News Links - 3/18/07
Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 2:10 pmChina’s Garbo
MAGGIE CHEUNG is in the Leather Room.
http://www.sundayherald.com/arts/arts/d ... 58.0.0.php
Unholy Matrimony - Leon Lai, Fan Bingbing
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/ ... index_html
THE Unholy Matrimony is a trendsetter in mainland China. Not only is it a high-budget movie, it is also a supernatural thriller with a full mainland Chinese production crew and a cast of top actors from China (Fan Bingbing), Taiwan (Rene Liu) and Hong Kong (Leon Lai).
“It is refreshing in its make-up,” said said Lai during a recent phone interview arranged by film distributor UIP Malaysia.
Set in Shanghai during the 1930s, The Unholy Matrimony revolves around Shen Junchu (Lai), a cinematographer who loses hope in life after the death of his girlfriend Manli (Fan).
In an attempt to turn things around, his mother arranges a marriage for him to Sansan (Rene Liu) but his condition still deteriorates. Desperate, Sansan allows Manli’s spirit to possess her body and visit Junchu.
The latter begins to recover and finally decides to let go of the past and begin anew with his wife.
However, consumed with jealousy and rage, Manli now refuses to leave...
Although there are elements of ghostly encounter, The Unholy Matrimony is really a love story at heart.
According to director Teng Huatao, it is not so much a horror movie but rather “a different kind of love story” with the addition of some supernatural touches.
Eerie stuff, you might say? Where Lai is concerned, he does not find it chilling at all.
“Since I am totally involved in the story, it’s not frightening at all,” he said.
“It’s just like when a loved one has passed on and the spirit returns on the seventh night (according to Chinese beliefs). Nobody in the family will be frightened if the spirit appears.”
As for whether he believes in ghosts, Lai feels that there are many things that are unexplained.
“I can’t say that I believe or disbelieve. Scientific facts prove there are no such things but we have all heard stories that tell us otherwise.
“I just believe that things exist for a reason and that mankind is just too small to understand everything.”
As for his co-stars from China and Taiwan, Lai says he has seen many of their movies before and thus is quite familiar with their work.
“In person, they are professional actresses and have outgoing personalities.”
For Lai, the good thing about filming this movie is that he got to be around Mandarin speaking crew for over two months. Lai, after all, is a Beijing-born actor/singer.
The Unholy Matrimony is his second supernatural thriller. His first, Three Extremes — Going Home, won him a Best Actor award in the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan in 2002.
However, for Lai, awards are the furthest things on his mind.
“We do not make movies just for awards,” he said. “I think that just doing your best is enough.”
Lai says he will first read the script before accepting any film projects. If he feels he can handle it, then he would accept the role.
He adds that there’s no such thing as a good or bad script,.
“A movie is a group effort,” he said in no uncertain terms.
Karen Mok Opens Asian Arts and Literature Library
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/18/60@206764.htm
Rainie Yang and Isabella Leong Promote "Spider Lilies" in Taipei
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/18/60@206784.htm
Joey Yung Joins Campaign against Hepatitis
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/18/1301@206618.htm
Five Taiwan Candidates Enter "A Dream of Red Mansions" Competition Final
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/18/60@206725.htm
A cartoon for China's new generation
Bad Girl aims to catch a popular culture wave in the country's youth market, competing with manga from Japan.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... -headlines
Live action Mushishi
http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story ... sec=movies
MAGGIE CHEUNG is in the Leather Room.
http://www.sundayherald.com/arts/arts/d ... 58.0.0.php
Unholy Matrimony - Leon Lai, Fan Bingbing
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/ ... index_html
THE Unholy Matrimony is a trendsetter in mainland China. Not only is it a high-budget movie, it is also a supernatural thriller with a full mainland Chinese production crew and a cast of top actors from China (Fan Bingbing), Taiwan (Rene Liu) and Hong Kong (Leon Lai).
“It is refreshing in its make-up,” said said Lai during a recent phone interview arranged by film distributor UIP Malaysia.
Set in Shanghai during the 1930s, The Unholy Matrimony revolves around Shen Junchu (Lai), a cinematographer who loses hope in life after the death of his girlfriend Manli (Fan).
In an attempt to turn things around, his mother arranges a marriage for him to Sansan (Rene Liu) but his condition still deteriorates. Desperate, Sansan allows Manli’s spirit to possess her body and visit Junchu.
The latter begins to recover and finally decides to let go of the past and begin anew with his wife.
However, consumed with jealousy and rage, Manli now refuses to leave...
Although there are elements of ghostly encounter, The Unholy Matrimony is really a love story at heart.
According to director Teng Huatao, it is not so much a horror movie but rather “a different kind of love story” with the addition of some supernatural touches.
Eerie stuff, you might say? Where Lai is concerned, he does not find it chilling at all.
“Since I am totally involved in the story, it’s not frightening at all,” he said.
“It’s just like when a loved one has passed on and the spirit returns on the seventh night (according to Chinese beliefs). Nobody in the family will be frightened if the spirit appears.”
As for whether he believes in ghosts, Lai feels that there are many things that are unexplained.
“I can’t say that I believe or disbelieve. Scientific facts prove there are no such things but we have all heard stories that tell us otherwise.
“I just believe that things exist for a reason and that mankind is just too small to understand everything.”
As for his co-stars from China and Taiwan, Lai says he has seen many of their movies before and thus is quite familiar with their work.
“In person, they are professional actresses and have outgoing personalities.”
For Lai, the good thing about filming this movie is that he got to be around Mandarin speaking crew for over two months. Lai, after all, is a Beijing-born actor/singer.
The Unholy Matrimony is his second supernatural thriller. His first, Three Extremes — Going Home, won him a Best Actor award in the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan in 2002.
However, for Lai, awards are the furthest things on his mind.
“We do not make movies just for awards,” he said. “I think that just doing your best is enough.”
Lai says he will first read the script before accepting any film projects. If he feels he can handle it, then he would accept the role.
He adds that there’s no such thing as a good or bad script,.
“A movie is a group effort,” he said in no uncertain terms.
Karen Mok Opens Asian Arts and Literature Library
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/18/60@206764.htm
Rainie Yang and Isabella Leong Promote "Spider Lilies" in Taipei
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/18/60@206784.htm
Joey Yung Joins Campaign against Hepatitis
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/18/1301@206618.htm
Five Taiwan Candidates Enter "A Dream of Red Mansions" Competition Final
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/03/18/60@206725.htm
A cartoon for China's new generation
Bad Girl aims to catch a popular culture wave in the country's youth market, competing with manga from Japan.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... -headlines
Live action Mushishi
http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story ... sec=movies