From: NO TOP TEN CENTRAL Newsgroups: alt.asian-movies,soc.culture.hongkong.entertainment Subject: [TAKE OVER] HKSAR Film No Top 10 Box Office (January 17 2013) Organization: Chaffing Heart Club (TM) The following publication contains material that might be objectionable to some readers. Parental guidance and reader discretion are advised. [FLUFF OF THE WEEK] Courtesy of Ming Pao, Sing Tao Daily, Apple Daily, Oriental Daily, and Ta Kung Pao 1. THIS TOP 10 IS DEDICATED TO A. Gillian Chung Yun Tung who celebrates her birthday on the 21st B. Nadia Chan Chung Ling who celebrates her birthday on the 21st C. Veteran actor Joe Cheng Cho who passed away at the age of 51 in Shenzhen due to heart disease on the 19th D. Huang Yi who gave birth to a baby girl on the 19th E. Lui Fong who celebrates his birthday on the 19th F. Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun) who celebrates his birthday on the 18th G. Sharon Chan Man Chi who celebrates her birthday on the 17th 2. MISCELLANEOUS * (2013/01/23) After two films of the Donnie Yen Chi Tan version of IP MAN, the Wong Kar Wai version THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) was recently released and started another Ip Man fever. Movies and television series about Ip Man just keep on coming. The Anthony Wong Chau Sun starred senior version IP MAN THE FINAL FIGHT (IP MAN JUNG GIK YUT JIN) will be released at the end of March. The Kevin Cheng Ka Wing starred series IP MAN will air on TVB Jade HD and its sequel has been set for a June production start. In July the Chi Tan starred IP MAN 3D will start production. Next year Raymond Wong Pak Ming will be a consultant to an IP MAN musical. The audience will not part with Ip Man for the entire film. The Wong Kar Wai directed, Zhang Ziyi and Tony Leung Chiu Wai starred THE GRANDMASTERS recently has been released in China and Hong Kong. After 14 days in the Mainland its box office two days ago was around 260 million RMB. After 12 days in Hong Kong its box office was around HK$15.24 million. The Herman Yau Lai To directed, Wong Chau Sun starred senior version IP MAN THE FINAL FIGHT will follow with a March release. The Cheng Ka Wing starred television series IP MAN will air on TVB JADE HD and CCTV. Although Cheng Ka Wing suffered an eye injury , the series sold very well. The production decided to start a sequel in June and Ka Wing will get a raise to 500,000 RMB per episode. Wong Pak Ming's Pegasus saw more for the subject of Ip Man and started to plan to invest HK$150 million on IP MAN 3D. The lead will remain Yen Chi Tan. Because this production will be in 3D, the action design will take more thought to be more fun for the audience. It has been scheduled for a July production start. Wong Pak Ming said, "The 3D version of IP MAN will start work this year. Ip Man's two sons Ip Chun and Ip Ching will be consultants. The screen writer will still be (Edmond) Wong Chi Hung. The first film's theme was about survival, the second was about living, the third will be about life. The story will be about Ip Man after settling in Hong Kong has his life threatened. Thus the third film will have more action. Bruce Lee will also appear as a character." Would Wong Kar Wai's THE GRANDMASTERS impact IP MAN 3D? Wong Pak Ming said, "I believe Wong Kar Wai's aesthetic style and our style are completely different, we will focus on actual fighting." Yen Chi Tan revealed that Wilson Yip Wai Shun has already seen THE GRANDMASTERS. He said, "Shun Jai after watching has many new ideas. I believe the third film will have a lot of Yip Wai Shun's style." Would all the Ip Man movies and television series tire the audience out? He said, "Seeing how many people are talking about THE GRANDMASTERS, everyone should still be very interested in Ip Man." Wong Chau Sun's IP MAN THE FINAL FIGHT will be released in March, was he worried about being compared to Leung Chiu Wai and Yen Chi Tan's Ip Man? He said, "No comparison would be very hard, let's see what will be compared. You may say, 'Why is your Ip Man so old?' When Ip Man came to Hong Kong he really was old! If you used this to ask, I really can't give anything to you. You may say I am not as handsome as Leung Chiu Wai, Ip Man was like this. This film preserves a lot of Hong Kong culture, of course it has fighting in it. I feel I fight very excitingly." Chau Sun said that he has not seen THE GRANDMASTERS, he felt Wong Kar Wai's work has certain quality. Later he will definitely watch it. Aside from the upcoming films and series, Wong Pak Ming was invited to be a consultant on a Ip Man musical. The English version will first begin its run in Singapore next year, while the Chinese version will begin its run in three lands on both sides of the Strait in 2015. He hoped to further bring Ip Man overseas. Lam Jik will be in charge of the IP MAN Chinese lyrics creation. IP MAn music director Kenji Kawai will be responsible for the music. Wong Pak Ming said that the Ip Man English musical will hold a press conference in Shanghai at the end of February. He said, "Later a global casting will take place, the cast will be Chinese, but needs to know music, kung fu and English. Of course Chi Tan fits the bill, but he will be too busy to handle the tour." * (2013/01/23) The Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Louis Koo Tin Lok and Lau Ching Wan starred, Benny Chan Muk Sing directed new film THE CARTEL WAR (BIN YIK) is heating up in production recently. Two nights ago around 7:30PM, Cheung Ka Fai stepped into a Causeway Bay building with a lot of restaurants. Around midnight he along with Goo Jai, Ching Wan and Chan Muk Sing stepped out. They were laughing and joking. Ka Fai joked, "Here really is pretty busy!" He turned around and saw the reporter's camera, which surprised him. Then he turned into a goodwill ambassador and grabbed everyone for a group photo. Were they dining after work? Ka Fai said, "Right. (How's the new film?) Great!" After bidding each other farewell they scattered. Ching Wan gave the director a ride while Ka Fai walked to his car. Fans surrounded him and asked for a group photo. Cheung Ka Fai and Esther Kwan Wing Ho wed in Australia in 2003 and their daughter Brittany will soon turn 7, but they have never held a wedding banquet. The latest rumor was that Ka Fai will hold a make up banquet in April or May, but Ka Fai denied that. "No such thing, how can that be possible. Right now I am working on THE CARTEL WAR and MOR GAING (DEMON COP), later I still have HEUNG GONG JAI (HONG KONG GUY) and an Emperor film. I am scheduled until the end of the year. Where will I get the time to do this." Earlier while working on the film they had an accident. In one scene Goo Jai struggled with Chin Wan. At first Goo Jai held back. After several times the director was still not satisfied, so he pushed hard. Ching Wan immediately fell and his head hit the floor. Everyone was stunned. Luckily after an examination his injury was no big deal, but Goo Jai still felt rather guilty. Producer Alvin Lam Siu Keung admitted that the accident was caught on film but was secretive about whether it will be shown later. * (2013/01/23) Zhang Ziyi is attending the Dior fashion show in Paris. Earlier she revealed in a Mainland media interview that next month she will work on the John Woo (Ng Yu Sum) directed LOVE AND LET LOVE (SUN SEI LUEN) and be reunited with her THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) Korean co-star Song Hye-Kyo. THE GRANDMASTERS as of the 21st made HK$15 million. Playing Gong Er in the film Zhang Ziyi had a lot of screen time and an outstanding role. Song Hye-Kyo who only had a few scenes paled in comparison. Who knew how Ng Yu Sum's LOVE will handle their roles? Ng Yu Sum originally planned to start work on the Song Hye-Kyo and Chang Chen starred LOVE AND LET LOVE, but because he discovered a tumor in his neck and needed therapy he set aside the project. After treatment and recovery Ng Yu Sum originally decided to remake the French director Jean-Pierre Melville's classic LE SAMOURAI, but finally he decided to make LOVE first. The film will start production in Shanghai after the Lunar New Year. * (2013/01/23) Artist Joe Cheng Cho (originally named Cheng Kam Wing) last week passed away due to heart disease at the age of 51. Cheng Cho's memorial yesterday took place in the Grand Peace Funeral Parlor in Hung Hom. The ceremony was Christian, the altar was simply decorated and photos from Cheng Cho's life were displayed. Yesterday many industry insiders including Teresa Mo Shun Kwan, Michael Tse Tin Wa, Vincent Kuk Tak Siu, Ronald Cheng Chung Kei, Sam Lee Chan Sam, Chan Kwok Kwan, Rachel Kan Mo Wa, Christine Chau Ka Yin and Chik Kei Yi attended. Stephen Chow Sing Yi and Ng Man Tat did not appear in person but they sent floral arrangements. Chow Sing Chi even sent one from the company and another from himself. Tse Tin Wa said that Cheng Cho was his dance division elder but they have never worked together on any movie or television series. His smile was the most memorable. Tin Wa said, "He was very optimistic, he would make friends around him happy and his smile was hard to forget. The last time I ran into him was around two years ago at a Mainland event. Earlier when I received the bad news, it was very sudden since he was so young. I wish a peaceful journey." * (2013/01/23) Sandra Ng Kwan Yu and Teresa Mo Shun Kwan starred in the Lunar New Year film HOTEL DELUXE (BAK SING JAU DIM) and played the housekeeping manager and general manager. They in order to maintain the hotel's reputation often had to serve strange and weird clients, including the strangest country fisherman client Jim Chim Shui Man; Kwan Yu and Sister Mo had to give this grotesque fish monger a massage. Sister Mo said, "Kwan Yu and I have to massage Chim Shui Man's peeling with special effect make up foot, which is truly disgusting. The story requires us to give him a massage, Jim Sir keeps on moaning and creates a lot of comedy. It's rather fun." Kwan Yu said, "The art director put a lot of skin and nail fungus on Jim Sir's foot, it is very realistic. I am nauseous from just looking at it." Jim Sir said that Sister Mo and Kwan Yu were master class comedy stars with a lot of comedy experience. With them giving him a foot massage he enjoyed it very much; He personally thought that Sister Mo gave a better massage. * (2013/01/22) The box office hit THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI)'s director Wong Kar Wai and actors Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen earlier attended an audience appreciation event in Beijing. Later Wong Kar Wai went to Shanghai to attend an audience meeting, shared the experience with viewers and clarified that the film had no 4 hour version. He joked that if viewers wanted they would have to wait 10 years. On the other hand the Cantonese original sound version will soon be released. Earlier Wong Kar Wai led Leung Chiu Wai, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen and the script consultant Chang Ta Chun to a Beijing cinema for audience appreciation. The lead actor Wai Jai shared the experience with the audience and said that he particularly liked in the film's opening when his mentor tied Ip Man's belt for him. "One belt one breath, from now on live with this one breath. Our production process isn't easy. Over these 4 years I completed the film with this one breath. Suddenly I got very emotional, the 4 years of persistence that everyone gave was not easy either." A viewer asked Wai Jai, "Did Ip Man fall for Gong Er?" He said, "He admired Gong Er, your best opponent is your confidant. Finding someone who understands you is very rare. He hoped to have a chance to compare, saying that he wanted to see Gong Clan's 64 hands was only an excuse to go to the Northeast." Chang Chen was asked about his character Yi Xiantian who only had 3 scenes in the film. His encounter on the train with Zhang Ziyi even led to questions. Zhang Ziyi graciously admitted, "My Gong Er and Yi Xiantian were in love, but the director determined why it didn't appear. I especially hoped to see my reunion with Yi Xiantian in Hong Kong." Chang Chen revealed that Yi Xiantian's White Rose barber shop and Gong Er's clinic were on the same street. They ran into each other in a Muslim noodle shop in Hong Kong. Later Wong Kar Wai said in Shanghai, "THE GRANDMASTERS became the Berlin Film Festival opening film. Film and martial art are the same, without any differentiation between the East and the West. I believe the audience of the entire world will be able to see the beauty of Chinese martial art films and the beauty of Chinese people. I hope foreigners will be able to see the valuable presence of Chinese people, that introverted calmness." He even denied that the film had a 4 hour version. "That was a misunderstanding, anyone who wants to see it will have to wait 10 years. The Cantonese original sound version will be released very soon. Film lovers will be able to experience it again." John Woo (Ng Yu Sum) over a year ago announced the LOVE AND LET LOVE, which not only had cast change after cast change but also an indefinite postponement due to his cancer. Finally Ziyi admitted that the film has already been confirmed and revealed that it will start production next month in Shanghai. Her romantic rival in THE GRANDMASTERS Song Hye-Kyo also remained on the list. * (2013/01/22) "Metal Teeth" in the Stephen Chow Sing Chi film FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE (KWOK CHAN LING LING CHAT) and "Black Bear" in LOVE IN DELIVERY (POR WAI JI WONG), character actor Joe Cheng Cho (originally named Cheng Kam Wing) left a deep impression with the audience. Last Friday he suffered a stroke in Shenzhen and passed away at the age of 51. Cheng Cho's remains were cremated yesterday in Shenzhen. His daughter posted on his father's microblog, "Thank you everyone for your thoughts of my father Cheng Cho. He was already fine with your well wishes. Please do not be too sad for him, he only went to an even better place. This was Heaven! He would wish us well in Heaven!" Cheng Cho's memorial will take place Tuesday from 10AM to 12PM at the Grand Peace Funeral Parlor in Hung Hom. * (2013/01/22) The Peter Chan Ho Sun directed AMERICAN DREAMS IN CHINA was about the 30 years of growth of Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao and Tong Dawei from the 80s to now. The "native" Huang Xiaoming went from the 80s track suit student look, to the 90s business founding