While Boss Kozo takes a much-needed/deserved break, I will work hard to try and fill that void with news and other content for this blog.

First of all, while East Screen/West Screen head man Paul Fox is off to vacation in Florida, he worked hard and uploaded the first of two short blu-ray episodes we recorded before he left.

- It’s box office time! We start off in Japan, where, as expected, BAYSIDE SHAKEDOWN 3 took the top spot in the audience admissions ranking. According to Oricon, the film made 972 million yen in its first two days from 477 screens, with 707,000 admissions. Toho is sure the film will break the 10 billion yen mark, and the question is now how close it will do to its predecessor, which still holds the record for the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film ever at roughly 17 billion yen.

Amazingly, Tetsuya Nakashima’s CONFESSIONS is still holding up at second place, beating the debut of Luc Besson’s THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADEL BLANC-SEC. Meanwhile, Shunya Ito’s 300 MILLION (or LOST CRIMES) mustered a 10th place debut. More when further analysis comes out.

- In South Korea, SHREK and KNIGHT AND DAY rule the charts, while third to fifth places are taken up by Korean films. The KOFIC chart here is missing the names, but they are: 3)  71-INTO THE FIRE, 4) MAN OF VENDETTA, and 5) THE SERVANT.

- As Ryan of the Hong Kong Film blog reports, SHREK FOREVER AFTER dominated the weekend box office in Hong Kong. Thanks to inflated 3D prices and the extra takings from the two IMAX screens, the film has already made HK$12 million after opening on July 1st. TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE opened big and remained strong, despite SHREK. After five days, it has made HK$8.34 million. With much of its target audience out of school, expect fairly strong showing during the week. This will give distributor Golden Scene (who also has a minor hit with BREAK UP CLUB already) something to celebrate about, as NEW MOON actually grossed less than the first film. ECLIPSE is almost certain to do better than NEW MOON, but the question is whether it’ll match or beat the HK$18 million gross of the first film.

Meanwhile, the competition didn’t help the performance of Derek Yee’s TRIPLE TAP, which made only HK$3.74 million over 4 days. Word-of-mouth will determine whether it’ll go past HK$10 million, and I don’t predict it will. Again, a more thorough analysis will come when hkfilmart.com or box office mojo updates its numbers.

- There are two news items today about Feng Xiaogang’s AFTERSHOCK: One on Film Business Asia about it in the context of its distribution, and one by the Associated Press (carried by the Hollywood Reporter) about the film itself.

Cynic mode: Feng has been pushing this film hard on how it has made the audience cried, and the cast has been doing the same about their own reaction to the film. These are part of contradicting message Feng has been putting out. At times, he throws out ridiculous box office predictions like 500 million RMB and how much he cares about how the film does at the box office. At other times, he talks about how the film isn’t an entertainment film, and how meaningful it is to have the families of the dead to be in the film. To me, I’m just hearing a director who’s flip-flopping to say what people wants to hear, and he’ll say whatever’s needed to sell the film. The most shameful (and perhaps unintentionally the smartest) of the publicity effort is when Feng and the cast continued to have its big trailer reveal publicity event on the same day of the Qinghai Earthquake.

This is, however sobering the film is, a commercial blockbuster, from its big-budget special effects to the gimmick of being converted to IMAX. Feng isn’t going to put his film in the format if he knows he doesn’t have something to offer for it. At the same time, he knows the pushing the big budget spectacle isn’t going to help his cause, considering what his film is about, hence the calculated effort to play both sides. Again, it’s smart on Feng’s part (and have been told that this isn’t the first time he’s used calculated publicity effort), but from my cynical point of view, it’s also quite shameless.

- Yoshimoto Kogyo, a huge talent agency in Japanese entertainment known for its arsenal of comedians (including actor/director Hitoshi Matsumoto) has formed a joint venture with the Shanghai Media Group to produce and distribute programs for China.

- Earlier in the day, I posted a link to a Chinese new report with the new trailer for the Benny Chan sci-fi action film CITY UNDER SIEGE. Thanks to wildcinema’s Twitter, you can now check out a Youtube version of it, or if you have Facebook, there’s even an English-subtitled version.

The Golden Rock celebrates America’s independence with a bunch of news from Asia!

- The controversial documentary THE COVE opened yesterday in Japan. Japan Times reports that police security was on scene at the theaters, and Nikkan Sports reports that the Directors Guild of Japan has put out a statement firmly opposing any move by the protesters to prevent the film being shown. You can agree or disagree with the film’s agendas, but you can’t stop the open screening of any films in a society with free speech.

- Speaking of lack of free speech, the Chinese government news agency Xinhua is launching their own English-language 24-hour news channel to give “a Chinese perspective to global audiences”. Propaganda goes international!

- Korean hit war film 71: INTO THE FIRE is a hit in Korea, and now it’s heading to American cinemas.

- It’s reviews time! Japan Times’ Mark Schilling reviews director Shunya Ito’s LOST CRIME, and Film Business Asia’s Derek Elley reviews the Chinese desert comedy WELCOME TO SHAMATOWN.

- For those that didn’t like Derek Yee’s TRIPLE TAP, the co-writer/director explains that even he can’t believe that the film is his. “This is just a commercial film. I hope the audience can easily understand it”. Now it makes sense, except the problem with the film is that IT’S TOO FLAT.

