March 27th, 2009
News Links: March 27th, 2009
FROM THE NOTEBOOK:
Before we get to today’s links, I want to clear a few items off of the little notebook I keep to remind me of things that I want to mention on this blog.
Item #1: About this article: Stephen Chow target of criticisms once again
In the words of MAN MEN’s Bert Cooper, “who cares?” So Stephen Chow can be a bastard in the workplace … who cares? Isn’t this par for the course for some successful people? The notion that some successful people are high strung and very demanding shouldn’t be a shocking revelation. It’s not like Stephen Chow puts out this image that he’s a great, easy-going guy who’s kind and benevolent to his workers. If he did that and then this talk came out then it’s a different story but this is just “well, he can be hard to work for”.
Moreover, it’s not like he goes out of his way to destroy the careers of those who have crossed him. My memory may be faulty but didn’t he let Cecilia Cheung out of her contract early so she could make millions while the fire was hot after her debut in KING OF COMEDY? If he was the vindictive type, Eva Huang Shengyi would have had her career crushed. She wouldn’t be getting more face time in the new RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (a reported 45 seconds) than ol’ EDC in THE DARK KNIGHT?
Besides, it’s impossible for anyone to be 100% nice, 100% of the time. I’m sure that somewhere out there, someone has something bad to say about even the most pious of men like Pope Benedict or the Dalai Lama. This reminds me of an e-mail that I got a few years back when I ran my old site. I think it was around 2003 or 2004. Someone claiming to be a Cathay Pacific flight attendant e-mailed me to complain about Gigi Leung Wing-Kei.
Apparently, she and one of her co-workers were working a flight on which Gigi Leung was a passenger. Her co-worker was a Gigi Leung fan so she asked Leung for an autograph and a picture. Gigi Leung happily posed for a photo then gave her address to the flight attendant because she wanted a copy of the photo. About a month later, Cathay fired the flight attendant because, allegedly, Gigi Leung complained to the airline that she was bothered during the flight and offered the photo as evidence. The e-mailer thought that this was a stone cold move by Gigi Leung so she wanted me to run the story on my site and expose Gigi Leung’s hard-hearted nature. As I didn’t have the time or the inclination to chase down other sources for confirmation, I didn’t publish the story.
Manny Kok, my manager here at the Kozo Entertainment Group, is screaming at me right now. He’s yelling: “DISCLAIMER! DISCLAIMER! YOU HAVE TO PUT IN A STRONG DISCLAIMER!” So, let me be perfectly clear, the above story is unsubstantiated hearsay. I only told it to illustrate my point that every celebrity, every person of note probably has a negative story about them floating around somewhere. I am, in no fashion, trying to impugn the character of Gigi Leung Wing-Kei. She is, after all, a member of the Leung clan — a clan to which I myself belong.
You know, I wish the story was different. I wish I could have said: “This one time, I got an e-mail from a Cathay Pacific flight attendant and she said she was a fan of my site. She said she and one of her co-workers wanted to get together and take some colourful photos that I can store on my hard drive.”
Item #2: Edison Chen: Paragon of Filial Piety
Earlier this week, 52 year-old Chen Chak-Man (陳澤民)– the father of disgraced HK celebrity Edison Chen — filed for bankruptcy. The economic downturn has left him with a rumoured HK$1 billion in debt. Chen, however, insists that it is only HK$20 million.
What does this have to do with the entertainment circle? Well, Ming Pao reported that Edison Chen has been helping his father out financially even though his income was greatly reduced due to Sexy Photos Gate. Also, this quote from Chen the Elder appeared on Apple Action News.com: “If my son is able, he will be looking after my expenses in the future.”
Now, a cynical person would say that this is just another attempt to rehabilitate Edison Chen’s public image but … OK, I’m a cynical person, I think this belongs in the same file as the “Edison is now a Christian who prays every day” stories that were floating around last year.
More EDC foolishness: A report surfaced on Tuesday night alleging that, upon hearing news of his father’s bankruptcy, Edison Chen committed suicide by flinging himself off a building in Beijing. Obviously, the report was false.
Still more Edison Chen news, SNIPER had its gala premiere in Hong Kong this week without EDC in attendance. Also, the film is apparently going to be banned in Mainland China.
Item #3: Gillian Chung in W.
Oliver Stone was in Hong Kong this week for the Hong Kong International Film Festival. During an event for his latest film W., he talked about how he financed it mostly through Hong Kong sources. He also praised Gillian Chung as a “capable actress” but lamented that her scene (a belly dancing scene for Saddam Hussein) had to go because of time.
The regular DVD edition of W. does not have deleted scenes but the Blu-Ray DVD version contains six deleted scenes. Fans of Ah Gil may want to check that out if they want to see her “Hollywood breakthrough”. Previously on this blog, I shared some thoughts on the film.
Item #4: About this article: Joey Yung has no love for Edison Chen; only resentments
Thanks to my battle with the Big C, there’s an 18-month long gap in my entertainment circle database. As a result, I missed Joey Yung’s ascension to the “Queen of Pop” title. Is it my imagination or is Joey Yung feeling her oats? She seems more assertive and opinionated these days. I don’t recall her being this outspoken in the past.
