The Border of Tong

My review was written in December 1990 after watching the movie on Tapeworm video cassette.

Action star David Heavener gort his start six years ago in this minor Chinatown actioner, surfacing on video.

Rather grim tale of a loser on the fringes of crime features Daniel thang as a criminal involved in ripping off a fellow Tong organization. He flees from Colorado to Canada with cop Heavener dogging his tracks. The format slightly resembles "Les Miserables", except that Tang is guilty of violent crime.

Hwee Ling Lee is appealing as the waif forced into prostitution that Tang befriends on the run. Contrived finale is completely unconvincing and fails in its attempt to whip up poignancy.

Pic's main drawback is poorly post-synced sound, which has inadequately matched dubbing in early scenes but straightens out by film's end.

I saw this film on VHS in Belgium, where he was called "Chinatown-Connection". Well, i must say that it is really enjoyable. The actors where good, specially David Heavener (his first role!). But in my VHS copy, almost all Chinese actors are dubbed in Enlish. It's really annoying to see there lips move, and some few seconds later, you heard them talking, But i think it have something to do with the VHS distributor! But beside of that it was a really good cop movie, with great actors, and nice camera tricks. Its is also based on true events. Its just a shame that the films from then, are now extincted! I give this film an 8 out of 10.

"There's only one thing deadlier than the Chinese Mafia... An Angry Cop!" "Massacre" is a confusing and amateurish production, but on the bright side it features a young David Heavener in his first ever role! After an unhelpful Star Wars-like crawl at the opening of the film, the paper-thin plot starts off with a "Massacre" where 12 people get shot in Chinatown. Detective Randy Walker (Heavener) is assigned to the case. During his inspection of the crime scene, he finds a origami grasshopper, which is his only clue. Meanwhile, one of the shooters (who looks more and more like Jackie Chan as the movie progresses) flees to Canada and starts to feel remorseful for his actions. He and a prostitute fall in love and attempt to start a new life, but unluckily for them, Walker is hot on his trail.

Heavener doesn't say anything until at least a half-hour into the film, but words might not be necessary because of his tight jeans, rockin' hair, cool bomber jacket, and his proclivity to sit on chairs backwards (the cool way aka: the only way). While sitting in that position and resting his arms comfortably on top of the chair, he is getting yelled at by "The Chief". Who is disgruntled (of course) looks like Don Rickles, and apparently is named "Capt. Boxberger". Viewers are treated to endless close-ups of Heavener's studly face. However, this may be because of poor framing issues. Technical issues such as these, permeate the whole film. For example, if you are going to dub the characters voices, they shouldn't be more unintelligible than the original track. Thus the dialogue is an nigh unhearable, muffled, garbled mess.

Speaking of audio misunderstandings, Walker is always misunderstanding Chinese customs. One scene in particular stands out where Walker is asking for some Chinese food but has happened into the main brothel of the movie. The waiter/pimp states what is on offer are "girls" but because of his thick accent, Walker mistakenly thinks the special of the day is a food called "Garls". He asks for a "Garls" special with a Coke. Something ensues, if not hilarity. There are other examples, but this is the best one.

Walker fights a guy who is the Chinese version of John Oates of "Hall & Oates" fame. After beating up more people, there is a "Love Theme from Massacre" and then a very off-kilter ending. "Massacre" would make a great double feature with "Tongs: An American Nightmare" with Simon Yam.

