A neo-noir comedy with a punk spirit from the director of Smoke and Brooklyn Boogie
AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON BLU-RAY
A young man is tasked with transporting a briefcase from San Francisco to Hong Kong for a Mr. Lo. But once there, the recipient is nowhere to be found. Implicated in the Chinese mafia, Mr. Lo is facing internal strife within his organization. After the briefcase is stolen by two thugs, the young man becomes close to Money, Mr. Lo's mysterious mistress...
Like its director, Hong Kong-born American Wayne Wang ( Smoke , Brooklyn Boogie ), Life is Cheap... But Toilet Paper is Expensive is an explosive encounter between American avant-garde cinema and the Asian New Wave. Shot on the streets of the megalopolis without a pre-established script, Life is Cheap... captures the spirit of a city and an era now vanished: pre-handover Hong Kong. Discover it for the first time on Blu-ray™ in its restored 4K Director's Cut!
LIFE IS CHEAP... BUT TOILET PAPER IS EXPENSIVE by Wayne Wang
(1989 - Color - 85 min)
New 4K restoration
Original version with French subtitles
Blu-ray Edition
Never before released on Blu-ray
EXTRAS (IN HD)
INTERVIEW WITH WAYNE WANG (24 min)
Born in Hong Kong to Chinese parents, exiled to the United States for his studies, director Wayne Wang talks about his education and influences, before discussing his first steps in cinema and his relationship with his country of origin.
A LOOK BACK AT "LIFE IS CHEAP...": INTERVIEW WITH WAYNE WANG AND SPENCER NAKASAKO (29 min)
Wayne Wang and Spencer Nakasako, actor, screenwriter and co-director of the film, discuss in detail the genesis and filming of Life is Cheap... as well as the link that existed at the time in Hong Kong between the mafia and the entertainment industry.
ORIGINAL CHASE SCENE [EXTENDED VERSION] (10 min)
RESTORATION TRAILER
--- ------------------------------ --- --
BD 50 • HIGH DEFINITION MASTER • 1080/23.98p • AVC ENCODING
Original Version DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 • French Subtitles
1.66 aspect ratio preserved • Color • Film duration: 85 minutes
Release date: March 4, 2025
