding of Woo's later dramas with the silliness and pratfalls that marked his early works. At their peak, Ku Ren and Shem Bien were an unstoppable screen comedy team, the undisputed stars of the silent era. But a major falling out has kept the duo offstage for decades. Despite the urgings of family and friends, Ku and Shem refuse to reconcile. As both men approach their twilight years, one last chance for a reunion presents itself in the form of a televised charity benefit. Ku Ren and Shem Bien struggle to come to terms with years of bitterness, and bring the house down once again.
Liang zhi lao hu
Director
Two street urchins meet up with a sad and lonely rich kid. They become friends when the kid's shady uncle mistakes them for his nephews.
Heroes Shed No Tears
Producer
The Thai government hires a group of Chinese mercenaries to capture a powerful drug lord from the Golden Triangle. The mercenaries manage to capture the drug lord, but soon find themselves pursued by his forces, and the forces of a bitter Thai officer. The Chinese mercenaries are vastly outnumbered, and as their numbers begin to dwindle, their desperation pulls them into a corner as their enemies close in on them.
Heroes Shed No Tears
Writer
The Thai government hires a group of Chinese mercenaries to capture a powerful drug lord from the Golden Triangle. The mercenaries manage to capture the drug lord, but soon find themselves pursued by his forces, and the forces of a bitter Thai officer. The Chinese mercenaries are vastly outnumbered, and as their numbers begin to dwindle, their desperation pulls them into a corner as their enemies close in on them.
Heroes Shed No Tears
Director
The Thai government hires a group of Chinese mercenaries to capture a powerful drug lord from the Golden Triangle. The mercenaries manage to capture the drug lord, but soon find themselves pursued by his forces, and the forces of a bitter Thai officer. The Chinese mercenaries are vastly outnumbered, and as their numbers begin to dwindle, their desperation pulls them into a corner as their enemies close in on them.
Plain Jane to the Rescue
John Woo [cameo]
Jane, with plain looks but a heart of gold, is always in between jobs. Once she gets a job, her knack for creating awkward situations immediately loses it for her. Ricky is her suitor, but he gets nowhere as the girl has no time for love. So Ricky goes along with her in job hunting. Somehow, Jane lands on a job as governess. Not to a child, but to an uncouth very old, very rich man who still wants to lead the life of his poor, uncivilized youth. His son is now running the old man's millions. He wants to bring up the father the civilized way. And he wants to take over the whole city through take-over deals. He is ruthless and has thrown thousands into the streets.
Plain Jane to the Rescue
Director
Jane, with plain looks but a heart of gold, is always in between jobs. Once she gets a job, her knack for creating awkward situations immediately loses it for her. Ricky is her suitor, but he gets nowhere as the girl has no time for love. So Ricky goes along with her in job hunting. Somehow, Jane lands on a job as governess. Not to a child, but to an uncouth very old, very rich man who still wants to lead the life of his poor, uncivilized youth. His son is now running the old man's millions. He wants to bring up the father the civilized way. And he wants to take over the whole city through take-over deals. He is ruthless and has thrown thousands into the streets.
To Hell with the Devil
Writer
A shmo makes a deal with the devil so he can become a great Pop star just to impress his dream girl. After he makes the deal, a catholic priest hangs around him to try and convince him that he screwed up and he needs to get his soul back or he'll be damned for eternity. Well, everything goes bad for the shmo and he wants his soul back. But, the devil's lacky doesn't want to give it back. So the priest and the devil's lackey go at it mano y mano.
To Hell with the Devil
Director
A shmo makes a deal with the devil so he can become a great Pop star just to impress his dream girl. After he makes the deal, a catholic priest hangs around him to try and convince him that he screwed up and he needs to get his soul back or he'll be damned for eternity. Well, everything goes bad for the shmo and he wants his soul back. But, the devil's lacky doesn't want to give it back. So the priest and the devil's lackey go at it mano y mano.
Laughing Times
Screenplay
John Woo's Chaplin film. A homeless wanderer just happens across various articles of clothing that make him resemble Charlie Chaplin much to the amusement of passersby.
Laughing Times
Writer
John Woo's Chaplin film. A homeless wanderer just happens across various articles of clothing that make him resemble Charlie Chaplin much to the amusement of passersby.
