Licence to Kill - Whitehall, London

Whitehall is one of the recurring filming locations in London for Bond films. This time for Timothy Dalton's second and final adventure as a 00 Section field agent with the Licence to Kill. 

Angel Protectors - Kai Tak Airport

Angel Protectors aka Princess Madam aka Under Police Protection aka Ultra Force 3 aka Iron Angels 4 offers a nice view of the eastern side of legendary Kai Tak Airport, which was torn down years ago. In the film Blonde Fury, which is also from 1989, you can almost see the same camera angle.

Burning Ambition - Tin Sum Police Station

Unfortunately, there is no worthy DVD (not to mention a Blu-Ray) of Frankie Chan's Burning Ambition, so we have to be content with the blurred screenshots of a good old Video-CD. What a shame. If you read my blog now and then, you might recognize Tin Sum Police Station from Walk on Fire and Devil Hunters. The building appeared to be a popular filming location in the late 1980s.

Burning Ambition - St. John's Building

Here we can marvel at a nice shot of St. John's Building in Central, Hong Kong. This skyscraper is seen by countless tourists every day because its ground floor serves as the Garden Road terminus of the famous Peak Tram. 

Burning Ambition - Dai Shing Street

Tense music can be heard as a vehicle full of shady occupants drives along Dai Shing Street, rolling past a Towngas plant in the middle of Tai Po Industrial Estate. This poorly populated area is often used to shoot car scenes, especially when it comes to traffic obstructing action sequences. So, something is going to go wrong here.

Burning Ambition - Dai Wang Street

A short moment later, the hoped-for escalation occurs. The nearby Dai Wang Street becomes the scene of a car explosion, a motorcycle crash and a deadly shootout. By the way, all streets at Tai Po Industrial Estate begin with the cantonese word "dai", that means "doctor" and/or "physician". Dai Wang Street is also the filming location of Jackie Chan's (or his stunt double's?) roller skate jump over the Volkswagen Beetle in Winners and Sinners. 

Long Arm of the Law III - Mirror's Pool Waterfall

Andy Lau evades his death penalty by plumming down Mirror's Pool Waterfall. This picturesque cascade is also known as Chiu Keng Tam Waterfall. If you like hiking, you can reach the place via Plover Cove Reservoir Country Trail. With all the love for Hong Kong's futuristic skyscrapers, the city's multifaceted rural side is indescribably beautiful and should not be ignored.

In the Line of Duty 4 - Jardine House

Nothing more than a evening car explosion in Central Hong Kong. You will probably remember this location from Twin Dragons that was shot 2 years after this one. Due to its circular windows, Jardine House is one of the most easily recognizable buildings in town.

Devil Hunters - Tin Sum Police Station

Sibelle Hu leaving the Tin Sum Police Station in Hong Kong's New Territories South District. The building still looks like in 1989, but the flags next to the entrance have changed.

Blonde Fury - Observatory Road

Cynthia Rothrock and Mang Hoi take on some hoodlums in Tsim Sha Tsui. The first screenshot shows Cynthia's stuntdouble Hsiao Ho wearing a blonde wig. The basic structure of the location, including the stairs and the handrail, is still the same but some of the buildings have been torn down in the past 29 years.

In the Line of Duty 4 - Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui

A short glimpse at Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier including the famous Clock Tower. Star Ferry operates the pedestrian ferry service across Victoria Harbour to Wan Chai and to Central on Hong Kong Island.

Blonde Fury - Kwun Tong Ferry Pier

The movie closes with a milky freeze frame of Cynthia Rothrock's plane taking off at legendary Kai Tak Airport. On the comparison photo you can see the redeveloped Kai Tak runway blocking the view. In the foreground of the screenshot, you can see a bit of the Kwun Tong typhoon shelter which is located right in front of Kwun Tong Ferry Pier.

Aces Go Places V - Behind the Scenes

In the Line of Duty 4 - Queen Elizabeth Hospital

The hospital Yuen Yat-Choh had been taken to. The interior is probably just a studio set but Queen Elizabeth Hospital's facade is as real as it gets.

Devil Hunters - Tai Tam Tuk Dam

Francis Ng Chun-Yu and Lau Siu-Ming speak out on business under cover of mighty Tai Tam Tuk Dam at Tai Tam Reservoir on Hong Kong Island.

Burning Ambition - Poster

Pedicab Driver - Rua do Tassara

A brief sequence featuring Mang Hoi with his pedicab in front of a beautiful colonial building...and some impressive tree growth since 1989.

Pedicab Driver - Largo do Carmo

One brief sequence of the car-vs-pedicab-chase was shot in front of the Our Lady of Carmel Church. The catholic facility and its square have been constantly used filming locations.

Pedicab Driver - Rua da Restauracao

The hunted Sammo Hung is up against the wall. You might recognize this location from Jackie Chan's Project A.

Fanling Babies Home

I was always curious about the beautiful colonial-style house at the end of Yuen Woo-Ping's classic
Legend of a Fighter. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to trace it because you don't see the surrounding area in the film. I just needed more indications to identify its location, so I threw in the towel...
Yesterday, I decided to rewatch the enjoyable Moon Lee flick Killer Angels not suspecting anything, and suddenly, there it was again - the mysterious building. But this time, there are plenty of leads: distinctive mountains in the background, high-risers and even a blurry street sign. After a few minutes of intensive online investigation, I've found it. It's located in Fanling.
Regrettably, the building was demolished in 1992. The estate was a former orphanage with a large yard, a pond and a beautiful garden. I just could find a few usable pictures of it, but there is a nice website with detailed informations about its vibrant history. Click here if you want to read more.

LEGEND OF A FIGHTER (1982)

In the film, the estate's main building doubles as a Japanese Karate Institute. Interestingly, the Fanling Babies Home was invaded by Japanese troops in 1941. The film's final sequence features some nice shots of the main building's front side, its entrance and a bit of the pond.

KILLER ANGELS (1989)

7 years later, Leung Kar-Yan walks along the circular pond again, but this time he is the villain. The film offers some nice shots of the estate and its vicinity. Tearing down such places is nothing but a shame.

DIRTY TIGER, CRAZY FROG! (1978)

Third time is a charm...The opening sequence of Karl Maka's lively kung fu comedy also shows the Fanling Babies Home. I just rewatched the film and was delighted to spot the building again. The scene features Lau Kar-Wing, Chung Fat and Chin Yuet-Sang (amongst other regulars from that era).

SNAKE DEADLY ACT (1980)

Here we get another glimpse of the main building's entrance area. It looks like the Fanling Babies Home was used more often as a filming location than I thought. This scene features director/actor Wilson Tong, Phillip Ko Fei, Ng Kwan-Lung and Fung Hak-On.

ANGEL II (1988)

Angel II gives us a great frontal view of the building. Moon Lee is brought into the house by a couple of criminals, where of course there is an excess of violence. We also get to see a nice shot of the pond from above.