Ironside 426 Chinese Poster

Before John Woo, before Ringo Lam, before Johnnie To, director Lam Kwok-cheung pioneered the Hong Kong Triad gangster epic with the film ‘Ironside 426’. The title was ‘borrowed’ from the hit US detective show, and casts martial arts movie actors in contemporary crime drama roles. Former director of photography Lam have the lead role to B-list kung fu hero Jason Pai Piao and Shaw Brothers swordplay queen Michelle Yim. The film’s premise, a cop infiltrating the Triad, predates later Heroic Bloodshed epics like ‘Hard-Boiled’ and ‘Infernal Affairs’.

The film’s edgy action scenes are choreographed by Cheng Kei-ying, who also plays the main villain. Cheng achieved notoriety when he challenged Korean martial arts star Wong Jang-lee to a death match. (The duel was called off by the Hong Kong police…)

Reel East is proud to present the rare original stylised theatrical poster from this ground breaking Hong Kong noir, ‘Ironside 426’: