News Archive

February 1, 2004
Ken & Michelle Saram filming "City in the Sky"

Ken Zhu is about to film a new drama, "Tian Kong Zhi Cheng" (City in the Sky), in China in March. He will be working with Michelle Saram in an intense amour. This is manager Angie Cai's first time filming a drama in China so there are many pressures. Regarding the time when Michelle Saram filmed "Meteor Garden II" being scolded on the internet as a "fei yong" (something like Philippine servant…?), Angie said, "Taiwan spectators cannot accept that fact of another girl snatching Dao Ming Si. However, Michelle is a hardworking and devoted actress, she should be given a chance."
Zai Zai, Vic Zhou, accepted "Mars" for $200,000 an episode. Yesterday Ken Zhu also accepted "City of the Sky." Angie revealed, on the news of developing towards China, that both parties have already sign a contract. Ken will be portraying as a country geography magazine photographer. His girlfriend was mistakenly killed by a thief, but he then meet Michelle.

In the drama, Michelle plays a Tai girl, playing 2 roles. Angie said, "Originally we were going to let Michelle choose, but the television company's people liked Michelle the moment they saw her. Michelle is amerasian so portraying as a Tai girl of the minority nationality is very suitable."
Michelle once portrayed as Ye Sha, a third party, in "Meteor Garden II" and was bombarded miserably on the internet with people saying that she's obscene with dark skin, like a Philippine servant. This time she'll be in "City in the Sky" with Ken. Angie has a lot of confidence, "She's very popular in Xing Ma. The role she plays in a drama doesn't represent that's how she really is in real life. Taiwan spectators won't be so narrow-minded."
Angie produced "Meteor Garden" and F4's miracle. Filming in China for the first time she said, "There's some pressure. One episode's manufacturing costs is approximately $2,000,000. We project half, they take the China copyright, and the overseas copyright is ours. Both sides' collaboration will be more and more frequent. I believe that people are benevolent, opinionated situations will not effect each other's exchange."

Regarding "Meteor Garden" being banned in China, Angie joked, "Because of the ban, F4 is popular. Actually I heard that it wasn't banned, just that it's best that it's not broadcasted. In the beginning there is some plots on hitting teachers which isn't good. I believe that each area's policies are different. We should respect each other."

Angie laughing said, "China's TV dramas can't have plots containing sex, homosexuality, porn, and violence. My drama doesn't have these; it's about love between people. Only once, when discussing the script, they said that public security is the country's police so they can't be sad as bad people."

Source: Min Sheng Bao | posted by Sheryl

January 31, 2004

*screencap of MARS (anime version)

ZZ News: 1/27 ZZ rides motorcycle, fears Da S will get hurt

After Zai Zai, Vic Zhou, is done passing his New Year's he will be meeting a new challenge. In his new idol drama "Mars," which will start filming soon, he will portray 5 roles. In fact not only will he ride a heavy-duty motorcycle in this new drama, but he will also expose a large back view, ZZ has new class work to do. Even though it's also adapted from a Japanese manga like "Meteor Garden" and "Poor Prince" the content of this new drama, "Mars," isn't the same as ordinary idol dramas. ZZ, who has already pass K progenitor before, seriously said, "This isn't the average girl manga, there are many scenes with personality splits. Moreover, I have to portray 5 different roles. Right now when I have the time I would hurriedly read psychology books and watch movies with plots that contain personality splits." "Mars" will start filming early February. The male lead is Zai Zai and female lead is his buddy Da S. Not only is this film different from his previous ones, first of all, Zai Zai will have to take on the challenge of riding a heavy-duty motorcycle. He said, "I'm not worried about myself, instead I'm more worried about Miss Barbie Hsu." "I will ride motorcycle 125, but the heavy-duty motorcycle in the drama needs to make records, so I can seek to learn a bit." In the drama Zai Zai gets to drive Da S with a heavy-duty motorcycle. It's supposed to be a very mistral drama but Zai Zai expressed, "I've already talked with Da S earlier, if I yell jump then you have to jump. I'm very afraid of her role in drama. It would be a waste if parts of the plots were cut in the end." In "Mars," Zai Zai has a few scenes where he exposes his back, in accordance to the plot, exposing his muscles. However Zai Zai's back "is the same as the average man, has no muscles," he frankly admitted. Therefore he took advantage of the time he had before the drama starts filming to at once get some muscles to emerge. Zai Zai complained, "Before, when studying we participated in the tian jing team. After coming to Taipei, becoming a public character, campaigns have become inconvenient." The doctor also told him that humpback could be caused by no growth of back muscle." Besides revealing his back, will there be any other parts exposed in the drama? Before Zai Zai could reply, his broker at the side immediately pointed out, "Can't!"

