Advert or Micro Film? [Roast Pork Sliced From A Rusty Cleaver] (飲水思源)

Either way, I like them.

Eddie Peng and Guei Lun-Mei are seen in a series of adverts/micro films with an eclectic mix of music by Grace Chang, Booker T and the MGs and Leslie Cheung. The four stories (made in 2011) are based on the themes of "Sweet", "Sour", "Spicy", and "Bitter", a follow up to the 2010 'Bittersweet" advert (seen first in the compilations), also co-starring Eddie and Lun-Mei.

The product, it turns out, is a chewing gum with the brand name 'Yida' made by Wrigley. I thought it was an antacid or some sort of digestive aid when I first watched the unsubbed version. (Source)

Compilation video (unsubbed)

Director's compilation - subbed

Yida, of course, has its own weibo, with new videos. They're a new series, "Bittersweet II", just recently released in August, I believe. It co-stars the original pair plus the addition of Andrew Lin.

The director of the 2010/2011 videos (not sure if he did the new series) is David Tsui/Tsui Pui-Hon (徐佩侃). Check out some of his other, older adverts with Anita Mui and Chow Yun-Fat (and Jacklyn Wu Chien-Lien/Ng Sin-Lin; you might have seen these classics before). And then, a modern update follows. Very sweet!

Chow Yun-Fat and Jacklyn Wu


Director's cut


The second video in the trilogy, shot in Furano, Hokkaido Japan and Shaw Brothers' Studio Backlot in Hong Kong.

Modern update

9.12.2012 [Roast Pork Sliced From A Rusty Cleaver] (飲水思源)

LATimes: Chinese pay for product placement in Hollywood movies

TimeOutHK: Karen Mok interview
My next big project is my first English album and it’s jazz. This has been my dream for as long as I can remember. Our take on this jazz album is to also retain our Chinese identity. So we have some Chinese elements in the album. I play the guzheng and we put that in as well. It’s a completely new sound we’re trying to create.

(Xinmin)

Karen Mok's micro film/advert for Cadillac shot on Route 66

Daniel Wu gets Tom Cruise-y for Cadillac

(Xinmin-2010 gallery)

Posters for the recently opened (in August) Mainland horror film "Horrible Hotel"(?). The B-list cast includes Cecilia Cheung look-a-like, Gong Mi, and the pulchritudinous Zhao Ming, Anya, comic actors Li Jing and Dong Lifan. Hong Kong singer-actor and Wang Lee Hom clone, as well as Kelly Chen's brother, Victor Chen is the nominal hero.

Gong Mi, Victor Chen

Nightgown scene

Wet tee-shirt scene

Chinese Klansman?

(Sina)

9.10.2012 [Roast Pork Sliced From A Rusty Cleaver] (飲水思源)

TimeOutHK: Lo Chi-leung interview
Perhaps better known for his scary flicks and modern thrillers, director Lo Chi-leung is now playing detective for the excellent The Bullet Vanishes.

Liu Kai-Chi

FBA: Lotus review

Simplistic drama of a young female "rebel" fails to convince on a dramatic level.

FBA: Lethal Hostage review
Manipulative but gripping crime rondo set in the southern drug trade, with a fine cast.

Sun Honglei

Ni Dahong

Wang Luodan

Yang Kun

Zhang Mo

9.5.2012 [Roast Pork Sliced From A Rusty Cleaver] (飲水思源)

WSJ:  Raunchy ‘Vulgaria’ Defends Local Culture
When asked if “Vulgaria” would be distributed in China, producer Subi Liang replied: “Impossible.”
Related: China Lion's Coming Soon

TimeOutHK: Gwei Lun-mei interview
In the decade since she stole the audience’s heart as a teenager in Blue Gate Crossing, Gwei Lun-mei has accumulated an uncharacteristically versatile body of work that ranges from arthouse sensations to action thrillers.

FBA: Tai Chi 0 (aka Tai Chi Zero) review

THR: Tai Chi 0 review

Stephen Fung's much-awaited steampunk kung-fu actioner showcases stars Tony Leung Ka-fai, Eddie Peng and Shu Qi.

What in the heck is steampunk, anyway? Help me Urban Dictionary, you're my only hope!

Variety: The Bullet Vanishes review

Robust opening in China followed by a U.S. bow proves demand for cerebral Asian genre fare exists.

Yasmin Ahmad film festival and book launch [Roast Pork Sliced From A Rusty Cleaver] (飲水思源)

(Kuala Lumpur) BORDERS is holding a two-day film festival featuring the works of Yasmin Ahmad, in conjunction with the launch of "Yasmin How You Know?", a compilation of anecdotes and words of wisdom of the late award-winning filmmaker, as shared with her family, friends and colleagues.

The film festival will be held at Berjaya University College of Hospitality, Kuala Lumpur on Sept 8 & 9.

Admission is RM20 per day, and all proceeds will go to the Yasmin Ahmad Fund for Children, run by Mercy Malaysia. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/bordersmalaysia.

"Yasmin How You Know?" is published by Leo Burnett, the advertising agency where Yasmin worked as creative director.

At Leo Burnett, Yasmin producing several short films and commercials, most notably her festive season-themed commercials for Petronas. The ads drew widespread attention and praise for their uniquely heart-warming, multicultural depiction of Malaysian society.

Yasmin later achieved regional success with the feature film Sepet in 2004. The film, which chronicled the bittersweet love story between a Chinese VCD seller and a Malay schoolgirl, won numerous local and international awards.

The success of Sepet earned Yasmin the respect of her peers and movie audiences, as seen in the warm reception to her later films Gubra (2006), Mukhsin (2007), Muallaf (2008) and her final feature film, Talentime (2009), released months before her death in July 2009 after a sudden stroke. (TheSunDaily)