Here's a few films the GMs think would serve as good inspiration for "Nine Princes in Hong Kong". They aren't necessarily the best films Hong Kong has to offer (in fact, they're certainly not that), but they are relatively accessible (most are even available in domestic editions, on tape, laserdisc or both) and showcase the actors and actresses cast as the City Elders.

Trust us. If you're right for this game, you'll like these films!

Hard Boiled

John Woo's last Hong Kong film before coming to the USA to give us "Broken Arrow" and "Face/Off". Chow Yun-Fat gives his usual incredibly cool performance as a 'hard boiled' cop, Anthony Wong is a gunrunner who's just made the wrong enemies and the film's stunt coordinator doubles as Wong's chief thug, the ever-menacing Mad Dog.

The Bride with White Hair

Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung are young lovers trapped on opposite sides of a bitter war. Historical fantasy at its most sumptuous.  The sequel is also worth some attention, though it's a very different film.

Heroic Trio

Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui and Maggie Cheung (sorry, Maggie fans, but we ran out of female elders!) star in what is quite possibly the only really good superhero film ever made.

Once Upon a Time in China

Jet Li manages to make the role of folk hero Wong Fei Hong his own despite there being more than a hundred previous films with others (including Jackie Chan) in the role.

Police Story

Available in the USA as "Jackie Chan's Police Force", this film features incredible stunts (the car chase literally through a hillside shantytown is just the beginning) and some wonderful comic scenes between cop Jackie and reluctant witness Brigitte Lin.

Police Story III:Supercop

Released in the USA as just "Supercop", this film is another of Jackie Chan's many comic-action greats. Teamed (not entierly by choice) with a Chinese policewoman played by Michelle Kahn (née Yeoh), Jackie's 'supercop' Kevin Chan risks life and limb to bring drug smugglers to justice. And, as the ads are proud to tell you, the stars likewise risked life and limb to bring you some breathtaking stunts.

Organized Crime and Triad Bureau

Danny Lee leads a team of crack officers who aren't afraid to bend a few rules (and a few prisoners) until they scream if it means he can bring Anthony Wong to justice. It isn't just your average cops and gangsters film.

A Chinese Ghost Story

Spooky, romantic and just plain lovely to look at, this film all but locked Joey Wang in a career of playing love-struck ghosts. Leslie Cheung is the object of her affections. And don't remind me about the fifty-foot tongue!

Rumble in the Bronx

This one isn't Jackie Chan's best movie, but since it's probably the most available for US viewers, it's on the list. A particular standout in this film is Anita Mui in an amazingly glamor-less role.

Fong Sai Yuk

It's Jet Li again, and he's playing another folk hero. The stunts are spectacular and the fights choreographed with an astonishing degree of originality (though many of the ideas have been copied since).

Heart of Dragon

It's our last Jackie Chan film, I promise. Yet again, Jackie is a cop, but this time the film focuses less on comic action and more on the relationship between Jackie's cop in a mid-life crisis and his mentally challenged older brother, played by director Sammo Hung. Those familiar with this pair's usual comic antics will find this film a surprising show of acting ability from both.

The Killer

Chow Yun Fat is the title character, trapped between his employers who won't let him go straight and Danny Lee as a cop who won't let this one get away. If you don't come away from this film convinced that Chow Yun Fat is the single coolest actor on Earth, you'll be the first. He's many times better in this than in his American debut, "The Replacement Killers".

Savior of Souls

I'll admit it up front... This is an ODD movie. The plot is convoluted beyond belief while the central love story is almost painfully simplistic. But the action scenes show such style... Pay special attention to Aaron Kwok's delightful villain and to Anita Mui, who spends most of this film reminding people who have forgotten "Heroic Trio" that she can do some great fight scenes.

Once Upon A Time In China and America

Jet Li returns to the Wong Fei Hong role, this time visiting the American "Wild West". And even though this is well into a series (it's the 6th "Once Upon a Time in China" film and somewhere around the 120th Wong Fei Hong film), it's still quite accessible to newcomers. If you've only seen Jet Li in "Lethal Weapon IV", you need to see this film!

If you want to find many of these films, here's a good place to start.

Pulp Fiction

Due to the director's love of the HK film, this film does borrow more than a few stylistic traits from Hong Kong movies here and there. And there are other reasons it belongs here that the players already know (and some they don't...).

Chinatown

Maybe it isn't strictly an "action movie", but it's so good neither of the GM's cares. Jack Nicholson is Oscar-nomination quality cool and you'd best believe there are some parts of Chaos where things work a lot like this movie.

Evil Dead/Evil Dead 2/Army of Darkness

The Evil Dead trilogy is one of the strangest combinations of over-the-top horror, action and comedy ever assembled. And if you've looked at the Chaos castings, you know the GM's like this film!

Judge Dredd

All right, so strictly speaking this isn't anything like a "great movie". But there's very good reasons why it's on the US films list, as the Chaos castings hint at.