Directing
Sep 21, 1946
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
John Woo
Directing
Biography
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2. He also created the comic series Seven Brothers, published by Virgin Comics. Woo was described by Dave Kehr in The Observer in 2002 as "arguably the most influential director making movies today". Woo cites his three favorite films as David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, and Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï.
Feature Films (52)
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Hard Boiled
A behind the scenes look at the stunt work of "Mission: Impossible 2", told through one stunt man who looks like a certain superstar, who's got his looks, but certainly not his smarts.
Mission: Improbable
More than just a biography, this film explores Bruce Lee's global impact to see how he has influenced all areas of popular culture including fitness, cinema, music, sport, dance, video games and philosophy. A journey across the United States, Asia and Europe, takes Shannon Lee on a trip back to her father's roots in Hong Kong and China. With unique access to the family's photographic archive, home movies and all material owned by the Bruce Lee Foundation.
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Explores youthful angst and restlessness through the complex, intertwined relationships of two men and a woman.
Dead Knot
John Woo's experimental short film, made during his time in college. The line between genuine love and violent obsession is blurred when a man falls for a girl and proceeds to tie her up with rope to him, making her follow him around and bend to his whims until tragedy ultimately befalls them both.
Accidentally
Powerful mobster Leung, protected by the dangerous Huan Fai, sells 200 Japanese weapons and ammo to a Chinese gang. He uses smuggler Luy Fu to bring the weapons but small-time thief Kim and his gang heist the shipment and dump the cargo into the sea. Meanwhile, Kim befriends Fan Ming, an undercover police office from Shanghai investigating Leung's crimes.
The Young Dragons
A gang of criminals terrorizes Hong Kong with two killer robots, one of which is modelled on the gang's female thug, Maria. When the robot gets damaged during a mission, an inventor working for the police captures and reprograms her to develop an independent personality.
I Love Maria
Forced to choose between the woman he loves and the dangerous, fast-paced life of motorcycles, what will our hero do? Will he toss the bike aside and pick the girl? Or will he leave the girl in favor of the bike? Or is there a chance for some sort of compromise?
Young Lovers on Flying Wheels
One of the greatest, prolific and most influential action directors in history Chang Cheh! Documentary about the Shaw Brother's most prolific director.
The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.
Once a Thief
Television & Series (7)
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards (Chinese: 台北金馬影展; pinyin: Táiběi Jīnmǎ Yǐngzhǎn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak Kim-má iáⁿ-tián) is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is usually held in November or December in Taipei, although the event has also been held in other locations in Taiwan in recent times
Golden Horse Awards
Revisit 100 years of Chinese cinema through the RTHK TV program A Century of Light and Shadow. Aired in 2005, this interesting and informative documentary traces the development of the Chinese film industry from the pioneering years to contemporary times. From the volley between Mandarin and Cantonese films to the rise of the New Wave, this program touches on all the major trends and developments that have helped define Chinese cinema and explores different genres and representative figures and films. From actors to directors, over 200 film industry names, including Jackie Chan, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Connie Chan, Andrew Lau, Peter Chan, and Lau Ching Wan, appear in the program, bringing their intimate knowledge of the industry and providing insight about what lies ahead for Chinese cinema.