[2012.01.29] CHRISTINE KUO BRINGS NEW YEAR LUCK TO AUDIENCE APPRECIATION

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The Shaw Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) already broke 10 million after its release.  Yesterday Christine Kuo, Susan Shaw Yam Yam, Daniel Chau Chi Hong and others went to the cinema to give gifts to viewers.  For her first movie audience appreciation event, Christine Kuo was very happy about the film's box office performance, felt fortunate that she was a part of the shoot and even joked that she won three gold dragons in a row.  She hoped that her luck would carry to work all year.

[2012.01.28] WHEAT BREAD LEADS VIEWER APPRECIATION

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Mak Cheung Ching, Mandy Wong Chi Man, Eliza Sham Lai Heung and two directors Chung Shu Kai and Wilson Chin Kwok Wai yesterday appeared in Kwun Tong for I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) viewer appreciation.  They announced that the film's Hong Kong box office has already reached 10 million, which truly was joy upon joy!

Wheat Bread looked bigger.  He said that over the dozen or so days of promoting, he ate like crazy every time.  He has already gained 15 or 16 pounds.  After the Lunar New Year he will start losing weight, but since he was "fat to begin with" he did not mind.

With another box office hit, Chung Shu Kai revealed that Eric Tsang Chi Wai during the last Lunar New Year promised to take everyone to Japan if the film reached 20 million at the box office.  No one expected that the promise has yet to be fulfilled still.  Chin Kwok Wai said that this year if they do not go to Japan then at least they have to go to Korea; Wheat Bread joked, "For stuff like this of course I would wait until the directors speak up first, then all we have to do is chime in.  however earlier at the Malaysia premiere, the response was decent.  Hopefully if the box office performs well we can go again for viewer appreciation."  Wheat Bread was asked how it felt to lead the promotion,  Wheat Bread said that everyone was busy and he had time.  On the Lunar 8th when Chi Wai will return to Hong Kong, they will celebrate again.

[2012.01.28] SAMMI CHENG RUNS TO SAVE LOUIS KOO

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Sammi Cheng Sau Man and Louis Koo Tin Lok's most memorable scene in ROMANCING IN THIN AIR (GO HOI BUT JI LUEN II) took place in 6 degrees below zero Celsius.  One ran while the other one drowned.  In the scene Sammi saw Koo Tin Lok from afar and thought her long lost husband returned home.  Seeing Goo Jai soaking in the spring, she immediately ran over, pulled him up and saved his life.

When they shot the scene in Shangri-La, the temperature was only six below zero.  For such an icy and snowy feel, director Johnnie To Kei Fung deliberately chose the coldest time to shoot in.  Sammi earlier in the shoot has already entered her character.  In this scene her emotions completely flooded out.  Sammi said, "Actually my first take already had a lot of explosiveness.  After that I already felt like I was going to collapse."  Finally the director still wanted Sammi to make ten more takes.  Poor Sammi had to run, cry, yell and pull Goo Jai from the hot spring.

Goo Jai did not have an easy time either because he had to wear layer after layer of clothing and soaked his entire body into the spring water.  Although that was a hot spring, with all the wet clothing Goo Jai was still fine in the hot spring.  As soon as he left it the feeling was unusually hard to take as it was frighteningly cold.  Actually he did not soak in the spring for long, instead Sammi took more time to drag him out of the spring.  He felt very chilly.  Goo Jai said, "Actually I really just let Sammi pull me, I had to play like I was completely unconscious.  I was heavy so Sammi had a very tough time.  With the hot spring I really didn't want her to drag me out.  However because I had to be face down in the water, if she didn't drag me up I couldn't breath.  I had mixed emotions throughout the scene!"  After the scene, the team wrapped them both up tight, brought them into the house and used all the heat pads and heaters for them to get warm.

[2012.01.27] THE VIRAL FACTOR BREAKS 100 MILLION IN THE MAINLAND

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THE VIRAL FACTOR (YIK JIN) after 7 days in release in the Mainland broke the 60 million RMB mark.  The film company estimated that in a few day it will be able to pass the 100 million mark to become the Spring Festival Chinese film champion, as Dante Lam Chiu Yin will join the "100 million yuan director" club.  Despite the numerous negative news about Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun) before the release, his performance in the film was a pleasant surprise for the audience.  Lam Chiu Yin said, "At the time I told Chow Kit Lun not to mind and be confident that his performance will open viewers' eyes.  Chow Kit Lun during the shoot practiced the stunts with a lot of effort on the set, as he wanted to prove that he had a masculine side too."

[2012.01.27] ERIC TSANG KEEPS AN EYE ON HONG KONG BOX OFFICE REMOTELY

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The Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI)'s Eric Tsang Chi Wai, Teresa Mo Shun Kwan, Bosco Wong Chung Chak, Natalie Meng Yao, Zhang Xinyu and others put on traditional Chinese costumes to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year and wished for box office success for their new films.

Chi Wai said that this year he will perform in North America with his daughter Tsang Bo Yi.  His family will go with them and spend on the holiday there.  As for the Hong Kong base, he will keep an eye on it remotely as Mo Mo and Wheat Bread (Mak Cheung Ching) will be responsible for viewer appreciation.  Chi Wai said that this year has been a very joyous one as he was able to work with his daughter on a rare occasion.  In the past due to work they could not spend the holiday together.  This year due to work they will have the chance.  He said that when the children were little they often complained that he was not at home.  Now with the children in show business they finally understood.  Chi Wai this year will become a grandfather.  Will he prepare a giant laisee for his grandson?  He said, "Wait until the birth first!"

Wong Chung Chak said that he will be working on an ad campaign in Japan during the Lunar New Year while his girlfriend Myolie Wu Hung Yi will be working on a series in the Mainland.  Reporters joked that he and Hung Yi might share a bed but could not have a New Year reunion meal.  Bosco joked, "Dinner is dinner, sleeping is sleeping."  Will he pay a Lunar New Year visit to Hung Yi's home?  He said, "She won't be in Hong Kong, nothing to do with me."  This year he and Hung Yi publicized their relationship.  Will they give double laisee?  He said, "I am not married yet, one is enough!  Everyone gets good luck.  (Will you give on behalf of Hung Yi?)  She is making so much money from a Mainland series, she can give it herself!"

Mother Meng Yao looked much slimmer, even more than when she was making movies.  She explained that after giving birth she saw how much bigger she got and truly could not help but lose weight.  She worked hard on her diet and exercises and dropped from the peak of 170 some pounds to now only 110 pounds or so.  She joked that even her top measurement has shrunk as she joked, "Now I want breast enlargement!"  She joked that now she finally understood why some girls wanted breast enlargement.  Did her husband "complain"?  She said, "Would he dare?"  She also said that for now she will not have another child as she will work on movies.  She was afraid that the audience will forget her.  Was she not a "young wife"?  Meng Yao joked, "I am not a young wife, but the queen mother."

[2012.01.27] VIC CHOU, NICHOLAS TSE VIE FOR BOX OFFICE TOP SPOT

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The Vic Chou (Chow Yu Man), Mini Yang Mi, Ella Chen, Chen Chusheng, Vivian Hsu (Tsui Yeuk Suen), Benny starred Lunar New Year comedy NEW PERFECT TWO (SUN TIN SUN YUT DUI) opened in the Mainland for three days and reached 80% admission rate to break into the single day box office top tree, third only to SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS and the Nicholas Tse Ting Fung starred THE VIRAL FACTOR (YIK JIN).  Its shows are also increasing daily.

The film's focus was on father and son Jai Jai and Benny, a happy and touching story for the whole family that met the family viewer Spring Festival slot demand.  Since its release it continued to release raves.  After the open day cinema circuit scheduling support, the film added 100 shows on January 24 and had 2982 shows on 790 screens and 99499 viewers.

Yang Mi in the film played a single mother for the first time and even became the lover who Jai Jai could not forget.  Over six years he could not find her and drowned himself in alcohol.  He loved so deeply that he posted "runaway wife warning" on the streets when drunk.  Ella who saw him as a "prince" in the film was willing to be his maid and show her love by taking care of Jai Jai's life.  No matter when he landed she remained faithful and encouraged him.

[2012.01.27] I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 TOPS AMONG LUNAR NEW YEAR HONG KONG FILMS

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"Shell King" Chan Kwok Keung joins the TVB board this year
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As the Lunar New Year just passed, TVB received good news.  First the return to work laisee increased by 75%, then the Lunar New Year program rating was good, and its Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) became the Hong Kong film box office champion.  Next week a celebration will be held.

TVB and Shaw's third Lunar New Year film collaboration I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 as of 4PM yesterday reached 9.364 million at the box office, the best among Hong Kong films.  After last year the box office has been estimated to pass 10 million.  Thus next Monday a celebration will be held.  THE VIRAL FACTOR (YIK JIN)'s box office so far is 7.794 million while ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI)'s box office is 4.568 million.


The Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association yesterday announced the 2012 Spring Festival holiday box office (January 22 to 25) as HK$47,012,740 in total, a 5.9% increase from the same period last year;  however, this Spring Festival foreign films dominated as Hollywood 3D film JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND beat out Chinese films and animation of the same period for the top spot.

This Spring Festival slot had 8 film releases, JOURNEY 2 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND performed the best.  Over the 4 day holiday it made HK$14,158,846, as of the 25th its cumulative box office was HK$20,049,092.

The Eric Tsang Chi Wai produced Shaw Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) came in second with HK$7,541,083 over the holiday and accumulated HK$8,804,008.  It left its rival the Raymond Wong Pak Ming produced comedy ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI) in the dust.  ALL's holiday box office was HK$4,536,450 and cumulative box office was HK$5,423,774.  Chi Wai and Wong Pak Ming have engaged in a battle of words every year over their Lunar New Year films.  Chi Wai this year won again, a third year of victory over Wong Pak Ming.

Animation PUSS IN BOOTS made HK$6,583,185 over the holidays, crushing by 470,000 the Nicholas Tse Ting Fung and Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun) starred Hong Kong action film THE VIRAL FACTOR (YIK JIN)'s holiday box office of HK$6,113,242 for third place; however, THE VIRAL FACTOR's cumulative box office was HK$8,626,689, which exceeded PUSS IN BOOTS' HK$7,630,722.  Thus in the upcoming weekend they still had hope to catch up with momentum.

However, two other animated films KOKURIKOZAKA KARA and THE MUPPETS only had average performance with HK$2,022,120 and $997,994 respectively.  Their cumulative box office numbers were HK$3,651,924 and HK$1,342,627 on the bottom of the chart.

Big time director Zhang Yimou's THE FLOWERS OF WAR perhaps due to its earlier Mainland release has already been seen through different channels.  With the taste difference its Hong Kong release has been
mediocre.  Over the holiday it made HK$2,668,752 and accumulated HK$4,561,952, slightly better than KOKURIKOZAKA KARA and THE MUPPETS.