Source: Lian He Wan Bao | posted by Sheryl

January 29, 2004
Meteor Garden on Cinema One

� F4 Fever continues on Cinema One (Sky Cable ch. 22, Home Cable ch. 19) Starting February 9, Meteor Garden will be shown Mon-Fri 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM with replays Tue-Sat 11:30am-12:30 PM.

Souce: Stardust | posted by Sheryl

January 29, 2004
Bench Promos Galore!

I. GENERAL DETAILS
Title: Movie Premier Dao!
Promo Period: January 29, 2004 to January 31, 2004
Participating Outlets: Selected Bench Boutiques
II. PARTICIPATING PRODUCTS AND OUTLETS
PRODUCTS:
All products sold in selected BENCH outlets.
OUTLETS:
1. BB Glorietta, Ayala Center, Makati
2. BB SM City North Edsa
3. BB Robinsons Place Ermita
4. BB Robinsons Galleria
5. BB SM Megamall
III. MECHANICS
1. For a minimum purchase of P 1,000 of any Bench/Herbench items in a single receipt, customers get the chance to draw one (1) coupon from the Pick-a-Prize bowl for a chance to win one (1) invite to the premier showing of Jerry Yan's "Magic Kitchen" on February 9, 2004 (Monday) at 7pm at the Glorietta 4 Cinema 3, Ayala Center, Makati City.
2. To join, customer must present the valid receipt at the counter where they made the purchase.
3. A customer can draw from the bowl only once.
4. Promo begins January 29, 2004 and ends January 31, 2003

I. GENERAL DETAILS
Title: Hot Book ni Dao! raffle promo
Promo Period: February 01, 2004 to February 28, 2004
Participating Outlets: All BENCH and HERBENCH STORES inc.
FRANCHISEES nationwide
II. PARTICIPATING PRODUCTS AND OUTLETS PRODUCTS:
All regular priced Bench and Herbench items
OUTLETS: All Bench/Herbench Stores/Franchisees Nationwide
III. MECHANICS
1. For a minimum purchase of P 1,000 (single receipt) of any Bench/Herbench items entitles a customer to one (1) raffle coupon for a chance to win one (1) Jerry Yan Book (Definitely a Collector's Item).
2. Participating customer must write his/her complete name, address, phone number and affix his/her signature on the raffle coupon. He/ she must detach the coupon from the stub and drop the coupon in the designated drop box at any participating Bench/Herbench branch nationwide.
3. Credit card and gift cheque purchases are valid as long as they meet the minimum purchase required.
4. Promo runs February 1 - 28, 2004. Deadline for submission of entries is on February 28, 2004 at store closing hours.
5. Two hundred (200) winners will be drawn on March 12, 2004 (Friday) from 5 - 7 PM at Suyen Corporation, 2214 Tolentino St., Pasay City in the presence of a DTI representative.
6. A customer/participant can win only once. Winners will be notified by registered mail and phone, and list will be posted at all Bench/Herbench branches and will be published in a newspaper of general circulation.
7. GMA winners may claim their prizes at Suyen Corporation during office hours (8:30 AM to 7 PM) from Monday to Friday upon presentation of a valid ID, the registered mail of notification and the winning raffle stub. Provincial winners on the other hand may claim their prizes at the nearest Bench store indicated in the registered mail upon presentation of a valid ID, the registered mail of notification and the winning raffle stub.
8. Prizes are transferable, but are not convertible to cash.
9. Prizes not claimed within 60 days from receipt of notification will be forfeited in favor of Suyen Corporation with prior approval from DTI.
10. Employees of Suyen Corporation and participating outlets including their relatives up to second degree of consanguinity or affinity are disqualified from joining the promotion.
11. Winners can claim their prizes through their authorized representative with the following requirements: an authorization letter from the raffle prize winner, a valid ID of the raffle prize winner, valid ID (any ID with photograph and signature) of the authorized person, the registered mail of notification and the winning raffle stub.
IV. CONTROL MEASURE
VENUE: Suyen Corporation
2214 Tolentino St., Pasay City
DATE: Friday, March 12, 2004
TIME: 5 � 7 PM
CONTACT PERSON: Myleen Alop (887.23.11 loc 160)
Sealed drop boxes shall be collected one day after the deadline for dropping of entries and brought to Suyen Co. Head Office for safekeeping under the custody of Ms. Myleen Alop.

