January 2002

The real HERO is still under post-production and it will not be released until next Christmas. So please don't bother to look for a copy of it.

Photo courtesy: Oriental Daily

Cover of the phony HERO VCD

Michelle has hired an well-known American composer for the film's score and Michelle's USA trip also include taking care of the music thing, which will take quite a long time to complete. 

Photo courtesy: Oriental Daily

Michelle Yeoh and boyfriend Thomas Chung

This year's International Cannes Film Festival will kick off with the première of TEN MINUTES OLDER, a very unusual film consists of 11 mini films. Each was directed by an internationally acclaimed director and each only last les than 10 minutes. Among them, is Chinese director Chen Kaige's BAI HUA SHEN CHU (DEEP INSIDE THE GARDEN?). Other directors include Bernardo Bertolucci (LAST TANGO IN PARIS, THE LAST EMPEROR),  Victor Erice (THE SPIRIT OF THE

EMG Highbinders Site

The official site will be fully launched in early Aprial.

Photo courtesy: EMG

Jackie Chan plays Eddie Yang, an Hong Kong cop hot on the trail of the ruthless international crimelord Snakehead. Eddie is teamed with an eccentric British agent, Watson (Lee Evans) and a beautiful lady cop, Nicole (Claire Forlani). Eddie gets killed in the line of duty, but then, through an ancient kind of magic, is revived as an enhanced version of his former self. With the stakes higher than even before, Eddie must master his new skills in order to survive a showdown with the apparently invincible Snakehead. Jackie Chan takes action to a whole new level in this stunning mix of martial arts, stunts and state-of-the-art special effects. (synopsis from EMG site)

Director Johnnie To is one of the best Hong Kong director can flawlessly blend gunplay and suspension into a same movie.

Photo courtesy: AMG

We have all paid close attention to the filming of HERO. A paper said, to achieve media blackout, before finishing the shooting and before could be paid, everyone (from the cast and crew) had to sign a mouth-tightening contract.

(I) never heard of this. Really that serious? This film is operated completely under the rules of international distributors, therefore it is different from Zhang Yimou's previous films. Before you can be allowed to speak out, there will be few inside stories. On the contrary, there are so many rumors, and they are so not true.

(I) heard Zhang Yimou kept adding scenes for you during the shooting and let you stuck with HERO for six months and not able to take any other project.

(Highlight to read)
Not true. I played a supporting role called Ru Yüe (Like Moon). Adding up all scenes, there is just 15 minutes. Zhang Yimou always does his planning. Staying for six months was my own decision. Because it was such rare opportunity to work with Maggie Cheung, Leung Chiu-wai and Jet Li. I like their performances. (I) wanted to see how Zhang Yimou making movies and wanted to learn how to act, and how to make movies. And the later part (of the six months) was reserved for 2046 (no filming of 2046 during this period of time) . That's why I didn't take any other project for six months.

What kind of character is Ru Yüe?

She was a maid of Broken Sword (Leung Chiu-wai). Both Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and her were in love with Broken Sword. She was very loyal to her master. To release Flying Snow's emotion burden, he kissed Ru Yüe in front of her. (Then) Flying Snow pointed her sword at Broken Sword (...) To help Broken Sword assassinating No Name (Jet Li), Ru Yüe tried to kill herself in front No Name but was stopped by him. He said, "Miss, life is so precious. Is it really worth less than some love?" In the end, No Name, Broken Sword and Flying Snow all died. Leaving Ru Yüe on white ground, alone, crying his master's name (...)

I know this is not the whole story of HERO. But I see you used red and white to tell the character's story.

Actually HERO's four episodes are connected by red, green, blue and white and they are also used to tell four different stories. Green is flashback and blue is the fightings among them (No Name, Broken Sword, and Flying Snow). (It) has very unique structure and is not a traditional wuxia movie. It is a powerful drama with great momentum. The theme is also different from other wuxia movies. (There are no gratitude and resentment, sacred book of the martial brotherhood, killing and murdering ... It is about the hearts and feelings of heroes. (It's) very internationalist (not sure what that means). The costumes are also unique. Each character has his or her own style but are only in four colors. I think they are in the style of post-modernism*.

