Black Cat - 88 Films

[darkness2918]

Ordered a copy from Diabolik. Complete blind buy but I like Nikkita & the set is really nice.

[Mr. Odessa]

Just posted a review on this site.

[WaverBoy]

I’m really happy with this set — terrifically entertaining flick, excellent transfer, loaded with extras, superb packaging — A+ from me.

[darkness2918]

Got my copy in, looking forward to checking it out soon.

[whedon]

Wathced it a couple of days ago and its a pretty shameless rip off of La Femme Nikita only with less of interest or visual playfulness to be found. It's pretty standard early 90s HK fare that really could have done with a lot more nudity and violence.

It looks and feels more like an early 90s made-for-TV film than the Cat III film it tries to sell itself as. There are some interesting moments but the lack of an ending, the bland and infrequent action and familiarity of it all makes Black Cat rather uninteresting. Surprised that 88 Films released it as a Deluxe title and didn't include the sequel as for the price tag I hoped for more from the main attraction.

[chen lung]

Originally Posted by whedon

that really could have done with a lot more nudity

No, thanks.

[whedon]

Originally Posted by chen lung

No, thanks.

When the film is clearly being sold on it's sex and violence and then deliverers little to none of either then it's kind of failed.

There's nothing wrong with nudity, it doesn't have to be sexualised or in the Wong Jing style of awful rape scenes. I'm not saying that the awful and unnecessary early attempted rape nedded to be more graphic but later in the film her sexuality is an asset that's never explored.

Black Cat is clearly being marketed and sold by 88 Films as a Cat III type film when in fact it's a pretty run of the mill early 90s HK thriller that could do with something to liven it up.

[chen lung]

I didn't really see that aspect of it, just the silent assassin thing. Would also disagree about the violence (it was violent to me).

[NathanLurker]

How is it marketed as a CatIII film though ? It doesn't have the Cat logo, the announcement blurb doesn't mention CatIII, do you mean that the boxset format makes it look like it's part of the Erotic Ghost Story / Story of Ricky / Robotrix collection ? Because that format has been used with 2 Jackie Chan movies and Also for some Italian titles.

[whedon]

Originally Posted by chen lung

I didn't really see that aspect of it, just the silent assassin thing. Would also disagree about the violence (it was violent to me).

The violence is incredibly tame in comparison to the films it's ripping off and what HK was producing at the time.

Originally Posted by NathanLurker

How is it marketed as a CatIII film though ? It doesn't have the Cat logo, the announcement blurb doesn't mention CatIII, do you mean that the boxset format makes it look like it's part of the Erotic Ghost Story / Story of Ricky / Robotrix collection ? Because that format has been used with 2 Jackie Chan movies and Also for some Italian titles.

Never said it was being marketed as a Cat III film or that 88 Films said it was one, just that it's being marketed as a Cat III type film. The box cover 88 Films had created screams Cat III and while a few Chan films have used a similar hardcase when it comes to the Asian lines it's mainly been the Cat III films that have used the format. Outside of some of the Shaws, all the Cat III films released by 88 so far have originally been hard box releases so with that in mind and the lurid artwork commissioned by 88 it's pretty clear to see that Black Cat is being sold on sex and violence which is what Cat III is known for and something Black Cat lacks.

It's marketing 101, you want as many people to buy your product as possible and sex sells so 88 used a cover that emphasis sex and violence.

[Ken81]

Very nice release from 88 Films indeed. The video quality is of another world since my young days when I spent over 60 USD on the old Mega Star DVD :P Loved the Jade Leung interview also, although it could have lasted longer. I wouldn't mind listening to her another half an hour. The audio commentaries are great as well. But as usual the Mike/Arne commentary consists a lot of them talking in each other's mouth. It's a pity, because sometimes one of them touches an interesting topic, and before the person can finish it, the other guy interrupts it. And the topic sometimes is forgotten and is never picked up again. In my opinion they should give each other more time slots to talk, it's not a competition of who speaks the most really. And sometimes I find it stressful to listen, although they provide a lot of interesting info Two thumbs up for this release, also the artwork is great as always, subtitles also well done!

