3.3.2010 - News

Asia premiere for restored film treasure "Metropolis"
The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) will present a new 35mm version of the reconstructed original cut of Fritz Lang's silent classic "Metropolis" (1927) as the opening film of the "Restored Treasures" series.

HK sex photos actress reunites with Twins bandmate
She [Gillian Chung] also recently finished shooting the romance "Ex," which will premiere as the closing movie at the Hong Kong International Film Festival on April 6.

Variety: Confucius

Chow Yun-fat makes a commanding screen presence as "Confucius." Combining calm sagacity with a potent physicality that more than fills helmer Hu Mei's big visual stage, Chow carries the biopic almost single-handedly and prevents it from becoming overly respectful
THR: Little Big Soldier
Bottom Line: Jackie Chan's period action-adventure delivers, but without fireworks.
HK Magazine: Little Big Soldier
As the film’s title suggests, “Little Big Soldier” is a character study, not a sweeping war epic, and its approach to the Warring States Period is exciting, humorous and highly entertaining, even if it is not a groundbreaking movie.

Andy Tsang Tak-Wah (hkmdb)

(Sina)

`Little lizard' gets 7 years for raping teen virgin 

Andy Tsang Tak-wah, 31, nicknamed the "little lizard" and claiming to be a casual actor and owner of a modeling company, was found guilty of rape in the High Court last month.

CRI: Tang Wei Received Career Backup in Hong Kong
Manfred Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association, posted an article on his blog on Tuesday, revealing that William Kong, president of Hong Kong-based Edko Films, is the man behind Tang's career renewal.
Jay Chou gets an image makeover to improve luck
The award-winning R&B singer recently exchanged verbal insults with Taiwanese rapper, Dog G, and got burnt by allegations from ex-label-mate, Devin Wu, who claimed that she lost her virginity to him when she was just 16.
Jay Chou unlikely to direct another TV drama after 'Pandamen'

"Pandamen" suffered low ratings in Taiwan despite being aired in its entirety. Cuts made to key scenes in the show by Chinese censors were previously blamed for its dismal showing in Guangzhou, China.

Chrissie Chau appearing for an eyewear brand

(Sina)

Little Olympic Girl Lin Miaoke is appearing in an upcoming mainland TV series

(cri)

*Note: Some Chinese interwebs sites seem very sloow and uncooperative today, so I might post updates later if the tubes unclog. Dialing Roto-Rooter!

2.26.2010 - News

Restored treasure "Confucius" on screen during International Film Festival

Screenings of director Fei Mu's lost classic, "Confucius", in its initial phase of restoration last year met with overwhelming response. The film in its second phase of restoration will be unveiled in the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) together with other works of the great director, including the masterpiece "Spring in a Small Town". As a contribution to the HKIFF, the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) has organised a retrospective "Fei Mu, Film Poet" to showcase the work of one of the greatest filmmakers of Chinese cinema. (Original article, NYTimes)

CRI: "Little Big Soldier" Makes Over 100 Million Yuan at Box Office

Review: 'Little Big Soldier' Innovative for Chan

Chan's new movie also shows that it's possible to be creative within the often-soulless genre of the big-budget Chinese epic that has come to dominate the local industry.

CRI: "Mulan" Nominated in Hong Kong Film Awards

No mere copy: A Woman, A Gun And A Noodle Shop

Sometimes the punchlines were culturally specific and were delivered very quickly. They do not translate well and result in hard-to-catch subtitles. The quick fire comedic exchange between Wang's staff for instance, left non-Chinese speakers puzzled as the subtitles zoomed by. 

Dante Lam's Fire of Conscience opens Apr.1

Leon Lai plays a hot, violent detective, Richie Ren/Jen a gentle anti-drug cop

(HunanTV)

Jacky Cheung

Crossing Hennessy will be opening film at this year's HKIFF. 

Amphetamine from Taiwan will be the closing film.

(Sina) (HunanTV)

CRI: 'Hennessy' to Open HK Int'l Film Festival

Connie Chan and mother, Gung Fan-Hung (Sina)

Gung Fan-Hung (c) with Lydia Shum, Nancy Sit, Connie Chan

Connie Chan's adoptive mother and mentor Gung Fan-Hung died after suffering chest pains while attending Connie Chan's concert at Hong Kong Coliseum on the evening of Feb.24. She was 98 years old. In 1953, Gung and her husband Chan Fai-Lung opened the Hong Kong Cantonese Opera Academy and nurtured talent such as Ng Kwan-Lai. (Sina)

Connie Chan performed last night despite her grief. She was greeted with warm applause by fans.

Earlier, Connie told the media, 'Mommy, since childhood, taught me everyone should play their part and perform their duties.'

(Sina)

Connie Chan held a brief press conference and said she would announce funeral plans after completing work.

(Sina) (2)

New Swordsman from Yuen Wo-Ping featuring Daniel Wu, Zhou Xun, Li Bingbing, Huang Xiaoming? (Xinhua)

Zhou Xun and Huang Xiaoming are also rumored to be leaving Huayi Brothers when their contracts expire to join Peter Lam's Media Asia. (Xinhua)

HK singer Gigi Leung's family disapprove of her beau

Cherie Chung

Cherie Chung shot new photo adverts for a collagen center promoting the 'secret of youth' (!)

(Sina) (15)(Sina) (Xinhua)

Jennifer Tse Ting-Ting's new slimming advert

(Sina)

2.18.2010 - News

HK Magazine: Hot Summer Days
I’ll tell you why the film is really enjoyable: Angelababy.
THR: Apart Together (Tuan Yuan)
Bottom Line: Drama about a family separated by civil war has universal resonance but skims over deeper historical and psychological trauma.
Screen Daily: Little Big Soldier
Compared with Jackie Chan’s usual frenetic extravaganzas, Little Big Soldier is almost low-key, a reflection on the pointlessness of war, even though reflections have not traditionally been action star Chan’s strong point.