period shirt and high waist pants to the 00s big belly with his riches and created the "most native in history" father of tutors. During the shoot he in order to gain weight pigged out, only his face was 1 centimeter wider; Chan Ho Sun could only make a "fake belly" for him. Deng Chao and Tong Dawei represented characters from "Overseas" and the "Angry Youth" segments. * (2013/01/21) This year is the 10th anniversary of Leslie Cheung Kwok's passing and the 20th anniversary of his good friend Danny Chan Pak Keung's passing. Their friends and fans will hold memorial events. Gor Gor's former manager Chan Suk Fun on April 31 and April 1 will organize two concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum and plan to invite Jacky Cheung Hok Yau, Kit Chan Kit Ling, Karen Mok Man Wai, Julian Cheung Chi Lam, So Si Wong, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Carina Lau Ka Ling, the Grasshoppers and others to perform in memory of Gor Gor. The Gor Gor fan formed Red Mission also planned a large scale memorial event that included an April 2 "10th anniversary music event" at the Cultural center, the tentatively scheduled for April 1 to 9 "10th anniversary large scale exhibit" and a Cheung Kwok Wing film retrospective with ten of Gor Gor's movies in April. Microblog and facebook both already have special pages for fans to remember him. Danny's loyal fans also started their own idol memorial event that they hoped to take place on his September birthday. Currently Danny's friend Chan Hoi Kei and fan Fennie Yuen Kit Ying have been contacted. Danny was a close friend of Pansy Ho Chiu King, Daisy Ho Chiu Fung was even his god daughter. In 2009 Chiu Fung assisted with the Danny Chan collection exhibit. Thus fans hoped to invite the Ho sisters to help with the memorial event. Yuen Kit Ying said, "If the fan club needs any help, I definitely will do my best because he is my only idol." * (2013/01/21) Film star Zhang Ziyi two days ago attended THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) audience appreciation in Beijing. She said that she decided not to make another kung fu because she "cherished" it. "I hope to take the memory that is the most beautiful or the most memorable for people and keep it there forever. Wong Kar Wai said that this decision was my highest evaluation of THE GRANDMASTERS." When asked what if Hollywood offered her a kung fu film, Zhang Ziyi said with certainty, "I care even less for Hollywood kung fu film because they have no way to depict the Chinese martial art spirit." Ziyi praised Wong Kar Wai and said, "He can make you an even better actor." Speaking of all the gossip troubles in recent years, Ziyi graciously responded that those were the honing of life. She said, "Life is unexpected, without peaks and valleys how can it test your large (strong) heart?) She also said, "This unpredictable life has given me the courage to keep going forward. It has given me the current me, it has also made me happier than many people." Recently photos from Korean star Song Hye-Kyo's worshipping and Chinese dress scenes that were removed from THE GRANDMASTERS appeared online. * (2013/01/21) The final report card of the four major music awards, Radio and Television Hong Kong's 35th Chinese Gold Song Awards took place last night. Eason Chan Yik Shun won 5 awards to become the big winner last night; Joey Yung Cho Yi won 4 awards including her 9th "Most Excellent Female Pop Singer Award". After 4 awards she won 13.5 awards to become this year's ultimate winner. RTHK not only increased the "excellent singer" numbers to 12 but also the gold songs. However the most exciting part of the entire night was Jacky Cheung Hok Yau performing his hits and Jenny Tseng (Yun Nei) as an elder advised the younger generation to greet people. Eason and Joey continued to reign the music scene. Eason individually won 5 awards, including his 8th "Most Excellent Male Pop Singer Award", "Excellent Male Pop Singer Award", "Highest Selling Male Singer of the Year" and with HEAVY FLAVOR (CHUNG HAU MEI) the "Global Chinese Ultimate Gold Song" and a gold song award. Last night Eason seemed somewhat nervous to see elder Jenny Tseng, in order to avoid being called impolite in the past being brought up again he went down on one knee to accept his award. During his speech, he also misspoke and called himself, "Chan Yeuk Shun"; he also did not forget to encourage all musicians to continue to make music that made them happy, only then listeners would like it. Joey won her 9th Most Excellent Female Pop Singer Award". When she won "The Highest Selling Female Singer Award" she said that the record industry seemed to be slowly vanishing, but she hoped that she could still continue to sing until records changed formats. Last night 12 singers won the Excellent Pop Singer Award, including Chan Yik Shun, Hacken Lee Hak Kun, Leo Ku Kui Ke, Yung Cho Yi, Khalil Fong Datong, Raymond Lam Fung, Kay Tse On Kay, Ivana Wong Yuen Chi, G.E.M., Mr., RubberBand and C AllStar. Hins Cheung King Hin, Kary Ng Yu Fei, Jade Kwan Sum Yin and Fiona Sit Hoi Kei did not make the list. This year RTHK increased the Gold Songs to 12, the explanation of which was that because this year the song competition has been fierce the intention was for everyone to share the awards and reduce conflict. Rumored to win the Most Excellent Female Singer award before the race, Kwan Sum Yin last night went home empty handed. Kwan Sum Yin last night attended the award show and afterward expressed her disappointment online. "Disappointed in the end even with hard work, to all the Yin fans who supported BREAK UP PHILOSOPHY, sorry and thank you! I cannot persist anymore, I only hope to properly live my life as Mrs. Yeung from now on! I also want to say Happy Birthday to my father in law!" Perhaps she is retiring due to her disappointment? The Bowie Lam Bo Yi, Moses Chan Ho and Kenny Wong Tak Bun performed YOUNG AND INNOCENT (NIN SIU MO JI) also won a gold song award. The TVB series WHEN HEAVEN BURNS (TIN YU DEI) theme song won awards at all the award shows except TVB's own, where ironically it was not even nominated. When Jenny Tseng presented the Most Excellent Male Pop Singer Award, the hosts jokingly bowed to her in greeting. Jenny Tseng took the chance to throw jabs at G.E.M. who she called impolite. Jenny Tseng said, "How obedient and willing to learn, greeting is the most important! I am often overseas, every time I return different faces appear. I sometimes am in an awkward situation. I want to greet people, but when they see me I don't know if they know me or not. I don't know what to do. For singer the most important is to sing well, be pretty, dress up, pay attention to how you present yourself and culture, great in color, fragrance and taste. Never be supercilious!" At the time the camera turned to the singers in the audience but G.E.M. was not present. Later Jenny Tseng presented the award to Chan Yik Shun, who she scolded before. She took credit and said that she taught him well back then for him to have his success today. Hosts Cuson Law Kai Sun and Tsang Chi Ho first poked fun at Lam Fung for getting back a singer award after dropping a television award. Tsang Chi Ho asked, "If someone asks me about not winning then what?" Law Kai Sun answered, "I would tell him if he didn't win an award to go home and run a business! Thus now some students say they are not going to take tests at school, as they are afraid of their grades affecting their mood!" They then took aim at G.E.M. and suggested for her not to make videos when she was in trouble. She could call the negative emotion hotline. They even said, "If the system isn't open, just follow the system!" When Lam Fung went on stage he struck back, stating that he listened to the hosts "rotten gag" attentively. G.E.M. was rumored to be at odds with Tse On Kay after criticizing her for singing poorly. However when they won the "Excellent Pop Singer Awards" they not only stood next to each other but also chatted and laughed, clearing up the rumor with their action. Wong Yuen Chi appeared in her usual unusual look. This time her eye make up resembled Yung Cho Yi's. Her eyes were drawn to look like horns while Yung Cho Yi had designs around the corner of her eyes. When Yung Cho Yi received her gold song award from Lee Hak Kun, he joked that lately she constantly had a smile on her face and because she was afraid of people reading her lips again she did not dare to speak on stage anymore. later the hosts asked her which singer she would like to work with the most. Joey said, "Does it have to be singing? I may want to work with Chan Ho in acting? Wong Tak Bun and Lam Bo Yi would work too!" Cheung Hok Yau received the Gold Song 35th Anniversary Honorary Award. In his one minute speech, he said that now when Hong Kong needs good singers and music makers the most everyone should do their part to heat up and radiate again. He also said that everyone would get old and become the past, he was the best example; but good music would endure. Hosts Joey Leung Wing Chun and Jackie Chen (Kwai Fa Tin) made fun of TVB and said that viewers loved to watch "one second scenes". For one series netizens got together just to watch one scene. Obviously he was making fun of his former company's "one second gang rape" scene. The subject of terminations due to being absent or tardy to the ATV "brain washing class" was brought up as well. They advised new comers not to be late and absent, to familiarize themselves with RTHK history. Otherwise they would be fired. THE 35TH TOP TEN CHINESE GOLD SONG AWARDS http://rthk.hk/special/goldsong2012/ TOP TEN GOLD SONG WHITE SPACE (Ivana Wong) HEAVY FLAVOR (Eason Chan) LOVE CAN'T LOVE ANYMORE (Leo Ku) WALLPAPER (Joey Yung) WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE (Hacken Lee) MASK (Alfred Hui) CONFESSION (Kary Ng) IRREVERSIBLE (Pakho Chau) THE END (Shiga Lin) MING MING (Charlene Choi) WHAT HAVE U DONE (G.E.M.) YOUNG AND INNOCENT (Bowie Lam, Moses Chan, Kenny Wong) EXCELLENT POPULAR MANDARIN SONG GOLD: LOVE YOU (Kimberley Chen) SILVER: THOUSAND ORIGAMI CRANE (Khalil Fong) BRONZE: GOING HOME ALONE (Ellen Loo) EXCELLENT POPULAR SINGER RubberBand G.E.M. Kay Tse Khalil Fong Eason Chan Hacken Lee Joey Yung Leo Ku Raymond Lam Ivana Wong Mr. C AllStar MOST EXCELLENT POPULAR FEMALE SINGER: Joey Yung MOST EXCELLENT POPULAR MALE SINGER: Eason Chan MOST POTENTIAL NEW ARTIST GOLD: Hubert Wu SILVER: Adason Lo BRONZE: Robynn & Kendy EXCELLENCE: Alex Lam, Jay Fung, Kimberley Chen CASH BEST CREATIVE SINGER: Eric Suen MOST IMPROVED OF THE YEAR GOLD: Gin Lee SILVER: Fiona Sit BRONZE: Louis Cheung NATIONAL BEST SINGER MALE: Wang Leehom FEMALE: Jane Zhang Liangying GROUP: Twins NATIONAL BEST CHINESE SONG: THOUSAND ORIGAMI CRANE (Khalil Fong) GLOBAL CHINESE ULTIMATE GOLD SONG: HEAVY FLAVOR (Eason Chan) HIGHEST SELLING SINGER OF THE YEAR MALE: Eason Chan FEMALE: Joey Yung GROUP: May Day MICROBLOG POWERED SINGER: Raymond Lam 35TH ANNIVERSARY GOLD SONG HONORARY AWARD: Jacky Cheung * (2013/01/21) Irene Wan Bik Ha two nights ago attended a fund raising event. She revealed that she has established her own film workshop, the first film of which would be a remake of her first film LONELY FIFTEEN (LAN MUI JAI); the new LONELY FIFTEEN will be about a mother daughter relationship, she would play the mother and the modern version lead is being cast. Wan Bik ha said, "The company said that it found a girl who looked very much like me, I haven't seen her in person but from the photo she does." Would she invite her former cast mates to guest star? She did not answer and only said, "One of them Michelle came to find me a few years ago, the rebellious girl who smoked and drank back then already left home to live the life of a Buddhist." * (2013/01/20) Rosamund Kwan Chi Lam two nights ago attended the 12th Channel Young Awards. Kwan Chi Lam has been rumored to wed Taiwan businessman Pierre Chen Tai Ming and officially retire from show business. Two nights ago she did not say much about the marriage rumor but she admitted, "I probably won't make another movie, I have very few opportunities for making a film comeback." * (2013/01/20) Veteran actor Joe Cheng Cho (originally named Cheng Kam Wing) yesterday passed away due to heart disease in Shenzhen at the age of 51. Director Lee Lik Chi on facebook remembered his friend. "Our good friend Cheng Cho Big Joe this morning passed away in Shenzhen, according to his daughter he had a heart problem......over the air I say to my buddy see you there, travel safe Big Joe." Cheng Cho was a character actor who often appeared in Stephen Chow Sing Chi films, including FROM BEIJING WITH LOVE (GOK CHAN LING LING CHUT)'s Metal Mouth, LOVE ON DELIVERY (POR WAI JI WONG)'s Judo master Black Bear; his recent film was the upcoming Lunar New Year film HOTEL DELUXE (BAK SING JAU DIM). In recent years Cheng Cho operated a bar in Shenzhen. * (2013/01/20) The film THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) performed ideally at the box office and began a "GRANDMASTERS style" fever. In particular the Zhang Ziyi played "Gong Er" stole the spotlight; her kung fu pose was so cool that it has become the target of impersonations, as everyone became kung fu masters. Another good news for THE GRANDMASTERS was the rumor that Chang Cheng's marriage proposal was successful and he would wed this year. The always low key Chang Chen did not directly respond to the Mainland media, but he said that he needed a complete family and seemingly hinted at the big event. He said, "Now I should enjoy my 30s. Guys still need to have halos but also a complete family. This is the best of times, I should properly take advantage of it both at work and in my personal life." Wong Kar Wai, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen yesterday attended the Beijing THE GRANDMASTERS meeting. When asked about Ziyi and Chang Chen's romance, she said, "We once had a relationship! I am not talking about CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON! As for which kind of relationship, it depends on the director's arrangement." "My Gong Er and Yi Xiantian back then loved each other, but the director determined why it didn't appear. I especially want to see my reunion with Yi Xiantian in Hong Kong." Chang Chen revealed that Yi Xiantian's White Rose barber shop and Gong Er's clinic were on the same street. They ran into each other at a Muslim noodle shop in Hong Kong. As for what they said, he joked, "I told