CompleteMartialArts.com - Chan Is Missing
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List Price: $29.98
Our Price: $26.99
Your Save: $ 2.99 ( 10% )
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 5 weeks
Manufacturer: KOCH LORBER FILMS
Starring: Frankie Alarcon, Virginia Cerenio, Roy Chan, Leong Pui Chee, Laureen Chew
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9781417200962
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 1417200960
Label: KOCH LORBER FILMS
Manufacturer: KOCH LORBER FILMS
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: KOCH LORBER FILMS
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2006-01-24
Running Time: 80
Studio: KOCH LORBER FILMS
Theatrical Release Date: 1982-06-04
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Editorial Reviews:
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Two cabbies search San Francisco's Chinatown for a mysterious character who has disappeared with their $4,000. Their quest leads them on a humorous, if mundane, journey which illuminates the many problems experienced by Chinese-Americans trying to assimilate into contemporary American society.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: "MODERN CHINESE AMERICAN FILM NOIR MYSTERY"
Comment: CHAN HUNG HAS DISAPPEARED WITH MONEY THE 2 CABBIES (UNCLE/NEPHEW} HAD GIVEN HIM FOR A PURCHASE
OF A TAXI. THEY SEARCH FOR HIM IN SAN FRANCISCO'S CHINATOWN,QUESTIONING PEOPLE THAT MIGHT KNOW HIS WHERE ABOUTS.
FIRST STOP, IS MANILLATOWN SENIOR CENTER WHERE THE SENIORS ARE DANCING TO A
RECORDING OF:"SABOR A MI" . CHAN'S LAWYER EXPLAINES THE CHINESE WAY OF THINKING WHEN A POLICEMAN ASKED IF HE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT BEFORE HE GOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT (A WEEK BEFORE
HE DISAPPEARED.)
. ALSO, THERE IS A CHINESE APPLE PIE COMPARISON
WITH THE AMERICAN VERSION. A CHINESE AMERICAN JOURNALIST SAID TO ME,"THE MOVIE IS ACADEMIC."
(INSTRUCTING THE NONE CHINESE AUDIENCE.)
EACH PERSON IN THE FILM HAS A DIFFERENT IMPRESSION OF CHAN.
THE ACTORS IMPROVISE WITHIN THE FRAME WORK OF THE WRITTEN PLOT.
THE MAIN ACTORS ARE;WOOD MOY (STRAIGHT ARROW TYPE) MARK HAYASHI (FUNNY&ANGRY)
LAUREEN CHEW(FUNNY, GOOD ACTRESS) YOU SEE CHINATOWNS LANDMARKS.
RELATED TRIVIA;CHEW WAS IN "DIM SUM" WITH HER REAL MOTHER & ALSO IS ASSOCIATE DEAN OF
THE COLLEGE OF ETHNIC STUDIES. PETER WANG (THE COOK) HAS DIRECTED ANOTHER 5 STAR MOVIE
IN MY OPINION,;"A GREAT WALL". HE TOLD A CUSTOMER, THAT THEIR OUT OF WON TON. HE SAID SPELLED
BACKWARDS;"NOT NOW!" MOY IN, "THE BODY SNATCHERS"(1978)"SHE,WRONG, THAT NOT MY WIFE!" HE PLAYED A DOCTOR IN "FINAL ANALYSIS"
+I'M THE EXTRA SITTING NEXT TO KIM BASINGER. BY THE WAY THERE ARE NO EXTRAS IN "CHAN IS MISSING."(CANDID STREET SHOT'S) CRITIC VINCENT CANBY RAVED ABOUT THIS FILM.
NOWADAYS I HEAR MORE MANDARIN THAN CANTONESE.
UNDER $25.000 BUDGET; MADE CLOSE TO 2 MILLION. "SABOR A MI";LOS LOBOS DEL ESTE DE L.A.
SUSPENSE MUSIC;STEVE SHAPIRO SOUND. CHINESE POP;SAM HUI. "GRANT AVENUE" PAT SAZUKI.
IN MY OPINION THE DVD IS WORTH THE PRICE. 5*****'S! DVD INCLUDES INTERVIEWS (45 MINUTES.) THANK YOU WAYNE WANG AND CREW!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite Chinese films
Comment: Jo and Steve are two friends in Chinatown San Francisco, attempting to get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearance of their colleague Chan Hung. Initially, they are motivated by a sum of money Chan owes them, so they track down leads that they think might help them determine what happened to Chan. In an entertaining inversion of the traditional detective mystery, where the hero gets closer to the answer, each lead in Chan Is Missing multiplies the possibility of where the missing man could be, drawing the two farther away from solving the mystery.
The movie is shot in grainy b/w, simultaneously (perhaps intentionally) possessing qualities of a documentary, art house, and film noir. Wood Moy is the patient elderly "detective" and Marc Hayashi is his assimilated sidekick. It was breathtaking to see an actual Chinese man finally stepping into the shoes of that other "Chinese American" detective embedded in the conscience of mystery movie fans. The missing of that Chan is a welcomed breath of fresh air.
