Tony Leung Promotes Hong Kong Films
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/02/60@201148.htm

The Dark Glow of the Red Lantern
http://www.nysun.com/article/49670

Hong Kong Gov't Reduce Film Fund
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/02/272@201041.htm
Warner Bros, Paramount and 20th Century Fox are now competing for the remake rights to Hong Kong director Derek Yee's newest anti-drug film "Protege

Roy Lee discovered potential in 'Departed'
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/ ... 020065.asp

Jackie and Jet to team up at last
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... con_type=1

BIG STARS, BAD REPS - Rain
CHANG MAY CHOON susses out the worst of Asia's spoilt stars
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 25,00.html?
BIG STARS, BAD REPS 2
JAPAN'S PRIMA DONNA AYUMI HAMASAKI, 29, SINGER
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 22,00.html
BIG STARS, BAD REPS 3
TAIWAN'S PRIMA DONNA VIVIAN HSU, 32, SINGER
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 23,00.html?
BIG STARS, BAD REPS 4
HONG KONG'S PRIMA DONNA CHOW YUN FAT, 51, ACTOR (!)
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 24,00.html?

"The Peach Blossom Land" Heads for Broadway in English
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/02/60@201189.htm

"The Host" to Hit Chinese Silver Screen
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/02/272@200964.htm

Media Asia commits coin
Co.'s biggest investment is in 'Warlords'
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796 ... id=19&cs=1

Rumors on TV Show Limits Scotched
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/02/272@201013.htm

Roy Lee discovered potential in 'Departed'
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/ ... 020065.asp

Priceless.

Press Release

Ray Lui and Remy Martin(R) Join Forces as Partners in Excellence
http://digital50.com/news/items/PR/2007 ... lence.html

Brian Thibodeau wrote:

Roy Lee discovered potential in 'Departed'
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/ ... 020065.asp

Priceless.

I think this is just another example, albeit an extreme one, that almost in no one on the business side of Hollywood knows anything about movies—or more to the point, knows anything about getting movies made that the public will pay money to see. Look at the Gordian knot of options, development and script doctoring. Add all the executives who know that you don’t get fired for turning something down but you might for OKing something that flops and independent production companies that don’t produce anything.

Don’t forget the prima donna actors—Chow Yun Fat’s demands detailed above wouldn’t be considered unusual for top stars in Hollywood, where half the members of the cast get a trailer of their own and unusual demands like a 12 hour day with two hours of travel are taken care of with by paying more. In that case the producers just didn’t have the experience in dealing with such behavior to know how to deal with it.

One perfect example why Hollywood depends on Raymond Lee to find Asian pictures to be remade—and no one, I believe, should fault Mr. Lee for simply taking advantage of a such a situation—is the way in which remakes and sequels to American product are made and marketed. The original of “The Stepford Wives” (and the Ira Levin novel upon which it was based) had enough resonance so that its title entered the language as shorthand for a certain type of relationship. The remake, with a very starry cast, was a dud that lost millions. “Sister Act” was a small movie with Whoopi Goldberg plus Maggie Smith and Harvey Keitel competing as to who could be most obnoxious. It was a huge and unexpected hit while its sequel was atrociously inept. Both of these cases—and anyone who loves movies can name a bunch of others without even trying—are simply examples of how the people in charge of such things in the U.S. movie industry simply don’t know why people go to the movies and what they want to see when they get there.

Two of the things that set the Hong Kong film business apart from the behemoth in the U.S. are that HK filmmakers are much more in touch with their audience and they are much quicker in getting a movie on the screen. Until very recently the audience for their work was Hong Kong and the Chinese diaspora of Southeast Asia. Writers, directors and producers knew what that group wanted. Being much more financially nimble the HK industry could have a sequel, prequel, remake or spin-off running through the projectors while those who loved the original still remembered it—or at least, unlike in Hollywood, were still alive.

I must say that I am sceptical about the Chow Yun Fat article. Doesn't ring true to me.

and no one, I believe, should fault Mr. Lee for simply taking advantage of a such a situation

You're right, Ed. I realize my derision for Lee and his "projects" really does stem from the fact that the studios somehow feel his innate "Asian sensibilities" (give me a break!) are somehow key to his magic (as if they couldn't buy DVDs and attend screenings, just like he does), and are so indispensible and so inimitable that virtually no one else from any ethnic background could do what he does—which is, essentially, watch movies. Really, how long did it take ANY of you reading this to figure out that the insanely high-concept and high-visibility INFERNAL AFFAIRS had fantastic remake potential the first time you saw it? I probably sensed it about 20 minutes into the film, not that I particularly wanted to see a remake. The same definitely goes for IL MARE and MY SASSY GIRL. I suppose the Korean press—just the latest in a long line—touting him as some kind of saviour that Hollywood can't live without also has something to do with my disdain. Well. that an the consistent inferiority to their predecessors of most of the movies he's helped usher in to production so far (even THE DEPARTED).

But I also shouldn't complain for another reason. I own all the originals, and they're good enough for me.


EDIT: A friend of mine in Vancouver told me that the announcer at the Oscars stated that THE DEPARTED was a remake of "the Japanese film Infernal Affairs" or something like that. If that's true, then it only adds merit to Ed's recent comments about Hollywood's general cluelessness.

Wow, I think Little Tony looks a little tipsy!

ewaffle wrote:almost in no one on the business side of Hollywood knows anything about movies—or more to the point, knows anything about getting movies made that the public will pay money to see.

The box office receipt numbers, as well as business earnings reports, rather clearly indicate otherwise:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070208/earns_disney.html?.v=7
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070207/earns_ne ... html?.v=16
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070209/earns_li ... .html?.v=1

Although 2005 was a downturn, the long-term numbers look quite good--despite competition from DVDs, piracy, itunes/amazon, home theater rigs, etc.

The fact is, "Hollywood" (whatever that means) does surprisingly well at selling, and getting people into theaters to watch, garbage--which is truly astounding. The theater experience, at least in the U.S. is such an unpleasant one.

By “Hollywood” I mean U.S. based companies that produce and distribute motion pictures.

While revenues are up, so are ticket prices. The actual number of people paying money to sit in a movie theater is down.

2005 may well have been an exceptionally bad year and everyone involved, especially studios and exhibitors, cried that the end of the world had arrived and that it was the other guy’s fault. However, the number of paid admissions to movie theaters dropped steadily from a high of 1.63 billion in 2002 to 1.39 billion in 2005. The kind of success that the U.S. movie industry had in 2002 could possibly happen again but I would not bet on it. Released that year were: “Spiderman”, “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” and three other films that topped $200 million at the box office.

While rebounding a bit in 2006, the actual number of paid admissions for that year in the U.S. was fewer than any year since 1997. I haven’t run the numbers but it looks as if increased ticket prices are responsible for most of any increased gross income for distributors and exhibitors. I don’t think the numbers reported in the Box Office Mojo report show the continued success of an industry that is based on understanding its audience.