- The Ryuganji blog translate excerpts from an upcoming book about Takeshi Kitano, and he has plenty to say about Japanese society.

- We here at Lovehkfilm loves the BAYSIDE SHAKEDOWN franchise, and its third installment opened this past weekend in Japan, and star Yuji Oda has promised that if the film makes over 10 billion yen, he’ll work hard towards doing a 4th film.

- For those in Tokyo, rare color footage of early 1950s Japan shot by an American soldier will be screened in the Edo-Tokyo Museum in August.

- K-pop fans: Artists of the major talent agency SM Entertainment such as Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, and BoA will be going on a world tour. Oh, and TVXQ will be there, too……………………….just kidding, they’re not done suing yet.

- Last, but definitely not least, Korean actor Park Yong-Ha, known for his roles in WINTER SONATA and the film THE SCAM (which I reviewed) has passed away in an apparent suicide. The media has been covering which big stars are grieving for him, but I don’t think I need to join that party to say that the actor will certainly be missed.

It’s been a slow news week, and a time-deficient week as well, so I will be using offering two short reviews to the HK films I’ve seen recently, at least one of which has already been (or will be) talked about on the latest episode of East Screen/West Screen:

BREAK UP CLUB (Hong Kong, 2010, Dir.: Barbara Wong):

Love can suck, and Barbara Wong wants you to know that she wants you to think that. This mix of mockumentary and cinema verite stars two of Hong Kong tabloid’s favorite young threesome - Jaycee Chan and Fiona Sit - as an on-again, off-again couple that keeps coming back because Jaycee found a magical website that would bring back Fiona if he breaks up a couple by putting their names in the website. But even a magical website can’t keep his lovely girlfriend around, because he’s a terrible boyfriend who likes to waste time and confuses the lack of a real job as having testicles. So when a talented, well-traveled, and most likely well-off graffiti artist comes to town to sweep his girlfriend away, who else does he have to blame?

Of course, Fiona Sit’s character also has her flaws, particular her typical Hong Kong girl princess-y attitude and how she deals with the newfound relationship with the graffiti artist, but at least Sit gives off an appeal that explains why she would appeal to Jaycee (and the audience) so much. Wong and co-writer Lawrence Cheng, on the other hand, forgot to give nearly as many redeeming qualities for Jaycee, who had the misfortune of trying to make his character appealing by acting halfway into stupid. The filmmakers succeed mostly into making Jaycee a convincing loser, but forgot to remind the audience why Fiona Sit would want anything to do with him and lets the magical website do the dirty work for them instead.

Nevertheless, the two main actors are good together, especially considering the fact that they improvised their dialogue together. It’s obvious that they’re at least good friends, and they’re quite natural onscreen. This makes it easier to pinpoint who should be blamed for the way the film turned out: Writer-director Barbara Wong. Not only did she start out with a halfhearted attempt to insert herself into the film as herself trying to make a film with “true” stories, she essentially makes herself the main character for the final 15 minutes of the film that doesn’t actually change anything about the plot. Instead, her little cameo only marks a rather unconvincing attempt to undo the flaws in her “mockumentary” style, and to show how clever she is with her little unnecessary foreshadowing tricks. It’s truly annoying in its self-indulgence, and it alienates the audiences that she has touched in the first 90 minutes - at least the ones that don’t think these two miserable young people deserve each other.

As I said in the podcast review: Turn off the movie after 95 minutes, you would’ve seen a passable - albeit flawed - romantic comedy. If you choose to approach the last 15 minutes for closure, do so at your own risk.

THE LEGEND IS BORN - IP MAN (China/Hong Kong, 2010, Dir.: Herman Yau)

THE LEGEND IS BORN follows the formula of how to shamelessly cash in on a phenomenon to the t: Take character from hit film, find the actors from original hit film who only care more about the paycheck than the character overlap, pack as much as what made the original films popular as possible, find a director who can shoot fast, cheap, and efficient, then connect it to the original films even when no one asked them to. THE LEGEND IS BORN is the (probably completely)fictional take on the Wing Chun master’s life that not only shows its commercial trappings with blatant reverse racism, but also by casting actors only based on their fighting ability and/or whether they were in the Donnie Yen IP MAN films or not.

Herman Yau is obviously such a director-for-hire in this case that he lets Dennis To, who apparently did something in the IP MAN franchise, leads the film with absolutely zero leading man charisma and very little acting ability. He’s a fine martial artist, but I have an inkling that he’s only the choice for leading man over Louis Fan, who actually ACTS in the film, because Fan played a bad guy in the first film. Yau moves the camera well enough and moves the film at a smooth pace, which pretty much makes him the right man for the job.

Instead, it’s obvious that it was the producers (including financial mogul/Wing Chun enthusiast Chuckley Sin) who demanded the film be filled with 1) foreigners who insult the young Ip Man for being Chinese, 2) Japanese villains who are very Japanese and hate people who are very Chinese. These forms of reverse racism are committed so casually that you’d think the film might be made in the 80s, and I’m embarrassed to be from the culture that actually encourages this kind of crap.

As generic as the rest of the film is, the fighting is good, and that’s about all I have to say that’s good about THE LEGEND IS BORN.

There’s also another Chinese-language film that I watched within the last week, but I’m saving that for a full-length review on the site.