Laughing Times
Director
John Woo's Chaplin film. A homeless wanderer just happens across various articles of clothing that make him resemble Charlie Chaplin much to the amusement of passersby.
From Riches to Rags
Writer
Ricky and Fatso are friends in need. They are in dire need of money since they are only paid slave wages at the bottling factory. However, they become millionaires overnight after buying a winning lottery ticket. During one of their swingin' nights on the town, Ricky is suddenly attacked by an upset stomach; and in no time, a quack doctor diagnoses the seizure as terminal cancer. Ricky seriously considers suicide. But he is appalled by the drawbacks inherent in the available methods of doing himself in--primarily the pain! It is on a rooftop from which he is supposed to make a plunge that he saves a poor man from suicide by giving the latter all the money he has. In gratitude, the newly rich man promises to hire a killer to finish off his suffering benefactor...
From Riches to Rags
[cameo]
Ricky and Fatso are friends in need. They are in dire need of money since they are only paid slave wages at the bottling factory. However, they become millionaires overnight after buying a winning lottery ticket. During one of their swingin' nights on the town, Ricky is suddenly attacked by an upset stomach; and in no time, a quack doctor diagnoses the seizure as terminal cancer. Ricky seriously considers suicide. But he is appalled by the drawbacks inherent in the available methods of doing himself in--primarily the pain! It is on a rooftop from which he is supposed to make a plunge that he saves a poor man from suicide by giving the latter all the money he has. In gratitude, the newly rich man promises to hire a killer to finish off his suffering benefactor...
From Riches to Rags
Director
Ricky and Fatso are friends in need. They are in dire need of money since they are only paid slave wages at the bottling factory. However, they become millionaires overnight after buying a winning lottery ticket. During one of their swingin' nights on the town, Ricky is suddenly attacked by an upset stomach; and in no time, a quack doctor diagnoses the seizure as terminal cancer. Ricky seriously considers suicide. But he is appalled by the drawbacks inherent in the available methods of doing himself in--primarily the pain! It is on a rooftop from which he is supposed to make a plunge that he saves a poor man from suicide by giving the latter all the money he has. In gratitude, the newly rich man promises to hire a killer to finish off his suffering benefactor...
Last Hurrah for Chivalry
Writer
Kao has purchased a new wife, but an enemy has paid her more money to kill him. Kao must recruit a pair of swordsmen to help defend himself and his family from his ruthless enemy. But Kao has his dark side as well...
Last Hurrah for Chivalry
Director
Kao has purchased a new wife, but an enemy has paid her more money to kill him. Kao must recruit a pair of swordsmen to help defend himself and his family from his ruthless enemy. But Kao has his dark side as well...
Itchy Fingers
Triad boss on lorry
Biggie (Roy Chiao) and Tiny (Richard Ng) grow up together. They fight all the time. Biggie is a detective and Tiny is a thief. Biggie has the satisfaction of catching Tiny and putting him behind bars. When Tiny is released, he is approached by Daigau who wants Tiny's help to steal the world famous diamond.
Hello, Late Homecomers
Screenplay
An omnibus of tales from the three directors, Sit, Maka and Woo. Each dealing with true love and romance. The third and the best one of the tales deals with a hen-pecked husband trying to kill his wife. An action packed tale written and directed by John Woo who lets the fireworks fly!
Hello, Late Homecomers
Director
An omnibus of tales from the three directors, Sit, Maka and Woo. Each dealing with true love and romance. The third and the best one of the tales deals with a hen-pecked husband trying to kill his wife. An action packed tale written and directed by John Woo who lets the fireworks fly!
Follow the Star
Miss Chen's father
On that side of the track is Ah Sing (Roy Chiao), uncouth, unkempt, a garage repairman, a bravado with plenty of tricks up his overall sleeve. And on the other side of the track is rich, young recording artist Gayle (Rowena Cortes), idol of the young with her songs and dances, but an orphan. Harry is her manager. They should not meet, least to say forming some kind of partnership, but they do. Gayle goes to Ah Sing's garage for repairs. When Harry and she drive off, the car's undercarriage Ah Sing and drags him along. Fate steps in the form of five toughles who stop the car and kidnap Gayle to a farmhouse. It so happens that Gayle's father and the five were robbers but the father took off with all the money while the five were caught. They want the money back now they have served the time...
