News Links - 8/30/08

Dennis Lee's Daily HK cinema news archive

News Links - 8/30/08

Postby dleedlee » Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:24 pm

Sparrow, Good Cats get North American premieres at Vancouver film fest
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columb ... -fest.html

Hollywood suits the Pang Brothers
Danny Pang waiting for script approval from China for Charlene Choi film
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/con ... 4a7120fc8e

John Woo dips into Olympic talent pool
Director wants to work with Liu Xiang, Guo Jingjing
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/con ... 246c0aba99

CJ7 on Blu-ray: Alien Tongues
What is original language in age of coproductions?
http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/080822/art ... ntID=96258

Film review
Achilles And The Tortoise
http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyA ... ryID=40478

"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" Premieres in Shanghai
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/08/29/176s400216.htm

Venice Film Festvial
Photo call for Jia Zhangke's Cry Me a River
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/6s89rJX7 ... m+Festival
Premiere
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/zaQ74EO8 ... r+Premiere
Plastic City photocall
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/UOtzo8Ur ... ou+Plastic
Nelson Yu and Huang Yi
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Tang Wei on verge of becoming Hong Kong resident
Joins rank with Zhang Ziyi, Hu Jun, Lang Lang
File photo
Image
http://news.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show ... 740/1.html

Last year's nursery song debut Charlene with Gillain
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This year Charlene goes solo
Image
http://ent.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/news/sho ... 114&ct=pic

Karen Mok, "I was not the third person in the bathroom"
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Karen-Mo ... 75696.html

Kicking her way back
After sex scandal, Gillian Chung is set to revive her career as a gongfu star

SIX months after being embroiled in the Edison Chen sex scandal, Twins member Gillian Chung seems set to return to showbiz.


Not as a pop idol, but an action heroine.

In the recently released book Angels In The World, the 27-year-old singer-actress revealed plans to star in a martial arts film.

'I've never thought of quitting showbiz,' said Gillian, who had been lying low since nude pictures of her, taken by Edison, were leaked on the Internet in February.

'I'm a hyperactive person, I can't stop even for a second. Telling me to stop working for a week is like asking me to waste time, which is sheer agony.

'So I've been actively enriching myself. Now I'm in love with dance and gongfu, and I hope to do an action film.'

The book, which tells of how Emperor Group artistes overcame their worst career lows, is available at Kinokuniya Book Store.


After the scandal that dragged her innocent-girl image through the mud, it seems apt that Gillian should return with a different screen persona.

But gongfu is not alien to her. She was earlier seen fighting off villains in the Stephen Fung-directed action flick House Of Fury in 2005.

In real life, too, her fighting spirit is showing in her determination to make her comeback.

On 5 Aug, a cheerful-looking Gillian made her first public appearance in six months at a basketball event in Haining, China.

Named the new image ambassador of the 2008 Fiba Diamond Ball For Women, she helped to start a match between the US and Australia.

Audience reaction was mixed. Some reportedly booed her while others screamed her name excitedly and asked for her autograph.

Some fans even bought expensive tickets from touts just to see her.

Her confidence boost

The media reports that followed were largely positive, probably boosting her confidence.

Her confession in Angels In The World also drew both fan support and criticism that she was deliberately trying to win sympathy.

In a recent Internet poll in Hong Kong, Gillian was voted the female celebrity with the 'most beautiful facial features'.

Fans raved about her pretty face and small, sexy lips - which gave her the winning edge over other nominees like Denise Ho, Cecilia Cheung, Kelly Chen and Vivian Chow.

On the flip side, netizens and viewers reportedly protested against the Olympics-inspired slogan 'Root for Nicholas Tse, cheer for Gillian Chung', coined for their new China-produced period drama The Spirit of the Sword.

The serial started showing on ATV in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, street sightings of Gillian have increased this month.

Two weeks ago, she attracted much attention when she appeared at a hair salon with her Twins partner Charlene Choi.

Days later, she was seen shopping with her manager and then joining a group of friends for supper.

Charlene appears to be also trying to win some brownie points for her long-time Twins buddy.

She revealed to the Hong Kong media recently that Gillian has been reading gongfu manuals and had bought some books on Wing Chun martial arts.

Charlene added: 'I know that she always wanted to be an action star and she's been practising hard... I hope everyone will give her a chance.'

Perhaps the question now is, how will Gillian make her comeback?

Her manager Mani Fok told reporters that Gillian had received several offers from advertisers, movie producers and TV stations, but 'we're still waiting for the right time'.

Already, there is talk that Gillian will replace Isabella Leung to star opposite Nicholas in the upcoming martial arts film Wing Chun. But Miss Fok denied this.

What is confirmed is that Gillian will make a guest appearance as an 'escort dancer' in Oliver Stone's new movie W, on the life of US president George W Bush.

She flew to the US two months ago to film her scene.

But such a cameo can barely count as a comeback. And neither can her five-minute screen time in the upcoming biopic Mei Lanfang, but there is speculation that she will be involved in promotions for the movie.

Gillian remains positive about her future in showbiz.

'No matter how indignant I feel, it's all in vain,' she said in Angels In The World.

'This incident hurt too deeply, I'll never be able to forget it. But I try not to think about it too much so, I can let myself feel better.'

The fighter in her refuses to cower to detractors.

'All the more I have to work hard and seek breakthroughs, to meet the expectations of those who support me and not let the others look down on me.

'No matter what kind of criticism I get in the future, I have to stand up and face them.'
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 13,00.html?

Their career lows
Nicholas Tse and Joey Yung share their nightmares in the book Angels In The World:
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 12,00.html?

Lin Chi-ling attends YSL fashion event
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http://ent.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/news/sho ... 100&ct=pic

Vivian Chow shows she still has a 24-inch waist, i.e., not pregnant
Image
http://ent.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/news/sho ... 110&ct=pic

Faye Wong happily pregnant
Manager discloses Faye will return to music
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http://ent.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/news/sho ... 103&ct=pic

Mystery 'iPhone Girl' On Her Way To Meme Status
http://www.crn.com/retail/210201308
'iPhone Girl' Finds Fame And Fear On The Production Line
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00571.html

China's Olympic stars visit Hong Kong
Chang Fei and Guo Jingjing
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http://ent.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/news/sho ... 108&ct=pic
???? Better to light a candle than curse the darkness; Measure twice, cut once.
Pinyin to Wade-Giles. Cantonese names file
dleedlee
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