Before I move on to regular programming, perhaps some (or none) are asking, “hey, where did you go?”

I ask myself the same question everyday.

As for the serious answer, I made an extremely awkward transition from my student life to my working life, which involved the two blending together, and then diving into the latter pretty much immediately, meaning I haven’t really had the time to adjust. Of course, that could sound like an excuse, but considering the other time I spend doing my weekly review job, recording East Screen/West Screen, plus real life crap, 24 hours doesn’t seem enough in a day. Also, Google Chrome is real crappy with this wordpress thing, which means I get a little confused when switching browsers, leading to all kinds of headaches and taking longer than usual to write an entry.

So what motivated me to start writing again now? First of all, Kozo keeps footing the bill for this space, which means it would go to waste if I keep letting it accumulate in spam, and that ain’t very nice.  Second, I will be sadly writing less reviews than before, though that’s only because much of my work has shifted to a certain section of a website that starts with Y and ends with Asia. However, my motivation to start writing again is mainly because I want to do internet journalism right. As I mentioned on the latest episode of East Screen/West Screen, some sites have gotten away too long with spinning information the wrong way. I can’t say I never did the same with this blog, but at least I spun responsibly, and I own up to my mistakes. If the blog writing schedule goes right again, I hope to return to the old format that people (barely) read, but I will certainly no longer use the site I mention in the podcast as a serious source, but only to point out and correct their errors.

Here’s a little news for today, to get things started:

- As always, we start at the box office. At the Japan box office, Tetsuya Nakashima’s CONFESSIONS reign again for a third week, while the MASKED RIDER movie opens at second place, and the youth tearjerker PIECING ME BACK TOGETHER opens at ninth. Check the admissions ranking, and more when the numbers are out.

- Looking at the Korean box office, A MOMENT TO REMEMBER director Lee Jae-Han’s latest 71-INTO THE FIRE scores a huge opening with 1 million-plus admissions, while the period film SERVANTS has already earned 2 million admissions. STREETDANCE 3D opened at 6th place, and PRINCE OF PERSIA is approaching 2 million admissions, but not likely to get there.

Hancinema rankings (which switches the admissions for HAHAHA and THE HOUSEMAID) and the KOFIC ranking.

- After several theaters backed out in Japan (including one in Shibuya, Tokyo) from showing the documentary THE COVE, the distributors have found another theater in Tokyo in the same neighborhood to take over the film. The Image Forum (which also runs a film school) will be showing the film after Theater N pulled out due to threats by crazy right-wingers. I’m guessing this will be another YASUKUNI situation, where the threats will continue until the film opens, then ntohing will happen.

The report also lists 21 other Japanese theaters that’ll be showing the film, so look for one near you, er….if you know how to read Japanese.

- In film production news, I wrote a few weeks ago that the new Bruce Lee biopic that will be covering his teenage life in Hong Kong, and as now Film Business Asia has confirmed that production will indeed begin on the Manfred Wong-produced, Raymond Yip-directed film WITH MC JIN….not as Bruce Lee. As I mentioned on East Screen/West Screen, this is the version of the Bruce Lee story that I look more forward to than the Hollywood bullying one that Filmko/Mandarin Films are planning.

Also, in the words of Nikki Finke, TOLDJA!

- The Millennium documentary festival in Brussels has given the Chinese documentary LAST TRAIN HOME its top award. I saw LAST TRAIN HOME at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and liked it. Congratulations to the filmmakers.

I will be back, and hopefully soon. Especially if it’s not a slow news day.

This is the initial post for The 2010 Golden Rock Hong Kong Film Awards live blog. Showtime is in about 110 minutes (we start at the red carpet show). I have added a live chat function on the right. So those who are interested feel free to join in before we start.

DISCLAIMER: This is a real-time, filter-less thoughts of the blogger.  If anyone is offended, feel free to skip a few posts, where I will choose someone else to offend.

19:30 - Red carpet coverage starting. Writer of House of Mahjong Lam Chiu Wing one of the guest host. Yay.

19:31 - Lam brags that they will only go to an ad every 30 minutes. Better hit the bathroom, everybody.

19:33 - red carpet is just a review of celebrities walking the red carpet. Host panel has no idea what to say. This is embarrassing.

19:35 - Fashion expert Walter Ma commenting over the red carpet footage is both awkward and hilarious. “Bau Hei Jing’s look is suitable for her age….”

19:37 - Was watching Now TV’s live coverage and Chapman To giving the hosts a hard time. “That’s what you get for doing live!”

19:39 - Ann Hui all smiles at the red carpet interview. “I’m very calm tonight. I don’t know why, I just am, hahaha”

19:41 - Commercial break. ATV being a poorer stations means cheaper - i.e. more hilarious - ads

19:43 - Blog a little quiet now because of pre-show. Come join the live chat instead!

19:46 - mysterious 4th member on the guest panel is a fortune teller!!!!

19:47 - “Kara Hui is from Shangdong, and Shangdong is having a great year this year!”

19:50 - Finally a shot of the venue. Ah, Cultural Center Grand Theatre, how I miss thee.

19:52 - “Anyone know who designed this year’s stage?” “Someone professional….”

19:55 - Fortune teller says Wang Xueqi has no chance. Simon Yam, on the other hand, is from Shandong!

19:57 - Show about to start. Juggling live blog and live chat. This will be an interesting night.

