Friday, March 29, 2024

Story of Ricky - Louis Fan Siu-wong (1991) - Taipa-Coloane Causeway, Macau

One of the most over the top gratuitously gory and violent movies ever to come out of Hong Kong is Story of Ricky. Based on the Riki-Oh manga comic, it follows the trials and tribulations of convicted killer Ricky (Louis Fan), jailed for killing his girlfriend's rapist, as he finds himself in the middle of a corrupt and violent institute run by a sadistic warden and his assistant. Its Japanese comic origins explain why the violence is OTT but there was obviously a budgetary constraint involved and the crew did a fantastic job on what looks like limited resources. If there are any fans of Peter Jackson's Bad Taste reading this then you will appreciate the effects/FX in this film. 

The opening shots of the film are a bit of lost history because they were filmed on what was once the causeway (or isthmus) that connected Taipa to Coloane. It's historical because this place doesn't exist anymore, at least not in any recognisable form, since the reclamation between the two former islands - the Cotai Strip - joined them together. The route of this old causeway is still there but now supports the Estrada do Istmo, the main road that runs through the centre of the Cotai Strip.

It's hard to believe that the left hand side of the top image is now completely filled with garish casinos and hotels. Google Earth's Macau imagery is quite old now (2008), but you can still get a feel for the changes by looking at this similar view

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