News Archives
September 2006
|
|
|
News Archives |
|
|
September 2006 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
The First, and a Very Enthusiastic Review of Tian Zhuangzhuang's WU QINGYUAN (aka. THE GO MASTER) (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||
|
|
September 30, 2006 |
|||
"Mighty Ganesha" just came back from the world première of Chinese director Tian Zhuangzhuang's ( The Blue Kite, The Horse Thief) biopic of Wu Qingyuan and sent me a very enthusiastic review of this film. Wu Qingyuan is a Chinese master player of Qi or Weiqi (pronounced as "Go" in Japanese.) As a talented player of the ancient Chinese board game, he moved to Japan when he was just a teenager. Wu is now still living in Japan. Here is the review:
The Go Master centers around the life of Wu Qingyuan, a Chinese man, who, as a young boy exhibits a very remarkable talent for playing the game, Go. Wu Qingyuan is persuaded at age 14 to move to Japan, where Go tournaments are more frequent and lucrative, and so he may further study Go while making a living playing competitively. His talent and reputation make him a celebrity all throughout Japan, and he is soon considered the greatest Go player in the world. “The reincarnation of the Saint of Go”
Related stories: New York Film Festival Line Up (NYFF 2006) August 19 2006Director Tian Zhuangzhuang Begins Making Weiqi Master WU QINGYUAN's Biopic (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) September 18, 2004 |
||||
|
|
|
|
First Photos of Stephen Chow on the Set of LONG RIVER 7 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||||||||||||
|
|
September 29, 2006 |
|||||||||||||
Chinese newspaper Southern Metropolitan Daily got four shots taken on the set of Stephen Chow's new production Chang Jiang Qi Hao / Long River 7 (Rumor says this film's English title is "A Hope".) now in production in eastern Chinese city of Ningbo. Chow plays a semi-homeless man lives in a semi-demolished house. He "adopted" a homeless kid, who is really played by a girl. One day, Chow finds a "toy" in the trash and brings it back to his "son", who wishes to own a toy just like other kids. The "toy" is actually an alien device with unlimited power and the aliens are desperately to get it back.
Related stories: Stephen Chow's LONG RIVER 7 Now in Production (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 28, 2006Stephen Chow Announces LONG RIVER 7, Officially (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 24, 2006Stephen Chow to Launch LONG RIVER 7 This Month (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 20, 2006Stephen Chow Postpones KUNG FU HUSTLE 2 for a Space Adventure (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) April 16, 2006Stephen Chow to Start Making THE ALIENS Next Month? (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) June 27, 2006 |
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro for Peter Chan's CHI MA Remake (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
||
|
|
September 28, 2006 |
||
An unknown source claims that director Peter Chan intends to cast Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro as the three leads in his remake of Hong Kong master martial-art film director Chang Cheh's Shaw Bros. classic Chi Ma (aka. Blood Brothers / Chinese Vengeance / Dynasty of Blood / Kung Fu Invaders), released in 1973. Story of the original Chi Ma, which is based on novels inspired by a true event, starts with three bandits, sworn brothers, Zhang Wenxiang, Huang Zong and Ma Xinyi joining the government force to suppress a rebellion. Three eventually become highly decorated and Ma is promoted to as a governor. Then Ma murders Huang and takes Huang's beautiful wife. Zhang swears to revenge his dead brother and plans to assassinate Governor Ma, against all odds. The original Chinese title, Chi Ma, literally means "The Assassination of Ma." There is no word on whom Peter Chan intends to cast for the role of Huang's wife.
Peter Chan Talks Future Projects - PROTÉGÉ, BLOOD BROTHER Remake and More of THE EYE Series (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) April 13, 2006 |
|||
|
|
|
|
Both CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER and THE BANQUET Got the Oscar Tickets (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
||||
|
|
September 27, 2006 |
||||
The Chinese press reports that, according to an insider, Zhang Yimou's third period epic Curse of the Golden Flower has been officially selected by the authority to compete for the Best Foreign Language award of next year's Oscar. The anonymous insider claimed that some good words of mouth from people who saw the film actually helped the film to get the nomination. A few other titles were also up to the nomination but were not strong enough to defeat Golden Flower. The Banquet, Feng Xiaogang's Hamlet inspired historically drama, which has a story setup very similar to that of Golden Flower, received mixed/negative reviews both at home and overseas; The Road, Zhang Jiarui's drama about a bus drive and a ticket-seller's friendship / love story in the 1960/70's, also failed to draw a strong support; and the production studio of Curiosity Kills the Cat, a modern day urban psychological thriller by Zhang Yibao, basically used the bidding for the nomination as a publicity stunt for the low budget flick, which will open next month in China.