Gong Er I opened a barber shop, she could come over anytime." Zhang Ziyi added, "However Gong Er never changed her hairstyle, she had no way to go to White Rose barber shop to get her hair done." They finally even made "THE GRANDMASTERS Style" pose with the audience for a group photo. Meanwhile Max Zhang Jun promoted the film in Chongqing. Reportedly THE GRANDMASTERS will compete at the Berlin Film Festival. Jet Tone already denied the rumor and reiterated that Wong Kar Wai would only be the jury chair for the event. THE GRANDMASTERS' Hong Kong box office has already exceeded HK$12 million. * (2013/01/19) The Benny Chan Muk Sing directed police film THE CARTEL WAR (BIN YIK) two nights ago shot an alley chase scene with a Mongkok road block. Louis Koo Tin Lok, Lau Ching Wan and Lam Kwok Bun were ready by 7PM as everyone were stuffed into the narrow alley for work. After each shot Goo Jai and Ching Wan intensely watched the play back and spoke with Chan Muk Sing about how to shoot the scene. Throughout the chase scenes, Goo Jai suffered the most as he had to keep screaming and running until 4:30AM. Chan Muk Sing posted a photo online and stated, "At 4:30AM, under 10 degrees Celsius chilly weather Goo Jai is hung five stories above. We know it's hard for you, Mr. Koo!" Finally the team ended the shoot before sunrise. * (2013/01/19) Shawn Yue Man Lok, JJ Jia (Ga Hiu Sun), Hui Siu Hung and Matthew Chow Hoi Kwong two nights ago worked on their film FEI FU JING YING ji TOH PIU CHOOK JING (FLYING TIGER ELITE: PACKAGE EXPEDITION). In it Lok Jai and Chow Hoi Kwong were Special Duties Unit teammates. Two nights ago they went to Hui Siu Hung's pharmacy for male enhancement products, but at the time Hui Siu Hung's daughter JJ tended to them. They felt very embarrassed and did not know what to say to JJ. Because the location had many onlookers, the crew often used their arms as cover. Their movement upset a thug who was displeased with being blocked and blew up in obscenities. He wanted to rush into the pharmacy and cause trouble. Finally his friends dragged ihm away. However Lok Jai looked displeased because the production was hindered. Hui Siu Hung who had plenty of experience looked relaxed. Earlier complaining about the enormous pressure of dating, JJ two nights ago despite spending several hours in make up still looked exhausted and did not bother to care about the troublemaker outside. Lok Jai revealed that later they would shoot a duck (gigolo) shop scene, but now he is working on another film SPECIAL RESCUE HEROES (DUT JUNG GAU WOON YING HUNG) and he has gotten no sleep. He said, "Once for four days in a row I had two early and late and early and late shoots. I am afraid of health problems. Luckily the productions have been accommodating me." * (2013/01/19) The Law Wing Cheung directed, Donnie Yen Chi Tan starred 3D film THE ICEMAN COMETH 3D (BING FUNG HUP) after 20 days in production suddenly halted. Some crew members said that they still have not received their mid term salary. Some said that the Mainland was very displeased with the constant criticism of Communist China from Stephen Shiu Jr.'s father on Hong Kong People Reporter, thus it applied pressure with the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China. With order from the Propaganda Department the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television "took extra care" for Stephen Shiu Sr. and Jr. Any movie with their investment would receive special attention during the approval process. Reportedly ICEMAN still has not received its approval. Zhongmeng, which held 70% share in ICEMAN's investment or 70 million RMB, realized the severity of the situation, immediately shut off the tap and halted production to negotiate with Stephen Shiu Jr. first. Reportedly Zhongmeng has offered two resolutions, either Stephen Shiu Jr's One Dollar Film and Television completely drops out and receives a complete refund of its 30% investment; or the film ceases production here and the 20 million goes up in smoke. Chi Tan and Wang Baoqiang's contracts will be transferred to another film for Zhongmeng. Stephen Shiu Jr. decided to pull himself out, took the money and ran. The film bureau already hinted that next week the approval will be issued and tomorrow the film will resume production. Stephen Shiu Jr. said, "The film has halted production. Due to a difference of opinion between me and Zhongmeng, I have decided to resign from THE ICEMAN COMETH 3D. However it has nothing to do with politics. This time is an individual incident. The film will start up again in the next few days." * (2013/01/19) In the film YOUNG AND DANGEROUS: RELOADED (GOO WAT JAI: GONG WU SUN DIT JUI) Law Chung Him played the classic character Chan Ho Nam. He admitted that it felt completely different from the past classic YOUNG AND DANGEROUS. He said, "Actually this time in the film we are small time hoods who aren't even qualified to show up for a gang fight, later after joining Brother Bee we are officially in. However in the story Chan Ho Nam won't keep playing with his lighter like before. Because it's been over ten years since the previous YOUNG AND DANGEROUS, we had to progress with the times. In the film we call for back up and gang fight with WhatsApp. We won't be brave, we will be afraid to die." Law Chung Him was very happy to catch Wong Jing's eyes to play Chan Ho Nam. He said, "The first time Brother Jing said to me that he was asking me to make YOUNG AND DANGEROUS to play one of the characters. At that time I thought which character would I play? Later when I found out it was Chan Ho Nam, at that moment I wanted to smile from the corners of my mouth! However I held it back." The film YOUNG AND DANGEROUS not only had Law Chung Him as Chan Ho Nam, but also Jazz Lam Chi Sin as Pou-Pan, Dominic Ho Ho Man as Dai Tin Yee, and an all new ensemble. Lam Chi Sin said that the cast this time consisted of buddies. In addition due to the fresh pairing he gladly participated in it. He said, "At first when I took this movie, I wanted to know which actor would be in it. because I was afraid of affecting the previous YOUNG AND DANGEROUS movie feel. When I learned that it had Law Chung Him, (Oscar) Leung Lit Wai and Ho Ho Man, they were all my buddies. In addition the story was about brotherhood, I believed it would be very fun and it was very suitable! Brother Jing also took good care of me so I agreed right away." Lam Chi Sin said that he played the Pou Pan character from an all new angle. Constantly sucking on a Chupa Chup and listening to his headphones were his ideas." Ho Ho Man played the explosive Dai Tin Yee. In the film he ran a food stall business, but the production was so realistic that real neighbors attempted to give him business. He said, "In one scene Pou Pan and I operated a small street noodle stall. In front of the store we placed two prop tables. When the team broke for meals they sat by these two tables. Suddenly someone jumped in and sat down, so I asked the production assistant if he was an extra. Later I heard that client said, 'when did a noodle shop open here', then I realized that the neighbor made a mistake!" * (2013/01/19) The Stephen Chow Sing Chi directed film JOURNEY TO THE WEST (SAI YAU GONG MOR PIN) will be released during the Lunar New Year. The Shu Qi played demon taming heroine and Wen Zhang played young Venerable Monk Tang had a lively romance; in one scene they teamed up to tame a pig demon. Shu Qi said that the director originally wanted her and Wen Zhang to each kiss the pig demon once, but she already felt nauseous when she saw the pig head. Thus this important task was left with Wen Zhang. Actually Wen Zhang also toughed it out because director Chow Sing Chi personally demonstrated how to "kiss a pig". Since even the director was willing, he dared not say no. Wen Zhang joked, "Luckily after kissing the pig lips I got to kiss Shu Qi, which made up for it in my soul." * (2013/01/19) Raymond Lam Fung and Kate Tsui Tsz Shan yesterday attended a watch flagship store opening. Lam Fung recently has been preparing for his concerts but still had endless gossip, as he was rumored to be in a half live in relationship with Karena Ng Chin Yu. The "BB" he referred to at the award show as Chin Yu; Lam Fung seemed to be prepared and asked reporters, "Don't you have news to ask me about?" He reiterated that he and Ng Chin Yu were only good friends, he has never even heard of the residence in the report. "When I saw the headline even I was surprised, I have never been to or seen the residence in the report. (Are you renting it out?) No, I don't know what happened! I thank the magazine for increasing my exposure before the concert, but I don't want this type of promotion. To be fair, I have been a new comer as well. I hope people don't write about her like that, twisting the truth. This would be so sad!" Lam Fung rarely responded to the rumor and even defended the other party. "I have been new myself, when new comers arrived they definitely have a variety of news. Ultimately the society needs positive energy, don't write about things that even we don't know about." Lam Fung clarified that "BB" in his thank you speech was a family member but he did not deny Ng Chin Yu's praise that he was the most "chok" when he was sleeping. "She and I have worked together on movies, during which we had breaks. Of course she has seen me sleep. Because I have to fight for rest, I am used to sleeping steadily and not moving at all." Tsz Shan was dressed in red and did not hesitate to lean forward to dot the dancing lions' eyes. Her Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2013 (NGOR OI HK 2013 GUNG HEI FAT CHOI) reportedly might be postponed its Mainland release for two weeks due to inspection issues. Tsz Shan screamed, "Really? I haven't heard about that, this news is too horrifying since my role is larger than in past years. I really hope this news isn't real, ultimately the Mainland market is very important." * (2013/01/18) Singer Ava Yu Kiu has been working on movies nonstop. Earlier she worked on THE ICEMAN COMETH 3D (3D BING FUNG HUP) and was surprised at how complicated the 3D film shoot was. Each shot needed to be shot multiple times, her face was all twisted from repeating the same expression! A bottle breaking scene still was unfinished after two days. She said, "Because the bottle breaking had to be shot from different angels, it had to be shot many times. Every time the expression had to be the same!" Yu Kiu will go to Shenzhen for a month to make a horror film. In the film she will be strangled and receive her first "death lai see". Before going she made full preparations. "This time I really am bringing everything, including charms and mascots. I am usually scared already as I watch ghost films!" * (2013/01/18) The Strongest in the Universe Donnie Yen Chi Tan and his wife Cissy Wang last night attended the Bvlgari flagship store lighting ceremony. Yen Chi Tan has made IP MAN and IP MAN 2, now Tony Leung Chiu Wai's THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) is finally released. He said that he still has not have the time to watch it but still congratulated THE GRANDMASTERS on the good box office performance. THE GRANDMASTERS was not released in time for this year's Hong Kong Film Award, did Chi Tan feel any regret for Wai Jai? Yen Chi Tan's wife Cissy Wang answered for him and said that it was very regrettable, but next year he will still have a chance. If Wai Jai's THE GRANDMASTERS will not compete for film awards until next year, will he clash with his IP MAN 3? He said that IP MAN 3 still has no production start date because it had to wait for director Wilson Yip Wai Shun. Chi Tan's return to IP MAN 3 would not have any added pressure due to THE GRANDMASTERS, only with comparisons would there be variety. Yen Chi Tan earlier worked on a magazine cover shoot and talked in depth about his parents' influence on him. Everyone's impression of him was a faithful, responsible good man who took care of his family. He inherited all of the positive points from his father Yen Wan Lung. He said that his father often talked to him about life and Chinese history, his motto was "as long as there is no guilty conscience". He also said that he would rather be fooled than fool someone, being taken advantage of might not necessarily be bad. "Father is a gracious gentleman, but when I was little I was very rebellious. I thought he was outdated and often clashed with him. Once he was so mad that he wanted to toss me into the ocean. Now looking back I have a lot of regret. What would I do if my children clash with me like this? Only when I become a father do I realize how parents around the world feel." * (2013/01/18) Twins yesterday attended a fashion show at the Disney hotel. The event prepared a cake to celebrate Gillian Chung Yun Tung's birthday in advance. How will Ah Gil and her Korean boyfriend celebrate her first birthday since they have been together? Ah Gil said that the night before she will have to attend the Top Ten Chinese Gold Song Award. Would her boyfriend give her a surprise? She said, "We will celebrate, but he didn't mention any surprise." The fan club later will celebrate with Ah Gil, but Ah Sa will not be able to attend as she will be out of town. Speaking of the Hong Kong Film Critic Society not presenting the Best Actress award, Ah Sa said that it reflected the sad state of Hong Kong actresses now. "Now most movie subjects are more masculine, co-productions are often Hong Kong actors paired with Mainland actresses. Our development opportunities have thus become less. Have our livelihood been stolen? You can't say that, it's the market trend." Ah Sa said that she will support Hong Kong domestic films more. "Actually now our Hong Kong film salaries have been reduced by half. Because usually Hong Kong film investments are smaller, giving you most of the money is impossible. The production would become very small otherwise." * (2013/01/18) The film LOST IN THAILAND (YUN JOI GWING TOH ji TAI GWING) made over 1.2 billion RMB at the Mainland box office and broke the Chinese film box office record. This piece of pork caught the eyes of Universe boss Daneil Lam Siu Ming. He joked, "You can get so rich from making movies, I too want to make 300 million in pure profit." LOST IN THAILAND's previous installment LOST ON JOURNEY (YUN JOI GWING TOH) was Hong Kong director Raymond Yip Wai Man's work. The small budget production made 46.5 million