9.14.2010 - News

Variety: Showtime
FBA: Driverless (無人駕駛) (7/10)
Ultra-chic, precision-shot drama of intertwined relationships is cleverly constructed but not emotionally engaging.


CRI: "Chen Zhen" Music Video Released
THR/AP: Andrew Lau looks for hit with 'Chen Zhen'

Wang Luodan plays Quiet Autumn in the TV version of Under the Hawthorn Tree

(Xinhua)

CRI: Lin Chi-Ling Featured in Commercial
Lin Chi-Ling is to appear in a commercial for Swiss luxury watch brand Longines with Oscar-winning British actress Kate Winslet and Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai. (Related post)

Zhang Yuqi, Stephen Chow (Xinhua)

Stephen Chow breaks silence on Kitty Zhang's contract dispute

TIFF: Break Up Club intro and Q&A by Barbara Wong and Lawrence Cheng - both, thanks to Brian who captured the videos

SG: Karena Lam gone into hiding

SG: Vicki Zhao fails in business

Chow Yun Fat to leave 99% of his wealth to charity

8.14.2010 - News

THR: 'The Office' going to China

THR: The Fantastic Water Babes
Bottom Line: A frivolous but endearing romantic fantasy.

The hyper-colloquial dialogue used makes Cheung Chau comes across vividly as a community with its own customs and outlook that sets it apart from materialistic and phony urban life on Hong Kong Island. This is reinforced by some very pleasing panoramic shots of its mountains and beaches. But the inhabitants are drawn like cartoon figures. The way they prop up Gillian's belief in her superpowers or conspire to keep Kwok captive is endearingly balmy.

THR: Driverless

The fates of five couples collide in a road accident in Zhang Yang's "Driverless," which borrows Paul Haggis' concept of making the car a catalyst for intertwined stories in "Crash."

NZ: City Under Siege
If you rarely watch a Hong Kong film and want to see how different they can be, this is a great place to start. It’s far from a perfect film but it’s very entertaining, especially on the big screen.

Stills from High School Musical

The film is reportedly struggling to find an audience at the box office.

(Sina)

Charlene Choi in Chengdu promoting The Jade and The Pearl

Even after six months, the media is still asking about her and Ronald Cheng. Charlene deflected questions and said that she is okay. 'I know many of my friends are concerned about me but my fans do not care about these things.' Asked about what roles she would like to play in the future, Charlene said she would like to try something serious, a bad woman or one with mental illness. She name directors Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Yimou as ones that she would most like to want to work with.

The article also describes Charlene as a micro-blog 'lunatic'. Charlene is always waiting to hear what her friends are up to. After the press conference, Charlene made 4 posts in 15 minutes about the meeting.  (Xinhua) 

[Charlene currently has over 1.38 million followers on her Weibo (sina micro-blog) surpassing Gillian (1.37M followers), who you may recall had to convince Charlene this spring to start one up. As of today, Charlene has made 681 posts compared to. Gillian's paltry 374.]

The devil in Charlene

Charlene on her way to shoot an advert 

Zhang Jingchu in a recent photo shoot

(Sina-slide show)

Edison Chen was in Taiwan for a G-Shock watch exhibition in Taiwan. His new album is slated to be released in October. 

Afterwards, he flew to Las Vegas to catch Lady Gaga

Edison and Lady Gaga (from his blog)

(Xinhua). (Sina)

Faye Wong and Dou Wei in happier days

Dou Wei today

(Xinhua), 2

SG: Faye Wong enjoys life while ex-husband Dou Wei struggles
SG: Ekin Cheng and Yoyo Mung soaking in bliss
SG: Karen Mok denies romance
SG: Sammi Cheng lends her support (to Andy Hui)

Driverless Previews Well With Women

Zhang Yang's latest film has touched preview audiences particularly females. The story centers around the theme of true love lasting forever. Hot topics such as mistresses, one-night stands, love triangles and other emotional urban topics are highlighted. Add an attractive cast, fast cars, high fashion, exquisite performances, guest appearances and an unprecedented classic is in the making.
Faye Wong's music producer, Zhang Yadong, created the soundtrack and theme song for the film. (Sina)

Gao Yuanyuan, You Yong

Liu Ye, Li Xiaoran

Ruby Lin, Chen Jian-Bin

6.29.2010 - News

City Under Siege poster

Film opens in Hong Kong Aug.12 (Sina)

