Hi.  I’m Sanney Leung.  You may remember me from such blog posts as Yummy Mummy Without A Tummy, Out With The Old, Part II and Sympathy For Mr. Imprudence.  It’s the season of Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards Men so, with apologies to Kozo, I’m going to interrupt the voting for Best Of The Decade and wish everyone a Happy

Holiday.

As this is a HK entertainment website, here are my wishes to you for 2010:

May your life be as rich and full as Ekin Cheng’s hair.

May your future be as bright as Zhang Jingchu’s smiling eyes.

And may your secrets stay secret longer than Andy Lau’s relationship with Carol Chu.

With that, I’m off to observe my holiday tradition of watching my favourite Christmas movie DIE HARD.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Christmas just isn’t Christmas until I see John McClane decorating Karl’s brother Tony with a holiday motif.

* * * * *

P.S.: I was going to go a different way with this post so, this morning, I spent some time scouring the Internet looking for holiday-themed pictures of HK starlets.  I came across this one of Twins back in December 2007 (who could predict the turmoil that loomed for the girls just one short month into the future).  You’d think that this photo was for some holiday-related EEG project but, this is HK we’re talking about here, so it should come as no surprise that it was from an ad promoting

Hong Kong tourism and the “winter shopping festival”.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sitting atop

Sanctimony Peak, proclaiming that people in HK are godless heathens who worship the Almighty Dollar.  This was basically just an excuse to post a photo of two lovely women in short skirts.

Back soon with my HK$0.15 on the Best of The Decade.  Until then, have a safe and merry holiday.

Image credits: Tungstar (Ekin Cheng, Zhang Jingchu), Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (DIE HARD screen grab), Discover Hong Kong (Twins)

Returning to The House Where Words Gather after an extended absence, it’s time to clear out the cobwebs and sweep up the dust.  It’s also time to explain where I’ve been for the past little while.  Please indulge me as I do it CLAUSTROPHOBIA style …

ONE NIGHT AGO …

Why, oh why, did I agree to carpooling?  I already spend eight hours a day with these people at the office.  Why did I allow myself to be trapped in a car with them for an hour each morning and another hour each evening?  We really need to develop mass transit here in Canada.  The MTR in Hong Kong is fabulous, so is The Tube in London.  Why can’t we have something like that here?

Man, Jewel just will not shut up.  Going on and on to her boyfriend about what she wants to have for supper tonight.  She’s cute and all but, wow, that inane chatter gets tired after a while.   Here we go … look at that bulging vein on Uncle Karl’s neck, he’s either going to have a massive stroke or he’s going to turn around and yell at Jewel to shut up.  Same thing every single day.  I wonder how long it’ll be before Mount Karl erupts.  I put the over/under at one minute and fifteen seconds.

I hope I get home soon.  I’ve definitely got to sit down and bang out a blog post tonight.  Kozo’s been so gracious with his patience and beyond generous for not busting my chops for taking a long hiatus.  Granted, I did have to spend a night at his luxurious Repulse Bay mansion but it wasn’t too bad.  The only really bad thing about it was having Yotsuba stare at me the whole time.  Just thinking about that creepy stare gives me the shivers.

ONE WEEK AGO …

Hmmmm, Pearl looks preoccupied.  She’s probably distracted thinking about that guy who showed up at the office today to take her out to lunch.  They’re probably going out.  Damn, I thought I had a chance with her …

Oh well, time to move on and forget about Pearl.  I’ve got to concentrate and come up with something for my return blog post.  I still haven’t been able to think of something amusing.  Maybe I should say that I went to America or Japan or England for “a class”?

When I did my old site, stories about marginal HK talent going to America or Japan or England for a couple months to “study” acting, singing, etc. were always good for a laugh.  You were always left speculating why they had to be away from the entertainment circle for a little bit.  Sometimes it would be because they were getting their image “enhanced”.  Most times, it was just because they needed to get away from the grind but they — or more precisely, their management — couldn’t admit that they needed a break.  It was always because they were “hard at work” improving themselves.