20:00 - Hosts discussing the show before real show gets started. Fortune teller won’t shut up; he’s far too entertaining.

20: 02: Quick, final preview of the show before play-by-play. Lawrence Cheng hosting solo. Quite a few musical performers, including Rebecca Pan’s performance on red carpet.

20:05 - Showing starting now. With a moment of silence for the Qinghai earthquake victims.

20:07 - I hope they don’t follow this with trailer for Aftershock

20:08 - Following it with Chiu Tsang Hei leading the awards theme song performance on the red carpet instead

20:09- Fireworks on the red carpet. Or are they blowing it up?

20:10 - A kid started singing. Leading to Rebecca Pan’s What a Wonderful World performance with At 17. She’s singing way too slow.

20:11 - Brilliant. Montage of Best Picture nominee playing in the background. Bodyguards has Tony Leung getting beat up.

20:14 - Thought Lawrence Cheng is hosting solo. Instead, Eric Tsang and Chin Kar Lok show up. Their game show being shown at the same time on competitor TVB.

20:16 - Introducing the 5 nominees for best new artist now. Chin Kar Lok spokea Mandarin to make sure Li Yuchun knows she has to be on the stage. Miss HK-style interview going on now.

20:18 - Buzz Chung (kid from Echoes of the Rainbow) can’t stop laughing.

20:19 - “You should speak Cantonese more now that you have the chance!” - Eric Tsang to Fala Chan. TVB stars are not allowed to speak in Cantonese for other channels.

20:21 - Best New Artist award being given out now. The winner is…….Aarif Lee for Echoes of the Rainbow.

20:24 - Glad Aarif won over the kid. But a win for one of them is a win for the film. Aarif offers Buzz the mic. He says nothing. Cute kid.

20:25 - Lawrence Cheng now on the stage as host. Monologue about his time as host.

20:27 - Lawrence Cheng has a funny anecdote about his first two films as screenwriter failing - first one for pissing off Mongkok audience, second one for poor box office.

20:29 - Daniel Wu and Stephen Fung out now to present Best Young Director. Daniel Wu called “The Groom”

20:32- Winner is Cheung King-Wai for KJ

20:33 - Husband and wife Chapman To and Crystal Tin present the Best Cinematography and Best editing.

20: 36 - Best Cinematography goes to….Arthur Wong. As expected, he wins every time he’s nominated.

20:38 - Arthur Wong acknowledges Andrew Lau. Thanks wife for not visiting him once on set.

20: 40 - Now Best Editing. Award goes to………….Overheard. That was really a surprise, though I’ve heard editing is a sympathy award.

20:41 - great clip for Overheard’s nomination. Michael Wong screaming like a girl.

20:43 - Best New Artist winner Aarif Lee is joined by Lowell Lo on stage for performance of nominated song from Echoes of the Rainbow.

20:46 - Aarif Lee isn’t a bad singer. Just a crappy English lyricist (listen to Janice Vidal’s album to find out)

20:47 - Best dressed award (with sponsored accessory) go to Nic Tse and Denise Ho

20: 48 - Love in a Puff couple Shawn Yue and Miriam Yeung on stage now. “Love in a Puff is a romance, but got a Cat III rating!” “It’s a romance with category III”. “But no one took off any clothes!”

20:50 - They’re giving out the Best Supporting Actress Award. Which goes to…..Michelle Ye! Well-deserved. Was afraid she’d be overlooked.

20:52 - “Someone told me, no one would make me a lead actress.” - Michelle Ye

20:53 - Why is TVB getting so much love after screwing up the awards so badly last year?

20:54 - “You’re not here tonight, but I see you!” — Michelle Ye to Louis Koo. Someone saw Avatar!

20:55 - Finally the first commercial break.

20:58 - Ethan Yuan and Mark Chao (stars of Monga) on stage now to present Best Sound Design. Winner is…….Red Cliff II

21:01 - They won last year, so no surprise they win again this year.

21:02 - Ruan and Chao staying on stage to joke around? No, to present best visual effects.

21:04 - Best Visual Effects goes to….Storm Warriors II. Well-deserved, despite film sucking

21:06 - Another Best Original Song performance. Li Yuchun performing now. No loud fans screaming?

21:08 - Why does Bodyguards and Assassins need a ballad for its theme song anyway?

21:10 - “Professional Achievement Award” now. Arthur Wong presents it to….a lighting man.

21:14 - Finally reveals award goes to Chow Lam - founder of HK Lighting Association - after 5 minutes speech.

21:16 - “He fixed the lights around him himself before he came out here” - Lawrence Cheng.

21:19 - Best Screenplay award now present by Dayo Wong

21:20 - Dayo Wong turns it into an amusing standup comedy act, of course.

21:23 - Dayo Wong still going. Quite funny, though

21:24 - “Tin Shui Wai the only place HK-ers can afford housing now. Then Ann Hui does a movie called ‘Night and Fog’ and makes it like it’s Paris”

21:26 - And the Best Screenplay award goes to………Alex Law for Echoes of the Rainbow

21:29 - Alex Law thanks John Sham, who got the film made in the first place.

