Hong Kong Star

The Cinema of Hong Kong examines one of the most popular and dynamic cinema traditions in the history of film. Providing an overview of major directors, genres and stars, from its origins to the present, this volume examines Hong Kong cinema in transnational, historical, and artistic contexts. Individual essays focus on Hong Kong cinema before and during World War II; the cinema of the turbulent 1960s; its rise to world prominence in the 1970s and its reception in the United States, and the revival of Cantonese cinema, among other topics.

The "Marlon Brandon 4-Movie Collection" contains "Night Of The Following Day," "The Ugly American," "A Countess From Hong Kong" and "The Appaloosa." "Night Of The Following Day" - Marlon Brando and Richard Boone star in this taut psychological thriller that examines the darkest impulses of the human psyche. A gang of four professional criminals brazenly kidnaps a wealthy teenage girl (Pamela Franklin) from an airport in Paris in a meticulous plan to extort money from the girl's father. Holding her prisoner in an isolated beach house, the gang's scheme runs perfectly until their personal demons surface and lead to a series of betrayals that culminate in a furious and explosive climax. The film that Time called "a keenly conducted seminar in the poetics of psychological terror" is a must-see for Brando fans. "The Ugly American" - Marlon Brando stars in this volatile political thriller based on the critically acclaimed best-selling book. As a compassionate American ambassador to the strife-torn Southeast Asian nation of Sarkhan, Brando tries to keep the Communists in the north from overrunning the weakened democracy in the south by making sure a vital road into the country's inaccessible interior goes through. But, from his very arrival, "The Ugly American" is met with suspicion and hate even by influential freedom fighter now suspected of being a Communist agent. Intrigue and danger surround Brando and co-stars Pat Hingle, Arthur Hill and Sandra Church, in this tense story of Cold War politics that remains all too real today. "A Countess From Hong Kong" - Charlie Chaplin's final film is a delightful romantic comedy, filled with clever touches for which he's famous. Written, directed and composed by Chaplin, it revolves around Russian emigre countess Natascha (Sophia Loren), forced into prostitution in Hong Kong, who stows away in wealthy American Ogden's (Marlon Brando) stateroom to blackmail her way to the States.