THREE WEEKS AGO …

Good golly Miss Molly, Pearl is looking mighty, mighty fine today.  A month ago, she dressed like a dowdy librarian complete with old lady glasses.  Now, she looks smokin’ hot.  She looks a lot like that HK starlet … what’s her name?  Karena Lam Ka-Yan.  Yeah, she looks a lot like Karena Lam.

There’s either a man in her life now or there’s a man she’s interested in.  Could that man be me?  You know, Pearl is kind of nice in her quiet sort of way and this change in wardrobe does coincide with my arrival on the scene.  Boy, wouldn’t that make being trapped in a car with people that I already see at the office for eight hours every day worth it?  It’d totally be worth enduring the daily routine of Jewel’s prattling inevitably provoking an old guy rant from Uncle Karl.

OK, quit daydreaming.  I’ve got to do a blog post but what to do, what to do?  How about the old “I was frozen by the Kozo Entertainment Group” gag?  No?  How about a bit where I suggest I went away for “male enhancement”?  Nah, that’s limp.  I need to come up with something better.

ONE MONTH AGO …

Finally!

After a long wait for an installation appointment, I’m finally back on the Internet.  I’m not going to be a contrarian-hippie and claim that being off the grid was “refreshing” but it was oddly enjoyable to not have TV or Internet for a little while.  But, enough of that, bring on NFL Sundays, bring on new episodes of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE BIG BANG THEORY, THE OFFICE and LAW & ORDER.

I’ve also got to get online and see what became of the manhunt for Noriko Sakai.  More important, I’ve got to see if Athena Chu has finally come to her senses and dumped that goofball Paul Wong.

Don’t worry baby, there’s more than enough room in my heart for you and your eight dogs.

SIX WEEKS AGO …

I just became a nodding acquaintance with my neighbour on the left.  She seems like a nice Muslim lady.  I’m guessing she’s Muslim because she’s wearing a head scarf.  It’s not one of those full-blown burqas where you can’t see anything but her eyes.  You can see her face and her forehead.

Not that there’s anything wrong with living next door to a nice Muslim lady but, damn, why can’t I ever get a hot-blonde Kaley Cuoco-type for a neighbour?

I saw my other neighbour a couple of days ago but he gave me the high hat when I gave him the ol’ International Rescue Tracy family head nod.  Granted, he may have been preoccupied with wrangling the huge mastif he was walking.  All I know about him is that he must be from Cambodia because of that small Cambodian flag he hangs on his front door.

Oh well, I probably would have alienated him anyway by doing something stupid like asking him if his name was Anketell Brewer.

SEVEN WEEKS AGO …

Driving on Highway #17 just north of Sault Ste. Marie, I’m scanning the radio hoping to find something to get a sense of the local culture.  I land on a station that has light rock with some Taylor Swift/Carrie Underwood type singer.  She’s singing a song that has lyrics which include phrases like “I’m giving myself to you”, “I’m submitting myself to your will” and “take my body and my soul”.

Oooh, I start thinking to myself, is it my imagination or are those lyrics kind of explicit?  It’s one thing for Lady Gaga to sing about “bluffin’ with my muffin” and wanting to take a ride on a “disco stick”.  It’s another matter all together to be singing about allowing someone to do what they will with your body and soul.

As those thoughts race through my mind, the song ends and a radio station tag goes on: “You’re listening to CHIM (pronounced “See Him”), Canada’s Christian Radio Network”.

Oh, I think to myself, turns out there was nothing wrong with the song, I’m just a pervert with a sick mind.

TWO MONTHS AGO …

5:36 am:  It’s a cool, crisp 8°C morning.  The sun is just peeking above the Eastern horizon.  It’s quiet.  Through my bedroom window, I can smell the morning dew on the grass.  I can also hear the tranquil sound of some birds chirping.  The peaceful scene outdoors belies the clamour in my mind and in my heart.  I’m leaving Saskatoon in a couple of hours.  As is the case with any major life decision, I have mixed feelings about moving.  I’m optimistic and hopeful about the future yet I feel wistful and, even though I haven’t left yet, nostalgic about a city that’s been my home for many years.