During the past two decades, more than half dozen movies by Zhang Yimou were sent to bid for the award. Three of them made to the final round, Judou, Raise the Red Lanterns and Hero, but Zhang had never won once. Curse of the Golden Flower will be released this December in Asia and in North America, by Sony Pictures Classics.
Update: according to Sina.com.cn, Feng Xiaogang's The Banquet has been selected to bid for the Best Foreign Language award, representing Hong Kong. The Banquet is actually jointly produced by Beijing-based H. Brothers (Huayi Brothers) and Hong Kong-based Media Asia. This nomination, if was real, would upset many native Hong Kongers, who would prefer to nominate a movie directed and starred by local talents. Many other Hong Kong made Oscar hopefuls, like Johnnie To's Election 2 and Exiled, were also produced by Media Asia, which produces more box-office hits than any other local studio.
More about Curse of the Golden Flower More about The Banquet |
|||||
|
|
|
|
More Detail on Feng Xiaogang's THE ASSEMBLY CALL (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
||||
|
|
September 26, 2006 |
||||
Shooting of Feng Xiaogang's war epic Assembly or The Assembly Call is about to start in the Northeast of China (Manchuria) on October 6. The film begins in 1948, at the turning point of the last Chinese civil war and ends in 1956, three years after the end of Korea War. According to several Chinese newspapers and Screen Daily, the story is something like this: a company of soldiers are ordered to fight (probably for defending a position) until they hear the assembly call. But the call never comes and everybody dies, except one. Years later, the lone survivor starts searching for the remains his fallen comrades and trying to prove that they all died like real heroes. The film is inspired by short story "The Law Suit (literal title)", which was written by Yang Jinyuan, based on a true story . The script is written by Zhang Heng (Zhang Side). A cast assembled with a group of relatively unknown young actors are currently receiving training at a boot camp. This US$10 million war picture has been aimed at a theatrical release in China next year. The CG effects will be handled by Technicolor, which also worked for Feng's The Banquet; the sound effects will be done by the people who worked in Saving Private Ryan; and a South Korean team from another Korea War epic Taegukgi Hwinalrimyeo will be in charge of the character makeup.
Feng Xiaogang's The Banquet, despite a mixed review, is going very strong right now in China. The box-office revenue will reach 100 million yuans (US$12.6 million) in a few days. The Banquet, which has been released in the mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for over two weeks, has become the top-seller of Feng Xiaogang. The total revenue may eventually reach 150 million yuans, the record of Zhang Yimou's House of Flying Daggers, but is very unlikely to reach 250 million yuans, the record of Zhang Another film Hero. The number one seller in the mainland China is still Titanic, which collected 360 million yuans from Chinese box-offices.
Related story: Feng Xiaogang to Blow an ASSEMBLY CALL for a WWII Epic (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 10, 2006 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
Chow Yun-Fat Denies Rumor about His Slamming on CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
||||
|
|
September 25, 2006 |
||||
Chow Yun-Fat, who plays the lead character in Curse of the Golden Flower, has officially denied through a written statement, that he had ever said individuals who gave positive reviews to the film were hired by the studio. According to the statement published on Sina.com.cn, the rumor was actually fabricated by a reporter, who failed to get a ticket to see the film. Chow had demanded the reporter and the organization the report works for to apologize to him and the production company Beijing New Picture Film Co. To be qualified for the Best Foreign Language Film award of next year's Oscar, Curse of the Golden Flower has been going through a week-long qualification run in Beijing, which will end by this weekend. It is only shown once a day and admission tickets are in very high demand. So far, responses from people who have seen this film are surprisingly highly positive.
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
September 24, 2006 |
||
Here are a trailer, a poster and several production stills from Oxide Pang's Diary (Chinese literal title: Coveting):
Trailer (Thanks to Twich Film.) Poster and stills by Sina.com.cn. |
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
September 23, 2006 |
||
Actor, director and screenwriter Pao Fong just passed away yesterday in Hong Kong at the age of 84. Pao Foag was born in southern Chinese city Nanchang in 1922 and graduated from a law school at early 20s. In 1942, his acting career began with a series role on stage. In 1948, he moved to Hong Kong and for the next several decades, he starred in more than 50 films made by various local studios, including Thunderstorm and Qu Yuan. Since 1959, he directed more than a dozen films and man of them were written by himself. In early 1980s, Pao joined TVB and appeared in many series made by the local station. Pao Fong retired from acting in 2000, after suffered from a serious stroke. He was awarded with an Long-Time achievement award by Hong Kong Film Critics Society and was named one of 100 Hundred Stars of 100 Years of Chinese Cinema last year. His wife, actress Liu Su who accompanied him for more than half century, passed away a few years ago. His son Peter Pau is a well-known cinematographer, whose work for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon gained him an Oscar few. His daughter Paw Hee-Ching is also an actress. |
|||
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
September 22, 2006 |
|||
Fearless is 72% fresh based on 69 reviews collected by RottenTomatoes.com.