21:32 - Denise Ho and Josie Ho on stage for best Supporting Actor now. Made fun of Nic Tse’s red clothes, liken it to red carpet

21:33 - Winner is…..Nicholas Tse for Bodyguards and Assassins

21:35 - Nicholas Tse thanks his wife, and apologizes for being only in HK for a day, even before she gives birth to second baby

21:36 - Chinese singer Alan, who has far more successful career in Japan, now on stage to sing Red Cliff theme song.

21:38 - Alan has quite a powerful voice, but kind of wasted on this song, sadly.

21:39 - Yay, second commercial break.

21:40 - If Simon yam doesn’t win tonight, at least he has his Nu Pharm ad playing in every movie theater in HK.

21:43 - Lifetime Achievement award for Lau Ka-Leung now.

21:46 - Reenactment of the Dragon dance on human tower scene in one of Liu’s most famous films.

21:48 - Mr. and Mrs. Liu going on stage now. People are very slow in standing ovations in HK.

21:50 - Liu shows off fact that he’s 4th generation of Wong Fei-Hung’s disciples.

21:55 - Liu Ka-Leung still talking like it’s a lecture on “life as Kung Fu actor in Hong Kong”. Stops and gives the stage to his wife.

21:56 - Liu to present Best Action Design, which goes to…..Bodyguards and Assassins

21:58 - B&A choreographer: “I don’t know why we’re thanking Andrew Lau, but thank him!”

21:59 - Long lifetime achievement segment ends…..just to go to a original song performance. At least it’s the McDull song. The Pancakes’ guitar has a sticker that says “This is not art.” Indeed.

22:01 - Simon Yam and Lynn Xiong on stage now talking about marriage. Cuts to Miriam yeung laughing in shock.

22:03 - Finally, they reveal they’re presenting Best Costume Design.

22:05 - And the winner is…….Bodyguards and Assassins. Dora Ng gives her speech in three languages.

22;07 - Simon Yam says documentaries will be the end of the business for costume design and art direction. Simon Yam: HK documentary hater.

22:09 - Winner for Art Direction is….Bodyguard and Assassins.5 for Bodyguards so far, and looking like it’ll be the winner this year.

22:11 - Another commercial break now.

22:15 - Some empty seats in the Grand Theater already. Now the In Memoriam segment. Excuse for pop stars to come out and sing.

22:19 - In Memoriam segment classy, with Kay Tse singing.

22:22 - Andy Hui and Gigi Leung goes on stage to present Best Score first. And the winner is………..Bodyguards and Assassins.

22:25 - B&A score was very typical epic score, with way too much symbols. Nothing worth remember about.

22:26 - Gigi and Andy stay for Best Original Song. Winner is Echoes of the Rainbow song written by Lowell Lo and performed by Aarif Lee. Not a bad song.

22:29 - “This is for all the kids that don’t pass their exams. Look at Alex Law!” - Lowell Lo

22:31 - Aaron Kwok and Kelly Lin on stage. Aaron  - “Welcome Kelly, because she is our guest!” Actually, I think Aaron doesn’t watch Kelly Lin’s movies.

22:33 -They’re presenting Best Asian Film. Winner is…….Departures. Director shows up to accept the award.

22:39 - Now a segment to celebrate Bruce Lee’s 70th birthday. Andy Hui sings. I think LMF should appear here too. They played the intro to 1127. Kato dancers in the background. Louis Fan now gives a kung fu demonstration after flying across the stage on wires. Jam Siao sings Kung Fu Fighting while kids in yellow jumpsuits dance behind him. Jam Siao leaves and kids do nun-chuks. Guy on stilts behind them, I guess in a Kareem Abdul Jabaar impression. LMF then goes on stage to rap 1127, their song about Bruce Lee. Josie Ho, Shawn Yue shown on camera having a good time.

22:50 - Coming up on the final hour of the awards now. Time to stretch the show out with the major awards.

22:55 - Lawrence Cheng talking about his acting career and lack of award recognition. Quite bittersweet.

22:57 - Shu Qi and Chang Chen present the Best Actor award. Chang Chen should win for trying to speak Cantonese.

22:59 - Winner is…………..Simon Yam for Echoes of the Rainbow.

23:01 - Crowd quite excited, and Simon very very happy.

23:05 - Andrew Lau and Bau Hei-Jing on stage now. Bau asks why people thank him for Bodyguards and Assassins. Lau wouldn’t spill why, though. Trying to steer clear. Award is Best Director. Winner is Bodyguards and Assassins’ Teddy Chan.

23:09 - Teddy Chan gives award to Andrew Lau to hold for a while. He waited 10 years for this.

23:12 - Looks like it’s Best Actress time. But first, a long Lawrence Cheng monologue.

23:14 - Lau Ching-Wan and Nick Cheung come out to present award. Lau jokes Anthony Wong passed his prime to present award, and Francis Ng sitting in jail again.

23:18: Winner for Best Actress is………..Kara Hui, as expected.

23:20: Kozo points out Kara Hui was first Best Actress winner at Hong Kong Film Awards.

23:22 - Kara Hui quite touched. Crying hard.

23:23 - Teresa Mo and Stanley Kwan present the final award - Best Picture. Stanley Kwan asks Teresa Mo to give stand-up routine, but complains that Dayo Wong was too good and threw it away.

23:27 - Time for final award. Best Picture winner is………..Bodyguards and Assassins. Peter Chan grabs award and gives first speech. Points out that it’s first film he produced but didn’t direct to win Best Picture.

