Ying zhao ming che (1977)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Kang Cheng

Release Date:

30 September 1977 (Hong Kong)

Plot Keywords:

Sting Operation | Dentist Chair | Female Nudity | Exploitation | Photographer

Cast

Bobby Canavarro	...	Director Lin
Cheh Chang	...	Himself
Lap Ban Chan
Shen Chan	...	Japanese john
Chun-hao Chen
Shu-Ying Cheng	...	Cheng Ying
Sze Cheng	...	Ching Si
Ping Chen	...	Li Ming
Homer Cheung
Nan Chiang
Szu-ying Chien
Miao Ching	...	Dr. Yun
Tien-chu Chin	...	Japanese tourist
Ching Chu	...	Herself
Ping Ha	...	Mrs. Yun
Lu-bao Hsiao	...	Interviewer
Shu-hua Hsin	...	Director Li
Shan Hua	...	Himself
Ling Ling Hung	...	Dental patient
Mama Hung
Jim James	...	Yacht john
Ling-ling Kuo	...	Kwok Ling-ling
Wei-Ping Kuo
Fai Wong Lam	...	Chou Tsai
Danny Lee
Chen Chi Lin	...	Herself
Tsai Lin
Yang Yang Lin	...	Cucumber call girl
Hui-Ling Liu	...	Godmother
Ya Ying Liu	...	Liu Hui
Yi-min Li	...	Himself
Min Min	...	Betting clerk
Tun Fei Mou	...	Himself
Chia-Li Ou
Wei Szu	...	Wang Yi
Ying Tan	...	Casino patron
Cheng-cheng Wang
Ching Ho Wang	...	Cucumber john
Han Chen Wang	...	Producer Wang
Fung Wong	...	Himself
Yue Wong	...	Himself
Chih-Ching Yang	...	Inspector Yang
Chi Yang
Shirley Yu	...	Lily Pai Hsiao-man

Also Known As:

The Call Girls (Hong Kong: English title)
Ying chiu ming chaak (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Shaw Brothers

Heavy handed but fascinating Shaw Brothers sexploitation flick.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

THE CALL GIRLS is, allegedly, based on a real scandal in the Hong Kong film industries in which certain actresses were selling themselves into prostitution. So, naturally, the Shaw Brothers rushed out a sexploitation film to capitalize on these events. THE CALL GIRLS is directed by Cheng Kang (though apparently Sun Chung and Chor Yuen directed a few sequences as well), who had tackled the true crime genre on several prior occasions, including KIDNAP and the "Hidden Torsos" episode of THE CRIMINALS.

After showing several of the actresses being taken out of a police truck, the film cuts to several brief interviews with various Shaw Brothers figures, including such directors as T.F. Mous (the future director of LOST SOULS and MEN BEHIND THE SUN), Hua Shan (THE SUPER INFRAMAN) and Chang Cheh (THE ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN, THE FIVE VENOMS), among others. Then the film cuts to Danny Lee playing a cop (a role he would go on to reprise in everything from THE KILLER to DR. LAMB) and interrogating several of these actresses. Each tells a separate story, intertwined ala PULP FICTION, of the suffering they all endured, from humiliation to rape and finally, to the suicide of one of the girls.

It's not a particularly good film, but THE CALL GIRLS is another great time capsule film of 70s Hong Kong. There are even several scenes taking you behind the scenes of the unnamed studio's production unit which pretty much shows you exactly how HK films were made during the 70s (they were actually shot silent and the director would direct the actors while the camera was rolling). It's also highly sexually explicit, often going into nearly soft core levels with some surprisingly disturbing touches such as vegetables being used as a sex toys and a young virgin being deflowered complete with blood. As with Cheng Kang's other crime dramas, there is kind of a heavy handedness to the film, with titles cards at the ending even asking "Who is to blame?". Aside from Danny Lee, The Call Girls features Chen Ping (THE KISS OF DEATH) and Shirley Yu (DREAMS OF EROTICISM) as a couple of the actresses turned prostitutes and Szu Wei pretty much reprising his role from Cheng Kang's CRIMINALS episode as the psychotic, misogynistic agent/pimp who threatens to burn Shirley's face with lye. Though trashy and heavy handed, THE CALL GIRLS is nonetheless a pretty solid true crime/erotic effort from the Shaw Brothers and is certainly worth a look if only to get a good look at the 70s Hong Kong film industry.