Follow the Star
Writer
On that side of the track is Ah Sing (Roy Chiao), uncouth, unkempt, a garage repairman, a bravado with plenty of tricks up his overall sleeve. And on the other side of the track is rich, young recording artist Gayle (Rowena Cortes), idol of the young with her songs and dances, but an orphan. Harry is her manager. They should not meet, least to say forming some kind of partnership, but they do. Gayle goes to Ah Sing's garage for repairs. When Harry and she drive off, the car's undercarriage Ah Sing and drags him along. Fate steps in the form of five toughles who stop the car and kidnap Gayle to a farmhouse. It so happens that Gayle's father and the five were robbers but the father took off with all the money while the five were caught. They want the money back now they have served the time...
Follow the Star
Director
On that side of the track is Ah Sing (Roy Chiao), uncouth, unkempt, a garage repairman, a bravado with plenty of tricks up his overall sleeve. And on the other side of the track is rich, young recording artist Gayle (Rowena Cortes), idol of the young with her songs and dances, but an orphan. Harry is her manager. They should not meet, least to say forming some kind of partnership, but they do. Gayle goes to Ah Sing's garage for repairs. When Harry and she drive off, the car's undercarriage Ah Sing and drags him along. Fate steps in the form of five toughles who stop the car and kidnap Gayle to a farmhouse. It so happens that Gayle's father and the five were robbers but the father took off with all the money while the five were caught. They want the money back now they have served the time...
Money Crazy
Screenplay
Ducky is hired by Rich Chen to transport the "diamonds" he stole from Uncle Pai Mary. Uncles Tough Guy and Mary would like to get the diamond from Ducky, so volunteering to relieve Ducky of his responsibility. Somehow Tough Guy subdues the gunman and finds out the diamonds are just paste. Tough Guy and Ducky are now partners and promise Uncle Pai to recover the real diamonds. Many times they try but they get nothing more than trouble. Ducky finally works out a plan to get the real diamonds back to Uncle Pai and sell the fake ones to Rich Chen. Uncle Pai gets his diamonds. Mr. Chen is now known as Poor Chen. Tough Guy gets his cut and, eh, Mary.
Money Crazy
Director
Ducky is hired by Rich Chen to transport the "diamonds" he stole from Uncle Pai Mary. Uncles Tough Guy and Mary would like to get the diamond from Ducky, so volunteering to relieve Ducky of his responsibility. Somehow Tough Guy subdues the gunman and finds out the diamonds are just paste. Tough Guy and Ducky are now partners and promise Uncle Pai to recover the real diamonds. Many times they try but they get nothing more than trouble. Ducky finally works out a plan to get the real diamonds back to Uncle Pai and sell the fake ones to Rich Chen. Uncle Pai gets his diamonds. Mr. Chen is now known as Poor Chen. Tough Guy gets his cut and, eh, Mary.
Hand of Death
Writer
A young monk must face the Extended Iron Claw technique of a powerful warlord seeking to destroy Shaolin.
Hand of Death
Zhang Yi
A young monk must face the Extended Iron Claw technique of a powerful warlord seeking to destroy Shaolin.
Hand of Death
Director
A young monk must face the Extended Iron Claw technique of a powerful warlord seeking to destroy Shaolin.
Princess Chang-Ping
Screenplay
A beautiful Cantonese opera about the forbidden love between a princess and a scholar. The backdrop is Ming dynasty China and the two would rather die than be apart.
Princess Chang-Ping
Director
A beautiful Cantonese opera about the forbidden love between a princess and a scholar. The backdrop is Ming dynasty China and the two would rather die than be apart.
The Dragon Tamers
Script
Carter Wong plays a young chinese martial arts student who travels to Korea to learn Taekwondo. Soon he comes up against a vicious gang who want all the local martial arts schools to join their evil association. But before he can defeat the bad guys, he has to learn to master his own strong desire to fight.
The Dragon Tamers
Director
Carter Wong plays a young chinese martial arts student who travels to Korea to learn Taekwondo. Soon he comes up against a vicious gang who want all the local martial arts schools to join their evil association. But before he can defeat the bad guys, he has to learn to master his own strong desire to fight.
