My Latest GeoPropaganda ... :
| Adding this in gets rid of the annoying pop-up ads... What can ya do? |
Go To 1998 News:Note: In addition, major articles and interviews with CYF are listed here. Back to The World is Read |
March 1998:
|
Chow Yun Fat: The Corruptor in Canada
Excerpted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for April 1st! And thanks also to Alan Li, who courteously drew my attention to this story! Date: March 31st
After the disturbance of untrue reporters, Chow Yun Fat finally in the middle of last month officially began work on his second Hollywood film The Corruptor and fulfilled his dreams of working with international renown film maker Oliver Stone.
The New Line Cinema film The Corrupter currently is shooting in Toronto. The scene has Fat Gor who is playing a police officer playing domino in a Chinatown gambling parlor.
Fat Gor honestly said for his second Hollywood film besides an improvement in his English and a stronger bond with the foreign crew, he and his wife Jasmine Chan Wui Lin are well taken care of by the film company.
"I am a lot happier working on this film than the last and the shoot has been smoother too. Besides the fact that I am already used to working with the foreign crew, all of the crew members are fun people. I had more time to prepare for this film before, so I am more familiar with the English dialogue here."
"This time the film company besides hiring a bodyguard for me gave me a new trailer to rest in. My wife got a Mercedes Benz. The treatment is really different than last time."
The producer of The Corruptor Oliver Stone said, "Chow Yun Fat and I although have only worked together 2 short weeks, I discovered his performance this time is much more natural than in The Replacement Killers. He is able to handle even more lines. I have always admired him. I can guarantee he is the most outstanding actor in Asia."
American newspaper apologizes to Chow Yun Fat
Excerpted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for March 15th! There is new development in the Chow Yun Fat libel incident.
Chow Yun Fat's legal representatives have sent their final notice to San Francisco Chronicle requesting the publication to apologize and retract its February 28th article on Chow Yun Fat.
San Francisco Chronicle have published two apologies on last
week's and Wednesday's edition. However Chow Yun Fat's legal
representatives expressed these two apologies were "insincere".
The apology published last week claimed the publication "did
not knowingly connecting Chow Yun Fat and the underworld". The
apology published on Wednesday besides reinitiating the above added "If our report has create a negative impression in the minds of our readers, we apologize."
Chow's legal representatives pointed out that the two "apologies" did not clarify the errors made by the libelous report. The lawyers even the tone used by the apologies like "making reader misunderstand" will only make people think Chow has ties to the underworld.
The lawyers expressed after discussing the latest apology with
Chow Yun Fat they have decided to take further legal action. Chow's manager expressed that this incident has created "serious damage" to Chow. Thus, they have asked to the paper to apologize fully. The assistant editor of San Francisco Chronicle stressed "We have never said Chow Yun Fat has taken part in criminal activity."
Because the report also involved famous Hong Kong film
producer Charles Heung Wa Keung, Mr. Heung also has taken legal
action against the paper.
Film Associations ask for clarification on actor's image blackening overseas
Excerpted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for March 15th! The San Francisco Chronicle's February 28th report about the Hong Kong film industry already under control of the underworld which targeted Chow Yun Fat has already led to shock and resentment among the Hong Kong film makers.
On the afternoon of the 13th, representatives of 10 Hong Kong film organizations gathered for a press conference and announced that they will fight until the end for justice and innocence.
Current vice chair of film association and provincial council member Ma Fung Kwok expressed that although the San Francisco Chronicle has apologized, the damage is already done to the Hong Kong film industry and even more so to the entire image of Hong Kong internationally. It was also a great insult to Hong Kong film makers.
Thus, Ma Fung Kwok has suggested to the government that a statement should be made through the overseas offices to clarify the inaccuracy of the article in order to protect Hong Kong's international image as a whole.
