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MERMAID ISLAND Will Be Asian
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 30, 2008 |
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Liang Yanfei |
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(Images:
Sina.com) |
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News of the week - Mermaid Island, a US$50
million dollar US-China joint project will go into production in
Beijing after the coming Chinese New Year (February 7). The story is
about a love story between a young man and a mermaid. The script is
penned by Randall Frakes and Irvin Kershner (Never Say
Never Again, Empire Strikes Back) is attached to direct.
Young actresses Liang Yanfei will play the mermaid and Monica
Bellucci will play the mermaid queen. The male lead will be someone
from the Hollywood. The producers are hoping Jay Chou to join the
cast as well. Preproduction has begun in Beijing. Filming will also
be done in South China Sea, some Thai coast and somewhere in the US. |
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Chow Yun-Fat and Ken Watanabe Will Go to Mikael H錰str鰉's SHANGHAI
(...) |
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January 28, 2008 |
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Chow Yun-Fat |
Ken Watanabe |
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(Images:
CNA) |
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According to Taiwan newspaper United Daily News, which just
had a phone interview with Gong Li's manager, Chow Yun-Fat and Ken
Watanabe will join Gong Li and John Cusack in Swedish director
Mikael H錰str鰉's new thriller
Shanghai.
The story tells an American journalist (Cusack) comes to Shanghai
just before the attack on Pearl Harbor and discovers his friend has
been killed. This city has already fallen into the hand of the
Japanese with a small district being jointly-controlled by major
western powers. He falls in love with a beautiful woman (Gong),
whose husband (Chow) is the boss of a powerful local gang.
Watanabe will play a Japanese military officer. While trying to
uncover the truth behind the death of his friend, the journalist
discovers a much larger secret the US government is hiding.
Gong's manager has refused to comment on whether her role would be a
spy fighting the Japanese due to a confidentiality agreement they
signed. But her manager said Gong was practicing English with accent
of the Shanghai high class typical to that period of time and she
was learning Cha-Cha as well. Shooting will start by the end of
February in Shanghai and will last about four months.
Thanks to
AdmiringGongLi.com. |
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Stephen Chow Confirmed JOURNEY TO THE WEST Project
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 27, 2008 |
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In
A Chinese Odyssey
dilogy, Stephen Chow (L) played Monkey King and Law Kar-Ying (R)
played Tang Monk. (Image: Mei Ah Entertainment) |
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Right our of his own mouth, Stephen Chow’s next project will be an
adaptation of 16th Century Chinese fantasy novel Journey to the
West, which inspired the
A Chinese Odyssey
dilogy with Stephen Chow starring as the Monkey King. According to a
Chinese paper, Stephen Chow admitted he had started working on the
project during a press conference for promoting his recently
completed
CJ7. He said, “I have
always hoped to make the best adaptation of The Journey to the West.
But those movies (A Chinese Odyssey
dilogy) from over ten years ago was just a self-made story and it
couldn’t be made faithful to the original with the technology and
resources back then. Also the characters will be changed a lot, but
I that’s all I can say for now.” He also said he was looking for a
desert and would go to Sichuan Province’ Jiuzhaigou, which hosting
the filming for some scenes of Zhang Yimou’s Hero.
The same report also claims the adaptation will be another bilogy
with each chapter costing over US$100 millions. I would prefer to
believe it is 100 million yuans (US$14 millions). The state-run
studio China Film Group Corp. and Sony Pictures will be producing
with more partners in talk to invest. Shooting will start sometime
in 2009.
Related Stories:
More about Stephen Chow's JOURNEY TO THE WEST
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
December 2, 2007
What Will Stephen Chow Do Next? How about a
JOURNEY TO THE WEST? Again?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
November 29, 2007
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Director Cen Fan Died at Age 82
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 26, 2007 |
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(Image: ?) |
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Born in Shanghai in 1926, Cen Fan wrote his first screenplay in
1945. He then joins Nan Yang Film Studio in Hong Kong in the
following year. In 1957, Cen returns to Shanghai and became a
director at the state-run Haiyan Film Studio (now Shanghai Film
Studios). Films his directed or co-directed before the Cultural
Revolution include
Life and Death
(1953), Peking opera
Qun Ying Hui;
Peking opera
Jie Dong Feng; Lin Zexu
(1959), a biopic of Linzexu, imperial minister who banned opium
trade in China and later fought against the British invasion
during the First Opium War; and Yue Opera
Dream of the Red Chamber,
adapted the same title 18th century novel about falls of powerful
bureaucratic family in the feudal China. In 1981, he directed
Ah Q Zheng Zhuan
(1981), based on Lu Hsu's same name short novel which heavily
criticizing the pre-revolution society of China. The film was in
competition at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1982. Cen's
other works include
Bi Shui Shuang Hun
(1986),
Chuang Jing Hu
and
Meng Fei Meng
(1993). Cen Fan died at a Shanghai hospital on January 23. |
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New York Recreated in
Shanghai, for MEI LANFANG Biopic
(Sina.com) |
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January 23, 2008 |
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(Images: China Film Group Corp., Emperor Motion Pictures, CMC
Entertainment.) |
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Four set photos have been released to show how Shanghai's historical
Dianchi St. being turned into a New York street in the 1930s. Part
of the street was sealed off for nine days for scenes of Mei
Lanfang, Peking opera artist, performing on Broadway in 1930s. It
looks pretty authentic except the American flags. Can you guess why?
Click here for more shots.
Shanghai Concert Hall is doubling for a
Broadway theater.
Related stories:
MEI LANFANG Biopic Production Update
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
November 20, 2007
How Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi Look in Chen Kaige's
MEI LANFANG Biopic
(Sohu.com)
October 20, 2007
Camera Rolls for Chen Kaige's MEI LANFANG
(...)
