News Links - 7/25/06

[dleedlee]

Hong Kong actor Andy Lau speaks to reporters during a press conference in Tokyo Monday, July 24, 2006. Lau is in Tokkyo to promote his latest film, 'All About Love.' (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)

Chinese star Gong Li does 'Vice,''Geisha,''Hannibal'
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 002D83.DTL

Hong Kong animation blooms
http://www.cctv.com/program/cultureexpr ... 4170.shtml
A transforming period - Chinese animation
http://www.cctv.com/program/cultureexpr ... 4162.shtml

"M:I3" Faces Challenge from HK Action Blockbuster
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 118261.htm

Actress of Ang Lee's 'Lust, Caution' Unveiled
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 118280.htm

Roger Kwok and Cindy Au's Wedding Held at Hong Kong Disneyland
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 118315.htm

Photos: Jeon Ji Hyun Shows Her Perfect Curve
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 118575.htm

Jolin Tsai Promotes New Album in Shanghai
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 118375.htm

Joey Yung Promotes New Ablum "Joey Yung 9492" in Beijing
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 118369.htm

Jay Chow and Zhang Yadong Tailor Songs for Gigi Leung
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 118363.htm

[Brian Thibodeau]

I've been hoping to find pictures from LITTLE SOLDIER ZHANG GA for some time now, with no luck. Does anyone know of sites posting sneak peaks at the animation?

Here's another article, from last year, on the Chinese animation industry in general, in which LITTLE SOLDIER is mentioned.

http://www.btmbeijing.com/contents/en/btm/2005-09/coverstory/animationindustry

I always find bits like this interesting:
As the film's producer Sun Li Xu has no doubt Little Soldier Zhang Ga will appeal to a multigenerational audience. Because of the anticipated demand for the film, a special pricing system of 2 yuan per seat is being employed in cinemas nationwide to offset the loss in anticipated revenue to illegal duplication of the film. Sun says that pirate DVDs of the film will achieve costs of anywhere between 6-8 yuan each.

Ironic that animators in China have few options but to "work with" a government that "helpfully" limits the hours of broadcast for, and quantities of, "unsavoury" foreign cartoons, then barely funds the people it expects to fill in the programming holes while making sure the content they DO produce maintains acceptable levels of deferrent blandness, and does so little to fight some of the biggest pirate industries on earth operating within its borders....

I'd dying to see what kind of quality such an environment can produce for a "prestige" project like LITTLE SOLDIER, but at the same time, I'm fearing it might look like something the Americans might have done circa 1983, which means it might never be seen outside China's borders for the sake of saving face. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong when stills start popping up. . .