Ma Fung Kwok said, "Hong Kong is a society with laws. If the
government allows the underworld to control the film industry, that just means that the government itself has a problem." Although Ma Fung Kwok repeatedly hoped to correct the situation through the government, he knew that the government couldn't do much to help on this matter.
Hung Cho Sing said, "There are those who want to cause damage. Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat have established box office and position in Hollywood. The foreign press is trying to use this report to put a stop to that."
Joe Cheung Tung Cho said, "Hong Kong films and artists have broken into Hollywood. Hong Kong's film cultural quality has already reached equal footing with the outside. It should not be harm by certain unconfirmed reports which affects the progress of Hong Kong artist development."
The Hong Kong film union currently has an announcement draft which it plans to publish on Variety demanding an apology from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Reportedly, the film union's contact in America is Terence Chang (Cheung Ka Chun).
WINS chief Charles Heung Wa Keung has expressed to the reporters that he already demanded an apology similar to that of Chow Yun Fat from the San Francisco Chronicle. He also stressed that he will take further legal action if the condition is not met. He also was pleased by the union of 10 film organizations, saying that the Hong Kong film industry should present an united front. Besides Chow Yun Fat and Heung Wa Keung, the report also included Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit) and Choi Chi Ming who was killed
and the arson case involving the home of Andy Lau Tak Wa's assistant.
Andy Lau Tak Wa said, "My assistant's accident, I can confidently guarantee, had absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Heung, because Mr. Heung doesn't know any of my own employees."
Jet Li said, "I feel the death of Choi Chi Ming cannot be linked to me signing with Wins. Choi Chi Ming was not my manager at the time."
[THE STATEMENT RELEASED:]
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: An empty room in downtown Toronto
Temperature: 20 degrees below zero
|
"Mr. Bill Wallace's article on the February 18th, 1998 edition of San Francisco Chronicle (the article was widely reported in both Hong Kong and foreign press) has led to great shock and resentment from the film industry. In any society, in any business there are harmful factors, including the film industry. Unfortunately, Mr. Bill Wallace has exaggerated the effect of this minority group and ignored the film industry's self motivated protest against the harmful element. For example the January 15th, 1995 Hong Kong Show Business started "Anti Violence Rally" was widely reported by both Chinese and foreign press. Hong Kong is one of the safest societies in the world and has a strong and complete legal system, yet the society Mr. Bill Wallace described is a lawless society, one in which the underworld can achieve its goal by threatening its citizens and the police is helpless in stopping it. That just isn't true. The damage brought by the original article was worsened by the correction published on the March 4th, 1998 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle. The "correction" said, 'Bill Wallace's article on February 18, 1998 correctly reported the effect of the underworld in the Hong Kong film industry.' We believe that these irresponsible commentary on the show business has seriously harm the honor of those in the business. A widely known example is rejections of application for visa and citizenship. Because quite a few of our colleagues have employment opportunities overseas, we as an industry have the need to guarantee that our colleagues will not be harmed by these malicious, irresponsible and libelous words. Thus we hereby announce: Hong Kong show business is not under the control of any criminal organization. It is not a member of any criminal organization and has not close connections to one. Hong Kong Performance Artist Association March 13, 1998" |
Chronicle Apology #2: March 11, p. A7
As transcribed in Frank Djeng's post to alt.asian-movies!
A February 18 article headlined "Film Star Reported to Have Gang Ties" may have been misunderstood by some readers as suggesting that film star Chow Yun Fat is or was involved in organized crime or criminal conduct, and we wish to set the record straight.
The article accurately reported the influence of organized crime on the Hong Kong movie industry, the ties between Charles Heung and organized crime and the fact that CYF has made movies for and with Charles Heung.
As far as we are aware, CYF has no personal relationship with Charles Heung; their only relationship is as producer and actor. It was not our intent to suggest that CYF is or was involved in organized crime or in any criminal conduct whatsoever, and we apologize if we left readers with a contrary impression."
