Hong Kong Entertainment 1979: A Beating Up the Manager at the Start

"A Better Tomorrow: The Most Tear-Jerking Movie!"

"The most loyal and righteous movie ever—A Better Tomorrow!"

"The director of 'Happy Ghost' is back with a bang!"

After being reported by more than 200 newspapers in Hong Kong, "A Better Tomorrow" has thoroughly whetted the appetites of Hong Kong movie lovers.

The next morning at eight o'clock, before the Shaw Brothers theaters had even opened for business, long queues had already formed outside.

Some people stood on tiptoe to look ahead, while others had seen the movie yesterday and wanted to watch it again with their friends.

Longhair led his men to line up in the crowd.

One of his newly recruited henchmen, looking at the long line in front of him, frowned and cursed, "Damn it! What kind of movie ticket queue is this? Go to hell!"

Longhair glared at the newcomer. "Stop babbling. If you don't want to watch, get lost. Just pretend I never took you in!"

Upon seeing this, the newcomer shrank back in fright and dared not say another word.

A henchman who was close to Long Hair grinned and offered him a cigarette. "Brother Mao, why did we come to see this movie? Wouldn't it be better to go pick up some girls and have a few drinks?"

Longhair rolled his eyes at the henchman. "What do you know? Even our Uncle Dragon Head has seen this movie, how can we not watch it?"

At nine o'clock in the morning, the theater doors opened as scheduled.

Everyone took their tickets and, after buying them at the ticket window, happily went inside.

Soon a group of viewers entered the cinema, and an hour later, a long queue formed again at the cinema entrance.

Half an hour later, the people who had finished watching the movie walked out of the theater satisfied.

Inside the theater, cleaning lady Aunt Liu and two colleagues were cleaning.

"Hurry up! There's still a long line at the door!" the manager urged anxiously from the side. After urging them for a while, he went out to see how many people were still outside.

As soon as the manager left, Aunt Liu muttered under her breath, "What's going on? Why is it even busier than during the New Year?"

But her hand speed didn't slow down; she skillfully swept all kinds of trash into garbage bags.

"Aunt Liu! Stop complaining, or your boss will give you trouble!"

"You think I'm afraid of him...?"

Just then, the manager rushed into the theater, which startled Aunt Liu so much that she shrank back and hurriedly started working.

The manager didn't have time to deal with Aunt Liu's gossip; he picked up a broom and personally started cleaning.

Audiences who had just left the theater were still excited and discussing the plot of "A Better Tomorrow".

"This video is really good!"

"Mmm! I told you it was good, right? Luckily I started queuing at nine in the morning! Otherwise..."

"Haha, all I can think about now is that cool look on Mark Gor's face as he lights a cigarette, he's totally obsessed."

"Hao-ge was pretty good too! His marksmanship was amazing! It's just that Xiao Ma died..."

"Oh my god! I was stunned for a long time when Little Horse died... but it was really good!"

The same scene was shown simultaneously in seventeen theaters, but only six theaters had an occupancy rate of 80% due to their relatively remote locations.

Within a morning, the name "A Better Tomorrow" was enough to spread throughout the streets and alleys of Hong Kong.

By the afternoon, the situation began to spiral out of control.

The queue at Shaw Brothers’ core theaters turned the corner and snaked into the adjacent street.

The theater staff maintaining order had already shouted themselves hoarse, and scalpers, sensing the opportunity, sprang into action.

The shouts of "A Better Tomorrow, 3 o'clock show, good spot, add 20!" were mixed in with the noise of the crowd.

Even so, a ticket with an extra charge can be snapped up quickly.

The cinema manager's office phone was ringing off the hook, with managers from various cinemas demanding more film screenings.

"No seats available! The next show is in half an hour, and there are already hundreds of people queuing outside!" shouted the manager of Causeway Bay Theatre.

Shaw Brothers' headquarters distribution department urgently adjusted the film schedule, allocating more resources to "A Better Tomorrow".

The atmosphere was somber in the general manager's office of Jiahe Company.

Zou Wenhuai put down the market briefing and looked at He Guanchang. "Li Jiangbo's last film was 'Happy Ghost,' and this time it's 'A Better Tomorrow.' He has a wide range of subjects and makes accurate moves. We can no longer look at him with ordinary eyes."

