From 1988-1999, Category III titles made up 38-48% of theatrically released Hong Kong productions. (1) In 1992, Category III movies like Dr. Lamb and Naked Killer grossed a total of $159 million HKD ($43.8 million USD, after adjusting for inflation); in 1993, movies like Daughter of Darkness and Run and Kill added $185 million HKD ($46.5 USD today). (2) Category III ratings weren’t just for impotent serial killers and horny ghosts—movies about triad gangsters or anybody that threatened diplomatic relations with mainland China were also either taboo or subject to censorship.

Category III movies were a symptomatic last gasp for independent Hong Kong films, whose popularity had been waning for about a decade or more thanks to the rise of Cantonese-language TV programming and the burgeoning bootleg VCD market.

This is the first of a series on Fangoria but their own links don’t work so I am bringing them together here:

A Guide To Hong Kong Category III Shockers:

• Ghosts, Black Magic, And The Supernatural
• EBOLA SYNDROME Star Anthony Wong Haunts Your Dreams
• Terrors Ripped From The Headlines
• The Many Faces of DR. LAMB Star Simon Yam
• Sexual Violence
• Leading Ladies