How do you feel about being involved in this film and have you learned anything?

Plenty and most are about acting. After done the final crying scene, I couldn't put myself together for over a day! (I don't have) too many scenes, but (I) was involved very deep, which has never happened to me before. I learned a lot from Maggie Cheung. She is very confident about her acting and is very willful. When shooting the scene of Flying Snow's death, she said her eyes should remain open but Zhang Yimou thought they  should be closed. They argued for a while and later two versions of the scenes were shot. Also, for HERO, I practiced martial art for a month, but on day I still punched by Jet Li's double and left two scars on my right hand. Jet Li felt very sorry for that and gave me a string of Buddhist beads as a gift. I wear it on my hand all the time.

Staying with HERO for six months, you must be knowing about Zhang Yimou even more.

Honestly, he is my teacher and my big brother. (He) is the best director I have ever worked with. When we were still filming THE ROAD HOME, I saw him reading wuxia novels and he said he wanted to make a wuxia movie. Now the media say he is following the trend (of making martial art movies). They really know nothing about Zhang Yimou. But he is not bothered by these and just does what he wants. Time is the best witness for an artist.

What advices has he given to you on your acting career?

This time we had talked a lot. He advised me not only to make good martial art movies in Hollywood but also to take Chinese language drama films in China as well as overseas. Do both drama and action, be a good film actress, and be a good Chinese movie star. He said in recent years there were so few real movies stars in the mainland (China). So I will reconsider whether to take Lou Ye's PURPLE BUTTERFLY**.

* post·mod·ern
Pronunciation: "pOs(t)-'mä-d&rn, ÷-'mä-d(&-)r&n
Function: adjective
Date: 1949
: of, relating to, or being any of several movements (as in art, architecture, or literature) that are reactions against the philosophy and practices of modern movements and are typically marked by revival of traditional elements and techniques
- post·mod·ern·ism /-d&r-"ni-z&m/ noun
- post·mod·ern·ist /-nist/ adjective or noun
Merriam-Webster Online, http://www.m-w.com/

** see Zhang Ziyi's Next - A PURPLE BUTTERFLY? (December 19, 2001) and Zhang Ziyi As Social Butterfly - Not A Done Deal (December 21, 2001)

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Windows Media  

(Correction: the Japanese date is February 23, not in January)

Click here for the interview

* STEPHEN SHORT and SUSAN JAKES, "Violence Doesn't Solve Anything" (Jet Li interview), TIME ASIA, January, 2002

Photo courtesy: DonnieYen.COM

 Official Site

MO flips through some tabloid magazines and discovers that a girl named SHANA (Nicolas Cheung), claimed to be possessed with sixth sense, phoned in during a psychic radio program on the day of the kidnap and warned people of ANNA's imminent crisis. MO gets to the radio station and SHANA calls in again. This time, she warns about the master comedian LAM and announces in the talk show that YUXIE will be the next victim ...

Who will be the last target representing sorrow? MO wonders. Every cop in town is tracking down JASH. While MO is busy figuring out what JASH's next move is, SHANA disappears ...
(Synopsis from the official site)

Director: Billy Tang
Cast: Andy Hui, Nicolas Cheung, Ken Wong, Irene Santiago Casiano and David Li
Hong Kong releasing date: January 10, 2002
Produced by: Golden Harvest

(Detail description of filming style ahead. Highlight to read)

Meanwhile some report has suggested this film is distantly different from ordinary kung-fu movies. It is a "psychological martial art film", according to someone from the inside, and the way to tell the story is a bit similar to that of Akira Kurosawa's classic RASHOMON. It deeply explores each characters' psychological journey and fate, with lots of flashbacks. Its fighting style is not as same as that of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. There are very few one on one fighting scenes but more war scenes. Also, every characters, not just Zhang Ziyi, got more scenes than planned.

According to Nie Yuan, because Cecilia Cheung who will play Princess Xiang Xiang, just broke her coccyx two weeks ago while driving a stunt car during a charity show, shooting may had been pushed back to June.

