Here are some brief plot lines with particular reference to Yam's roles. For a more in-depth analysis of the films content you can try elsewhere or better still - watch the film itself!   If you haven't already seen these movies I hope this gets you interested but beware of PLOT SPOILERs. Send in your own views or recommendations if you wish - and I'm happy to say someone has done just that - thank you Kathy.

Though not always the main character in his movies he usually makes an impact with the roles he is given. This 'bomb' symbol represents a rough guide to how much 'explosive' screen time he gets! ...

Directed by Ringo Lam 1992. Also starring Chow Yun-fat, Anthony Wong, Ann Bridgewater, Bonnie Fuk

We begin in Bangkok with a brutal jewellery store robbery where Yam establishes his character Judge as a flamboyant, charming and definitely psycho gang leader. Jeff (Chow with a switchblade and motorbike) is a nightclub bouncer and his girlfriend Mona (Bridgewater) a dancer. His friend Sam (Wong) is heavily in debt to a loan shark, and when Jeff rescues him from a beating he is on the shark's death list. Judge is Sam's cousin and they organises an arms heist, with an added bonus if they kill Jeff, even though Judge fancy's him. Things don't go well for Jeff as he is double-crossed by Sam and almost killed. Sometime later we are in Hong Kong where Mona, believing Jeff to be dead, has taken up with Sam who is still working with Judge. Jeff mysteriously re-appears after making a long recovery and begins to make life awkward for all concerned. Judge, being gay and fond of flouncy purple shirts (just some of the interesting outfits worn by Yam!) still flirts with and threatens Jeff. After a nightclub shoot-out (with classy bullet's-eye view camera angles) they agree to meet. Needless to say there is a final showdown between the pair and only one is left standing. Guess who?

Directed by Benny Chan 1994. Also starring Yu Rong Guang, Christy Chung.

Two best friends are on opposite sides of the law, Yam is a decent cop and Yu is part of the gangland scene. It comes to the crunch and Yam reluctantly has to turn his friend in - only it all goes horribly wrong and Yu is thought killed. Yu's girlfriend plays on Yam's guilt and makes demands on him and they begin a relationship via pager, estranging him from his own girlfriend. Later Yu returns, seemingly in a forgiving mood and they renew their friendship. But Yam's life is turned upside down as Yu takes revenge by involving him in a kidnapping, and then a spiralling nightmare of murder and forced drug taking ending in his girlfriends death and his own mental instability.

For sheer screen time this is a Yam-fest, it is also a powerful performance from our man as a guy who has no way to escape his tormentor, an enthralling film which deserves more recognition. A chance to see Yam in a dramatic and emotional role with some well executed action and a little hand and foot combat. [by Zan]

Directed by Danny Lee 1993. Also starring Danny Lee, Kent Cheng

In a photo-processing lab, suspicious shots of a nude and bloody female are brought to the attention of the police. They soon track down an apparently mild-mannered taxi-driver Lam (Yam) and begin brutally interrogating him. Lam spends the first half of the film being beaten up by the police and various family members as they try to discover what he's done - and then they wish they hadn't! In the second half, the detective (Lee) coaxes confessions from Lam and we see in flashback what the madman has been up to - the cops and us being more horrified as each nasty mutilation is replayed - literally, as his final depraved act of necrophilia is captured on home movie. It finishes with Lam in prison looking like he'd be at it again given half a chance. It could all be blamed on his being unloved as a child and the continuing claustrophobic life in the family apartment where the grisly goings on are perpetrated while the others are out...

A somewhat extreme example of Cat III horror it veers from dark and harrowing one minute to comedy gross-out the next. Yam has you feeling sorry for him early on before the deranged side of the character becomes apparent and then he gets a chance to ham it up mercilessly... howling at the moon. A bit of a ride if you can cope with jiggling body parts as the clowning cops do. Unfortunately my copy had no English translation so I may have missed some of the more subtle aspects - if there are any! This was the first of the many  'based on a true crime' HK exploitation films, such as Anthony Wong's Untold Story (aka Bunman). [by Zan]

Directed by John Woo 1990. Also starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee

In Hong Kong three childhood friends grow up together against the backdrop of rising civil unrest a fatal gang fight means they have to flee the country and they offer to take goods to a gangster in Vietnam to pay their way out. The war is already in action and they witness some terrible scenes. They meet up with their unpleasant target at his nightclub and become involved in a hit being made by Yam. They join forces and blast their way out of the club with Lee acquiring a box of gold as they go. Trying to escape by river they are captured by the Vietcong and are imprisoned and tortured in a truly harrowing section of the film where Cheung and Leung are forced to shoot other prisoners. Yam comes to the rescue and witnesses Lee's greed overpower him completely as he shoots the injured Cheung - giving the film it's title. Yam saves Cheung and takes him back to the city, but his experience has left him deranged and in agony from the bullet, he relies on heroin to kill the pain. Leung finds them but can't bear to see his old friend in such a state and puts him out of his misery, watched by a concerned Yam. Back in Hong Kong Lee has become a powerful figure and it's left to Leung to avenge their friend, who's skull he carries with him.

This is a powerful three-part story of friendship and betrayal with Yam popping up in the middle section to help out the not quite so 'innocent' abroad. His first 'major' film which got him noticed. Look out for the bit where he managed to get his hair burnt as he runs through some trees when the bomb fx were a tad too close. (Not one of his most flattering hair styles anyway - I prefer the current short crop!) [by Zan]

Directed by Clarence Ford (Fok Yiu-leung) 1992. Also starring Chingmy Yau, Carina Ng, Svenwara Madoka, Johnny Lo

Yam is Tinam, a cop with a few problems - impotence and the fact that he throws-up every time he draws his gun (brought about by his accidentally killing his brother). He meets Kitty (Yau) attempting to arrest her after she's savaged a hairdresser's crotch with his own scissors (this seems to be a running theme). Her natural killer instinct is honed to a higher degree by assassin Sister Cindy (Madoka) who provides some low-life males to practice on. Meanwhile Kitty plays with, then falls for Tinam curing at least one of his problems (guess which!) whilst a previous protege, the lethal lesbian Princess takes a shine to Kitty and her jealousy of Tinam leads to confrontation, murder and poison lipstick. In a finale fight Yam gets to jump around a bit with guns blazing - he's completely cured! Unfortunately he doesn't get the chance to enjoy himself as they blow themselves up in a lovers pact!

This daft but entertaining movie is made even more enjoyable by the somewhat batty subtitles, an added extra to many Hong Kong movies! Slightly more killing than nakedness involved and not much of it is Yam - sorry girls. [by Zan]

Directed by Billy Tang, Lung Man 1998. Also starring Alex Fong Chun-shun, Kent Cheng, Charles Chan.

The story is told through flashbacks as Yam's triad kingpin character tells a female reporter how he reached the top of his profession ..."If you want to be famous, there's only one way and that's to be tougher than the others."  Looking back, it's Macau 1988 and 'small potato' Giant Wan (Yam) is trying to make his mark in the casino racket, and being a gambler himself he goes after the big boys with a show-no-fear attitude. With his best buddy Liu (Alex Fong) they build up their gang, reputation and status through a series of brutal street fights employing baseball bats, machetes and sledgehammers with 'rent-a-crowd' numbers of gang members (who all have mobile phones the size of house-bricks!).  Against their biggest enemy Ping they arrange a 7 day 'let the fellows fight it out between themselves' brawl (it was originally gonna be 10 days but Wan didn't want it to spoil his Mum's birthday!)  They also befriend local cop (Kent Cheng) who comes in handy. Unfortunately Liu is dying from lung cancer which provides a touching hospital bedside moment amongst the carnage. Whilst gaining his empire and a palace to live in he loses his wife and his freedom as assassination by a rival is a constant threat.  Wan is seriously wounded (or is it all a show for the reporter and part of the final plan?) They finally trap Ping with the cop's help by goading him to shoot his own hired killer (nice bit of double cross talk) and send him back to Hong Kong. It's 1991 and Wan is No 1, but with no wife and his best pal having snuffed it, isn't it lonely at the top and is he really happy with his flash car and fame the reporter asks?

Rumoured to be based on a real-life Triad (despite the end disclaimer) who also funded the film (allegedly) which might explain why he's referred to as a hero a lot. It was released at the time of the real guy's trial and even got mentioned on our UK TV news - seeing Simon Yam being asked questions outside the premiere on the 9 O'clock news was the last thing I was expecting when I tuned in!  This film has a great deal of violence with a Cat III rating but is well made with an engaging storyline and a major starring role for Simon. He looks lean and mean and plays the tough but charming Wan convincingly.  Hear Simon sing karaoke and disco dance a bit!   [by Zan]

Directed by Stephen Tung 1998. Also starring Jet Li, Eric Tsang, Gigi Leung.