July 21, 2007
Chen Kaige's MEI LANFANG Biopic
in Production Next Month
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
June 23, 2007
Zhang Ziyi's Involvement in Chen
Kaige's MEI LANFANG Biopic Confirmed?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
April 19, 2007
MEI LANFANG Biopic Cast List
Partially Revealed
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
April 13, 2007
Zhang Ziyi Wants to Be a Cowgirl in
LAUNDRY WARRIOR and Wife of MEI LANFANG?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
April 2, 2007
Leung Chiu-Wai, Leon Lai Are
Frontrunner to For Chen Kaige's MEI LANFANG Biopic
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
March 2, 2007
Chen Kaige Gets to Direct Mei Lanfang
Biopic
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
August 6, 2006
Leung Chiu-Wai Might Portray Peking
Opera Legend Mei Lanfang in Director Stanley Kwan's Next (MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive)
January 19, 2006
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THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI Trailer
(Sina.com) |
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January 22, 2008 |
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(Image: Bluewater Pictures, Ming Productions, Geerland Entertainment
Organization, Rouge Entertainment Group, Zero West Filmproduktion.) |
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CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI's Another Press
Conference Plus Another Behind-the-Scene Video
(Sina.com)
June 19, 2007
CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI Promotional
Photos from Sony
(Sony Pictures
Classics) May 11, 2007
Video: CHILDREN OF HUANGSHI Press
Conference Plus a Behind-the-Scene Clip
(CCTV / Sina.com)
January 23, 2007
CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI Production
Update
(...) December 17, 2006
More Pictures from THE CHILDREN OF
HUANG SHI
(Sina.com.cn / TungStar) November 29, 2006
A Few Singapore Kids for THE BITTER
SEA (MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) August 1, 2005
Brendan Fraser to Rescue CHILDREN OF
GUANGXI in the War-Torn China
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
June
19, 2005 |
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ONIMUSHA Production Set to Begin Next Month at Hengdian World
Studios
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 21, 2008 |
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(Image: Capcom.) |
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For many years,
people have been talking about making Onimusha, popular
Playstation game series into a feature film. Set in the 16th
Century Japan, the stories of Onimusha the movie is about
a young samurai hunting demons and saving a princess from the
evil madman Nobunaga. So I guess Jean Reno who appears in the
third installment of the series may not show up this time.
Earlier last year news came out suggesting the production would
be largely shot in China. Recently the Chinese press has further
stated the filming location is Hengdian World Studios. Located
at Zhejiang Provinces of eastern China, about 280 kilometers
southwest of Shanghai, this over 815 acre private-owned studio
contains full-scale buildings with architecture styles from
almost every Chinese dynasty. Owner of the studios, Hengdian
Group, is a major shareholder of Warner China Film HG Corp., a
branch Warner Bros. set up in China. Every year dozens of movies
and TV series are shot inside the studio complex and millions of
tourists visit the studio hoping to bump into stars they might
recognize. Some noticeable films being shot at the studios
including The Emperor and the Assassin, Hero,
Curse of the Golden Dragon, The Warlords and the
upcoming The Forbidden Kingdom.
The reason
behind shooting the movie in China instead of Japan is not clear
but I would suspect the cost the prime reasons. A large number
of non-unionized low-paid (in western standard) Chinese have
been hired to fill the crew and cast. It is believed that a set
representing the ancient Japan has been built, including a
castle and a temple. The crew consisted with people from the US,
China and Japan will start working at the studio next month.
Shooting will start in April and wrap four months later. Takeshi
Kaneshiro, who provided his face and voice for the game series
is in series talk to 搑eprise?his role with a payment reportedly
no less than US$5 million. Honestly, I think there is no other
choice.
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Opening This Week: January
12 - 18
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 18, 2008 |
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I'm Liu Yuejin |
The
End of Year |
See You in YouTube |
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(Images: China Film Group Corp., Chengtian
Entertainment Beijing Film Studios, Zhong Dao Film Distribution Co.,
Ltd., Universe.) |
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Three comedies have made to the theatrical
screens this week. Released in the mainland China,I'm Liu Yuejin
is about a
memory stick, somehow finds its way to the hand of a cook, throws
several powerful men into grave danger.
The End of Year,
another comedy released in the mainland, tells a
story of contractor, a school and a cardiologist, during the final
days before the Chinese New, when hundreds of millions of Chinese
are heading home by train.
Hong Kong-made See
You in YouTube tells
two girls, best friends who have been rivaling on everything, falls
in love with the same guy.
Click here for detail.
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For MEI LANFANG Biopic, Chen
Kaige Is Recreating New York in Shanghai
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 14, 2008 |
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Are we in New York yet? (Image: Xiao Niao Cai Cai.) |
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Production of director Chen Kaige's
Mei Lanfang
biopic has been moved to Shanghai, according to the local press.
Inside Shanghai Film Studio, a replicated street of the old Shanghai
has been picked to be redressed for doubling for the New York City
in the 1930s, including an entrance of a hotel. It will be used in
the scenes of Peking opera artist Mei Lanfang performing on-stage at
a Broadway theater. About 1200 locally recruited extras, all
Caucasians, will show up for these scenes. Also, Chen Kaige has
abandoned the plan of shooting some scenes at Mei's ex-residence in
Shanghai, because the residence, just being renovated, looks too
new.
Shanghai Film Studio at Chedun:
A
B
C
Related stories:
MEI LANFANG Biopic Production Update
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
November 20, 2007
How Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi Look in Chen Kaige's
MEI LANFANG Biopic
(Sohu.com)
October 20, 2007
Camera Rolls for Chen Kaige's MEI LANFANG
(...)
July 21, 2007
Chen Kaige's MEI LANFANG Biopic
in Production Next Month
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
June 23, 2007
Zhang Ziyi's Involvement in Chen
Kaige's MEI LANFANG Biopic Confirmed?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
April 19, 2007
MEI LANFANG Biopic Cast List
Partially Revealed
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
April 13, 2007
Zhang Ziyi Wants to Be a Cowgirl in
LAUNDRY WARRIOR and Wife of MEI LANFANG?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
April 2, 2007
Leung Chiu-Wai, Leon Lai Are
Frontrunner to For Chen Kaige's MEI LANFANG Biopic
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
March 2, 2007
Chen Kaige Gets to Direct Mei Lanfang
Biopic
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
August 6, 2006
Leung Chiu-Wai Might Portray Peking
Opera Legend Mei Lanfang in Director Stanley Kwan's Next (MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive)
January 19, 2006
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Stephen Chow's CJ7 Coming to
America on March 7
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 13, 2008 |
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(Image: Star Overseas, China Film Group, Columbia Pictures Film
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Mighty Ganesha, one of our greatest contributors, just pointed out
that March 7th is the date for the film to hit theaters in the US,
and possibly Canada as well.
The official website by Sony Pictures
states "In Cinemas January 31". There is nothing wrong with that,
except the date is only set for some areas of Asia.
Click here for worldwide release dates.
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John Woo
to Tell a Chinese Civil War Story with
1949?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 12, 2008 |
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John Woo (R) on the set of Red Cliff. (Image: m1905.com.) |
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With John Woo's mega-budget historical war drama Red Cliff in
post-production, title of his next possible project has surfaced
online.
1949, according to Sina.com, is about the
Chinese Civil War
(1946 - 1950). In the year of 1949 is a major turning point in
Chinese history, Mao Tze-Tung declared the founding of a new
government with the communist-led Liberation Army taking control of
much of China, while Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government fled
to Taiwan. Woo has been talking with Wang Hui-Ling about the
screenplay. Taiwanese woman writer Wang has been involved in many
projects by Ang Lee, including
Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
and
Lust, Caution.