[whedon]

Originally Posted by Ken81

Very nice release from 88 Films indeed. The video quality is of another world since my young days when I spent over 60 USD on the old Mega Star DVD :P Loved the Jade Leung interview also, although it could have lasted longer. I wouldn't mind listening to her another half an hour. The audio commentaries are great as well. But as usual the Mike/Arne commentary consists a lot of them talking in each other's mouth. It's a pity, because sometimes one of them touches an interesting topic, and before the person can finish it, the other guy interrupts it. And the topic sometimes is forgotten and is never picked up again. In my opinion they should give each other more time slots to talk, it's not a competition of who speaks the most really. And sometimes I find it stressful to listen, although they provide a lot of interesting info Two thumbs up for this release, also the artwork is great as always, subtitles also well done!

I rarely listen to commentaries but the odd time I've had a quick listen to the 88 Asian ones I've felt that they need a moderator to bring a little cohesion to proceedings. There's a lot of jumping from one place to another and cutting across one another.

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by whedon

When the film is clearly being sold on it's sex and violence and then deliverers little to none of either then it's kind of failed.

I don’t know what film you saw, but it certainly wasn’t BLACK CAT.

[Killer Meteor]

Call me underwhelmed too.

[Mr. Odessa]

Originally Posted by whedon

Wathced it a couple of days ago and its a pretty shameless rip off of La Femme Nikita only with less of interest or visual playfulness to be found. It's pretty standard early 90s HK fare that really could have done with a lot more nudity and violence.

It looks and feels more like an early 90s made-for-TV film than the Cat III film it tries to sell itself as. There are some interesting moments but the lack of an ending, the bland and infrequent action and familiarity of it all makes Black Cat rather uninteresting. Surprised that 88 Films released it as a Deluxe title and didn't include the sequel as for the price tag I hoped for more from the main attraction.

I agree. The first 30 minutes is some of the wildest sh*t ever depicted in cinema. Then it slowed down. Could've done more in the nudity and violence department, I agree. But years later, Jade Leung did show more skin in some movies (Cat-II and Cat-III) as she went from an A List actress to B List.

[Mr. Odessa]

Originally Posted by whedon

When the film is clearly being sold on it's sex and violence and then deliverers little to none of either then it's kind of failed.

There's nothing wrong with nudity, it doesn't have to be sexualised or in the Wong Jing style of awful rape scenes. I'm not saying that the awful and unnecessary early attempted rape nedded to be more graphic but later in the film her sexuality is an asset that's never explored.

Black Cat is clearly being marketed and sold by 88 Films as a Cat III type film when in fact it's a pretty run of the mill early 90s HK thriller that could do with something to liven it up.

But "BLACK CAT" was not a Cat-III film.

[whedon]

Originally Posted by Mr. Odessa

But "BLACK CAT" was not a Cat-III film.

Again, as I said above, I never said that Black Cat was a Cat III film simply it's marketed as Cat III like. The cover from 88 clearly emphasis sex and violence and the entire marketing campaign for the film, both upon release and now attempts to sell it as a Cat III type film. The difference between the outer case art work and the disc cover is striking, the outer art screams sex and violence while the inner one is more subdued and less "tits and guns".

[WaverBoy]

Nevertheless, the assertion that the film delivers little to no sex or violence is simply not true.

[Mr. Odessa]

Originally Posted by whedon

Again, as I said above, I never said that Black Cat was a Cat III film simply it's marketed as Cat III like. The cover from 88 clearly emphasis sex and violence and the entire marketing campaign for the film, both upon release and now attempts to sell it as a Cat III type film. The difference between the outer case art work and the disc cover is striking, the outer art screams sex and violence while the inner one is more subdued and less "tits and guns".

Right.

[NathanLurker]

Originally Posted by whedon

Again, as I said above, I never said that Black Cat was a Cat III film simply it's marketed as Cat III like. The cover from 88 clearly emphasis sex and violence and the entire marketing campaign for the film, both upon release and now attempts to sell it as a Cat III type film. The difference between the outer case art work and the disc cover is striking, the outer art screams sex and violence while the inner one is more subdued and less "tits and guns".

You are doing yourself a disservice in thinking that a sexy girl with guns on a cover for a hong kong movie means CatIII-like abundance of sex and violence. I think that if this movie wasn't from Hong Kong, you wouldn't feel that this cover means abundance of sex&violence necessarily.

Black Cat is tame compared to most Catiii. But it's not Catiii. It isn't that tame. Jackie Chan's Crime Story is Catiii and I don't remember it having any nudity and the violence was probably on par with Black Cat. I think your own expectations set yourself up to feel that way, not the cover art. I may be wrong.

I do think the movie is a bit dull, I liked it enough, mostly for Jade Lung's performance, some great visual moments, like when she tries to get away through the hangar after her surgery, or when she climbs a crane.