On to the links:
TOP STORIES:
Variety reviews SHINJUKU INCIDENT
Q&A: Tsui Hark
IN PRODUCTION:
Sequels in the works for PAINTED SKIN and IP MAN
Raintree, Wayne Wang prepare Singapore historical thriller
Juliette Binoche plans film with Chinese director
Door opens for Tibet film from Dai Wei
GENERAL NEWS:
Faye Wong makes return with S$4million advertisement
China takes on Hollywood in box office battle
HAF lauds Charlie Yeung for financial acumen
Tony Blair and Jet Li sign cooperation plan on climate
Taipei Times Pop Stop: Zhang Ziyi, more
False pregnancy? Andy Lau cancels wedding
Sonija Kwok Sin-Lei: She saves maid’s life but ends up bitten
“China’s Oprah” signs for Hollywood representation
MC HotDog: No hard feelings between Jolin & me
MOVIE REVIEWS:
Variety review of DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION
Malaysia Star review of Oxide Pang’s LOVE TRIANGLE
FEATURES:
Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi’s ‘Paper Handcuff Fame’
- RELATED: Zhang Ziyi and Leon Lai promote FOREVER ENTHRALLED in South Korea
Q&A with Lu Chuan the director of NANKING! NANKING!
Eileen Chang: A great 20th century writer, as depicted in movies spanning 60 years
PHOTO GALLERYS:
‘Ashes of Time Redux’ Premieres in Beijing
Hong Kong International Film Festival kicks off
Kelly Chen at the Hong Kong premiere of MONSTERS AND ALIENS
Gigi Leung celebrates her birthday by promoting her new album (Fans from HK, China and Korea gathered at an event where Leung celebrated her birthday and promoted her new album. Asked what her birthday wish was, Leung replied: “Good health and strong record sales.”)
Irene Wan Bik-Ha at a promotional event for a spa
Lin Chi-Ling promotes Armani in Shanghai
Tang Wei promotes Armani in Changsha
* * * * *
Rest in peace, Dan Seals. It’d been more than twenty years since I heard “Bop” but, upon the news of Dan Seals’ passing yesterday, I heard the song on the radio twice. It immediately made me flashback to the ol’ school gym and boppin’ like mad to the song with Tracy Vogel. For a moment, it was a night like it used to be, when our hearts were young and our souls were free.
Image credits: AMC (Bert Cooper), Sina.com (Gigi Leung)
March 27th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Ah Gil’s recent fashion choices have been questionable. Some of these ads and promotional appearances have seen her in some dreadful “urban” gear. Ah Sa is going to be doing the cute act well into her 30’s, I’m sure. I’m losing interest in both of them, sad to say.
I was also surprised at Joey’s recent forthrightness (is that a word?)
March 27th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
I quite like the change in content of your posts - I’m referring to the Hong Kong-related news stories at the end. My Chinese comprehension is sorely lacking, so this kind of keeps me up to date all in one concise post.
March 29th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
You said that you didn’t have the time or inclination to chase down other sources for confirmation about the Gigi Leung story. I’m curious, what would you have done if you had the time and the inclination? Do you have connections of some sort?
March 31st, 2009 at 4:24 am
I find some of the links you provide really insightful into the movie-making business, and some are just very useful on-hand English translations. If I were to use some of them from time to time, how should I credit you on my blog for finding them?
March 31st, 2009 at 3:37 pm
I think that Stephen Chow is an enigma. with him being a world-class comedian, you would expect him to be an outgoing fellow like eric tsang or dayo wong, but he is the total opposite. he is the hk greta garbo, definitely one of the most closed guarded superstar in the hk entertainment circle. aside from the fact that he has a philandering heart, you don’t know much about him. you don’t see him in any big charity fundraisers or public events anymore, or attend the wedding of tony leung (I can’t believe they haven’t made a movie together yet) or alex man, or do any interviews at all that did not involve the opening of his latest film or his attempts to break into hollywood. even in his interviews, like this one: http://www.cinemasie.com/en/fiche/dossier/78/ he seems to be highly guarded in his answers, refusing to even answer what is his favorite movie. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but that it makes him a mystery to people. people who doesn’t know stephen would probably think he is the guy from ‘god of cookery’. well, he is. but he’s more like the guy from the first 3/4 of the movie, before karen mok gets shot in the face, than the guy in the last 1/4 and that’s what probably shocks people. and do you really have to be a bastard to be successful? do you really have to alienate people like summo hung and ng man-tat in order to make a great movie? maybe. I wonder how that will work out in hollywood, where he is not 星爺? I wonder how he would have fared as the director for ‘the green hornet’, before he dropped out.
I do think joey yung is more assertive these days because of her status, but how much assertiveness is required to bash edison? the whole world, aside from the sex starved boys, is strongly against him. when she starts talking about the incidents involving her and eric tseng, then I’ll be shocked.
it’s time to get married andy. her biological clock is ticking…