7.1.2010 - News

CRI: China's First Mutated-Creature Film Due out Aug. 6 (City Under Siege)
In the film, Aaron Kwok plays a careless man who makes a living performing at a vaudeville theater. While he is performing in Malaysia, he and some of his associates travel into the remote mountains in search of treasure. During their trek they absorb a biochemical gas left behind by the Japanese army during WWII.

Donnie Yen, Felix Chong, Alan Mak (r) receive bronze statue of General Kwan

(Sina)

CRI: Donnie Yen Promotes "The Lost Bladesman" in Beijing

In the film Yen plays Guan Yunchang, a legendary general of the Shu Kingdom in the novel "The Romance of Three Kingdoms," one of the Four Classical Chinese Novels.

CRI: Peter Chan to Shoot a Remake of "One Armed Swordsman"

Chan got the idea from the film "One Armed Swordsman," but he decided to create a new story which is more bloody and cruel. Takashi Kaneshiro will costar.

CRI: Jia Zhangke's Shanghai Documentary Premieres

FBA: East Wind Rain (東風雨) (7/10)

Densely plotted, Shanghai-set spy tale, set around the time of Pearl Harbor, is loaded with meaty production design and performances.
If the characters in East Wind Rain and Shanghai had been real people, they couldn't help but bump into each other. Set at the same time, in the same city (where it conveniently rains at moments of high drama), the two films are the flip-side of the same coin: Shanghai through western eyes, East Wind Rain through Chinese ones.

FBA: Echoes of the Rainbow (歲月神偷) (8/10)

Echoes of the Rainbow is one of a growing series of films (from Mr.Cinema to the recent (Gallants) in which Hong Kong filmmakers have begun to assert their separate Cantonese identity by looking back at "rosier" times as China gradually hijacks the territory's film industry and future.

Jun Ji-Hyun (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) at a recent Shanghai brand appearance

(Xinhua-gallery)

Lu Chuan was formally announced as the director of Banquet at Hongmen after rumors had him being possibly replaced by Daniel Lee. The film now as a new Chinese title King's Feast. The film will be a joint venture with Taiwan's Central Motion Picture and a US company besides Mainland participation and is expected to start filming in October. In fact, there are potentially two films to come out of the project, one on the greater epic story and one focusing on just the banquet incident. (Sina), 2 Previously reported on here: (12.12.2009), (3.27.2010)

Gillian's appearance on TV censored

CRI: Jay Chou dissected

After reigning over the Mandopop scene for a decade there are signs that Jay Chou is coming to the end of his powers.

SG: Cecilia Cheung confirms her return to the silver screen
Gong Li and husband divorce
Rene Liu opens up about scandal
A Taiwanese daily reported that the Taiwan-born beauty was to blame for her singer friend Tarcy Su's break-up with her long-time film director boyfriend Chen Kuo-Fu years ago.

4.19.2010 - News

East Wind, Rain posters

Preview screenings in Shanghai and Guangzhou reportedly well received (Sina)

THR: Bodyguards' sweeps HKFA

Top 10 things Hollywood can learn not to do from the Hong Kong Film Awards

This year's awards ceremony was probably the best worst show in the history of show biz

CRI: 'Bodyguards' Dominates HK Film Awards, Photo Gallery

CRI: Best Supporting Actor Nicolas Tse to be a Daddy Again in Two Weeks

"Cecila will give birth to my second child in two weeks. Thank you, my wife; and thank you, mom and dad. I haven't said this to them for quite a while because I was too busy shooting films," said Tse, whose face revealed quite a different expression from his usual cool facade.

THR: Celestial Pictures relaunches production arm

Productions restarts with two films from Teddy Chen, Derek Kwok's "The Enchanter"

Celestial, which owns the 700-titled Shaw Brothers film library, will fund, co-produce and manage the director’s next two projects, which he will also produce. The first is a big-budget remake of as-yet-undecided Shaw brothers period costume actioner, which Poon said the director has narrowed down to two Shaw Brothers classics. The company will look for a Chinese co-producing partner for releasing in China, with a target date of late 2011. The second project between Celestial and Chen will be a contemporary action film inspired by current events, also aimed to be a Hong Kong-China co-production.

THR: Golden Sun sells library for online

Golden Sun's $15 million remake of "The Chinese Ghost Story," announced at last year's Filmart, will commence filming in April 2010 for a late 2010 release. The film is the second installment of the "new oriental fantasy" trilogy after "Painted Skin" and will be followed by the $15 million "The Lantern." The company is also targeting the Chinese market with the $5 million action comedy "The Swordsman Dream" scheduled for July, and is considering the stereoscopic 3D feasibility for upcoming action adventure "Hidden Strike," now in development.