Cross the border of TONG tonight with this classic! Comeuppance Review by: Ty & Brett For more insanity, check out: comeuppancereviews.com

It seems as if Michael Chu had a deal with Yuen Cheung Yan and producer Fan Mei Shan to shoot a Canadian Hong kong coproduction, because the beginning scenes of the movie have been used for another movie, a Hong Kong movie titled Darkside of Chinatown(1986). Darkiside of Chinatown uses the first half of Border of Tong, and uses some of David Heavener's scenes. Darkside of Chinatown differs after the hold up, where Daniel Hung tang's character and Lam Wai go back to Hong kong to face his father, Kenneth Tsang, who is also Lam Wai's best friend. Fatherhood and friendships are tested, as Daniel Hung tang is sent to Canada after many arguments, while Kenneth Tsang and Lam's brother are killed by Guk Fung and his henchmen, including Hwang Jang Lee, who is menacing in this movie, as Guk Fung want the book that Daniel Hung tang stole from the hold up and threw away, while Lam Wai and his cop friend, Jason Pai Piao, revenge the death of Tsang and Lam's brother, Fan mei Shan.

Where Darkside of Chinatown pivots towards the Hong Kong, Border of Tong stays in Seattle, which is really canada, and doesn't have a Hong Kong sub plot or Ku Feng's character, as cop David Heavener, as well as a Korean assassin hired by Seattle politicians wanting the book back, chases Daniel Hung Tang, who left the book back in Seattle Chinatown theater, travels from Seattle into Canada, where Daniel Hung Tang rescues a Vietnamese girl from a brothel. There is a book, but it goes nowhere. There are scenes dealing with a Korean politician wanting that book because it has information about Hong kong triad money, but the scenes go nowhere. Considering that David Heavener is a martial artist, and that this is a Hong Kong co production, there is no martial arts in Border of tong, and what action there is is horribly choreographed. Border of Tong has modern well choreographed action, as Hwang jang lee, although underused, does some impressive kicks. But, the main point of Darkside of Chinatown or the Border of Tong isn't action, it is the story, which Darkside of Chinatown offers well, while Border of Tong lacks in budget, scene development, and much needed action. Draksid eof Chinatown is the better movie out of the two. It stars Lam Wai, Jason pai Pio, Guk Fung, Hwang Jang lee, and the Hong Kong scenes are directed by Yuen Cheung Yan. It doesn't say much, because nobody is used properly in this movie, but how could you not choos ethis version over the other pne, which stars nobodies and offers nothing that interesting. But, David Heavener is the only things that makes Border of Tong watchable, as he has a lot of style and has his moments in this movie, including that well shot Dirty Harry scene with the mugger in the alley.

Border of Tong seems to have been released many years after it was shot, as the title, credits, seem to have been burned in recently, even though massacre is the title of the version I have, and the music seems more modern than the 1985 production credits and music would look and sound like. It may have been shelved because there wasn't a market for the movie back then. Darkside of Chinatown wasn't released until 1989, and by Hwang Jang lee's short haircut, it confirms that this movie was shot during the same year Border of tong, as Hwang, who wears long hair, had the same short hair cut in innocent interloper(1986), another movie shot during the same year at Darkside of Chinatown and Border of Tong. But, with DVD, most unreleasable movies from the 80's now have a market. NOTE: I bought Border of Tong, under the title Massacre, thinking Hwang Jang lee was in this version, as the name in the back of the DVD read Hwee Hing Li, which I thought was a misspelling hwang jang lee's name, but Hwa Hing Li is the actress woman who plays the Vietnamese immigrant forced to work in a Canadian brothel that Daniel Hung Tang saves. No Hwang jang lee in this movie. Could have used him, even though nobody is his match in Border of Tong, and it would have been a short final fight since Daniel Hung Tang can't fight and David Heavener would rather use his gun and shows up after the action is finished or gets shot and doe nothing like in Border of Tong. Heavener wasn't even a match for one of the hold up men in his extra footage in Darkside of Chinatown. Instead of Hwang Jang Lee, In Border of Tong, we are left with a Korean assassin with horrible Taekwondo skills. The beginning scene sof Bordre of Tong, which were probably mandatory co production shoots, were shot in Cantonese, as in Bordre of Tong, some of the dialogue is dubbed in English.

Darkside of Chinatown(1986) ***

Border of Tong(1986) *1/2(half star for David Heavener's scenes, and a few good scenes with Dabiel Hung Tang)