Around this time last year, in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, Washington Post Film Critic Stephen Hunter wrote an article that made some egregious arguments linking the actions of madman Cho Seung Hui and John Woo movies — in particular, THE KILLER. While it may be difficult for some Asian film fans to take anything Hunter has to say seriously after that article, he has written an excellent obituary for Charlton Heston. Here are the opening paragraphs:

He was the hawk.

He soared. In fact, everything about him soared. His shoulders soared, his cheekbones soared, his brows soared. Even his hair soared.

And for a good two decades, Charlton Heston, who died Saturday at 84, was the ultimate American movie star. In a time when method actors and ethnic faces were gradually taking over, Heston remained the last of the ramrod-straight, flinty, squinty, tough-as-old-hickory movie guys.

He and his producers and directors understood his appeal, and used it for maximum effect on the big Technicolor screen. Rarely a doubter, never a coward, inconceivable as a shirker, he played men of granite virtue no matter the epoch. He played commanders, biblical prophets, Jewish heroes, tough-as-nails cowpokes, calm aviators, last survivors, quarterbacks and a president or two.

Later in his life, he took that stance into politics, becoming president of the National Rifle Association just when anti-gun attitudes were reaching their peak. Pilloried and parodied, lampooned and bullied, he never relented, he never backed down, and in time it came to seem less an old star’s trick of vanity than an act of political heroism. He endured, like Moses. He aged, like Moses. And the stone tablet he carried had only one commandment: Thou shalt be armed. It can even be said that if the Supreme Court in June finds a meaning in the Second Amendment consistent with NRA policy, that he will have died just short of the Promised Land — like Moses.

Even if you think that Hunter is a complete idiot for trying to tie John Woo to the Virginia Tech tragedy, you have to admit that this is great writing.

I’ll be back later with the HKFA Best Actress preview.

Previously: Best Film

Like the situation in the Best Film category, if LUST, CAUTION had qualified for this year’s HKFAs, there is little doubt that Tony Leung Chiu-Wai would be well on his way to winning a sixth HKFA Best Actor title. Leung’s performance in the film is outstanding. Without the benefit of big scenes or big speeches, Leung impressively conveys his character’s thoughts and feelings with small gestures and small expressions. He even manages to fill the film’s infamous sex scenes with so much emotion and tension that it’s impossible to argue that the scenes were included just to draw a box office crowd with the promise of some titillation.

The nominees, minus Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, are:

Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing (THE DETECTIVE)
Andy Lau Tak-Wah (THE WARLORDS)
Simon Yam Tat-Wah (EYE IN THE SKY)
Jet Li (THE WARLORDS)
Lau Ching-Wan (THE MAD DETECTIVE)

5. Andy Lau Tak-Wah (THE WARLORDS)

Back when I was getting treatment for cancer — sometime in between round five and round six of chemotherapy — I got a delightful gift basket and a wonderful package of cards and letters from people I met over the years while running my old website. There were get-well messages from, among others, YTSL (Yvonne Teh of bc Magazine), Paul Fox (who used to run Cantonkid.com), Tim Youngs (of Another Hong Kong Movie Page and cameos in Pang Ho-Cheung films), my pal John Charles, Jennifer and Laura from San Francisco and, of course, our beloved Kozo (the Lord and Master of LoveHKFilm). Since I lost all of my Eudora inboxes and address books in the Great Hard Drive Crash of ‘07 (but mostly because I’m a terrible person and a lazy, lazy man), I haven’t properly thanked many of the people who wished me well. If anyone out there sent me a get-well message but didn’t receive a personal note of acknowledgement and thanks from me, please accept my apologies. My bad manners belie the fact that your cards, letters and e-mail messages really helped pull me through a difficult time. It was really great to know that I was loved and appreciated.

What does this have to do with Andy Lau and his Best Actor nomination? Well, included in the package of cards and letters was a get-well message from the Heavenly King himself! I was stunned — though, based on stories of Andy Lau’s many good deeds, I shouldn’t have been surprised — that a big star like him would take the time to write little ol’ me a note of encouragement. Needless to say, it was a huge shot in the arm so even if a future edition of Next Magazine publishes photos of Andy Lau eating “rejuvenation” dumplings made from baby flesh, I’d still have something good to say about him. That said, he shouldn’t have been nominated for his performance in THE WARLORDS.