RMB. Now LOST IN THAILAND is an even bigger hit, Mr. Lam plans to strike the iron while it is hot. Recently he met with Yip Wai Man in Hong Kong about a sequel. Mr. Lam even came up with the title, LOST AT HOME (GA JOI GWING TOH). Mr. Lam said, "I want to make a movie that is right for both China and Hong Kong. If the culture between the two places are too different, we will weigh our opinions then. As for the cast, I want to work with Huang Bo, Wang Baoqiang and Xu Zheng again." Has Wang Baoqiang's salary risen a lot? Mr. Lam said, "It really is very expensive! Yet I still offer him 100 million. What can I do! The movie made over 1 billion Yun Jai!" Mr. Lam this year will also make the Danny Pang Fat directed ghost film, the Benny Chan Muk Sing directed THE CARTEL WAR (BIN YIK) with Louis Koo Tin Lok, Lau Ching Wan and Nick Cheung Ka Fai; Mr. Lam and Sun Entertainment chief Paco Wong last year invested in the Aaron Kwok Fu Sing and Cheung Ka Fai starred THE CONSPIRATOR (TUNG MAU), which will be released in April. Koo Tin Lok and Lau Ching Wan's INFERNO 3D (TOH CHOOK SUN TIN) has already wrapped and began post production for an August release. Both films have Best Actor casts, so they of course have confidence in them. Paco said that he will plan to write the SPL 2 (SAT POR LONG 2) script, stating that this time the story will definitely keep both the Chinese and the Hong Kong markets in mind. The previous installment starred Donnie Yen Chi Tan, Sammo Hung Kam Bo, Simon Yam Tat Wa and Wu Jing. It was a critical and commercial hit in Hong Kong, but regrettably it was unable to break into the Mainland market. Paco said that the sequel cast was yet to be determined and will wait for the completion of the script. I wanted this film to truly go into production. Awhile back this film conflicting sequels, reportedly Gold Label gathered Hung Kam Bo, Wu Jing and Yam Tat Wa for the SPL sequel; meanwhile lead actor Yen Chi Tan and SPL director Wilson Yip Wai Shun announced a sequel with Louis Koo Tin Lok. Industry insider often talked about an actor drought in the film industry. Director Wong Jing recently remade YOUNG AND DANGEROUS (GOO WAT JAI) with an all new cast that included Law Chung Him, Oscar Leung Lit Wai, Jazz Lam Chi Sin, Dominic Ho Ho Man, Philip Ng Won Lung, Jacqueline Chong Si Man and Denise Ho Wan Si. Brother Jing took a wait and see approached toward the market for the film. He said that if it became a hit he would continue to make YOUNG AND DANGEROUS sequels and have Ho Wan Si take over for Sandra Ng Kwan Yu to lead PORTLAND STREET BLUES (HUNG HING SUP SAM MUI). * (2013/01/18) The Stephen Chow Sing Chi directed JOURNEY TO THE WEST (SAI YAU GONG MOR PIN) will be released on February 10. He has made frequent appearances to promote the film. Sing Yeh revealed that he and Shu Qi practiced kiss scenes on the set. "I have a very hard time arranging them. (Did Shu Qi have any opinion?) She is very gracious!" Shu Qi said that Sing Yeh was just joking with the media, but when she got Sing Yeh's call for the movie she was so happy that she joked from the sofa. Sing Yeh often personally instructed actors on the set, so his acting bug had its fill. When asked whether returning to JOURNEY TO THE WEST for the story was doing the same old thing, he did not mind. Sing Yeh said that in the past he asked to create his own scripts. 8 to 10 years ago he already thought about how to make JOURNEY TO THE WEST again; actually, this is something that is all new and not the same old thing. This story is very rich and has a lot of space for development, thus if the audience accepts it, he will continue to do the same old thing. Speaking of people who have worked with him airing their grievances against him lately, Sing Ye said that occasionally he would read such reports but would not pay special attention to them. He just laughed them off. * (2013/01/18) The Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2013 (2013 NGOR OI HK GUNG HEI FAT CHOI) took place in Hong Kong in the 70s. Stanley Fung Shui Fan played a tea house boss with a conscience, with a group of employees who had personalities of their own; Natalie Meng Yao stole the spotlight. She played Dim Sum girl So Big, who showed off her career line at the tea house to sell "little chicken buns" and stunned the hungry men. In one scene shy guy Bosco Wong Chung Chak went for an interview at the tea house. When he saw Dim Sum girl So Big he did not dare to look at her directly. Bosco's costume looked strange. He said, "This time my character is straight laced and from a poor family. Without any money to shop for clothes, the costumes mismatch. With the mushroom head and round and thick glasses, it can be described with one word, 'Great'!" * (2013/01/17) The 7th Asian Film Award will take place on March 18 at the Wanchai Convention center. Yesterday jury chair Andy Lau Tak Wa and others attended the press conference and announced nominees for the 14 awards. MYSTERY and NAMELESS GANGSTER: RULES OF THE TIME each received 6 nominations; Tony Leung Ka Fai with COLD WAR (HONG JIN) was nominated for Best Actor, along with NAMELESS GANGSTER's newly crowned Blue Dragon Best Actor Choi Min-Sik, GF*BF's Joseph Chang Hau Chuen and THE LAST SUPPER (WONG DIK SING YIN)'s Liu Ye. GF*BF's Golden Horse and Asia Pacific Film Festival Best Actress Kwai Lun-Mei will vie for Best Actress with PIETA's Grand Bell Best Actress Jo Min-Su. Korean director Kim Ki-Duk with PIETA was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture. The film won the 69th Venice Film Festival Best Picture. This year Hong Kong film is weaker, without any Best Picture and Best Director nomination. However, Chapman To Man Jat who just won the Hong Kong Film Critic Society Best Actor award with DIVA was "demoted" to the Best Supporting Actor category. Gianna Jun Ji-Hyun and Kim Hye-Soo both received Best Supporting Actress nominations with THE THIEVES. This year two special awards 2012 Highest Box Office Asian Film Award and Excellent Asian Filmmaker award were established. Leung Ka Fai was nominated for Best Actor with COLD WAR, due to the film being a critical and commercial hit and viewers all praised Ka Fai's outstanding acting he was the favorite; however, Ka Fai said that he did not care whether he would win or not. If he would be in Hong Kong he definitely would attend. THE LAST SUPPER's Liu Ye was very happy to be nominated because the film to him was very meaningful; as an actor this film was one that he could look back at at age 60 or 70. To Man Jat with DIVA was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. He did not mind being the Supporting Actor, instead he was happy to receive good news so soon and he hoped to garner glory for Hong Kong. This was Lau Tak Wa's second time as a jury chair, earlier he served for the Golden Horse Award. Wa Jai said that with the experience last time, this time he would be more relaxed. He was not worried that watching movies at home would affect his daughter because his home had a lot of space. He had a lot of space to watch movies. This year Hong Kong film was very weak as only Leung Ka Fai was nominated for Best Actor. Wa Jai said, "Work harder next year, rises and falls are constant." As for the Chief Executive policy report's "first feature film project", Wa Jai felt it was a contest. A new director would not be enough to support the entire film industry, which would require more people to work together; he and Edko boss Bill Kong Chi Keung have always been working toward that goal, now their collaboration FUNG BO (STORM) would use a new director. The film had 80 scenes and over 60 have been shot. It will be completed before the Lunar New Year. THE 7TH ASIAN FILM AWARD NOMINATIONS BEST FILM DRUG WAR (Mainland China) GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, PART 1 & 2 (India) MYSTERY (Mainland China) OUTRAGE BEYOND (Japan) PIETA (South Korea) BEST DIRECTOR Anurag Kashyap, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, PART 1 & 2 (India) Abbas Kiarostami, LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE (Japan/France/Iran) Kim Ki-duk, PIETA (South Korea) Takeshi Kitano, OUTRAGE BEYOND (Japan) Lou Ye, MYSTERY (Mainland China) BEST ACTOR Joseph Chang, GF*BF (Taiwan) Choi Min-sik, NAMELESS GANGSTER: RULES OF TIME (South Korea) Eddie Garcia, BWAKAW (Philippines) Tony Leung Ka-fai, COLD WAR (Hong Kong) Liu Ye, THE LAST SUPPER (Mainland China) BEST ACTRESS Nora Aunor, THY WOMB (Philippines) Cho Min-soo, PIETA (South Korea) Golshifteh Farahani, THE PATIENCE STONE (Afghanistan) Gwei Lun-mei, GF*BF (Taiwan) Hao Lei, MYSTERY (Mainland China) BEST NEWCOMER Chien Man-shu, WHEN A WOLF FALLS IN LOVE WITH A SHEEP (Taiwan) Masahiro Higashide, THE KIRISHIMA THING (Japan) Huang Yu-siang, TOUCH OF THE LIGHT (Taiwan) Kim Sung-kyun, NAMELESS GANGSTER: RULES OF THE TIME (South Korea) Qi Xi, MYSTERY (Mainland China) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Ha Jung-woo, NAMELESS GANGSTER: RULES OF THE TIME (South Korea) Ryo Kase, LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE (Japan/France/Iran) Nawazuddin Siddiqui, THE ANSEWR LIES WITHIN (India) Chapman To, DIVA (Hong Kong) Rhydian Vaughan, “GF*BF” (Taiwan) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Jun Ji-hyun, THE THIEVES (South Korea) Kim Hye-soo, THE THIEVES (South Korea) Li Lieh, TOGETHER (Taiwan) Qin Lan, THE LAST SUPPER (Mainland China) Makiko Watanabe, CAPTURING DAD (Japan) BEST SCREENWRITER Anand Gandhi, SHIP OF THESEUS (India) Kohei Kiyasu, Daihachi Yoshida, THE KIRISHIMA THING (Japan) Mei Feng, Yu Fan, Lou Ye, MYSTERY (Mainland China) Wai Ka-fai, Yau Nai-hoi, Ryker Chan, Yu Xi, DRUG WAR (Mainland China) Yun Jong-bin, NAMELESS GANGSTER: RULES OF THE TIME (South Korea) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER Touraj Aslani, RHINO SEASON (Iraqi Kurdistan/Turkey) Choi Young-hwan, THE THIEVES (South Korea) Rajeev Ravi, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, PART 1 & 2 (India) Katsumi Yanagijima, LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE (Japan/France/Iran) Zhang Li, Ma Cheng, THE LAST SUPPER (Mainland China) BEST PRODUCTION DESIGNER Cho Hwa-sung, NAMELESS GANGSTER: RULES OF THE TIME (South Korea) Bahman Ghobadi, Ali Daryai, RHINO SEASON (Iraqi Kurdistan/Turkey) Wasiq Khan, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, PART 1 & 2 (India) Man Lim-chung, THE SILENT WAR (Mainland China/Hong Kong) Yee Chung-man, Eric Lam Chi-kiu, THE LAST TYCOON (Mainland China/Hong Kong) BEST COMPOSER Pritam Chakraborty, BARFI! (India) Jo Yeong-wook, NAMELESS GANGSTER: RULES OF THE TIME (South Korea) Peyman Yazdanian, Johann Johannsson, MYSTERY (Mainland China) Keiichi Suzuki, OUTRAGE BEYOND (Japan) Koji Ueno, THE FLOATING CASTLE (Japan) BEST EDITOR Takeshi Kitano, Yoshinori Ohta, OUTRAGE BEYOND (Japan) Mototaka Kusakabe, THE KIRISHIMA THING (Japan) Valerie Loiseleux, RHINO SEASON (Iraqi Kurdistan/Turkey) David Richardson, Allen Leung, DRUG WAR (Mainland China) Shin Min-kyung, THE THIEVES (South Korea) BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Chas Chau, Lewis Chan, Benson Poon, Johnny Lin, WHEN A WOLF FALLS IN LOVE WITH A SHEEP (Taiwan) Kwak Tae-yong, Hwang Hyokyun, Lim Jung-hoon, DOOMSDAY BOOK (South Korea) Farbod Khoshtinat, RHINO SEASON (Iraqi Kurdistan/Turkey) Lee In-ho, Je Young-ho, SOAR INTO THE SUN (South Korea) Katsuro Onoue, Tetsuo Oya, Atsuki Sato, Minami Tsujino, THE FLOATING CASTLE (Japan) BEST COSTUME DESIGNER Chen Xue-bing, Zhong Jia-ni, THE LAST SUPPER (Mainland China) Jessie Dai Mei-ling, Chan Chi-man, THE LAST TYCOON (Mainland China/Hong Kong) Kwak Jung-ae, A WEREWOLF BOY (South Korea) Man Lim-chung, THE SILENT WAR (Mainland China/Hong Kong) Mitsuru Otsuka, Kazuta Matsunaga, Akihiko Inamura, THE FLOATING CASTLE (Japan) * (2013/01/17) The Wong Kar Wai directed film THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) has been in release for a week in Hong Kong, its box office has already broken HK$10 million and the momentum has continued. Zhang Ziyi twi nights ago attended a jewelry event. Rumored to stop making kung fu films due to impending marriage with Sa Beining; Zhang Ziyi lightly smiled and replied, "You are thinking too much, I am not making kung fu films anymore because my body is exhausted. In addition this character will be hard to surpass." When asked about plans to wed Sa Beining, she did not respond. speaking of the character and the performance of "Master Gong Er" being praised, Zhang Ziyi lamented that kung fu did not disappoint. After so many years any voice from the audience was a type of encouragement for her. She was naturally happy to hear compliments; to me good review from viewers were the only reward of making movies. Even criticism was also a good phenomenon, proving that the film caught attention. [ BLAH OF THE WEEK ] Columns, Reviews, Interviews 1. MING PAO DAILY, JANUARY 20 2013, FILM WORDS PIETA: DERANGED AND TWISTED The cruelest and the most chilling among new films this week is Korean director Kim Duk-Ki's small budget film PIETA, which won the Venice Film Festival Best Picture Gold Lion Prize last year. Lee Jung-Jin played a young and lonely loan shark "collector" who is very cruel and heartless. He always operated viciously, injuring those responsible for their insurance money. In the main story a middle age woman suddenly badgers him and claims to be his birth mother who regrets abandoning him over 30 years ago. No matter how roughly he treats her she is willing in order to make up for their lost relationship. Motherly love thus affects the cold blooded and merciless male lead as he finds his conscience. However is the Cho Min-Soo played mother truly his birth mother? Actually this is a tragedy of revenge that is very sad. Both "mother and son" were excellently played. The film depicts run down streets and broken down factories, strongly displaying modern Korea's very poor other side after its rise. It even resembles hell on Earth. However, I dislike PIETA. It is too deranged and twisted. Undoubtedly, Kim Duk-Ki movies have always been weird and strange. They love unusual abuses, yet often in the absurd they achieve mysterious style. THE ISLE was very outstanding, SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER AND SPRING was particularly memorable and worth enjoying. PIETA however upsets me. The male lead turns from being extremely mean to kind and filial all of a sudden, which is less than convincing. I feel that this film is not Kim Duk-Ku's best