[2011.11.05] SYLVIA CHANG URGES HONG KONG TAIWAN CO-PRODUCTION

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Sylvia Chang (Cheung Ngai Ga) and Stanley Kwan Kam Peng yesterday attended a Taiwan literature and film forum.  With the recent Taiwan film success in Hong Kong box office, have they planned to make a
Taiwan film?  Kwan Kam Peng said that earlier he already made some.  He was the happiest when Cheung Ngai Ga earlier invited him to be on the Taipei Film Festival jury and he was very touched.  He also saw that the Taiwan film industry atmosphere was different Hong Kong's.

From Taiwan, Cheung Ngai Ga felt that Taiwan film could be very rich.  Since she served as the Hong Kong Film Festival vice chair and Taipei Film Festival chair, she understood that Hong Kong and Taiwan had fewer film exchanges in recent year because the focus went to the Mainland.  She hoped that no one would lose such a good partner.  Thus she was planning to gather Hong Kong and Taiwan financing to lead and do something for Hong Kong and Taiwan directors.  Yet she estimated that she would not start until the year after.

As for her personal film work, she said that the soonest she will start work will be next year.  Because she was busy earlier, the script has not been finished yet.  The script that she wrote mainly talked about something between people so it definitely would have emotional elements.  When asked whether she would ask her proteges Angelica Lee Sinjie and Rene Liu (Lau Yeuk Ying) to star?  She said that now many new comers perform very well and praised that Lau Ching Wan recently has been great.  She thought that he was more charming the older he got.  Before they have never worked together before, she also hoped to be able to work with him in the future.

[2011.11.05] BOSCO WONG GETS DIRTY FOR TURNING POINT 2

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Bosco Wong Chung Chak and Janice Man Wing Shan two nights ago attended a new diamond jewelry store opening.  Bosco and Janice Man had parts in the new film TURNING POINT 2 (LAUGHING GOR ji CHIM JUI FAN).  When they saw each other they familiarly posed for pictures, but actually they did not have many scenes together.  They joked that they would only ask the other whether work has already begun.  Bosco said that the new film just started production.  The story tightly followed what happened to him in a television series.  He said, "Earlier I just worked all night, laying on the ship factory floor I had wood chip and motor oil all over me.  Finally I had to use dish detergent as shampoo."

Man Wing Shan in TURNING POINT 2 played an undercover handler and had many scenes with Michael Tse Tin Wa.  She stressed that she was not a mean female cop and the character had a lot of potential.  Reporters said that female characters who were together with lead Tse Tin Wa had to die.  She said, "I don't want to be with Laughing because I don't want to die, but the final ending is pretty tragic."

[2011.11.05] WAI YING HUNG HAS A FULL FILM SLATE

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Carol Cheng
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Carol Cheng Yui Ling, Wai Ying Hung, Eileen Tung Oi Ling, Anke Bui On Kei and Rosemary two nights ago supported famous fashion designer Dorian Ho's fall and winter line.  Wai Ying Hung recently has been busy with the film TURNING POINT 2 (LAUGHING GOR ji CHIM JUI FAN).  Later she will return to the Mainland for the film YUT BO JI SING (CITY OF ONE STEP) and played a representative mother role like "Ah Shun".  She not only had to work at a ranch but also could not wear make up to play a shepherd.  She also had to learn to milk a cow.  In the past year she has worked on movies in the Mainland.  Reporters suggested for her to look for a Mainland wealthy businessman to date.  She said, "You don't have to worry about me there, since for years I have been single.  In addition finding one wouldn't be easy.  Right now I want to buy a home the most, feeling that buying 'brick' is more stable than all investments."

Tung Oi Ling recently made a 25 minute long film in Hong Kong.  After years away from film she said that returning to her old job felt good.  Actually she would like to participate in more films, but her 8 year old son did not appear to be happy when she constantly returned home late or not at all.  Thus she decided that children came first.

[2011.11.05] LU CHUAN'S THE LAST SUPPER WRAPS

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The Lu Chuan directed, Liu Ye, Chang Chen and others starred THE LAST SUPPER after nine months in production earlier wrapped, but on the last day actors still had to work in a tough environment.  That day the team went to shoot on the plains, when rain and snow already started to fall and temperature dropped to 5 degrees Celsius below zero.  The actors though still only wore flimsy costumes.  As Liu Bang Liu Ye roared into the wind at the fortress, rain and now directly went into his throat.  However he still was able to smoothly deliver his lines; as Empress Lu Qin Lan even had to crawl in the snowy and muddy ground while collapsing from crying.  She even had to do several takes.  Qin Lan's face was mixed with tears and snow.  She was so cold that she already could not speak.

Since the production began, rumors like "investors backing out" and "film halting production" were endless.  Lu Chuan even was called "Slow Slow Lu".  Yet he was not affected at all and continued to his "slow work yields neatness" nature.  By the end of the production his appendicitis even acted up again, but in order to not hinder progress he insisted against going to the hospital for surgery.  On the set he had a IV drip and his professionalism touched many.

[2011.11.04] YANG MI SIGNS WITH EMPEROR FOR SEVEN FIGURES

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The film SIU SUT DIK JI DAN (VANISHING BULLET) will begin production in the middle of the month in Shanghai, with Best Actors Lau Ching Wan and Nicholas Tse Ting Fung and popular Mainland star Yang Mi.  Derek Yee Tung Sing will produce and Law Chi Leung will direct with a budget of US$12 million.  Other actors will include Yumiko Cheng Hei Yi, Wu Gang and Liu Kai Chi.

