News Links - 8/2/07

[dleedlee]

Andy Lau's Wonderful World Begins Here

http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/08/02/63@256597.htm


Sino-Japan Movie "Cross Over" to Open Tokyo Film Festival

http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/08/01/1221@256421.htm

Jackie Chan Hates Rush Hour
http://www.canmag.com/nw/8529-jackie-ch ... -interview
Brett Ratner, The Popcorn King
http://www.laweekly.com/general/feature ... ing/16925/
China Film says no release for "Rush Hour 3"
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1789/1/

Third major movie about Nanjing massacre starts shooting
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/ ... -Movie.php

Kabuki talent Shido Nakamura signs on for "Battle of Red Cliff"
http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/1786/1/

"Mummy III" starts filming
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007- ... 465215.htm

Zhang Liangying Releases Second Album
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/08/02/272@256687.htm

[Brian Thibodeau]

With all due deference to those who enjoy singing the let's-hate-the-American-system ditty with the legendary Mr. Chan, I still have to wonder if even he doesn't get tired of parroting himself in regards to these movies? I'm not the biggest fan of either of the first two RUSH HOUR films, and I don't mind holding out to rent this third one down the road, but considering the first two movies outgrossed just about every other film he's ever made may suggest that evil ol' Hollywood is just a little better at catering to the lowest common denominator than he is. The films may suck — depending, of course, almost entirely on one's personal taste — but they make money, and plaster his face across more screens than anything he's made in Hong Kong (most of which are superior examples of filmmaking craft), and still he's not happy? Then again, the verbatim way he's quoted in that piece has me suspecting that his grouchiness is as much a part of his real-life "routine" as his martial arts skills are a part of his on-screen persona.

[cal42]

Outgrossed even his HK movies worldwide? Is this true? I'm truly staggered that something like RH can outgross one of his "proper" films (see, I can't resist having a dig, can I? ).

Anyway, the timing of his remarks can be seen as "unfortunate" at the very least. Maybe an end to the Rush Hour franchise?

[Brian Thibodeau]

Outgrossed even his HK movies worldwide? Is this true? I'm truly staggered that something like RH can outgross one of his "proper" films (see, I can't resist having a dig, can I? ).

According to this list (and a couple of others):
http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/alltimegr ... world-wide
RUSH HOUR clocks in at #228 with $245,200,000 US worldwide, RUSH HOUR 2 at #141 with $329,100,000 (wikipedia sez $347 million +). If any of his homegrown stuff equalled that (even converted to U.S. dollars and adjusted for inflation), I'd be surprised. You're right, though, his Hong Kong titles are his "proper" films!

Maybe an end to the Rush Hour franchise?

I didn't even realize people were clamouring for a third one. The things that make these movies "unique"—especially according to the seven page blowjob of Brett Ratner—are exactly the things that make them so forgettable in the long run.

[Brian Thibodeau]

The Harry Potter books you've never heard of:
- Harry Potter and the Chinese Porcelain Doll
- Harry Potter and the Chinese Empire
- Harry Potter and the Golden Armour
- Harry Potter and Leopard-Walk-Up-To-Dragon

"Lots of Harry Potter books in China, not all of them by the author"
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/31/news/china.php

Wang Lili, editor of the China Braille Publishing House, which published "Harry Potter and the Chinese Porcelain Doll" in 2002, one of the numerous knockoffs here, said: "We published the book out of a very common incentive. Harry Potter was so popular that we wanted to enjoy the fruits of its widely accepted publicity in China."

"Everything would have been fine if they hadn't made the cover so obvious, even if you copied some sections of the original story," she (publishing executive Liu Ja) said. "But the cover was so outstanding, and foreign people care a lot about things like that."