work, and I do not understand why the Venice Film Festival jury presented its grand prize to it. (Two out of five stars) - SHEK KEI 2. APPLE DAILY, JANUARY 18 2013, ART FILM FAN THE GRANDMASTERS POLITICAL DECODING Wong Kar Wai spent ten years to sharpen a sword. Viewers may be able to enjoy the 130 minute intensive visual feast, but may not realize what kind of flower the director has hidden under the leaves. Wong Kar Wai follows his usual film style and leaves blanks all over THE GRANDMASTERS to provide infinite space for imagination. Viewers can peep at the ambiguous relationships between characters and interpret different political metaphors. However no one has to find for it too hard, because now the complicated codes are decoded. - CHOW YUK MUN Communist Party Zhang Ziyi played Master Gong Er who has the most screen time. Some say that she is the real lead in the film. Wong Kar Wai made such an arrangement not necessarily because Ms. Zhang's performance was particularly outstanding, actually she was the entire film's most obvious political metaphor. Isn't Gong Clan a homophone for "state"? Gong Er represented the Communist Party, in other words China now. As for Gong Er, it could be interpreted as "justice". At the end of the film Gong Er passed with regret, meaning that justice gradually faded. Ip Man said to Gong Er "the dramatic scenes and the action singing" are great, only a turnaround was missing. Was it hinting that the Communist Party also needed a "turnaround"? Kuo Min Tang If Gong Er was the Communist Party, then Chang Chen, who played Chiang Kai-Shek in BEGINNING OF THE GREAT REVIVAL, as Yi Xiantian was Kuo Min Tang and in other words Taiwan. In the film Yi Xiantian was a mysteirous character. His background had no explanation and he only had one encounter with Gong Er. Actually he was a major player. Wong Kar Wai in an interview said that Yi Xiantian originally was Eight Diagram Fist masters Li Shuwen and Liu Yunqiao. Liu Yunqiao once served in the Kuomintang government police and was also a famous Kuomintang master assassin. Later he came to Taiwan and passed on Eight Diagram Fist. White Terror Yi Xiantain came to Hong Kong and opened the White Rose barber shop, which also had a special meaning. In 1949, Kuomintang arrived in Taiwan and immediately declared martial law to prevent Communist China's spread to Taiwan. Over the years countless fell victim to military tribunal and political persecution, intellectuals, cultured, and even lower class suffered the same fate. Known as "Taiwan White Terror", the period lasted 38 years. Hong Kong Representing Hong Kong of course was the story's protagonist, Ip Man from Foshan, Guangdong! After coming to Hong Kong, Ip Man no matter how tough life got still grind his teeth and bared it. He perfectly reflected Hong Konger's spirit of self strengthening without rest. Bloody Road Yi Xiantian would rather die than yield, finally triggering the battle in the rain. In a suit he battled the enemies and made a bloody road out, coming to Hong Kong to open a barber shop. Actually Kuomintang in 1949 lost the advantage in the Chinese civil war, moving from Nanjing to Guangzhou, Chongqing and finally to Taiwan before the situation stablized. Many former Kuomintang soldiers fleed to Hong Kong and settled in Tiu Keng Leng. KMT Communist Resistence Against Japan Yi Xiantian and Gong Er's train encounter was romantic and touching, the injured Yi Xiantian was escaping from the Japanese military pursuit. Gong Er risked her life to pretend to be a couple with him for cover, but afterward they went their separate way. During World War II Japan invaded China, anti Japanese sentiment ran high. Kuomintang and the Communist Party also had a short lived alliance to fend off the foreign enemy. Denounce Gong Er searched for Ma Shan to avenge her father. Her elders tried to talk her out of it with her father's final words "Don't ask about love and hate" and said "In your Gong clan, the disciple has killed the master, sister killed brother, then isn't the entire clan heartless and immoral brutes?" This was the perfect metaphor for the Cultural Revolution. Gong Er was a type of class warfare. Finally Gong Er viciously beat Ma Sha, she followed traditions and was unable to pass on her art. She could be said as personally destroying the work of the Gong Clan. This was also the portrait of the Cultural Revolution, after which very little Chinese traditions were left. Tne Year Catastrophe Ip Man visited the pharmacy that Gong Er opened. He recounted in detail he really wanted to visit her in the Northeast ten years ago, he even had a coat made. Unfortunately due to war he was unable to. Gong Er lamented, "Mr. Ip, on the Lunar New Year's Eve ten years ago, do you know where I was?" Why did she say ten years, and not three or five years? Because ten years was the duration of the Cultural Revolution. "With even higher martial art you can be no higher than Heaven, with even thicker potential you still can be no thicker than Earth. Life is unpredictable, not much to regret over." Was this what Gong Er truly had in her heart? An End To Monarchy The Foshan martial art world nominated Ip Man to represent the South against Old Master Gong. Because the people chose him, it could be interpreted as "democracy". Old Master Gong was a reputed Chinese martial art association president, which could be interpreted as "monarchy". Finally Ip Man ideologically overcame the other and won, symbolizing the nation was on the road to democracy. 8964 Eight Diagram palm has 64 hands, but why would Wong Kar Wai choose Eight Diagram palm as the Gong Clan art out of a variety of Chinese martial arts? No wonder people would think it was the Big Director's "June 4" sentiments acting up. During Ip Man and Gong Er's final encounter, a stray dog was in the middle of the street. In this scene, coincidentally present were the "Eight" Diagram palm descendant, dog ("Nine" homophone), and "64" hands. The arrangement was probably deliberate. Metaphor Master Watching Wong Kar Wai films has always required thinking, about the character's original form, about the dialogue's in depth meaning, and about the political metaphor that hid in the story. DAYS OF BEING WILD (1990) Background: Hong Kongers under the dark cloud of June 4 feared 97 Hand Over The entire film deliberately created a dark atmosphere, highlighting Hong Kongers' darken mood. The film used "lost mother" as a metaphor for colony. Adoptive mother Rebecca Pan (England) raised the Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing played Yuk Jai (Hong Kong). Yuk Jai and his adoptive mother could not communicate at all, which was the cultural difference between the Chinese and the English. By the end of the film, Yuk Jai went to the Philippines to look for his mother, but his biological mother refused to acknowledge him. This was also a projection of Hong Kongers' fear of seeing 97. CHUNG KING EXPRESS (1994) Background: Nearing 97 Hong Kongers Stirred Up An Immigration Wave The film depicted the seemingly there but isn't colony sentiment. Whether the romance between Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Faye Wong or Takeshi Kaneshiro (Gum Sing Mo) and Brigitte Lin (Lam Ching Ha), it was fleeting and vanished in a flash. The classic "can expiration date" monologue that appeared numerous times in the film continuously reminded everyone that the 97 expiration date would soon arrive, as Hong Kong's sovereignty would return to the motherland. HAPPY TOGETHER (1997) Background: 97 Hand Over Doomsday Emotions Engulfed Hong Kong The film went to Argentina for the location shoot, reflecting Hong Kongers' mentality of escaping Hong Kong. The film's classic line, "Why don't we start over." Honestly, it was Hong Kongers' establishing relationships with China anew. At the end of the year Tony Leung Chiu Wai went to Taiwan to look for Chang Chen's family, which perhaps was Wong Kar Wai's projection. In comparison to Hong Kong, he trusted Taiwan more. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) Background: Blurry Relationship Between China and Hong Kong Created Identity Crisis For Hong Kongers Leung Chiu Wai as Chow Mo wan and Maggie Cheung Man Yuk as So Lai Chun's ambiguous relationship was a perfect reflection of the blurry transitional period after the Hong Kong Hand Over. They tested each other for the other's intentions. The caption at the end, "That era has already passed, everything that belonged to that era no longer exists" obviously was nostalgia for the glory of the English ruled Hong Kong. 2046 (2004) Background: Hand Over Was a Foregone Conclusion Hong Kongers Looked Back with Disappointment "Passengers who go to 2046 only has one goal, to find their lost memories. Because in 2046, everything never changes." This metaphor was very blatant, 50 years without change for Hong Kong ends at 2046. After One State, Two Systems ends, Hong Kongers can only look back at the past to find the past glory. Special: The Wonderful Wong Kar Wai I knew Wong Kar Wai 30 years ago, we can be considered old friends! At the time he was a little unsuccessful screen writer in the film industry, I was still writing scripts at the television station and just came in contact with film. At that time Jeff Lau Chun Wai just ran into a depression, so we three screen writers every night talked about creating a film story. I was the blind fly that was full of energy, I was just blabbering 80% of the time and the two older brothers were mainly thinking. We called Kar Wai Tall Guy (My height was already 180 centimeters). He was very quiet and rarely spoke, but occasionally he would play prank on others. During our days together, from him and Lau Chun Wai all I learned was unique life principles. All the gossip that they said had philosophy, culture and required self insight, what a pain it was! Back then they were determined to become directors. Every night on the ride to every film's location for scouting, they said that this way they could clearly know the future trend for Hong Kong films and be able to understand which crew member had potential in the market, how everyone's professional attitude was...... Hard work and diligence were the truth that I suddenly realized, talented? How to make yourself talented is the key! The method is simple, but who is willing to silently pay? I have heard a story about Tall Guy, because someone and some reason that could not be said an exciting scene that he created was removed, later by chance lead actor Alan Tam Wing Lun found out and decided to use this abandoned script. Finally THE OTHER SIDE OF GENTLEMAN (KWUN JI HO KAU) that he and Brigitte Lin (Lam Ching Ha) starred in had the classic line the compared love to jeans in the exciting ending and brought the film back to life. This story told us that the road of a film industry creator was not easy at all. Because Tall Guy showed his real abilities, he was fired! Under oppression from him and Lau Chun Wai, I recognized the principle of speaking, using what method of expression with what kind of people, how to express yourself in order to achieve results. There are several ways to express opinions; in order to be easily recognized their beyond wonderfully complicated method left my eyes widen and tongue tied, life truly is a high art! However I was still me. Lau Ting Kin did not keep quiet and think and think again, but I used these applications on character creation. They could be seen in CHINESE HERO and THE THREE SWORDSMEN. Every time I suddenly came to a realization, I would have any reply. They would only smile and not speak. Luckily I was young and naive, very quickly I was used to this model of interaction. About Tall Guy, I still have a lot more! - Lau Ting Kin Lau Ting Kin started as a TVB screen writer. Back then he came up with ideas with Wong Kar Wai and Jeff Lau Chun Wai. In the 80s he was very famous. Later he began to write for comic books, his work with Ma Wing Sing on CHINESE HERO set shocking sales records. Later he also created the comic book THE THREE SWORDSMEN, which was adapted into a film. [ In Production Now/Soon ] Can : Mor Gaing Lit : Demon Cop d. Dante Lam Chiu Yin Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Daniel Wu (Ng Yin Cho), Andy Tien (On Chi Kit), Au Kam Tong, Lee Kwok Lun, Deep Ng Ho Hong, Xie Jieting, Shatina Chen Can : Fei Fu Jing Ying: Toh Piu Chook Jing Lit : Flying Tiger Elite: Package Expedition d. Luk Yee Sum, Gary Mak Wing Lun Chapman To Man Jat, Shawn Yue Man Lok, Matthew Chow Hoi Kwong, Derek Tsang Kwok Cheung, JJ Jia (Ga Hiu Sun), Hui Siu Hung Can : Moot Yut Pai Dui Lit : Doomsday Party Paul Wong Koon Chung, Kay Tse On Kay, Wilfred Lau Ho Lung, Kelvin Kwan Chor Yiu, THE CARTEL WAR Can : Bin Yik Lit : Changing Battle d. Benny Chan Muk Sing Lau Ching Wan, Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Louis Koo Tin Lok, Lo Hoi Pang, Berg Ng Ting Yip [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] A desperate former narcotic detective leads his team to investigate a murderer case but reveal a serious drug dealing controlled by a secret guy who is suspected to be an ex-comrade of the team... BLACK COMEDY Can : Hak Sik Hei Ket d. Wilson Chin Kwok Wai Chapman To Man Jat, Wong Cho Nam, Jacqueline Chong, Tong Fei, Jim Chim Shui Man, Jerry Koo Ming Wa, Alvina Kong Yan Yin, Barbie Liu (Ha Wai Yu), Connie Man Hoi Ling THE ICEMAN COMETH 3D Can : Bing Fung Hup Lit : Frozen Hero Donnie Yen Chi Tan, Eva Huang Shengyi, Wang Baoqiang Can : Dut Jung Gau Woon Ying Hung Lit : Special Rescue Heroes AKA : Special Rescue Squad d. Derek Kwok Chi Kin Nicholas Tse Ting Fung, Shawn Yue Man Lok, Simon Yam Tat Wa, Hu Jun, William Chan Wai Ting, Deep Ng Ho Hong, Michelle Wai (Si Nga), Liu Kai Chi, Bai Bing, Bonnie Xian (Sin Sik Lai), Patrick Tam Yiu Man Can : Fung Bo Lit : Storm d. Alan Yuen Kam Lun Andy Lau Tak Wa, Hu Jun, Yao Chen, Gordon Lam Ka Tung, Ray Lui Leung Wai, Chin Kar Lok, Michael Tong Man Lun, Kenny Wong Tak Bun, Vinz Sze Cho Nam Can : Gik Jin Lit : Extreme War d. Dante Lam Chiu Yin Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Andy Tien (On Chi Kit), Eddie Peng Yu-Yen, Can : Chiu Cup Gaing Lei Yun Lit : Super Manager Chapman To Man Jat, Charlene Choi Cheuk Yin, Gao Yunxiang, Jenny Lau Wai Huen IP MAN THE FINAL FIGHT Can : Ip Man Jung Gik Yut Jin d. Herman Yau Lai To Anthony Wong Chau Sun, Anita Yuen Wing Yi, Eric Tsang Chi Wai, Jordan Chan Siu Chun, Gillian Chung Yun Tung, Chow Ting Yu, Jonathan Wong Chee Hynn, Timmy Hung Tin