Variety: Little Big Soldier
An "Odd Couple"-cum-martial-arts-road movie set some 2,000 years ago during the end of China's chaotic Warring States prior to unification, "Little Big Soldier" is a Jackie Chan vehicle without any surprises.

Variety: Au Revoir Taipei

Far from the closeted capital of Asian anomie so often portrayed in Taiwanese fest fare, Taipei becomes a warm, romantic city, peopled with likeable oddballs, in Boston-born American Chinese Arvin Chen's immensely likable feature debut, "Au Revoir Taipei."
Formosa Betrayed: New movie ties Taiwan's messy politics to a Bay Area murder
Jay Chou can be an action star: Yuen Woo-ping
CRI: Jackie Chan Brings 'Soldier' to Berlin
Taipei Times: ‘Monga’ wins special incentives
Monga grossed more than NT$200 million at the box office during its first two weeks of release in Taiwan, entitling its producers to hefty incentives, said Chen Chih-kuan, director of the Government Information Office’s (GIO’s) Department of Motion Pictures, at a GIO reception in Berlin.
Chen said that under the government’s program of special incentives for the film industry, any locally produced movie with box office receipts exceeding NT$50 million entitles its makers to receive 20 percent of its revenues as a subsidy for the company’s next production.

HK Magazine: Paula Tsui interview

Actress Maggie Cheung Ho-Yee kicked out of boyfriend's home after split
The reason for their separation is rumoured to be Cheung's bad temper. Many said Tsang could not put up with Cheung's behaviour and ended their relationship.
Cheung's close friend claimed Cheung's bad temper could have been the result of the rare Grave's Disease which Cheung contracted five years ago. The autoimmune disease can result in an overactive thyroid which makes the sufferer irritable.
Michael Miu admits there was a 'third party' during marriage

Aaron Kwok 

Aaron Kwok attended New Year's festivities at Harbour City yesterday.

(Sina)

Jimmy Lai interviewed on CNN about animated news

60th Berlin Film Festival - Little Big Soldier Premiere

Lin Peng

Lin Peng

Steve Yoo, Lin Peng

(Zimbio)

60th Berlin Film Festival - Little Big Soldier Photocall

Director Ding Sheng, Jackie, Steve Yoo, Lin Peng

Lin Peng

Steve Yoo

Zimbio (cri)

2.4.2010 - News

CRI: Song Hye-kyo To Appear in "Zhao's Orphan"

Also Wong Kar-Wai's The Grand Master

Screen Daily: Confucius

CRI: "Confucius" Cast Members Visit Taipei

Chow Yun-Fat and wife arrive in Taipei for the Taiwan premiere of Confucius

 (9)(HunanTV)

Asked again about his mother's wish for a grandchild, Chow said that, Now that he had the heart, he didn't have the strength to raise a child.

(Sina)

(Xinhua)

Chow Yun-Fat and wife have a foster child

Jackie Chan

Wang LeeHom

New Seven(?) Little Fortunes

Jackie Chan, Wang LeeHom, Lin Peng

Little Big Soldier promotion event in Beijing (Sina)

Jay Chou

User created cartoons

At a recent press event, Jay Chou revealed that if there is investor interest he would like to direct a film based on his True Legend character, the God of Martial Arts.  (Sina)

Miriam Yeung, Shawn Yue

Love In A Puff directed by Pang Ho Cheung is scheduled for a Mar.25 release

The film is currently rated a Cat. III because of language. The romantic comedy is about love that blooms when Hong Kong's smoking ban forces the two to smoke outside around a trash can.

(Taihainet) (5)(Sina)

Legend of Chen Zhen - Andrew Lau, Huo Siyan

Gordon Chan, Huo Siyan

Shu Qi

Director Andrew Lau and producer Gordon Chan praised mainland actress Huo Siyan and gave her high marks in this first collaboration with Huo. Shu Qi and Huo play opponents and collide against each other. (HunanTV)

Edison Chen

Edison Chen, Josie Ho

Edison Chen helped out Josie Ho by filming a promo video for her film Dream Home
(Xinhua)

Johnnie To

Richie Ren, Lau Ching Wan

Denise Ho, Richie Ren

Death of a Hostage opening lens ceremony (HunanTV)

Jordan Chan's Valentine's Day wedding possibly a shotgun

Stills from MV with Gillian Chung and Chan Wai-Ting

(Sina)

Lin Chi-Ling demonstrates the Wii Fit Plus (Xinhua)

Fake Donations-Gate Updates, a very complicated affair: The promised deadline for a full accounting of Zhang Ziyi's foundation account have come and passed. Zhang's agent, normally responsive, has not been returning text messages inquiring about an explanation...Reportedly, initial donations of US$2M to Zhang Ziyi's foundation were funnelled to her private account..Other celebrity names have been drawn into the fake donations net, Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei, etc...An online Chinese Red Cross search of contributions show Zhou Xun contributed only 300 yuan. This was attributed to being a contribution made by a similar name.. In Zhang's favor, a citizen reported to anewspaper hotline that he knew where the individual contributions went. Several stars among them Chen Kun, Zhang Ziyi and Zhao Wei helped rebuild a collapsed school for the deaf, but after a records search the total donated by Zhang Ziyi only accounted for 840,000 yuan. Today, Zhou Xun's agent announced that Zhou Xun as UN Goodwill Ambassador had made an undisclosed contribution to a UN designated account for Haitian disaster relief. This has been dubbed a 'fraud tax'. (Xinhua) (2)