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Siu-Tin Lai

Siu-Tin Lai

Actor and composer, also producer · Died December 1, 2019, aged 73 · Hong Kong, British Crown Colony

Michael Lai Siu-tin (Chinese: 黎小田; Jyutping: lai4 siu2 tin4; 8 November 1946 – 1 December 2019) was a Hong Kong music composer, record producer and actor. Lai was born in 1946 in British Hong Kong to the composer Lai Cho-tin and his literary critic wife, and he later became friends with Cantopop band leader Joseph Koo. Lai attended La Salle College. Lai first appeared on the music scene in the 1950s, but would also make a number of small but notable appearances as a film actor from the 1950s to 1990s.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 8, 1946
Died
December 1, 2019 (aged 73)
From
Hong Kong, British Crown Colony
Works as
Actor and composer, also producer
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 54 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 29% in 30 days

What are Siu-Tin Lai's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
52%
Morality
33%
Self
7%
Survival
5%
Society
2%
Power
2%
Loyalty6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 9 · Serious 3 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 7 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 4

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 5

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
9
Joyful
10
Absurd
7
Melancholic
2
Tense
2
Other
7

How their films linger

Fun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Siu-Tin Lai's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Siu-Tin Lai's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

54 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page.

  • In Memory Of Leslie Cheung (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Hi, Mom(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • 百法百众 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Candlelight's Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • The Red Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Cruise Emcee

  • Angel Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • The Cat(1991)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • My Americanize Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Producer

  • She Starts the Fire(1992)

    as Master Chu Tian Ya / Chor Tin-Ngai

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Master(1992)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • 梅艷芳飛越舞台十載情 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Return of the Evil Fox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Daring Hung

  • Radio III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 50 episodes · Actor

  • Miracles: The Canton Godfather(1989)

    Composer · as Detainee at Police Station

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Celebrity Talk Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · as 黎小田

  • City War(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Last Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Tseng

  • Police Story 2(1988)

    Composer · Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Love Soldier of Fortune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Contest Judge

  • The Romancing Star 2(1988)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Rouge(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Project A 2(1987)

    Composer · as Maestro at Regina's Party

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Armour of God(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Naughty Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Robber

  • New Mr. Vampire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer

  • Happy Din Don (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Composer · as Tat

  • Police Story(1985)

    Composer · as Man Who Tries to Park Car

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Triple Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 14 episodes · Actor

  • My Lucky Stars(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Cherie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Cherie's Cousin

  • Teppanyaki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Pierre

  • Project A(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Fung-shui Master (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Actor

  • First Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Composer

  • On the Wrong Track (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Composer

  • Duel to the Death(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Dead and the Deadly(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Agency 24 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 20 episodes · Actor

  • Coma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 25 episodes · Actor

  • Encore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Actor

  • The Hong Kong Tycoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Actor

  • The Spirit of the Sword (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 20 episodes · as 胡不愁

  • Dog Bites Dog Bone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Actor

  • 风流小子 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • "Fertility" Bank (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • Bald-Headed Betty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • A Mad World of Fools (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

  • The Crazy Instructor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

  • 七小福 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

  • Orphan in Distress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • The Great Devotion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Chan Siu-Hong

  • Human Relationships (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Yang Zhaohan

  • To Catch a Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Sing

  • 新婚第一夜 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as 演员

Career shape

Star power in the 40th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 54 titles from 1956 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Police Story (1985)

$113K worldwide

Highest rated

Police Story (1985)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting38 of 54: 33 only acting, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thDirecting1 of 54: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing3 of 54: 3 only producing, 0 with another roleMusic17 of 54: 12 only music, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score81stOther crew1 of 54: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

54 titles, 6 with more than one role — acting and music overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1950s3 · acting1960s3 · acting1970s8 · 8 acting · 1 crew1980s27 · 16 acting · 15 crew1990s10 · 6 acting · 4 crew2000s1 · acting2020s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Siu-Tin Lai's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 16 titles divides audiences: 12 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed1

Most loved · actor, composer

Police Story (1985)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Siu-Tin Lai's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 28 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Siu-Tin Lai work with?

People who share at least 2 of Siu-Tin Lai's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Cheung shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles