[2009.07.31] ACCIDENT IS SELECTED FOR VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

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The Media Asia invested, Milky Way Image produced, Soi Cheang Po Shui directed and Johnnie To Kei Fung produced film ACCDIENT (YI OI) is selected for competition at this year's Venice Film Festival. Louis Koo Tin Lok and Richie Jen (Yam Yin Chai) star. To Kei Fung praises both actors' performance as outstanding. Goo Jai is currently working on a movie in Macau and is very happy to receive the news. He points out that this film took a long time to make so the selection was worth the effort. He would like to be able to attend the film festival. As for To Kei Fung's praise for his and Siu Chai's performance, Goo Jai says, "Really? I am confident but will have to see the jury taste." Siu Chai points out that this film to him is a challenge as he uses an interpretation that he has never tried before. He says that he was very involved in the shoot but it was very tough. Cheang Po Shui expressed joy over the selection and thanked boss Peter Lam Kin Ngok. He never attended a large scale film festival so he was very glad to have a chance. Because the film took almost a year of hard work, he was very pleased with the selection.

[2009.07.31] SPOILER: LOUIS KOO ACHES FROM "BENDING"

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! Continue at your own risk...


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Lau Ching Wan, Louis Koo Tin Lok and Daniel Wu (Ng Yin Cho) in OVERHEARD (SIT TING FUNG WON) not only had an acting duel on screen but also risked their lives in chase scenes. Each suffered during the shoot.

To coordinate with a truck chase injury scene, Goo Jai suffered the pain of "bending". The memory was still fresh on his mind. "In this scene after Ching Wan, Daniel and I accidentally overheard a financial market scandal, due to greed I invested all of my life saving and even borrowed money, got swept into the financial market storm and even became the target of a hit. Finally even my family suffered. Because my right arm and leg were broken, I had to act with both limps bent. The feeling of being 'bent' was hard to take. I was aching a little. I thought it would be no different than a fight scene, actually sometimes when you are acting in a bed it is not necessarily a good thing."

Lau Ching Wan not only had romantic scenes with Zhang Jingchu but also gunplay scenes. Not only the prop gun burnt his hand, Au Kam Tong also buried him alive. Because of this scene he had to "eat dirt". Later Ching Wan said, "In the film I became involved because of two buddies Goo Jai and Daniel, so the biggest lesson this time is 'making friends with the wrong people'."

[2009.07.31] STORM WARRIORS POSTER

Ekin Cheng, Ma Wing Sing, Aaron Kwok

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The Hong Kong Animation and Comic Book Convention opened today. The film STORM WARRIORS (FUNG WON II) will be officially released at the end of the year. With Tin Ha Publishing's 20th anniversary this year, STORM RIDERS original creator Ma Wing Sing created a hand drawn poster for STORM WARRIORS. The film company created a live person version of the hand drawn poster, 1,000 limited editions will be available at the event.

Reportedly Ma Wing Sing completed the initial draft in May. When the special poster was shot in June, Ma Wing Sing visited the set and personally observed Aaron Kwok Fu Sing and Dior Cheng Yi Kin. He praised the duo as the only choices for his Bo Gaing Wan and Nip Fung. Thus when the Pang Brothers wanted to make STORM WARRIORS he stipulated that they had to continue to play these two characters. Sing Sing and Ekin both expressed that running into each other again to play the same role ten years later was truly destiny.

[2009.07.29] SEVEN LITTLE FORTUNES 50TH ANNIVERSARY: DRAGON IN SHALLOW WATER CHANGES NAME TO TRY ITS LUCK, DOWN IN THE DUMPS

If someone is like me, unless there are two me the world does not have a second Jackie Chan. Yet Jackie Chan has been someone else's me. He once tried his luck with the name Yuen Long but without any success. Finally he knew that in order to succeed in the film industry he had to make a name for himself.

Jackie Chan was originally named Chan Kong Sun, family name Fong Si Lung. Reportedly he was the descendant of the famous Tang Dynasty official Fang Xuanling. During the Seven Little Fortunes era, Master Yu Jim Yuen named him Yuen Lau. When eldest brother Sammo Hung Kam Bo's apprenticeship ended and gave up the name of Yuen Lung, Jackie Chan took the name to make something of it.