Kaiju Shakedown's interview with director Ronny Yu.
|
||||
|
|
|
|
Opening This Week: September 16 - 22 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||||||
|
|
September 22, 2006 |
|||||||
A corrupted imperial family is about to fall apart and a boy soccer team is about to begin its final match...
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
THE KITE RUNNER to Be Shot in China's Xinjiang Region (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||
|
|
September 22, 2006 |
|||
According to an unknown source, shooting of DreamWorks' new drama The Kite Runner has already begun in Karsh City of China's Xinxiang Region, home to millions of Muslim minority people. Based on the same name book by Afghani American writer Khaled Hosseini, the film is about an Afghani man returns to his homeland after spending years in California, to help his old friend, whose son is in trouble. Xinjiang is located at the northwestern end of China and neighbors Afghanistan. Karsh City actually less than 200 kilometers away from the Afghani boarder. The film is directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball).
|
||||
|
|
|
|
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER Gets Positive Reviews at Home International Teaser (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
||||
|
|
September 21, 2006 |
||||
A week-long Oscar qualification run for Zhang Yimou's third martial-art epic Curse of the Golden Flowers has began secretly yesterday at a movie theater in Beijing. This is for making it qualified for competing for the Best Foreign Langue Film category of next year's Oscar, and Sony Pictures Classics is scheduled to release it in North America in December, which would make it qualified for other categories. According to several Chinese newspapers, Beijingers who have seen the film are almost overwhelmingly praising this US$45 million historical drama. According to some of them, Curse of the Golden Flowers shows lavish designs and beautiful cinematography, and above all, a nicely written story presented by a first class cast at a true epic level. When Zhang Yimou's Hero came out about four years ago, reviews at home were shapely divided. The criticizers of the film said it generally had no story. Then Zhang made House of Flying Daggers, a attempt of telling an story, which turned out disappointed most Chinese viewers. Then Chen Kaige's shot his own epic The Promise, which was basically a junkie mess. Earlier this month, The Banquet, a big budget historical drama by another influential Chinese director Feng Xiaogang, best known for directing comedies about ordinary people, was release and got a mixed review both at home and overseas.
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
Chen Hu, Yuen Wo-Ping's Disciple, to Make a TIGER (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) | ||
|
|
September 20 2006 |
||
According to newspaper The Beijing News, Chen Hu, one of Yuen Wo-Ping's disciples would join force with screenwriter Li Feng (House of Flying Daggers, Hero) to make a new martial-art film titled Hu (literal: Tiger). As a member of Yuen Wo-Ping's stunt team, Chen Hu has been working on many projects, such as The Matrix trilogy, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill, Danny the Dog, Kung Fu Hustle and The Banquet. About a young man challenging the order of the kung-fu world for a friendship, Tiger will be Chen's directorial début. He will direct and choreography the project independently and play the lead characters. Two other leads will come from Japan and the Hollywood. Shooting will begin next year in China's southwestern city of Chengdu |
|||
|
|
|
|
Third CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER International Teaser (Sina.com.cn) | |||
|
|
September 19, 2006 |
|||
Sina.com.cn just exclusively released the third trailer for Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower, which is the first one specifically made for Chinese speakers.
Trailer transcript: The oldest Prince: What do you mean by that? The second oldest prince: Then keeps embroidering chrysanthemum flowers. The queen: Chrysanthemum is your father's favorite. The emperor: What else do you want? The queen: I'ill tell you everything! The second oldest prince: Why would my father do this? The queen: (He) has to! The emperor: You're crazy! The oldest prince: You madman! The minister: What didn't you tell me? The emperor: Now you're satisfied? The queen: ??? The emperor: What else you are not satisfied? The oldest prince: Something horrible will happen to ???! The queen: Show yourself! ???: You dare! The emperor: Out! A lavish palace, where an unspeakable secret is hiding. Something horrific is about to erupt. Some of the top Chinese stars work together for the first time. ???: Daughter!
|
||||
|
|
|
|
Jia Zhangke's STILL LIFE Welcomed at Toronto Fest (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
||||
|
|
September 18, 2006 |
||||
Chinese director Jia Zhangke's Still Life, surprised the Venice International Film Festival, first by joining the competition when the festival had already begun, then by taking the grand prize, beaten many frontrunners favored by critics and journalists. However, critics from a few trade newspapers, such as Derek Elley from Variety and Dan Fainaru from Screen Daily, dislike Jia's latest near-documentarized narrative on the life of the working class in the drastically modernized China. "But in Toronto," said Anthony Kaufman from indieWIRE, "many critics welcomed the presence of 'Still Life' as a beautiful, thought-provoking film quite unlike anything else in the festival." Same treatment was also given to Jia's documentary Dong, which has also been shown in Toronto. French-based Memento Film, which acquired the international rights to both Still Life and Dong before their Venice premiere, announced successful sales of Still Life to 25 counties in just three days. Still Life should be China's best shot for capturing the Best Film Film award of the Oscar early next year. The film industry regulator should seriously consider nominating it, rather than The Banquet, which has received mixed revenue both at home and on the international front, or The Curse of Golden Flower, Zhang Yimou's third big-budget martial-art film, which we have yet to see.
