News Links - 6/22/07

[dleedlee]

"Secret Cannot Be Told"

Jay Chow Takes Directorial Debut to Shanghai Festival
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/06/22/63@241151.htm

Martial Arts Blockbusters Dominate Funding at Shanghai Festival
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/06/22/60@241342.htm

Why We Fight - Election/Election 2
Small-time mob wars have an international impact in Johnnie To's films
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=1856

Weinstein Co. pacts with Krantz, Lau
Duo form label for trio of Hong Kong action films
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1576/1/
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796 ... Id=13&cs=1
Bursztejn, Wang team for "Starting Over"
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1575/1/
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796 ... Id=19&cs=1
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/con ... dddb554870

Immigrant jailed for selling bootleg DVDs
http://www.thisisswindon.co.uk/display. ... g_dvds.php
http://www.thisisswindon.co.uk/display. ... otlegs.php

Why all fakes lead to China
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Busi ... 2Cb01.html

Chinese court awards US$23,000 in video piracy case
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/ ... Piracy.php

China condems corrupt TV censors
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1578/1/

Ex-"Super Girl" Chris Li to Publish First Biography Photo Album
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/06/22/1301@241235.htm


Eatery Makes Promise to Chairman Mao
http://english.cri.cn/3100/2007/06/22/63@241200.htm

[Brian Thibodeau]

Weinstein Co. pacts with Krantz, Lau
Duo form label for trio of Hong Kong action films
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1576/1/
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796 ... Id=13&cs=1

From the Variety Asia piece:

Harvey Weinstein noted that he and Bob Weinstein "have always recognized and appreciated the artistic and commercial potential of Asian cinema" and also said he believed the projects could "help breathe new life into the martial arts genre."

Execs also said that the movies wouldn't rely on wire work, the technique popularized by martial arts breakout "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," instead favoring more full-contact fighting. "We think we're coming at this with a very different foundation than the typical Hong Kong action movie," Krantz said.

Hopefully, I'm not the only one who finds this news rather silly. "Breathing new life into the martial arts genre" by shooting three movies in English? I'll bet Chinese audiences can't wait for those! Who knew that the the missing ingredient to martial arts filmmaking success was money (and possibly screenplays) from a bunch of white guys and the guidance of Hong Kong's answer to Peter Hyams!

Oh well, at least Sylvain Bursztejn is out there taking real risks. STARTING OVER sounds intriguing...

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Out of curiosity, is it just me or is there some kind of backlash against wirework by westerners like Tony Krantz? I'm honestly not sure I understand the seeming need of some folks to subtly deride this most basic technique of Hong Kong action moviemaking, as though it doesn't "count" as a screen fighting art (including reviewers on occasion who gripe when movies have "too much" of it even though it's clearly intentional...)

Krantz suggests that the films will have a different "foundation than the typical Hong Kong action movie," which seriously has me wondering just how many Hong Kong action movies (old and new) these guys have seen! I'm a guy with no preference when it comes to on-screen presentation of martial arts—as long as it's competently and convincingly pulled off—so I'm beginning to wonder if I'm an odd guy out because I don't champion the realistic over the fanciful, but love both in equal measure! Anyone else notice this, or am I just too broad in my tastes?

[dleedlee]

Oh well, at least Sylvain Bursztejn is out there taking real risks. STARTING OVER sounds intriguing...

I've been keeping an eye out for a subbed version of his LUXURY CAR but so far no luck.

Out of curiosity, is it just me or is there some kind of backlash against wirework by westerners like Tony Krantz?

Maybe it's a combination of a backlash against The Matrix (so yesterday) stylistics and fallout from the Tony Jaa's 'real' martial arts.