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Opening This Week: January
5 - 11
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 11, 2008 |
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Linger |
Help
Me Eros |
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(Images: Milky Way Image Company, Sil-Metropol
Organization, Sundream Motion Pictures, Homegreen Films.) |
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This week, Johnnie To's supernatural love story
Linger
has been released in Hong Kong, the mainland China and Taiwan.
Starring Li Bingbing and Vic Zhou,
Linger
tells a woman who is heartbroke after her boyfriend died in a car
accident a few years ago, starts seeing her boyfriend visiting her
life for real.
In Taiwan, Lee Kang-sheng's lust-filled
Help Me Eros
has finally released in his home soil. The story is about a
man, who lost everything in the stock market and now growing
marijuana at his sealed apartment, falls in love with a sweet and
gentle voice over a suicide helpline. Rejected by the woman with
that voice, he starts an erotic and psychedelic relationship with a
girl working downstairs. At the same time the man begins stalking
the woman he is in love with...
Click here for detail.
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John Woo's RED CLIFF Got an
Official Japanese Site
(..) |
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January 10, 2008 |
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(Image: Toho.) |
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Not much is available from the site and everything is in Japanese
only. The "Introduction" talks a little bit about the project. The
"Cast" only mentioned Leung Chiu-Wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro, two of
many leads of the historical war epic. A mini-biography is included
in the "Director" section. The "Movies" contains a short cliff of
John Woo making a speech to people in Japan. He said the movie was
about wisdom, friendship, courage and solidarity. You may register
at the "Mail Magazine" to get more info about the film in the
future, all in Japanese of cause.
Click here (Thanks to
Twitch.)
More about
Red Cliff. |
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More Trailers of Stephen
Chow's CJ7
(Sina.com) |
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January 10, 2008 |
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(Image: Star Overseas, China Film Group, Columbia Pictures Film
Production Asia.) |
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New trailers:
A (1 minute)
B (2 minutes)
Narrator: He is a hard working man.
Foreman: You look tired, go home and have a rest.
You'e fired.
Narrator: He is an honest guy.
Chow: There is a problem.
Lady: What kind of problem?
Chow: I feel I am so handsome. Ha-ha-ha.
Narrator: He is an incredible dad.
Son: AHHHHHHH Dad, what are you doing? No, no!
Narrator: To make his son happy
Son: This is called CJ1, all my classmates got
it, it's awesome.
Chow: Let's get out of here, put it back.
Son: oh?
Narrator: He would do anything.
Chow: I got a toy greater than CJ1, you want to
take a look?
Son: !!!... Are you here to invade our earth?
Chow: Wow! This kind of hi-tech toy I have never
seen before! It's so elastic!
Narrator: Stephen Chow, after
Shaolin Soccer
and
Kung Fu Hustle.
Son: There is a test today. But
last night I was having fun with you and didn't prepare for it.
Would you mind to give me hand on that?
Narrator: Challenging the universe, a brand new
comedy.
Blackboard: Chinese Literature Test |
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Johnnie To's SPARROW to Compete in
Berlin
(...) |
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January 10, 2008 |
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(Image: Milky Way Image Company.) |
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Johnnie To's long-overdue
Sparrow
(aka. Cultured Bird) has been spotted among the remaining
in-competition list for the upcoming Berlin International Film
Festival. With Simon Yam as the lead,
Sparrow
tells a tale centers around a pocketpick in Hong Kong. Other cast
member include Kelly Lin, Lam Ka-Tung,
Lam Suet and Kate Tsui. So far
17 titles have being confirmed for competing for the Golden
Berlin Bear, including Chinese director's
In Love We Trust
and Japanese director Yoji Yamada's
Kabei - Our Mother.
Originally started in summer of 2004, filming got
suspended and resumed many times. Since then, Johnnie To has
completed a long list of other movies, usually with major cast
members of The Sparrow, including Election,
Election 2, Exiled, Triangle, Linger and
the recently released highly applauded Mad Detective.
Related stories:
Johnnie To Is Back to CULTURED BIRD, Again
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive)
December 5, 2007
Official Berlin International Film Festival
website. |
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LOST IN BEIJING,
Banned in China, Finds Way to America
(..) |
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January 9, 2008 |
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(Image: New Yorker Films,
Laurel Films, Polybona
Film Distribution Co., Ltd., Zhong Hong Real Estates Development
Group Corp.) |
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Just days after being officially banned in China
(the mainland only), Chinese film Lost in Beijing is being
prepared for a limited theatrical release in New York City starting
the 25th this month, by New Yorker Films.
Lost in Beijing, written and directed by woman director Li
Yu, tells how the life of two couples from the top and bottom wealth
pyramid gets tangled together.
The Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film
and Television (SARFT), the regulator which is in charge of film
censorship in China, refused to give the film a release certificate,
a necessity for any Chinese film to be openly screened anywhere in
the world according to the Chinese regulation. A SARFT organized
committee, which is acting as the state censor, was very upset by
the film's alleged negative tone on today's Beijingers' life and
specifically felt offended by several shots which were considered by
members of the committee, pornographic. Later, after about 22
minutes of shots being removed from the 112 minute film, a release
certificate was finally issued. But makers of the film did not show
the cut version, as required by the SARFT, for its worldwide
premiere at Berlin International Film Festival over a year ago. The
original uncut version was screened and the same version was offered
to international buyers. On November 8, 2007, the uncut version was
released in Hong Kong, a Chinese city runs its own regulation on
films. The city's censors rated the film Category III, which has
often being misunderstood as a rating only given to adult film.
Then in November 30, the cut version was released
in the mainland China and earned about 20 million yuans (US$2.8
million), pretty impressive for a 4 million yuan project. The
reviews on the film in China are sharply divided, though the
reviewers might have been talking about two versions of it. Some
praise it for criticizing people who are greedy on personal gains
while giving up moral standard. Others say the Beijing shown in the
film is unreal and presented in bad taste.
Then last Thursday, a SARFT ordered the film to
be banned completely, which has stirred a big debate in China. SARFT
claims the reasons for issuing the ban is that the unapproved uncut
version of the film being shown at the Berlin International Film
Festival and some unapproved "pornographic" materials from the film
being presented on the internet. The first accusation is usually the
official excuse the SARFT banning many Chinese films, like Tian
Zhuangzhuang's The Blue Kite, Zhang Yimou's To Live
and Jiang Wen's Devils on the Doorstep. The second
accusation is really something new. Just before the theatrical
release in China, clips and stills from those "pornographic" shots
being removed appeared online. The SARFT is accusing the film's
makers deliberately leaking these materials to the public for
marketing purpose, but the makers claim these materials are from
bootlegged and stolen videos. Reportedly, there have been at least
four versions of the uncut Lost in Beijing available from pirated
DVDs and the internet. It seams that the Chinese government is
escalating the crackdown on adult materials on all media, and with
the ban on
Lost in Beijing, a signal has been sent out to all film
makers, as well as makers of other motion and still pictures, that
what unapproved for a film itself is also not allowed in other
media. Like an old Chinese saying, Killing a chicken in front of a
group of nasty monkeys.
