The Dragon from Russia - Sam Hui (1990) - No.8 Police Station, Sai Ying Pun

You may or may not remember that the police station where May is taken after the assassination at HSBC has been featured previously on the blog, although it is no longer in police hands. This is the same location that Chuck Norris is taken to in Forced Vengeance. It was one of my "pandemic finds" - those locations I found when I had very little else to do in hotel quarantine and lockdown. Anyway, as mentioned on that linked post, it is now the "David Trench Rehabilitation Centre" and has undergone some renovations including a large glass front entrance.

The Killer - Chow Yun Fat (1989) - High Street, Sai Ying Pun

The (former) location of Ah Jong's apartment is revealed in a couple of shots that feature, at least bits of, Kau Yan Church in Sai Ying Pun. On the south side of High Street, directly opposite the church, was a row of four old tenements occupying #80 thru #86 High Street. One of these (I don't know which) contained Ah Jong's apartment. Sadly - and this seems to be a common theme in John Woo films, so perhaps explains why he tends to destroy them with exploding squibs - all four of the buildings were demolished just shortly afterwards and Lai Yin Court was constructed in the same space.

In the first images below we are looking from behind the stone steps in front of the church up at where we assume Ah Jong's apartment is. I've included a couple of interior views which I have no doubt were filmed on site. And finally the view from Ah Jong's window shows the front of the church roof. 

View looking up from Kau Yan Church

Kau Yan Church again from the apartment

Forced Vengeance - Chuck Norris (1982) - No.8 Police Station, Sai Ying Pun

Continuing with Forced Vengeance, Josh is arrested by a corrupt cop (played by long time HK film stalwart, Jimmy Shaw) and taken to a police station. From here he is bailed out by a friend and as they leave the entrance a guy lines up a rifle to shoot. This was all filmed at what used to be a real police station on High Street in the Sheung Wan/Sai Ying Pun area. These days it is better known as the "David Trench Rehabilitation Centre". Sadly, some of the exterior features , including the bridge you can see below, has gone. Instead of the bridge there is now a large glass structure which serves as the new entrance/stairwell to the upper floor.

Irreversi - Mei Melançon (2010) - Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, High Street

The bin where Adam dumps his trash was located on High Street in front of the SYP Community Complex. You may remember this as the orphange where Van Damme was dropped off as a baby at the beginning of Double Impact.

Knock Off - Jean Claude Van Damme (1997) - Behind the Scenes photos courtesy of Jude Poyer

Well, I think that's pretty much for Knock Off, there were a few other miscellaneous screen shots that I didn't think were worth including but rather than end with a whimper, how about finishing off the film with some great (and never seen before) behind-the scenes pictures courtesy of stunt maestro, Jude Poyer.

Jude of course worked on the film extensively and is the unfortunate recipient of a slash to the throat in the films soaking wet finale (apparently, he is the 142nd enemy to have died at the hands of ol' JCVD) and when he wasn't having his throat cut he was going to the odd scene and taking some opportunistic snaps of the action. You can see Jude in action (quite literally) on his website: Reel Power Stunts.

Anyway, a big thank you to Jude for sharing these pictures with us. They were taken during two key scenes; the rickshaw race and the supermarket shootout scenes. The first two pictures show the junction with High Street and Eastern Street. The top picture looking (kinda) south east towards the old community complex and the lower picture looking west along High Street with the Eastern Street Methadone Clinic back left.

The next two shots show the area around Bonham Road and St Stephen's Lane where some of the action took place - it looks as though Todd Senofonte (JCVD's stunt double) is practicing his kick off the railings. The picture underneath it shows me that Jude was standing on Centre Street looking back up towards Bonham Road with the higher terrace of St Stephen's Lane at the back.

Next we head over to Kwun Tong Ferry Pier for the supermarket scene - proof if ever you needed it about where this was actually shot. Picture 2 shows Tsui Hark sitting with his assistant director, none other than Sammo Hung, whilst Todd Senofonte relaxes behind. Is that Mars in picture 1?

Next we have the van set up. Look closely and you can see the wire under the van that was used to pull it along the ground for the film. The set looks like it was filmed inside an enclosed area that sits to the side of the entrance passageway at road side front of the pier. I did go past here the other day but forget to take a picture (argh!!) and I can tell you the pier is on its last legs. I am sure it will be closed down or rebuilt/downsized sometime in the future. It's a huge place with only a small portion of the space being used at all.

Anyway, once again many thanks to Jude for sharing his memories with us.

Knock Off - Jean Claude Van Damme (1997) - High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Some more of the race and this time a strange top down twisting view that makes me scratch my head wondering how it was achieved without putting a cameraman in extreme danger :-) I'm sure there are people reading this who can tell me so please feel free.

Anyway, a seemingly generic street in Hong Kong with the exception of a rather ornate set of stone steps at the end. It turns out the steps belong to Kau Yan Tsung Tsin Church on High Street in Sai Ying Pun - not far from the previous scene at St Stephen's Lane (just down the hill a bit, in fact).

And here is the more conventional view of it (i.e. from ground level), courtesy of Streetview. As you can see, the building that the camera seems to be flying above is the Kau Yan School next door.

Knock Off - Jean Claude Van Damme (1997) - Eastern Street, Sai Ying Pun

During the rickshaw race, the runners are running along High Street next to the old Sai Ying Pun Community Complex before turning right onto Eastern Street and down the hill. Incidentally, another Van Damme film had a few scenes shot here several years before this one.

The Streetview shot gives us an angle from the centre of the road so although it doesn't quite match the film, at least it shows a bit more if the aforementioned Community Complex.

and a quick view looking down the hill from the same junction.

Double Impact - Jean Claude Van Damme (1991) - Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, Hong Kong

Back in 1991 the former "Old Mental Hospital" on High Street was about to undergo a bit of a transformation, turning it into the modern complex that can be seen today. The fact is that only the bottom two stories' facade has been preserved and the rest of the building has been completely remodeled.

The shot above looks to have been taken at through the main entrance on High St. Here's what it looks like today from the front.

And the following shot shows the A-Mah (old HK name for a female helper/maid) carrying one of the twins up Eastern St.

Streetview hasn't been up this road, so until I go and get some shots of my own we will have to make do with this shot looking up from the junction with Eastern and High St.

I'm fairly certain that this last shot below is a studio mock-up. It has an air of falseness about it and I don't think there has ever been an entrance at this place where it is sunk into the ground with steps going down to it. Of course I could be wrong because I have no idea what was done here before the renovations (after this film was made) and Streetview doesn't let me take a sneak peek up the other side of the building. I'll head over there when I have some time and report back :-)