The B-Sides of Chow Yun-Fat

      Welcome to The B-Side! Here, we discuss movie stars—not the films that brought them fame or kept them in the limelight, but the ones they created in the interim.

      Today, we honor an actor with remarkable versatility: Chow Yun-fat. Our B-Sides feature 100 Ways to Murder Your Wife, City War, Peace Hotel, and The Corruptor.

      We dive into Chow Yun-fat’s rise in Hong Kong, his early collaborations with John Woo, and the breakthrough that was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000. Conor and I debate which Western star Chow Yun-fat evokes, ultimately agreeing that he is much more dynamic than any single one of them.

      We discuss the success of his transition to Hollywood and his short time as a leading man in Western films (and let’s not forget about Bulletproof Monk!), the influence of City on Fire on Reservoir Dogs, John Woo's Hollywood ventures (and why Chow wasn’t involved in any of them!), and the ongoing impact of Asian action cinema on Hollywood blockbusters today. Additionally, we explore the challenges of crafting a slapstick marital comedy, examining why 100 Ways to Murder Your Wife falls flat where others succeed.

      Listen below and subscribe here. Don’t forget to follow us on Bluesky at @tfsbside.bsky.social. Enjoy!