BOOK SWORD LOVE HATE is the first book written by legendary wuxia novelist Louis Cha. Has been adapted for movies and TV series many times, it tells a story of two brothers, Emperor Qian Long and Chen Jia Luo, head of Red Flower Society.

Tsui Hark is currently working on A BEAUTIFUL TALE as a producer.

When a reporter questioned whether he took his job seriously because Jackie Chan always does his own stunt and Jet Li often use doubles. He answered:

"I disagree! What's wrong with using doubles? Filmmaking is an art of creation. I am only able to do what I am capable of and can only show what I have learned. For instance, if ask me to jump off from a 10-floor building, I just can't do that, never learn that before. Also, Jackie Chan and me are good friends.

(WARNING: BIG SPOILER OF JACKIE CHAN AHEAD! HIGHLIGHT TO READ IF YOU DARE!)

He also uses doubles too. Just some want to speak out and some don't.

(SPOILER ENDS!)

About the project with him, (the writers) are working on the script. Once everything is ready, it will definitely come."

Unfortunately, his mouth is tightly sealed on HERO and asked everyone to wait until it was released.

Miramax's temporary THE LEGEND OF ZU page

The shooting only last one and a half months and they only have just over two week left until its première on February 7. What a rush! Produced by Wong Kar-wai and directed by Jeffrey Lau, this holiday movie is filled with stars like Leung Chiu-wai, Wong Faye, Zhao Wei, Chang Chen, Ning Jing and Jyu Yan.

A comedy plus musical (in style of a local Chinese opera Huang Mei Diao), it is a story set In the ancient time (probably the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279)), the emperor (Chang Chen) and his sister (Wong Faye) secretly traveled to the south and met their matches in a small town called Mei Long. They were a local lord (Leung Chiu-wai) and his sister Lady Phoenix (Zhao Wei).

MonkeyPeaches' note: they re-shot the ending after some American audiences from a screen test got upset by (highlight to read) the death of Sammo Hung's charactor.

Another Hong Kong ghost movie, MEI LI CHUAN SHUO (A BEAUTIFUL TALE) is currently under production in Hengdian Film & TV City, which is hosting HERO as well. Set in the ancient time as usual, four men Gung, Hei, Fat and Choi were on a journey of looking for their master and unexpected bumped into a whole batch of ghosts. Meanwhile a mysterious young girl appeared and fell in love with Choi …
 
Probably made as a holiday movie for the upcoming Chinese New Year in February, it is produced by Tsui Hark. Separately, these four men’s names, Gung, Hei, Fat and Choi, mean “respectful”, “delightful”, “getting (rich)” and “fortune”. But collectively, they mean “wish you will get rich”, a popular word said during the Chinese New Year. The cast includes action star Yu Rongguang and young actress Zou Na as Siu Ling.  

Chinese star Yu Rongguang has reportedly missed his chance of joining Zhang Yimou's HERO for his commitment to Tsui Hark's MEI LI CHUAN SHUO (A BEAUTIFUL TALE). Both films were shot during approximately the same time and he signed on for the later one first. Now his scenes were done and he has started to work on his next project, TV series ZHEN QING MEI GUI (TRUE FEELING ROSE). Yu Rongguang said he would not regret for missing HERO because Tsui Hark was the one he always greatly indebted to. Since his movie début in 1985's MU MIAN JIA SHA (HOLY ROBES OF SHAOLIN; US title: SHAOLIN AND WU TANG 2: WU TANG INVASION), he has starred in more than thirty feature films and over fifty TV series. International audiences are more familiar with him as the Captain of the Imperial Guard in SHANGHAI NOON and the Iron Monkey in IRON MONKEY.

Yesterday he told the media, "I fully respect Jackie Chan and Jet Li's achievement. They too have been through many hard times. Before today's fame in Hollywood, Jet Li had been ignored for many years. I'm not the kind of person who enjoys blaming everyone. I just keep working harder." When being asked whether he had considered to go to the Hollywood, he showed his sense of humor. "I won't go to ask them, they should come to ask me. I have advantage in martial skills. Neither Jackie Chan nor Jet Li can rival me. I'm a meter eight and so handsome! Of course they will come to me!" For A BEAUTIFUL TALE, we only know that it was not directed by Tsui Hark.     