I turn on my MP3 player and the Steve Miller Band’s “Jet Airliner” starts to play.  Before I went to sleep last night I picked the song to play first thing in the morning because it captures sentiments that I’m feeling as I start a week-long drive out to Eastern Canada:

Goodbye to all my friends at home
Goodbye to people I’ve trusted
I’ve got to go out and make my way
I might get rich you know I might get busted

I’ve got to keep on keepin’ on
You know the big wheel keeps on spinnin’ around

And I’m goin’ with some hesitation
You know that I can surely see
That I don’t want to get caught up in any of that
Funky shit goin’ down in the city

 

Image credits: Irresistible Films (CLAUSTROPHOBIA screen captures), Warner Bros. (Kaley Cuoco), Haus of Gaga (Lady Gaga)

Part two of the news links catch-up but first some reader interaction …

In the comments from News Links: July 27th, 2009, Gleen Glenn writes:

What are your thoughts on Kelly Chen babygate?  Did she fake the pregnancy?  It’s someone else’s baby?  Just nasty gossip?

When I first read the rumours about Kelly Chen’s pregnancy being an elaborate cover-up for a pregnancy caused by her brother Victor Chen, my initial reaction was: “What?  Is this the 1950s?  Would someone really bother to concoct such a complex scheme in an age where the term “baby daddy” has become firmly entrenched in the cultural lexicon?  Do families still send their pregnant kids away to “distant relatives”?  Do “rest homes” that cater to unwed single mothers still exist?  Didn’t Richard Li and Isabella Leong just proudly celebrate the birth of an out-of-wedlock child?”

Then, I put aside my Western sensibilities and remembered that we’re talking about the shame-based Chinese culture where “young models” are a source of controversy for the Hong Kong Book Fair so, yeah, maybe someone would go to ridiculous lengths to cover-up a pregnancy.  Like the earlier rumours about Ronald Cheng’s extra-curricular activities involving photos of Charlene Choi, these rumours are so absurd, you can’t possibly have formed them just out of your imagination.  It’s like the Little Vito shower situation in the “Chasing It” episode of THE SOPRANOS, you don’t just dream up scenarios like that without some sort of real-life kernel inspiring it.

So, do I think the rumours are true?  Not really.  Some HK girls are alarmingly thin but otherwise healthy, like my 89-pound cousin Agatha, so it’s not like Kelly Chen’s slight weight gain is out of the norm for HK women.  However, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it turned out, years later, that the rumours were true (see one Bobby Darin).

I can’t believe that I just spent time breaking that down … 

Onto some links …

PRODUCTION NEWS:

BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS:

‘Infernal’ Lau joins ‘Bodyguards’

Latest Stills of ‘Bodyguards and Assassins’

After 112 days of shooting, principal photography of BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS wrapped on the weekend.  Among those present was Michelle Reis who has a small part playing a woman who has a “profound effect on Leon Lai’s ‘beggar’ character”.

RELATED LINKS:

• Sina.com article and photos
• Xinhua article

Shaw Bros. returns with trio of films

Sundream joins IHQ and Polybona for Let’s Fall in Love

HK indie filmmakers taking the lead

Production still of Jet Li in THE EXPENDABLES

This film look likes it’ll be dynamite but, with such a star-studded cast, they couldn’t make room for Jean Claude Van Damme?  I can understand not wanting Steven Seagal (since he looks like he weighs 300 pounds and has less mobility than Zhang Fei in DYNASTY WARRIORS 4) but no love for The Muscles From Brussels?

One more comment, a project like this is what Jackie Chan should be doing instead of KUNG FU KID.

Chinese filmmaker Feng Xiaogang begins shooting earthquake movie

COMING SOON:

Message of ‘Overheard’: Don’t Be Greedy

McDull’s Big Success at Box Office

FEATURES:

Lee Byung Hyun (Korean actor who has a role in G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA):  You can’t see his face on the posters

EASON CHAN:

HK singer Eason Chan’s marriage in trouble?

