[2016.03.13] CHAPMAN TO BRINGS MOB FILM BACK TO FORM

courtesy of singtao.com

Chapman To Man Chak in the Emperor Motion Picture distributed mob film THE MOBFATHERS (SUEN LO DANG) played a mob boss and was rather in character. Whether on or off camera he was like he was a boss possessed, boldly saying that he would leave the fighting to his top guys and asked how would the boss know how to fight?

To Man Chak was both the producer and the star. In the film he played a mob boss who was just released from prison. After returning to the mob he challenged for the throne.

Earlier To Man Chak, Philip Keung Ho Man, Lam Wai and others worked on location in a Tsim Sha Tsui sauna shop. In the story To Man Chak and his top guy Hak Jai brought over 60 followers to crash the shop and demand to take over control. However Lam Wai who played the sauna boss struggled with To Man Chak and Hak Jai during negotiation and even busted bottles during the fight.

For this bottle busting scene, the trio practiced their stunts. The funniest part was that Ah Jat joked luckily screen writer Lee Man wrote well. Otherwise Lam Wai would have killed him because he did not know how to fight. He said, "I don't know how to fight, leave it to my top guy! How can a boss know how to fight."

When asked why he chose to make a mob film. Producer Ah Jat stated that many viewers like it. In addition Hong Kong in recent years had very few films of the subject. "Everyone would accept these subjects, from Wong Fei Hung to Chan Ho Nam! For 100 years of Hong Kong after Kwan Tak Hing's Wong Fei Hung came Cheng Yi Kin's Chan Ho Nam, in addition this type of subjects are few and far between now. Everyone is going back to the Mainland to make movies. It's very hard to make this subject in the Mainland, but in Hong Kong it can be made. In particular Hong Kong viewers really like to watch heavy Hong Kong style mob flavor films.

Speaking of the film's casting of many fellow actors with ATV background like Keung Ho Man, Anthony Wong Chau Sun, Lam Wai and Wong Chun Fung, did he deliberately want to have a reunion with his former co-workers? Ah Jat said that this collaboration did not just come from a reunion, only that they were right for the characters. He joked, "I didn't ask them just because I deliberately wanted a reunion. Now with Hong Kong films without Hak Jai can you make one? It's very hard to annoy him. I am very happy to see the entire group again. The last time Hak Jai and I worked together was already the ATV era. However we still had to see if the character was right. If I have to find someone I know each time, why didn't I ask my Ma?"

Playing To Man Chak's top guy, Hak Jai revealed that he had scenes with the king maker in the film Wong Chau Sun. He even stated that he has always admired him very much. He said, "I feel Chau Sun is very dominant, an actor with quite a presence. (Did you learn a lot from him?) How can it be so easy to learn! I really admire him."

Lam Wai said that he was very happy to work with a group of former ATV actors. "When I was at ATV I couldn't see them. Seeing them here again I am very happy. I thank Ah Jat very much for asking me. Being able to work with Hak Jai and Ah Jat on a movie, to me it is very rare because I work on television more."