ASIAN CULT CINEMA: The Worst Book on Hong Kong Cinema. Ever.

[Mike Thomason]

Uang Yeong Fang is most likely a Malaysian transliteration slightly misspelt.

I hate to rain on your parade, but I don't buy that for a minute. The primary language of Malaysia is Malay, followed by Mandarin (then English...then the numerous dialects of the people native to the region). "Uang Yeong Fang" is not even remotely anything like what a Malay "transliteration", if such a thing existed, would look like -- it is what it is: a Westerner (or should that be a Weissner?) making up something he doesn't know...or taking a potshot guess at something he doesn't know instead of properly researching it.

My Malaysian-Chinese fiancee advises me that Malays would do no such thing (eg: "transliterate" Mandarin into Malay); they would simply call the person by their Mandarin name! Thus, I don't know where this unusal assumption would have come from that Weissner's faux pas somehow correlates with a "Malay transliteration" (especially when you take into consideration that he's married to a Japanese woman)? Very odd...

[Andras Hernadi]

I've found Weisser's SPAGHETTI WESTERNS at my local library(their only
book on westerns)some years ago and promptly rented it.I tempted to
call it "the Science Fiction Encyclopedia of Westerns".Basically You get the
same deal as with ATC,with the benefit of having a lot of cool poster(so
when the wrong director is listed,all You have to do is to look at the one-
sheet on the opposite page for correct listings).The starter of this topic
would have hours of fun scribbling down the numerous errors committed
therein.

[MrBooth]

Hey Andras, nice to see you here!

[Brian Thibodeau]

The starter of this topic would have hours of fun scribbling down the numerous errors committed therein.

Andras

If I were much of a fan of spaghetti westerns, you can bet I'd have done the same thing with Weisser's Western book that I did with his Asian Cinema book! It would take longer now, though, now that I have a life of sorts, which, looking back on the list from time to time, I realize I must not have had back then.

Welcome aboard, by the way!

[Andras Hernadi]

Somebody can give me back my old name?When I have the time, I would
put in some revs for unreviewed movies (like RED PANTHER) in return.
I was "andras" but dont have the pass anymore.
http://hkmdb.com/db/reviews/list.mhtml? ... ter=andras
Cheers

[STSH]

Uang Yeong Fang is most likely a Malaysian transliteration slightly misspelt.

I hate to rain on your parade, but I don't buy that for a minute. The primary language of Malaysia is Malay, followed by Mandarin (then English...

Hold that storm and close the umbrella
Tut tut. Yet again, Mike, you've misunderstood and flown off on a tangent.

I stressed Malaysian to distinguish from Malay. I was referring to a movie print of Beauty's Evil Roses sourced from Malaysia (i.e. with English, Malay and Chinese subtitles).
I didn't pre-judge which Chinese dialect it was based on.
It appeared to be Mandarin, but then the 2nd character would have been Yung not Yeong.
Perhaps another Chinese dialect (Hakka ?).

To summarize :
Uang = an odd but understandable transliteration of Wang/Wong
Yeong = Yung (Mandarin) or Wing
Fang = Fong

+ Usang from Uang

+ Weisser confusing the actress with the rather-similar-looking Mondi Yau.
Photo of Mondi from Romance Of The Vampires is captioned "Usang Yeong Fang".

[Mike Thomason]

Uang Yeong Fang is most likely a Malaysian transliteration slightly misspelt.

I hate to rain on your parade, but I don't buy that for a minute. The primary language of Malaysia is Malay, followed by Mandarin (then English...

Hold that storm and close the umbrella
Tut tut. Yet again, Mike, you've misunderstood and flown off on a tangent.

I stressed Malaysian to distinguish from Malay. I was referring to a movie print of Beauty's Evil Roses sourced from Malaysia (i.e. with English, Malay and Chinese subtitles).

Storm? Umbrella? Tangent? Sorry, you put forward that you had researched the Weissner faux-pas "for several months" and then put forward the expression "here's the story" (inferring what followed was a statement of fact). Being that I virtually live in Malaysia for almost two months a year, and thus have close contact with the object of your statement, I thought I'd simply point out your own comment's inaccuracies. It was more like a misstyped subtitle (like "gril" for girl or "blad" for bald), than a "transliteration" error. Additionally, if it was referring to a Malaysian copy of BEAUTY EVIL ROSE then that copy, if it featured any nudity, was no doubt a bootleg -- Cat III films seldom, if ever, get past the extremely strict Malaysian censorship board. Uncensored pirate VCDs and DVDs often turn up at night markets in the region, subtitled in Malay, Chinese & English (so as to cater to anyone who might buy them) and I know from experience that it's fairly obvious that those doing the translations for said copies aren't usually versed in English as their first language (more often than not, Chinese either).

[Andras Hernadi]

oops- honestly, I signed up in order to access the database but I still
can't. Until people use IMDB for HK movies,the Weisser-syndrome will live on. Case in point: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100630/

[Brian Thibodeau]

And, finally, dig this:

Weisser's got a "new" book out: SPAGHETTI WESTERNS: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE VIOLENT. It's actually a paperback repackage of a hardcover doorstopper he scribbled in 1992, but surprisingly neither listings at Amazon have a single review! Perfect timing for the man to cash in on his newfound fame as a DVD liner note writer for the completely-above-board-I'm-sure Discotek Media. Looks like Asian films aren't the only ones to get worked over by Weisser.

Quoting myself here, from way back in this thread (and way back in 2005), but though it was worth noting that someone FINALLY brought up Weisser's WESTERNS book at another forum (Mobius) and was met with the usual round of reasons not to buy it—including suggestions that Weisser has typically not seen most of the films within, as was pointed out throughout our own little discussion here. Can't seem to link to it, since that site is structured so that every page has the same address (www.mhvf.net), but it's in the Euro cult thread. Slim reading, but nice to know Weisser is still feeling the love in 2007.

Plus, it gives me an excuse to revive this old thread for anyone who wasn't hanging around here in 2005!