23:31 - Everyone thanks Andrew Lau, and Teddy Chan cannot be seen onstage.

23:35 - Show officially over. Thanks to everyone who participated in the live chat and reading the live blog! Discuss results in the comments section.

23:42 - Live Blog getting dragged out a little more because ATV panel is back. Would like to see what the fortune teller says.

23:44 - Starts off more about fashion. Zzzzzzzzzzzz…………Fortune teller back after the commercial break

23:47 - Not waiting anymore. Officially end of blog. Thanks for following, everyone! Continue discussion in comments section, please

Before we get rolling on the live blog for the Hong Kong Film Awards. You can look here for the full nomination list. These are my predictions:

Best New Director:

Will Win: Cheung King-Wai (KJ)
Should Win: Cheung King-Wai (KJ)
My take: Technically, this is not Cheung’s first film (that would be the excellent All’s Well With the World), but since the rules are for directors under the age of 40 rather than a director’s first film, that would make him qualify. That’s all the better, since he certainly deserves it for KJ.

Best Asian Film:

Will Win: Departures (Japan)
Should Win: City of Life and Death (China)
My take: Departures was very well-regarded here in Hong Kong, and word-of-mouth even got it to become a box office hit. Besides, the first Asian film in years to win a Best Foreign Film Oscar to not win Best Asian Film here would just be embarrassing. However, don’t be surprised if the committee ends up giving face to any of the China nominees, and I would only be happy if that winner is City of Life and Death.

Best Visual Effects:

Will Win: Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: Storm Warriors
My take: I think this may be a case where the committee will end up choosing the better film over the film with the better effects. Storm Warriors may have sucked, but its visual effects definitely sets a new standard for Hong Kong cinema.

Best Sound Design

Will Win: Bodyguards and Assassins or KJ
Should Win: Red Cliff II
My Take: I’ve seen all of these films on the big screen, and only KJ was entirely shot on live sound recording. The rest featured the usual awkward post-production dubbing and overdone sound effects. KJ may follow its lead at the Golden Horse Awards and win in this category for the music, or Bodyguards may win for prestige. But the bigger budget, the better, and Red Cliff II probably deserves the award here for consistency. 

Best Original Song

Will Win: Echoes of the Rainbow
Should Win: Echoes of the Rainbow
My take: It’s a fine song, and it plays a big role in the film. Plus, the film the sleeper hit of the year.

Best Original Score

Will Win: Red Cliff II
Should Win: Vengeance
My Take: Red Cliff won last year, so there’s little reason for it to not repeat the success, though Lo Tayu’s score for Vengeance was the most distinct one out of them all. 

Best Action Design

Will Win: Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: Bodyguards and Assassins
My Take: This win is purely by default, since the action in the five nominated films were all just so-so. Then again, Donnie’s presence on 14 Blades may help, but its action was a real ho-hum effort, especially for a Donnie film.  They really should’ve nominated Kung Fu Chef. 

Best Costume Design and Make-up

Will Win: Red Cliff II
Should Win: Red Cliff II
My Take:  Red Cliff won this category last year, so again, don’t see much reason for it not winning this year, even though they’re going up against a Yonfan movie this year.

Best Art Direction

Will Win: Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: Bodyguards and Assassins
My Take: They rebuilt an entire district of Hong Kong in a film studio. ’nuff said. 

Best Editing

Will Win: KJ or Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: KJ or Red Cliff II
My Take: KJ’s editing was easily one of the best things about the film, and this would be the win that’s most well-deserved. However, Having a new editor on Red Cliff II made all the difference in the world from the draggy first installment, and Bodyguards and Assassins may pick this up out of prestige.

Best Cinematography

Will Win: Arthur Wong - Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: Chin Ting-Chang - Prince of Tears
My Take: Arthur Wong seems to take this award every time he’s nominated, and he’ll probably win for the likely Best Picture winner, just because he’s Arthur Wong. I didn’t care for Prince of Tears, but I will not deny that it was a damn pretty-looking film. I hope dearly that Arthur Wong doesn’t return next year for Here Comes Fortune.

Best New Artist

Will Win: Buzz Chung - Echoes of the Rainbow
Should Win: Aarif Lee - Echoes of the Rainbow
My Take: The audience opinion leans heavily towards the younger Echoes actor, while I picked Aarif out of default. Buzz was too annoying for my taste.

Best Screenplay

Will Win: Echoes of the Rainbow
Should Win: Everything else
My Take: As mentioned, Echoes is going to easily take this one out of popular opinion, but it’s in my opinion the least deserving out of the five. Accident had a killer idea and went with it until its contrived finale, Overheard was a fine commercial script that again fell apart at the third act, Bodyguards and Assassins is the most solid out of the five and was easily the favorite until Echoes won at Berlin (somehow Europeans appreciating something can validate previously inferior things here in Hong Kong), and Written By is easily the most complex script out of the five, but the committee don’t care for that kind of cerebral stuff.

Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Li Yuchun - Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: Vicki Zhao - Red Cliff II or Michelle Ye - Accident
My Take: Bodyguards will win this round because Echoes isn’t nominated, and Li is the only female performance people rave about in the film (for what I have no idea). And I only choose Vicki Zhao as should win because the LoveHKFilm Award committee has voted so.  I thought Michelle Ye’s intensity in Accident complemented Louis Koo’s cold personality in the film well.

Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Nicholas Tse - Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: Nicholas Tse - Bodyguards and Assassins
My Take: This is a Nicholas Tse performance we’ve never seen before, and the result is THE performance to beat this year. Surely some kind of justice for him after Nick Cheung stole all the thunder for Beast Stalkers.

Best Actress

Will Win: Kara Hui - At the End of Daybreak or Sandra Ng - Echoes of the Rainbow
Should Win: Zhang Jingchu - Night and Fog
My Take: Kara Hui has long been a favorite, and I would be happy if she wins for her powerful performance. On the other hand, Sandra Ng has been picking up steam because of the Echoes of the Rainbow fever sweeping the city, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she picks up some votes. My favorite, however, remains Zhang Jingchu, who not only have to handle the tough role of the abused wife in Night and Fog, but also had to perform the entire role in Cantonese. It’s definitely an overlooked effort that deserves recognition.

Best Actor

Will Win: Wang Xueqi - Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: Wang Xueqi - Bodyguards And Assassins
My Take: The only main cast the least physically involved with the action part of the film ends up being a lead in an ensemble cast of more than ten characters. Wang has been building steam since the film came out, and his win should be no surprise - or disappointment - to anyone. Unless you’re an adamant fan of Echoes of the Rainbow and believe it should win everything.

Best Director

Will Win: Teddy Chan - Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: John Woo - Red Cliff II
My Take: Teddy Chan will likely be recognize for his ten-year journey in bringing this film to the big screen, but John Woo deserves recognition for pulling off the most expensive Asian film ever made. Like Peter Jackson, Woo should be recognized this year for his effort on the two-part film, but its Lunar New Year slot last year means people probably have already forgotten it. Alex Law was rightfully excluded for Echoes of the Rainbow because the directing was one of the film’s major problems, while Soi Cheang and Cheung King-Wai should’ve been in this list.

Best Film

Will Win: Bodyguards and Assassins
Should Win: KJ 
My Take: KJ is a very strong character portrait that happens to be a documentary. It’s a testament to not just documentary filmmaking, but to the art of filmmaking and storytelling. However, Hong Kong cinema is a commercial industry, and Bodyguards and Assassins is an excellent commercial film that isn’t perfect, but mostly delivers. I wouldn’t be upset if it won, but I’d know that it still isn’t the best film of the year.

We’ll see how I do come Sunday night. What are some of your picks? Share in the comments section!

Here we go, another five Asian films viewed at the Hong Kong International Festival 2010.The Blue Mansion (Singapore - 2009), Directed by Glen Goei

This dark comedy from Singapore mixes the supernatural and an Agatha Christie mystery, and interestingly, it’s just about completely in English. That might be the problem, as the actors did not have the comic timing to deliver some of the nastier punchlines, and there’s no character that’s actually likeable enough to connect with - not even the dead guy. Interesting attempt, but not quite a success.

Sawako Decides (Japan - 2009) - Directed by Ishii Yuya, starring Mitsushima Hikari

Yuya Ishii is back with this Pia Scholarship film after his win at with Bare-Assed Japan. It’s a hilarious, deadpan comedy that Ishii is no stranger to. Add that with a great performance by Mitsushima Hikari of Love Exposure, and you’ve got one of the funniest Japanese comedies of the year. Response wasn’t as enthusiastic as I had hoped. Maybe I just really dig the dry humor.

I’m in Trouble! (South Korea - 2009) - Directed by So Sang-Min

 

This dry Korean comedy, on the other hand, doesn’t work nearly as well as other comedies in this style. It starts off with a not-so-likeable lead and his not-so-important problems with the ladies (which he screwed up himself anyway), and director So Sang-Min expects us to automatically care for him. Just because he’s an artist doesn’t make him immediately worth caring about. Still, not a total loss, with some funny moments, and some of the performances are quite…well, likeable.

Tokyo Onlypics (2008 - Japan) - Directed by Mashima Riichiro, etc.

As one might expect from an anthology mixed with animation and live-action, this parody of international sports events (which opened in Japanese theaters the same day as the opening of the Beijing Olympics) is somewhat inconsistent in quality. But when it’s on its game, it is as seriously funny as it is irreverent. Some of the sketches go on too long after it delivers the laughs (the samurai calling one above included), but events like the sms texting and the mom throwing ones are the funniest comedy sketches I’ve seen this year. This version is apparently a shortened version from the 130-minute Japanese version, which is a wise choice, as its 117-minute length was just perfect.

The Actresses (2009 - South Korea) - Directed by E, J-Yong, starring Youn Yuh-Jung, Choi Ji-Woo, Ko Hyun-Jung, Kim Ok-Bin, Lee Min-Sook, Kim Min-Hee

For anyone who has no idea who these people are, the film will simply be an interesting experiment exploring the real persona of actresses. Those who have at least a vague idea of these people will have a far better time as this mockumentary (written/improvised by the 6 actresses) slyly plays on the stars’ respective persona and what it’s like to be a star. Still, it still feels insignificant, as there’s not really much of a story (the second half consists almost entirely of the six stars sitting around talking). Nevertheless, the fact that it still works is an achievement already.

Next time,  an anti-war film, Bollywood, and more Yuya Ishii.

As you might have been following on my Twitter, I have been spending quite a bit of time at the glorious Hong Kong International Film Festival. This year, excluding the Lung Kong retrospective I have yet to attend, I watched a record number of 28 films between March 20th and April 6th.

