On October 9, at the age of 66, the martial arts practitioner, stuntman, actor and fight choreographer died of esophageal cancer. Man Hoi, who was one of the legends of kung fu films and action films of the golden period of Hong Kong.
Martial Arts born in 1959 Man Gin-Hoi became interested in childhood, which was normal for children of those years, but it is not known for certain what styles young Hoy practiced. However, it is known for sure that he came to the set while still a child in the film. "Traveler" (1968), and also took part in the hits of those years "Enter the Dragon" (1973) with Bruce Lee and "Fist of the Unicorn" (1973) with Unicorn Chan. It is generally accepted that the director brought the young actor seriously to the cinema. Ng Xiyuan, constantly offering minor but noticeable roles in his films, like "Little Superman" (1974) "The Little Godfather of Hong Kong" (1974) "Little Dragon Tiger" (1974) and "Abduction in Rome" (1976), where Man Hoi brilliantly demonstrated his excellent skills in acrobatics and the skills of an on-screen fighter, which, along with his good appearance, allowed him to gain a strong foothold in the profession. Fans of classic kung fu films may remember him from his excellent fight against Hwang Chang-Li in "Buddha Killer" (1980)
The breakthrough happened with the release of the fantasy film "Warriors of Zu" (1983), where Hoy did not get lost against the background of the star cast, but on the contrary, he stood out. After the release of the film, the external similarity with Yuen Biao allowed rumors to spread that they were half brothers. As an actor, Hoy has shown that he can not only play serious roles, but also has excellent comedic charisma. This allows him to get on the team Sammo Hungu и Jackie Chan, with whom he often collaborated: "Dragon Heart" (1985) "Yes, madam!" (1985) "Millionaire Express" (1986) "Ghost Encounters 2" (1989) "Rickshaw" (1989) "Shanghai-Shanghai" (1990) and others. Our viewer will certainly remember Man as a funny but loyal friend of the hero Bnednona Lee in an action movie "Framed" (1986)
Tried myself Man Hoi and in directing, directing an action movie "Above the Law 2: Blonde Fury" (1989) with Cynthia Rothrock and comedy fantasy "It's better to be taller" (aka "Tantana") (1991) with Chin Ka-Lok and Sammo Hung.
An important part of Hoy’s profession was staging hand-to-hand choreography, which he began doing back in 1979 with the film "Kung Fu Masters' Death Match", eventually becoming a true professional choreographer of tight, tough and aggressive fights. It is the fights he authored that are remembered in films such as the ones already mentioned "Dragon Heart", "Rickshaw" и "Yes, madam!", "Ninja in the Dragon's Lair" (1982) "Above the Law" (1986) and many others. He helped with staging hand-to-hand combat in the first "Don't retreat and don't give up" (1986) with Corey Yuen, from whom Man studied and gained experience. Hoy was recognized as Best Action Director six times and once received an award for Best Supporting Actor for "Yes, madam!", where, by the way, I duplicated Cynthia Rothrock in acrobatic stunts.
Man Hoi played in more than a hundred films (his last work was a small role in the romantic comedy "Remember what I forgot" (2022) and directed action in thirty films, rightfully earning fame as a respected legend of Hong Kong action cinema for his striking supporting roles, excellent skills and abilities, as well as his vision of hand-to-hand choreography.
Rest in peace, Man Hoi.
Thanks for posting. Future plans include a review of discs for the anime “The Crying Killer,” a trilogy with…
You can watch it once
The film is not bad, but the recent "City Hungter" is better in terms of action.
To be honest, there is no particular principle... when there is more time, an “old man” is added, when there is less time...