Ho Koon-cheung nodded, "His premiere was the talk of the town, turning moviegoing into a social event. When our big films are released in the future, audiences and the media will expect the same spectacle, raising the cost and threshold of publicity. The quality of the film is also solid, with Chow Yun-fat and Dillon being reimagined, and their performances are captivating and their character arcs appealing to the audience."

Hong Jinbao said in a deep voice, "The film is well made. Li Jiangbo has a masterful grasp of action scenes and emotional pacing, and the brotherhood he portrayed is realistic and profound, touching people's hearts. Subsequent films of similar or other genres will fall short if they lack the same impact."

Tea restaurants, office buildings, bus stops—the public is buzzing with discussion.

Have you seen "A Better Tomorrow"?

"I saw it! I cried when Mark died!"

"Great shot!"

"I'm taking my family to see it again tonight!"

The characters, lines, and costumes in the film have permeated popular culture.

"I want to take back what I've lost" has become a common saying among young people, and sunglasses and trench coats have once again appeared on the streets.

Zhou Runfa became an overnight sensation, with film offers and interviews pouring in, and reporters frequently lurking outside his residence.

Dillon reached a new height in his acting career with his role as Sung Tze-ho, and his acting skills were highly praised.

Leslie Cheung's portrayal of Sung Chi-kit garnered more attention and praise.

Li Jiangbo has been dubbed a "genius director" and a "box office goldmine" by the media, becoming the center of attention in the film industry.

In the evening, Li Jiangbo sat in the office of Shiguang Film and Television, listening attentively to Zhao Yazhi's report.

"Boss, six or seven record companies have called today just to inquire about the copyright of the song 'Tomorrow Will Be Better'."

"Also, I heard that Polydor Records, where Rongzai is staying, is preparing to produce records for him again!"

"Also, Sasha has received many calls from record companies. There are a lot of people who want to sign her to a record contract. She can't make up her mind, so she asked me to ask you."

Li Jiangbo asked, "How are things going with Jia Hui, A Lin, and A Hong?"

Zhao Yazhi shook her head and said, "It's not good. At the premiere, everyone could tell at a glance that Jia Hui was lip-syncing, and Zhu Lin and A Hong were implicated as well. I feel that if it weren't for the lead singer from the children's choir, the three of them would probably have been torn to shreds by the audience!"

Li Jiangbo frowned upon hearing this. He could have anticipated these reports, but he hadn't expected the situations involving Jia Hui, Zhu Lin, and Zhong Chuhong.

He thought it didn't matter if he couldn't sing, he could just lip-sync, but that doesn't seem to work in this day and age.

At this moment, Li Jiangbo felt an overwhelming sense of longing for Anita Mui, Vivian Chow, and Chan Wai-yin, among others.

After a moment, Li Jiangbo tentatively asked, "Sister Zhi, what do you think about letting Sasha take care of these three?"

Zhao Yazhi shook her head. "Sasha talked to me, and she doesn't want to form a group."

Upon hearing this, Li Jiangbo frowned even more deeply.

Zhao Yazhi picked up her cup and poured Li Jiangbo a cup of tea. "Boss, don't get so worked up. How about I go talk to Mei Yanfang again?"

Li Jiangbo shook his head. "Forced relationships don't work, and besides, we don't have the capability to release artists' music. How about this, you see if any record companies are for sale, and try to contact them as soon as possible to see if you can buy one."

Zhao Yazhi asked with some concern, "Bo-zai, will you be able to walk properly...?"

Before she could finish speaking, the phone on the table rang urgently.

Zhao Yazhi answered the phone, "Hello, Time Films."

She covered the microphone and said to Li Jiangbo, "It's Uncle Six calling from TVB."

Li Jiangbo answered the phone.

"Good evening, Sixth Uncle."

"Bo-zai, this time it's a big deal. The film is well-made, and the audience response is great. Several high-rated TVB programs want to invite you and Chow Yun-fat and Dillon to be guests to talk about the stories behind the film. Can you arrange a time?"

Li Jiangbo and Zhao Yazhi exchanged a glance and nodded, saying, "No problem, Sixth Uncle. I'll arrange a time and get back to you as soon as possible."