Related Stories:
Variety's report on the subject.
Official site of Lost in Beijing by New
Yorker Films.
New
Yorker Film is also releasing Jia Zhangke's
Still Life, slightly censored but not banned in China.
(Thanks to "Marry" for the links.) |
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Trailers, Posters and Promo
Shots of Stephen Chow's CJ7
(Sina.com) |
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January 8, 2008 |
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(Image:
Star Overseas, China Film Group,
Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia.) |
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Stephen Chow's latest self-written, self-directed and self-acted
CJ7
will start showing the 31st of this month. "CJ" is short for "Chang
Jiang", the Long River, aka. Yangtze River, but "CJ7" is in fact
referring to an alien pet somehow got lost on earth. In the
sci-fi comedy, Chow plays a single dad, who works very hard as a
poorly-paid construction worker while still manages to support his
son to attend a prestige school. One day he discovers a strange toy
in the trash and gives it to his son. The toy turns out to be
nothing like it on earth. Jointed-produced by Sony Pictures, which
was behind Chow's last film
Kung Fu Hustle,
will handle the release in the US, the Netherlands and Singapore. (Release
schedules in some countries.)
New trailers:
A (15 seconds)
B (30 seconds) - Chow's son swears
he will get a full mark from that days' test.
Posters, stills and other CJ7 related
images:
A B
Official website by Sony Pictures.
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What Should We Expect in
2008?
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 7, 2008 |
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Scheduled for 2008
Linger (January) - Johnnie To directed tearjerking love story, starring Li
Bingbing and Vic Zhou.
CJ7 (January) - Stephen Chow's latest! Wrapped up over a year ago, this one
tells a father and a son and their affair with an alien pet.
Kung Fu Dunk
(February) - Jay Chou plays basketball with kung-fu and CGI.
Three Kingdoms:
Resurrection of the Dragon
(March) - Andy Lau plays a general, teaming up with Sammo Hung, Andy
On, Yu Rongguang, Pu Cunxi and Vanness Wu, to protect a falling
kingdom against Maggie Q.
And the Spring Comes
(aka. The First Day of Spring) (February) - Gu Changwei's project
following up Peacock, about several ordinary people's stories in the
1980s, the first decade during which China made its transform to a
capitalist society.
An Empress and the
Warriors
(March) - Ching Siu-Tung directed martial-art war epic with Kelly
Chen, Leon Lai, Donnie Yen and Guo Xiaodong.
The Children of
Huang Shi
(April - Asia) - A true story inspired drama about a British
journalist saving 60 children in the war torn China. Starring
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Chow Yun-Fat, Radha Mitchell and Michelle
Yeoh.
The Battle of Red
Cliff (Fall)
- John Woo's gigantic war epic, which reportedly the most expensive
movie ever made in Asia.
In Love We Trust
- Wang Xiaoshuai's story of how a woman decide to have a new baby
with her ex-husband in order to save their daughter dying from blood
cancer. In competition at the coming Berlin International Film
Festival
Cultured Bird - Johnnie
To's overdue story about a pickpocket might be released this year.
17 - Joan Chen reunites with the son she gave up long time ago.
The Silver Empire
(literal) - An epic story of the rise and fall of family run banking
businesses in the 19th Century's China.
In
Production:
Mei Langfang
- Chen Kaige's biopic of Peking opera master Mei Lanfang, starring
Leon Lai and Zhang Ziyi.
Nanking! Nanking!
- Lu Chuan's recount of the Nanking/Nanjing Massacre (1937/38).
Painted Skin
- Story of a demon covered under a pained girl's skin to seduce a
young man to be chased by a demon hunter. Starring Donnie Yen, Zhou
Xun, Chen Kun and Zhao Wei.
Now in preproduction:
The Nobles
- Feng Xiaogang's new comedy about a newly-rich guy dreams about
living in high style and gets conned for.
Missing - Tsui Hark's mystic story about a man with a plan to propose to his
girlfriend and hides an engagement ringing in an ancient underwater
ruin.
The Shinjuku
Incident -
Yee Tung-Shing directed story about the Chinese living in Japan,
with Jackie Chan and Ken Watanabe playing the lead.
Twenty-Four City
- Jia Zhangke's new project about how a huge factory is torn down to
make way for a housing project.
Api Sword
(literal) - Andrew Lau's first martial-art film based on the same
title comic series.
Nu Ren Bu Huai
- Tsui Hark's drama about three women in the modern day Beijing,
which is inspired by his Peking Opera Blues.
A Little Game
- Ang Lee's drama about
a picture-perfect
couple faking a break-up, only to learn their friends never thought
their union was a good idea in the first place.
International Affairs:
John Rabe
- Biopic of a Nazi businessman saving lives from the Japanese force
during the Nanking/Nanjing Massacre.
Purple Mountain
- A Hollywood version of the Nanjing/Nanking Nanking/Nanjing
Massacre.
The Mummy 3
- Jet Li is a mummy cursed by Michelle.
The Forbidden
Kingdom -
Jackie Chan and Jet Li share the same screen first the first time.
The Horsemen:
Zhang Ziyi helps Dennis Quaid to solve a series of killings which
lined to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Still in Talk:
Journey to the West
(working title) - Stephen Chow is thinking about a new adaptation of
the classic fantasy novel.
Thang Ka - Jacob Cheung wants to send Andy Lau and Tang Wei to the ancient
Tibet for a new thrill.
The Karate Kid
Remake -
Rumors: Will Smith and his son, Jackie Chan
Tai Chi Tiger
(literal) - A martial-art flick with Chen Hu and Keanu Reeves.
Snow and the Seven
- Hollywood moving the Snow White story to China.
Kung Fu Hustle 2
- Stephen Chow said the script was done but no date has been set.
The Outlaws of the
Marsh
(literal) - Andrew Lau and Johnnie To would adapt the classic novel
about a group of warriors rise against the corrupted empire.
108
- Ronny Yu is planning his own adaptation of The Outlaws of the Marsh.
Judge Dee
- Another project by Tsui Hark.
Waiting - Peter Chan would let Zhang Ziyi waiting endless for her love one
Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Gold Bandits
- Andrew Lau's period actioner.
Christmas, 1937,
Nanking
(literal) - Yim Ho's own story about the Nanking/Nanjing Massacre.
Days in the Palace
(literal) - Xu Jinglei's drama about the only woman monarch of China.
Chasing Dragon
(literal) - Wong Jing's new crime thriller.
