News Archives
December 2001
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News Archives |
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December 2001 |
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Jackie Chan Taking Blackhawk With Manikins (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 31, 2001 |
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Yesterday Jackie Chan finished his 3-hour shooting of the Blackhawk scenes in Hong Kong. Wearing Flying Tiger (Hong Kong SWAT team) diving suit and carrying, Jackie was the only actor allowed to board the chopper. His teammates were "played" by some manikins. The Blackhawk, leased from Hong Kong government, will be decommissioned next year. |
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Photo courtesy: The Sun (Hong Kong), Ming Pao (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Daily News, Oriental Daily, CultureCom News and StarEastNet |
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Hollywood's Chinese Connection (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 29, 2001 |
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KILL BILL Director plus screenwriter Quentin Tarantino will travel to Beijing to discuss his newest action flick with China Film Corp. I suspect this one, which will be partially shot in China, is KILL BILL staring Uma Thurma, Yuen Wo-ping and Sonny Chiba. Part of it will be shot in China. There are millions reasons we should be excited by it. Tarantino wrote TRUE ROMANCE, NATURAL BORN KILLERS, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, and also penned and directed RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION, JACKIE BROWN. KILL BILL was wrote and will be directed Tarantino himself. A Bruce Lee Biopic Early this year, Andrew Davis, the man was on the director's seat of UNDER SIEGE, THE FUGITIVE and the upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger movie COLLATERAL DAMAGE, has secretly traveled to China. He is working on a new biopic of Bruce Lee. THE MAGIC BRUSH Miramax has picked up this CG animation based on a Chinese fairytale. In the fiction wrote by Hong Xuntao, Ma Liang a young kid has a magic brush pen, which can transform whatever he draw into the real. He used the magic pen to fight the evil and help the weak. This project will be handled by Hong Kong's Centro Digital, which has done CG works for THE STORM RIDERS, A MAN CALLED HERO, and SHAOLIN SOCCER. Interestingly, Centro Digital has announced its own THE MAGIC BRUSH, a 40 episode series. In 1955, Shanghai Animation Film Studio made a stop motion animation THE MAGIC BRUSH based on the same story, which won the first prize (for age 8 - 12) of the 8th Venice International Children's Film Festival in 1956. |
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Photo courtesy: Hong Kong Daily News |
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Jackie Chan, The "Living Dead" (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 27, 2001 |
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As you know, in HIGHBINDERS, Jackie Chan is playing a cop killed on duty but was brought back to life. According to Hong Kong media, this (left) is what Jackie going to look like after he died. These manikins looks like are props used in the movie. While still shooting HIGHBINDERS in Hong Kong, Jackie Chan has briefly talked about what he really want to do in the future - some pure drama. He even got a few scripts ready, ready for any one dare to pick up a Jackie Chan action-free drama. Budget of this one has soared to HK$ 300 million (US$ 38 M), including HK$ 30 million for insurances. |
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Photo courtesy: Hong Kong Daily News |
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Jackie Chan Got Blackhawk Down There In Hong Kong (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 25, 2001 |
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HIGHBINDERS Even thought HIGHBINDERS is a Hong Kong movie, they still yet find a Chinese name for it. If you can come out one meaning something like immortal or undead, sent it to Jackie. SHANGHAI KNIGHTS (SHANGHAI NOON II) RUSH HOUR III Chan - Chow - Lau, A Trio?