This is what madness - and my dining table - look like

 Out of the 28, 20 of those are Asian films (and I’m counting Israel in Asia because NHK World says so), and I will provide brief reviews for them here - 5 at a time.

1) A Better Tomorrow (Hong Kong, 1987) - Directed by John Woo, Produced by Lung Kong

This is the first time I’m watching the gangster classic film on the big screen (as part of the festival’s focus on Lung Kong), and it’s every bit as enjoyable as one can expect. I’ve seen this movie and the references to it throughout the years many times, and I’m surprise to hear the audience just as involved with it as if they were watching it the first time. A true Hong Kong cinema classic.

2) A Brand New Life (Korea, 2009) - Directed by Ounie Lecomte, Produced by Lee Chang-Dong

This aut0biographical debut film by Korean French director Ounie Lecomte has a stunning performance by the young Kim Sae-Ron, but it doesn’t quite escape the stablish cinema verite style of her producer. The life in the South Korean orphanage ultimately goes through the motions and is ultimately a little too much into its own detached style.

3) Ajami (Israel, 2009) - Directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani

This film about the Palestinian-Israel relationship is what Quentin Tarantino might have made without the gimmicky obsession with old movies and self-indulgent dialogue. It’s a frequently powerful examination of different types of people in the region, though its non-linear storytelling can be disorienting at points. It’s an ambitious film and that makes it worth watching, even though it doesn’t really deliver in the end.

4) Monga (Taiwan, 2010) - Directed by Doze Niu

Doze Niu’s follow-up to What on Earth Have I Done Wrong is a million times more ambitious and even more engaging. However, it doesn’t follow through with the burst of adrenaline it delivers in the first 30 minutes and falls back on unintentional homo-eroticism, gangster clichés, a hooker with a heart of gold, and the idealist talk about brotherhood. At least it looks great with really impressive production values.

5) Last Train Home (Canada, 2009) - Directed by Fan Lixin

This compelling documentary by former Chinese journalist Fan Lixin looks at the lives of migrant workers who make the trek every year from their jobs in the big city back to their rural homes during Lunar New Year. It’s not only a look at the migration itself, but also a look at how rapid development and centralization of industry in China has broken up families. Starts off slow, but gets much, much better later on.

That’s part 1. Next is some Yuya Ishii, a Singaporean dark comedy, and of course, a little Japanese animation.

 

Apologies for not catching up on the news lately. But as a compensation, I would like to give you the most awesome music video in contemporary Hong Kong pop culture:

It’s Ekin. Aaron. Not just together in movies anymore. They’re now joined in song:

You gotta love the man-brace in the end.

Storm Warriors better be the most super-duper awesome-est movie ever made. After Founding of a Republic, of course.

Even though I’m still in the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival mode, it’s time to write about another film festival that’s coming up in Hong Kong in a few weeks.

In 2008, a small film festival for solely Asian independent films popped up, thanks to Hong Kong indie film organization Ying E Chi. Now in their second year, the Hong Kong Asian Independent Film Festival is determined to grow by quite a bit, and I assume that was why YEC were nice enough to invite both Kozo and I to their press conference on October 15th in the soon-to-be torn down Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate.

The two people on the right are staring because I interviewed them for a magazine feature. Most right is director/YEC board director Jessey Tsang (of indie film Lovers On the Road and the subject of my feature), and on her right is Hong Kong Art Center’s Teresa Kwong. 

The press conference begins

Starting on November 14th, this year’s festival will feature 30+ films from Korea, Japan, Iran, India, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong (of course), and even the United States (representing the Asian-American community).

This year’s opening films are the Wim Wenders-produced Japanese film The Clone Returns Home and Hong Kong’s Dead Slowly by Rita Hui (and produced by Jessey Tsang).

Director Rita Hui holding the mic standing with actors, including co-star Joman Chiang (left)

And here’s the trailer:

And before the festival, YEC will also show a set of films by a group of young local directors called the Quirky Rookies. Directors, crew members, and even actors were present at the press conference:

“We make films so Lovehkfilm can review them.”

On a personal note, Gabriel Fung, a friend and an upperclassmen at my school, will be screening his graduate thesis film Chants Within Doldrum at the festival. And he had his day in the spotlight too:

That’s Gabriel on the left, pretending that he doesn’t know me

And there were also special guests:

Director Soi Cheang (left) and YEC founder/director Vincent Chui (right)

And just like the end of every press conference, there was a big group photo.

I picked the one with the most looks my way

As for my own picks. I will most likely be watching:

Dead Slowly
The Clone Returns Home
The President is Coming
In The Fog/Chain
How to Live On Earth
Roses Have Thorns
Let’s Fall In Love
Non-Ko
People I’ve Slept With

Of course, you can make your own picks and find out more information, including how to buy tickets and information about the master class by editor Mary Stephen, at the film festival’s website.

And I would like to represent lovehkfilm.com in thanking Ms. Wendy Wan for inviting us to the press conference, as well as everyone else at YEC (including Ms. Venus Wong and Ms. Jessey Tsang) for their hospitality at the press conference. It’s great to see the film festival world of Hong Kong expanding, and it’s even better to see independent films get their day in the sun.

Until then, see you all next month at the movies.