THE BIG BULLET is known for a handful of awesome action sequences, but one of the reasons I enjoy the film is the way the Hong Kong “Emergency Unit” works together to solve some fairly simple cases as well. Enjoy this scene where Sergeant Bill Chu (Lau Ching-Wan) sees right through the lies of a bitter employee.
The first time I ever remember seeing Hong Kong actor “Sean” Lau Ching-Wan on the screen was in the Jet Li film, BLACK MASK. I was watching the film because of Jet Li, who had recently hit it big in America as a bad guy in LETHAL WEAPON 4, but I remember thinking that Lau’s cop character was pretty darn cool too. I didn’t think of him again for awhile, but then I bought a book about Hong Kong movies called “Hollywood East: Hong Kong Movies and the People who Make Them,” from author Stefan Hammond. This book was Hammond’s follow up to “Sex and Zen and a Bullet in the Head,” one of the books that truly educated me on the cinema of Hong Kong. “Hollywood East” spent a whole bunch of pages discussing Lau Ching-Wan and his movies. I connected the dots between this very interesting actor I was reading about and that cool cop in BLACK MASK. So I did what I do. I bought one of his movies, and then another, and then another. Soon I was obsessed with watching all of his movies. One of those first movies I remember reading about in “Hollywood East” was THE BIG BULLET.
In THE BIG BULLET, Lau Ching-Wan is the badass cop-with-an-attitude, Sergeant Bill Chu, who doesn’t take crap off of anyone, including his superiors on the force. After belting one of his so-called superiors following a botched raid, Chu finds himself transferred to the Hong Kong police force’s “Emergency Unit,” a clear demotion for a man of his experience and arrest record. Here, the loner must work as part of a team to answer the various calls that come their way on a daily basis. This isn’t always easy, as one of the fellow cops on the unit is the extremely by-the-book Inspector Jeff Chiu (Jordan Chan). They clash immediately. Other members include the spunky Apple (Theresa Lee), the nerdy gun nut (Cheung Tat-Ming), and the old guy (Spencer Lam). This somewhat ragtag group finds themselves in the uneviable position of trying to stop an extremely dangerous group of thieves, led by The Professor (Yu Ronguang) and Bird (Anthony Wong). We’ve seen their willingness to kill at the drop of the hat, and the Emergency Unit doesn’t seem to be a proper match for these criminals. Or are they??
If you’re looking for a strong action film, and you’ve never seen it before, I present THE BIG BULLET. Director Benny Chan was emerging as a top notch Hong Kong film director, and THE BIG BULLET seemed to announce that he was throwing his hat into the ring as an action specialist when some of Hong Kong’s best action directors were taking their talents out west. There’s a sequence about 25 minutes into the film where our heroes find themselves in a shootout with the main villains that will leave your heart racing in the same manner as some of John Woo’s or Ringo Lam’s best work. And the actors are the very best that Hong Kong has to offer. Lau Ching-Wan, while not a dashing star in the mold of Chow Yun-Fat, easily carries the film on his shoulders with his natural charisma and tremendous screen presence. Even now, almost 30 years later, Lau Ching-Wan continues to dominate the Hong Kong film industry from an acting standpoint. He is nominated in 2025 for the Hong Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the film PAPA (2024). The excellent Francis Ng has a small, but pivotal role as Chu’s friend and colleague on the police force who helps him save his job at the beginning of the film. I also like Jordan Chan as the by-the-books member of the team who comes to realize that there are times when you may have to bend the rules to stop dangerous criminals. In a role that starts out extremely unlikable, he wins us over as the film progresses. As far as the criminals go, it would be hard to get much better actors for the parts than Yu Rongguang (IRON MONKEY) and Anthony Wong (BEAST COPS, THE MISSION). These excellent actors are cool and evil and we definitely want to see them get their comeuppance before the credits roll.