(Title image: the official poster of Still Life, which shows two lead characters who travel to the Three Georges area to search for someone they really loved. The background is designed to look like a currency note. In fact, the drawing in the middle shows the Three Georges and is taken right from the back of 10 Chinese yuan bill.)
Toronto '06 critics notebook: Verhoeven and Jia offer fest surprises, Sarah Polley Shines, by Anthony Kaufman (indieWIRE) Stellar line-up for 50th London Film Festival, by Simon Crerar (Times Online) |
|||||
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
September 17, 2006 |
|||
As the release of Jet Li's Fearless is less than a week from today, Jet Li is gearing up the promotion for his latest completed film and, what he has said, his last wushu movie. Directed by Ronny Yu and choreographed by Yuen Wo-Ping, Fearless tells a largely fictional life story of Huo Yuanjia, a real life martial-artist, who became a patriotic symbol in China early last century. Both Wilson Morales of blackfilm.com and Comingsoon.net got chance to chat with Jet Li. (Thanks to Wilson Morales.)
blackfilm.com's Jet Li interview. (Thanks to Wilson Morales.) Comingsoon.net's report. (Thanks to "jetliang".)
Update: blackfilm's Wilson Morales talks to director Ronny Yu. (Thanks to Wilson Morales.)
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
September 16, 2006 |
|||||||||||
More than dancing and martial arts, by Alwynne Gwilt, The Toronto Star Chinese director says ban will not stop him, by Guy Dixon, The Globe and Mail Election 1 + 2, by Johnnie To, Twitch Exiled, by Johnnie To, Twitch I Don't want to Sleep Alone - interview with director Tsai Ming-Liang, Twitch Mini-reviews: Election / I Don't Want to Sleep Alone, The Globe and Mail |
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
Banned SUMMER PALACE Imported to America by Palm Pictures (...) |
||||
|
|
September 16, 2006 |
||||
It seems that Palm Pictures has officially picked up Chinese director Lou Ye's Summer Palace. The contemporary drama about how China changes through the eyes of two young lovers, has unofficially banned in China by not being granted with a release certificate. It was premi鑢ed at Cannes Film Festival without one of such certificates and subsequently, displeased the authority. Earlier this month, both director Lou Ye and Nai An were banned from making movies in China for five years. It was the second time that the authority tried to keep Lou Ye from the celluloid industry. In 2000, Lou Ye was banned from making movies for showing his Suzhou River at two festivals in Rotterdam and Tokyo without a release certificate. The ban was lifted just a year and a half later. However, Suzhou River has yet to be allowed for a release, either in theaters or on DVD. Summer Palace has been schedule for screened at Toronto International Film Festival and the upcoming Mill Valley Film Festival. (Thanks to "Mary".)
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
September 16, 2006 |
||||
indieWIRE reports Magnolia Pictures has just acquired the US rights to Hong Kong director Johnnie To's thriller Exiled. Highly praised at Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, Exiled tells a follow-up story to Johnnie To's classic The Mission. (Thanks to "Mary".)
Click here for the original story by indieWIRE.
Related stories: EXILED Poster Design (Media Asia) February 16, 2006 Johnny To Makes EXILED, a Sequel to THE MISSION of His (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 3, 2006 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
Opening This Week: September 9 - 15 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||||||
|
|
September 15, 2006 |
|||||||
Members of a corrupted imperial family struggle for power and four women plan to be cheat o their unfaithful husbands...
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
||||
|
|
September 14, 2006 |
|||
The nicely designed English-only official website of Exiled is up and running. So far it only gets a synopsis description and brief intro on the cast and their characters. (Thanks to Sheila Carrington.)
Related stories: EXILED Poster Design (Media Asia) February 16, 2006 Johnny To Makes EXILED, a Sequel to THE MISSION of His (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 3, 2006 |
||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
September 14, 2006 |
|||||||
Movie posters come out of the mainland Chinese usually look like a box-cover of a cheaply produced soap series, i.e. sucks. Here are two posters of two mainland Chinese movies. On the left, there is the poster of The Postmodern Life of My Aunt, specially designed for Toronto International Film Festival. It is a light comedy starring Chow Yun-Fat and Siqin Gaowa. On the right, there is a new poster of psychological thriller The Door. Both poster designs look OK.
