Tsui Hark's gotten a bad wrap since he took a turn for the worse in the 90s but fans of his 80s output know that he's just as responsible for the best films to come out of Hong Kong in that decade as John Woo. I personally think Don't Play With Fire is in the top 5 of the decade. A blazingly original coming of age story about class divisions, aimless youth, anger and the violence that explodes from those elements. One of my favorite films of all time.

Fuck this movie.

Sleaze. From scene one to the finale. It's cheap, dirty, cringe inducing and fun as hell. It's like the train section of Hostel 2 protracted over 80 minutes. It's really sleazy. REALLY sleazy. So, if you like public molestations, father's paying prostitutes to dress like their daughters, European men with perms hassling ladies, oddly placed social commentary and more sleaze than you can shake a wang at then you're in for a treat here!

One of my all-time favorite Samurai films. A great mystery centered by an amazing performance from the always dependable Tatsuya Nakadai. The plot is deliberate, powerful and an incendiary treatise on the tenants of Bushido. A must see for any fans of Japanese cinema and as perfect an entry point into the genre as any Kurosawa film.