Episode 771: The Killer (1989) - Redux

Guest Co-Hosts: Jackie Stargrove, Carol Borden

Carol Borden and Jackie Stargrove join Mike for a double-barreled deep dive into John Woo’s The Killer — both the 1989 Hong Kong classic and Woo’s own 2024 reimagining.

They revisit the operatic gunfights, moral codes, and aching "bromance" that made The Killer a cornerstone of the “heroic bloodshed” genre, tracing its influence from Le Samouraï to La Femme Nikita to the 2024 "remake". Along the way, they take a detour through Hum Hain Bemisaal (1994), Bollywood’s gloriously unauthorized quasi-remake, and consider how Woo’s new vision reframes his mythic tale for a world that’s changed as much as cinema itself.

Listen as the three co-hosts look at The Killer's enduring legacy, revisiting a movie so nice The Projection Booth covers it twice.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 771: The Killer (1989) - Redux" on Spreaker.

Listen to our earlier episode:

Listen to "Episode 32: The Killer (1989)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy The Killer on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Drunk For Life" - Sally Yeh

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Episode 32: The Killer (1989)

Special Guest: Kenneth Hall

One podcast. Two men. Ten Thousand Bullets.

We're looking at John Woo's landmark action film The Killer; examining its origin and impact. Our special guest, Kenneth Hall, has written the book on Woo -- John Woo: The Films.

We also look at the influences on The Killer from Frank Tuttle's This Gun For Hire to Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samourai as well as the films that took inspiration from Woo's work such as the two Pang Brothers versions of Bangkok Dangerous.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 32: The Killer (1989)" on Spreaker.

Watch: