[2012.01.31] CLIFTON KO LAMENTS ABOUT LUNAR NEW YEAR FILM QUALITY DECLINE

courtesy of takungpao.com

The Clifton Ko Chi Sum directed 80's Lunar New Year film IT'S A MAD MAD MAD WORLD (FU GWAI BIK YUN) two nights ago was screened at the Film Archive.  Ko Chi Sum attended in support and shared with the audience the production experience.

Ko Chi Sum said that the stars Lydia Shum Din Ha and Bill Tung Biu have already left.  Two nights ago when he watched again he felt very sentimental.  He pointed out that Shum Din Ha and Tung Biu were both television people back then, but the film company boss actually agreed for them to star.  He thought that the boss back then was very daring, and creative freedom was greater then than now.  Now the focus is on the cast and the production is overlooked, the production time is rushed, he even claimed that now Hong Kong film industry has no one with the courage to cast television artists as leads.  Many films are filled with head shots on one poster.  Has he watched this year's Lunar New Year films?  He said that he still has not mustered up the courage to watch.  If he had to choose he definitely would support his mentor Raymond Wong Pak Ming.  Will he make another Lunar New Year film again?  He said, "The environment now is different from back then.  Even if I have a good story, I still need the boss to have confidence to invest before I can."