Farewell, Golden Harvest....thanks for the great memories

Danny Tse

There was barely a mention of this in the western press, but one of the last classic Hong Kong movie studios has been acquired by a mainland Chinese entertainment company. It's sad to see co-founder Raymond Chow has finally sold his stakes in Golden Harvest, but his studio's legacy are many....his rivalries with the Shaw Brothers Studios, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, the **** Brothers comedies, the Cannonball Run movies, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, and countless other hits. With the demise of the Shaw Brothers Studios (as a movie producer) and Cinema City Studios ("Aces Go Places" series and John Woo's training ground), I suppose big HK movie studios can no longer be supported by the diminishing movie market in HK.

Unfortunately, another piece of my youth have passed into the dustbin of time.

Thanks for the good times, Golden Harvest.

avelanchefan

Danny can you please explain why the HK market is diminishing?

Danny Tse

avelanchefan wrote: »

Danny can you please explain why the HK market is diminishing?

There are a number of reasons, including the handover of HK to China in 1997, piracy, lack of creativity, a "brain drain" of the talent pool, etc. However, one has to understand that the total population of HK is only about 7 million people and what its movie industry has achieved, in terms of worldwide presence, is already very noteworthy.

I really think that the 1997 handover of HK back to China was the main cause to the downfall of the HK movie industry. In the early 90s, investors of the HK movie industry were wary of the uncertain times ahead. Because of that, HK movies were getting made at ever-decreasing quality. Occasionally, there would be some breakthrough, such as the early 90s re-introduction of the martial arts period drama....beginning with "The Swordsman", leading to movies such as "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and "Hero". At that same time, people such as John Woo, Chow Yun-fat, Tsai Hark, etc. were all gaining recognition aboard and eventually they all left to make movies in Hollywood. By the time 1997 came around, the big names in the talent pool of the HK movie industry has all left. And once people like John Woo and Chow Yun-fat tasted success in the West, they will not go back to the smaller budgets of HK films. You will see this in Stephen Chow, especially after his success overseas.

The HK entertainment industry is also hindered by those who wants to "ride the wave until it dies". When John Woo made the gunplay and gangsters look glamorous in the 80s, every director in HK would follow suit. Eventually, the whole genre would collapsed upon itself due to overexposure and redundency.

Piracy is self-explanatory. Everyone wants get something for free. And the governments there, both HK's and the mainland China's, look the other way when it comes to piracy. Yes, they do lip service to the problem, but I don't see them really crackdown seriously or educate the masses about the issue.

fatchowmein

Danny Tse wrote: »

Unfortunately, another piece of my youth have passed into the dustbin of time.

Thanks for the good times, Golden Harvest.

I remember my mother taking me to "Kung-Fu" theatre Wednesday nights at midnight, even on a school night. Another piece of my youth gone too. That blows.

Danny Tse

Out here in San Francisco's Chinatown, during the 70s and 80s, there were a number of theaters that would show HK movies. I believe one of the theaters is still owned by the Shaw Brothers Studios. However, all of the Chinese-language theaters have closed and one can no longer see HK movies in a theater setting anymore.