killer film killer simplified chinese traditional chinese pinyin hong_kong action film written directed starring plays assassin accidentally damages eyes singer shootout later discovers expensive operation blind money decides perform hit financial backing problematic following release film better tomorrow find backing financing companies went filming killer rough draft plot influenced films desired film honour friendship relationship seemingly opposite people finishing filming referred killer tribute directors killer immediate success hong_kong received critical acclaim western world reviewers praising action scenes style film stepping stone hollywood films strong influence directors including plot hong_kong assassin job criminal organization accidentally damages eyes young nightclub singer named muzzle flash shootout attack begins watch perform nightclub escorts home attacked begin fall love frequent visits apartment driven help secure money sight saving accepts final hit police detective spots completing job assassin escapes leader double crosses instead paying sends group kill escape young child injured stray bullet attackers rushes child hospital followed partner sgt child regains consciousness casualty ward escapes obsessed act good find visits apartment plan arrest time visits visits caught ambush manages escape explain assassin blinded nightclub meets manager demands payment job brings discovers filled sheets blank paper finding middle ambush kills leaves alive day pleas fall deaf ears hit run car wounding leader killing driver bodyguard begins close follows killed revealing location home friendship leaves large weaponry home ambush attacks followed group gets caught middle flee wounds find bonding friends happen eyes donated surgery use money fly overseas surgery performed experienced doctors wait church return money arrives money beaten followed mortally wounded barge church ends misery engage long bloody shootout church battle ends mexican manages wound leader lands bullets eyes dies wounds police squadron arrives scene begs taken custody frustrated outcome battle fatally shoots police surround credits roll playing harmonica cast assassin accidentally singer mission criminal organization decides mission pay surgery repair eyes called john jeff subtitled prints film nickname given roughly translates dubbed subtitled prints nickname works partner find meeting obsessed morals character nickname given roughly translates baby kid dubbed subtitled prints nickname nightclub singer blinded shootout falls love learning profession killer sgt police partner helps find whereabouts lead subtitled prints manager close friend spotted hit ordered kill subtitled prints ruthless boss subtitled versions contract killer assassin hired kill themes director described killer honour friendship trying find common people romantic poem structure film follows men opposite sides law find relation opposition greater evil boss relationship influenced spy spy comics recalled young fascinated cartoon love white bird black bird deep heart friendly idea came uses central motif illustrate moral points scenes reflective doubling include hospital sequence opposite sides hospital hall final battle scene focus male friendships film interpreted responded statements stating people bring movie killer consider privilege certainly intentional christian films religious imagery stating killer religious film opening killer found church stating enjoys later found church getting pulled showing intense pain altar cross shown prominently idea influenced film stated imagery god welcoming matter good bad man welcome draws animal symbolism film filled church employing represent spirits people film dove symbolism similar effect cat appears meets visit home partner tries catch apartment chinese culture cat coming home ruin poverty inhabitants meet negative outcomes film production pre production killer director follow better tomorrow released cut better tomorrow long studio film edited week separately producer according producer felt ruined better tomorrow asked fire studio refused began rejecting new film ideas including ideas films later bullet head thief proposed story killer denied reaction wants film killer killer able filmed actor stepped enlisted company contracted golden princess film fund project worked previously better tomorrow films wanted play lee exclusive contract able work killer production company involved approached friend asking film play important female character currently contracted accepted role later felt best performance supporting roles filled friends actors director friend entered retirement returned acting killer favor close friends joined cast actor screenwriter hired director photography killer leave set extended period time added shoot rest film filming days shoot killer nearly double time average hong_kong film shot late 1980s went filming short treatment film wrote details script filming promotion periods film described film tribute french director cites influence story plot elements film including set enters nightclub looks female singer described influence japanese film killer kills mob tricks killing innocent person revenge meets woman tuberculosis wants home killer promises woman home getting revenge scene chases filmed causeway bay crew hours film residents thought real police police arrived talked superintendent continue filming scenes dragon boat festival shot months apart footage boat races rest footage involving actors shot months later planned boats flip chase owners refused felt bring bad luck scene airport filmed airport scenes character house filmed stanley hong_kong wanted house beach suitable location found action scene inside house took days shoot final action scene took days shoot shot remote building look like church exterior seen apartment real church original ending film involved waiting