 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SAMMO
HUNG (Hung Kam Bo) Actor, Director, Producer Born Hong Kong, 1950  |
||
When filmmaker Ann Hui needed someone to play the master stunt director in her film 'Ah Kam: Story of a Stunt Woman', she cast Sammo Hung, a multitalented Hong Kong movie personality who, amoung other things, is a stunt director. His contributions to the modern Hong Kong cinema have been considerable - notably, as the director of cult classics such as 'Eastern Condors' and 'Encounters of the Spooky Kind', and as an action and martial arts star. On screen, Hung to play the comic misfit, the natural consequence of being a living contradiction - a fat man of extraordinary agility. In 'Winners and Sinners', he leaps over a flaming buffet table, crashes through a window and lands on a stone patio. In 'Owl Vs Bumbo', he takes to the dance floor and does a creditable dance rountine. One
of four children born to Shanghainese parents, Hung was sent to the
same draconian Peking Opera school attended by Jackie Chan. There he
learnt all the skills that would allow him to become a highly regarded
action star in years to come. He directed his first film in 1977 for
Golden Harvest entitled 'The Iron Fisted Monk' and since then has become
widely praised for his skills both in front of and behind the camera.
He single handedly rejuvinated the kung-fu film in the late 70's with
films such as 'Prodigal Son' and Warriors Two' and after that founded
the ghost film genre with 'Encounters of the Spooky Kind' (1980)After
a long spell of producing films for Golden Harvest Hung grew tired of
the studio system there. He had a much publicised falling out with Jackie
Chan on the set of 'Dragons Forever' and then with Golden Harvest boss
Raymond Chow. After Chow pulled one of Sammo's films from theatres after
just two weeks Sammo realised it was time to move on and formed his
own company Bo Ho films. This is arguably when Sammo produced his best
and most personal work ie. his films 'Eastern Condors' and 'Pedicab
Driver'. However these did not fare well at the Hong Kong box office.
During this time Sammo also split from his wife and became engaged to
Joyce Godenzi a woman who Sammo crafted a number of films for. This
also did not help Sammo's popularity amoung the Hong Kong people who
did not think highly of divorce. However, Sammo was still widely
regarded as a fight choreographer who could make anyone look their best
and made a living directing and choreographing films for the Hong Kong
movie elite. After patching up his differences with both Jackie and
Golden Harvest Sammo worked on Jackie's 1995 film 'Thunderbolt'. Here,
he showed he was still a man to be reckoned with by delivering two amazingly
choreographed fight scenes. He was then given the opportunity to direct
Jackie in 'Mr Nice Guy' (1997) and Jet Li in 'Once Upon a Time in China
and America' the same year. These were both the highest grossing films
at the box office of that year and Sammo was once again a household
name. Sammo's big break came the
same year when he was offered the oppurtunity to star in the CBS show
'Martial Law' this was also a big success and has been granted another
season. Because of Sammo's sudden popularity many new fans are seeking
out his old work and this can only be a good thing. Let's just hope
Sammo teams with Jackie again soon and delivers one last martial arts
masterpiece... SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY: |
||||