Produced by a French studio, this is Dai Sijie's fourth directing works. Originally Zhou Xun, (The Emperor and the Assassin, suzhou river, Hollywood hong kong and Beijing bicycle) who played the young seamstress was only the third choice for the role, behind Zhang Ziyi and Dong Jie from Zhang Yimou's HAPPY TIME. French release of the film is set in March and it will compete in this year's International Cannes Film Festival.

On one tag appeared on the third on-set picture, two characters "Zhuang Zi" were written on. Zhuang Zi (Chung Tzu or Chunag Tse), was a great philosopher lived in the Fourth and Third Century B.C. Along with Lao Zi (Lao Tzu or Lao Tse), Zhuang Zi was one of the founding figures of Taoism, and the book he wrote, which bears his own name, is one of the most important classic Chinese philosophical texts.

Photo courtesy: International Dunhuang Project

Ok! The following is a bit too good to be true: THE SEQUEL IS IN DEVELOPMENT!!!

According to Daily New, a local Chinese paper, Zhang Yimou has reached an agreement with one of the film's producing studio, Hong Kong Jing Ying Entertainment, on making a sequel next year and the script is almost done.

Here are the plan for Zhang Yimou for the next several years:
2005 A film about senior people's life with Japanese star Ken Takakura
2006 A film with Gong Li
2007-2008 A sports film, the Opening and Closing Ceremony of Beijing Olympic (possibly), and a series of Olympic related documentaries.

Shooting of HERO will wrap up next Wednesday (January 23) and according to some reporter, several scenes with Maggie Cheung and Leung Chiu-wai are the only things left. Next month, Zhang Yimou will travel to the States for the post-production. There are lots of CG works to be done. For everyone around the world, it won't be available until next Christmas.

Luck of everybody's favored girl Zhang Ziyi is just getting better and better. Her role has been upgraded from some sort of cameo to one of the major roles and Zhang Yimou is keeping adding her scenes. That's a lot of eyeballs!

Some people had worried that Chen Daoming, who replaced Jiang Wen to play the king, was too "soft". But some insider said his performance had surprised everyone. Zhang Yimou even added some scenes specifically for him. In one scene involving the assassin(s) chasing the king, not only the actors moving around, the camera lens is also on the run.

When the filming is half-way through, Zhang Yimou fired the original action director Dung Wai because they could not communicate with each other well. His replacement, Ching Siu-tung (Tony) has directed Zhang Yimou in THE TERRACOTTA WARRIOR (1989) and choreographed many movies like SHAOLIN SOCCER and PBS's INVINCIBLE. There relationship has turned out to be just perfect.

According to the action director Ching Siu-tung, it happened approximately two weeks ago, during the rehearsal with a deputy action director, one of Donnie Yen's eyes was hit by a sword by accident. Though his eyeball is intact, six stitches were required to close the wound but he was only given one day off. Now completed his scenes, Donnie Yen has gone back home in Hong Kong.

Like Bruce Lee and Jet Li, Donnie Yen is one of the handful actors who have received formal and systematic martial art training before starting their acting careers. Yen's character in HERO, ex-boyfriend of Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) according to some rumor, was added when the shooting is almost half-way through. In the upcoming BLADE II: BLOODHUNT, you can see Donnie Yen as Snowman, who teams up with Blade (Wesley Snipes) to fight off the half-human-half-vampire Rippers. Donnie Yen also choreographed the entire movie.

A short interview was conducted on the set of TIN HA MOU SEUNG. Here is the portion related to HERO:

Reporter: You have made another movie, HERO, this year. Are you satisfied by it?
Leung: Not bad. This is my first time to work with a director and crew from the mainland (China). I felt a bit surprisingly good.
Reporter: Why surprisingly?
Leung: I didn't expect the crew from the mainland was so professional and I didn't expect Zhang Yimou (director) was so traditional.
Reporter: Why do you feel he is traditional?
Leung: On the set and during breaks, I could feel he is really traditional, unlike what has been said in some news articles.
Reporter: What is your expectation on HERO?
Leung: This IS my big one this year. Hope everyone will like it.
(Reporter: Ning Zuoqin, Nanfang Daily)

Director Jeffrey Lau has a cameo in the movie, a cop who stopped Leung Chiu-wai's horse and issued a speeding ticket. The more exciting news is a third movie of A CHINESE ODYSSEY is already in Jeffrey Lau' mind.