The Whistle Arrow - Sammo Hung is set to direct this
martial-art film.
Shanghai
- Gong Li and John Cusack in thriller set in the pre-Pearl Harbor
Shanghai.
Bruce Lee Biopic
- Endorsed by some of Lee's family members, this one might happen
this year.
Dragon Tiger Gate 2
- Right now, this one is just an idea.
Five Deadly Venoms
/ Flying Guillotine - Two Shaw Bros. classics will be remade.
The Great Wall
- Yuen Wo-Ping directed historical drama starring Jet Li.
The Lady from
Shanghai - A
Wong Kar-Wai / Nichole Kidman project.
Nie Yin Niang
- Hou Hsiao-Hsien's first martial-art film.
Seven Swords 2
- Just one of many options fro Tsui Hark.
Ye Wen - Wong Kar-Wai planned story of Ye Wen, who trained Bruce Lee. Starring
Leung Chiu-Wai. |
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Asia Film Financing Forum Announced
25 Projects to Endorse in 2008
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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January 6, 2008 |
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Top to bottom: Li Yang, Ning Hao, Park Chan-wook,
Nakata Hideo
(Images:
Hong Kong International
Film Festival.) |
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Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) and Hong
Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) just just announced 25
film projects they will endorse at this year's Asia Film
Financing Forum (HAF), from March 17 to 19, during the annual
Asian Film Awards and Filmart.
Many recognizable names are among the directing talents behind
these projects. Silver Berlin Bear winner Li Yan, who has been
telling stories about the dark side of today's China with
Blind Shaft
and
Blind Mountain, will
bring us
Mang Liu. Pang Ho-cheung
(Exodus,
Isabella,
Men Suddenly in Black),
who tells stories with stylish humors, will talk about
The Bus. Ning Hao, who
made "artistic" film Mongolian Ping Pong, surprised everyone
with action-packed comedy
Crazy Stone, and now
making a bigger action packed comedy
Silver Medalist
(a HAF project back in 2005) will have
7 Dreams. Woman
director Carol Lai Miu-suet (Naraka 19,
Floating Landscape,
Glass Tears) is making
Shuffle. Cai Shangjun,
screenwriter of
Shower
and
Spicy Love Soup, who
made his directorial debut with road movie
The Red Awn, is having
Adrift Time. Alexi
Tan, made
Blood Brothers
with an all star cast, will do a
Detour. Nakata Hideo,
director of the original
Ringu
series and The Ring Two,
a Hollywood remake of
Ringu, is working on
Gensenkan. Park Chan-wook,
of Cannes winner
Old Boy, has an
untitled project in mind. Brillante Mendoza, whose
Foster Child
drew international attention at Cannes, will provide
Service.
Among
projects the forum endorsed in previous years, many of them
have gained noticeable international
recognition.
Lost in Beijing, with a story
of a couples mirages from the countryside and a newly-rich
couple in Beijing, written and directed by Li Yu, was premiered
in competition at the 2007 Berlinale, collected an Honorable
Mention for its script at the Tribeca Film Festival and sadly
banned in China just last week. Zhang Yang's
Getting Home, about a
virtually broke old age migrant worker taking a long journey to
send the body of his dead friend home, won the Ecumenical Jury
Prize in Berlin. Lee Kang-sheng's Help Me Eros,
about a marijuana grower falling in love with a voice over a
suicide helpline and starting an erotic and psychedelic
relationship with a girl working downstairs, opened in
competition at the 2007 Venice Film Festival.
The Most Distant Course
(aka Longest Distance),
featuring three individuals suffering from alienations and
heartbreaks, by compatriot Lin Chin-je, walked away with the
Critics' Week Award at Venice. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi's
Freesia, a
futuristic thriller with the story of a young man and a young
women who work as professional assassins, premiered in Rotterdam
in 2007. Kenneth Bi's The Drummer,
about an exiled young man learns the ancient kill of drum
playing which changes him spiritually, became the first Hong
Kong film selected for competition at the Sundance Film
Festival.
A number of HAF films are waiting for release. Kim Jee-woon
finished The Good, the Bad, and the Weird,
a western set in China in the 1930s, starring Song Kang-ho, Lee
Byung-hun, and Jung Woo-sung, is scheduled for a release in
South Korea in February 2008. Principal shooting of Kurosawa
Kiyoshi's Tokyo Sonata
(tentative title) has ended in December 2007. The movie
starts with a father is hiding the fact that he has been laid
off and his son is secretly taking piano lessons with the
tuition money for him to learn karate.
Click here to continue... |
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LOST IN BEIJING, Banned in China
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 5, 2008 |
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(Image:
Laurel Films, Polybona
Film Distribution Co., Ltd., Zhong Hong Real Estates Development
Group Corp.) |
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An internal notice issued by the Chinese State Administration of
Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) on January 3 has ordered
China-made film
Lost in Beijing
being removed from all distribution channels (theaters, TV,
Internet, etc.) of the country, prints of unapproved clips being
confiscated, the production studio Laurel Films and its head Fang Li
being banned from making films for the next two years.
According to the notice, they are guilty on three counts:
1: Making clips with "pornographic" contents (clips failed to pass
the official censorship.) and distributing the clips through the
Internet and video products without permission of the authority;
2: Submitting the un-officially-approved version of the film to the
57th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2007;
3: Promoting the film (in China) with "unhealthy" and
"inappropriate" means.
So is
Lost in Beijing
pornographic? In China, yes. According to several Chinese
regulations,
Lost in Beijing
is indeed a porno movie and should be banned. It contains such
scenes as , a man and a woman having sex, a simulated rape and a
woman's top being briefly exposed. But wait! The version has been
allowed for showing in Chinese theaters since November 30 last year
is clean. About 22 minutes have been removed from the 112 minute
movie, to make sure it is no longer "porno" and no longer showing
the negative image of China (another accusation which is not
included in the notice.)
However, the full-length original was shown publicly, not in China
but first in Berlin then in some foreign countries and Hong Kong, a
Chinese city running its own administration on films. Chinese
regulation requires all domestic-made films to get the official
approval from the SARFT, before being allowed for public screening
at anywhere in the world, including screening at film festivals. To
make
Lost in Beijing's
premier in Berlin legit, a clean version, the version being allowed
for public release in China later, was submitted and got
greenlighted. Members of a committee, a group of people old in age
and/or in mind, and are in charge of censorship for all movies to be
theatrically released, were not happy about the film's "negative"
tone on the life of today's China and especially offended by a few
"porno" scenes. But director Li Yu has never wanted to show the cut
version at the festival and instead, showed the uncut version.
During the next 11 months, despite the uncut version of
Lost in Beijing
being released in some parts of the world, the SARFT remained quiet.