Lau’s performance can, at best, be described as workmanlike. At worst, an argument can be made that Lau was unconvincing and ineffective. The main problem is that Lau is badly miscast for the role of Cao Er-Hu. The real-life Cao was, as I understand it, chivalrous and loyal but quick-tempered with a rough-hewn disposition that helped drive his wife into the arms of the more refined Ma Xin-Yi. Lau naturally projects a suave and sophisticated image so when the story calls for him to behave brusquely, he has to strain to make it convincing. An intense Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Tony Leung Ka-Fai or Francis Ng Chun-Yu type of actor should have been cast for this role not a “cool as a cucumber” Andy Lau or Simon Yam Tat-Wah type.

Speaking of whom …

4. Simon Yam Tat-Wah (EYE IN THE SKY)

Had he been nominated for his intricate performance in EXODUS, Simon Yam would rank higher on this list. Unfortunately, it’s hard to consider him a serious contender for the Best Actor award based on his performance as Surveillance Unit leader Dog Head. The problem does not lie in the quality of Yam’s work, it lies in the quality of the Dog Head character. There is little depth to the role beyond the “grizzled veteran who takes a newcomer under his wing” that audiences have seen in countless movies. The performance is fine but the role has a very low degree of difficulty. Besides, it wasn’t even the best acting performance in the film — that would belong to the work done by Tony Leung Ka-Fai as meticulous gang leader Shan.

3. Jet Li (THE WARLORDS)

Building upon his commendable performance in FEARLESS, Jet Li continues to evolve as an actor with his work in THE WARLORDS. Instead of playing his usual seemingly invincible fighting hero, Li does a creditable job portraying a flawed late-Qing era army general. It’s a solid individual achievement but it doesn’t rise to the level required of an award winner. It would have been interesting if the powers-that-be behind THE WARLORDS didn’t play it safe and unleashed Li to play a duplicitous, greedy schemer who stabs his sworn brother in the back for personal gain instead of the conflicted nobleman who compromises his morals for “the sake of the people”. Regrettably, no one will know if Li would have been able to meet the challenge.

2. Lau Ching-Wan (THE MAD DETECTIVE)

On an objective scale, Lau Ching-Wan should rank higher on this list. Inspector Bun, Lau’s character, is one of the tent poles of THE MAD DETECTIVE and if he doesn’t get the audience to buy that he is a detective with a “special ability” then the high-concept film has no chance of working. While he succeeds in convincing the audience, subjective factors put him in the second spot on this ranking. First, the other shoe never drops with his character. Inspector Bun is a brilliant cop whose gift is as much of a curse as it is a blessing but that’s where the character development ends. Nothing else really happens with him after his ability to see “inner personalities” is revealed. Second, the Inspector Bun character is just another variation of the kind of quirky, offbeat personality that viewers have seen Lau play many times before. THE MAD DETECTIVE provokes and challenges audiences but it certainly doesn’t challenge Lau Ching-Wan’s acting abilities. Third, Lau won last year so it feels like it’s someone else’s turn to win the top prize. Namely …

1. Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing (THE DETECTIVE)

Last year, Aaron Kwok was the heavy favourite to win in this category for his role as a deadbeat dad in AFTER THIS OUR EXILE. As a result, it was a pleasant surprise when Lau Ching-Wan won because he was sentimental favourite — the “entertainment circle veteran who deserved to win a Best Actor HKFA at some point in his career” (a mantle that he has since handed to Simon Yam). However, if one gives it a little thought, Lau’s victory wasn’t the HKFA equivalent to Martin Scorsese winning a Best Director Oscar for THE DEPARTED. Lau truly deserved to win because he played his character in MY NAME IS FAME so well, it’s impossible to imagine any other actor in the role. By contrast, several actors could easily do a comparable job to Kwok in AFTER THIS OUR EXILE.

This year, the shoe is on the other foot. While Lau gives a flashier performance in THE MAD DETECTIVE, Kwok deserves to win because he absolutely owns his “loser private detective” character. From the first shot of him waking up to the catchy “Me Panda” to the last shot of him finding satisfaction in solving his case, flamboyant Heavenly King Aaron Kwok totally disappears behind a rumpled, sad-sack facade. Like Lau and his character in MY NAME IS FAME, it’s difficult to picture anyone other than Kwok playing C+ Detective Tam. While THE DETECTIVE and the Tam character don’t have the typical award winner gravitas, it’s a worthy substitute in a year where the best performance didn’t qualify.

Image credits: Applause Pictures (Jet Li); Xinhua (Aaron Kwok)

Happy Lunar New Year! May health and happiness be yours in the year 4706.

As the Year of the Rat begins a new 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, changes will abound because the prevailing cosmic energies will be focused on cleaning out the old and bringing in the new.

