Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
The Teahouse: June 3rd, 2009
A reader interaction post today as I respond to some of the comments left on the blog. But first, some box office numbers:
Like theatres here in North America, theatres in Hong Kong are jammed with the likes of ANGELS & DEMONS, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 and TERMINATOR: SALVATION leaving little room for Asian films. Here is the top ten in Hong Kong from this past weekend:
- NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2
- TERMINATOR: SALVATION
- ANGELS & DEMONS
- ASHES OF TIME REDUX, 26 screens, 4 days, $850,028 to date
- A FROZEN FLOWER
- CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH, 9 screens, 25 days, HK$3.74 million to date
- 17 AGAIN
- OUTLANDER
- NIGHT AND FOG, 1 screen, 18 days, HK$1.15 million to date
- CORALINE
I CORRUPT ALL COPS and TRAIL OF THE PANDA have concluded their theatrical runs. They finished with takes of HK$5.34 milion and HK$1.42 million respectively.
* * * * *
Before we get to reader comments, a few words about the Edison Chen comeback:
It’s clear with his CNN interview and WestEast magazine cover that Edison Chen is on the comeback trail. He wasn’t “forced” to come back to HK, he chose to come back. If you don’t want to see him darken the door of the entertainment circle, don’t attack him for “breaking his word” about retiring. After all, you’d be the foolish one if you took a man of his deeds at his word. Look at where taking Edison Chen at his word left Cecilia Cheung and Gillian Chung …
If you want him out of the entertainment circle, here’s what you do:
- Don’t watch his CNN interview.
- Don’t buy any magazines with him on the cover.
- Don’t buy anything from his clothing line.
- Don’t buy his albums.
- Don’t go to his movies.
- Don’t support any projects that has a connection to him.
If enough people did that, you’d be surprised how quickly he disappears from the entertainment circle. However, if the hits for the SNIPER review here on LoveHKFilm are any indication, there’s still some juice left in EDC so maybe he’ll be with us for a while yet. By all logic and reason, his career should be dead as a doornail but, as Teddy KGB would say, here he is “hanging around, hang-ing around … can’t get rid of him.”
Related Link: CNN EXCLUSIVE: Edison Chen breaks his silence
- Edison Chen: I am a victim
- ‘I was a victim’
- Hong Kong star says sex photos consensual: report
- Edison Chen breaks silence on sex scandal
- SINA.COM PHOTOS: Edison Chen WestEast Magazine photos
On to your comments …
From the comments on Production News: Sammi vs Miriam Lunar New Year 2010:
glenn writes: When I first heard this news, I was quite excited. Now I’m wondering if the acting styles of these two ladies may not mesh completely.
Yes, the betting line for the Kozo Entertainment Group’s illegal but high-class Tsimshatsui gambling den pegs this movie as having a 50% chance of sucking and a 50% of being good. It was set at 80% suck and 20% good but Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai are involved so the odds of it being good have gone up considerably.
I’m with you Glenn, I don’t know what the chemistry is going to be like between the original Mrs. Kozo and Miriam Yeung. The papers are already filled with stories about how Sammi hates Miriam and Miriam hates Sammi and how Andy is feuding with Leon and Leon is feuding with Andy. If Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai are smart, I think they would run parallel story lines where the two main couples interact only briefly … sort of like the first De Niro-Pacino collaboration HEAT.
I think I’ve seen enough of these highly-anticipated collaborations (THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, RIGHTEOUS KILL, ALIEN VS PREDATOR … DEBBIE DOES JENNA …) to know that they never live up to expectations. I’m going in with an attitude of: “hey, it’s Lunar New Year, all I want from the movie is for it to be light, breezy and fun. What I don’t want is for it to turn out to be one of those soulless commercial enterprises where everyone is just going through the motions.”
From the comments on News and Notes: May 14th, 2009:
Bunta Sugawara writes: Any idea when Vengeance is released in HK? (I’m doing some mental arithmetic to work out when I’m likely to get my grubby paws on a DVD release of it - it sounds great).
I haven’t been able to find a definite date. Articles that popped up last year covering the news conference announcing the project had a Summer 2010 HK release pegged but nothing specific was reported. Here’s the link to the official English-language website for VENGEANCE, when there’s a fixed date, I’m sure it’ll be listed there:
From the comments on News Links: Memorial Day 2009:
Dave Leong writes: Did you watch end up watching American Masters last night?
Nope, I haven’t watched AMERICAN MASTERS: HOLLYWOOD CHINESE yet. I have recorded it though. I’m a huge sports fan so my nights have been filled with both NBA and NHL playoffs. Plus, the UEFA Champions League Final was on the same day as the documentary. I’ll get to it someday because it sounds very interesting.
Will writes: Why aren’t you on Twitter?
I’m not on Twitter because I sold my soul to the Kozo Entertainment Group and can’t write for any other media. Me and Charlene Choi, caged birds for our respective media conglomerates …
Just kidding, I’m not on Twitter because it seems like a fad that’s destined to go the way of Cabbage Patch Kids, Tamagotchi … Twins.
Plus, I’m a blowhard so I can’t limit myself to just 140 characters.
… And, as always, I’m a lazy, lazy man.
Audrey writes: I’m happy Kozo still keeps lovehkfilm going even though he rubs elbows with Nick Cheung and Karena Lam.
LoveHKFilm may still be going strong but Kozo’s definitely changed now that he’s hanging out with the cool kids. He’s become insufferable. He’s affected a Madonna-like faux British accent going on about how I need to use “my loaf” and how he has to go up the “apples and pears” to get away from his new “trouble and strife”. It’s sickening … sickening I tell ya.
I’m just kidding. Kozo is one of the sweetest guys you’ll ever have the good fortune to meet. We kid because we love. Speaking of which …
From the comments on News Links: May 30th, 2009:
langong writes: Are you sure it was the photo of S and not “K” you were compiling posts in front of?
You caught me, you caught me. I confess that I’m compiling posts in front of a photo of Kozo. I wish I knew how to quit him … I really wish I knew how to quit him … 
BECAUSE I’M NOT ON TWITTER:
- For film fans: NPR has a two-part podcast about the Cannes Film Festival with critic John Powers. Interesting stuff if you want to hear about the films that made a splash at Cannes. In part two, Powers has some kind words for Park Chan-Wook’s THIRST and some not so kind words for Ang Lee and TAKING WOODSTOCK. Here are the links:
- Part One (17 minutes): On The Ground At Cannes
- Part Two (10 minutes): John Powers, Cannes Report Part 2
- More from NPR: A podcast review of the Oscar-winning Japanese film DEPARTURES (LoveHKFilm review):
- From Japan, Elegant (And Eloquent) ’Departures’ (3 minutes)
- Does Hiroyuki Sanada have it written in his contract that his characters have to die? I watched another Sanada film over the weekend — won’t mention which one to avoid spoiling anybody – and, quelle surprise, his character died. That’s five Sanada films in a row for me in which his character does not make it to the end credits.
Image credit: Miramax Films (Teddy KGB)