A DTI representative shall be invited to be present in the opening of drop boxes and during the drawing of winners.

Souce: Stardust | posted by Sheryl

January 23, 2004
ZaiZai's Having A "Home Party"

ZaiZai, who has been having a hectic schedule lately, will only have his "leave" starting a day before Chinese New Year's Eve. ZaiZai said that he would organise a "home party" to usher in the year of the "monkey". He will invite his relatives and friends to his house to play cards, chat and eat.

ZaiZai's new album sold 500,000 copies throughout the whole of Asia, making the company very happy. And due to the approaching New Year holidays, the company decided to come out with another limited "New Year" version of the album. This time, 2 autographed red packets (angbao) with a pic of ZaiZai will be enclosed with the CD. It is hoped that everyone will have a happy and prosperous New Year, and that through the red packets, ZaiZai's fans will be able to "na hong bao, fa da cai (get red packets and strike it rich)". Because the album sold so well, the company decided to put in more investments and filmed a 5th MV, "A Guarantee of Happiness" (Xing Fu De Bao Zheng), ZaiZai drove a very expensive car, and held a bouquet of roses, just like a "dream lover". This scene made fans who wanted to get autographs, "invite" the police to come and intervene. To suit this new MV, Sonymusic TW launched a new campaign - "To spend a happy time with ZaiZai". Fans who log into Sonymusic TW's website and leave a message on "ZaiZai's Happiness Board" stating where they wish to go with Zaizai, stand a chance to spend time with ZaiZai. When asked where fans would hope to go, ZaiZai said naturally, to his hometown Yilan. ZaiZai, whose Chinese pronunciation has improved "a lot", even managed to string of proverbs saying, "Yi Lan Shan Ming Shui Xiu, Feng Jing Xiu Li, Jue Dui Hui Rang Ge Mi Liu Lian Wang Fang (Fan)! [Yilan's scenery is so beautiful and gorgeous that fans wouldn't want to leave!]"

Credit : Rui-kun of http://onlyf4.proboards4.com

Souce: Taiwan Dong Sen News Times | posted by Sheryl

January 23, 2004
Vic Wants To Get Married By 27

Vic still hasn't gotten married, but already wants to have grandchildren, he even made a goal of getting married by the age of 27. Don't think that he's only saying this, in order to reach his goal, not only has vic quit smoking, he has taken a very serious attitude in studying other people's acting skills, and has also said in a very serious tone that by the time he is 27 and married, he will no longer be the "Idol ZaiZai", but instead, he will be considered as a true artist with real talent. Recently, Vic attended Yes Go!Go!Go!'s Live Web chat, where he spilled his secrets to his online fans. Vic revealed that he dislikes fake people, he would rather hear the truth even though he might not like what they say, rather than hear people tell him fake things to make him happy. Since he dislikes fake people, Vic obviously is a truthful person. He says, each person in F4 has different attractive points, the most attractive thing about him is that he puts his all into his acting; the most attractive thing about Ken is when he sings and plays his guitar; for Vanness, its when he sings and dances; and for Jerry, since he's already had the experience of being a model, all he has to do is stand there and the audience will immediately feel his electricity. After focusing on each member's strong points, he even attempted to imitate Jerry, making his online fans laugh and and say that he has the potentional to do a comedy with Stephen Chow. Vic loves to joke around and laugh, but he also revealed that he's someone who gets shy very easily, and he doesn't like it when people look at him. So when he's on the streets, he either hunches his back, looks at the floor, or pretends to be talking on the phone. While he was at school, because of the fact that he was shy and didn't like to be around large groups of people, he would arrive at school at around 6 am and sit patiently in his classrom waiting for the other students to arrive. If it ever occured that he went to bed late and was not able to arrive at school early, he would rather skip his classes. Vic said that his shy personality might have developped from when he was small, when everyone always complimentated him on his 'beauty', and would always be mistaken for a girl, so he slowly became scared of large groups of people. For this year's New Year, he was planning on going back home to YiLan and spend it with his father, but because he heard that fans were going to be at YiLan waiting for him, he started to change his mind and considered not going back and staying in Taipei for the New Year. Vic expressed that everyone now thinks of him as an idol, being an idol, there is alot of pressure put on him, so he is working extra hard at improving his acting skills, and hopfully in the near future, be able to get rid of being refered to as an "idol" and be respected as an actor.