Overall, THE BIG BULLET may lose a little bit of steam in its second half, but it’s still a great example of how strong Hong Kong action films were in the late 90’s. It’s also an example of the excellent talent in Hong Kong films even as Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-Fat, Jet Li, and John Woo had already moved on to Hollywood. THE BIG BULLET has a special place in my heart since it was one of those formative Lau Ching-Wan films in my life. But nostalgia aside, it’s still a damn good action film, and I recommend it without any reservations!
In this 33-minute short film, we watch as Edie Sedgwick appears to have a conversation with herself. She’s not, of course. Instead, she’s sitting next to a television monitor that is showing a video of Edie having a conversation with an off-screen someone who was to the right of her. Meanwhile, the “live” Edie is having a conversation with an unseen person who is sitting to the left of her. This creates the illusion of the two Edies having a disjointed conversation with each other whereas, in reality, we’re really not sure who either Edie is talking to or what they’re even talking about. As was typical with Andy Warhol’s Factory films, the soundtrack is notably muddy. As well, the video below is actually a film of the film, which I think Warhol perhaps would have appreciated as long as he got paid.
Okay, it’s not for everyone. Obviously, if you’re not a fan of Warhol’s films, this experimental piece is not going to change your mind. In fact, it’ll probably make you a little bit angry. But, for me, it’s a fascinating time capsule, a true product of the era from which it came. Warhol’s experiments might not seem spectacular today but that’s because we’ve grown use to experimentation. Experimentation has become a mainstream concept. Warhol, on the other hand, was making his underground films at a time when the term “underground” actually meant something.
As well, this film features Edie at the height of her fame. It’s a bit sad to watch now, knowing how fleeting her obvious happiness would be. Warhol’s films always framed Edie as being just slightly out of reach, from both the viewers and the filmmaker. With the muddy soundtrack, one watches the multiple Edies in this film and wonders what is going through their mind, This is a film that embraces the enigma of existence and image.
Today’s song of the day comes from Lou Reed. Andy Warhol reportedly asked Lou Reed to write a song about how Edie Sedgwick was a femme fatale. It’s a song that captures the fascination that Edie inspired amongst artists in the 60s and beyond. It may not be the most positive portrait of Edie as a person but at least it’s not quite as bitter as Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone.
Here she comes, You’d better watch your step, She’s going to break your heart in two, It’s true.
It’s not hard to realize, Just look into her false colored eyes, She’ll build you up to just put you down, What a clown.
‘Cause everybody knows She’s a femme fatale The things she does to please She’s a femme fatale She’s just a little tease She’s a femme fatale See the way she walks Hear the way she talks.
You’re written in her book, You’re number thirty-seven, have a look. She’s going to smile to make you frown, What a clown.
Little boy, she’s from the street. Before you start you’re already beat. She’s going to play you for a fool, Yes, it’s true.
‘Cause everybody knows She’s a femme fatale The things she does to please She’s a femme fatale She’s just a little tease She’s a femme fatale See the way she walks, Hear the way she talks.
‘Cause everybody knows She’s a femme fatale The things she does to please She’s a femme fatale She’s just a little tease She’s a femme fatale Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh She’s a femme fatale Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh She’s a femme fatale Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh She’s a femme fatale
Today’s scene that I love comes to use from an underground 1965 film called Vinyl! This film, believe it or not, was actually an adaptation of the novel A Clockwork Orange, one that was filmed six years before the better-known Stanley Kubrick version.
In this scene below, Gerard Malanga and Edie Sedgwick dance to Nowhere to Run by Martha and The Vandellas. Malanga is playing the role that would later be made famous by Malcom McDowell. Edie is playing …. well, Edie is basically playing herself. No one smoked a cigarette with as much style as Edie Sedgwick.
Watching her in this scene, it’s sad to think that, in just six years (and at the same time that Stanley Kubrick was releasing his version of A Clockwork Orange), Edie Sedgwick would die at the age of 28. Like all of us, she deserved much better than what the world was willing to give her.