Director Stanley Kwan Takes on Kunqu Opera
Hong Kong film director Stanley Kwan is presenting a crossover project - the Kunqu Opera "Two Belles in Love".
CRI: Star Power Works for Quake Relief

CRI: Daniel Wu No Longer Available
Hong Kong heartthrob Daniel Wu has married long-term girlfriend Lisa S., local media reported on Saturday
Actor Daniel Wu marries long-time girlfriend in South Africa wedding


Zhao Wei has already tied the knot

Kwai Lun-Mei met with fans and promoted her latest film, "Taipei Exchanges" 

 

Kwai Lun-Mei, Lin Chen-Xi

(Xinhua), (Sina)

Jackie Chan shoots a MV for the Asian Games in Shanghai

(Sina)

Sour note silences Expo song

A promotional song for the Shanghai World Expo has been hit by the sound of silence because of a copycat row.

Twins visit funeral home Friday

Albert Yeung and wife

Albert Yeung's mother passed away earlier in the week (Sina)

Michael Wong performs in Macau in "A Legend Reborn" concert.

Singing 50's, 60's and R&B music

(Sina), 2

Fan Bingbing - East Wind, Rain

East Wind, Rain opens nationally on Apr.21. The red dress shown is the film's most strking 'prop'. 5 meters long and weighing 40kgs, 500 meters of tulle were needed to construct the dress.

Fan Bingbing

(Sina), [Update] CRI

East Wind, Rain - Li Xiaoran

Li Xiaoran costars with actor/director Liu Yunlong and Fan Bingbing

Liu Yunlong, Fan Bingbing

Koji YANO

East Wind, Rain opens Apr.21 (HunanTV), 2

3.22.2010 - News (Part 2)

THR: Echoes of the Rainbow
Bottom Line: A nostalgic and unabashedly sentimental family picture.
THR: 14 Blades
Bottom Line: A traditional martial arts thriller beefed up by gimmicky weaponry.

THR: Crossing Hennessy

Bottom Line: A rom-com that is more comical than romantic.

THR: Like a Dream

Bottom Line: Little thematic and less narrative sense make for difficult viewing that often tests the patience.

THR: Amphetamine

Bottom Line: Aesthetic aspirations killed the camp.

THR: Ant City (China)

Bottom Line: Evidence that the digital revolution isn't necessarily a good thing.

THR: Kyoto Story (Japan)

Bottom Line: A teasingly original idea from a new filmmaker wrapped up in the familiar.

THR: Wong Jing tackles 3D comedy
'King of Jesters' to be produced by Mega-Vision
Wong also returns to familiar grounds with "Naked Soldiers", the US$4 million three-quel to his sex and crime series "Naked Weapon" and "Naked Killer," which raised to cult status in Europe with their main draw of T&A and guns. Next, Mega-Vision will also begin production of the 30 million yuan (US$4.4 million) action adventure "Aladdina," starring Louis Koo and the Hong Kong pop group Twins.
THR: Filmko on a quest to make 3D 'Quixote'
First Chinese stereoscopic 3D period drama, helmed by Chinese director Agan

...starring Karena Lam ("Claustrophobia") and Liu Ye ("City of Life and Death"), the film was produced with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, utilizing the academy's stereoscopic 3D camera, the first in China. The film also hired a group of 3D experts from Germany as consultants during the shoots.

The company is now developing its next 3D epic, "The Monkey King," a 180 million yuan retelling of the Chinese mythical literature "Journey to the West" with a script written by "Ip Man" writer Edmond Wong. Filming is scheduled for October with a 2011 release date.

WSJ: Arvin Chen on Taiwan’s Film Scene and ‘Au Revoir Taipei’

Fresh from his win at the Berlin International Film Festival for his romantic comedy “Au Revoir Taipei,” Chinese-American director Arvin Chen is at this week’s Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum to meet with potential investors for his new movie,“Nan Jing East Road.”

East Wind Rain poster

(Sina) (Official Sina movie site)

3.19.2010 - News

Today, Mar.19, is Vivian Hsu's birthday (35th) and marks her 20th year in show business.

To mark the event she launched her international web site (http://www.vivianhsufanclub.com) after 9 months of development. Also, she offered a free copy of her new CD to her first 319 fans and one autographed by herself to a lucky fan.

(Sina) (NowNews)

Variety: Mulan (review)

Directed by a Hong Kong helmer, with several offshore Chinese among the key techies, pic lacks the dramatic and cultural heft of a purely mainland production, despite a largely mainland cast led by petite, big-eyed star Vicki Zhao as the cross-dressing ancient warrior.