Eason Chen breaks down in tears during his concert

Photo of Constance Chan and Hilary Tsui at the Beyond concert where Eason Chan was a guest performer

AROUND TOWN:

‘Tracing Shadow’ Premieres

More photos courtesy Xinhua (Gotta love that dress on Pace Wu)

Donnie Yen celebrated his 46th birthday on July 27th with a party at a HK nightclub.  Among the attendees were his real-life wife Cissy Wang, his on-screen wife Lynn Xiong, producer Raymond Wong, Andrew Lin Hoi, Vincent Kuk Tak-Chiu, Cheung Tat-Ming and Leon Lai.

RELATED LINKS:

• Photos courtesy Sina.com
• Photos courtesy Xinhua

Jessica Hsuan, Kate Tsui, Amanda Strang and Ivan Ho Sau-San attended a press conference on Monday for their new TVB documentary series 《活着》 (trans. LIVING). For the series, the artistes will visit Ethiopa, Kenya and Sawarak among other locales.

• Photos courtesy Xinhua
• I wish I was the meat in a Jessica Hsuan, Kate Tsui sandwich — that Ivan Ho is one lucky bastard.
• I almost want to join Facebook just so I could be Jessica Hsuan’s friend.

PHOTO GALLERYS:

Li Bingbing on the cover of the August issue of Harper’s Bazaar

Sina.com slideshow featuring Vicki Zhao Wei

Donnie Yen on the cover of L’Officiel Hommes

BRUCE LEE:

Bruce Lee legend remains strong in Hong Kong 36 years after his death

Hollywood Reporter:

• Bruce Lee museum in design phase 
• Bruce Lee’s family OKs biopics

HK Standard: New Bruce Lee flick to focus on his life and loves

Xinhua: Kungfu star Bruce Lee’s new movie to be shot

Associated Press: Bruce Lee’s siblings authorize Chinese biopics

Variety:  Bruce Lee museum, biopic unveiled

Design competition held for Bruce Lee museum

New York Times: Design Competition for Bruce Lee Museum

BEYOND HK:

Ken Zhu hopes to take nude photos of Kelly Lin

Vic Zhou: I won’t conceal my future relationships

Jolin launches own fashion label in America

CULTURAL NEWS:

Alarm sounded as youth ditch reading for idol worship

Book fair seeks model behavior - or else

Drug war and sexy models spice Ani-Com 

* * * * *

Best wishes to Shing Fui-On who, according to reports in HK papers, has suffered a recurrence of the nasopharyngeal cancer that he battled in 2004.  Incidentally, this is the same kind of cancer for which I received treatment.

Joyeuese Fête Nationale à tout le monde!

Or is it Joyeux Fête Nationale?  Also, do I need the à or can I just go with “Joyeuese Fête Nationale tout le monde!”  Apologies to all of the francophone readers out there, it’s been a long time since I took high school French and even longer since I watched late-night movies on CBC French.  Hey, when you’re a 13 year-old boy, Fanny Ardant films can be quite, uh, intriguing even if you can barely understand what’s going on.  These days, of course, I’m sure 13 year-old boys have the ability to cast a wider net when it comes to that sort of thing.  Back in my day, the Sea of Titillation was not as vast and definitely not as bountiful.

What was I saying before I got distracted by remembrances of things past?  Oh right, Joyeuese Fête Nationale or, for the rest of us non-francophones, Happy Bastille Day!  On this day, 220 years ago, the French people stormed the Bastille and kick-started the process of turning France from a monarchy to a republic.