Granny Mak — a family friend who isn’t a fortune teller but “knows things” — predicts that the tides of change brought about by the Year of the Rat will cause much turbulence in both private lives and society in general.

So, with that in mind, everyone take care in the coming year. Consider spending the holiday transferring naughty material from your hard drive to data discs, deleting the files from your computer and marking your newly burned discs “Photos from visit to Colonial Williamsburg”.

When you’re done with that, please accept my Lunar New Year wish for all of you:

On Friday, December 14th — in a report that was picked up by other media outlets and countless blogs — British tabloid The Mirror alleged “porn star” Shu Qi was involved in a tryst at a London restaurant with Hugh Grant and film director John Duigan. According to the report, Grant and Shu Qi were kissing passionately while Duigan caressed Shu Qi’s thigh. Supposedly, Shu Qi was in London looking for career opportunities.

For the record, Shu Qi spoke to the Chinese media this week and flatly denied the allegations. In a Xinhua Newsnet article, Shu Qi said: “I haven’t been to England in around five years. I have never even met Hugh Grant. I think his acting is OK but I don’t have any ‘feel’ (attraction) for him.”

A spokesperson for Shu Qi’s management told the Chinese media that the reports were wildly inaccurate and that Shu Qi was in Hong Kong and Taiwan during the days that she was allegedly in London. The spokesperson also stated that Shu Qi’s management is looking into taking legal action.

Since Shu Qi was photographed in Hong Kong on December 13th attending the “Shiny Night” charity event at the Conrad Hotel, her strong denials appeared more credible than the British tabloid report. As it turns out, The Mirror issued a retraction on Friday declaring that they have “learnt that Shu Qi was not the woman in the restaurant with Hugh Grant and John Duigan.” The tabloid went on to state that they were “happy to correct [their] mistake and apologise for the error.”

Here is The Mirror’s full retraction:

On December 17, in a story on page 15 under the headline “Shu’s that girl”, we printed a picture of Shu Qi, an ex-porn star, and said that she was the woman who had been snogged by Hugh Grant whilst his friend, John Duigan, caressed her thigh in a restaurant (as we reported on 14 December). We have since learnt that Shu Qi was not the woman in the restaurant with Hugh Grant and John Duigan. We are happy to correct our mistake and apologise for the error.

Related Links: Retraction by The Mirror, Photos of Shu Qi at the charity event (CRIEnglish.com), More of Shu Qi at the charity event (Ming Pao)

Happy correction notwithstanding, if I were Shu Qi, I would still be out for blood. I’d be asking my lawyers if I still had any kind of case against The Mirror. Even if the initial report was true, referring to Shu Qi as a “porn star” was egregious. I may have more liberal sensibilities than most but I wouldn’t characterize what Shu Qi did at the beginning of career as “porn”. Next time you go to a Chinese video store, wander into the Japanese porn section (don’t worry, no one in the store will care) and check out some of the video covers. Now those videos are porn. Shu Qi’s early work isn’t even remotely in the same vicinity. Besides, Shu Qi’s body of work in the past ten years has been substantial enough that calling her a “porn star” is like calling two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank an “action star” because her first lead role was in THE NEXT KARATE KID. For Pete’s sake, Shu Qi was in a Hou Hsiao-Hsien film — that’s as far away from porn as you can possibly get!

Unfortunately, I think Shu Qi got caught in the line of fire between the British tabloids and Hugh Grant. The report was more about taking Hugh Grant down a peg or two than slighting Shu Qi. Though it’s patently unfair, this sort of thing happens in the entertainment circle. Be that as it may, she was still 6,000 miles away from Hugh Grant and that restaurant so, if I were her, I’d be looking to get more than that flimsy retraction and weak apology.

Now, something more appropriate to the season …

Earlier this month, during my search on iTunes for Miriam Yeung’s version of 每當變幻時 (”When Changes Occur”), I was fed an ad for the “Twelve Girls of Christmas” album by Twelve Girls Band. Since the holiday season was approaching and the whole album only cost $9.99 to download, I decided to buy it and give a listen to the musical phenomenon I’ve been reading about since 2002 or 2003.

Going in, all I knew about Twelve Girls Band was that their schtick was hot babe musicians playing modern music using traditional Chinese instruments like the erhu and the pipa and that they famously covered Coldplay’s “Clocks” for one of their albums. As I appreciate both Chinese culture and hot babes, I had always intended to give them a listen but just never got around to doing it. Until now.