THR: Daniel Wu hopes to export HK success to Hollywood
"I find that Americans still have a very big stereotype toward what Asians are, and I don't feel a need to perpetuate that stereotype. So when a good character comes along, I'm all for it. I'm ready. I'd be very open to it," Wu said.
Variety: Love in a Puff
A lighter-than-air yarn about two cheerful nicotine enthusiasts, Hong Kong romancer "Love in a Puff" is an unfiltered delight. Pang Ho-cheung gets the balance exactly right with this well-realized vehicle for Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue, which also plays like a poem to that most cinematic of vices, smoking. http://hkmdb.com/news/?p=5642

CRI: "Shanghai"
Hollywood producer Mike Medavoy said that a good film should touch people emotionally. It was proved in his latest work "Shanghai".

FBA: Welcome to Shamatown (決戰剎馬鎮) (6/10)

Goofy treasure-hunting comedy is a cross between Crazy Stone and A Simple Noodle Story.

CRI: Giong Lim Promotes His Music in Beijing

Taiwan musician Giong Lim held a press conference last week in Beijing to promote the background music for Jia Zhangke's "I Wish I Knew", a dedicated film for the Shanghai World Expo 2010. [hkmdb]

CRI:'Driverless' Stars

Liu Ye plays a well-off man who is bored with his married life until he bumps into his first love played by Gao Yuanyuan.

Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan

CRI: Louis Koo and Daniel Wu are "in Love": States Director Derek Yee

A press conference for the action thriller "Triple Tap" was held in Beijing on June 28th. (Sina)

Beijing premiere

Li Bingbing

In the film, Li portrays a manager at a financial company. When Yee was asked to describe Li in real life, he said Li was strong, but inside she was a tender woman. As soon as the voice faded, a tear came out of Li's eyes. "It's very touching that the director understands me," explained Li.

Triple Tap: Intriguing premise but uneven delivery

Unfortunately, "Triple Tap" could not capitalise on this intriguing premise. Yee made his big reveal somewhere in the middle of the film, completely shutting down the suspense of finding out what actually transpired during the robbery and who was behind it.

Cecilia Cheung - Shanghai

Cecilia will begin work on Derek Yee's film with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in February.

Endorsement appearance

(Sina), (Sina-slide show)

Stephen Fung - Fantastic Water Babes

Alex Fong Lik-Sun, Stephen Fung

Stephen Fung (Sina)

Alec Su (left), director Zhang Fanfan during a media visit to the set

Alec Su

Alec Su, Pace Wu

Pace Wu in character

The Hidden Chamber of Secrets, a mystery film about serial murders, stars Alec Su and Pace Wu is currently filming in Beijing. He plays a novelist, she plays his wife. The story of horror takes place within 24 hours in a locked house with 8 people. One by one they die. Zhang Fanfan directs the film scheduled to open Oct. 29. (Sina)

Fan Bingbing

Rian Dundon: Behind the Scenes with Fan Bingbing, (CF)

Li Bingbing - Trends Health cover

CRI: Cover Girl of 10-year Anniversary Edition of "Trends Health"

CRI: Faye Wong to Perform 5 Concerts in Beijing This Fall

Hong Kong celebrity Michelle Reis in the family way
Ex-Hong Kong actress Michelle Reis was seen coming out of the gynaecologist's office recently, leading to speculation that she was preparing to get pregnant, according to a report in U-Weekly.

Driverless - Stills

Driverless stills featuring Li Xiaoran and Liu Ye, directed by Zhang Yang.

Li Xiaoran, Liu Ye

(Xinhua)

Li Xiaoran, Driverless (SIFF)

Li Xiaoran is the actress reportedly at the center of the recent chopper attack on director Yan Po. She left her boyfriend's hospital bedside to attend the SIFF to support Zhang Yang's Driverless in which she appears. In interviews, Li appeared overwhelmed. Asked about Yan Po's condition, she replied "good", and "okay". Then, she said quietly: "I believe things will get better a little bit, good prevails over evil." (June 12)(Xinhua)

Gao Yuanyuan, Li Xiaoran

Liu Ye, Li Xiaoran, Gao Yuanyuan

Zhang Yang, Gao Yuanyuan,Li Xiaoran,Ruby Lin, Wang Luodan, Liu Ye(2r)

Driverless

Ruby Lin, Li Xiaoran, Gao Yuanyuan

Gao Yuanyuan, Li Xiaoran, Ruby Lin

Wang Luodan

(Sina)