Category III is the "adults only" rating for Hong Kong movies that has been around since 1988, when it was reportedly created after a bunch of expats began complaining that foreign arthouse flicks couldn't come to Hong Kong because there wasn't a rating system that would allow them. I've heard that the rating was created in order to accommodate a release of THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST in 1988. Hong Kong producers knew a good thing when they saw it and they instantly began producing films expressly for the Cat III market, including some classics of exploitation filmmaking like NAKED KILLER and DR. LAMB. The rating also allowed artsier fare like QUEEN OF TEMPLE STREET and, later, Johnnie To's ELECTION movies to come out.

A reader named Paul recently decided to take on the massive project of compiling a chart ranking all of the Cat III movies that passed the HK$10 million mark, the generally understood benchmark of cinematic success in Hong Kong. So please, this entire post is thanks to his hard work. There are a series of notes and explanations below the chart that are almost more interesting than the chart itself.

The Category III All-Time Hits Chart

LUST, CAUTION (2007) – HK$48.77 million
BASIC INSTINCT (1992) – HK$27.79 million
SHOWGIRLS (1995) – HK$18.91 million
SEX AND ZEN (1991) – HK$18.42 million 
ELECTION (2005) – HK15.89 million (Simon Yam starrer)
SEX AND THE CITY (2008) - HK$15.87 million
(Note: This is SEX AND THE CITY's total gross as of 7/29/2008; it is still playing in a handful of theaters)
YOUNG AND DANGEROUS 4 (1997) - HK$15.79 million 
(Note: This figure represents the combined grosses of the Category IIB version and Category III version of Y&D 4)
THE UNTOLD STORY (1993) - HK$15.76 million
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (2005) - HK$15.46 million
THE LOVER (1992) - HK$14.87 million 
TRIADS–THE INSIDE STORY (1989) – HK$14.03 million 
RAPED BY AN ANGEL (1993) - HK$13.75 million 
TAKE ME (1991) - HK$13.61 million 
TRIAD ELECTION (2006) – HK$13.57 million 
DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS (1993) - HK$13.27 million 
DR.LAMB (1992) - HK$12.75 million 
AMERICAN BEAUTY (2000) - HK$12.54 million 
CRAZY LOVE (1993) - HK$12.31 million
QUEEN OF TEMPLE STREET (1990) - HK$11.82 million 
VIVA EROTICA (1996) - HK$11.61 million 
EROTIC GHOST STORY (1990) – HK$11.28 million
MAD DETECTIVE (2007) - HK$11.09 million
MEN BEHIND THE SUN (1988) - HK$11.09 million
(Note: this figure represents the combined box office gross of both Category III version and Category II versions of MBTS)
THE TRAGIC FANTASY-TIGER OF WANCHAI (1994) - HK$11.06 million 
EROTIC GHOST STORY II (1991) - HK$11.03 million 
SENTENCED TO DEATH (1989) - HK$10.80 million 
SLIVER (1993) – HK$10.73 million
TWENTY SOMETHING (1994) - HK$10.46 million 
TEMPTATION SUMMARY (1990) - HK$10.44 million 
A CHINESE TORTURE CHAMBER STORY (1994) - HK$10.40 million 
CASINO (1998) - HK$10.30 million 
PRETTY WOMAN (1991) - HK$10.26 million
HONG KONG GIGOLO (1990) - HK$10.24 million 

Some points of interest:

- Seven of these movies star Simon Yam, and three of them were written by Joe Eszterhas.

- The chart only lists movies that were released theatrically in Hong Kong under the Category III rating. Jackie Chan’s CRIME STORY was a big box office hit in Hong Kong, however while an uncut Cat III version was released in the home video market in Hong Kong, its Hong Kong theatrical release was edited to get a Category IIB rating.  Therefore, CRIME STORY isn't on this chart.

- For YOUNG AND DANGEROUS 4, its Category IIB cut version was released in Hong Kong theatrically at first but later, Golden Harvest released its uncut Cat III version in Hong Kong theaters. HK$15.79 million is the combined gross of both the Category IIB version and the Cat III version.  But Paul believes that most of the HK$15.79 million box office gross was generated by its Category IIB version.

- Regarding MEN BEHIND THE SUN, its Category III version was released in Hong Kong theatrically at first then later its cut Category II version was also released.  HK$11.09 million is the combined box office gross of both the Category IIB version and the Category III version. But, again, Paul thinks that most of the HK$11.09 million box office gross was generated by the Category II version.

This chart shows the box office results from late 1988, when the Cat III rating passed into law, until July 29, 2008.

Credit is due to Lark Films for providing the box office figures for SEX AND THE CITY, and also to ma_wwh.tripod.com, hkfilmart.com, now.com.hk, Box Office Mojo, City Entertainment, mov3.com and the Hong Kong Film Archives as well as several online posters and commenters who made corrections to Paul's original chart which he's posted up on a few Chinese-language message boards. And, of course, thanks to Paul for sharing the fruits of his hard work. Now we all know more about Cat III movies...