Souce: Liberty Times TW | posted by Sheryl

January 23, 2004
New Jerry, You're Such A Tease

Jerry Yan is a changed man. And for the better too. The exceedingly shy and quiet boy we knew has somehow metamorphosised into a ladies' man since we last saw him. That was last January, when his boy band F4 was here for its second concert. Then, Jerry - despite his immense popularity with the girls - was content to fade into the background, leaving his other F4 bandmates, Vic Zhou, Ken Zhu and Vanness Wu, to charm the media and banter with the fans. But yesterday evening, at an outdoor press conference (which fans could witness, behind barricades) to promote the romantic comedy Magic Kitchen, a solo Jerry teased, flirted and dazzled the ladies, proving he could hold his own. His co-stars Nicola Cheung and even the luscious Maggie Q were relegated to being merely wall flowers. The moment Jerry appeared, the 2,000-strong crowd at Junction 8's Open Plaza almost screamed down the marquee. Never mind that he was an hour late. They shrieked when he took off his black leather jacket and exposed his arms while rolling up his black turtle-neck sweater. Even when he only went 'er...' into the microphone, the fans screamed, drowning out whatever he wanted to say next. Jerry loved the attention all right - he was grinning from ear to ear, flashing his dimples throughout. And only he could control the crowd. He put his finger on his lips, and we could all hear again. Even his fans were pleasantly surprised by the change in him. Ms Susan Poh, 29, account executive, had been at the airport to receive Jerry and even trailed his entourage all the way to the hotel. She said that a friendly Jerry was smiling the whole time. Ms Poh added: 'Jerry has become more cheerful and mature this time around, and he has learnt to take things in his stride. 'Last time, he used to be too self-conscious, and put up a front because that was what he wanted to present to people. But now he's just being himself.' By his own admission, Jerry said of his change: 'I've become a happier person now... My mentality has changed, I like interacting with crowds even more now.' Whether or not he's telling the truth, at least his efforts bore fruit. Despite being very busy fielding questions from the media, Jerry seemed eager to please his fans. Such as when co-star Nicola commented on how shopping has become a 'hazardous' activity for Jerry as he has to be protected by bodyguards wherever he goes. A scribe then asked if Jerry minded this drawback of being a celebrity. His reply: 'I don't particularly enjoy shopping. And anyway, the gifts that my fans give me are more than enough.' Delighted squeals followed. When asked if he would ever date a fan, Jerry played it cool with 'it all depends on fate... but I'm not totally against the idea'. Perhaps the man has indeed become older and wiser. A victim of bad press because of his media-unsavvy ways, he points to his co-star, Andy Lau's admirable rapport with fans and media as something he aspires to achieve. He also readily admits to needing to improve his public relations. Judging by his performance last night, he's clearly making good progress. To prepare for his first movie role as an assistant cook, Jerry had taken a few cookery lessons. He said: 'I've learnt to prepare a few dishes, and I'm hoping to cook for my mum over the Chinese New Year.' Clearly out to elicit more screams, Jerry then teased: 'Anyway, don't you think that it's very romantic for a guy to cook for a girl?' The response was again, deafening. But fans should be relieved, as Jerry hasn't had a chance to cook for a girl yet, or so he claims. 'I haven't had a girlfriend for a long time,' he said, pouting. Anyway, we all wanted to know: What's the most romantic thing he's done for a girl to date? The answer: Shouting 'I Love You' in the middle of Hsi Men Ding (Taipei's hippest hangout) while out on a date with his then-girlfriend (his high school sweetheart) on Valentine's Day. There. Yet another perfect anecdote to charm the socks off his fans. Even when he left the press conference to rush to the gala premiere of Magic Kitchen, Jerry couldn't resist flirting with his fans one last time. He made it a point to smile and wave from all angles, and finished up with a sexy pose, no less! Give the man full marks for trying. Working his magic In Magic Kitchen, Jerry plays an assistant cook, Xiao Ke, to a private kitchen owner, Mu Rong You (Sammi Cheng). He is secretly in love with You, who can't get over her ex-boyfriend, Chang You (Andy Lau). Xiao Ke wants You to join a culinary competition in Japan, but You is hesitant. It turns out that she's not the great cook that everyone thinks she is. You is also under a family curse that ruins her love life if she ever excels in cooking.
Magic Kitchen opens on Jan 22.

Souce: Source : The New Paper | posted by Sheryl

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