9.18.2010 - News

APA: Truth in Beauty: an interview with Last Train Home director Lixin Fan

FBA: The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman (刀見笑)
Fox's second Chinese production is a rich stew of clever script and tasty cast.

[Also, see related videos below from TIFF screening.]

Zhang Ziyi Special Olympics Global Ambassador met with kids at a skating rink in Seoul to promote the 2013 Winter Olympics

(Xinhua-gallery)

Tianjin - Jane Zhang 2010 I Believe World Tour

(Xinhua-gallery)

Angelababy at Harbour City

 

Windows 7 and Adidas, an odd partnership

(Xinhua)

Jennifer Tse

(Sept.17) (Sina-slide show)

HKStandard: CHANDEMONIUM

TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan was trapped in a media scrum after being charged with corruption and conspiracy to defraud the broadcaster - six months after his arrest...The three senior officials to testify against Chan are TVB deputy chairwoman Mona Fong Yat-wah, wife of Sir Run Run Shaw; the controller of TVB's production resources division Virginia Lok Yee-ling; and TVB's finance and administration general manager Mark Lee Po-on.

HKStandard: Vets get shock at the Big Station

Michelle Yeoh's brother photographed in intimate acts

Choi said she did not know Yeoh was married, as he was not wearing any ring when they first met a few months ago at a friend's gathering. [Be sure to read the captions for the full article.]

Yeoh family photo with Jean Todt

(Xinhua)

Intro and Q&A for Wuershan's THE BUTCHER, THE CHEF & THE SWORDSMAN (Thanks, Brian)

9.3.2010 - News

NPR: 'Noodle Shop': A Coen Brothers Tale Goes East
Relocated from flat and empty Texas to hilly and vacant China, Zhang's film has a lot of fun with the original material, along with some smiles at the expense of the director's own style. But the pacing is too deliberate, and much of the humor doesn't translate; the result is a would-be farce that's more droll than uproarious.

NPR: A Family Torn Asunder Takes The 'Last Train Home'

Frequently moving and quietly enlightening, Last Train Home is about love and exploitation, sacrifice and endurance.

NYTimes: Last Train Home

FBA: Showtime (用心跳) (2/10)
Incoherent, wannabe musical drama fumbles the ball at every level.

Xinhua: Zhang Yimou presents "pure love" in Cultural Revolution in new film (Under the Hawthorn Tree)

Resisting his long-time penchant for dazzling, picture-perfect visual effects and dropping the political edge in his early movies, top Chinese film director Zhang Yimou has recreated a pure love story on the silver screen in a simple and direct way.

WSJ: Hong Kong: A Love Story - All About Love
"I make films because I really want to find out what Hong Kong is like at the moment," says the 63-year-old Ms. Hui.

THR: Contagion' spreads to Hong Kong - Soderbergh film to feature Josie Ho

Ho, who met Soderbergh in Hong Kong in July, said she would draw on her own memories of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak to play her role in “Contagion.”
“It was a very sad time when we were all scared and nobody knew where to turn for help,” Ho said. “I really respect all the doctors and nurses who saved us. They are heroes.”
FBA: Asian stars join Soderbergh's Contagion

CRI: 'The Piano in a Factory' to Compete at Tokyo Film Festival (formerly Steel Piano, here)

(Sina-gallery)

FBA: Tang Wei invited back to Party

Malaysian hit film Ice Kacang Puppy Love featuring Angelica Lee opens Sept. 9 in China

(Sina)

New stills from Legend of the Fist released

(Sina-slide show)

Promises, promises

Jackie Chan brewing up another donation-gate? Inquiries have revealed that Jackie's 2009 promise to donate funds from Little Big Soldier box office for the reconstruction of a Beichuan Middle School destroyed by the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan has so far been not met. Jackie Chan and Li Yuchan visited Beichuan on the first anniversary of the earthquake and made his pledge then. A search of the online website listing donors turned up nothing for Jackie Chan or his various other names, Sing Long, Chan Kong, etc. Jackie Chan's Charitable Foundation confirmed that no record of a donation to Beichuan has been made. (Xinhua)

Louis Koo's agent tried to clarify earlier reports that the star would be out of commission for 9-12 months. He said that the actor would not completely suspend working after surgery for that length of time, more likely one month for rest and recovery. (Sina)

Chen Kun and Zhao Wei in Chengdu appearing for luxury brand LV.

(Xinhua-gallery)

SG: Beautiful voice runs in Faye Wong's family
SG: Vicki Zhao thanks hubby

3.25.2010 - News

Korean films find an audience in AMC theaters throughout the country

THR: One Day (Taiwan)
Bottom Line: A poetic love rhapsody that both mystifies and moves.

Screen Daily: Amphetamine
The third film from experimental Hong Kong filmmaker Scud, Amphetamine is the story of a doomed love affair between a gay man and an emotionally damaged straight man which, while always visually arresting, ultimately rings hollow. The film is certainly flashy – filled throughout with two second flashbacks, dreamlike imagery and fantasy sequences – but its self-conscious artiness dilutes the potential dramatic impact and it plays as more stylistic curio than full-blooded character piece.

THR: 3D sights set on kung fu classics
The tantalizing prospect of 3D re-edits of classic Hong Kong kung fu movies was dangled before the participants at the Asia Visual Effects and Digital Film Making Summit 2010: "Emerging Digital Movie Making in Asia" seminar in Theatre 1 of the Convention Center on Tuesday morning.
The cinema's facilities were put to good use as speakers showed footage from some of the latest local 3D productions that had the audience applauding after every clip.

