Classic Hong Kong cinema: John Woo on action, violence, influences, growing up in poverty and working in Hollywood in 1997 interview
- John Woo impressed Hollywood with his action films and relocated there, making three US films before returning to Hong Kong
- In this interview from 1997, Woo describes his upbringing, how he likes to direct his films and the difficulties of working in Hollywood
In this new regular feature series on the best of Hong Kong cinema, we examine the legacy of classic films, re-evaluate the careers of its greatest stars, and revisit some of the lesser-known aspects of the beloved industry. We begin this week with a wide-ranging interview with John Woo during the peak of his Hollywood career.
The legendary John Woo Yu-sum was the first Hong Kong director to be hired by a Hollywood studio. US studios were impressed with the action choreography of classic local films like The Killer, and Woo relocated to Los Angeles and debuted there with Hard Target in 1992.
Woo’s relationship with Hollywood was difficult as the studios imposed too many limitations on his work process, and he felt that he could not make his films the way he wanted to.
US actor Shia LaBeouf arrested for battery after Mardi Gras brawl in New Orleans
The Hollywood star is accused of hitting one man with closed fists and punching another in the nose in the city’s French Quarter
The New Orleans Police Department confirmed that officers arrested the Megalopolis and Honey Boy actor, 39, at 12.45am in the city’s famed French Quarter. He was charged with two counts of simple battery for allegedly assaulting two men.
A representative for the Transformers star did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Police arrived at a business on the 1400 block of Royal Street, responding to a reported assault, officials said. The two men alleged they were assaulted by LaBeouf.
The former Even Stevens child star was “causing a disturbance” at the business, prompting staff to remove him from the premises, police said. LaBeouf allegedly struck one of the victims and “used his closed fists on the victim several times”.
Police say LaBeouf left the business but returned “acting even more aggressive”. According to the incident report, an unspecified number of people tried to subdue LaBeouf and eventually let him go “in hope that he would leave”.
Instead, he allegedly began assaulting the same man as before, hitting his upper body with closed fists. The actor is accused of punching the second man in the nose.
Investigators say people held LaBeouf down again until officials arrived. The actor was transported and treated for unknown injuries and was arrested and charged upon his release.
TMZ published bystander video of men standing over LaBeouf as he lies shirtless on a street. The video shows one man punching LaBeouf as he tries to get to his feet.
Other bystanders can be heard telling both the man hitting LaBeouf and the actor to “chill”. The video ends with two men holding LaBeouf down.
TMZ also published video of LaBeouf sitting shirtless in the boot of a police vehicle and video of him walking through the French Quarter on Monday.
Los Angeles native LaBeouf has a history of violent and disorderly behaviour that shadowed his efforts to move past his Disney Channel days in the early 2000s.
Following his comeback in the form of filmmaker Alma Har’el’s Honey Boy, LaBeouf was sued in 2020 by his ex-girlfriend, musician FKA Twigs, for assault, sexual battery and emotional abuse. The lawsuit also alleged LaBeouf abused another former girlfriend. He denied her allegations.
“I am not in the position to defend any of my actions. I owe these women the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done,” he told The New York Times amid the lawsuit.
The exes settled the lawsuit last year.
LaBeouf is married to Mia Goth, the horror star known for films including Frankenstein, Infinity Pool and Ti West’s X trilogy.
