Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted March 7, 2013 Member Share Posted March 7, 2013 Here's my top 20 (in chronological order) The Club 1981 Hong Kong Godfather 1985 A Better Tomorrow 1986 Sworn Brothers 1987 Dragon Family 1988 As Tears Go By 1988 Hero Of Tomorrow 1988 My Heart Is That Eternal Rose 1989 Long Arm Of The Law III 1989 A Moment Of Romance 1990 Angry Ranger 1991 Hong Kong Godfather 1991 To Be Number One 1991 A True Mob Story 1998 The Longest Nite 1998 Century Of The Dragon 1999 Infernal Affairs 2002 Infernal Affairs II 2003 Election 2005 Election II 2006 What are your faves? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sheng Posted March 7, 2013 Member Share Posted March 7, 2013 You’re the real list maniac, TWC... I’ve never seen THE CLUB but otherwise I would concur with about 70 percent of your choices (the least with SWORN BROTHERS which I remember had way too many plot holes and maddeningly choppy fight scene editing). Great you acknowledge ANGRY RANGER though, not many people would give kudos to this criminally overlooked fight fest. I think other Wang Lung Wei films are also up there with this - notably BLOODY BROTHERHOOD, CITY WARRIORS and ESCAPE FROM BROTHEL. Anyway, off the top of my head I’d add... A HERO NEVER DIES ORGANIZED CRIME & TRIAD BUREAU ON THE EDGE BEAST COPS PORTLAND STREET BLUES and, for a somewhat different take on the subject, the two ONCE UPON A TIME IN TRIAD SOCIETY films. But the longer I think about it the more comes to mind... there’s really a ton of great Triad flicks out there... or rather crammed into my shelves... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted March 7, 2013 Author Member Share Posted March 7, 2013 Yeah, im a list freak.... guilty as charged. I chose not to include films where the focus was on cops, gamblers, robbers or hitmen characters, but more street triads. Otherwise I could probably have made a top 50. I love this sub genre, even though there are probably more bad than good triad flicks out there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted March 7, 2013 Member Share Posted March 7, 2013 The Coolie Killer A Better Tomorrow City on Fire Prison on Fire School on Fire The Killer Full Contact Too Many Ways To Be No. 1 The Longest Nite A Hero Never Dies The Mission Election 1 & 2 Exiled 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted March 7, 2013 Author Member Share Posted March 7, 2013 Coolie Killer and The Killer would definitely have made my list, had I not set up the criteria mentioned. I guess I just regard them hitman movies as the protagonists themselves are not actually triads. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted March 7, 2013 Member Share Posted March 7, 2013 The more I read "Dying to Belong" the more I wish someone else had wrote it (hint TibetanWhiteCrane, DiP several others) in comparing Triad films with American Gangster movies (have to have a good knowledge of 1930s Gangster movies). I have more complaints since I wrote in the book thread, but I digress. In my head I tend to lump triad/cop/hitman films together, but my favorites with your gangster protagonist distinctions are The Mission, Infernal Affairs 2, Infernal Affairs, A Better Tomorrow, Election, Election 2, Long Arm of the Law, The Longest Nite, Hong Kong Godfather (85), A Better Tomorrow 2. I'm suspecting there is no DVD release of The Club. Is there or is it just found on VHS? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted March 7, 2013 Author Member Share Posted March 7, 2013 No official release for The Club, sadly..... though there are some decent rips out there, I know BigRogie has a widescreen version for instance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted March 7, 2013 Author Member Share Posted March 7, 2013 You’re the real list maniac, TWC... I’ve never seen THE CLUB but otherwise I would concur with about 70 percent of your choices (the least with SWORN BROTHERS which I remember had way too many plot holes and maddeningly choppy fight scene editing). Great you acknowledge ANGRY RANGER though, not many people would give kudos to this criminally overlooked fight fest. I think other Wang Lung Wei films are also up there with this - notably BLOODY BROTHERHOOD Sworn Brothers is far from perfect, but it's just so grim and cruel, and Peter Yang is the ultimate Triad Boss sleazoid.... using his own pregnant daughter as a human shield... classy. Angry Ranger's biggest fault is that Ben Lam doesn't really have the charisma to carry a movie, and his character is actually causing a lot of the problems of the movie, rather than being a victim of it. He's just too cocky and arrogant to be truly likable, but the action from the JC stunt team is awesome. Bloody Brotherhood is pretty good, but a step down from HK Godfather for director Wang Lung Wei. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted March 8, 2013 Member Share Posted March 8, 2013 I did like the YOUNG AND DANGEROUS series and their numerous spinoffs, my favorite being ONCE UPON A TIME IN TRIAD SOCIETY because Francis Ng's Kwan really messes with the viewer. I also like RICH AND FAMOUS, SHANGHAI TRIAD, CENTURY OF THE DRAGON, JIANG HU, WAR OF THE UNDERWORLD, THE DRAGON FAMILY, and THE FINAL WINNER. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shaolivevil Posted March 11, 2013 Member Share Posted March 11, 2013 It seems we all have so many favorites in common. These are mine off the top of my head: A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2 The Club Hong Kong Godfather Long Arm Of The Law Full Contact Rich And Famous Tragic Hero Election 1 & 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted March 11, 2013 Author Member Share Posted March 11, 2013 Love Full Contact, but I personally wouldn't regard as a triad movie. CYF is a bouncer, and Simon and his people seem more like an independent stick up gang. Though they are certainly criminals, the lot of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member sifu iron perm Posted January 19, 2014 Member Share Posted January 19, 2014 subs for later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tex Killer Posted January 19, 2014 Member Share Posted January 19, 2014 Burning ambition, dragon family& retreat of the godfather. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Chinatown Kid Posted January 19, 2014 Member Share Posted January 19, 2014 The Killer, Hard Boiled and A Better Tommorrow 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Superfly Posted January 21, 2014 Member Share Posted January 21, 2014 I'm sure I will miss some here. But off the top of my head. Young & Dangerous series Infernal Affairs Election City on Fire A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2 Rich & Famous SPL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member I Am Caine Posted January 22, 2014 Member Share Posted January 22, 2014 Man, every time I think I'm pretty well traveled in a genre of Asian cinema I come here and just get humbled. So many good ones to add to my queue - quite a few unavailable that I will keep my eye out for! Anybody mention God of Gamblers as a "Triad" film? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted January 21, 2020 Author Member Share Posted January 21, 2020 Was looking for a triad film thread and apparently I made one myself 7 years ago. My top 20 will probably have changed a bit, but let me just add some more cool genre efforts that doesn't get much props. Are they all masterpieces? No. But if all you want is some solid triad entertainment, you can't really go wrong with any of these. True Colours '86 A Bloody Fight '88 Fury '88 A Fiery Family '89 A Killer's Blues '90 Dragon in Jail '90 Gangland Odyssey '90 My Hero '90 No Way Back '90 Return Engagement '90 Phantom War '91 Gun and Rose '92 Prince of Temple Street '92 A Moment of Romance 2 '93 Return to a Better Tomorrow '94 To Live and Die in Tsim Sha Tsui '94 Tragic Fantasy: The Tiger of Wanchai '94 Man Wanted '95 Streets of Fury '96 Street Angels '96 War of the Underworld '96 To Be No. 1 '96 Portland Street Blues '98 Metade Fumaca '99 A War Named Desire '00 Goodbye, Mr. Cool '01 On the Edge '06 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShawAngela Posted January 21, 2020 Member Share Posted January 21, 2020 I'm not really in this kind of movies and I think that I must have some dvds of these list still unwatched, but I watched the three Infernal Affairs years ago, and it seems to me that I had enjoyed them, though I was a little bit disappointed By the third one. Does First shot fit your criteria ? Though the main focus is on the cops, there is also a solid triad boss, there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted January 21, 2020 Author Member Share Posted January 21, 2020 Yeah, my personal criteria for triad movies are a little loose, but mainly that the leads or at least one of them is a triad and that it is mainly about the crime life and triad culture. If the leads are cops and the triads are just the bad guys I don't really label it as such..... but it's a bit up in the air. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Rodolphe Dux Posted January 21, 2020 Member Share Posted January 21, 2020 Godfather's daughter mafia blues came in mind, love the movie. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted January 21, 2020 Author Member Share Posted January 21, 2020 Yeah, that's a good one, though going more for stylized action with Fung Hak On at the helm and the Osh doing her thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Red Lion Posted February 17, 2021 Member Share Posted February 17, 2021 Mine would be: The Club The Killer Killers Romance Beast cops Chinatown Kid (long version) Godfather from Canton Rich and famous Tragic Hero Just heroes Better tomorrow Young and dangerous series Personally while election 1 and 2 were decent i feel that Johnny To's films are a bit too relaxingly paced for me or it could just be that i find the 80s and early 90s aesthetic more in line with my tastes. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DarthKato Posted February 18, 2021 Member Share Posted February 18, 2021 My favorite would probably be between "The Game Changer(2017)" and "The Killer(1989)". I also quite like "Chasing the Dragon(2017)". 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted February 22, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 22, 2021 On 3/8/2013 at 6:35 AM, TibetanWhiteCrane said: Sworn Brothers is far from perfect, but it's just so grim and cruel, and Peter Yang is the ultimate Triad Boss sleazoid.... using his own pregnant daughter as a human shield... classy. Why has director David Lai and star Andy Lau's follow-up to 'Sworn Brothers', 'Runaway Blues', escaped a mention on this list over the course of 8 years!? I recently gave it a first time watch, and would definitely rank it as one of the superior triad movies out there. Check out the full review treatment I gave it over at COF - https://cityonfire.com/runaway-blues-1988-review/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted February 22, 2021 Author Member Share Posted February 22, 2021 2 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said: Why has director David Lai and star Andy Lau's follow-up to 'Sworn Brothers', 'Runaway Blues', escaped a mention on this list over the course of 8 years!? I recently gave it a first time watch, and would definitely rank it as one of the superior triad movies out there. Check out the full review treatment I gave it over at COF - https://cityonfire.com/runaway-blues-1988-review/ I need to revisit.... I remember liking parts of it, but felt the Andy/Kelvin fight felt way out of place and a few other gripes. Traded away my DVD back in the day, but it's on the list again for a re-buy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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