Years In The Business, Once Play Dead

Jackie Chan said, "When I made movies I used the name Yuen Long. I saw Hung Kam Bo didn't use it so I used it. At the time I was still young. (Corey) Yuen Kwai was assistant director under Tsui Siu Ming. Yuen Biao developed better than me. I too made POLICE WOMAN (NUI GAING CHAT) and EAGLE SHADOW FIST (DING TIN LAP DEI), but I wasn't the lead."

Back then Jackie Chan played small roles at Shaw's. Soon Bruce Lee passed away and martial art film box office was severely impacted and reduced production. His career ran into its first obstacle.

Jackie Chan recalls, "I was in the film industry for several years, from corpse, minor stuntman to lead then back to stuntman, and action director. I became less and less interested in film, so I returned to Australia to rest a little. One day, I received director Lo Wei's call to tell him to come back and make NEW FIST OF FURY (SUN JING MO MOON). Because of this film I changed my name."

After returning to Hong Kong, Lo Wei felt Yuen Lung did not sound like a good stage name and asked what kind of name Jackie Chan wanted. The brain trust after long consideration still could not come to an agreement, as they lingered on several names.

Jackie Chan says, "Siu Lung was dead so the name was unlucky, Dai Lung didn't sound good at all. I liked Zhao Zilong, but they said Zilong represented very small and turned it down. I also liked Yunlong, they said it would be hard to find. Later someone told me to use the name Sing Lung, I thought I would more likely become a bug than a dragon. At first I didn't dare to use this name but I didn't have a choice."

Snake In Eagle's Shadow, From Bug To Dragon

After changing his name, Jackie Chan almost "got his wish" and became a bug. Like being jinxed he did not have any luck at all. Jackie Chan says, "After changing to this name, I wasn't busy at all. No one saw my movies, the box office was poor. I was very disillusioned. I said I would give myself two years. If I really couldn't make it then I would return to Australia. A friend gave me ten Australian dollars to wish me success. Coincidentally, after two years, someone offered me SNAKE IN EAGLE'S SHADOW (SEH YING DIU SAU), even Lau Ka Leung praised my performance. For this film I was the lead, assistant director and stunt double of many. I was paid for the double work too and luck started to come. Since then I have used this name for thirty years, only now I realize this name sounded pretty good." (38)

[2009.07.30] FRUIT CHAN SCIENCE FICTION FILM LANDS IN VENICE

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Opening September 2, the 66th Annual Venice Film Festival will announce its selections today. The Fruit Chan Gor, Hur Jin-ho, and Cui Jian directed, so-called Mainland's first science fiction non competition film CHENGDU, I LOVE YOU will be this year's closing film, to be screened after the September 12 award ceremony. Previously Chan Gor's DURIAN DURIAN, PUBLIC TOILET and DUMPLINGS have all participated in the Venice event.

In addition, Sony Pictures Classic announced that it has landed the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Australia and New Zeland distribution rights to Zhang Yimou remake of Coen Brothers' claim to fame BLOOD SIMPLE.

[2009.07.30] OVERHEARD ACTORS DO NOT THINK ABOUT AWARDS

Daniel Wu and William Chan

Zhang Jingchu

Louis Koo and Lau Ching Wan

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Michael Wong and wife Janet Ma

Anita Yuen and Christine Ng

Lau Ching Wan and wife Amy Kwok

Zhang Jingchu

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Lau Ching Wan, Alex Fong Chung Shun, Daniel Wu (Ng Yin Cho), Louis Koo Tin Lok, Zhang Jingchu and Michael Wong Man Tak starred in OVERHEARD (SIT TING FUNG WON), which held a premiere two nights ago. Guest stars William Chan Wai Ting, Queenie Chu Wai Man and Sharon Lok Si Wan also attended. Aside from directors Alan Mak Siu Fai and Felix Chong Man Keung, Derek Yee Tung Sing, Fiona Sit Hoi Kei, Wilfred Lau Ho Lung, Anita Yuen Wing Yi and Bernice Liu Bik Yi attended as well. The guest raised a toast last night, the lead Lau Ching wan, Fong Chung Shun, Koo Tin Lok and Ng Yin Cho all deferred the center spot. Finally Wong Man Tak and Zhang Jingchu stood in the center.

Chan Wai Ting earlier while promoting the film with Ng Yin Cho was accused of being displeased with Daniel and supported his rumored girlfriend Angelababy to be attler than Daniel and could be a model. He immediately wanted to clarify that everything was fine. They were good friends and were only joking that day. Everyone knew that Baby would not be taller than Daniel. As for explaing to Ng Yin Cho, Chan Wai Ting praised he as a very nice elder who already exceeded being a gentleman. With his great experience, Daniel was more gracious than him.

Ng Yin Cho was asked whether he and Chan Wai Ting had any problem. He repsonded that nothing was wrong and the media made it up. He praised Chan Wai Ting for his hard work and for paying attention to others' acting, which was rare among new comers. "I didn't deliberately teach him, I just told him to relax a little. If he was too tense in his firstmovie his performance would be poor." OVERHEARDS after four days in release in the Mainland already made 30 million yuan. He expressed that he was very happy but he did not consider whether he would win any award.

Ng Yin Cho expressed that his girlfriend Lisa S. could not attend due to work, but would watch his new film later. He said that earlier she was very mad after watching SHINJUKU INCIDENT (SUN SHOOK SI GEIN). She scolded him for letting her watching a movie with such a brutal ending for him. "My girlfriend cried after watching. Mommy also doesn't want to watch my last scene." As for a couple scene with his girlfriend, he expressed that she was not too interested and in heels she was taller than him. After the interview, Ng Yin Cho and Chan Wai Ting posed for pictures without any issue.

Lau Ching Wan and his wife Amy Kwok Oi Ming attended the event. Ching Wan said that he still has not seen the entire film but was very satisfied with it. Did he feel this film can be an "award winning" film? He expressed that he did not deliberately think about winning award and said that everyone performed well in the film. He also said that he did not mind the comparison between four actors as everyone had his own specialty. He joked that he did not feel he would win and never thought about it. Ching Wan expressed that recently he has been working on his new film POKER KING in Macau. As for young model guest appearance, he joked that he did not see any and that he would pay more attention nexttime.

Koo Tin Lok was also busy with POKER in Macau. Two nights ago he took a helicopter to Hong Kong for premiere, after which he would return to work in Macau. Goo Jai knew about the film's great Mainland box office but was not worried about any comparison between the four male leads. He has worked with Ching Wan and Ng Yin Cho before so they had chemistry. Goo Jai's film FOR HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (DAI NOI MUK TAM LING LING GAU) will soon open, was he worried about competing with himself? He said that FOR will be released a week later and believed that the two different genre films would not affect each other. He also said that he did not think about winning an award with OVERHEARD, as being able to make a good fil mwas already enough.

Zhang Jingchu also was very happy about the film's Mainland performance. As for winning an award, she only said that this film was lighter than BEAST STALKER (JING YUN) and PROTEGE (MOON TOH) as the film had more romantic scenes. She praised the four male leads for their fabulous performance and hoped that each would be able to receive a nomination. Zhang Jingchu expressed that she would stay in Hong Kong for two to three days.

[2009.07.29] SANDRA NG TEACHES BARBIE HSU EXAGGERATED LAUGH

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Sandra Ng Kwan Yu and Wong Jing have not worked together in the past ten years. Recently they reunite for the film ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (DAI NOI MUK TAM LING LING GAU). Kwan Yu at first could not get into the role completely. Finally Brother Jing immediately "showed her the ropes" and told her to perform without too many concerns. Kwan Yu immediately returned to form as her expressions and movements were much more exaggerated than before. Finally she reached the desired result.

Barbie Hsu (Big S) was in a Wong Jing style comedy for the first time and was very nervous. Later she discovered that both Brother Jing and Kwan Yu were nice. Kwan Yu even taught her that for Wong Jing's films she must leave her sense of shame behind. Her expression had to be more exaggerated. The result indeed was right on the spot.