What did I think of the album? In the words of Larry David: “… pretty good, prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good”. It was cool to hear a Chinese spin on traditional carols like “Joy To The World” and “Silent Night” as well as modern Christmas tunes like “Jingle Bells”, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” and “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. An aside, it’s hard to believe that “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is a Mariah Carey original. It feels like a cover version of a 1950s, 1960s Christmas song but it was actually an original creation for Mariah Carey’s 1994 Christmas album.

While traditional Chinese instruments are featured by Twelve Girls Band, they play somewhat modern compositions so, if you are a strict Catonian when it comes to Chinese traditional music, then “Twelve Girls of Christmas”might not be for you. Instead, old-schoolers may want to try looking for an album called “Chung King Christmas” by the Oriental Echo Ensemble. It also features traditional Chinese instruments but has a more conventional sound than Twelve Girls Band. Unfortunately, the album appears to be out of print. I heard it back in the early-1990s at my friend Jürg’s house. Jürg’s father owned a bookstore so he had access to all sorts of albums. Hence, “Chung King Christmas” was playing while Jürg and I wasted part of our Christmas holiday with Sega Genesis games like Golden Axe. I was going to make a copy of it but those were the days before Pentium computers and CD burners so I never got around to borrowing the CD and recording it on cassette tape. Why didn’t I just buy it from the bookstore that Jürg’s father owned? Well, it was an expensive import and it wasn’t like I was of independent means back then. My Mom was giving me rides to Jürg’s house.

Getting back from that trip down memory lane … Any opinions on Twelve Girls Band? Are they a cool spin on traditional Chinese music or a cheesy commercial gimmick? Any Twelve Girls Band fans out there? Is there anything else by the girls that I should try as the Leung treasury allows? Any Japanese fans out there who knows what “Koibito Ga Santa Claus” and “Shiroi Koibito Tachi” means?

… and with that flurry of questions, Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays! I intend to spend part of it watching DIE HARD — my reigning favourite Christmas movie. To me, nothing brings out the toasty warm feelings of the yuletide season like John McClane decorating Karl’s brother Tony with a holiday motif or the touching moment at the end when Al overcomes his psychological problems and saves McClane by blowing Karl away.

Have a safe and joyful holiday everybody! Yippy-ki-yay!

Image credits: Metro.co.uk (Shu Qi story screen grab), Ming Pao (Shu Qi at the Shiny Night charity gala), Domo Records (Twelve Girls of Christmas album cover) RCA Victor (Chung King Christmas album cover), Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (DIE HARD screen grab)

… Paulyn Sun Kai-Kwan (aka Pauline Suen aka Alien Sun)?

If you were a fan of mid-1990s Hong Kong cinema, you will undoubtedly recognize Paulyn Sun Kai-Kwan (孫佳君). After entering into the consciousness of HK movie fans and moviemakers with her role in the 1995 Stephen Chow Sing-Chi film SIXTY MILLION DOLLAR MAN, Sun had a solid three-year run as a leading lady that saw her star in middling films like: MR. MUMBLE, LOVE AND SEX AMONG THE RUINS and BANANA CLUB (not to be confused with TOP BANANA CLUB). When money for middling films dried up as a result of the Handover and the Asian economic crisis, Sun took on titillation roles as a maneater, literally, in THE UNTOLD STORY 2 and as “not Teresa Chiang Siu-Wai (the former Mrs. Kenny Bee)” in the Wong Jing-produced LOVE AND SEX IN THE EASTERN HOLLYWOOD.

While the aforementioned roles suggest that the years following her run as a B-level “It Girl” consisted entirely of lowlights, there were some highlights. Although she lost to Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk (THE SOONG SISTERS), Sun’s work in the 1997 film ISLAND OF GREED was recognized by a Best Actress award nomination at the 17th Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2000, Sun had a “heard but not seen” role as the cheating wife of Tony Leung Chiu-Wai’s Chow Mo-Wan character in Wong Kar-Wai’s masterpiece IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. She followed that up with a provocative role in Takashi Miike’s notorious ICHI THE KILLER.

After making the Japanese film in 2001, Sun worked sparingly. She did some television, some beauty product ads, had a supporting role in EVERY DOG HAS ITS DATE and lead roles in three films — BLESS THIS CHILD, FU BO and A WEDDING OR A FUNERAL — that essentially went straight-to-video. She has not appeared in anything since 2004.

What happened to Paulyn Sun Kai-Kwan in the years since her last appearance? According to an article in a March 2005 edition of East Weekly, Sun is now married and the mother of a son. In February 2005, East Weekly reporters spotted Sun and her husband eating and shopping in and around Tai Koo Shing. Reportedly, Sun’s husband, Mr. Chan, is a Mainland-based millionaire businessman in his 40s. Approached by East Weekly reporters who asked where she has been since 2004, Sun revealed: “I’ve gotten married. I even gave birth to a son. We didn’t marry in Hong Kong. About my husband, I won’t say too much. He’s not involved in the entertainment circle.”

