News Links - 5/16/07

[dleedlee]

Wong Kar-wai Arrives in Cannes
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/05/16/1261@227694.htm

Norah Jones' "Blueberry Nights"
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1342/53/

"Blueberry" holds no language barrier
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1341/1/

"Pavilion of Women" Director Luo Yan to Shoot Low Cost Comedy
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/05/16/1221@227627.htm

BIG STARS CREATE BIG PROBLEMS
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 31,00.html

Jackie Chan:
Action Stars Don't Need to Know Kung Fu
http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db/read.php?idx=5326
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/ ... Skills.php

DVD Review: Street Angel / Twin Sisters
http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=64863

Review: "A Day for an Affair" (Korea)
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1338/

Filmmaker Arthur Dong named alumnus of the year
http://www.sfsu.edu/~news/2007/spring/39.htm

When the Chinese love Ash & SRK
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ente ... 042041.cms

Emperor takes stake in Jay Chou project Kung Fu Dunk
http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyA ... &Category=

China's Film Industry Rankles as Spiderman's Web Snares Cinemas
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/05/16/1261@227684.htm

[ewaffle]

BIG STARS CREATE BIG PROBLEMS
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 31,00.html

From the article:

Ms An said: 'Even if we have a mega production with big budget and big stars, it can't guarantee success.

'Korean audiences are more picky now and they demand interesting and realistic stories. But that pushes (the industry) to go on producing good quality films.'

Every cloud has a silver lining and all that...

[Gaijin84]

Emperor takes stake in Jay Chou project Kung Fu Dunk
http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyA ... &Category=

Updated our entry to reflect the new title, also added EMP as US distributor

[dleedlee]

Stupid name change. Slam Dunk was fine...Kung Fu Dunk?

[Gaijin84]

Seriously - I wonder if they believe people will think there is some Stephen Chow involvement/connection? Surprised they didn't call it Shaolin Basketball.

[dleedlee]

The sequel: AndOne: Shaolin Slammin'

[Brian Thibodeau]

Good reading today!

BIG STARS CREATE BIG PROBLEMS
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story ... 31,00.html

EDIT: (just noticed Ed's response before I posted my own! )

Every cloud has a silver lining and all that...

One can hope, as that industry definitely needs some fixin'!

This article nicely highlights more than just the overblown salaries that are threatening the long-term success of the Korean film/TV industry: decreasing exports, consistent domestic box-office underperformers, and an increasingly savvy overseas audience that doesn't (and probably never did) blindly follow star names, instead keeping tabs on the actual performance of these dramas and movies on their home soil, as well smelling derivative (if pretty) material long before it ever needs to hit their DVD players.

"Waves" never last, and I suppose it was only a matter of time before this one faced a clawback of sorts. The article quotes insiders who suggest collaborations with other Asian countries as one possible option, which is something I've been waiting for the Koreans to do for years now (much like their Hong Kong counterparts), if only to break up the homogeneity of a lot of their popular/populist domestic product—for every Park Chan-wook or Kim Di-duk, there are five directors still cranking out American-remake-ready comedies or, worse, horror movies that would have made more financial sense in 2002, when ghost girls with creaking limbs and long creepy hair were in vogue. Say what you will, but watch enough Korean cinema and/or television soaps, and you're almost guaranteed to start craving a something new, something unique, something different from the K-status quo. Especially when you consider that the country's filmmakers are obviously more than capable of pulling it off. Should be interesting to see what changes come about post-2007.

[dleedlee]

Cannes opener a risky business
http://blogs.reuters.com/category/event ... m_festival

The ripple of polite applause after this morning’s screening was an indication that, while not exactly blowing away the press, “My Blueberry Nights”...


Blue Skies and Blueberry Nights
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0 ... 55,00.html

"I wanted to do justice to the movie in America"
http://www.indiantelevision.com/cannes_ ... line14.php

Cannes Review: My Blueberry Nights
http://www.cinematical.com/2007/05/16/c ... ry-nights/
Cannes. My Blueberry Nights
http://daily.greencine.com/archives/003744.html

[ewaffle]

One can hope, as that industry definitely needs some fixin'!

This article nicely highlights more than just the overblown salaries that are threatening the long-term success of the Korean film/TV industry: decreasing exports, consistent domestic box-office underperformers, and an increasingly savvy overseas audience that doesn't (and probably never did) blindly follow star names, instead keeping tabs on the actual performance of these dramas and movies on their home soil, as well smelling derivative (if pretty) material long before it ever needs to hit their DVD players.

The lack of domestic box office returns seems especially disturbing in South Korea where the Korean Screen Quota mandates a certain number of days per year when only Korean films can be shown. This has been under attack by the United States Trade Representative who has been big-footing the studios and who convinced/coerced them to halve the number of days kept available for Korean films only during some bi-lateral talks last year. Rob Portman, the USTR at the time, has probably added some Hollywood clients to whatever law firm he joins when he leaves public service.