Just when we thought that people from the SARFT finally got a little
bit open-minded, a new regulation in attempt for banning
"pornographic" movies was issued on December 29th last year and less
than a week later,
Lost in Beijing,
including the "clean" version, is officially banned.
Some, if not all, punishments by the SARFT are
really ridiculous. Banning the movie is virtually a slap in the face
of the SARFT it self, which approved it in the first place; and it
is also an insult on the public, which has the right to see and
judge it freely. Confiscating prints of unapproved clips would not
stop other copies of the clips being distributed. Also, does the
SARFT, a state regulation, have the authority to confiscate
private-owned properties? Polybona Film Distribution Co., Ltd. and
Zhong Hong Real Estates Development Group Corp., which financially
backed the film, are given an official "criticism" and are ordered
to "correct their mistake" by an undetermined probation period. The
"mistake" has already been done and no matter what, it cannot be
corrected; and by how long the
probation
period should last? And here is the most
laughable part: the film's producers, directors and actors should be
"seriously denounced and educated" and they should "self-denounce
profoundly" (this usually means a written
"self-denouncement"). Why would anyone of these individuals, who are
not employees of the SARFT or convicted criminals, have to go
through these near humiliating punishment and does the SARFT even
has the authority to do so? And if "spreading pornographic
materials" really happened, why would the actors be responsible for
that? This reminds me how
Harry Reams being prosecuted by the
American federal government for starring in a real porno movie
called Deep Throat
back in the 1970s. In fact, producer Fang Li said during a TV
interview that their materials were stolen and distributed to the
public without their knowledge. Fang appeared shocked by the SARFT's
decision and would discuss with officials of the Film Bureau, a
subsidiary of the SARFT, next week. Fang also produced director Lou
Ye's Summer Palace, which has been banned last year
for an unapproved version being screened at the Cannes Film
Festival.Someone has pointed out that the reasons behind the sudden
ban is not really other "porno" shots, which have already been
removed for making the "clean" version, but those shots being made
available on line and those shots let the film getting a Category
III rating in Hong Kong. (Category III equally to NC-17 in the US.)
Though a misconception, Category III is often referred as porno
movies. Allowing
a "porno" movies to be publicly released, officials of the SARFT
really felt the heat. Someone loses face and someone else has to be
the scapegoat. However, Ang Lee's
Lust, Caution
is China co-produced and contains, by official Chinese standard,
porno and rape scenes much more "hardcore" than those in
Lost in Beijing. The SARFT ignored it and simply approved a
"clean" version for being distributed in China. Maybe because Ang
Lee's is such a big name in the world or maybe because
Lust, Caution
is only co-produced by China, the SARFT is letting it go.
This ban has stirred a great debate in China.
Many bloggers have posted their articles online to share their
thoughts with the public. Though some of them, arguing Lost
in Beijing is humiliating China, the "porno" shots are bad
for the underage and making those shots is only a sick marketing
trick, are supporting the ban, a large number of them are crying
out, once more, for a movie rating system they believe if existed,
the film would be completely legal. Without a rating system,
officially a movie has to be appropriate for viewers of all ages and
the committee organized by the Film Bureau is in charge of approving
all movies. However, the criteria the committee uses seams to be
very ambiguous and unbalances. Nudity is strictly prohibited (but a
full-back view of a naked man or woman is allowed, which I can never
figure out the reasons behind it), sex scenes are sometime allowed
and sometime not allowed, superstitious and supernatural scenes
would be okay if the stories are set in the ancient time or a
fantasized world, and graphically violent scenes are allowed in
martial-art and war movies but not in others. The top ranking
officials have been ignoring the public outcry for a rating system.
They never said the system would not be possible nor said the system
would be possible. Some people argue that the system would open the
door for legalizing porno movies, something the Chinese leaders
would definitely not want to see. The government has always been
busy on cracking down illegal copies of real porno movies produced
outside of the mainland China. The argument behind the practice is
that these movies are "poisoning children" but there is no
explaining on why the adult is also prohibited from accessing such
movies. In fact, even with tough regulations, porno movies are still
available from street vendors and even more easily, from the
internet. A speculation suggest that by not introducing a rating
system for movies, TV shows and Radio programs, the SARFT would have
more power as a regulator and the officials, who actually think
"porn" is bad for everyone, would feel more comfortable by banning
more than allowing all. Status quo is always the best choice if they
fear about the consequences of a new system.
Arguably, the policy of no rating system and
being tough on adult materials is one of the major factor for
causing wide-spreading piracy in China. People who are not happy
about legally released but cut movies, domestic or foreign-made, or
are eager to watch foreign titles which would never be approved by
the Film Bureau, are constantly seeking illegal copies from local
vendors and the internet.
Another argument about this ban is that whether
the makers of the Lost in Beijing have the rights
to express in the way they prefer. Expressing a negative view on
China is only the opinion of some members of the censorship
committee and do they really have the rights to impose it on the
entire Chinese population? Should each individual decide by himself
or herself whether he or she want to see the movie and whether the
movie is humiliating China in deed?
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Opening This Week: December
29 - January 4
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January 4, 2008 |
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Help |
My
Blueberry Nights |
Yes, I
Can See
Dead
People |
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(Images: China Radio, Film & Television Programs
Exchanging Center,
Block 2 Pictures, Jet
Tone Production, Lou Yi Ltd., Studio Canal,
Emperor Motion Pictures.) |
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Wong Kar-Wai's first English language film
My Blueberry Nights
has been released in Hong Kong, about two week after being made
available in the mainland China.
It is a road movie about a young woman takes a soul-searching
journey across America to resolve her questions about love while
encountering a series of offbeat characters along the way.
Two horror flicks are released on each side of the Hong Kong
boarder. On the mainland side,
Help
tells a woman sees a shadowy figure after killing her fianc?and
burying his body inside her house; on the Hong Kong side,
Yes, I Can See Dead People
is about a young man, who can communicate with the dead, turns
against the evil spirits threatening the life of his love ones.
Click here for detail
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Monkeypeaches' The Best of
2007
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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January
3, 2008 |
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Here comes another round of "The Best of Chinese
language films". This year I want to do something different -
instead of giving 10 movies rankings, I simply list these movies without
numbers and I would like you to give them numbers or tell me you "Best"
list.
Lust, Caution
(USA / China / Taiwan / Hong Kong)
Wang Chia-Chi, a college student taking refuge in Hong Kong after her
hometown Shanghai fall to the Japanese, is introduced to play the bait
in an assassination scheme by several of his fellow schoolmates. Their
target is Mr. Yee, a quiet and conning man about to take a high ranking
position in the puppet government in the the Japanese occupied
territory. Their amateur attempt fails with Mr. Yee sudden departure. A
few years later in Shanghai, Wang reunites with her old team. She is
told their target is still Mr. Yee and is asked to resume her role. This
time, the operation is supported by the Chinese government, which is
still fighting with the Japanese bitterly. Her performance is marvelous
and her attempt of getting close to Mr. Yee is smoothly successful. Then
she suddenly realize her pray is in love with her for real and more
painfully, she feels the same for him. A decision has to be made while
her comrades are waiting for her to make the next move.