Screen Daily: Fire of Conscience
Fire of Conscience grips right from the opening credits sequence, a stunning montage of freeze-framed black-and-white images, which offer clues to the complex crime story to follow. What follows is a frenetic and at times extremely violent crime tale that occasionally veers towards the daft but always manages to be gripping and provocative.

Interview with Lixin Fan, director of "Last Train Home"

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. (THR)

More 3D coming:
Ming Pao reports that Filmko Entertainment Cheang Pou-Soi (Accident) will direct a 3D IMAX version of Havoc in Heaven (the Monkey King story) with Donnie Yen or Jet Li, starting in October. [Last year, another 3D mainland version of Havoc in Heaven was announced for a release this summer but I don't remember seeing any update on that one.]
In addition, Filmko said Tsui Hark will remake New Dragon Inn in 3D sometime next year. No cast announcements. (Sina)
Tsui Hark to Shoot 3D Version of "New Dragon Inn"
3D Movie Technology Seminar Held at HKIFF

Ekin Cheng makes a guest appearance as a dentist in Crossing Hennessy

(HunanTV)

Zhou Yun (actress and Jiang Wen's wife) met with the media at the HK Film and TV Expo to promote Let The Bullets Fly

(Sina)

Du Yiheng (frequent double for Andy Lau) plays a villain in Let the Bullets Fly

(HunanTV)

19 most beautiful men from Hong Kong cinema

CRI: Anthony Wong Blasts 'Guifei' Producers

CRI: Zhou Xun Promotes Low-Carbon Living

CRI: Barbie Hsu Says Her Wax Figure 'Too Fat'

Isabella Leong pregnant with twins

Jacky Cheung closes fraud case with press conference

2.24.2010 - News

CRI: Tang Wei Returns to Mainland Screens

Ang Lee Protege to Return to Chinese Screens

Hot Summer Days: A hunka-hunka burnin' love

Forget "Valentine's Day" and head East instead. From directors Tony Chan and Wing Shya comes the Hong Kong take on the star-studded rom-com, "Hot Summer Days".
Like its American counterpart, "Hot Summer Days" follows the intertwined stories of various couples as they embark on the arduous journey to find true love - giggles, tears and "Aww ..."

All's Well Ends Well Too 2010: Happy endings

All's Well Ends Well Too 2010" may not be the most profound movie but you can't deny its entertainment value (what, were you expecting Shakespeare?). Starring some of the biggest names in the Hong Kong film industry, it knows not to take itself too seriously and go straight for the funny. It's a fine blend of mischief and mayhem that is guaranteed to generate more than its fair share of guffaws.

72 Tenants of Prosperity: Prosperity you can do without

Loosely based on an older version of the film, "72 Tenants" has a plot that is scattered, disjointed and, at times, completely haphazard.
New characters and developments spring up randomly, and the jokes often go beyond slapstick into the realm of the ridiculous.

Little Big Soldier: Big men, bigger roles

At first glance, it's easy to dismiss "Little Big Soldier" as yet another war epic set in ancient China. Any movie produced by Jackie Chan, however, is bound to generate a few giggles.

Vincent Kok will direct Sandra Ng and Louis Koo in a martial arts comedy produced by Peter Chan. Tentatively titled 'Heroine', Chan described the story as similar to The Incredibles and, hopefully, reminiscent of A Touch of Zen. Filming will begin soon at Hengdian. (Sina)

New Shaolin Temple - Nic Tse, Benny Chan

Nic Tse training to face against Andy Lau

(Xinhua)

Corey Yuen, Benny Chan (HunanTV)

Miriam Yeung, Alan Tam

Here Comes Fortune Hong Kong premiere last night

Ella Koon

(Xinhua)

Jay Chou's image from True Legend was used without authorization for marketing beer. In the film, Jay plays Drunken Master Beggar So's mentor.

(Sina)

Gillian Chung's 2008 film Fantastic Water Babes, after a two year delay, is slated for a summer release. In addition, Gillian will possibly work on a mainland drama 'Ling Zhu'. Albert Yeung reported paved the way for Gillian's return by donating RMB$40M to various charities. For her part, Gillian resigned with Emperor through the year 2020. (HunanTV)

Variety: China Film Group set to float in 2010

China's state-run film colossus China Film Group will seek a stock market listing this year, with revenue likely to grow at 40% annually, according to its vice-prexy Shi Dongming.

Last Train Home: The high price of low-priced Chinese goods

An emotionally wrenching portrait of migrant workers in China, Last Train Home has already become one of the most acclaimed Canadian documentaries in recent years.

(Sina)

Cherie Chung

At the Taipei National Palace Museum buying souvenirs 

(Xinhua)

Charity premiere of Nine - Lau Ching-Wan, Amy Kwok

(HunanTV) (Sina)

Also Marsha Yuen, Pau Hee-Ching, Monica Chan (Sina) (CRI)

19 year-old Gong Mi signed with music label Amusic, 

the same label as Leon Lai, Miriam Yeung and Janice Man. (Gong Mi first became famous for her resemblance to Cecilia Cheung when she competed in the Super Girl contest.)

(Sina)

Michelle Yim may marry her late boyfriend

Grieving Hong Kong actress Michelle Yim may finally fulfill her late boyfriend Wan Chi Keung's longtime wish to marry her.

The actress is considering arranging minghun, or a ghost marriage according to Chinese traditions, to formalize their relationship, said reports. (Xinhua)

Annie Yi's burglarised home suspected to be by industry insider

Her suspicious were aroused after she discovered that her jewellery worth an estimated NT$1 million, diamond watch, and other valuables were left intact, except for a missing laptop kept in her Louis Vuitton handbag. She also revealed that the intruder also left traces and went through her personal documents.