SIU SUT DIK JI DAN will be a detective mystery.  Taking place in the days of the Republic, detective Lau Ching Wan will investigate a series of murders at a munitions factory.  The victims all fell to a vanishing bullet.  Ting Fung will play a hot blooded sharpshooter cop.

Ching Wan thought that this detective character seemed familiar.  In THE MAD DETECTIVE (SUN TAM) he too seemed insane.  This time the story developed so mysteriously that it would be hard to imagine.  Ting Fung's cop character also would not seem strange either.  Conceivably the director caught his righteous side.  He was excited about working with Ching Wan for the first time.  Ting Fung said that Ching Wan's performance in BIG BULLET (CHUNG FUNG DUI ji NO FOR GAI TAU) and RUNNING OUT OF TIME (UM JIN) were the most memorable.  He looked forward to seeing how Ching Wan would give an all new interpretation of his cop character.

Yang Mi will play a couple with Ting Fung, which felt like a dream come true for her.  When she took SIU SUT DIK JI DAN she went out and bought Ting Fung and Ching Wan's recent films for research.  The film company was full of confidence in this film and hoped that it would be as popular as LET THE BULLETS FLY.

Yang Mi signed a two film, seven figure deal with Emperor Motion Pictures.  The other film will be the tailored made romance WU DIP GUNG MO (BUTTERFLY PUBLIC CEMETERY), which will also have a director who excels in the subject to increase her popularity in Hong Kong.

Co-star Cheng Hei Yi was very excited.  "I don't know whether directors feel I look fresh in costume and early Republic look!  In recent years my movies are not modern.  I am very excited to be a part of SIU SUT
DIK JI DAN).  First I can work with elder Ting Fung and secondly every one is a 'veteran actor', Liu Kai Chi in particular.  I will perform in my best condition."

[2011.11.04] VICKI ZHAO FULFILLS HER DIRECTOR DREAM NEXT YEAR

Cara G., Anke Bui, Leanne Li
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Vicki Zhao Wei yesterday attended a certain brand name watch opening event.  The event invited Anke Bui, Cara G. and Leanne Li Yanan to model.  Zhao Wei revealed that she just finished her new films PAINTED SKIN 2 (WAT PEI 2) and LOVE.  In the future she will personally direct a romance that will be based on a novel and start production early next year in Beijing.  Was directing a dream that she has always had?  Zhao Wei pointed out that she has already reached the research level in her drama study and needed to direct a film to complete her study.  This time to direct this film she turned down eight movies.  Because she did not reach negotiation she did not know how much she lost.  She only knew that directing definitely would not pay.

Will Zhao Wei direct and star?  She said that she has not considered it but she probably would not perform.  She was afraid that she would lack the energy.  As for the leads, she was already seeking.  She said, "The male lead had to be young, handsome and knew how to act, like a little Prince Charming.  Yet I haven't found anyone yet."  Would she ask her good friend Faye Wong to guest star?  She said that Faye Wong was not someone who guest starred, perhaps she would ask her to sing the film theme song?

[2011.11.03] ANDREW LAU LEADS IN CEREMONY DISRUPTION

Andrew Lau says that THE GUILLOTINES is like Qing Dynasty YOUNG AND DANGEROUS in training
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The Andrew Lau Wai Keung directed, Peter Chan Ho Sun produced THE GUILLOTINES (HUET DIK JI) is in production in Xian.  Yesterday the director led actors including Ethan Juan (Yuen King Tin), Shawn Yue Man Lok, Jing Boran, Chris Lee Yuchun, Huang Xiaoming to attend the Taiyuan press conference.  A blood sworn sibling ceremony took place.  Although they used prop blood, they still acted like it was real.

At the event everyone first gave a drop of blood with prop blood.  The director led and pretended it hurt.  Then Yuen King Tin and Yue Man Lok helped each other "prick" the other's finger and both made a painful expression.  The reporters could not help but laugh.  The event also arranged for everyone to drink the blood to represent their unity.

Lau Wai Keung joked that the film has already been in production for 52 days, over a half; this time the actors were very young.  The total age of the eight were 100.  Everyday he watched them, he truly felt troublesome.  He felt nauseous just from looking at them, like he became their father.  Playing the captain Yuen King Tin admitted that he was very excited to be a part of the film.  He has never played such a character before.  In the film he had many friends with different personalities.  Lee Yuchun was the only woman.  She pointed out that this was her third film and everyone took great care of her.

Yue Man Lok has worked with Lau Wai Keung many times.  He kept quiet about the story and said that he still did not dare to ask.  He joked, "On the set when I saw him I wanted to vomit.  However the director in the past ten years put me in many good films and made my film journey even more successful."  Lau Wai Keung joked, actors only had to be taller than him to be famous.  Yue Man Lok did not used to be so tall.  When Dior Cheng Yi Kin made YOUNG AND DANGEROUS (GOO WAT JAI) he was not either.

In addition, the Huang Xiaoming played character costume recently has been unveiled.  He said that this production has been the most difficult in his career.  The character was the most complicated as well, a hard to grasp, ever changing person.  Xiaoming continued, originally the director wanted him to grow a beard, but finally they still decided on using a fake one.

As for how to explore the character, Xiaoming joked that he had to ask the director because the director on the set was a crazed wolf.  He too was just following his lead.