Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer
Bullets Over Summer

Kani

Bullets Over Summer

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$25.49
$34.98
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Edition Type: Standard Edition

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This Partner Label release is distributed through Vinegar Syndrome's sister company OCN Distribution. Vinegar Syndrome had no part in, nor are responsible for, the restoration, extras, quality control or any content(s) of this release. We hope you enjoy our growing roster of Partner Labels and the expertise and curation brought to each release by their dedicated staff!

Details

This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition slipcover (designed by Robert Sammelin) was limited to 2,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.

Named after Yasujiro Ozu’s custom-made, tatami-level, crab-like tripod, Kani is a new home video label dedicated to leveling the gaze and furthering the understanding of Asian cinema in North America. Focused on genre-defying films, Kani aims to expand the canon, bolster up-and-coming filmmakers and reintroduce repertory classics in context. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!

Plainclothes officers Mike (Francis Ng) and Brian (Louis Koo) are on the trail of trigger-happy fugitive Dragon. Planning a stakeout, they commandeer the apartment of an elderly woman (Helena Law Lan) who mistakes them for her estranged grandsons. Their mission is further disrupted by wandering schoolgirl Yen (Michelle Saram) and Mike’s nascent feelings for the neighborhood’s laundress (Stephanie Lim) who complete the fortuitous family put at risk when Dragon and his goons come knocking. 

Part of a winning trio of genre-benders bookended by Bio Zombie (1999) and Juliet in Love (2000), Bullets Over Summer showcases Hong Kong action auteur Wilson Yip (Ip Man, SPL) at his most playful and unpredictable. A cops-and-robbers film subverted by a warm sitcom premise, it culminates in the unlikeliest of hangout movies about fate, coincidence and finding one’s chosen family. Toying with expectations for heroic bloodshed, and lensed by Fruit Chan’s cinematographer Lam Wah-Chuen (Made in Hong Kong), Bullets Over Summer is a thrilling example of Hong Kong cinema’s effortless cool.

directed by: Wilson Yip
starring: Louis Koo, Francis Ng, Helena Law Lan, Michelle Saram, Stephanie Lim
1999 / 92 min / 1.85:1 / Cantonese DTS-HD MA 5.1

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Wilson Yip interview by Frédéric Ambroisine (10 mins, 2005)
  • Interview with Francis Ng (17min, 2022)
  • Interview with Matt Chow (12mins, 2022)
  • Commentary by film writer Valerie Soe and critic Kevin Ma
  • Booklet including archival interview with Wilson Yip and new writing by Ariel Esteban Cayer
  • Newly Translated English Subtitles
  • Cantonese Audio Description Track courtesy of the Hong Kong Society for the Blind
  • English subtitles

        Overall rating: 4.673611 / 5 from 144 reviews.

        AI Generated Review Summary

        Customers appreciate the captivating film 'Bullets Over Summer' for its interesting characters, excellent artwork, great acting, and stylish appearance. The Kani release is praised for its bonus features and quality. The movie's unique blend of comedy and action, along with its intriguing story, adds to its appeal.

        Summary topics

        • Characters: 10%
        • Artwork: 7%
        • Acting: 11%
        • Appearance: 5%
        • Release: 13%

        Review topics: ["feel","looks","packaging","buy","summer","effort","film","movie","release","acting","characters","story","artwork","comedy","slipcover","features","moments","sequences","watch","entry","kani","pacing","label","genre","performances","relationship","flick","interviews","zombies","cinema"].

        Review highlights

        • "The characters are colorful, and their story remains interesting throughout." — Bryan K.
        • "Bullets over summer is a buddy cop type film that has great action and comedy." — Matt R.
        • "Artwork and slipcover are very nice as well" — Lewis F.

        Reviews

        Hong Kong banger

        "A Hong Kong action comedy, with great restoration and some nice special features. World cinema rules"

        — Lennard B. (5/5)

        Kani does it again

        "Some Hong Kong laid-back vibey stuff. Perfect for summer!"

        — Frederic S. (5/5)

        Francis "Mental" Ng and Louis Koo

        "Wilson Yip directed this film right after the over the top, gory, and super fun Bio-Zombie, and Bullets Over Summer didn't disappoint me in the least! Francis "Mental" Ng (Young and Dangerous, The Mission) and Louis Koo (Throw Down, Election) star, and are excellent here! Everything seems well done here. If you're a fan of HK cinema in general, this film should be entertaining. You've got action, comedy, romance and, drama here. This release looks and sounds just fine. I wish I'd been able to pick up one of the slipcovers, although the front artwork is the same, the back of the slip is looks pretty darn sweet. A+ release."

        — Ben. Z. (5/5)

        not a genre film

        "you could call it an action movie but it's a lot more than that while being a lot less as well. there are action scenes but much of the movie is just a window into life, and one that im happy to own"

        — Jack B. (5/5)

        Dudes rock

        "A dudes rock buddy cop hangout movie is not what I expected from Wilson Yip. Beautifully shot with vibes for days. Loved it! Kani doesn't miss"

        — Jon B. (5/5)

        Asian Bad Boys

        "A bullet ballet that resists easy categorisation and the very thing it advertises itself as being, with a long middle section focus on found family during a very westernised stakeout with visible influence from Midnight Run, 48 Hrs. , and yes, Stakeout. You can also feel a lot of Bad Boys in the warm buddy-cop action with an emphasis on buddy; one's a pervert kid looking to have a good time, the other's a tender-hearted, brooding silent type with rage issues, and both are further contrasted by the happy-go-lucky tanned charms of Louis Koo and the anxious physicality of Francis Ng, a better on-screen eater than Brad Pitt. This being 1999, I was really into the fact that both characters are dressed like the younger kids of Dawson's Creek, with a nod to turn-of-the-millennium raver culture in both the energy of the camera work and a pair of primo orange Oakleys."

        — Timothy E. (3/5)

        Entertaining.

        "A well acted and entertaining action film. The two cops have good chemistry. Very enjoyable."

        — Oleh S. (5/5)

        Hang Out Vibes

        "Odd to describe, but chill and enjoy."

        — Richard L. (5/5)

        Bullets Over Summer

        "As usual, Vinegar Syndrome has lovingly restored this film. The stakeout plot is merely an excuse for the two cops to banter and interact with the people they come across. The film is not particularly fresh in the cop-buddy action genre, but the characters are nicely fleshed out. The humour, relationships, and acting also elevate the formula."

        — Jesse Z. (4/5)

        A Summer Well Spent

        "Terrific movie"

        — Kyle K. (5/5)

        Q&A

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