The Young Dragons
Message deliverer
The powerful mobster Leung, who is protected by the dangerous and wicked Huan Fai, sells two hundred Japanese weapons and ammunition to a Chinese gang. He uses the smuggler Luy Fu to bring the weapons but the smalltime thief Kim and his gang heist the shipment on the road and dump the cargo into the sea. However, he lures Luy Fu and asks a large amount to return the weapons with the intention of traveling abroad with his brother. Meanwhile Kim befriends Fan Ming, an undercover police office from Shanghai that is investigating the illegal activities of Leung. When the mobster finds that Fan Ming is a policeman, Leung ambushes him and Huan Fai and his men stab the officer that falls from a cliff into the sea. Kim brings Fan Ming's fiancée Ipi Feng to the house of his lover, the prostitute Hung, and tells Ipi Feng that her fiancé was murdered by Leung. She decides to revenge the death of her beloved Fan Ming with tragic consequences.
The Young Dragons
Writer
The powerful mobster Leung, who is protected by the dangerous and wicked Huan Fai, sells two hundred Japanese weapons and ammunition to a Chinese gang. He uses the smuggler Luy Fu to bring the weapons but the smalltime thief Kim and his gang heist the shipment on the road and dump the cargo into the sea. However, he lures Luy Fu and asks a large amount to return the weapons with the intention of traveling abroad with his brother. Meanwhile Kim befriends Fan Ming, an undercover police office from Shanghai that is investigating the illegal activities of Leung. When the mobster finds that Fan Ming is a policeman, Leung ambushes him and Huan Fai and his men stab the officer that falls from a cliff into the sea. Kim brings Fan Ming's fiancée Ipi Feng to the house of his lover, the prostitute Hung, and tells Ipi Feng that her fiancé was murdered by Leung. She decides to revenge the death of her beloved Fan Ming with tragic consequences.
The Young Dragons
Director
The powerful mobster Leung, who is protected by the dangerous and wicked Huan Fai, sells two hundred Japanese weapons and ammunition to a Chinese gang. He uses the smuggler Luy Fu to bring the weapons but the smalltime thief Kim and his gang heist the shipment on the road and dump the cargo into the sea. However, he lures Luy Fu and asks a large amount to return the weapons with the intention of traveling abroad with his brother. Meanwhile Kim befriends Fan Ming, an undercover police office from Shanghai that is investigating the illegal activities of Leung. When the mobster finds that Fan Ming is a policeman, Leung ambushes him and Huan Fai and his men stab the officer that falls from a cliff into the sea. Kim brings Fan Ming's fiancée Ipi Feng to the house of his lover, the prostitute Hung, and tells Ipi Feng that her fiancé was murdered by Leung. She decides to revenge the death of her beloved Fan Ming with tragic consequences.
Fist to Fist
Assistant Director
A young police cadet graduates from the academy, and is sent to a small town run by gangsters - one of whom betrayed the hero's father and left him to die.
The Mandarin
A detective and wanderer called Man Tshu comes to town and challenges the crime family that owns it, burning their opium and taking away one of their prostitute wives as his love interest.
The Mandarin
Second Unit
A detective and wanderer called Man Tshu comes to town and challenges the crime family that owns it, burning their opium and taking away one of their prostitute wives as his love interest.
The Boxer from Shantung
Assistant Director
Leaving the poverty of his life in Shantung to seek fortune in Shanghai, The Boxer is instead drawn into a world of corruption, gang warfare and evil... Where his only protection is his famed fighting technique.
Accidentally
Young Man
John Woo's experimental short film, made during his time in college. The line between genuine love and violent obsession is blurred when a man falls for a girl and proceeds to tie her up with rope to him, making her follow him around and bend to his whims until tragedy ultimately befalls them both.
Accidentally
Director
John Woo's experimental short film, made during his time in college. The line between genuine love and violent obsession is blurred when a man falls for a girl and proceeds to tie her up with rope to him, making her follow him around and bend to his whims until tragedy ultimately befalls them both.
Sijie
Sijie
Writer
Sijie
Director
The Killer
Producer
John Woo's remake of his own 1989 film, The Killer
The Killer
Director
John Woo's remake of his own 1989 film, The Killer
Silent Night
Director
An ordinary father heads into the criminal underworld to avenge his young son’s death.