Related stories: Li Shaohong Wrapped up THE DOOR (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) July 8, 2006Li Shaohong to Build a Thrilling GATE or DOOR (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) March 4, 2006 THE AUNT'S POSTMODERN LIFE Press Conference (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) December 20, 2005 First Location Photos of THE AUNT'S POSTMODERN LIFE (SIna.com / Nanfang Daily) December 7, 2005 More Secrets about THE AUNT'S POSTMODERN LIFE (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) August 11, 2005 Chow Yun-Fat Boards Ann Hui's THE AUNT'S POSTMODERN LIFE (Screen Daily) July 20, 2005 |
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
Additional shots from LUST, CAUTION's Malaysian Locations (China News Agency) |
||||
|
|
September 13, 2006 |
||||
China News Agency got more photos taken on the set of Ang Lee's Lust, Caution. An western style building has been redressed to double for a Shanghai department store in the early 1940s. Over ten antique cars and hundreds of extras were involved in the shooting. The photo on the left showing Wang Jiazhi (Tang Wei, Middle) and Mrs. Yee (Joan Chen, right) doing some shopping, accompanied by Kuang Yu-Ming (Wang Lee-Hom, left). Notice the shopping bags Wang was carrying? I am not sure they actually exist in the 1940s. According to a Taiwanese newspaper, shooting in Malaysian has wrapped up.
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
More Shots from LUST, CAUTION's Malaysian Locations (Guang Ming Daily) |
|||||||
|
|
September 12, 2006 |
|||||||
Click here for more pictures taken by local newspaper Guang Ming Daily.
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
STILL LIFE Joins Toronto Festival (Toronto International Film Festival) |
|||
|
|
September 12, 2006 |
|||
The organizer of Toronto International Film Festival announced Chinese director Jia Zhangke's Still Like, which just won the grand prize at Venice International Festival, was added to the screening list, under the category of "Visions." It will only be shown today at 9:50 pm at Toronto theater "Varsity 8". (Thanks to "Mary".) Still Life by the festival. |
||||
|
|
|
|
RIP Kwan Hoi-Shan, another Hong Kong Legend (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
||
|
|
September 11, 2006 |
||
Hong Kong TV and film actor Kwan Hoi-Shan, commonly known as Uncle Shrimp, passed away this morning in Hong Kong at the age of 81. Kwan began learning Cantonese opera from his father when he was very young and become an actor by age 11. During the 1950s and 1960s, he starred in a large number of movies. In 1976, he joined Hong Kong's TVB and became a regular in many series by the station, while still kept showing up on the big screen. Some of the movies he starred in include Project A, Project A 2 and Hard Boiled. He retired from acting in 2001 after suffering from a stroke. In the same year, TVB gave him a grand award for his contribution to the station. Last year he returned to the small screen for the final time in a TV special by TVB. |
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
September 10, 2006 |
|||||||||||||||||
(Thanks to "Mary" for some of the above links.)
Related stories: Toronto International Film Festival Line-up (tiffg.ca) August 24, 2006 Venezia 2006 Lineup (labiennale.org) July 28, 2006 |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
September 9, 2006 |
|||||||||
Chinese director Jia Zhangke's contemporary drama Still Life / San Xia Hao Ren (Decent People of the Three Georges), joined the competition when the festival has already begun, has won the Golden Lion, the top prize from the 63rd Venice International Film Festival. Set against the backdrop of the state planned relocating millions of people to make way for the Three Georges Dam project, this low budget drama focuses on the stories of two ordinary people, a miner who is looking for his long-lost "wife" and a nurse who is looking for separated husband. Like all his previous works, Pickpocket (Xiao Wu), Platform (Zhan Tai), Public Place (Gong Gong Chang Suo), Unknown Pleasures (Ren Xiao Yao) and World (Shi Jie), Still Life is also about the struggling life of the lower working class in the changing society of modern China. Jia's another work, Dong, a documentary about an artist's trips to the Three Gorges of China and Bangkok of Thailand, has also premièred at the festival.
Another Chinese entry, Ma Bei Shang De Fa Ting / Courthouse on the Horseback, by first-time director Liu Jie, has been awarded with the Horizons Prize. About a simple story of a judge, who traveling to remote villages to take small cases, Ma Bei Shang De Fa Ting is inspired by real life stories and shot with documentary style.
Last week, The Vatican awarded its annual Bresson Prize to Chinese director Zhang Yuan, for making "films showed great sensitivity to "the difficult course that every person must face in the search for the spiritual sense of existence."
Complete list of official winners.