Sun, who appeared about ten pounds heavier than she was during her entertainment circle heyday, was then asked about her future in the business. Sun: “Let’s just say that I won’t be making any more movies.”

The marriage puts an end to Sun’s somewhat tumultuous single life. As she received her break by appearing in a Stephen Chow Sing-Chi movie, there were, naturally, rumours that she was involved with Chow. There were also rumours linking her to Jimmy Wong Ka-Lok (a model/actor whose main claim to fame is that he had a four-year long relationship with Rosamund Kwan Chi-Lam). Those rumours, however, paled to tales of a relationship with former billionaire business tycoon Louis Law Siu-Fai. In March 2002, an edition of East Weekly published photos exposing Sun as one of Law’s “kept women”. The article claimed that Sun was one of many HK female celebrities that Law “kept” by paying upwards of HK$500,000 a month. In addition to Sun, East Weekly alleged that Anita Yuen Wing-Yi, Carina Lau Ka-Ling, Teresa Mak Ka-Kei and Maggie Q — among others — were actresses that were “kept” by Law at one point or another.

Law, a billionaire real estate mogul in the early-1990s, was hit hard by the Asian economic crisis of the late-1990s. He incurred a heavy debt and attempted to commit suicide in December 2000. In January 2005, he was arrested on drug charges in Macau. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to two years in jail on those charges and fined 10,000 Macanse pacatas.

RECOMMENDATIONS: If you want to check out some of Paulyn Sun’s work, I would recommend starting with MR. MUBMLE and BANANA CLUB. MR. MUMBLE is based on the Japanese manga CITY HUNTER. Besides Sun, the film stars the likeable Michael Chow Man-Kin, hot babe Francoise Yip Fong-Wah and the always delightful Jessica Suen (aka Jessica Hester Hsuan). Despite having a lower budget and less star power, I thought MR. MUMBLE was more enjoyable and more fun than CITY HUNTER (Jackie Chan, Chingmy Yau Suk-Ching, Joey Wong Tso-Yin).

BANANA CLUB is a run-of-the-mill three boys/three girls romantic comedy but the charming boys (Michael Chow Man-Kin, Simon Lui Yu-Yeung, Edmond Leung Hon-Man) and charming girls (Paulyn Sun, Halina Tam Siu-Wan, Amanda Lee Wai-Man) make it worthwhile if you like that sort of thing.

If you want to check out Sun’s work while seeing a “good” movie then THE GOLDEN GIRLS and LOVE AND SEX AMONG THE RUINS are your best bets. There are also various editions of IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE that feature scenes that Sun appears in but were cut out of the theatrical release of the film.

Related image:
http://img.ppzy.net//desk/renwu/gang/yan/1109148386.jpg (1280×1024 wallpaper of Paulyn Sun featuring a photo from a beauty ad)

MOVING FORWARD: No, no, this isn’t the section of the post where I do an ad for Toyota (though if Toyota wants to pay me a boatload of money for mentioning them here, I wouldn’t object). This is the section where I talk about the content of this blog in the short term. As I said in my last post, my HK entertainment database is badly out of date. Before last week, if you said “eye in the sky” to me, I would think “Alan Parsons Project” and not the film starring Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Simon Yam Tat-Wah. Consequently, for the next little while, this is going to be a little bit of a chat blog. I’ll talk about some of the HK-related stuff I’ve seen recently and see what you guys thought about them. Depending on how this post is received, I may do a few more “whatever happened to …” articles. We’ll see.

Eventually, I hope — in some fashion — to return to doing entertainment news. I just have to get my HK entertainment database updated. Right now, I’m learning about the rise of former Cookies member Stephy Tang Lai-Yan. Unlike Kozo, I am not as bemused by her success because I never doubt the power of Tang.

IN CLOSING … a few words about my e-mail situation. My Summer of Sloth included neglecting the e-mail account I set up for The House Where Words Gather. As a result, it has now turned into a spam nest. If you sent me an e-mail any time from the end of June to the beginning of November, it’s probably lost in the mess. Sorry. I’m looking into setting up another account. When I get the new account established, I promise to be much more diligent about e-mail. In the meantime, please use the blog’s comment box to correspond with me.

Until next time …

IMAGE CREDITS: East Weekly Magazine (Paulyn Sun and her husband, Paulyn Sun and Louis Law), Toyota (Toyota ad bug)