Hong Kong Babylon: An Insider's Guide to the Hollywood of the East

Rating:
Summary: A VERY FRUSTRTATING WORK
Review: As some of the other reviews here suggest, this is a bit of a cut and paste job-- Dannen's New Yorker piece on the triads thrown together with reviews and lists compiled by others. But the field has been so spottily documented to date that the serious info and critical context provided here is of real value, even if, as is suggested in one of the reviews above, "Sex and Zen and a Bullet in the Head" is probably a better choice for the fan who just wants to know what cool movies to rent. I would also recommend a British book which should be available here, "Hong Kong Action Cinema" by Bey Logan.

Rating:
Summary: Good basic intro to HK cinema world
Review: As some of the other reviews here suggest, this is a bit of a cut and paste job-- Dannen's New Yorker piece on the triads thrown together with reviews and lists compiled by others. But the field has been so spottily documented to date that the serious info and critical context provided here is of real value, even if, as is suggested in one of the reviews above, "Sex and Zen and a Bullet in the Head" is probably a better choice for the fan who just wants to know what cool movies to rent. I would also recommend a British book which should be available here, "Hong Kong Action Cinema" by Bey Logan.

Rating:
Summary: Beware this book!
Review: Beware this book! Given the success of Dannen's uncompromising 'Hit Men' and the promise of his previously published piece on HK cinema, one would expect 'Babylon' to provide a comprehensive, perhaps even a definitive, examination of the subject at hand. Alas, this 400+ page tome consists, substantively speaking, in very little more than that piece, which can be read for free on the Net! After the initial 54 pages, the volume degenerates into an unbearably tedious crop of lists; capsule profiles of HK film figures, endless filmographies, plot summaries, and a recommended viewing guide, most of which have been presented elsewhere in much more entertaining and engrossing fashion. As to the opinions of 'a round table of twelve diverse and exceptional critics' - who cares? The films are made to be seen, not to be endlessly pontificated upon. As a reference guide for the timid, I suppose the book has some dry value; given the 'insider's' promise of Dannen's earlier writing on the subject, this project is a lazy buzzkill, reading like a means of making a quick buck without pursuing new material or expending additional effort. Avoid, avoid.

Rating:
Summary: Average book on an extraordinary subject
Review: Considering the lack of any information on the film-making industry outside of Hollywood; this book does fill a needed space. Most libraries would do well to include it in their collection despite the cheap adhesive binding and the high risk of damage to the book(ie pages and pictures being razored out). The opening article gives an interesting yet way-too-short overview on the industry and the individual interviews should have been better planned. The synopsis of individual films is handy because most of the video packaging for these films is not very informative or not in english. Other popular video guides do not often include Hong Kong films unless the films have reached a certain cult status (examples: The Killer, A Better Tomorrow) The critic section is a waste of space. More should have been spent on the history of the industry than on the opinions of little known critics.

Rating:
Summary: Hong Kong Cinema galore!
Review: Hong Kong is often called the Hollywood of the east and in this one volume book, i.e., Hong Kong Babylon: An Insider's Guide to the Hollywood of the East by Fredric Dannen, et al this becomes very clear. The book is well written and is divided into several easy to use sections, i.e., film-makers et al. Highly Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A VERY FRUSTRTATING WORK
Review: This book could have been so much more that what it is. The author had interviews with many of the top stars and directors in Hong Kong Cinema, and yet the interviews of such notables as Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, Jackie Chan, and Michelle Yeoh are barely a page-and-a-half. While it does provide some wonderful information, the bulk of the book is plot summaries and reviews; while the summaries might be helpful, I think most people would have been more interested in what the people involved in the business have to say. Ultimately, my main take on this book is that it was a squaundered oppurtunity for the author to have access to so many well known stars only to reduce them to 5 or 6 comments in a book of this size. Magazine interviews are longer than the interviews found in this book. It's worth reading, but just speaking for myself, it was little more than a tease.

Rating:
Summary: Read it for Barry Long's wonderul summaries!
Review: Unfortunately, Fred Dannen's interviews are much too short so if you're looking for an in-depth look into the Hong Kong film business this isn't it. However, the book has a substantial section summarizing/commenting on hundreds of films and they are wonderfully written by Barry Long, a true connossieur of Hong Kong cinema.