Related stories: Chinese film triumphs at Venice, by Denis Barnett, AFP Jia Zhang-Ke's "Still Life" takes Golden Lion at Venice, by Peter Knegt, indieWIRE China's "Still Life" wins Venice Film Festival, Reuters Chinese movie 'Still Life' wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival, AP (Thanks to Nick Cai for the link.) Vatican awards cinema prize to Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yuan, Catholic News Service |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
More Shots from the Malaysian Set of Ang Lee's LUST, CAUTION (Guang Ming Daily) |
||||||||||
|
|
September 9, 2006 |
||||||||||
According to Malaysian-based Chinese language newspaper GuangMing Daily, streets in a few local towns have been redressed to double for Hong Kong and Shanghai from the 1930/40s.
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
First Shots from the Set of Ang Lee's LUST, CAUTION (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||||||||||||
|
|
September 8, 2006 |
|||||||||||||
According to TungStar and Taiwanese press, the first day shooting (the day before yesterday) was done in Malaysian towns Ipoh and Kampar and a small hotel was redressed as a 1940s Hong Kong brothel. The first scene was Kuang Yu-Min, a university student played by American born singer Wang Lee-Hom, runing out from a brothel. Ang Lee asked Wang did over 50 takes. The the female lead Tang Wei did three takes for a close-up shot of her. Another scene Ang Lee did yesterday was about Kung Yu-Min and other university students catching a Hong Kong trolley, built with a truck, while singing a patriotic song.
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
Opening This Week: September 2 - 8 (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
September 8, 2006 |
|||||||||||||||
A recapture of the trail for 28 Japanese war criminals, a modern day story about a love-triangle in a university campus, an undercover cop's life after his identity is exposed, and a fading star's story of mentoring a rookie actress.
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
Michelle Yeoh Attached to TRUE NORTH and Considered for BABYLON A.D. (...) |
||||
|
|
September 7, 2006 |
||||
A UK production called True North has been announced. It is described as a dark romantic thriller which will star Michelle Yeoh, Sean Bean, Michelle Krusiec and Irrfan Khan. It is about how the life of woman and her adopted daughter, who live far away from civilization, is forever changed by the arrival of a man. Yeoh will probably play the mother. Helmed by Asif Kapadia (The Warrior), this film is picked up by Celluloid Dreams and is set for a release in 2007.
Also according to KFCCinema.com, French ews sites are reporting that Michelle Yeoh may be starring alongside Vin Diesel and Vincent Cassel in the upcoming actioner title Babylon A.D. Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and inspired by the futuristic French novel Babylon Babies, the sci-fi is about a veteran mercenary escorting a mysterious woman from Russia to Canada. The woman is carrying genetically modified embryo, which an American cult hopes to use in producing a genetically modified Messiah. The role offered to Yoeh is Sister Helen. Shooting will start this November in Prague and possibly Canada as well. The release is also set to be released in North American next year by 20th Century Fox.
Related story: Where in the World Is Michelle Yeoh?, Kaiju Shakedown
(Thanks to "Mary".) |
|||||
|
|
|
|
Ang Lee Starts Shooting LUST, CAUTION Today in Malaysian City Ipoh (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) | ||||||||||
|
|
September 6, 2006 |
||||||||||
China News Agency reports Ang Lee was spotted in a street of Malaysian city of Ipoh and shooting would begin tonight in the same street, doubling for the 1940's Hong Kong. Two other Malaysian cities Penang and Kampar will also be used for Hong Kong scenes. In another report, Joan Chen has been cast to play the wife of Mr. Yee (Leung Chiu-Wai).
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
ROB-B-HOOD Behind-the-Scene Clips (Sina.com.cn) | ||||
|
|
September 6, 2006 |
||||
Click here for six behind-the-scene videos of Jackie Chan Rob-B-Hood. Related story: ROB-B-HOOD Theme Song Music Video Featuring Jackie Chan (Sina.com) June 19, 2006Jackie Chan's ROB-B-HOOD (aka. PROJECT BB) Preview (China News Agency) June 15, 2006 The Final Scene of ROB-B-HOOD (aka. PROJECT BB) at a Hong Kong Prison (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) April 27, 2006Video: Behind the Scene of Jackie Chan's PROJECT BB (Sina.com) March 23, 2006PROJECT BB Location Photos (The Hong Kong Sun) March 6, 2006More PROJECT BB Location Photos (Sina.com) February 6, 2006PROJECT BB Location Photos (Sina.com) February 4, 2006PROJECT BB Is Under Way in Hong Kong (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 16, 2006Jackie Chan Engages in Baby-Kidnapping PROJECT BB (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 2, 2006 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
SUMMER PALACE Makers Banned from Filmmaking for Five Years (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||||
|
|
September 5, 2006 |
|||||
According to Chinese newspaper Legal Mirror, Chinese Film Bureau has announced the "punishment" for screening Summer Palace in Cannes without approval from the Chinese authority. Both director Lou Ye and producer Nai An are now under a five-year prohibition on filmmaking. In May this year, Summer Palace was submitted to the Chinese authority for being censored just a day ahead of its scheduled première in Cannes. The authority turned back the submission, claiming it was technically defect. The film was screened in Cannes as planned and subsequently broke the censorship regulation of China. Later the production company, Beijing-based Laurel Films, has tried to resubmit it and was refused by the authority again. Summer Palace will make its North American première at Toronto International Film Festival.
