Paula Hammond - Features EditorRunning on Karma is a curious beast. An offbeat Hong Kong murder-mystery, starring Andy Lau, which has more in common with modern Anime than the more usual beat-em-up Hong Kong fare. Balancing action and genre thrills with deep philosophical questions on the nature of spirituality and faith, Running on Karma is one of the stand-out films of the ten helmed by acclaimed directors Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai.
One of the most interesting and unique collaborations between the renowned directorial duo, Running On Karma is a crime thriller with a distinctly Buddhist flare. Does it work? Yes and no. But even when it doesn’t, it has more than enough strange charm to smooth out the raggy edges.
Big (Lau) was once a devoutly religious man, but turned away from his vocation as a Buddhist monk when he could no longer bear the weight of his unusual gift: the ability to see people’s past lives and predict the impact of karma upon their present and future. Having found a new life as a bodybuilder, he is drawn to use his sixth sense for good after meeting Lee Fung-yee (Cecilia Cheung, The Legend of Zu), a cop investigating a homicide. But as the two grow closer and work together to catch a murderer, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Big can see Lee’s past lives, too …
This Masters of Cinema release is presented in bright and crisp blu-ray for the first time outside of Asia, making it a must-have for fans of genre, blending curio cinema.
Extras include:
- Limited edition of 2000 copies.
- Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Time Tomorrow.
- 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray.
- Original Cantonese stereo audio.
- Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release.
- New audio commentary by East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto.
- Reap the Whirlwind – new interview with Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal.
- Archival “making of…” featurette.
- Theatrical trailer.
- PLUS: A collector’s booklet featuring a new essay by David West of NEO magazine.
