Woo and Company

Pairing‌‌‌ ‌‌‌wine‌‌‌ ‌‌‌with‌‌‌ ‌‌‌movies!‌‌‌ ‌‌‌See‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌hear‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌fascinating‌‌‌ ‌‌‌commentary‌‌‌ ‌‌‌for‌‌‌ ‌‌‌these‌‌‌ movies‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌many‌‌‌ ‌‌‌more‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌at‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌From‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Hell.‌‌‌ ‌This week we celebrate some Hong Kong action films, two directed by John Woo and one not. There will be wine pairings, too. For all three.

Hard Boiled was Woo’s 1992 answer to those who dinged his films for glorifying criminals. The heros here are cops. Chow Yun-fat is one of those cops, but he’s the kind of cop who doesn’t mind breaking a few rules and generally shooting up the place.

Woo took a bow for creating what some critics say is a film that redefined the action genre. The opening scene starts in a tea house full of incredibly noisy birds. Chow finds some pistols, and the chirping is drowned out by gunfire. Seemingly endless gunfire, with Chow working a piece in each hand. Automatic weapons come out of nowhere, prompting our two-fisted shooter to blaze away as he slides down a bannister. Finally he removes the toothpick from his mouth and puts a bullet in the bad guy’s head, close enough to splatter his face with blood. It seems everyone else in the place is headed for the morgue, too. If that sounds familiar, it should. Every action director since has taken a cue from Woo’s bloodbath.

If you haven’t had enough mayhem, watch the rest of the movie. There’s plenty more where that came from. The movie poster is worth a glimpse, as it features Yun-fat toting a shotgun in one hand and a baby in the other.

From Australia, Gunpowder Wines should be a full clip for you. Their Hunter Valley Shiraz is $80.
https://www.gunpowderwines.com.au/

In 1986 Woo co-wrote and directed A Better Tomorrow, also starring Chow Yun-fat. In this action flick, a gangster gets out of prison and has an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. The angel wants him to reconcile with his policeman brother, the devil is Chow. He recommends revenge.

Woo took inspiration from The Story of a Discharged Prisoner and jumped at the chance to break out of the comedic films he had been making. The angel on the shoulder may have lost the battle, but the devil on the other shoulder lost the war, taking a bullet in the back. The ending features a brotherly stroll involving handcuffs. Maye the angel didn’t do so badly after all.

Tomorrow Cellars make wine with the alcohol removed. That sounds like a pretty boring beverage for an action film screening, but it’s probably not a bad idea if you plan on being involved in a shootout.
https://tomorrowcellars.com/

No John Woo here. Kung Fu Hustle was made in 2004, a Hong Kong martial arts action film with some comedy thrown in. It was directed, produced and co-written by Stephen Chow. He’s no relation to Chow Yun-fat. At least I don’t think so.

The script revolves around a couple of kung fu wannabes who have to make their way through a series of tough challenges. They have to battle a tenement landlady, whose building is right next door to a casino. Pro tip: if you are looking for a casino, stay away from the ones located next door to a slum. They probably pay six to five for a blackjack.

As if you couldn’t see it coming, the pair end up heroes. What you might not have seen coming, is that they open a candy store together. Lollipops for everyone but the suckers!

Riccitelli Kung Fu Malbec comes from Argentina’s Uco Valley. At $30, it probably pairs reasonably well with lollipops.

Randy Fuller

NowAnd Zin Wine – www.nowandzin.com
Twitter – www.twitter.com/randyfuller1
LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/randyfullerlax/