Let’s celebrate with some box office news and a few links.  But first, congratulations Kelly Chen:

• HK Standard: Baby brings early joy for Kelly Chen
• Channel News Asia: New mom Kelly Chen to return to work next month
  
• Straits Times: Kelly back at work in August
• Channel News Asia: Hong Kong star Kelly Chen gives birth prematurely
• Yahoo! Singapore: Kelly Chen gives birth to baby boy prematurely in HK 

FEATURES:

Simon Abrams interviews WRITTEN BY director Wai Ka-Fai

Electric New Paper on Michael Hui Kwoon-Man: ‘It’s like your chicken rice’

Carol “DoDo” Cheng Yu-Ling: Too much plastic surgery

PRODUCTION NEWS:

Chan Ho-Nam and Chicken together again, sort of:  ‘Affairs’ team to become ‘Gangsters’

Stephen Chow:

• Chow quits Green Hornet role 
• Stephen Chow Drops Out Of ‘The Green Hornet’
• ‘Green Hornet’: Chow out as Kato; Rogen stays
• Though the Jack Black superhero movie doesn’t sound much more promising, I think Stephen Chow dodged a bullet here.  I hate to be a “crow mouth” but I think a Seth Rogen backlash is brewing and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it manifests itself against this movie.

Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith start filming ‘Kid’

MY COUSIN TONY:

A Tale Of Two Tonys: The National (Abu Dhabi) on Tony Leung Chiu-Wai

My cousin Tony breaks his arm:

• Channel News Asia: Tony Leung suffers broken arm during martial arts training
• CRI English: Tony Leung suffers broken arm during kung fu training
• Associated Press: Tony Leung breaks arm in training for kung fu film

WEDDING NEWS:

Gigi Leung to wed?

RELATED: Xinhua article featuring photo of Gigi Leung with her man

Zhang Ziyi:

• Zhang Ziyi’s wedding postponed 
• Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi postpones wedding
• Ziyi-Vivi wedding postponed,says tabloid

STEFANIE SUN:

Stef’s head-over (clumsy)-heels in love

Stef Sun, Singapore’s Anita Mui

A more confident and self-assured Stefanie Sun returns to S’pore

Sun’s comeback concert

Stefanie Sun wows fans

Shiny style, subdued Sun

ASIAN FILMS IN NEW YORK CITY:

Ang Lee Heading To Lincoln Center

Asian Film Fireworks for the Fourth: Richard Corliss on the New York Asian Film Festival

BOX OFFICE RESULTS:

Weekend box office figures aren’t available yet but here are the numbers from Friday:

MURDERER, 36 screens, 2 days, HK$1.01 million total

WRITTEN BY, 32 screens, 2 days, HK$301,000 total

SHORT OF LOVE, 14 screens, 15 days, HK$3.62 million total

MURDERER is off to a fast start but it should fizzle out quickly as it’s getting killed here on LoveHKFilm (Kozo’s review, The Golden Rock blog post) and on Chinese-language discussion boards.  I’m always dispirited when I hear that a highly-hyped film looks like it’s a dud.  I believe that it’s these types of films that are killing the industry more than anything else as the casual HK film fan who only sees a handful of movies a year will pick up on the hype, watch the movie then have the notion that “HK films suck” reinforced in their minds.

In other box office news, reader Mark Shaver wrote in to report that Johnnie To’s VENGEANCE is hitting Hong Kong screens on August 20th.  It hasn’t popped up yet in the “Coming Soon” sections of various movie ticket buying sites but I’m sure it’ll show up in the near future.  In the meantime, you can console yourself with the news that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON is coming to Hong Kong on December 17th, 2009 — just in time for the holidays!

芝麻綠豆 (SESAME SEEDS AND MUNG BEANS): 

Finally watched the Michael Jackson Memorial (hey, with my need for ten hours of beauty sleep and my two-hour, three-martini lunches, I can only devote 12 hours a day to watching TV).   A few thoughts:

