Thursday, March 24, 2011

Category III: Sex, Blood and Politics in Hong Kong

"Category III : Sexe, sang et politique à Hong Kong"

- by Julien Seveon (2009)
335 pp, Published by Bazaar & Co


Man, I wish I'd followed my mum's advise when she said maybe I should take up French (this was 30 yrs ago when I was spending most of my awaken hours reading translated French graphic novels)!! If I'd paid more attention to her suggestion I would have been able to read what seems to be an awesome book on HK's Category III films but as it is I'm left with staring at a cover into a closed world (and a bump on my head from having kicked myself repeatedly!). It's available from Amazon France. Go here.

I found a page on a French HK film site, HKmania blog, which describes the contents in detail so I'll re-post it here translated into English but MIND YOU this is a Google translation and the text in the book is obviously not written in feeble babelfish French, hahaha. If you read French you can skip the Google text and read the original text at the bottom. The original page is here.


From HKmania blog:

After long years of waiting for the Holy Grail has finally arrived in our bookstores preferred. Category III - Sex, blood and politics in Hong Kong Julien Sévéon, most journalists mad, dissects the phenomenon in depth with impressive thoroughness and relevance rare. For the uneducated, class III is the classification from 1988 prohibiting certain films to minors under 18 years. If the original classification allowed to set limits in terms of political correctness, violence and sex on the screen during the 90s, turned into category III genre in itself.

The book of 336 pages (A4) proposed by the excellent editor bazaar & Co is simply beautiful and beautifully illustrated posters and photographs of the films concerned. In summary therefore, you will find:

Intro: What is the category III
Chapter 1: Censorship in Hong Kong
Chapter 2: China Syndrome
The fear of the return
These girls are from China
No Future: Billy Tang Hin-Sing
Chapter 3: Man Behind The Sun
Mou Tun-fei, the eternal rebel
Chapter 4: The world of ruthless exploitation
The exploitation cinema before the Class III
Operation, Category III style
The king of exploitation, Wong Jing
The madman, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
The Chevalier, Louis Fan Siu-Wong
Otto Chan, touches everything
Clarence Fok Yiu-Leung, Mister B
Ivan Lai-Ming Ngai, no limit
Lam Nai-Choi, genius
Ben Ng Ngai-Cheung, the killer Athletic
Elvis Tsui Kam-Kong, the largest
Chapter 5: Fear over the city
Madmen are dropped
"Drawn from real events"
Triads
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, diving in murky waters
Black magic
Herman Yau Lai-To the fly in the round
Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Playboy and the psychopath
Chapter 6: Chinese Kama Sutra
Erotic film
Sex suits
Hsu Chi, the star
Pauline Chan Bo-Lin
Charlie Cho Cha-Lei, perverse grandpa
Cammy Choi Mei Lan, inflated to block
Jessica Chung Chun, the Lolita
Ho Fan, the aesthetic
Vivian Hsu Yeuk-Suen, the naked song
Grace Lam Nga-Si, video star
Lily Lee Lee-Lee's short but good
Loletta Lee Lai-Chun, the actress who wanted too
Rena Murakami, the sex star who came from elsewhere
Sophie Ngan Chin-Man, the last of the last
Rena Otomo, the shooting star
Diana Pang Dan, mystical chest
Amy Yip Yuk-Hing, pretty woman
Yvonne Yung Hung, innocent and tortured
Chapter 7: Women and fatal victims
Confucius, women and exploitation cinema
Rape Revenge
Pornography, where Julie Lee
Lily Chung Suk-Wai, the martyr
Carrie Ng Kar Lai, the bad girl
Chingmy Yau Suk-Ching, the beautiful
Chapter 8: Engaged!
Homosexuality
Homosexuality, cinema and censorship, Yon Fan
Movies Social olicy
A life in a cage, Jacob Cheung Chi Leung
Youth at risk, Lawrence Ah Mon
Author, art and essays
Chapter 9: Post Mortem (?)
Chapter 10: Supplementary Filmography
Index
Bibliography

Is life not grand?