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The Blackhawk will be used |
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From HIGHBINDERS |
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Dr. Jackie Chan |
Action Choreographer Sammo Hung |
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Photo courtesy: Hong Kong Daily News, Oriental Daily & Ming Pao |
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RUNNING OUT OF TIME II (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 24, 2001 |
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A strange man (Ekin Cheng) holds a group of people hostages and asks inspector Ho (Sean Lau) to be the police negotiator. He offers Ho a game to play, a game of ransom. While Ho is hesitating to accept the challenge, the man slips away from his hands. After that, the man starts destroying precious artifacts and mails pieces of them to Ho. With assistance from POA (International Police Association) officer Ruby Wong, Ho traces these artifacts back to the same insurance company. The man blackmails the company 10 million dollars and asks its CEO Teresa (Kelly Lin) to deliver the money. Ho figures out the location of the delivery - rooftop of his own station. Ho's superior Wong Hei-fat set up a trap at the station but the man dose not show up and even ask Teresa to burn the money. Ho tries to catch the man when he is attempting to destroy more artifact for more money, but fails for the second time. From a napkin left behind by the man, Ho finds bold eagle features and turns to a professional birdwatcher for help. Ho is surprises to find out what was burned was not the money, but one of his magazines. The man tells Teresa that he secretly replaced the money with the magazine and planned using Teresa's greediness to drag her into the game. The man raises his real demand, 200 million dollars from the insurance company. Teresa agrees to help the man in exchange for the 10 million dollar she lost. With the birdwatcher's help, Ho discovered the man's home and uncovered the his identity, an orphan who is interested in helping the weak around the world. The man remotely leads Ho and Teresa to exchange the 200 million dollars with diamonds. On the day of the delivery, the man uses an eagle to take the diamonds away and jumps off the roof after being chased by Ho. But the eagle only took away some fake diamonds and the real diamonds has already fallen into the man's hands. Believing the man will use the diamonds for good, Ho let him go. Short after, the third world receives huge donation from an anonymous source. Sequel of 1999 crime thriller RUNNING OUT OF TIME, it was completed on a bumpy road. Johnny To, producer of this movie and helmed the original, fired the director Law Wing-chong after being dissatisfied by his directing style. Release date: December 20, 2001 (Hong Kong) |
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Photo courtesy: SINA.COM & KPWorld.com |
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HERO News 30 - The Remaining Heroes (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 22, 2001 |
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In the film, Jet Li's character Silencer (No Name?) had become the last remaining assassin against the king; and now Jet Li has become pretty much the only remaining star staying with Chen Daoming, the man playing the king of Qin, the later First Emperor of China.. Leung Chiu-wai has already jointed Wong Kar-wai's new movie TIAN XIA WU DI (THE UNRIVALED / translation), Maggie Cheung has reunited with her French husband, and Zhang Ziyi is about to leave or perhaps, left already. Not sure they will ever come back. According to some report, Jet Li still has some scenes with Chen Daoming, with some extras, and with several kung-fu actors just came from Hong Kong yesterday. The camera will stop rolling next month, ending the six-month long, none-stop shooting. |
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Jet Li as Silencer (No Name?), the last remaining assassin |
Chen Daoming as the king of Qin, the later First Emperor of China |
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Photo courtesy: SINA.COM |
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BIG SHOT'S Trailer Arrived (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 21, 2001 |
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Trailer (RealPlayer): BIG SHOT'S FUNERAL |
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Zhang Ziyi As Social Butterfly - Not A Done Deal (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 21, 2001 |
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SUZHOU RIVER'S director Lou Ye just spoke out about the rumor of his upcoming film PURPLE BUTTERFLY and denied almost everything. He said he only had a brief contact with Zhang Ziyi and he was worried about her price tag was too high for him to afford. He said the characters, their names as well as the story are completely incorrect. While Zhang Ziyi is currently working on HERO, she still have to finish her scenes in Wong Kar-wai's 2046, which just resumed it shooting in Shanghai. Looks like 2046 is not only the movie's title but also the year in which it will be released. Hope not. According to another report, Zhang Ziyi probably will choose Adam Sandler's new comedy GOOD COOK, LIKES MUSIC as her next. |
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Director Lou Ye |
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Photo courtesy: SINA.COM |
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IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Re-released (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 21, 2001 |
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Yesterday IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE's special edition of DVD and VCD were released. 80 minute additional scenes are added, including a bed scene of Leung Chiu-wai and Maggie Cheung, their reunion in Cambodia's Angkor, the scenes of the wife Leung Chiu-wai's character. More Wong Kar-wai's movies, HAPPY TOGETHER, CHUNGKING EXPRESS AND ASKES OF TIME, will be release on DVD later on. Recently won Best Foreign Film and Best Cinematography categories from New York Film Critics Circle, the film will be re-released in North America next spring, possible for a bid for the Oscar. Next month Wang Kar-wai and cinematographer Christopher Doyle will fly to New York and receive the awards personally. |
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The bed scene |
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The reunion at Angkor |
Leung Chiu-wai's on-screen wife |
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Photo courtesy: SINA.COM |
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More From Zhang Ziyi's Film Début - STARS AS MY LIGHTS (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 20, 2001 |
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Stills |
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VCD |
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Original VCD cover |
Original VCD back |
Re-released VCD |
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The only site sells the VCD actually accept international orders: |
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Photo courtesy: ZiyiForever & eGuo.com |
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More Storm To Ride And More Jackie Chan To Watch (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 19, 2001 |
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Yesterday during a news conference in Hong Kong two media giants, Media Asia and Media Corp. jointed force to create a new studio. With three other companies, they will produce four movies next year and more the years after. Among then, is the long waited THE STORM RIDER sequel. Andy Lau is hoping to play No Name and wants to call back the original cast, including Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng. The most expensive one is another Jackie Chan movie, which will cost no less than HK$200 million (US$26 million). Once Jackie Chan goes back to Hong Kong, they will sit down and talk about the script. Shooting will star in September if everything goes well. Other movies include INITIAL D, based on a well-known Japanese Comic book.
