http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796 ... id=13&cs=1
Hong Kong star's Hollywood terms at center of movie contract dispute
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/ ... nsions.php
Anti-Piracy Film in the Making - Feng Xiaogang to direct Li Bingbing
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/04/17/1261@217088.htm
A-Mei Signs with EMI
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/04/17/1261@217050.htm
Curiosity Kills the Cat producer Jimmy Wu to unveil two new projects
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1187/1/
Double Happiness - new on DVD
http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf ... -Happiness
Chinese tradition is all the talk
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1182/
Apple Daily's 'Razzies'
Made in S'pore film slammed as worst movie
A FILM created by a Singaporean, and filmed on location here, has been slammed as the worst movie of the year by netizens in Hong Kong.
It was the result of a poll conducted by Apple Daily Hong Kong for its second Golden Plum awards - its version of Hollywood's Razzies to dishonour substandard flicks.
The movie in question is the comedy We Are Family (above), which starred Alan Tam and Hacken Lee. It was directed by Clifton Ko.
The film picked the most Golden Plums - for Worst Movie, Worst Director, Worst Actor (Alan) and Worst Couple (Alan and Hacken).
It was the brainchild of former MediaCorp programmer Pauline Yu, now a producer with production house Pics Talk.
Released here last June, it is about a man (Hacken) who wants to marry his girlfriend but is forced to impress her eccentric family, which includes a host of characters all played by Alan.
The Hong Kong-China-Singapore production also starred local actors such as Jeff Wang, Patricia Mok, and Ng Hui.
If disappointed, Pauline, who happened to be in Cannes for work when The New Paper called her, didn't show it.
She said: 'It doesn't matter, I don't think much of Apple Daily anyway.'
She had read about We Are Family's ridicule but refused to let it get to her.
However, Pauline, who had sold the story rights to Clifton for a five-figure Hong Kong dollar sum, admitted that the movie had not turned out the way that she had envisioned it to be.
The eventual script was written by Hong Kong scriptwriters.
But Pauline maintained 'it really doesn't matter'.
Hong Kong singer-actress Fiona Sit took the rap for Worst Actress for her movie Love Undercover 3.
Kungfu flick Dragon Tiger Gate, which starred Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue, won for Worst Scene.
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 18,00.html
HK Film Awards: Tony and Carina hold hands to dispel split rumours
But is that a FORCED SMILE?
THEY might be wearing matching outfits and holding hands to quash rumours of a break-up when they turned up at the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) last night.
But the faces of Hong Kong celebrity couple Tony Leung and Carina Lau seemed to tell a different story, reported Apple Daily Hong Kong.
Unnatural, forced and awkward were etched on their faces when they made their grand entrance on the red carpet before the event.
It was their first public appearance together since rumours began recently over their 18-year-long relationship, due to Carina's much-reported romantic link to Taiwanese billionaire tycoon Terry Gou, 56.
When they appeared nearing the end of the red-carpet segment, many members of the media started applauding and cheering them.
Tony first alighted the Mercedes-Benz car and walked over to the other side to help Carina out.
Then, he grabbed her hand and walked her to the red carpet.
HE DOESN'T LET GO OF HAND
They tried to smile at the cameras, but the awkwardness was evident, reported Apple Daily. There was a lack of interaction between the couple.
When a host asked Carina if she wanted Tony to win the Best Actor award, she broke into laughter and replied: 'Yes, very much.'
Tony, who was nominated for his role in Confessions of Pain, lost later to Lau Ching Wan.
Apart from that, the awards this year was a perfunctory affair which flatlined throughout the night.
The spotlight fell on those who were absent rather than those who turned up.
China actress Gong Li, who didn't turn up despite bagging the Best Actress award for her role in Zhang Yimou's Curse Of The Golden Flower, sent the rumour mill into overdrive.
Was she pregnant?
There was not even a pre-recorded thank-you video clip from the 42-year-old, which is the norm for absentee winners.
Instead, a movie company representative received the award on her behalf.
Speculation of Gong Li's pregnancy comes hot on the heels of reports by both Ming Pao and Sing Tao nearly two weeks ago, citing a netizen's account of the actress throwing up beside her car in her hometown in Jinan county, China.
She quickly deflected the rumours by turning up in a midriff-baring outfit at a Shanghai event soon after.
Her seemingly uncooperative attitude towards the HKFA committee - Gong Li was the only Best Actress nominee who failed to turn up for a photo shoot and did not supply a photo of herself to the organisers - added fuel to the fire.
Like her, director Yimou was also nowhere to be seen, despite his imperial rebellion epic notching up four wins, and his feature Riding Alone For Thousands Of Miles, scoring Best Asian Film.
Best Actor nominee Chow Yun Fatt didn't turn up either, leaving Jay Chou, who plays his son in Curse Of The Golden Flower, the only representative that night.
Jay went home with Best Original Film Song for Chrysanthemum Platform.
The night belonged to Patrick Tam's After This Our Exile, which swept five major awards.
The movie tells the tale about a young boy (Goum Ian Iskandar) who is forcded to turn to petty theft to support his abusive gambler father (Aaron Kwok).
The 10-year-old Dutch-born Indonesian-Chinese Goum, who already had the honour of being the youngest Golden Horse Best Supporting Actor last year, bagged the same award at HKFA, with the addition of Best New Performer too.
His strong standing had prompted fellow Best Supporting Actor nominee Nick Cheung to joke earlier: 'You should be studying hard at your age. You already have a Golden Horse, this award is more important to me!'
And while Goum seemed calm and mature beyond his years during his first trip to the rostrum, nerves got the better of him the second time, when he stuck out his tongue+ after making a false start to his speech, drawing laughter from the audience.
Even the red carpet walk was literally pallid, with belles turning up in a sea of monochrome of whites, creams, and black.
CAN'T LIGHT UP
Korean stars Kwon Sang Woo and Song Hae Gyo, who were presenters at the awards, failed to light up too, with Sang Woo in an unimaginative black and white tuxedo and Hae Gyo in a creamy layered dress.
Only Taiwanese celebrity sisters Barbie and Dee Hsu and Chinese actress Zhou Xun seemed to be having fun with their perky gold, red and hot pink ensembles respectively.
There were no major upsets in the awards ceremony, not even the mildly-surprising win of actor Daniel Wu, for his maiden directorial effort, the mockumentary The Heavenly Kings.
It was the 33-year-old's first-ever win. And ironically, it was not for his acting, despite his previous acting nominations.
Unfortunately, his thank-you speech was also insipid, much like the hosting done by actors Lam Chi Chung, Bowie Tsang and Nick.
Not only did the three share zero chemistry, there was plenty of dead air when their jokes fell flat.
Like when Bowie (daughter of Eric Tsang) jokingly asked the audience if they thought her dad was handsome, and was greeted with an uncomfortable dead silence.
Eventually, she covered her mouth in embarrassment and squeaked: 'So quiet! I'm terrified!'
It was at once the funniest, and flattest moment of the night.
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 35,00.html?
