News Links - 8/16/06

[dleedlee]

"Crazy Stone" is now showing in Hong Kong
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/00 ... 161010.htm

Jackie Chan Stars in TV Ad Urging Children to Beware of Bird Flu
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 127240.htm

Andy Lau Promotes New Cantonese Album in Beijing
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 127484.htm

Jay Chou and Jolin Tsai Will End Up on Same Stage
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 127255.htm

Curse of the Golden Flower- Another Two Productions Stills
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 127252.htm

Foreign cartoons not so funny in China
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Busi ... 7Cb01.html
Foreign cartoons banned from prime time
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006 ... 663889.htm

Inaugural Hong Kong sex workers' film festival offers nuanced, diverse portrait of trade
http://in.news.yahoo.com/060815/210/66ot4.html

Hong Kong Film Industry Warns Downloaders
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060815/apfn_hon ... .html?.v=1
HK imposes 'film pirates' fines
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4795463.stm

China join hands with U.S., U.K. to shoot movie on Nanjing Massacre
http://english.people.com.cn/200608/14/ ... 93019.html

Pubs, privet and parody as China builds little Britain by the Yangtse
http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0 ... 77,00.html
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmp ... 6234833500

[Brian Thibodeau]

Foreign cartoons not so funny in China
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Busi ... 7Cb01.html
Foreign cartoons banned from prime time
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006 ... 663889.htm

Fear and control, fear and control...

[Brian Thibodeau]

China join hands with U.S., U.K. to shoot movie on Nanjing Massacre
http://english.people.com.cn/200608/14/ ... 93019.html

from that story:

Investors hope to invite Ziyi Zhang, a Chinese film star who has developed a world fame, to star the planned movie. Cast will hopefully also include Michelle Yeoh from Malaysia, who played a major role in the Oscar winner Crunching Tiger, Hidden dragon.

Good to see they're thinking outside the box in terms of casting possibilities. If I had the ears of the producer of the Charles Grodin classic SUNBURN and famous Hollywood screenwriter he's working with on this, I'd strongly recommend they go after Gong Li. I think those three would be box-office gold in a film together, PLUS they could shoot it in English so us lazy westerners won't have to read subtitles!

Shrindler's List...

[dleedlee]

On the cartoons articles, I thought it was mainly about protectionism similar to how foreign films are blocked for a certain during the summer movie season so that local films have a shot at the box office. More business than politics in this case was how I read it. The twenty (?) foreign films a year limitation might be more thought control oriented.

I think Zhang Ziyi is pitched for every film whether there's an actual possibility or not. Even if I'm first time filmmaker straight out of uni producing a film and looking for funding, certainly I'm going to say that I'm thinking about casting ZZ in the lead. I'm undecided about whether I want to invite Zhang Yimou or Wong Kar Wai to direct, though, I have to sleep on it a few more days. In fact, it's more likely I'll get Ginny from the block and some out of work porn director. Yeah, I'm thinking about inviting Julia Roberts to my prom!

[Brian Thibodeau]

On the cartoons articles, I thought it was mainly about protectionism similar to how foreign films are blocked for a certain during the summer movie season so that local films have a shot at the box office. More business than politics in this case was how I read it. The twenty (?) foreign films a year limitation might be more thought control oriented.

I see your point here, but I suppose it's just the tone of the articles in some of the Chinese media sites regarding the issue. I can't say if any of them are state-run sites, since most do at least nod to the dissenting side in a paragraph or two, as in this part from the China Daily story, which I think makes a very strong point:

Domestic animations have to first of all become interesting if they are to be popular, according to Yang Yunxia, a Beijing fashion analyst with a four-year-old daughter. "Children are not going to fall in love with something simply because they have no other options," she said.

The Chinese government can put in place all the controls they want in the name of business or politics, but when the most they can inspire—or fund—as a consequence are pretty-but-didactic little socio-cultural history lessons possibly laced with subtext about avoiding "foreign" influences—and films like the cool-sounding THROUGH THE MOBIUS STRIP that ultimately few people go to see—then they deny so many creative people the one thing that truly inspires greatness: competition, both from within AND abroad.

IF the people want the latest Anime rage from Japan or Korea or the U.S. or wherever (and I can't say for sure that they DO) because it's simply better and more entertaining—and possibly just as real-world educational—than the stuff China is currently producing, THAT should be the signal to the government NOT to further shut out competition so they can maintain an idealogically level (read: one sided) playing field during key prime time hours.

Instead, they should encourage these animation companies to produce something that is worthy of replacing these outside programs on its own merit, rather than because it a) covertly supports party ideology and b) the space was simply made available by force. Animators can manufacture any manner of government- and culturally-friendly mediocrity if they know they just have to fill a premium gap, but when the ratings inevitably prove the material has no staying power with a populace already familiar with the alternative, I'm sure the government will find some way of blaming the animators for not producing strong enough material despite their masters' "generous" incentives.

I realize, too, that the Chinese government is not shutting out ALL foreign product at ALL times, but my western capitalist mindset (I must admit) just can't comprehend how this measure will really be any better for creative communitiues in China. Competition inspires innovation; lack of competition inspires complacent mediocrity, even moreso in the flat world of today (just look at the garbage American animation companies were spewing across TV screens in the mid- to late-80's and even the early 90's before the influx of anime forced them to at least design better shows and write more clever scripts).

Forcibly emptying out a premium block of primetime television and then saying "we expect you to fill this with top quality programming" will not have the results they think it will. Just watch.

I think Zhang Ziyi is pitched for every film whether there's an actual possibility or not. Even if I'm first time filmmaker straight out of uni producing a film and looking for funding, certainly I'm going to say that I'm thinking about casting ZZ in the lead. I'm undecided about whether I want to invite Zhang Yimou or Wong Kar Wai to direct, though, I have to sleep on it a few more days. In fact, it's more likely I'll get Ginny from the block and some out of work porn director. Yeah, I'm thinking about inviting Julia Roberts to my prom!

You may have some difficulty getting Zhang Zi-yi for your movie, Dennis, as I've got her slated to appear in an upcoming dream I've got scheduled for the next few weeks, at least. . . You'll have to talk to her agent.