News Links - 11/12/08

Dennis Lee's Daily HK cinema news archive

News Links - 11/12/08

Postby dleedlee » Wed Nov 12, 2008 5:06 pm

Holidays come early for "Ong Bak 2" - Dec. 5 opening
http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7478/1/

"Karate Kid" strikes again in China
http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7476/1/

Beast Stalker
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2008-11-12/09432246551.shtml

Fit Lover title changed to "Call For Love 2: About Love"?
Huang Lei
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Xu Wei
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/2008-11-11/12482245055.shtml
http://ent.sina.com.cn/f/m/aqzdyx/index.shtml

Feng Xiaogang's New Year film being further reedited
English name 'If You Are The One'
Comedy becoming sentimental film due to financial crisis and paring down?
Image
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2008-11-12/09332246538.shtml

Desires of the Heart
Guo Tao
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Ge You
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Geng Le
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Li Chen and Song Jia
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Li Chen
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Duan Yihong
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2008-11-11/12172244999.shtml

Champions' Dicky Cheung with Nic Tse
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With Zhang Qian
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/p/2008-11-12 ... 6607.shtml

Haruka Ayase shows her swordfighting skills in 'Ichi'
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Haruka-A ... 98513.html

"Iri" (South Korea0
A slow-witted woman suffers repeated rapes and miscarriages
http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7479/1/

Dim Sum Funeral
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/awa ... &rid=11952

THE MAGIC HOUR IS HILARIOUS

Fruit Chan Gor has made HOLLYWOOD HONG KONG but the Hong Kong
film industry has lost its edge and become depressed. Currently the
Eastern Hollywood remains Japan. Although in recent years Japanese films
often have been comic book style, melodramatic, ghost and nostalgic, they
have anew focused on common attraction and occasionally come up with
decent films.

The Koki Mitani written and directed THE MAGIC HOUR is a
wonderfully conceived comedy that is rather cute. This film makes fun of
the mob and actually is a homage to film noir and film veterans, cooking
up madcap film set scenes and cheering on anonymous actors, directors and
technicians.

In the film a romantic pretty boy (Satoshi Tsumabuki) has an
affair with the mob boss' mistress (Eri Fukatsu), in turn earning a mob
death sentence. He comes up with a film set up, playing a director and
creating a film production adventure with thrills and laughs. The most
wonderful is his hiring of a down on his luck extra (Koichi Sato) to play
a big killer. The more he plays the more excited and convincing he
becomes and earning himself the only chance to thoroughly demonstrate his
acting abilities in his life.

The story is completely a movie, of course it is surreal. Yet the
film world is actually the MAGIC HOUR that is wonderful among all the
fiction and falsities. This film finally truly uses film set magic that
becomes an interesting trick. The key sets imitates old Europe’s alleys
and small buildings, which are fake to the point of fun. However, of
course it cannot be asked to be made like the old French film DELICATESSEN
and its unique flavor and unusual setup.

Koki Mitani's directing style is more ordinary, with more theater
than film feel. Luckily the screenplay is written with more turns and
fun, full of human kindness instead of pranks. Actor wise the most
successful is Koichi Sato, who is lively and hilarious. He also has a
weathered sorrow; old Toshiyuki Nishida is also wonderful as the mob boss
and surprisingly is the most romantic one in the entire film. - SHEK KEI

HONG KONG SPECIALTY FILMS SHOULD BE PROMOTED

The film development fund Hong Kong film investment has not
increased production rate, a fact that the industry has all attested to.

The writer has discussed where this problem lies. Film
professionals would rather take risk on their own then to ask the
government for money, which shows how ridiculous the rules of the game
are.

Aside from investing, the fund also have other events to promote
Hong Kong film, one of which is to introduce new Hong Kong films to
neighboring Asian markets.

The goal is great. Hong Kong films in recent years have new
changes, with new directors and new genres, products that seek survival
amid hard time for even more overseas buyers to get to know. Even without
any short term benefit they can also pave the way for the future.

Yet some promotional events are only limited to film festival or
award show nominated film creator participation, which the writer felt had
some problem.

Products that have participated in film festivals or film awards
of course are recognized as quality films. Its creators should be further
promoted.

The writer is not saying that they should not be, not they should
not be the only ones.

After participating in film festivals and receiving nominations,
they are already known to many film buyers. Yet these products mostly are
not mainstream commercial films. In the several traditional markets in
Asia they may not have a lot of market.

The writer feels that the development fund should also promote
some commercial films that have performed decently in Hong Kong,
especially Hong Kong films with local specialty and in the past primarily
focused on Hong Kong box office.

Hong Kong films once excessively expanded and reigned in the
Southeast Asian market, but finally due to the larger market's
restrictions lost their local specialty. After excessive production they
ran into the piracy wave and began the journey to oblivion.

Promoting outward again is a return to the first step, to
encourage overseas film buyers to again get in touch with Hong Kong films
that are full of Hong Kong modern senses and Hong Kong viewers accepted.

Like Taiwan's CAPE NO. 7, it is a big hit in Taiwan and attracted
unprecedented amount of Taiwan viewers to the movies because of its
Taiwan flavor. Overseas viewers although may not be able to relate are
still interested to see what kind of movie it is. - KWOK HIN CHING
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/2038/081030.txt

Miao Pu and Simon Yam at Asian Pacific Screen Awards
Image
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/p/2008-11-11/23392246178.shtml

Wong Kar-Wai granted honorary professorship at Hong Kong University
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/p/2008-11-12 ... 6656.shtml

Dragonball stills
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2008-11-12/15052247128.shtml

Donatella Versace, Jet Li Visit Quake Zone
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/11/12/1261s423361.htm

Leon and Vivian Chow performed again in concert after 15 years
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Leon-and ... 98471.html

Zhou Xun Covers Bazaar December Issue
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/11/12/1221s423213.htm

Li Bingbing returns to alma mater Shanghai Opera Institute
Recalls first role in Stanley Kwan's Red Rose, White Rose
With Stanley Kwan
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/m/2008-11-12/14482247060.shtml


Rosemary, Chapman To at HK premiere of Burn After Reading
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http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2008-11-12/11072246726.shtml

The Indie Music Scene In China
http://blog.foolsmountain.com/2008/11/0 ... #more-1782

A-Mei to Take Solo Concert to Hong Kong
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http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/11/12/1722s423337.htm

Charity Concert to Be Bird Nest's 1st Post-Games Show
Jackie Chan, Song Zuying, Chris Li Yuchun
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/11/12/1221s423346.htm

Macau body parts `are missing ex-HK cop'
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... con_type=3

Gangs of Beijing
http://www.danwei.org/crime/gangs_of_beijing.php
???? Better to light a candle than curse the darkness; Measure twice, cut once.
Pinyin to Wade-Giles. Cantonese names file
dleedlee
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