• You’d have to have a very cynical mind and a very cold heart to think that the Paris Jackson speech was staged to launch a show business career.
• It’s normal to heap praise on someone upon their death but I think it went a little too far with the King of Pop.  The notion that without Michael Jackson, there would be no Tiger Woods, no Oprah Winfrey and no Barack Obama is giving Michael Jackson way too much credit.  I think Tiger’s skill has more to do with Tiger being a global icon than Michael Jackson paving the way.  I think Oprah Winfrey’s drive has more to do with her success than Michael Jackson and I think Barack Obama’s vision and ambition had more to do with his becoming President of the United States than Michael Jackson making “blacks” acceptable in the eyes of “whites”.
• It could be because I’m a big sports fan but when anyone says MJ to me, my first thought is always Michael Jordan not Michael Jackson.
• Ten to fifteen years from now — if I have the good fortune to find a lovely bride or if I finally save enough for a mail-order bride — when my kid asks me why people thought Michael Jackson was an all-time great, I think I’ll answer by playing “I Want You Back”.  Even now, forty-years after the song became a hit, it’s hard to believe that a ten year-old gave that performance.

READERS, I CANNOT TELL A LIE …:

I’ve had to retire the “Because I’m Not On Twitter” sections of this blog because I’m actually now on Twitter.  Don’t expect too much over there, I only joined to follow the Twitter feeds of the guys at PTI and The Sports Guy Bill Simmons.  I didn’t realize until after I joined that I could actually follow them WITHOUT joining.  Then, I started getting notices that people were following me on Twitter so I started feeling compelled to tweet.  I think this is how people get sucked into quagmires.  They all start off with simple aspirations that get increasingly complicated.  You know, you start off just wanting to get your Dad’s approval, then that leads you to ignore the findings of the CIA, which leads you to invent an excuse to invade Iraq, which leads to …

It’s like the old woman who swallowed a fly, she had to swallow a spider to catch the fly, then she had to swallow a bird to catch the spider, then she swallowed a cat to catch the bird … what happened to her in the end?  Oh that’s right, she died …

Here’s a picture of Jo Koo in a tank top to distract you from today’s grim blog post.

Sorry to start off this post on such a grim note but it seems we’ve been surrounded by death of late.  From Shih Kien to David Carradine to Michael Jackson to Alexis Arguello to that Nanjing drunk driving accident last week to Steve McNair killed in a murder-suicide on the weekend to the riots in Xinjiang.

Speaking of the riots, I wonder if the Kozo Entertainment Group’s health plan covers treatment for post traumatic stress disorder because I think I may be getting PTSD from looking at the Chinese media coverage of the Nanjing drunk driving accident and the Xinjiang riots.  Unlike the Western media, the Chinese media and news blogs have no compunction about showing graphic images with nary a warning.  As a result, I saw some things in the past few days that I won’t be able to scrub from my mind any time soon.

When I had my own site a few years back, I caught a lot of heat for posting a link to a picture of Leslie Cheung’s body covered by a sheet next to a pool of blood.  It was, admittedly, a mistake.  I think this was karma’s way of getting back at me for it.  The pictures of the Nanjing accident were especially grisly — the twisted, mangled corpses, the disemboweled pregnant lady … I initially thought some of those pictures were of the remnants of the smashed watermelon stand … if only …  I’m normally not a proponent of capital punishment but, in this case, not only should this scumbag be shot, his next three incarnations should be summarily executed as well.

Ah well, that’s the price you have to pay when you’re scouring the Internet for news links.  Sometimes curiosity gets the better of you and you click on a link you probably shouldn’t click on.

If only I was involved with a hot starlet who allowed me opportunities to hang around and eat roast pork with the likes of Dante Lam, Michelle Ye, Richie Ren and Leon Lai …

Uh, oh.  Manny Kok — my Kozo Entertainment Group handler, uh, manager — is giving me the evil eye.  I better shut up.  Don’t want to get “frozen”. 

Anyway, my point is that because I’m now on Twitter, I can no longer use “Because I’m Not On Twitter”.  I’m changing it to “Sesame Seeds and Mung Beans” after the Chinese phrase “芝麻綠豆小事” or “small, inconsequential matters/things like sesame seeds and mung beans”.