THE ORIGINAL TEXT IN FRENCH:


Après de longues années d’attente le Saint Graal débarque enfin dans nos librairies préférées. Catégorie III – Sexe, sang et politique à Hong Kong de Julien Sévéon, le plus mad des journalistes, décortique en profondeur le phénomène avec une minutie impressionnante et une pertinence rare. Pour les incultes, la catégorie III est la classification datant de 1988 interdisant certains films aux moins de 18 ans. Si à l’origine, la classification permettait de fixer des limites en termes de politiquement correct, violence et de sexe à l’écran, au cours des années 90 la catégorie III s’est transformée en genre à part entière.

L’ouvrage de 336 pages (format A4) proposé par l’excellent éditeur bazaar & Co est tout bonnement magnifique et joliment illustré d’affiches et de photographies des films concernés. Au sommaire vous retrouverez donc :

Intro : Qu’est-ce que la Catégory III
Chapitre 1 : La censure à Hong Kong
Chapitre 2 : Syndrome chinois
La peur du retour
Ces filles qui venaient de Chine
No Futur : Billy Tang Hin-Sing
Chapitre 3 : Man Behind the sun
Mou Tun-Fei, l’éternel rebel
Chapitre 4 : Le monde impitoyable de l’exploitation
Le cinéma d’exploitation avant la Catégorie III
Exploitation, Categorie III style
Le roi de l’exploitation, Wong Jing
Le fou, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
Le chevalier, Louis Fan Siu-Wong
Otto Chan, le touche à tout
Clarence Fok Yiu-Leung, Mister B
Ivan Lai Ngai-Ming, no limit
Lam Nai-Choi, le genie
Ben Ng Ngai-Cheung, le tueur athlétique
Elvis Tsui Kam-Kong, le plus grand
Chapitre 5 : Peur sur la ville
Les fous sont lachés
« Tirés de faits réels »
Triades
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, plongée en eaux troubles
Magie noire
Herman Yau Lai-To, l’empêcheur de tourner en rond
Simon Yam Tat-Wah, le play-boy et le psychopathe
Chapitre 6 : Kama Sutra chinois
Le cinéma érotique
Sexe en costumes
Hsu Chi, la star
Pauline Chan Bo-Lin
Charlie Cho Cha-Lei, pervers pépère
Cammy Choi Mei-Lan, gonflée à bloc
Jessica Chung Chun, la lolita
Ho Fan, l’esthète
Vivian Hsu Yeuk-Suen, du nu à la chanson
Grace Lam Nga-Si, vidéo star
Lily Lee Lee-Lee, court mais bon
Loletta Lee Lai-Chun, l’actrice qui en voulait trop
Rena Murakami, la sex star qui venait d’ailleurs
Sophie Ngan Chin-Man, la der des der
Rena Otomo, l’étoile filante
Diana Pang Dan, poitrine mystique
Amy Yip Yuk-Hing, pretty woman
Yvonne Yung Hung, innocente et torturée
Chapitre 7 : Femmes fatales et victimes
Confucius, les femmes et le cinéma d’exploitation
Rape Revenge
Pornographie, le cas Julie Lee
Lily Chung Suk-Wai, la martyre
Carrie Ng Kar-Lai, la bad girl
Chingmy Yau Suk-Ching, la belle
Chapitre 8 : Engagé !
Homosexualité
Homosexualité, cinéma et censure, Yon Fan
Films sociaux-olitiques
Une vie en cage, Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung
Jeunesse en danger, Lawrence Ah Mon
Auteur, art et essais
Chapitre 9 : Post Mortem ( ?)
Chapitre 10 : Filmographie complémentaire
Index
Bibliographie

Elle est pas belle la vie ?

What true metal was all about in the early days!



As the day has gone and the heat has come
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We are right praying metal tonight
The message from hell and its spell
Even Satan wears leather, our souls to it forever
So let us pray our rules tonight
Chains and Leather
Chains and Leather
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Chains and Leather
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Chains and Leather forever

All hell breaks loose and you have to choose
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Our possession

We are right praying metal tonight
The message from hell and its spell
Even Satan wears leather, our souls to it forever
So let us pray our rules tonight
Chains and Leather
Chains and Leather
Chains and Leather and rivets
Chains and Leather
Chains and Leather
Chains and Leather forever