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Andy Lau |
The news conference |
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Photo courtesy: Amazon.COM & Oriental Daily |
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Zhang Ziyi's Next - A PURPLE BUTTERFLY? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 19, 2001 |
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China's Jinling Evening News has reported that Zhang Ziyi will play a social butterfly in PURPLE BUTTERFLY. It is written and will be directed by Lou Ye who just had his film début SUZHOU RIVER last year. Set in Manchukuo, a puppet state established by the Japanese in Northeast China (Manchuria) during the war, the story will be told among a social butterfly Ding Hui (Zhang Ziyi), her childhood lover Xin Mai and a Japanese army officer. Liu Ye has sent the script to Zhang Ziyi who is still working on HERO in Hengdian. He once wanted to cast Zhou Xun from SUZHOU RIVER for the role, but Zhou Xun has already jointed the TV production of TALE OF THE EAGLE HUNTER. |
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Do not expect Ziyi to kick around in this movie. She does not want to be an action figure for the rest of her life. SUZHOU RIVER is a pure drama with a very sad tone, and this film will very likely follow the same pattern. Shooting will start early next year in Shenyang, in northeast China. |
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Photo courtesy: SINA.COM & AllMovie.COM |
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Zhang Ziyi's Film Début STARS AS MY LIGHTS Rediscovered (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 18, 2001 |
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Before the hidden dragon and before the little country girl in THE ROAD HOME (MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER), Zhang Ziyi made her film début more than five years ago. In a made-for-TV movie called XING XING DIAN DENG (STARS AS MY LIGHTS), based on a true story, she was lucky enough to be chosen for the lead. Chen Wei (Zhang Ziyi) was a talent young girl who started her dance training at the ago of 9. Six years later, she was amputated because of her medical condition (cancer ?). With help from her neighbor Da Wei (Sun Min), she regained her self-confidence and became a teach in Yunnan Arts Academy. Later she started to host a show called Stars As My Lights at a local radio station, providing helps for disabled listeners. When her disease came back, she fell during her last show ... Five years ago, screenwriter and director Sun Wen read a newspaper article on Chen Wei and wrote the script. For the role of Chen Wei, a friend of Sun Wen recommended Zhang Ziyi, who just graduated from The Affiliated Middle School of Beijing Dance Academy. After reading a poem, she got the role. The budget was very low and most cast and crew members were paid very little. Zhang Ziyi only got 4000 Yuan (US$ 480), and was paid by installments. Later, Zhang Ziyi got enrolled in Central Drama Academy and made THE ROAD HOME with Zhang Yimou. The movie was débuted on CCTV in 1996 and was quickly forgotten. Thanks for Zhang Ziyi today's fame, pirated VCDs of this movie, under the new title Firefly's Light, become available and her long forgotten feature film début was finally rediscovered. |
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Photo courtesy: SINA.COM |
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Directory Of THE AVENGING FIST (TEKKEN) Official Site (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 18, 2001 |
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For people don't read Chinese:
Official Site |
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Photo courtesy: StarEastNet |
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More BIG SHOT'S Pictures (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 18, 2001 |
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Photo courtesy: SINA.COM |
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Jet Li's Monk Run Aground ? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 17, 2001 |
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Some rumor has suggested Miramax had halted Jet Li's next project A TIBETAN MONK IN NEW YORK. Penned by Robert Mark Kamen, this movie was original planned to be shot right after Jet Li finishes HERO. In July, Jet Li even traveled to Tibet for preparation. However, preproduction of another "monk in New York" movie, BULLETPROOF MONK, staring Chow Yun-fat, is currently underway. To avoid head-on collision, Miramax temporarily gives up Jet Li's Monk.