From the talented Ang Lee, this
is a masterly crafted film about a twisted and forbidden love in
war and turmoil.
Faithfully adapted from woman writer Elieen Chang憇 same title
short story, which is loosely inspired but not based on a true incident,
Ang Lee narrates the story in his trademark calm pace and powerful
matter. Like all his previous works, the cast is perfectly strong. While
veteran actor Leung Chiu-Wai shows us his best with the role of Mr. Yee,
newcomer Tang Wei is the most shining one in the psychologically complex
story.
Blind Mountain
(China)
A young college girl is lured to a mountain village and sold to a
mid-age man as his "bride." She tried again and again to escape, and
again and again she is recaptured a sent back to her abusing "husband".
In a place that possessing a purchased "wife" is normal though illegal.
The villagers ignore her suffering and the corrupted local government
officials turn a blind eye on her.
Bland Mountain
is inspired by a something real occurred approximately a decade again in
China. The major difference is, the movie offers us a sort of
mixed-happy ending while in the real story, the woman was sent to death
by the court for killing her "husband". The cast is formed by real
mountain villagers, except a handful of professionals. The result is a
close to real story. We do not know who exactly invented, probably
the
Lumieres, but such way of
shooting is very common to many other Chinese director, like Zhang Yimou
and Jia Zhangke. What makes this movie stands out is not the story but
the shocking truth that story similar to the one in the film is still
happening in many parts of the world. This is only the second film
written and directed by filmmaker Li Yang. His previous film,
Blind Shaft, take a very rare
look at the harsh life of many mine workers in today's China.
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Lost in Beijing
(China)
A country girl works at a foot massage house in Beijing is raped by her
boss and is caught by the girl's husband, a window-cleaner. After fails
to get a "compensation" from the boss, the window cleaner makes a visit
to the boss's wife, who quickly becomes his new "mistress". The masseur
girl discovers she is pregnant, with a baby of her husband. The couple
then brings the news to the boss and makes him believe the baby is his.
The boss agrees to pay the couple great deal of cash for the custody of
the unborn baby. Of cause, the story doesn't not end here and there are
more to come. This nearly absurd story is setup to let us enjoy the
adventures of two couples in the quickly modernized city of Beijing. In
a country where getting rich is in almost every individual's mind, money
becomes everything and everything else becomes nothing. Two couples
depicted in the film are from two end of the wealth
pyramid. The massage girl and her husband born in the countryside
and migrate to big cities to work as cheep labors, though their income
multiplies, they are still among millions of the poorest. The boss and
his wife, have been living in the big city ever since they were born,
become filthy rich as quickly as a blink of eye. When they get tangled
together, you are guaranteed to have an interesting story. It is so
amazing that in a country, where Marxist doctrine of denouncing
capitalism is still taught in schools while so many self-made
capitalists are allowed, and even encouraged, to take away "surplus
values" from the workers. The movie is co-written and directed by woman
filmmaker Li Yu, whose previous work include
Dam Street, about a young
woman's reunion with her son she was forced to give up when she was just
a teenager, and
Fish and Elephant, with a love
story of two woman.
Assembly
(China / Hong Kong)
Toward the end of the 1940s, civil between the Nationalist government
and the communist force is reaching a highpoint. A communist captain and
his ill-staffed and poorly equipped 9th Company are assigned with a near
impossible task, defending a coalmine by all costs. They are told a
retreat would be allowed once they hear the assembly call. But the call
never comes and everyone, except the captain, dies. When he gets back,
his unit has marched to the south and then entire 9th Co., including
himself, is simply listed as missing-in-action. He joins another unit
and survives the civil war and subsequently another war in Korea. When
peace comes and he is discharged from the army with two medals, he only
has one thing in mind, to let the authority honor his fallen men. No
doubt, battle scenes exhibited in the movie were heavily influenced by
Saving Private Ryan
and in fact the on-location effects were done by the same team from
Korean war epic Taegukgi, which is also influenced by
Saving Private Ryan.
Of cause, just showing war scenes, no matter how well they were crafted,
would only make the movie looks no difference from a video game. The
very original story of a soldier tirelessly fighting the red-tape to
gain honor and justice for his dead comrades is the best part of the
film. Director Feng Xiaogang was known for making blockbuster comedies.
A few years ago he decided to try something new. After
Cell Phone, a comedy with a
serious subject,
A World without Thieves, a
drama with comedic scenes and
The Banquet, a big-budget
period martial-art flick,
Assembly
becomes his first war movie.
The Warlords
(Hong Kong / China)
In another Chinese civil war (this one was between the Chinese Qing
Empire and the Taiping rebels, in the mid 19th Century), a imperial army
commander, after losing his entire battalion on the battlefield, takes a
refuge among a group of village bandits. His military knowledge
gains him quick respect and after swears to be brother with two bandits
leaders, the entire gang joins the imperial force, which badly needs new
recruits to crack down the Taiping. Despite next-to-nothing support from
their superior and backstabbing of a rival general, the brothers press
on, take cities one after another. War against the Taiping is over but
approaching menaces are threatening to tear the brothers apart. Started
with a remake of master martial-art director Chang Cheh's
Ci Ma,
The Warlords
ends up with a brand new version of how three sworn brothers join the
war for the survival of their love ones and how greed and ambition
finally end their relationship in bloodshed. Unlike in many big-budget
period projects from other Chinese directors, like Ang Lee's
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,
Zhang Yimou's
Hero
and Chen Kaige's
The Promise, which are filled
with beautiful and fancy moves, in this one, by Peter Chan, the fight
scenes look very much real. Director Peter Chan has made over dozen
movies based in Hong Kong and genres he has tried are plenty. He is
known the most for telling love stories, from this first one
Pickles Make Me Cry
to
Comrades: Almost a Love Story,
then to his second latest
Perhaps Love. Comedy is also
one of his favorite, such as
Tom, Dick and Hairy
and
He's a Woman, She's a Man. He
even tried horror with one segment in
Three
a few years ago.
The Warlords
is Chan's first big-budget war movie set in the ancient time.
Mad Detective
(Hong Kong)
A rookie cop is assigned to investigate a series of murder-robberies
involving a missing police man's hand gun. Though the missing cop's
partner has been the prime suspect, there is no hard evidence to nail
him. He turns to an ex-detective, who has an amazing gift of capturing
the guilty ones though his method is to put himself into the mind of
each criminal and reenact the entire crime sequence. His unique style
makes him a star and also erodes his own mind. Then a day five years
ago, he cut off his right ear and presented it to his departing boss. He
was declared being mentally ill and discharge from the HKDP. With the
plea from the rookie cop, the mad detective gets another chance to
showcase his gift. The only problem is he still looks like a maniac.