Ming Opening March 2013 [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] In postwar Hong Kong, legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man is reluctantly called into action once more, when what begin as simple challenges from rival kung fu styles soon draw him into the dark and dangerous underworld of the Triads. Now, to defend life and honor, he has no choice but to fight one last time... INFERNO Can : Toh Chook Sun Tin Lit : Escape To Living Daylight d. Danny Pang Shun, Oxide Pang Fat Lau Ching Wan, Louis Koo Tin Lok, Angelica Lee Sinjie [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] On the hottest day in 50 years, a serious fire incident happened to a busy commercial tower, a gaggle of firefighters with an indestructible enthusiasm are going to save lives... YOUNG DETECTIVE DEE: RISE OF THE SEA DRAGON AKA : DETECTIVE DEE THE PREQUEL Can : Dik Yun Kit Chin Juen d. Tsui Hark Carina Lau Ka Ling, AngelaBaby, Feng Shaofeng, Mark Chao (Chiu Yau Ting), Lin Gengxin, Kim Beom [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] The young Dee Renjie arrives in the Imperial Capital, intent to become an officer of the law. Empress Wu, who is at the start of her reign, has sent the fiery-haired Detective Yuchi to investigate a sea monster that stalks the city at night. By chance, both Dee and Yuchi fight off the creature when it attacks a ceremonial procession carrying the beautiful courtesan Yin to be sacrificed at a temple to appease the Gods. Suspicious of the stranger, Yuchi has Dee imprisoned. Dee escapes with the help of visiting doctor Shatuo and together they discover that the upper reaches of society, including the Emperor himself, are addicted to a poisonous tea produced by Yuan's famous teahouse. Yuan, who was romantically attached to Yin, has been missing for months. Dee shadows the courtesan, who is under Yuchun's protection, until the sea monster reappears. Just as the two men are about to kill it, Yin reveals that the monster is her lover, Yuan. Yuan has been poisoned by a foreign Prince whose kingdom was overthrown by the Emperor. As the Prince's army readies itself on a nearby island to attack the capital, a real sea dragon rises from the deep. Can : Oi Ching Dat Yun Anita Yuen Wing Yi, Nelson Cheung Hok Yun, Edward Chui Woai Dong, Qiu Xinzhi, Naomi CHRISTMAS ROSE Can : Sing Dan Mui Gwai d. Charlie Yeung Choi Nei Aaron Kwok Fu Sing, Kwai Lun-Mei, Xia Yu, Liu Kai Chi, Qin Hailu, Regina Wan Qian Can : Dut Shu Sun Fun Lit : Special Identity d. Clarence Ford (Fok Yiu Leung) Donnie Yen Chi Tan, Jing Tian, Zhang Hanyu, Andy Tien (On Chi Kit), Paw Ching Hee THE MONKEY KING Can : Dai Lau Tin Gung Lit : Havoc In Heavenly Palace d. Soi Cheang Po Shui Donnie Yen Chi Tan, Chow Yun Fat, Aaron Kwok Fu Sing, Peter Ho Yun Tung, Joe Chen Qian-En, Monica Mok Siu Kei, Wang Yuanyuan, Kelly Chen Wai Lam, Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi, Gigi Leung Wing Kei, Xia Zitong, Eddie Cheung Siu Fai, Calvin Cheng Ka Sing, Louis Fan Siu Wong Opening 2013 --- [ NOW SHOWING ] DEAREST Can : Cup Chun Oi Dik Nei Lit : For the Dearest you d. Yasuo Furuhata Ken Takakura, Yuko Tanaka Rating : I Length : 111 mins. Opening January 24 2013 [ BROADWAY CIRCUIT HONG KONG ] A widower’s journey to the hometown of his late wife. He encounters strangers and their stories, guided by his wife’s true wishes. One day, a widower Eiji Kurashima receives a letter from his late wife, Yoko. The letter contains a picture of a sparrow and her wish for him to “take her ashes to her hometown and bury her in the sea”. Just before turning 50, he had married Yoko who had visited Eiji’s workplace, a prison facility, as a singer for the inmates. Their late marriage did not include any children of their own but they had led a peaceful and happy married life. Thus, the letter comes as a surprise to Eiji who had thought the 15 years of living together had brought complete understanding of each other. Why had she not told him of her wishes when she was alive? THE TOWER Can : For Hoi 108 Lit : Fire Sea 108 d. Kim Ji-Hun Sol Kyung-Gu, Son Ye-Jin, Kim Sang-Kyung, Ahn Sung-Ki Rating : IIB Length : 122 mins. Opening January 24 2013 [ YAHOO! MOVIES HONG KONG ] On Christmas Eve, a 108 story skyscrapper suddenly is engulfed in flames...at the happiest moment it turns into the most fatal hell on Earth! The Tower Sky is the most luxurious apartment in Korea. As the apartment's facilities manager, single father Dae-Ho plans to finish all the jobs on his list then spend Christmas Eve with his daughter Ha-Na...as Dae-Ho cannot be busier, in another corner of the building restaurant manager Yun-Hee offers to take care of Ha-Na and watch the snowy scene together...the fire chief is off on this night as he spends Christmas Eve with his new wife...as everyone is enjoying their happiest moment, an unexpected fire shatters all their dreams! 1,312 feet in the air, 30,000 people are trapped in a sea of fire that reaches 1,000 degrees without any hope for survival! Only those with the strongest will can survive! KEENING WOMAN Can : Huk Song Nui Lit : Mourning Woman d. Rita Hui Nga Shu Michelle Wai Si Nga, Mitsu Hana (Chiang Muk), Ryan Lui Chun Kong, Ko Hon Man, Joey Leung Wing Chung Length : 114 mins. Site : http://www.hkindieff.hk/2013/eng/indievisionfilm1.html Opening January 19 2013 at the Hong Kong Independent Film Festival [ HONG KONG INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL ] In a farewell ceremony for a friend of the family, Cotton acts abnormally because of Ling. Her body and her consciousness are separating. Different memories, consciousnesses, identities and actions are lingering inside Cotton, which collaborate the unusual relationship between herself, her lame boyfriend and her psychiatrist. There is the one body, in which Cotton and Spirit (Ling) connect with each other spiritually and which leads them wandering the “Luo Feng Mountain”. There is water flowing downstream which constitutes different scenes and imageries, delving into the consciousness. It presents something that is beyond substance. It returns them to the nature and begins an indescribable journey of Chinese ink painting. “Luo Feng Mountain is the Underworld. The Underworld is our secular." MUMBAI MIRROR d. Ankush Bhatt Sachiin Joshi, Gihani Khan, Prakash Raj Rating : IIB Length : 125 mins. Opening January 18 2013 [ YAHOO! MOVIES HONG KONG ] Being a police officer in this big-bad city called Mumbai can be quite a task. Mumbai, contrary to the other parts of the country, works on its own unique little philosophy. People here are the most ambitious and the risks taken for the fulfillment of the same are the most dangerous. Everybody who comes here starts running for an unknown race, and each one aspires to win it. This film predominantly captures this struggle for the survival of the fittest. PAPER MOON d. Stanley Law Gordon Lam Ka Tung, Chrissie Chau Sau Na Opening January 17 2013 in Malaysia [ CINEMA ONLINE MALAYSIA ] a poor kite maker, Chen Tian Song, falls in love with Gao Shi Qin, the daughter of a wealthy family who is in line to inherit the family business. Their innocent and young love eventually evolves into infinite regret and a poignant love story. Many years later, suppressing his feelings of guilt, Tian Song expresses his painful longing for Shi Qin through the making of (WAU) kites, until that fateful meeting with Gao Man Hua.... In search of Gao Shi Qin's first love, Gao Man Hua travels all the way to Kelantan to learn about the man who has wounded her mother. The appearance of Man Hua evokes apprehension in the quiet and reserved Tian Song, bringing back yesterday's memories. Tian Song is uneasy about Man Hua's constant clinging, but at the same time, he finds himself attracted to her because of her uncanny resemblance to her mother. What consequences would Chen Tian Song's encounter with Gao Man Hua bring? Why is she so desperate to search for him? PIETA Can : Sing Seung d. Kim Duk-Ki Lee Jung-Jin, Cho Min-Soo, Kwon Se-In, Kang Eunjing, Kim Jae-Rok Rating : III Length : 104 mins. Opening January 17 2013 [ BROADWAY CIRCUIT HONG KONG ] Hired by moneylenders, a man lives as a loan shark brutally threatening people for paybacks. This man, without any family therefore with nothing to lose, continues his merciless way of life regardless of all the pain he has caused to a countless number of people. One day, a woman appears in front of him claiming to be his mother. He coldly rejects her at first, but gradually accepts her in his life. He decides to quit his cruel job and to live a decent life. Then suddenly the mother is kidnapped. Assuming that it would be by someone he had hurt in the past, he starts to track down all the people he had harassed. The man finally finds the one, only to discover most horrifying dark secrets better left unrevealed. ONE TREE THREE LIVES Can : Sam Sun Sam Sai Nip Wa Ling Lit : Three Lifetimes: Nieh Hualing d. Angie Chan On Kei Hualing Nieh Engle, Mo Yan, Pai Hsien-yung Rating : I Length : 98 mins. Opening January 12 2013 (Special Screening) [ BROADWAY CIRCUIT HONG KONG ] An intimate documentary on the novelist Hualing Nieh Engle, who has been a major influence on generations of writers in the Chinese diaspora, and beyond. At times sad, at times funny, the film interviews 26 writers, revealing a woman of unusual charisma, integrity and determination, and a person in continual exile. Born and raised in wartime China, Nieh left China in 1949 for peace in Taipei, and then left for love in 1964 to the U.S. In 1967, she founded the prestigious International Writing Program (IWP) with her late husband, the American poet Paul Engle, in Iowa. Nine years later, they were nominated by more than 300 writers for the Nobel Peace Prize. IWP has nurtured over 1,400 writers from over 140 countries, including Nobel Literature Prize winners Orhan Pamuk (My Name is Red, Snow), and Mo Yan (Red Sorghum), and other noted writers including Yu Hua (To Live, Brothers), and Lin Hwa-min (author, and artistic director, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre). Director Angie Chen has absorbingly captured a remarkable figure in modern Chinese literature. LOVE STAIRS Can : Tin Tai Lit : Heavenly Stairway d. Ching Long C AllStar Rating : I Length : 92 mins. Opening January 4 2013 [ YAHOO! MOVIES HONG KONG ] Director Ching Long along with the production team and music group C AllStar head to the mountains of Chongqing to find Ms. XU Zhaoqing, who personally recounts this half a century long love story that constructed a 6000 step stairway. TABLE NO. 21 d. Aditya Datt Paresh Rawal, Tena Desae, Rajeev Khandelwal Rating : IIB Length : 120 mins. Opening January 4 2013 THE LAST SUPPER Can : Wong Dik Sing Yin Lit : King's Banquet d. Lu Chuan Daniel Wu (Ng Yin Cho), Chang Chen, Liu Ye Rating : IIB Length : 116 mins. Opening January 3 2013 [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] The early history of a nation unfolds through the actions of three heroes – Liu Bang, Xiang Yu and Han Xin – who chased their dreams of uniting a warring nation and fought through major milestones of the Chu-Han Contention years in the third century. From the Julu War to the Hongmen Banquet, the Gaixia War to the death of HanXin, the narration of Liu Bang – who would be the founding emperor of the new Han Dynasty – sets the stage for a tale of betrayal and brothers at war, where the last man standing inherits a nation. [ COMING SOON ] HEROIC DETECTIVE Can : Sun Tam Lei Oh Lit : Godly Detective Leo d. Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun) Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun) Jerry Yan (Yin Sing Yuk), Shawn Yue Man Lok, Jessie Chiang (Gong Yu Sun), Tang Yan, Wilber Pan (Poon Wai Pak), Eric Tsang Chi Wai Site : http://www.timespl.com/en/production/item/197-heroic-detective [ TIMES PRODUCTION LTD ] In the City of Brightness in a new world in the year 2030, the evil power has spread throughout the City. And actually, the City is not bright at all. 'Brilliant Detective' Leo comes to know that the most wicked 'Crazy Gangster Group' are secretly making research into a brain-control device to control the humans. Whilst gathering the criminal evidence to sue the Group, the Group send killers from its subordinate the 'Horrific Tiger Gang' to stop Leo's investigation. In a plenty of fight against the Gang, Leo was framed and put into jail at the critical moment! Finally, with Leo's strong will and determination, Leo has eventually defeated the evil power and conquered the 'Horrific Tiger Gang' to safeguard the peace of the City. Moreover, Leo has also succeeded in ruining the invention plan of the 'Crazy Gangster Group' displaying poetic justice and chivalry to the full extent. PRINCESS AND SEVEN KUNG FU MASTERS Can : Siu Gung Jung Mo Lum Lit : Laughter Kung Fu Rocks Martial Art World d. Wong Jing, Keung Kwok Man Sammo Hung Kam Bo, Philip Ng Wan Lung, Dennis To Yu-Hang, Yuen Wah, Eric Tsang Chi Wai, Sandra Ng Kwan Yu, Wong Cho Lam, Ronald Cheng Chung Kei, Natalie Meng Yao, Kimmy Tong Fei, Monica Mok Siu Kei, Jiang Luxia, Rose Chan Ka Wun [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] During the early years of the Republic era, in the North-East region of China, the people are suffering from the power struggle among the local Warlords, bandits, and Japanese invaders. Warlord Lam is not a leader of great vision, but having a patriotic heart, stands firm in his own beliefs, despite the several solicitations and temptations from Japan. The only ‘paradise’ within the region is ‘Lucky Town’, the one place where no one dared to attack. Rumors abound that this place is cursed, for whenever anyone attempted to invade Lucky Town, they would disappear and vanish without a trace. In reality, there are seven kung fu masters who have retreated into the shadows and resided here. They are Manysons Madonna and Madonhung, the owners of a steamed bread shop Nam Mor Bing, the Taoist priest Horny Four, the tailor Little Trumpet, the cosmetic salesman and Mamasan Maggie, the brothel owner. Every one of them is a master in his own right, keeping Lucky Town in peace. Lam’s daughter, Cheryl is very fond of culinary arts, and often does grocery shopping in Lucky Town. She is pretty and lovely and very much favoured by the Seven Masters, especially Horny Four who falls for her at first sight and regards her as his dream lover. The Japanese secret agent, Kiyoko Kurosawa, allied with traitors from the Tiger’s Den: Tiger