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Photo courtesy: The Sun (Hong Kong) |
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Chow Yun-fat's BULLETPROOF MONK and MEN OF DESTINY Full Speed Ahead (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 17, 2001 |
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According to producer Terence Chang, shooting of BULLETPROOF MONK will start in February and right after the release of WINDTALKERS in June, Chow Yun-fat will start to work on John Woo's historical epic MEN OF DESTINY. According to the newest gossip, Nicolas Cage will play the Irish rail worker in MEN OF DESTINY. This role has been rumored to be attached with Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman since last year. |
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2 Hong Kong Holiday Movies (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 16, 2001 |
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THE AVENGING FIST (formerly known as TEKKEN) |
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In the future world, the environment is destroyed by human's greed for technology and people can only live under darkness. Scientists have invented a device called Power Glove, which can explore human brain power. Hundreds of cops are selected to test the device but only three men, Dark (Ekin Cheng), Wind Thunder (Yuen Biao) and Fight 21 (Cheung Yiu-yeung), can withstand and control the tremendous power being unleashed. Fight 21 steals a set of Power Glove and kidnapped Wind Thunder before vanishes without a trace. More than twenty years later, Fight 21, head of Red Dragon Clan and brainwashed Wind Thunder return to Hong Kong and plan to take over the world using Power Glove and chemical weapon. The one try to stop them is the police chief Dark (Sammo Hung). Under the city darkness, Light of Mountain (Wang Leehom), Float (Kristy Yeung) and their mother Rain (Yeh Tung) live in a kung-fu club. Light of Mountain, along with his friends Jazz (Chin Ga-lok) and Iron Wave (Steven Fung) rescued a young girl Erika (Gigi Leung) and unexpectedly touched the never of the Red Dragon. Wind Thunder breaks into the kung-fu club, kills Rain and kidnaps Float. Dark comes to look for helps and tells Light of Mountain that Wing Thunder is his long-lost father. To rescue Float, Light of Mountain breaks into Red Dragon base but after being spotted, he is unwilling to fight his own father. Dark realizes his is no longer strong enough to have another showdown with Fight 21 and passes the torch of defeating Fight 21 to Iron Wave. Light 21 is about to release toxic gas after his plan is ruined. Light of Mountain and Iron Wave are the only hope for the world ... Directed by Andrew Lau, the same director of THE STORM RIDERS and the legendary Corey Yuen, this movie is a combination of martial arts, sci-fi and CG effects. Hong Kong release date: December 7, 2001 |
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Photo courtesy: Yahoo Hong Kong & KPWorld.com |
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2002 |
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Special Unit "2002" is a designated task
force of SPI (Spirit and Paranormal Investigation), Investigation in the
law enforcement department, ridding the human world of evil deeds of
haunting spirits via an execution team comprised of a man and a ghost.
