[2010.11.19] JOHNNIE TO HAS NO INTEREST IN REMAKE WONG TIN LAM CLASSICS

Sil-Metropole chief Song Dai, Johnnie To Kei Fung

courtesy of takungpao.com

Creating countless classic films, Great Wall, Phoenix and Sun Luen film companies after merging in 1982 to become the Sil-Metropole Organisation continued to create many excellent films. For everyone to relive these classic films, Sil-Metropole held a 60 Year of Movie Glory: From Great Wall, Feng Huang, Sun Luen to Sil-Metropole film exhibit. Last night an opening party was held and even invited Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong S.A.R. Director General of Publicity Hao Tiechuan, Sil-Metrophole president and CEO Song Dai and director Zhang Xinyan, Kong Han, Chow Chung and Paw Hee Ching to be guests. Other guests included Johnnie To Kei Fung and Clifton Ko Chi Sum.

Ah To revealed in 1976 and 77 during the Sun Luen era, he was the assistant director for Wong Tin Lam (Wong To) directed films. When will Uncle Tin Lam's funeral be? He said that Wong Jing contacted him and it might be in early December. As for whether he would be a pallbearer and attend the memorial, he left the decision to his immediate family, son Wong Jing. Speaking of Uncle Tin Lam's wish for him and Ah Jeh (Liza Wang Ming Chuen) to make up. He said, "He didn't say anything to me. We have always been good friends. For decades we have been trading verbal jabs. Friction doesn't represent we aren't friends or we are enemies. We have dined together. Uncle Tin Lam told me not to always argue with Ah Jeh. We haven't argued for years. (Will you hold a make up banquet?) If you want. (Ah Jeh says that she always thinks of you.) I always think of her too. (When you dined together were you at each other's throats too?) Not when we are eating, we only have friction at work. We both are more stubborn at work because we want to do well, but when we eat together we are friends."

Did Uncle Tin Lam have any last wish? He said, "He didn't have any special, maybe he has seen it all. He said that if he lived a day it was another day, as long as he was happy he was fine. Earlier I dined with him he didn't bring his dentures he still had a lot of fun. Would he make a movie to remember his mentor? He said it would not be necessary because everyone knew about him. Uncle Tin Lam was different in everyone's heart, as long as everyone remembered his brilliant days, made many directors and actors. If they wanted to remember him they could watch his past work. His favorite was Uncle Tin Lam's WILD WILD ROSE (YEH MUI GWAI JI LUEN) because he thought it was very forward. However he had no intention to remake it. Did he still miss Uncle Tin Lam very much? He immediately looked like he was about to cry and reporters did not follow up.

In addition, Sister Bau only had CHU YUAN in which she starred with her father Bao Fang. Her favorite WHITE HAIR DEVIL LADY (BAK FAT MOR NUI JUEN) was not selected, which she was honestly a little disappointed about. However during the Great Feng Sun era, she was a very young junior so she did not have any difference of opinion. CHU was her first costume film and the only film she worked on with her father, thus she thought it was very memorable. She said, "When I watched it again I couldn't recognize myself either, actually I used to be somewhat pretty." Speaking of Uncle Tin Lam's passing, he said that Uncle Tin Lam worked with her father many times. When she played mother roles, she did so mostly in Wong Jing's films. Thus their families were very familiar. Her impression of Uncle Tin Lam could not be deeper. She said, "He was a living dictionary of the film industry, he remembers film history very clearly and has a lot of experience to teach younger folks. I used to worry about him being too fat, but actually he was very agile and didn't have any diabetes and high blood pressure. Thus his passing felt very sudden." With one after another elder passing, she hoped everyone to cherish the remaining ones even more.