Hong, Jaguar Hong and Phoenix Hong, to set up a secret outpost to send secret-coded messages back to Japan. Young patriots, Yan Fang who disguised herself as a man, and Howard Luo, infiltrate Tiger’s Den at night, trying to steal the code book. They lose the fight to the Hongs, Howard sacrifices himself to save Yan who was wounded. On the run, Yan is rescued by Cheryl. Mistaking Yan as a man, Cheryl falls for Yan. She then brings Yan to Lucky Town and begs the Seven Masters to cure Yan. On the other hand, Warlord Lam saves a pretty lady and grows fond of her. This lady is actually Kiyoko Kurosawa in disguise. Using Ninjutsu skills, Kiyoko seduces Lam and controls his will. She then organises a wedding for Lam and herself, in the hope of becoming the warlord’s wife so she can control Lam’s army. On the wedding day, Cheryl and the Seven Masters arrive in time to ruin her wedding plans. Lam regains his senses finally and unites together with the Seven Masters, to fight against Kiyoko and the Hongs... BUDDY COPS Can : Sun Sau Ba Da Lit : Holy Beast "Brother" AKA : Sun Sau Ying Gaing Lit : Holy Beast Cops d. Peter Chik Ka Kei Michael Tse Tin Wa, Bosco Wong Chung Chak, King Kong, Alice Chan Wai, Kate Tsui Tsz Shan, Vincent Lam Wai, Lisa Cheng BEIJING BLUES Can : Sun Tam Hung Dut Jeung d. Gao Qunshu Xu Wen, Zhou Yunpeng, Zhang Lixian Rating : IIA Length : 118 mins. Opening January 27 2013 [ CITYLINE MOVIES HONG KONG ] his is a movie without professional actors, a “secretly taped” movie that is so realistic it feels as if it's happening right beside you. It will make you think of all the times you've been taken advantage of. The next time you see a scam artist con a well-intentioned old woman out of her savings, you'll hate him so much you'll want to slap him. When you see a pickpocket take the money someone was taking home to feed their family, you'll want to beat him into the ground. And just when you hate these people so much that you're ready to buy a gun and start dishing out vigilante justice, Beijing Blues opens your eyes to the story behind these despicable people, where you'll see the frustration that drove them to their dark choices and you won't be sure whether what you feel for them is hatred or pity. Police officer Zhang Huiling, who patrols Haidian District's Shuangyushu neighborhood in Beijing, has a job to do. Every day, he patrols the streets with his cohort of security guards - who speak a bewildering array of accents from all over China - and track down and arrest thieves, hucksters, and con artists. And he's good at it; after more than 10 years on the force, Zhang Huiling has an uncanny ability to sniff out criminals from within the throngs of people passing through his district. But Zhang can't help feeling that it's partly his fault that he's failing, somehow, because the crime and misery doesn't stop. In the depths of his spirit, the positive and negative forces in his life grapple, every day, every crime, every arrest, every bit of mercy and understanding renewing the endless battle for his soul. LOST IN THAILAND Can : Yun Joi Gwing Toh ji Tai Gwing d. Xu Zheng Xu Zheng, Huang Bo, Wang Baoqiang, Fan Bingbing Opening January 31 2013 I LOVE HONG KONG 2013 Can : Ngor Oi HK Gung Hei Fat Choi Lit : I Love HK Congratulation Great Wealth d. Chung Shu Kai Alan Tam Wing Lun, Veronica Yip Yuk Hing, Nat Chan Pak Cheung, Eric Tsang Chi Wai, Stanley Fung Shui Fan, Bosco Wong Chung Chak, Michael Tse Tin Wa, Kate Tsui Tsz Shan, Joyce Cheung Yun Yi Opening February 7 2013 [ YAHOO! MOVIES HONG KONG ] In the 70s Hong Kong has gold on every road and life at every turn! The straight laced Song Chi Wai runs into the sly Ha Shek Sum and lands Song's first job, as he and Ha work together at a tea house. The tea house boss is kind, his employees strange and the neighbors hilarious, filling the tea house with surprises and joy everyday. Sung chi Hung and Ha Shek Sum both love for the boss' daughter Mei Yeung Yeung. Her friend Chu Yuk Yuen is sassy, states that she only loves bad guys and only love Ha Shek Sum. They all try their luck in love and also battle the wheels of time. Facing stock market crash and immigration wave, Sung Chi Hung stays tightly at his post, keeps the tea house going and overcomes difficulties with the neighborhood. Now Sung Chi Hung is in his middle age, Mei Yeung Yeung is already a mother. Ha Shek Sum is a business group boss. The tea house face the evil forces of this age, can the Chat Fairy bring joy to the tea house again? HOTEL DELUXE AKA: HOTEL OF CELEBRITIES Can : Bak Sing Jau Dim Lit : Hundred Star Hotel d. Vincent Kok Tak Siu Raymond Wong Pak Ming, Teresa Mo Shun Kwan, Sandra Ng Kwan Yu, Chapman To Man Jat, Ronald Cheng Chung Kei, Fiona Sit Hoi Kei, Eric Kot Man Fai, Jim Chim Shui Man, Janelle Sing Kwan, Lynn Xiong (Hung Doi Lam), Karena Ng Chin Yu, Yu Bo Opening February 7 2013 [ CINEMA ONLINE MALAYSIA ] The brand new "Hundred Stars Hotel" is a well-equipped five-star hotel located at Qiandao Lake, Hangzhou. However, this hotel is run by a group of incompetent staff including the Assistant Manager OK, the Chief Bartender Pacino, the Head of Housekeeping Peach and the Receptionist Sammy. Rumor has it that a mysterious hotel detective will arrive soon to define the rating of "Hundred Stars Hotel". In order to match the five-star standard, harsh Cruella has been appointed as the Hotel Manager to restructure the hotel. Cruella takes the chance to develop "Hundred Stars Hotel" as the shooting location for a big budget movie, but chaos ensues when the two leading actresses Marilyn and Audrey stay in the hotel and they are arrogant and too hot to handle. JOURNEY TO THE WEST Can : Sai Yau Gong Mor Pin Lit : Journey to the West: Taming Demon Chapter d. Stephen Chow Sing Chi Shu Qi, Huang Bo, Wen Zhang, Show Luo (Law Chi Cheung), Chrissie Chau Sau Na Opening February 7 2013 THE WEDDING DIARY II d. Adrian Teh A Niu, Elanne Kong Yeuk Lam Opening Februyar 7 2013 in Malaysia [ CINEMA ONLINE MALAYSIA ] The sequel to the hit Malaysian-Singaporean comedy "The Wedding Diary" follows the journey of husband and wife Daniel, an engineer from a humble Malaysian Hokkien family, and Tina, a beauty from a wealthy Singaporean Cantonese family, after their wedding in the original. The cultural and social problems are still there, resulting in a lot of chaos and hilarity in the family. THE MYTHICAL ARK: ADVENTURES IN LOVE AND HAPPINESS Can : Hei Yeung Yeung Yu Fui Tai Long 5 Hei Hei Yeung Yeung Gor Seh Nin Lit : Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf Movie 5 d. Jian Yaozong Animation Cantonese Voices: Kate Tsui Tsz Shan, Mak Cheung Ching, Purple Lee Length : 90 mins. Opening February 9 2013 [ YAHOO! MOVIES HONG KONG ] The underground Mythical Ark is the only way to escape a natural disaster that will destroy the plain, but only snakes can control the Ark. The goats thus go to search for the long lost snakes. Actually the snakes worry that outside animals would harm them and hide in paradise long ago. Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf stumble into the paradise, snake parents are afraid that they may be hurt and pretend to be pandas to misdirect Goat and Wolf elsewhere to look for snakes... ONE PIECE THE MOVIE: Z d. Tatsuya Nagamine Japanese animation Length : 107 mins. Opening February 14 2013 [ ASIAN WIKI ] Set in the New World which is facing extinction. A fierce battle ensues between legendary ex-Navy admiral Zetto, who leads a group attempting to kill all pirates, and a Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew. TOGETHER Can : Joi Yut Hei d. Clarence Ford (Fok Yiu Leung) Donnie Yen Chi Tan, Michelle Chen, Angelababy, Ko Chen-Tung, Eric Kot Man Fai, Bosco Wong Chung Chak, Chrissie Chau Sau Na Opening February 21 2013 [ YAHOO! MOVIES HONG KONG ] Traffic cop Chan Kwok Wa suffers from a loss of facial expression and since then does not know how to laugh, thus he is known as Cool Sir. Once he stops Ah Kiu, a driver in a wedding gown, for speeding. Actually Ah Kiu after a traffic accident two years ago has lost her memory and only remembers bits of her past. Ah Kiu only remembers that she has to find her fiance Tom, thus she constantly leaves home out of the blue. Ah Jai is a member of the surveillance team. Because of work he is constantly eavesdropping, he becomes introverted and a super otaku. Ah Jai during an airport operation rescues Sing Nam, a pretty Beijing girl who blindly pursues brand name labels. Yet at the same time he ruins her label luggage. Later, they through a social app run into each other. Two bored people thus set up dates for seven days for "seven days of romance". WHATCHA WEARIN'? Can : Ngor Oi Fung Sex Lit : I Love Mad Sex d. Byung Sung-Hyun Ji Sung, Kim A-Joong Opening February 21 2013 [ ASIAN WIKI ] Yoon-Jung accidentally calls a stranger, instead of her boyfriend, and has phone sex with the unknown man. When Yoon-Jung's relationship with her boyfriend turns sour, Yoon-Jung meets Hyun-Seung, the stranger she had phone sex with. Yoon-Jung falls in love with the man... SWITCH Can : Tin Gei ji Fu Chun San Gui Toh Lit : Heavenly Opportunity: Dwelling In the Fuchun Mountains AKA : Gok Ga Yum Mo ji Fu Chun San Gui Toh Lit : National Mission: Dwelling In the Fuchun Mountains d. Jay Sun Andy Lau Tak Wa, Zhang Jingchu, Lin Chiling, Tong Dawei Opening February 28 2013 in Malaysia Official Site : http://www.mediaasia.com [ CINEMA ONLINE MALAYSIA ] SWITCH revolves around the famous Chinese landscape painting "Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains" by Huang Gongwang, which was split into two 300 years ago and exhibited separately in China and Taiwan. The film envisages that the painting is finally going to be put back together again, where a gang of thieves are scrambling to steal it. Special agent Xiao Jinhan and insurance company employee Lin Yuyan are on a mission to protect the world-famous drawing "Fu Chun Shan Ju Tu", which is the target of a Japanese gangster. CONSPIRATORS Can : Tung Mau AKA : A+ Jing Tam Lit : A+ Detective d. Oxide Pang Shun Aaron Kwok Fu Sing, Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Jiang Yiyan Opening March 7 2013 in Malaysia [ CINEMA ONLINE MALAYSIA ] Chen Tan, a private detective in Thailand, travelled to Malaysia following the clues in a photo in order to reveal the truth behind the murder of his parents 30 years ago. There he finds a man called Chai, who directs him to Zheng, a Malaysian detective born in China. The two eventually stumble upon Chai's daughter, Zhi Wei and realise that she may hold the key to the mystery... [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] Private detective Tam follows the hints to restart the investigation of a drug trafficking in Malaysia with the help of an undercover agent, hoping to find out the truth behind the murder of his parents thirty years ago... BLIND DETECTIVE Can : Man Tam d. Johnnie To Kei Fung Andy Lau Tak Wa, Sammi Cheng Sau Man Opening March 21 2013 in Malaysia Official Site : http://www.mediaasia.com [ CINEMA ONLINE MALYASIA ] a former detective, forced to leave the service after turning blind, tries to make a living solving cold cases for the police. [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] Forced to leave service after turning blind, a former detective ekes out his living by solving cold cases for police rewards. When an attractive hit team inspector enlists his help in a personal case, he decides to take a stab. SAVING GENERAL YANG Can : Jung Lit Yeung Ga Jeung Lit : Valiant Yang Clan Generals d. Ronny Yu Yun Tai Adam Cheng Siu Chau, Xu Fan, Raymond Lam Fung, Dior Cheng Yi Kin, Wu Chun, Vic Chou Yu Man, Li Chen, Yu Bo, Fu Xinbo, Shao Bing Opening April 4 2013 [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] This is an epical tale about the renowned Song Dynasty’s military defense by the clan of Yang’s against the nomadic Northern nation the Liao, sometimes also known as the Khitans in ancient Chinese history account. Headed by a charismatic old veteran general named YangYe, the Yang Clan has been the major military force protecting the Song Empire and its people against their ever invasive neighbor. From YangYe and his wife Madame She, we witness the coming of age of their seven sons namely Ping, Ding, Ang, Hui, De, Zhao and Si throughout the various battlefields in the story. The seven young men possess different temperament and characters united under a single banner and a heart of lion. --- [ Entertainment URL ] MEDIA ASIA http://www.mediaasia.com EMPEROR MOTION PICTURES http://www.emp.hk PEGASUS MOTION PICTURES http://www.pegasusmovie.com WE PICTURES http://www.wepictures.com CINEMA POPULAR http://www.cinemapopular.com MEI AH http://www.meiah.com NEW ASIA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP http://www.aeghk.com GOLDEN SCENE http://www.goldenscene.com Commercial Radio http://www.crhk.com.hk Television Broadcast Limited http://www.tvb.com.hk --- [ NORTH AMERICA AREA CONCERTS ] Courtesy of our neighbors at : High Level Entertainment's Concert & Event News Center http://www.levelhigh.com http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/1721/hlecaen.htm * SANDY LAM LIVE MMXIII DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, April 3 2013 @ 8PM VENUE LOCATION: Casino Rama 5899 Rama Raod Rama ON L0k 1T0 Canada TICKET PRICES: CA$310.59, 163.69, 107.19, 84.59 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: TICKET MASTER CANADA: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/100049959D2B9D9F * RICHIE JEN (YAM YIN CHAI) DATE AND TIME: Sunday, March 24 2013 7PM Monday, March 25 2013 8:30PM VENUE LOCATION: Avalon Theatre Theatre Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort 6380 Fallsview Boulevard, Niagara ON L2G 7X5 Canada TICKET PRICES: CA $162.95, 140.35, 112.10 TICKET OUTLET LOCATION: TICKET MASTER CANADA http://www.ticketmaster.ca/JEN-HSIEN-CHI-tickets/artist/1804682 * VIVIAN CHOW IN JOURNEY OF LOVE DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, March 12 2013 @ 8PM VENUE LOCATION: Casino Rama 5899 Rama Raod Rama ON L0k 1T0 Canada TICKET PRICES: CA$310.59, 163.69, 107.19, 84.59, 60.74 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: TICKET MASTER CANADA: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/100049959768946F * VIVIAN CHOW IN JOURNEY OF LOVE DATE AND TIME: Saturday, March 9 2013 @ 8PM VENUE LOCATION: Tuscany Event Center Peppermill Resort Spa Casino 2707 South Virgina Street Reno NV 89502 TICKET PRICES: $158, 128, 78, 48 