Based on the Chinese movies I have seen so far, this is definitely at the top of the list. I say this because it possesses what I have always regarded as a Chinese (and Japanese, based on my experiences) quality: to impart a piece of information to you without directly telling you that information.
For example, in a Chinese riddle Jo relays to Steve, a girl is trapped by an evil man who forces her to chose one of two doors. He tells her that one door leads to his bed chambers, and the other leads to freedom. Realizing both doors led to his bed chambers, the girl opted for the best choice and pointed to one of the doors, stating, "that door does not lead to the outside."
This oblique form of communication draws as much from what is unsaid as what is said. For me, this film was instructive, reaffirming, and empowering in it's ability to show that each and every Asian person has a multitude of untold stories: it set up one Chinese individual, inviting us- the viewer - to be enlisted in helping solve the mystery. In doing so, it teases out our presumptions about who this Chinese person Chan was. One lead after another, I found my presumptions were null and my perception of Chan Hung expanding along with those of the two amateur detectives.
One of the leads tells them "when looking into the puddle of water, he told me the only person who could fix him was that person in the puddle."
This holographic clue puts the ball in the mystery solver's court.
Some of the best written mysteries are really a journey of self-discovery. By the end of the story, we know more about the person trying to solve the case than the reasons behind the crime.
I don't want to give the story away, so I'll just say this: In many interactions between Asians and non-Asians (and sometimes assimilated Asian Americans), you will often see the crime in Chan is Missing re-enacted. And when you do, you have the ability to find Chan, discover the culprit, and solve the mystery on the spot.
(The dvd version comes with interviews with Wood Moy and Marc Hayashi and several other people involved in production. From these interviews, one can find a nice window into the creative community among the Asian Americans in the San Francisco area. Peter Wang, who plays the cynical cook, is a director and writer in real life. Peter Feng has an insightful analysis about Chan is Missing in his excellent book "Identities In Motion." )
Customer Rating:
Summary: First Feature Film From Wayne Wang
Comment: Fans of Wayne Wang's "Smoke" and Indie fans alike, will surely want to check out his first feature "Chan Is Missing" A charming black and white, set in San Francisco Chinatown of the 80's. The story revolves around two Chinese-American men who have turned over $4,000.00 to a friend who has promised to help set them up in the cabbie business. When the friend turns up missing(as well as the cash), they search the city trying to find him. Becoming amateur sleuths, trying to unravel the mysterious surroundings of his disappearance, the film takes on a new meaning for the title "Chan Is Missing". A story within a story of the Chinese-American community, old and new generations, trying to find it's place in modern day America. Integrating old customs with new ways of living,overcoming the differences of even the various Chinese cultures in the city, and often finding that even in language, ideas get lost in translation. You may even see shades of the wonderful "Flower Drum Song" here. As one of the characters puts it: We used to be considered "FOB"(Fresh off the boat), now they come on jumbo jets.
The film is a quiet study of the journey taken by the two main characters, a nice tour through Chinatown, and is done with good humor as the main character sometimes sees himself as a modern day Charlie Chan following the clues to finding his friend.It is filled with interesting and real characters. The black and white, full frame filming gives that old time detective movie feeling. The DVD(Koch/Lorber) is not the sharpest I have seen of film transfers of the 80's, but a nice view, and has some nice features. Interviews with the stars and a making of feature. The DVD lists Cantonese and English as the language, but if you are looking for it to be mostly Cantonese, it is not. There is not even a Cantonese language track option. It is mostly English, and the few scenes with Cantonese dialogue do have optional English subtitles. The film is not rated but does have some strong language.
I enjoyed the film and the performances by Wood Moy and Marc Hayashi and the choice of music used to accompany their journey as well.A fine first feature film from Director Wang, and nice black and white cinematography from Michael Chin, but probably not one you will want to spend the big bucks on they are charging for this DVD, as it may not stand up to repeated viewings. Rent it, watch it a couple of times. You may find something in the 2nd view you did not catch in the first. The film runs about 80 minutes, a perfect length to tell this charmer.
Enjoy the film....Laurie
Customer Rating:
Summary: Chan wasn't missing.
Comment: After 25 years I saw this pearl again, catching something I missed the first time: the whole point of the movie. Jo was right when he said of himself, "I'm no Charlie Chan." But the mystery of why Chan Hung hides just out of earshot remains. The movie has aged, but still tantalizes.
Customer Rating:
Summary: pointless
Comment: low grade mess of a flick.
when I first saw it many years ago (upon release) I thought it was far better than it actually is.
I regret wasting my money on the DVD. live and learn.
just because something is shot on 16mm B & W for little $$$ does not make it (automatically)
worthwhile.
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