airport money travel united_states tight filming schedule scene filmed replaced playing harmonica music disagreed musical aspects film opening scene wanted singer perform jazz song killer playing saxophone rejected idea felt hong_kong audiences understand like jazz stated change chinese song kind song use hong_kong movies actress performed songs feel appropriate film songs requested studio written specifically killer film music composed edited musical theme haunting theme heard opening credits harmonica motif film influenced soundtracks specifically soundtrack time america bottle music haunting effect said influence harmonica music western films strong influence work final action scene statue virgin mary destroyed action music transitions idea editor felt break effect violence release killer released taiwan march running time minutes cut current running time minutes released hong_kong july felt cut better film immediate success hong_kong square massacre eventually gained fame grossing reached ninth hong_kong box office 9th film awards film won best director best editing fan nominated best supporting actor killer popular korea taking seventh highest place year end box office receipts killer shown film festivals outside asia including toronto film festival film united_states premiere january shown film festival united_states cannes film festival france film producer suggested killer success world hong_kong filmmakers jealous created certain kind resentment hong_kong film industry thing sure american european japanese korean audiences critics appreciated killer lot hong_kong killer received wide release united_kingdom october home media killer released united_states vhs november dubbed subtitled version june fox released killer double feature home video killer released dvd april original language track english subtitles bonus features dvd included trailer production notes commentary track happy film included criterion collection stating great let people know killer hard boiled saw selected killer happy killer bullet head favourites fox released dvd killer english audio including commentary track film trailers fox disc included disc dvd collection hard boiled dvds went print march killer released dragon dynasty label disc dvd blu ray bonus features included interviews location guide trailer gallery united_kingdom killer released dvd hong_kong legends october included audio commentary interviews cinematographer reception critical response killer received critical acclaim initial release outside hong_kong critics focusing praise action scenes film new_york_times referred film alternately gripping scenes gore destruction spectacular hong_kong fog skyline variety gave positive review describing film extremely violent demonstrates tight grasp director crime genre praised film stating demands comparisons prove like washington_post wrote positive review describing film like eating old brand escape velocity rocket fuel ideas border comedy excess like help laugh rush movie christian science monitor gave film mixed review stating violent hong_kong thriller psychological depth kind ultimately like pointless exercise style later critiques film remained positive washington_post stated plot doesn exactly break new crime story ground killer level online film database gave film star rating stated high points 1980s hong_kong action cinema empire gave film stars proclaimed trademark style reached killer ranked killer number list foreign films time killer films maintain perfect rating rotten_tomatoes time polled film critics directors actors stunt actors list action films killer listed 24th place list legacy killer important influential film western asian filmmakers film scholars noted similarities style killer films directed french director described having similar character configuration person protects main character crisis conscience performing number hits seen killer described style recalling work directors like like films alienated brutal characters graphic violence united_states directors developed films influenced killer rodriguez films contain stylistic killer film wrote dialog referencing killer references film original novel asian based directors influenced film hong_kong director killer style character pairing parody films hero dies running time killer influential hip hop music american hip hop artist member released critically praised debut album built cuban sampled numerous portions dialog film producer album described album themes stating ghost opposite guys far neighborhoods concerned killer movie got fat playing role inspector partners work shit felt honored group sampled killer asked monetary return vibe magazine placed killer number list films shaped hip hop remake american director writer wrote screenplay titled killer based dated april year later hired producers write screenplay based killer tri star pictures press release remake stated script written actors june announced writing script titled hong_kong based killer hill directing producers difficulty relationship main characters script felt american audiences interpret producer worked productions suggested american producers hong_kong actress play role police officer resolve reading film draft script released august featured story living hong_kong screenplay moved focus pairing hit man police detective characters characters blinded night club singer hit man october hollywood reporter announced remake killer announced american korean director directing remake place los_angeles lee stated killer favourite films excited version film lee version set produced star shot seven stars slated finance production screenplay initially cast play role blind singer spoke remake october stating lee film development time lee eventually took projects commented completing film probably hollywood action thriller going killer american version
The Killer (1989 film)