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: ONLINE: http://www.peppermillreno.com/nightlife-entertainment/event.cfm?id=1733 http://www.miconcert.com/ * LO TA YOU LOVE SONG 2100 CONCERT DATE AND TIME: February 24 2013 @ 2AM VENUE LOCATION: MGM Grand Theater Foxwoods Resort Casino 350 Trolley Line Boulevard Mashantucket CT 06338 TICKET PRICES: $128, 88, 68 TICKET OUTLET LOCATION: ONLINE: http://www.miconcert.com/ * CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION 2013 with MARIA CORDERO and Charlie Chin (Chun Cheung Lam) DATE AND TIME: February 24 2013 @ 2PM, 5PM VENUE LOCATION: Cache Creek Casino - Club 88 Cache Creek Casino Resort 14455 State Highway 16 Brooks CA 95606 TICKET PRICE: $108, 78, 58 TICKET OUTLET LOCATION: ONLINE: https://www.facebook.com/JadeEntertainment * TAVIA YEUNG YI, RON NG CHEUK HEI, VENUE LOCATION: Reno Ballroom 401 N. center St. Reno NV 89501 DATE AND TIME: Sunday, February 17 2013 @ 8PM TICKET PRICES: $158, 128, 88, 68 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: 1-800-882-4885 US ASIA TOUR http://www.usasiatour.com SAN FRANCISCO, CA (415) 989-1688 OAKLAND, CA (510) 835-8588 G-Top Travel SAN FRANCISCO, CA (415) 349-4472 Oscar Tour FREMONT, CA (510) 226-9992 Travel Circle SAN JOSE, CA (408) 573-9919 Cafe Salina 235 Broadway MILLBRAE, CA (650) 692-2662 The Legend Holidays RICHMOND, CA (415) 386-1300 Susan Video & Gift Shop CUPERTINO, CA (408) 253-3100 A World Travel SAN JOSE, CA (408) 441-8448 Unique Travel SACRAMENTO, CA (916) 557-2888 * SALLY YEH INTIMATELY YOURS 2013 CHINESE NEW YEAR CONCERT DATE AND TIME: Saturday, February 16 2013 @ 8PM VENUE LOCATION: MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 TICKET PRICES: $188, 128, 68, 48 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: JADE ENTERTAINMENT: http://www.jadeentertain.com/blog/?p=164 * SANDY LAM LIVE IN LAS VEGAS DATE AND TIME: Saturday, February 16 2013 @ 8PM Sunday, February 17 2013 @ 8PM VENUE LOCATION: The Colosseum at Caesars Palace 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 TICKET PRICES: $188, 128, 68, 48 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: JADE ENTERTAINMENT: http://www.jadeentertain.com/blog/?p=160 626.964.4747 TICKETMASTER http://www.ticketmaster.com/Sandy-Lam-tickets/artist/1657486 800.745.3000 * KUNG CHI FAT CHOY 2013 GALA Cecilia Fong Yi Kei, Gill Mohindepaul Singh (Kiu Bo Bo), Lee Lai Ha DATE AND TIME: Sunday, February 10 2013 @ 8PM VENUE LOCATION: River Rock Show Theatre 8811 River Road Richmond BC V6X 3P8 Canada TICKET PRICES: VIP CA $118, 98, 78, 58 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: TICKET MASTER CANADA http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/1100499577425104 TICKET INFORMATION: 604-617-8799 * KUNG CHI FAT CHOY 2013 GALA Cecilia Fong Yi Kei, Gill Mohindepaul Singh (Kiu Bo Bo), Lee Lai Ha DATE AND TIME: Friday, February 8 2013 @ 8PM VENUE LOCATION: Red Robinson Show Theatre Boulevard Casino 2080 United Blvd., Coquitlam BC V3K 6W3 Canada TICKET PRICES: VIP CA $118, 98, 78, 58 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: TICKET MASTER CANADA http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/11004A2399A43F7F TICKET INFORMATION: 604-617-8799 * CHYI CHIN & LANDY WEN LIVE IN CONCERT 2013 DATE AND TIME: Saturday night / Sunday morning February 3 2013 @ 1AM VENUE LOCATION: Mogehan Sun Arena 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Montville CT 06382 TICKET PRICES: $108, 88, 68, 38 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: ONLINE: http://geni.eventbrite.com/ FLUSHING: Geni World Inc. 36-09 Main St. Suite 207 718-844-2538 www.geniworld.us * DAYO WONG TZE WAH STAND UP COMEDY SHOW 2013 DATE AND TIME: Saturday, January 26 2013 @ 8PM VENUE LOCATION: Sony Centre For The Performing Arts 1 Front St. E., Toronto ON M5E 1B2 Canada TICKET PRICES: CA$ 188.75. 72, 52 TICKET OUTLET LOCATIONS: TICKET MASTER CANADA http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/10004933D91DCC45?artistid=1353614 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Box office info : What Box Office Info? The usual suspects : Internet Movie Database, Yahoo! Hong Kong Erors : ye olde chaffing editor For Thursday, January 17 2013 10 ANNA KARENINA d. Joe Wright Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson 9 THE LAST TYCOON Can : Dai Seung Hoi Lit : Grand Shanghai d. Wong Jing Chow Yun Fat, Huang Xiaoming, Sammo Hung Kam Bo, Francis Ng Chun Yu, Yolanda Yuan Quan, Yuan Li, Monica Mok Siu Kei, Tong Fei 8 WRECK-IT RALPH d. Rich Moore Disney Animation English Voices: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch Cantonese Voices: Anthony Wong Chau Sun, G.E.M. 7 GANGSTER SQUAD d. Ruben Fleischer Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte 6 YOUNG AND DANGEROUS RELOADED Can : Goo Wat Jai: Gong Wu Sun Dit Jui Lit : Wise Guys: Mob New Order d. Daniel Chan Yee-Heng Law Chung Him, Philip Ng Won Lung, Oscar Leung Lit Wai, Dominic Ho Ho Man, Sammy Sum Chun Hin, Jacquline Chong Si Man, Michelle Hu Ran, Jazz Lam Chi Sin, Paul Wong Koon Chung, Alex Man Chi Leung, Denise Ho Wan Si, Jim Chim Shui Man, Timmy Hung Tin Ming, Simon Loui Yu Yueng, Pal Sinn Lap Man, Winnie Leung Wing Yi 5 THE LAST STAND d. Kim Jee-woon Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville 4 DJANGO UNCHAINED d. Quentin Tarantino Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, 3 LES MISERABLES d. Tom Hooper Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried 2 THE IMPOSSIBLE d. Juan Antonio Bayona Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland 1 THE GRANDMASTERS Can : Yut Doi Jung Si Lit : One Generation Grand Master d. Wong Kar Wai Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan, Xiao Shenyang, Wang Xingchang Max Zhang Jun, Song Hye-Kyo, Julian Cheung Chi Lam ------ Summaries for some of the films above. Some contain SPOILERS THE GRANDMASTERS AKA : THE GRAND MASTER Rating : IIA, IIB Length : 130 mins. Opening January 10 2013 [ THE FILM CATALOGUE ] With martial arts getting more popular in the Thirties, more people seek to learn them via the professionals at Foshan in Southern China. Some of the experienced masters like to challenge their counterparts and undergoing battles. To have their whole concentration, it is their practice to lock up the venues and no one is allowed to leave during battles. No food and no rest before reaching any results. Ip Man is a young rich man extremely talented in martial arts, but he chooses to keep a low profile. Yet this doesn't keep him out of these troubles ahead. One day he is trapped in this battleground so he has to use every means in order to get out of there. The masters are amazed by his abilities. Master Kung and his daughter Kung Yi are amongst, and the latter is attracted to this newcomer. A high warlord is assassinated by his own guard Yi Xian Tian. All masters in Foshan vow to take Tian down no matter what... YOUNG AND DANGEROUS RELOADED Rating : IIB, III Length : 106 mins. Opening January 10 2013 [ BROADWAY CIRCUIT ] On a dark Mongkok night, May, the cousin of Dai Tin-Yee, was gang-raped to death by Med King and his men The furious Tin-Yee, together with his buddies, Ho-Nam, Chicken, Pou-Pan tracked down Med King to avenge May’s death. As Med King was under the wing of Ugly Kwan, a leader of the Hung Hing triad, Kwan gave orders to get rid of Ho-Nam by all means. THE LAST TYCOON Rating : IIB Length : 118 mins. Opening January 3 2013 [ GOLDEN SCREEN CINEMAS MALAYSIA ] In 1917, Cheng was an innocent man worked in a grocery store. But a fateful night had changed Cheng's life forever, as he literally walked right in the affair between his lady boss and the chief of police. To hide this secret, the chief decided to throw Cheng into prison. Desolated, Cheng met a cellmate Mao, who happened to have an escape plan. The duo broke out. Cheng found a job as a bouncer in the casino owned by powerful inspector Jin. As Jin indulged himself in debauchery all day long, Cheng began to climb up the underworld ladder step by step. As Cheng became one of most powerful mob bosses in Shanghai in late 1930s, fame took its toll when he found himself stuck between the looming Japanese army and the scheming local secret service. 3AM Rating : IIB Length : 94 mins. Opening January 3 2013 [ BROADWAY CIRCUIT HONG KONG ] One day hte darkest moment is 3AM. At 1AM dark wind rises, at 2AM dogs bark like mad, at 3AM ghosts appear. 3AM is also the moment for the highest death rate at the hospital. Three directors shoots 3 stories and adds 3D special effects for viewers to experience the 3AM haunting. Three stories take place in a wig shop, at a funeral and a company. In THE WIG two sisters May and Min buy real hair to make wigs from, late at night the owner of the real hair appears; in CORPSE BRIDE male nurse Tos stands guard over the coffins of the dead bride and groom. Tos everyday brings them meals and washes their corpse. After awhile Tos falls for the bride in the coffin; in O.T. Karan and Tee often scare company employees as ghosts. They again arrange for a series of scares but even more mysterious events take time. They cannot tell whether they are real or not until 3AM. ------ GLOBAL CHINESE SONG CHART For Saturday, January 19 2013 15 POSSIBLE Can : Hor Nung Michelle Li (Lee Siu Won) http://youtu.be/kiGMc4PtmcA 14 BECOME STRANGERS Can : Bin Sing Muk Sun Yun Cyndi Wang (Wong Sum Ling) http://youtu.be/3B4fyi-xXzo 13 IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE Can : Yi Oi Ji Ming Jam Hsiao (Siu King Tung) http://youtu.be/96n7SOPsbBo 12 WHO WILL SING THIS SONG THROUGH WITH ME Can : Shui Loi Pui Ngor Cheung Yuen Jeh Sau Gor Gary Chaw (Cho Gat) http://youtu.be/Se-w8crlkVs 11 END Can : Yuen Eason Chan Yik Shun http://youtu.be/_Ucpmk6Vj4E 10 HOW ARE YOU RECENTLY? Can : Jui Gung Ho Ma? Angela Chang (Cheung Siu Hom) http://youtu.be/P-EXaG03qU0 9 YOU CANNOT LOVE ME Can : Nei But Nung Oi Ngor Milk @ Coffee http://youtu.be/jV9iFTqWnDQ 8 THE KID AT HEART Can : Sum Lui Dik Hai Ji Rachel Liang (Leung Man Yam) http://youtu.be/Q046F5PgXm0 7 OUR STORY Can : Ngor Moon Dik Goo Si Michael Wong (Kong Leung) http://youtu.be/6FGQR2mvVzE 6 TOGETHER Can : Joi Yut Hei Anson Hu (Wu Yin Bun) http://youtu.be/08yCkwCA-G4 5 CROWDED LONELINESS Can : Jik Mok Yung Jai Sandy Lam Yik Lin http://youtu.be/I5dLYBntaSI 4 COLD JOKE Can : Lan Siu Wa Fiona Sit Hoi Kei http://youtu.be/e_Z-mFVlh88 3 LOVE INSTANTLY Can : Oi Lap Hak Khalil Fong Datong http://youtu.be/B0B0oLCTbg0 2 BUBBLE Can : Po Muk G.E.M. http://youtu.be/mGeiABBB5f8 1 RED DUST INN Can : Hung Chun Hat Jang Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun) http://youtu.be/L6joGUdc6y4 ------ [ Yakety Yak ] The views and opinions expressed here are purely those of the writer and in no way reflect those of Hong Kong Film Top 10 Box Office, its contributors and affiliated web sites. Top Ten Central pleas with all its readers for disaster relief support for victims of Hurricane Sandy. For more information please visit the American Red Cross site : http://www.redcross.org/ Jer Jer Stinks, Your Chaffing Editor Top Ten Central ======== KOREAN MOVIE NIGHT courtesy of the Korean Cultural Service http://www.koreanculture.org/index.php Every other Tuesday @ 7pm Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick Street, on the corner of Canal Street, one block from the A, C, E and 1 train Canal Street stops) Price? Free. All seating is first-come, first served. Doors open at 6:30pm. UPCOMING MOVIES Korean Movie Night 2013 Series One: Drawn Into Film: Korean Animation! It’s a brand new year, and The Korean Cultural Service is ready to draw you back into their Free Movie Nights by offering up four of the greatest animated films to ever come out Korea! While animation has flourished in America, Europe, and Japan for over a century, Korean artists have only recently stepped up and begun delivering product of their own - and the results have changed the industry worldwide. With top American television programs like The Simpsons and Futurama now being animated in Korea, it’s time to shine a spotlight on the talented Korean wiz kids who are drawing us all back into animation – and reminding us that this beautiful storytelling medium is anything but child’s play! With a whole new year of exciting films, unexpected guests, and a few surprises that you certainly won’t see coming – the Korean Cultural Service welcomes you to the first Free Movie Night series of 2013. Now let’s get animated! Tuesday, February 26, 2013 @ 7pm THE WINDOW (2012, ACCOMPANIED BY SHORT FILMS) From the director of The King of Pigs comes The Window, Yuen Sang-ho’s rarely-seen first short feature. Private Jung is proud to be a member of a leading military division; but after Private Hong joins, everyone starts to get disrupted. Jung tries to train Hong, who is indifferent to everything, but he only ends up causing even more trouble. After an altercation, troubles become even more intense, leading to a shocking, powerful conclusion. This special short feature, which is rarely screened outside of Korea, will be accompanied by additional short films. The evening’s program will have a two-hour running time. Tuesday, February 12, 2013 @ 7pm THE HOUSE (2012) The House, which echoes of the wildly surreal worlds seen in Spirited Away, focuses on Ga-young, a young woman who moves to an old town where she meets Zipsin, the spirit of a house that is soon to be demolished. Whisked away on an enchanted adventure, Ga-young and Zipsin seek out a new spirit who may be able to help them – and together, they hatch a scheme to save the house from those who don’t believe in its magic. Tuesday, January 29, 2013 @ 7pm PADAK (2012) In Korea’s surprisingly powerful take on Pixar’s Finding Nemo, a mackerel from the sea named Flappy ends up caught in a net and dumped carelessly into a restaurant tank. A pessimistic old flatfish, who has somehow avoided death for ages inside the tank, becomes her confidant and mentor...even if his means for survival border on cowardice. Very quickly, Flappy refuses her fate and becomes determined to make it out of the tank and back to the ocean – even if that means going against the old flatfish and shattering the hierarchy of the tank. A feel-good adventure for the whole family, Padak combines computer animation with traditional hand-drawn art, delivering a funny, lovable film that’s also packed with social drama and subtext. ---------------------- HK Top Ten Central hktopten@hotmail.com http://hktopten.orgfree.com | http://hktopten.blogspot.com