I was pointed to this article via Asian Movie News over at their sister site, Beyond Hollywood. It’s reported to be a beginners guide to Hong Kong cinema and what to watch…Here’s the gist of the titles to watch…

Yes, it’s true, boys and girls, “The Matrix” wasn’t the first movie to invent the ol “falling down and shooting” move. I know it’s hard for some of you to believe, but hear me out…this is a guide to some of the best Hong Kong action movies that not only defined Hong Kong action, but set the ground rules for a lot of the action movies you are currently seeing, be it in the West or the East, but just never knew it.

The Killer (1989)
A Better Tomorrow (1985)
Hardboiled (1992)
The Mission (1999)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
So Close (2002)

There are also some notable recommendations, in the form of…

2000 A.D. (2000)
Hit Team (2001)
The Longest Night (1997)
Naked Weapon (2002)
Running Out of Time (1999)

So who’s seen which, and what did you think of them? Any surprises, and more importantly anything missing? I’ve caught Killer, Hardboiled, Infernal Affairs, and I have some of the others on my 347 long DVD rental list! I have to say out of those I’ve seen, Infernal Affairs rocked, and the difference between them is that the others were a little more over the top and wild, whereas Affairs was more grounded. Still, the remaining titles are going on my rental list right after I post this.