Related stories: China imposes 5-year ban on director, AP China imposes 5-year ban on film maker Lou Ye, Reuters Chinese director Lou Ye given five-year ban on making films, AFP
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
Zhang Ziyi Said She Would Do HUA MULAN but Not In the Near Future (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) | |||
|
|
September 5, 2006 |
|||
In a very short video interview Zhang Ziyi did with Sina.com.cn, she said she would do a Hua Mulan project but it would not happy very soon. There were many problems needed to be solved, such as the script and the choice of director. Sina.com.cn also says this project is backed by The Weinstein Company. Director Stanley Tong and producer Thomas Chung are also separately pushing for their own Hua Mulan projects.
A short clip of the interview.
|
||||
|
|
|
|
Alain Delon in a Johnnie To Movie (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) | |||||||||
|
|
September 5, 2006 |
|||||||||
Alain Delon, 71 year old veteran French star, might show up in a Johnnie To movie, according to our French reader "Ludaofu." Here is what he sent in:
Hi there,
"The magnetic Alain Delon was among the most prominent French actors of the postwar era; an exotically handsome performer, he sprung from offscreen rumor and scandal to emerge as a uniquely enigmatic and sinister talent," said All Movie Guide. Alain Delon has rarely stared in foreign productions. This French icon traveling to Hong Kong to work in a Johnnie To movie is something really worth waiting for.
More from "Ludaofu"":
What we know for sure (from the forum of the website of wich I'm a
member www.cinemasie.com )
Latest from "Ludaofu": The mythical French actor has even announced on Canal+: That he was contacted by the script writer from hongkong "Johnnie To" (BREAKING NEWS, ELECTION, THE MISSION) to play in one of his next projects. One knows neither the title yet nor the subject, but Alain Delon let believe that it could be a question of a disguised continuation of the legendary "Jean-Pierre Melville's SAMURAI" who had already strongly inspired John Woo for THE KILLER. Shooting could start this winter.
link to the original version of the article:
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Jia Zhangke's SAN XIA HAO REN Makes Last Minute Joining of Venice Competition (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) | ||||
|
|
September 4, 2006 |
||||
Chinese director Jia Zhangke's contemporary drama San Xia Hao Ren (literal: Decent People of the Three Gorges / English title: Still Life) had been added to compete for the grand prizes of Venice International Film Festival now in progress, Jia just told Sinacom.cn. San Xia Hao Ren is about a man and a woman who went travel to the Three Gorges area of China's Long River (Yangtze River). The man was a miner, whose "wife" he purchased was rescued by the police and sixteen years later, he left home and found her. They fell in love and decided to get married for real. The woman is a nurse, who is looking for her husband. After she found out that her husband was no longer the man she knew, she decided to devoice him. This film will make its worldwide première in Venice. Jia's another work, a documentary titled Dong, is also shown at the festival.
Related stories: THE BANQUET Poster for Venezia 2006 (Media Asia) August 19 2006 Director Jia Zhangke Is Running Three Projects (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) February 27, 2006 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
THE BANQUET Premièred in Venice (...) | |||
|
|
September 4, 2006 |
|||
Feng Xiaogang's Hamlet-inspired period drama The Banquet premièred at Venice Film Festival last night.
Review, by Derek Elley, Variety Review, by Dan Fainaru, Screen Daily
Title photo: at the premiere, Marco Muller director of the festival, "kowtowed" to "empress" Zhang Ziyi. (More pictures from Venice.)
|
||||
|
|
|
|
ROB-B-HOOD Official Korean Website (Mega Movie Digest) | |||
|
|
September 4, 2006 |
|||
Mega Movie Digest got a downloadable version of a new trailer for Jackie Chan's babynapping action comedy Rob-B-Hood.
http://www.bb-project.co.kr (Thanks to dingding of KFStar.com.)
