Flashback on fun times in HK cinema

When attention turns to Hong Kong cinema's "Golden Age" of the '80s and '90s, most often what comes to mind are John Woo-style thrillers with maybe Chow Yun-fat standing on the sidelines, taking in all the action while he chews down on a toothpick.

But there was a whole lot of fun going on too during the industry's heyday. And that's exactly what the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) has set out to remind film lovers with Legends of HK Film Comedies, 1980s and 1990s, currently on display in the ground-floor Exhibition Hall of its Sai Wan Ho location.

Chow, as ever, was in the thick of it, cashing in on his popularity, and talent, by playing the likes of the suave punter Ko Chun in God of Gamblers (1989). There was also the emergence of Stephen Chow, who, like Chow Yun-fat, was a graduate of the TVB studios, the talent farm of the time. The uniquely "Hong Kong" mo lei tau, or nonsense-style comedy championed by him, took the city, if not the world, by storm.

The HKFA exhibition — held in partnership with Fortune Star Media Ltd — seems to have hit its mark, if a recent visit on a stifling summer afternoon was anything to go by. Walk inside and you'll be greeted by a stunning display of film posters, and by the sounds of laughter — along with some much-welcomed air conditioning — as in one corner, a group of elderly visitors are sat chuckling away to video interviews with some of the city's great comedic talents, while in another a family enjoys an impromptu karaoke session.

Charting a course across the two decades featured, the exhibition packs a lot into four themed spaces titled "Classic Combos", "The Art of Exaggeration", "Laughing with the Times" and "The Nonsensical Art of Mo Lei Tau". Video screens play around 100 classic scenes from films including Wheels on Meals (1984) and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World (1987) in a constant loop as visitors are asked to indulge, once again, in the antics of the two Chows, along with the likes of Lydia Shum and the Hui brothers, Michael and Sam.

There's also a room playing two videos — The Birth of Comedy and Behind the Jokes: The Making of a Comedian. In these, filmmakers, including Wong Jing and Mak Kai-kwong, and actors Teresa Mo and Sandra Ng are seen dissecting their craft.

"The filmmakers talk about brainstorming over comedy films and how they recruit or select appropriate actors to add punch to their movies," explains Kenxi Lau Ching-wai, assistant curator (programming) at HKFA, as we walk around the exhibition. "What's fascinating is their different ways of working, as some work alone on scripts, some like to work with a specific screenwriter and some even like to get a group together and share the ideas around.

"We also hear how actors approach a character and how they might put some of their own characteristics into the roles they play."

The exhibition ties in with Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2025 and its theme, "More Than Joy". It also serves as a follow-up of the HKFA-hosted "Laughter Double Bill" series of films screened in April.

The "Happy Karaoke Sing-A-Long" lounge, tucked away in a far corner of the exhibition, is impossible to ignore. Or, for some, resist. Songs featured include all-time favorites Ex-love Is Like a Dream, from 92 Legendary la Rose Noire, and We Meet Again Stranger from All's Well, End's Well, both released in 1992.

"You can sit over there and spend an hour listening to those songs. Maybe you can even sing along," suggests Lau.