July 30th, 2007
The Golden Rock - July 29th, 2007 Edition
I had a Podcast ready and everything, but Audacity somehow manages to fuck up my introduction (one track suddenly silenced the other one for a certain period of time, even though I didn’t ask for the silence), and now no more Podcast because I have no energy to spend hours editing it again. So last week was the final Podcast for a while, and maybe we’ll try it all over again in Hong Kong.
- The opening of a major multiplex in Tokyo started a new trend - stage show on movie screens. There’s something similar to that here in the States, broadcasting concerts on a nationwide system of cinemas. The series of stage shows, 4 in all, sold 14,000 tickets during its run, so perhaps it’s no surprise that they already sold 5000 advance tickets for their latest show in 2 days. I can understand why people outside Tokyo might need something like this, but I already imagine live stage shows being better, you know……live?
- For some reason, wasn’t the news on the box office result of the American-produced documentary Nanking much better two weeks ago? With rich people shelling out donations and theaters reducing prices to get people into the theater, I thought it was supposed to be a hit in Nanjing. However, looks like it’s suffering under the Hollywood syndrome as well, where there’s just not enough screens to go around for it.
- The battle of TV continues in Hong Kong, as Hong Kong’s biggest cable provider i-Cable has started its own record label to directly challenge freecaster TVB’s monopoly on music artists.
- Variety has a little more on the Asian films that will be featured at this year’s Venice Film Festival, including an impressive four in competition.
Asian Popcorn has more specific on one of them - the long-delayed The Sun Also Rises by Jiang Wen.
- The Sun Also Rises co-stars Jaycee Chan, who is also currently in the Hong Kong action film Invisible Targets. His father Jackie has the soon-to-be-crappy sequel Rush Hour 3, which also stars Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu, who talks about her experiences on the set.
Just to finish playing that 6 degrees of separation game, Zhang was in Protege with Daniel Wu, who was in Twins Effects 2 with Jaycee. Boo-ya!
- Jaycee was in Twins effects 2 with Charlene Choi, who was in Love on the Rocks with Louis Koo, who is in the experimental Hong Kong Cannes participant Triangle by Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, and Johnnie To. The official website for the film is up, and according to Mov3.com, the film won’t be coming out until….November?!
- We have two reviews from the Japan Times this week to share - Mark Schilling’s review for the animated film Kappa no Coo To Natsuyasumi, and Kaori Shoji’s review for Hong Kong director Andrew Lau’s Hollywood debut The Flock. How can a film sound good and crappy at the same time? Oh, it’s by Andrew Lau, that’s why.
- In case anyone that reads this blog ever becomes an ad executive in India, you might want to be careful when you do underwear ads.
Yeah, not much news today. Doing that Podcast took a bit out of me. See you back tomorrow.
July 30th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
pity about the podcast - i know it totally sucks when technology gives you the ass up.
is it just me, or does there seem to be more albums released in hong kong per month lately? it just feels like in the last few months it has kinda picked up, after having two or three main releases only a month for what feels like ages. and with icable wanting to start up a label, maybe things are looking up? this is my gut feeling anyway.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:12 am
Shame about the podcast, man - really enjoyed it and I hope you’ll pick it up again at some point.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:25 am
Hi, rachael,
You’re right, album releases do tend to pick up during the summer and especially the end of the year (for those award considerations).
As for I-cable, I don’t think it’s particularly indicative of the music industry, but rather the TV industry. They’re tired of pop stars that are so scared of TVB that they wouldn’t give any TV stations that isn’t TVB interviews in Cantonese. With NowTV, i-Cable, and TVB fighting for viewers (all three have paid TV services now), I kind of look forward to seeing what i-cable has up its sleeves.
Hi, munin,
Thanks for your comments. I hope I’ll have the energy to pick it up again as well. Trust me, you’re not missing out on much by not listening on this last one.