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Go To 1998 News:Note: In addition, major articles and interviews with CYF are listed here. Back to The World is Read |
July 1998:
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Better a Class-A villain than a Class-C hero?
From an article in the Ming Pao Daily of July 31st, entitled "Jet Li goes from good to bad;
Even Wong Fei Hung is sold into 'slavery' to become a villain." Reposted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for July 29th!
From the article:
Martial art star Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit) went to Hollywood to perform in Lethal Weapon 4, but he no longer plays a big heroic lead, but a sixth place support player, and a villain at that. To the Chinese audience, our Wong Fei Hung has become Shek Kin in an American film. Naturally it wasn't glorious at all.
Lethal Weapon 4 has a lot of Chinese characters, most of them are villains, and the rests are victims. Jet Li is the most cold-blooded and mean. If the 1985 Year of the Dragon is insulting to Chinese (the film lead to protests from Chinese America organizations), then this film made the Chinese just as horrible and sad.
The reality is like that. Yellow face stars in American films are only "alternative", occasionally they will encounter good roles, but for them to become big heroes like their White and Black colleagues is very hard, just like it's very hard for foreign stars to star in good guy lead in Hong Kong films. Disney's Mulan made a decent Chinese story, but if
it's not a cartoon and starred an all Southeast Asian cast, conceivably Disney will not make the film. Even if it did there is no guarantee in the market.
Jet Li playing a villain in America is a backwater battle. This decision might not be incorrect because his first villain role stands out, better than Chow Yun Fat's good guy lead in The Replacement Killer. Plus Lethal Weapon is a class A Hollywood picture. This new film's box office figure hit US$100 million and had way more viewers than the class C Replacement Killer. The audience has an impression of Jet Li's cold expressions and outstanding action. Americans who truly know Chow Yun Fat are still the minority. [snip rest]
From an article entitled The Storm Riders breaks this year's opening day record
Reposted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for July 19th!
[Excerpt from the article, comments by The Storm Riders' director, Lau Wai Keung.]
However, Lau Wai Keung was very happy to run into Raymond Chow Man Wai who expressed to him that the special effects in the film was greater than those in the Lost World. When the film ran its preview last week, Chow Yun Fat also greatly praised the increased quality of Hong Kong film.
From an article entitled Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing and Takako Tokiwa leads to an international press dispute
Reposted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for July 19th!
[Excerpt from article:]
For Starlight, Cheung Kwok Wing charged the same amount of salary as before. Later, for Jacob Cheung Chi Leung's Chi Tau Mong (Lit: Sticky Head Mango) he won't take a cent. He explained, the film will be a part of the Creative Alliance formed by See Nam Sun, John Shum Kin Fun and ten
famous Hong Kong directors and producers. The organization is quite sincere about film. Although not accepting any salary doesn't mean the film will save the market, but someone had to stand up. He hopes Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh (Yeung Chi King) can return to the Hong Kong film industry and do their part for Hong Kong film.
Chow Yun Fat becomes TVB target for Aunt Ho's next boyfriend?!
Reposted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for July 19th!
TVB's long serial A Kindred Spirit (Jun Ching) has been falling in the ratings. TVB hopes star power can save the show. Earlier "Aunt Ho" Nancy Sit Ka Yin flew to Taiwan in an attempt to try to persuade Lui Kei to return but failed. Recently producer Tsui Yu On had a secret meeting with Chow Yun Fat, but whether they talked about a cameo appearance is unknown.
Fat Jai said, "Tsui Yu On and I are friends. I never eliminated the possibility of returning to TVB to take care of my acting bug! (How can TVB afford you?) If I am willing I won't be doing it for money! It will purely be for fun! Sometimes I miss the big family of TVB. I have always paid attention to their series. Among the shows right now, I rather enjoy Armed Reaction (Tor Cheung Si Je)."
From an article entitled John Woo gets 800 million to play with for the sequel to Mission: Impossible
Reposted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for July 19th!
[Excerpt from the article; John Woo is quoted as saying:]
"Originally I really wanted to team up Fat Jai (Chow Yun Fat) and Tom for this film. Unfortunately Fat Jai has to work on The King and I in November. On top of that after finishing the script, I didn't think any of the characters is suitable for him. We might as well wait until there is a suitable character to team them up again. There is no point wasting two good actors!"
[Sigh.--WL]
The chance of a Chow Yun Fat's market saving return is slim
Excerpted directly from Wolverine's HK TOP 10 for July 8th!
On the 8th Artist Advancement Student Association celebrated its 10th Anniversary and announced performances of the play Choi Ji Luen Dim Chiu Gai Yun between September 3rd and October 10th at the Wanchai Academy of Performing Arts. Chow Yun Fat and Johnnie To Kei Fung, the association's two honorary chairs attended the press conference at the Hilton Hotel with members of the group and the show's cast members like Lam Ka Tung, Lo Hoi Peng, Mak Cheung Ching, Tam Yuk Ying, and Lo Chun Shun.
Fat Gor revealed that if time permits he will perform as well.
Fat Gor always attracts a crowd of reporters wherever he goes.
Before the press conference began, 50 reporters already surrounded Fat Gor screaming, "Fat Gor I want to take a picture with you!"
Fat Gor came back to Hong Kong to take care of some business after his Kowloon Tong residence was robbed earlier. When asked about the damage, he pointed out, "I am lucky this time, my family's safey is the most important." He even joked, "Since all those were 'Chu Yin Sing' (fake jewelry), the actual loss isn't as much as the police reported 900,000. (When will you go back to America?) Not for a long while, so the burglars won't have another chance to visit! (Will you move?) Hong Kong is so small, where can I move?" Fat Gor will star in the new The King and I. "We have received notice that I have to shave my head. I shouldn't have to! (Jimmy Heung Wa Sing asked you to come back to Hong Kong and save the market!) Actually I have been in Hong Kong for over 20 years. This is the time for a new generation. Today finally my dreams have come true. I might spend 8 or 10 years in overseas development. I have already made over 60 films in Hong Kong, which is a lot if you consider John Travolta
who also has been in film for over a decade only makes around 3 films a year. I believe my artistic life span in Hollywood won't be short." Earlier Fat Gor has expressed that he would return to make Hong Kong films, but now he contradicted himself. He said, "It's due to problems with roles and scripts. If there is a good film and I feel it's appropriate for me, I will accept the role. However questions that has to with money would be best answered by Mrs. Chow or my manager (Terence) Chang Ka Chun."
Since arriving in Hollywood Fat Gor has made 2 films, the first was The Replacement Killers in which he played an assassin, the second will be The Corruptor in which he plays a cop who is stuck between good and evil. Thus he would prefer to work on a more dramatic project.
Although the Hong Kong market has reached a depression, Chow Yun Fat pointed out, with the opening of the Chinese market and film funding from America, Hong Kong film can still survive.
[Snipped rest of article, about Johnny To's plans for the rest of the year. - WL]
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