Category III: The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation Cinema

2018

Action / Documentary

4
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 80%
IMDb Rating 6.6/10 10 239 239

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Plot summary

An insightful look at the history of Hong Kong's exploitation cinema, from the early days of the Shaw Brothers and such shockers as "Killer Snakes" through to the advent of the Category III rating in 1988 and then the June 4th massacre in Beijing. The latter led to a panic in Hong Kong, before the Handover of the former UK colony to Mainland China, and a number of motion pictures proceeded to take freedom of speech (and sometimes political symbolism) to the extreme. This is the story of one of the most curious and invigorating periods in exploitation filmmaking.

Director

Calum Waddell Photo
Calum Waddell

Top cast

Calum Waddell Photo
Calum Waddell as Self
Anthony Chau-Sang Wong Photo
Anthony Chau-Sang Wong as Self
Qi Shu Photo
Qi Shu as Self
Josie Ho Photo
Josie Ho as Self
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
764.09 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
23.976 fps
1 hr 23 min
Seeds ...
1.39 GB
1920*1072
English 2.0
NR
23.976 fps
1 hr 23 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 8 / 10

Review for Category III Documentary

This was a documentary that I learned about through podcasts. I believe I need to give credit to the 22 Shots of Moodz and Horror. I'm guessing they brought up this, but I know for a fact that between them and Mr. Parka, I learned about the Category III films from Hong Kong. I was interested in learning a bit more about what went into making them and their lasting impact.Where I want to start is learning more about the history of this film classification. It seems like this was more of a catch all and allowed filmmakers to go over to the top with violence and nudity, as well as anything else that they could think of. China had a rich history with their martial arts films, which were also popular in Hong Kong. The films that would come took inspiration from the Shaw Brothers.Something interesting is that one of the most popular, early films wasn't necessarily made by a team or used money from Hong Kong. Men Behind the Sun did well though because of showing the harsh treatment that Japanese soldiers did to Chinese and Russian soldiers. This falls into the prison films and mad scientist as it shows torture. There was a sequel as well. This is a film that is on my list of ones to check out, but I just haven't got to it yet.I appreciated hearing from people like Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, a cult icon who felt The Untold Story, where he gave a solid performance despite the film's wild nature, ruined his career. It was sad, because I rather liked him in it. However, Josie Ho, a younger actor and icon in her own right (known for the later Cat 3 film Dream Home), pointed out his iconic status during their interview, which is also featured in the doc. The documentary also includes Simon Yam, another Hong Kong cinema legend.Hearing from experts like Sean Tierney, Mike Hostenech, James Mudge and our director, Calum Waddell was good. Since I'm not overly versed in the films being referenced or knowing the background information, their knowledge is helpful. It definitely helps to frame everything. Also hearing from Chau-Song, Ho, Godfrey Ho, Bey Logan and Kam Kwok-Leung, who have worked in the industries. It feels like the Video Nasties from the United Kingdom, but they didn't hit as much censorship. They were restricted who could see them. That helped to create notoriety.I will also say that this documentary was well-made. How they construct it from an introduction to hook the viewer, then explaining the history and moving along the time line, focusing on Chau-Sang and Yam for a couple of the sections is good. The cinematography and framing are good. You can see that it is professionally done. Editing in footage to visually show what they're talking about is good. That helps to liven it up so we are just seeing the interviewees.Ultimately, this serves as an insightful and well-produced retrospective on a controversial yet pivotal era of Hong Kong cinema. By combining expert commentary with candid reflections from the actors and directors who defined the genre-from icons like Anthony Wong Chau-Sang and Simon Yam to the younger generation represented by Josie Ho-the documentary successfully charts the history, impact, and cultural context of the Category III classification. It is an essential watch for anyone interested in international cult cinema, proving that these often-maligned films possess a significant, lasting legacy that goes beyond mere shock value.My Rating: 8 out of 10.
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