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Today would have been Edie Sedgwick’s 82bd birthday. Unfortunately, she died under tragic circumstances in 1971, after having briefly found fame as a model, a “youthquaker” (as some in the media called her), an actress, and Andy Warhol’s muse. Her tragic life is often held up as a cautionary tale and perhaps it is. For all of her talent and her appeal (not to mention that sharp wit that made her an outsider in the 60 but which would have made her a fascinating interview subject in 2025), Edie was far too often exploited by those who should have been protecting her. She was too beautiful not to be famous but, at the same time, too sensitive not be hurt by the experience. She’s truly a tragic figure but, because she also epitomizes everything that the New York underground art scene in the 60s represents in the popular imagination, she’s also an inspiring one. Edie lives forever as a symbol and a muse. Personally, I’ve been fascinated by her life for as long as I can remember.
Eric Roberts, Phillip Rhee, Simon Rhee, and Chris Penn all return for more martial arts action in 1993’s Best Of The Best II!
In the years since the American team’s quasi-victory over the Korean team in the first Best Of The Best, Travis (Chris Penn) has fallen on hard times. While his former teammates, Alex (Eric Roberts) and Tommy (Phillip Rhee) attend to the day-to-day operations of running a martial arts studio in Las Vegas, Travis spends his time fighting in underground “colosseum” matches. These matches, hosted by Weldon Mardano (Wayne Newton), are modern-day gladiatorial contests where the fighters often battle to the death while a bunch of rich people watch and cheer. (We can tell they’re rich because they all wear tuxedos). “There are no rules!” the crowd shouts as Travis defeats opponent after opponent.
Travis is convinced that he can defeat the colosseum’s German champion, fearsome Gustave Brakus (Ralf Moeller). It turns out that Travis is wrong. Travis loses to Brakus and is promptly killed after the crowd starts to chant, “Die! Die! Die!” (In Brakus’s defense, he may have thought they were just chanting, “The! The! The!”) (Actually, don’t ask me how that works in Brakus’s defense. I really didn’t think that joke through.) Travis’s death is witnessed by Alex’s young son, Walter (Edan Gross). Travis, Walter, and Tommy go on the run, ending up at Tommy’s boyhood home. Tommy, it turns out, is half-Native American and his bitter uncle, James (Sonny Landham), trains Tommy and Alex for their inevitable fight against Brakus. Dae-han Park (Simon Rhee) also shows up, saying that he owes Tommy a debt for not killing him at the end of the previous film.
BestoftheBestII is an improvement on the first film, if just because it doesn’t take itself seriously at all and it cheerfully embraces and celebrates the absurdity at the heart of the storyline. Just the fact that one of the film’s villains is played by Wayne Newton should tell you everything you need to know about this film’s style. This is a pure Vegas film, full of glitz and neon and plenty of tuxedos. Eric Roberts even wears a tux at the end of the movie. Just as in the first film, Roberts does most of the acting while Phillip Rhee supplies the action. Roberts is a bit less emotional in this film. If he spent the first film continually on the verge of tears, he spends the second one trying not to smile at the silliness of it all. Towards the end of the film, you can actually see him starting to laugh at Wayne Newton’s over-the-top performance and it’s actually kind of a nice moment. Don’t take this too seriously, the film seems to be saying, We’re not! Just enjoy the fights!
BestoftheBestII is definitely an improvement over the first one, even if it is unfortunate that neither James Earl Jones nor Sally Kirkland returned. (Then again, if you were the Tony-winning, widely-celebrated, universally-beloved, and very much in-demand James Earl Jones, would you have returned?) BestoftheBestII doesn’t take itself too seriously and, as a result, it’s far more entertaining than you might otherwise expect.
Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:
Are you feeling like everything has just passed you by?
Do you feel like the world has just changed too much?
Don’t worry!
The Easter Beagle has returned!
I still believe that, someday, Charlie Brown will get an Easter egg. And he’ll also kick that football and he’ll talk to the little redheaded girl and he’ll even finish War and Peace. And I definitely still believe that Linus will see The Great Pumpkin! I still believe in them and, even more importantly, I still believe in the Easter Beagle.
Through the Shattered Lens 