News Links - 8/30/07

[dleedlee]

The 64th Venice Film Festival Opens

http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/08/30/1221@267978.htm

Ang Lee Arrives for Venice Film Festival
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/08/29/1261@267796.htm
Ang Lee says his new spy thriller "Lust, Caution" has received the most restrictive "NC-17" rating in the U.S., but he hopes the movie will change public perception that the category is reserved for pornography.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/ ... Rating.php

Frail but Feisty - Lydia Shum

IN an industry where one's weight is inversely proportionate to one's success, Hong Kong star Lydia Sum has stood out as a fighter and victor.

The roly-poly performer's name is synonymous with Hong Kong's entertainment scene, having been in show business for 47 years.

She is known for her ample girth and never-changing image, complete with her trademark wing-tipped, dark-framed glasses and imposing coiffure.

These are qualities which are likely to spell career death for an artiste in today's showbiz. But she is loved and respected by colleagues and viewers.

It's no wonder that there has been much interest recently in the 60-year-old's health, what with her frequent visits to the hospital and rumours that she is dying.

In late July, her friend, actress Lee Heung Kam, told reporters that Lydia had been undergoing chemotherapy. She left Queen Mary hospital the day after, looking a shadow of her former self.

Gone were her loud nasal voice and her raucous, infectious laughter that had TV viewers guffawing along with her.

In their place were images of a woman in tears as she talked about her 96-year-old mother and 20-year-old daughter, bawling in public as paparazzi snapped at her heels.

That she has suffered in life - from her failed marriage and subsequent divorce from actor Adam Cheng to raising her daughter, Joyce Cheng, alone, to contracting bile duct infection and liver tumour - only seemed to have made her stronger.

Even as she battled ill-health, Lydia - affectionately known as Fei Fei (Cantonese for Fatty) - is ever the doting mother.

The Hong Kong media said she has been busy planning her daughter's future, placing Joyce in the hands of friends in the entertainment industry so that she can fulfil her showbiz dreams.

Lydia has also set up a company called Joyce Production Co and reportedly transferred the ownership of two cars - a Toyota and a Mercedes-Benz - to her daughter.

But her biggest hope is that Joyce will find a good man to marry.

Unfortunately, the filial daughter was said to have broken up with her Caucasian boyfriend to spend more time with her mother.

Meanwhile, Lydia is no shrinking violet. Instead of dodging the flashlights of the paparazzi, she chooses to take them head on.

When she was discharged from Queen Mary Hospital on 31Jul, she left through the front door, escorted by family and security staff.

She could have used a secret passage, her manager, MsFlorence Chan Suk Fan , told Ming Pao Daily News, but she chose to face the crowd to show that she was fine.

Her friends are behind her.

Old buddies like Sammo Hung, Patrick Tse and Eric Tsang have been urging the media to give her space to recuperate.

And when the media asked how she was, they said the same thing - that she's fine.

EASILY AGITATED

But the straight-talking funnywoman is easily agitated each time she reads untrue reports about herself, said Ms Chan.

But, if recent reports are anything to go by, Lydia appears to be on the road to recovery.

Ms Chan told Hong Kong reporters recently: 'She's quite okay. She can walk, can eat, can chit chat, can play mahjong...

'She watches her blood-sugar level now, eats fewer sweet things now (she's diabetic) and generally eats less. So, naturally she's lost weight.

'I hope she doesn't go out so much but Fei Cheh (Cantonese for Fat Sister) loves to go out.

'She doesn't intend to return to Canada to rest. Why should she change her lifestyle because of the paparazzi?'

That sounds like the feisty Lydia of old, indeed.

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SEPT 2006: Has surgery for bile duct infection. Reports that her condition deteriorated after surgery sparks talk of liver cancer.

5 OCT 2006: Daughter Joyce tells media (above right) Lydia has complications from operation and pleads for them to leave Lydia alone.

28 NOV 2006: Lydia holds press conference to show she is okay. She jokingly says she has chest scar shaped like Mercedes-Benz logo.

31 JUL 2007: Lydia leaves Queen Mary Hospital. Ming Pao Daily News says she lost 20kg and her complexion is waxy yellow.

18 AUG 2007: Lydia attends godson Jacky Cheung's concert. She has hair done and is in such good mood she asks paparazzi why they have not greeted her. Lydia appears to be making progress, visits beauty salon and goes shopping (left). She looks energetic and walks unaided.

19 AUG 2007: Oriental Sunday reports on therapy machine that lessens cancer pains. There are only two in HK. Lydia at once buys one for HK$12m ($2m).

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FROM TEEN STAR TO SUPERSTAR

LYDIA Sum joins Shaw Brothers as teen actress, makes film debut in 1960.

First sings with Liza Wang, Cheung Tak-lan and Wong Oi-meng in 'girl group' Four Golden Flowers in 1970s TVB variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight. Show catapults her to fame.

Makes a name as comic actress, best remembered for role in It's A Mad Mad World.

Starred in Singapore's Ch5 sitcom Living With Lydia. Wins Best Comedy Performance by an Actress award at 2003 Asian Television Awards.

