Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Hebe Haven Yacht Club

Boss has ordered another rival killed and Ngok is disguised as a waiter to initiate the killing. Meanwhile Han and Shan are nearby to provide cover. However, it's actually a setup by Interpol to help Ngok escape in return for him giving evidence against his boss. The location is the Hebe Haven Yacht Club.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Lion's Club Pavilion, The Peak

Elaine takes Ngok up to the Lion's Club Pavilion on the Peak to make him an offer for his cooperation.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - D'Aguilar Street, Central

Ngok is driving around one night when he accidentally hits someone with his car but it turns out to be a setup orchestrated by Elaine, the Interpol agent. She threatens to arrest him but offers him the chance to help bring down the gang boss. This all takes place on D'Aguilar Street at the top of Lan Kwai Fong.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Hau Wong Road, Kowloon City

The boys' next hit is a drive-by shooting in Kowloon City. They drive north along Hau Wong Road with the wet market building in the background and gun down several men standing on the pavement.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Chater Road, Central

Still out and about enjoying themselves, the next shot was filmed on Chater Road next to Statue Square.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Hebe Haven, Sai Kung

Still living it up on their earnings, the boys take a boat out onto the waters of Hebe Haven in Sai Kung.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Tolo Highway, Tai Po

Shan starts spending some of the money he has earned from the jobs and goes and buys a new car. He then heads out with Han for a spin along the Tolo Highway just outside of Tai Po. The buildings on the right belong to the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Ma Tau Kok Road, Ma Tau Kok

Han and Shan's next job is to kill a rival gang member, but when Shan goes inside to do the deed, their inside man has been caught and tortured (with a chainsaw!). The location for this sequence was along the far eastern end of Ma Tau Kok Road outside the Newport Centre. Back left is the Ma Tau Kok gas naptha plant.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong

Shan gets involved with one of the girls at the sauna and picks her up after work after paying off her debt to a local gangster. They take a taxi to Kowloon Tong which at the time was full of "Love Motels". There are still afew around but they are not quite as prolific as they used to be. The O.MAS Hotel was still around until a few years ago. I don't think it's operating anymore but the neon sign was still there during the last Google Streetview sweep. I can't remember seeing it the last time I walked this way though.

Forced Vengeance - Chuck Norris (1982) - Olympic Bridge, Causeway Bay

Prompted by the recent news of Chuck Norris' passing, long time supporter of the blog, AP, asked me if I had ever managed to locate the place where the neon sign backlit fight scene took place during Forced Vengeance. The scene is played over the opening credits but is also part of the main story later in the film as Josh (Norris) and his two female companions are desperately trying to escape the bad guys.

I must admit I hadn't actually given it any thought at the time (back in 2014 when I first covered the film, I just assumed it was a studio set up), but a brief look at the scene has made it quite clear to me that it was filmed on what is known locally as "Olympic Bridge" in Causeway Bay. The footbridge spans Irving Street and Leighton Road and has, on the face of each step, a Summer Olympic games location followed by the year it was held. If you want to know why this was done you can read this Govt press release from 2002.

Anyway back in 1981, we see Norris and co running down Yee Wo Street towards the bridge, and then, as they walk up the bridge they are obstructed by one of the bad guys and the following fight scene is silhouetted by the bright neon Vitasoy advert on the building behind.

The neon sign was hanging on the building that used to stand right on the corner where the Causeway Bay Tram terminus loops around. It looks like the sign covered the front of #90 Yee Wo Street which has long since been replaced by the Regal Hong Kong Hotel. I haven't been able to find any 80s era images of the Vitasoy signage, but earlier versions appear to have existed since (at least) the 1960s. You can see an earlier version on this Gwulo image - it's behind the tram on the left.

Anyway, RIP to Chuck Norris.

The bridge seen from Yee Wo Street