This is a real thriller, which is challenging you to think what the mad
detective would do next and even though in most of the times your guess
would be wrong, the story would still grab you till the end. No
surprisingly, such wonderfully entertaining ride is created by Johnnie
To, the most productive director now in Hong Kong. He often work in
multiple projects at the same time, most of them are crime thrillers and
a small number of them are romantic dramas. This is the man who made
such films like
Exiled,
Election 1/2,
PTU,
Running out of Time 1/2,
Fulltime Killer
and
The Mission. Kudos should also
be given to Wai Ka-Fai and Au Kin-Yee Au, who wrote dozens scripts for
most Johnnie To's movies.
Note:
Mad Detective
has been picked up by IFC for North American release. (Thanks to "Maria"
for the tip.)
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Getting Home
(China / Hong Kong)
An old age migrant working is sending his friend home, only his friend
is dead (died from a natural cause). He made a promise to send his dead
friend's corpse home and only working as a cheap labor, he can't afford
of fulfilling the promise in a proper way. Instead, he carries his
friend on to a bus and just pretend his friend is just drunk. The
journey is much harder than he anticipated and he used any mean he can
find to carry the corpse, bus, truck, tractor, hand-pull cart and even a
giant tractor tire. Fortunately, our hero has a great sense of humor and
would go through anything if necessary. No doubt this is a typical road
movie, in which our hero met so many distinctive persons, some of them
are bad, but most of them are selflessly to help him completing his
journey. The sounds a bit ridiculous, the movie is based on a real
story, in which the journey is much shorter. This is not hilarious story
which only serves the purpose of entertaining. This is a story showing
the best and worst of human nature, which would make you feel life is
not easy hard but hope is always just around the corner. The film is
co-written and directed by Beijing-born director Zhang Yang, who
has been exploring the real side of human life in his previous works,
Sunflower,
Quitting,
Shower
and
Spicy Love Soup.
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone
(Taiwan / Malaysia / France / Austria)
In Kuala Lumpur, the modernized and heavily polluted capital city of
Malaysia, a beaten up homeless man named is saved by a group of workers
migrated from Bangladesh. One of the workers lets him sleep in his
mosquito net. A restaurant waitress, having been taking care of a
paralyzed man, meets the homeless man and falls in lust with him. The
lady who owns the restaurant discovers the homeless man looks very much
like his son, the
paralyzed
man, approaches him with great interest. The film, many people found
unbearably slow and boring, quietly explores the life the low-end people
in a looks abandoned urban district, typical not just in
Kuala Lumpur
but in many cities around the world, and their great desire for
happiness, either sexual or none-sexual. Malaysia-born Taiwanese
writer-director Tsai Ming-liang is known for making movies about the
stories of the urban poor, working or out of job. To highlight his
achievement, Tsai's works also include
The Wayward Cloud,
Goodbye, Dragon Inn,
The Skywalk Is Gone,
What Time Is It Over There?
and
Rebels of the Neon God.
Prot間?/strong>
(Hong Kong / China)
A young undercover cop is gaining trust of his boss, who literally
controls the entire heroin market of Hong Kong. A heroin addicted young
woman moves into his next door with her under aged daughter. He feels
sorry for them and starts helping the woman to get clean. His boss
finally decides to introduce him to a opium lord in the Golden Triangle,
the source of all his heroin, a sign of declaring cop as his successor.
While back in Hong Kong, his neighbor's trashy husband shows up and
threatens to drag his wife back to the world drugs. Borrowed the
narrating style from
Traffic, possibly,
Prot間?/strong>, with two storylines
running in parallel, exposes the entire life-cycle of heroin, from poppy
plants down in the mountains of Southeast Asia to the liquid heroin
being injected into the bodies of countless people. The shocking reality
of drug manufacturing, trafficking and consuming is depicted in
very realistic details in the film. Makers of the film are not
attempting to finger-pointing at anyone. The people in the drug trade
look more or less like ordinary hard working men and women. They are
aware of the downsize of their products and blame large on the users for
all the consequences. The users are also men and women try to make their
own living. They also know what drugs really do to them, but they just
can't help themselves because they are addicted. Have been directing
over a dozen movies since mid 1980s, some of them he co-wrote,
director Yee Tung-Shing is one of the best from Hong Kong film
industry. Some of his best include
2 Young,
One Nite in Mongkok,
Lost in Time,
Full Throttle
and
People's Hero.
Tuya's Marriage
(China)
A Mongolian woman is in trouble, her husband is crippled, which means he
can no longer be a dependable labor for the family. Unwilling to give
up, she decides to find a new husband, who can support her and her
current husband.
inspired by several news articles, this is a very simple story.
How the movie was made also looked very simple. Professional actress, Yu
Nan, was cast to play Tuya, the Mongolian woman, and the rest of the
cast was filled with real Mongolian countrymen hired on location. The
result is a drama looks very close to a documentary, which is probably
the best result of a budget of almost nothing. Director Wang Quan'an,
who also co-wrote the script, is an independent filmmaker, who made two
other small budget dramas,
The Story of Ermei
and
Yue Shi.
Movies may also worth checking out:
The Sun Also Rises
Mr. Cinema
Simply Actors
Exodus
The Red Awn
The Silent Holy Stones
The Postmodern Life of My Aunt
Reflections
The Go Master
Spider Lilies
Whispers and Moans
Eye in the Sky
Invisible Target
The Drummer
Triangle
(Images:
Focus Features, Haishang
Films, Mr. Yee Productions, River Road Entertainment, Hai Sheng Film
Production Company,
Laurel Films, Polybona Film Distribution Co., Ltd., Huayi Brothers,
Media Asia Films, Ltd., Applause Pictures, Beijing Jinyingma Movie,
Beijing Poly-bona Film Publishing Company, Chengtian Entertainment,
China Film Group Corp., Media Asia Films Ltd., Morgan Chan Films,
Stellar Mega Film, Warner China Film HG Corporation, China Star
Entertainment, One Hundred Years of Film Company, Milky Way Image
Company, Ming Productions, Filmko Pictures, Fortissimo Films, Centre
National de la Cin閙atographie (CNC), Dama Orchestra Malaysia, EMI
Music Taiwan, Government Information Office of the Republic of
China, Homegreen Films, New Crowned Hope, Soudaine Compagnie,
Mediacorp Raintree Pictures, China Film Group, Beijing Poly-bona
Film Publishing Company, Film Unlimited, Maxyee Culture Industry,
Xi'an Motion Picture Company.) |
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