Married actor-singer Adam Cheng in 1985, divorced eight months after Joyce is born in 1987.
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 19,00.html

Eva Huang Practicing Taiji for New TV Series

http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/08/30/902@267911.htm

Death of Cherie Chung’s hubby highlighted
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?fi ... sec=nation

Easternlight shines on "881"
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1982/1/

VIFF spotlighting China
http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/dai ... /viff.html

Asian shows get U.S. outing on GekTV
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1978/1/

Face/Off: 2-Disc Special Collector's Edition
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=30136

Asian Pop
Believe the Hyph
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 8/apop.DTL

'Extinct' dolphin spotted in Yangtze River
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007 ... 066263.htm
Rare dolphin 'sighted' in China
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6969226.stm

Peony in Love
New novel's ghost bride inspired by women who died from `love sickness' after watching opera
http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/251297

[dleedlee]

Terence Chang: A Hollywood producer turns back to Asia
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/29/ ... lede31.php

[Brian Thibodeau]

Asian Pop
Believe the Hyph
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 8/apop.DTL

Interesting approach to the death of yet another indie magazine, although it hasn't actually happened yet. "Rebellious," analog print people ("We're gonna fight the stereotypes, we're gonna look deeper, we're gonna be different!") in a digital age (pardon the hoary cliche) that's been driving small-press-run publications into even smaller niches—and eventually out of business—for years now. I've found an issue of Hyphen here in town and it's a pretty slick piece of work, but like most magazines in its class, I won't go out of my way to find it and would probably skim it for free if I could, and that's as someone with an interest in the content even if I don't fit the demographic. Newspaper and magazine journalists of a certain age still seem to crave that tangible...something that they can hold in their hands, almost as if it doesn't count as real writing if it hasn't been mass printed on paper, even if the readership is a fraction of what they get when the stories are simultaneously carried on a website. Perhaps younger writers are more comfortable with the co-existence of the two mediums than the older ones, but at least it looks like the creators of Hyphen are aware that the website is where they'll actually have the most influence if they do things right.

[duriandave]

A rather lukewarm review of Lust, Caution by Derek Elley at Variety:
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934 ... id=31&cs=1

[dleedlee]

A rather lukewarm review of Lust, Caution by Derek Elley at Variety:
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934 ... id=31&cs=1

That's a bad sign. I think I usually agree with his reviews, too.


Somewhere in my 'archives' I have some old copies of AMagazine. Didn't know it spawned into Hyphen though. I prefer hard copies, too, but space does become an issue so I haven't subscribed to anything in years (not to mention all the junk mail that garners). Unfortunately, the internet isn't very permanent.

[duriandave]

That's a bad sign. I think I usually agree with his reviews, too.

Yeah, I was a little worried when I read his review. But I've really liked every one of Ang Lee's films, so I'm hoping this one will be just as good.

[Brian Thibodeau]

Unfortunately, the internet isn't very permanent.

Well, the internet is being archived almost daily, so in a way...it is permanent, barring total and utter nuclear devastation or, perhaps, the end of the world, but I'm not particularly worried.
http://web.archive.org/web/200211171141 ... azine.com/

Some old sites might only survive in fragments, but there's always something fun to dig up (some of which should probably be brought back!):
http://web.archive.org/web/199812020828 ... hkmdb.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/200009180705 ... ndex.shtml
http://web.archive.org/web/200108020217 ... threads.pl

and, of course:
http://web.archive.org/web/200009010601 ... eview.com/


(incidentally, the last HKMDB update was May 2007, so our comments and work here, for better or worse, are preserved for the ages )

[Brian Thibodeau]

8-year-old Chinese girl runs 3,500 kilometres.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... rnational/

[dleedlee]

Well, the internet is being archived almost daily, so in a way...it is permanent,

Yeah, I know it's there but I just never know how to find anything.

8-year-old Chinese girl runs 3,500 kilometres.

Her story is amazing. Kids have a lot energy, huh? Imagine what she could do if she had Cap'n Cruch for breakfast.

[Brian Thibodeau]

Yeah, I know it's there but I just never know how to find anything.

The best bet is to remember the address of the website you're looking for, then enter it here (starting with http: ...etc)
http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
It ain't perfect, and it would definitely take some effort to find a specific item, but it's very nearly the only option for defunct websites and/or sites that have been drastically overhauled over the years, such as this one. I'm just glad it's there.

Her story is amazing. Kids have a lot energy, huh? Imagine what she could do if she had Cap'n Cruch for breakfast.

Have a sugar rush and burn out after the first couple of miles?

[bkasten]

Some old sites might only survive in fragments, but there's always something fun to dig up (some of which should probably be brought back!):
http://web.archive.org/web/200108020217 ... threads.pl

Oh...my...goodness...

It's the ghastly wwwthreads!

And here I had almost blotted that out of my memory!

[Brian Thibodeau]

Archive.org will memorialize us—or haunt us—long after we're gone, I suspect. Especially now that the site's newer archives are much more complete that those early ones. Perhaps future historians won't feel inclined to dig too deeply!



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