AKA: Black Rain
Director: Phillip Ko Fei
Cast: Yuen Biao, Lily Chung Suk-Wai, Choi Jae-sung, Lee Ngai-Chi, Ben Ng Ngai-Cheung, Chiu Lai-Yee, Chin Siu-Ho, Johnny Wang Lung-Wei, Hugo Ng Doi-Yung, Charlie Cho Cha-Lee, William Ho Ka-Kui
Running Time: 94 min.
By Paul Bramhall
The directorial career of kung-fu cinema legend Philip Ko Fei is one that needs to be studied. Helming more than 50 movies in the years spanning 1982 to 2003, his work ranged from cut ‘n’ paste atrocities for IFD, action cheapies shot in the Philippines, all the way through to slices of Category III erotica. In the span of a little over 20 years the guy did everything, and that’s not even taking into consideration the fact he’d already appeared in close to 100 kung-fu movies when he sat in the director’s chair for the first time (and would go on to feature in over 150 more!). Despite his prolificness as a director it still feels like he was somewhat of an enigma as a filmmaker, which perhaps explains why, in 1999 and far from the peak of his career (which, for the sake of this discussion, we’ll say is his late 80’s – early 90’s period), he got to work with Yuen Biao.
The movie was Millennium Dragon, and in the 25+ years since it was released, is one of those productions that tends to find itself featured prominently in discussions on which movies from Biao’s filmography should be avoided. In fairness while it was the first time for him to be directed by Ko Fei, it wasn’t the first time for the pair to work together. From featuring as extras in the likes of Enter the Dragon and The Secret Rivals Part 2 in the 1970’s, through to regularly Continue reading






























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