Related story: ROB-B-HOOD Theme Song Music Video Featuring Jackie Chan (Sina.com) June 19, 2006Jackie Chan's ROB-B-HOOD (aka. PROJECT BB) Preview (China News Agency) June 15, 2006 The Final Scene of ROB-B-HOOD (aka. PROJECT BB) at a Hong Kong Prison (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) April 27, 2006 Video: Behind the Scene of Jackie Chan's PROJECT BB (Sina.com) March 23, 2006PROJECT BB Location Photos (The Hong Kong Sun) March 6, 2006More PROJECT BB Location Photos (Sina.com) February 6, 2006PROJECT BB Location Photos (Sina.com) February 4, 2006PROJECT BB Is Under Way in Hong Kong (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 16, 2006Jackie Chan Engages in Baby-Kidnapping PROJECT BB (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 2, 2006 |
||||
|
|
|
|
Let's Take a Look at LET'S STEAL TOGETHER (...) | |||||||||||||
|
|
September 3, 2006 |
|||||||||||||
Let's Steal Together is a "comedy action" produced by Hong Kong's Emperor Motion Pictures. It stars Hong Kong's The Twins (Gilliam Chung and Charlene Choi), mainland Chinese martial-art star Wu Jing, master Sammo Hung, Jess Cheung, and Steve Cheung. The plot is a closely guarded trade secret and we only know it is about stealing some treasure.
From a circus set:
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
New Trailer for Jackie Chan's ROB-B-HOOD (Mega Movie Digest) | ||||
|
|
September 2, 2006 |
||||
Mega Movie Digest got a downloadable version of a new trailer for Jackie Chan's babynapping action comedy Rob-B-Hood.
Click here (Thanks to Twitch.)
A special section of JackieChanKids.com.
Related story: ROB-B-HOOD Theme Song Music Video Featuring Jackie Chan (Sina.com) June 19, 2006Jackie Chan's ROB-B-HOOD (aka. PROJECT BB) Preview (China News Agency) June 15, 2006 The Final Scene of ROB-B-HOOD (aka. PROJECT BB) at a Hong Kong Prison (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) April 27, 2006 Video: Behind the Scene of Jackie Chan's PROJECT BB (Sina.com) March 23, 2006PROJECT BB Location Photos (The Hong Kong Sun) March 6, 2006More PROJECT BB Location Photos (Sina.com) February 6, 2006PROJECT BB Location Photos (Sina.com) February 4, 2006PROJECT BB Is Under Way in Hong Kong (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 16, 2006Jackie Chan Engages in Baby-Kidnapping PROJECT BB (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) January 2, 2006 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
Nine Month Long Production of EYE IN THE SKY Comes to an End (MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) | ||||
|
|
September 2, 2006 |
||||
Hong Kong's Oriental Daily says Eye in the Sky is finally wrapping up after being in production for nine months. Simon Yam, Leung Ka-Fai and Kate Tsui star in the directorial début from Yau Nai-Hoi, the writer of almost all Johnnie To's movies. The Chinese title literally means "Follow." It tells a team of surveillance experts from HKPD is assigned to seek out suspects of a highly publicized jewelry heist and the heist mastermind knows too well to sake off the police. Simon Yam's right eye has been badly infected after being washing with some prop blood. This scene shows Simon Yam, Kate Tsui and another actor sitting in a car and watching their target. The word on the back actually means "Private drive way, please do not block." For the scene shown on the picture, he had to remove the bandage and pretended his eye was ok.
Trailer, synopsis, cast & crew.
Related story: The Latest from HK - EYE IN THE SKY, LOVE UNDERCOVER 3, LOVE@FIRST NOTE, WUSHU (hkfilmart.com) August 5, 2006 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
Second CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER International Teaser (Apple.com / Sina.com.cn) | ||||
|
|
September 1, 2006 |
||||
Sina.com.cn and Apple.com have both posted anther teaser trailer for Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower. It looks more intense and more exciting than the first one. Also, it shows a few shots of black suit assassins attacking the post houses, which are missing from the first teaser.
The second teaser: HD version by Apple.com (Thanks to "Marla" of AdmiringGongLi.com) Low-res. version by Sina.com.cn
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
September 1, 2006 |
|||||
Sina.com.cn posted two poster designs for Chinese director Jia hangke's Dong, which documented artist Liu Xiaodong's trips to China's Three Georges and Thai capital Bangkok.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
Opening This Week: August 26 - September 1(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
|||||||||||||
|
|
September 1, 2006 |
|||||||||||||
A recapture of the trail for 28 Japanese war criminals, a modern day story about a love-triangle in a university campus, an undercover cop's life after his identity is exposed, and a fading star's story of mentoring a rookie actress.
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
Zhang Yimou's RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES Opens Today in North America (...) |
|||
|
|
September 1, 2006 |
|||
Zhang Yimou's low budget family drama Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles opens today in North America.
Click here for reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes.
More about Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
|
||||
|
|