All those who died of accidental causes will turn into malicious ghosts
and they can tamper with human minds and attempt to kill loved ones or
rivals in the living world and bring them as spirits into the nether
world. This is the latest Hong Kong ghost flick
which is claimed as the most expensive one of its kind. |
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Photo courtesy: Yahoo Hong Kong & mov3.com |
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BIG SHOT'S FUNERAL - Poster (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 12, 2001 |
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Photo courtesy: 21dnncom |
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HERO News 29 - Jin Cheng Wu Is Not In (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 9, 2001 |
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IFor people who have been complaining about casting Jin Cheng Wu (Akini Jin / Takeshi Kaneshiro) in the film, here is a good news - it is nothing more than a rumor. According to someone from the inside, during the very early stage of the film's preproduction, a Japanese actor, who looks like Jin Cheng Wu, was briefly contacted and that was the end of the story. |
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BIG SHOT'S FUNERAL - How To Make Money From The "Dead" (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 9, 2001 |
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In Beijing, a laid-off cinematographer You You (Ge You) got a temporary job - making a documentary of well-known Hollywood director Don Tylor (Donald Sutherland), who is making a movie about China's late Qin Dynasty, called The Last Dynasty. (Sounds familiar? In 1986 Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci made THE LAST EMPEROR in Beijing, which won nine Oscars next year) While You You carried his camera following Tylor day and night, Tylor had an uneasy feeling about the lavish production. Movie was severely over-budgeted and Tylor had yet to come out some rough cut being demanded. Under pressure from the investors, producer Tony (Paul Mazursky) came to Beijing, bringing Tylor a shocking news. Ownership of the movie had been sold to the Japanese and Tylor has been replaced. Being out of work, Tylor became a tourist companied by his adopted daughter Lucy (Rosamund Kwan) and You You. He started to show interest in a happy funeral for himself and suddenly fell into coma. News from the doctor was bad and Tylor's days were numbers. To fulfill Tylor's wish, You You started to prepare the happy funeral. He went to his old classmate Wang Xiaozhu (Ying Da), an entertainment agent, for help. Tony, the Japanese studio and Wang were all saying it was a precious business opportunity. Wang's plan for the funeral included all kinds of shows, at a budget of three million. To cover the expenses, Wang brought in many sponsors, including well-know brands like Coca Cola and Ericson . The funeral was on the way to become a money-making machine. Tylor unexpectedly recovered, but he and Tony decided to keep the secret - "show must go on!" Under Wang's directing, every single detail of the funeral had been attached with ads, not even Tylor's "corpse" was expected. Warning: ending ahead! Highlight to read. News of Tylor's recovery finally broke out and the funeral was scraped. Wang suffered from a nerve breakdown and following him, You You moved to mental hospital as well to avoid debt owners. In the end, You You and Lucy had fell in love, which was the only happy ending of the BIG SHOT'S FUNERAL. Director: Feng Xiaogang |
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Photo courtesy: 21dnncom |
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A Treat For Zhang Ziyi Fans (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 8, 2001 |
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Attention, Zhang Ziyi fans! Here is a treat for you - a huge print of Zhang Ziyi on the set of her VISA Card commercial. Click to see a slightly large version. |
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Photo courtesy: CultureCom News |
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Have THE TOUCH On The Set (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 7, 2001 |
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Yesterday Michelle invited a group of reporters to the one of the sets. Outside Beijing, a villa with a giant class roof was built. It belongs to the main villain played by Richard Roxburgh and is suppose to be in Qingdao. I guess the exterior of the villa has been shoot in Qingdao earlier. It took two months to built at the cost of US$250. Several days ago, heavy snow almost crashed the glass roof. While they managed to reinforced the structure, shooting on the set was postponed. In the scene will be shot there, Michelle will broke the glass roof, jump inside and fight the bad guy played by Dane Cook. But he is not the only enemy Michelle has to deal with. Cold weather has change the set into a big icehouse and Michelle said she was afraid of height. Miramax has brought the North American release right and the movie will be available to us in May globally. |
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Outside Beijing |
Exterior of the villa |
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Inside the villa |
Director Peter Pau |
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As you know, Michelle is still looking for a young girl to play the early days of her character in THE TOUCH. Now there are 16 candidates remaining and Michelle has asked you to choose. Just go here to cast your vote. You can see their pictures and watch short videos of them. Each person can only cast once and you have to write down you e-mail address in the blank in bellow to be eligible. Voting will end on December 12th.
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At the news conference: (from left to right) director Peter Pau, Richard Roxburgh, Michelle Yeoh, Ben Chaplin, Thomas Chung. |
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Photo courtesy: SINA.COM, The Sun (Hong Kong), Ming Pao (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Daily News, China.COM, Oriental Daily, CultureCom News and StarEastNet |
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THE TOUCH News Conference and Michelle Yeoh's Appearance In BOND 20 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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December 6, 2001 |
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Yesterday in Beijing THE TOUCH just had the first news conference since the shooting started. Unfortunately only a fraction of the film's secret was revealed and only the opening of the movie was premiered. More than 30 sets were built inside Beijing Film Studios, including the treasure cell, a circus and cave frescos of Dunghuang. Michelle Yeoh's boyfriend Thomas Chung told reporters Michelle's right eye and right cheek were smashed when wired in midair. During the following days' shooting she had to use her hair to cover the right side of her face. Michelle also said she was asked to have a cameo in BOND 20. But she said the shooting may take one or two weeks and so far |