A big Japanese boss has been assassinated by the mysterious Killing Angel and his company Fund is offering $100,000,000 to anyone who kills the Angel. Jet Lee is a poor mainlander arrived in Hong Kong to make some cash, he meets conman Eric Tsang who pretends to be a 'killer's agent' and gets Jet included as one of the world-wide bounty-hunters, another being the Japanese's grandson. Unfortunately Jet is not that keen to kill anyone, he can defend himself of course, but shooting someone that doesn't deserve it is a problem for him, even though he really wants the money. Gigi is Tsang's daughter who's training to be a lawyer and despairs of her father's antics. Yam is the police inspector assigned to the case who immediately forms a bond with Jet after a couple of minor meetings (it turns out later that they have the same killers attitude). Tsang's trickster ways have landed him in trouble as the evidence suggests that he is the Killing Angel. He and Jet have to confront the Fund to try and claim the money or clear his name, which leads to the final showdown with the Japanese grandson who had no intention of giving the cash to anyone but himself. The rumble ensues and they are outnumbered, thankfully the Killing Angel appears to bail them out and it's Simon (but we knew that from earlier), the good guys triumph, and cut a deal with the Fund manager and they all benefit - Jet can build his Mother a house, Simon can retire from both jobs and Tsang doesn't have to do any more dodgy deals, Gigi is now agent to all of them.

This is a pretty lightweight comedy thriller with a few fast-edit action scenes thrown in. The bulk of the film centres on Jet and Tsang's exploits, but Yam makes the most of what he's given - as always. Looking cool as the cop and then getting the chance to pull off some nifty fight moves with Jet in the finale fight in his SAS costume, tasty. [by Zan]

Directed by David Lam, 1990. Also starring Alex Man, Mark Cheng and Petrina Fung Bo Bo.

How can I give anything but a resoundingly positive review to a film that climaxes with Simon running down the middle of a major street in a pair of black briefs, having just narrowly escaped castration? Hong Kong Gigolo depicts the trials and tribulations of three working boys, Horse (Alex Man), David aka Wai (Simon) and Joe (Mark Cheng). We are treated to some (but not enough, in my opinion) scenes of the boys plying their trade, including David servicing the frustrated wife of a narcoleptic husband. He lays down the rules from the start: "I don’t take male customer…. I won’t use whip nor mask. I won’t put on women dress. Except these I’ll do anything."

But melodrama is what this movie really has on its mind. All three gigolos are hiding their true profession from their loved ones – Horse from his ex-wife and young son; David from his mother and policewoman sister, and Joe from his upper-class girlfriend. And for all three, everything comes tumbling down in extremely sensational fashion. David’s troubles begin when he rejects the homosexual advances of a white man, Wilson, who turns out to be his sister’s commanding officer. Wilson forces her into a situation where she is shot by a madman and has to have both legs amputated. An enraged David attacks him in the hospital, and when Wilson pulls a gun on him, he’s booted off the force, setting the stage for a revenge plot that includes a drugged Horse, really big knives and a Vietnamese hit squad.

Simon’s effortless embodiment of the stud-for-hire led to his playing this role in several other films, all of which will be reviewed here. Simon looks fab and sexy in a variety of stylish outfits, and a variety of states of undress, including the aforementioned briefs. Obviously this is a must-see for Yam fans. And anyone who likes the kind of excessively melodramatic scenes that only HK movies can do, will love Hong Kong Gigolo. [by Kathy]

Directed by Johnnie To, 1999. Also starring Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Roy Cheung, Lam Suet and Jackie Lui.

Surely one of the best films to come out of HK in 1999, much has been written about it elsewhere on the ‘Net, so let’s focus on Simon’s performance, about which relatively little has been written.

The plot concerns five ex-triad members who are now engaged in other professions but are called back in to be bodyguards to a big boss, Mr. Lung, until the person(s) trying to assassinate him are discovered. How the five men work together during this specific mission and its aftermath is the heart of the film.

Simon plays Frank, Mr. Lung’s brother and right-hand man, the man who organizes the team and calls the shots. With limited screen time Simon still makes an indelible impression.

The film’s economical storytelling forces each actor into a minimalist acting style in which every little movement and turn of phrase must illuminate their respective characters. Simon, playing the proverbial fist in the velvet glove, is given a visual signature, his shiny suits and immaculately gelled hair, and a way of interacting with people -- jovially chatting with them before abruptly telling them what they have to do for him -- and from these he creates a memorable character. The way Frank moves, smokes, gestures, his offhand way of speaking (after the restaurant bloodbath: "Why do these things always happen when I have a cold?") -- all tell the viewer that this is a man far removed from the dirty work.

Frank could easily have been an overblown character, but the subtlety of both To’s direction and Simon’s performance create a more nuanced and intriguing person. Some casually cutting remarks illustrate just how cold Frank is and indicate a man who doesn’t let any messy emotional complications enter his life, in contrast to the five bodyguards, who get pulled into a very untidy emotional conflict.

The scenes between Frank and Curtis (Anthony Wong) are wonderfully understated, especially for two actors who’ve done more than their share of crazed-maniac scenery-chewing on screen. Frank does his nudge-nudge-wink-wink-old-pal routine while Curtis sits completely still and silent, waiting for the orders he knows are coming, all the while wishing he could continue cutting hair instead of going back to being a triad thug.

Naturally I wish Simon had more screen time in The Mission, but looking at the role as it stands, this is another fine piece of work from him in support of an excellent film. [by Kathy]

Directed by Andy Chin, 1992. Also starring Rosamund Kwan, Veronica Yip, Jackie Lui and Alex Fong.

This is not a sequel to G&W. Simon does play a gigolo but not the same character as in the first film – now he’s moved up to being Jack, the best gigolo in all of HK – and there’s nary a whore in sight. The opening scenes, in which Jack teaches fledgling gigolo Billy (Jackie Lui) the, ahem, tricks of the trade, are reminiscent of G&W and an amusing counterpoint to them. Jack and his boss Jenny (Veronica Yip) demonstrate the proper exercises for a successful gigolo, crucial skills such as how to be beaten and not lose your temper, and how to respect and care for your "brother."

G&W2 is filled with such preposterous gender and sexual stereotypes that those easily shocked will surely be offended. Admittedly most HK movie fans do not fall into this category. The main plot concerns the new boss at the Lee Corporation, which is apparently extremely high-powered though we never find out what business it’s in despite numerous scenes set in the office. Sherin Chan (Rosamund Kwan) has bought the majority of the company’s shares, pushing out the previous manager, Jackson Lee (Alex Fong). Jackson comes up with the novel idea of having a gigolo woo Sherin and persuade her to sell her shares back to Jackson. Billy has a first go at her, but, horrors, discovers that Sherin is a lesbian, or as she is usually referred to, a Tomboy.

This complication calls for Jack, the master gigolo, to step in, his guiding principle being, "Even crooked can turn straight." Are you offended yet? When I think about the movie afterward, it always seems ridiculous, but while watching it I’ve completely enjoyed it. Forget reality and you’ll be treated to Simon in top form. One of the best scenes has Jack hired on by Dickson at Lee Corporation as the Client Service Manager. When called before Sherin and the board of directors, he explains his philosophy of customer service in the exact same words he’d used to explain to Billy how a gigolo should take care of his clients. Needless to say, the board highly approves of him.

And indeed, all the scenes of Jack pursuing Sherin are Simon at his most charming and unflappable. It seems that director Andy Chin let Simon go and he rewards him with a very colorful character – Jack has a lot of memorable gestures, funny voices and just a general exuberance that wins over the audience as well as Sherin. Sex scene alert: Believe it or not, there are no extraneous sex scenes in G&W2; they’re all integral to the plot. So be sure to pay close attention! [by Kathy]

Directed by Patrick Yau 1998. Screenplay Johnnie To. Also starring Lau Ching-wan, Ruby Wong, Hui Siu-hung.

Yam and Lau are two cops on the trail of a vicious criminal gang ...

Well written, dramatic action. Recommended

Directed by Billy Tang 1996. Also starring Chingmay Yau, Shu Qi, Michael Tao, Valerie Chow, Linda Cheung.

Yam plays Walkie Pi a small time thug with big ideas and is boyfriend of Chingmy. He ....

Not too keen on this one.

Based on a true story about the setting up of the Independent Commission Against Corruption department in Hong Kong.

Directed by Andrew Lau 1996. Also starring Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Gigi Lai

A starring role for Ekin, not a lot of Simon, but a good film worth seeing...

(Available on DVD in UK)