The latest edition of “Sesame Seeds and Mung Beans” appears after the news links update which begins with …

BRUCE LEE:

Examiner.com review of the documentary HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD

Plans for Bruce Lee Museum get off the ground, finally

Bruce Lee’s former Hong Kong residence to be transformed into museum

MURDERER:

Aaron Kwok: New role boosts acting credentials

Crime and Complexity: bc Magazine feature on MURDERER director Roy Chow Hin-Yeung

Aaron Kwok promotes Longines watches at the premiere

Others in the photos: co-star Janine Chang, the lovely Maggie Cheung Ho-Yi, Ekin Cheng with members of Grasshopper

More Photos from the gala premiere

In addition to stars Aaron Kwok, Janine Chang and Eddie Cheung, Ekin Cheng, Grasshopper, Wong Yau-Nam, Josie Ho, William So Wing-Hong and Leo Koo Gui-Gei attended

FEAUTRES:

Date With Eason: The Sun Daily (Malaysia) on Eason Chan

Being Edison Chen: Bangkok Post feature on ol’ EDC

RELATED: Sina.com High Definition Photo Gallery of store opening

HK Magazine Online feature on Gillian Chung

Mirror, Mirror …: bc Magazine feature on Wai Ka-Fai

A Filmmaker Finds Her Play Is the Thing: New York Times on Sylvia Chang

RELATED:

• Ti Lung, Brigitte Lin, Connie Chan attend
• More photos: Behind The Scenes, Johnnie To, Richie Ren

HK Magazine Online feature on Jeff Lau (KUNG FU CYBORG)

Dead Factory Blues: bc Magazine feature on Mainland director Jia Zhangke (24 CITY)

RELATED:

• bc Magazine review of 24 CITY
• HK Magazine Online review of 24 CITY

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Pop duo BY2 grateful for fans’ support, including leering older men who pester them

PRODUCTION NEWS:

John Woo to make film about Flying Tigers:

• Associated Press: John Woo plans Flying Tigers movie 
• Hollywood Reporter: John Woo, CFG uncage Tiger film
  
• Screen Daily: Woo set to direct Flying Tigers project in China
• CRI English: Woo to Direct China’s Biggest Budget Film
  

Behind the scenes: Bodyguards and Assassins

Young Bruce Lees Wanted for Ip Man 2

Ron Ng, Sammul Chan feature in Michael Tse’s movie for free

RELATED: Xinhua article

Opening lens ceremony held in Huangzhou for Feng Xiaogang’s new film AFTERSHOCK

• CRI English: First Peek of Feng Xiaogang’s New Movie
• Xinhua article

‘Spying Rose’ Yu Na 

The Crow re-boot news

Chen Kaige Braces for Battle of Impressions

Shandong and Metan are ‘Golden’

COMING SOON:

‘Overheard’ a Crime Thriller

RELATED: Sina.com Photo Gallery

TRACING SHADOW: Mental makes a big move

RELATED: Photo gallery of Franics Ng and Pace Wu promoting the movie in Beijing

MOTHERLAND (Director: Doris Yeung;  Cast: Francoise Yip Fong-Wah, Kenneth Tsang Kong):

• Official Site
• Twitter Feed
• Facebook Page
• Trailer

New Posters of “The Message” Released

New Film Release: MCDULL KUNG FU DING DONG

PHOTOS: Louis Koo in ON HIS MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE

RELATED: Photos courtesy Sohu.com

New poster for SOPHIE’S REVENGE (Zhang Ziyi, Fan Bingbing)

New “Ani-Men” Animation to Become Mini-Franchise

FOUNDING OF A NATION: All star blockbuster “Jian Guo Da Ye” opens official web site

GENERAL NEWS:

Rumours: Cecilia Cheung expecting again!