Director/actor Liu Yunlong, Fan Bingbing

(Sina)

Movie Guide: 'East Wind, Rain' (CRI)

During World War II, Japan allegedly prearranged coded weather forecasts to alert its diplomats overseas of ensuing attacks on a foreign country. "North wind, cloudy" would mean the Soviet Union; "West wind, clear" Britain; "East wind, rain" the United States, or more specifically, Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
"East Wind, Rain" also stars Fan Bingbing, Yu Rongguang, Li Xiaoran, and Wang Baoqiang. (Opens Apr.22)

CRI: Film Version of "My Own Swordsman" to Be Shot in April

Ning Caishen, the film's screenwriter, said Yan Ni will still star as the manager of the Tong Fu hotel in the film, even though it had previously been reported that she would not appear in the movie because she was not satisfied with the salary on offer.

New faces of Filmart

YANG QING
Yang's "One Night in Supermarket," a stylish and quirky low-budget laffer, has captured the imagination of China's growing army of young cinemagoers, with boffo B.O. to boot. The 28-year-old from Chongqing in southwestern China wrote "One Night" in 2006 and shot it in just 29 days on a budget of $3.65 million. Yang won best scriptwriter at the Media Awards of the 12th Shanghai Intl. Film Festival in 2009.
ARVIN CHEN
The Boston-born director of "Au Revoir Taipei" cut his teeth working as an assistant in Taipei to the late, great Taiwanese director Edward Yang, and has also impressed Wim Wenders, who executive produced and gave behind-the-scenes support for "Au Revoir Taipei," Chen's feature debut. "Au Revoir Taipei" has delighted crix and won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) prize at the Berlin Intl. Film Festival in February. Chen had previously won a Silver Bear at Berlin for his short "Mei" in 2007.
EVA JIN
The Chinese-American filmmaker generated an interesting first last year: with her Zhang Ziyi starrer "Sophie's Revenge," she become the first female Chinese director to make more than 100 million yuan ($14.65 million) at the B.O. She also sold the English-language remake rights of the film, which she wrote. An early sign of her talent was when her short film "The 17th Man" won an Emmy Award for university students.

WSJ: Hong Kong Film Close-Up

As the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival kicks off Sunday, the local movie industry is re-evaluating its role in Chinese-language cinema.

'Suzie Wong' star, Nancy Kwan, shocked at destruction of old Hong Kong

“Hong Kong was really very charming in those days,” she told AFP in an interview ahead of the screening of a documentary about her life at the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market forum on Monday. 

The documentary, entitled “To Whom it May Concern: Ka Shen’s Journey”, a reference to Kwan’s Chinese name, traces the ups and downs of her career and life, including the death of her only son in 1996 at age 33.

"A Creative Journey with [Patrick] Lung Kong" at Film Archive showcases the director's inspiring spirit

A reformer and pioneer of Hong Kong cinema, director Patrick Lung Kong vowed to change the face of Cantonese cinema and was ahead of his time in farsighted portrayals of sensitive social issues like the plague in "Yesterday Today Tomorrow" and the anti-nuclear film "Hiroshima 28". He was keen to explore new ways of storytelling and experimented with different editing and pacing techniques. His films are impressive viewing, even today.

Kim Hee-Sun

Warring States: Why Kim Hee-Sun?

ESWN: Raymond Zhou (China Daily) Interviews Zhang Ziyi

And how he got the interview

Taipei Times: Pop Stop

Two nights ago, Kelly Chen, Gigi Leung, Hacken Lee and Edmond Leung performed at a Lion's Club charity concert

Gigi Leung

(Xinhua)

Jun Ji-Hyun and Leon Lai attended the grand opening of the Peninsula Hotel in Shanghai

The pair met 12 years ago while working on an advert

(Sina), (2)

Jaycee Chan - Taiwan

Jaycee Chan shooting MV for his new single

(Xinhua)

Edison Chen, in his own words:
Guess Who's Back
with two words MICHAEL JORDAN shook a nation
with no words LEVI’s of CHINA/TAIWAN/HONG KONG spoke loudly for me
yes i’m back and probably more focused and more determined than ever
alot is in the mix for ya boi EDC
people been talking alot, saying that and this and that
i dun need to speak back to the haters and nay-sayers cuz my actions will destroy
laugh all u want and ridicule all u want
my mom told me the world is mine
so i am here to take it back
YEAH take it back not just take it
THANKS FOR KEEPING MY SEAT WARM
like jigga man said it best ……… IM ALREADY HOME
BIG UPS TO LEVI’s 4 BELIEVING IN ME AND STANDING BY ME
Edison Chen and Jolin Tsai avoid each other at fashion show

TVB's Stephen Chan stays calm in storm