Mr. and Mrs. Chow Yun Fat file libel suit against a Hong Kong magazine
Excerpted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for March 4th! Film star Chow Yun Fat and his wife filed a suit at the Hong Kong
superior court against a Hong Kong magazine. The couple is upset over the
intrusion of their Clearwater Bay home by reporters from the magazine and the
subsequent libelous article published by the magazine, and again asked the
court to file an injunction against the magazine to prevent it from further
libelous reporters and trespassing.
According to the documents Chow Yun Fat and his wife Jasmine Chan
Wui Lin have handed over to the courts on the 4th, the magazine without their
authorization trespassed into their Sai Gong estate for photos then published
them on February 21st. Mr. and Mrs. Chow also pointed out that the reports
were false and without confirmation, yet the magazine still refuses to
apologize for the error or publish a retraction. Fat Gor in the
documents the reports misled the readers into believing that he is
afraid of Fat Soe and is under her control, thus leading his
mistreatment of Fat Ma. The reports also misled others to believe Fat
Soe to be a mean and selfish daughter-in-law.
Mr. and Mrs. Chow's report was that issue's cover story. The related
photos besides the cover also appeared in the table of content and 3 articles
within the magazine.
The magazine's cover story sited that Chow's new home has been in
renovation for three years and still hasn't been completed because Chan Wui Lin
constantly changed the plans. On the table of content the title of
"Brother Fat doesn't want mother and wife to see each other all the
time?" was printed and pointed out that Fat Gor and his mother live in
the same house but each have their own exit. The Chows denied the
reports and pointed out that the reports about the daily routines of
Chow Yun Fat's mother, living arrangement, the use of each part of the
house and Chow Yun Fat's business investment were all inaccurate.
Because the magazine did not respond after receiving legal notices, Mr.
and Mrs. Chow filed the suit for damages and an injunction prohibiting the
magazine to publish libelous reports and trespassing.
SF Chronicle "Corrections" for March 4th
And many thanks to Wolverine for posting the URL in his HK TOP 10 for February 25th! The grovelling ... I mean, article ... is online here.
| An article on February 18 headlined ``Film Star Reported to Have Gang Ties'' may have been misunderstood by some readers, and we wish to set the record straight. The article accurately reported the influence of organized crime on the Hong Kong movie industry, the ties between Jimmy and Charles Heung and organized crime, and the fact that Chow Yun-Fat has made movies for and with Charles Heung. It was not our intent to state or suggest that Chow Yun-Fat was involved in any criminal conduct or that he has relationships with criminals other than through their role in the Hong Kong movie industry. |
Chow Yun-Fat
By Joe Rhodes for the March 1998 issue of US Magazine (David Duchovny on the cover). A three-page article (pp.74-5, 91) with one large pic (CYF looking noble, by Tom Tavee). No real new info for the serious Chow fan, but a very positive portrayal indeed.
The Fat Man
By Anne Thompson for the March 1998 issue of Premiere (4 young white guys on the cover). A three-page article (pp. 59-61) with four pix of Chow and one of Kenneth Tsang (in ABT) which, hilariously, they mislabel as CYF. Contains one of my favorite pro-Chow rants ("Imagine Harrison Ford and Cary Grant rolled into one. Now imagine his English needs work. America, meet Chow Yun-Fat."), plus one of the few open discussions of the big Sorvino-CYF fight, plus discussion of Fuqua's hassles with the TRK production team. Possibly the best US-media coverage of TRK, IMHO.
Fresh Chow
By Anne-Marie O'Neill and Andrea Pawlyna for the March 2nd episode of People Magazine. A two-page (pp. 73-74) article with 3 nice pix (by Ron McMillan and Gamma Liason) and some fairly fluffy coverage. Most notable to me for revealing that CYF is a big dog fan: he has five dogs at his HK home in Kowloon, apparently. Who knew?
Back to Chow Yun-Fat: God of
Actors or over to my CYF movies page.
Any of my links not working? More links I should add? Random
commentary? Fill in the form below.