Kelly Chen’s Active Bundle of Joy

Jetsetter Li: Earth is his home

Aaron Kwok: still passionate, but only about his music

Miriam Yeung forced to postpone wedding

Michelle Reis Now Says No to Surrogate Mother

Andy Lau:

• Island of Greed bill rises as Andy Lau loses appeal
• Andy Lau to compensate $300k for damaging helicopter

Fan Bingbing Wins ‘Plastic Surgery’ Case

Liu Ye’s Big Day

RELATED: Sina.com High Definition Photo Gallery of Liu Ye’s wedding

Vivian Hsu Denies Relationship with Stephen Fung

Zhou Xun Plays Down Breakup at Public Appearance

Long-delayed ‘Sniper’ to Screen in Taiwan

Coco Lee’s memories of Michael Jackson and Neverland

BUSINESS/INDUSTRY NEWS:

Raymond Wong launches Hong Kong production outfit Pegasus

Hong Kong’s TVB set to take control of pay-TV unit

Star unveils slate of Chinese movie acquisitions

China media body gets new film boss

Bank of China to invest in media

OPINION: How the West can win in Asia

MOVIE REVIEW:

Review of MAGAZINE GAP ROAD (Jessey Meng, Elvis Tsui)

BEYOND HK:

South Korea: 19% of Actresses Forced to Provide Sex for Career

Stefanie Sun back with a bang after two years

Taipei Times Pop Stop on the Golden Melody Awards

Taiwan TV declines broadcast of A-mei’s video

Vincent Fang to direct film insinuating Jay and Jolin’s romance

Ethan Ruan Loves Older Women, Cheryl Yang’s The Role Model of Girls

Z-Chen: Fish Leong unlikely to withdraw from showbiz after marriage

Mavis Hee insane? Music producer clears her name

Tank wants to hook up with Jolin Tsai

Rain not falling for hot Fox

Harlem Yu: Perfect romance only happens on reel

AROUND TOWN:

Cecilia Yip Tung, Kristy Yang, Linda Wong Hing-Ping and Catherine Hung Yan

The ladies were among those who attended a charity event at a MTM skin care products store earlier this week.

Lin Chi-Ling, Pace Wu, Eunis Chan Ka-Yung, Lisa S. and others at an event for Swarovski

Gillian Chung

Gillian Chung did an interview for HK Commercial Radio on July 7th in which she was coy about her relationship with Juno Mak.  She does, however, plan on inviting him to see her upcoming play.  Also, she did not hear the news about Cecilia Cheung’s supposed pregnancy but plans to contact her and wish her well.

Vivian Hsu was in Hong Kong last week to promote laser hair removal for Dermes

• Xinhua article
• Sina.com Photo Gallery

Ruby Lin and Aloys Chen at an event for Gucci

Rosamund Kwan Chi-Lam

Kwan was a celebrity guest at a charity event for an education fund.  HK$1.7 million was raised.

Kelly Lin at an event for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

Daniel Wu at a promotional event for a soft drink

AD WATCH:

Jolin Tsai and a cyber version of Jolin Tsai shoot an ad

• Xinhua article
• Sina.com High-Definition Photo Gallery

Zhang Ziyi, Carina Lau: Celebrity Cheer for Launch of ‘Lan’ Jewelry

Hu Jing Shoots Clothing Ad While Four Months Pregnant

STALKIN’ THE STARS:

Zhang Ziyi wears a surgical mask while shopping in Hong Kong

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai

My cousin Tony met up with some friends on the night of July 4th.  He, reportedly, celebrated his 47th birthday recently by having a quiet dinner at home with his wife Carina Lau Ka-Ling.

PHOTO GALLERIES:

Crystal Liu Yifei’s photo spread for the June-July 2009 Chinese edition of HARPER’S BAZAAR

Michelle Ye (FIRE DRAGON, VENGEANCE)

Mainland model/actress Zhou Weitong

Catherine Hung Yan and fiance Zhang Danfeng

Angelica Lee Sum-Kit poses for the July edition of Dairizi

Charlene Choi gallery on the Arabic version of People’s Daily

CULTURAL NEWS:

China to spread the news in English

Chinese writers pen ‘instant’ Jackson bio

芝麻綠豆 (SESAME SEEDS AND MUNG BEANS):

Honest Croatian politician is not a breath of fresh air

Miniskirts, cleavage upset male South Koreans: survey

Image credit: Wong Jing’s Workshop Ltd. (Still from THE VAMPIRE WHO ADMIRES ME)