FIRST WORLD PREMIERES IN THE BERLINALE COMPETITION 2002

The first half of the Competition program for the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival (6 - 17 February 2002) is now certain and includes films from the USA, Europe and Asia. Among these first 14 entries, there will be seven world premieres. Screenings to select the remaining Competition films for the Berlinale 2002 will continue into late January.
...

So far two Asian films have been invited to participate:
Chinese director Zhang Yimou is taking part in the Berlinale's Competition program for the third time. Running out of competition, Happy Time portrays the odyssey of an older man on his quest for love and happiness. Zhao Ben-shan and Dong Jie play the leading roles. ...

Thursday January 10 3:18 AM ET

By Michael Fleming

NEW YORK (Variety) - Asian action hero Jet Li will reteam with rapper DMX in CRADLE TO THE GRAVE, an gritty heist thriller set to begin production in February.

The Warner Bros. project also marks a reunion for the ROMEO MUST DIE pair with that film's director Andrzej Bartkowiak and producer Joel Silver.

The new film promises the same formula of a modest budget, lots of action and a strong soundtrack.

It pits a law enforcement officer (Li) against a streetwise entrepreneur (DMX) who's suspected of being part of a global diamond heist. The adversaries find themselves uneasily aligned as the cop helps the crook find his daughter, who's been kidnapped by a dangerous man bent on acquiring the diamonds as part of a scheme for mass destruction.

"'it's an exciting movie that's a topical but not threatening premise, with some awesome action beats," Silver said.

DMX, who has long flirted with the role, made his feature debut in ROMEO MUST DIE and followed that with the hit EXIT WOUNDS, also produced by Silver and directed by Bartkowiak. The William Morris Agency, which just signed DMX, aims to broaden the platinum-selling rapper's acting career beyond straight action fare.

Li also is on his third film with Silver, who introduced the Hong Kong veteran to U.S. audiences in LETHAL WEAPON 4. Li most recently starred in THE ONE and is planning a pairing with Jackie Chan.

Reuters/Variety REUTERS

Today's VARIETY reports that star Jet Li will reteam with DMX for "M."
The Warner Bros. project also marks a reunion for the "Romeo Must Die'' pair with that film's director Andrzej Bartkowiak and producer Joel Silver.
The new film promises the same formula of a modest budget, lots of action and a strong soundtrack.
It pits a law enforcement officer (Li) against a streetwise entrepreneur (DMX) who's suspected of being part of a global diamond heist. The adversaries find themselves uneasily aligned as the cop helps the crook find his daughter, who's been kidnapped by a dangerous man bent on acquiring the diamonds as part of a scheme for mass destruction.
"It's an exciting movie that's a topical but not threatening premise, with some awesome action beats,'' Silver said.
DMX, who has long flirted with the role, made his feature debut in "`Romeo Must Die'' and followed that with the hit "`Exit Wounds,'' also produced by Silver and directed by Bartkowiak. The William Morris Agency, which just signed DMX, aims to broaden the platinum-selling rapper's acting career beyond straight action fare.
Li also is on his third film with Silver, who introduced the Hong Kong veteran to U.S. audiences in "Lethal Weapon 4.'' Li most recently starred in "The One'' and is planning a pairing with Jackie Chan.
On a side note, rumor has it that Jet dropped his pet project FIRST KING (which Silver would have produced) for M. Why? Because in FIRST KING, Jet was to play a modern day Joe who fights his doppledanger from ancient China: He's already done that in THE ONE.
Reported by Doublewhammy

MonkeyPeaches's Comment: THE FIRST KING shares some similar plot with HERO, which Jet Li is currently working on. Both are featuring the First Emperor of China.