News Links - 12/11/08

[dleedlee]

Ken Watanabe to star in The Sun That Doesn't Set
Based on the story of a real-life 1985 plane crash
http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7679/1/

Mona Fong takes charge of TVB January 1
http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7678/53/

Singapore to get first movie studios
http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7677/1/

Retitled Dragonball: Evolution, 2 minute preview released
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2008-12-10/22112290656.shtml
http://video.sina.com.cn/ent/m/2008-12- ... 0039.shtml (preview)
Dragonball Evolution poster (3)

http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/p/2008-12-11 ... 1055.shtml
'Dragonball' Posters Published
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/12/11/1261s431757.htm

Jia Zhangke: Capturing China's Transformation
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=98011679

On the rise
Monica Mok about the fun and pain of making ‘Ocean Flame’
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/ar ... 2003430752

Korean Director's CUT Awards
The Best Director Award was given to Kim Jee-won who directed the acclaimed ``kimchi Western,'' ``The Good, the Bad, the Weird.'' Director Na Hong-jin received the New Director Award for his work on the gripping thriller ``The Chaser.''
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sp ... 35872.html

On Jack Neo
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2B ... 13015.html

Chandni Chowk to China Review
The first ever Bollywood Kungfu comedy
(Sally Yeh listed as producer!)
http://movies.iexplorehere.com/news/104 ... eview.html






http://movies.iexplorehere.com/cc2c/
Chandni Chowk to China unit's lingo trouble
http://india-forums.com/bollywood/article.asp?id=7322

All's Well Ends Well 2009
No longer just a Hong Kong-style comedy




Yao Chen

Shen Lijun

http://news.xinhuanet.com/ent/2008-12/1 ... 486216.htm
http://ent.qq.com/a/20081211/000022_10.htm
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2008-12-11/00172290794.shtml

Chungking Express (Criterion)
http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showre ... 3?ID=10190


Nick and Nicholas Celebrate Film Success of Beast Stalker
http://www.batgwa.com/story.php?id=1381

Feng Xiaogang at If You Are the One soundtrack release


http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/p/2008-12-11 ... 0980.shtml

(IP)'Man' Is Coming!
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/12/11/1321s431829.htm
Lynn Hung

Donnie Yen and wife

Sammo

Donnie Yen displaying Flapping Chicken form

http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2008-12-11/03032290969.shtml

Donnie Yen's sister-in-law at Ip Man preview draws attention

With Sammo

http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/p/2008-12-11 ... 0972.shtml

Stills from new Three Kingdoms series
http://ent.sina.com.cn/hdphoto/2008/1210/68.html
http://ent.sina.com.cn/v/2008-12-10/18542290061.shtml

Jackie Chan Jets Into China For Charity
Takes a break from filming in New Mexico
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Jackie-C ... 07915.html

Jennifer Tse wants to play the role of a killer (like Edison's? )
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Jennifer ... 07749.html

Andy Lau to Wed Girlfriend of 23 Years
(This is a translation of the recent Three Weekly story, still unconfirmed)
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Andy-Lau ... 07916.html

Cover Girl Vivian Chow

http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/12/10/1221s431427.htm

Vivian Chow thanked everybody for their concern
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Vivian-C ... 07751.html

Leo Ku Offers Comfort To Vivian Chow
http://www.batgwa.com/story.php?id=1382
Joe Nieh's secret lover exposed!
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20081211/t ... bb342.html

Frankie Kao steps out to speak for Annie Yi
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/Frankie- ... 07864.html

Kwai Lun-Mei lights up Christmas Tree display (LCD, of course)


http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/h/2008-12-11/07362291101.shtml (more)

I spy: Faye Wong shopping in Beijing

http://ent.qq.com/a/20081210/000050.htm

I spy: Michelle Reis shopping with elder sister
http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/h/p/2008-12-11 ... 1402.shtml

Irene Ang reveals lucrative star "assignments"
Female celebrity escorts onboard cruise liners can earn up to $2,000 a night
http://www.divaasia.com/article/1100

70 escape Wan Chai bus fireball
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... con_type=3

Pirates of the High Street
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7771334.stm

'Shanzhai': Faking It for Money or Fun?
http://english.cri.cn/3100/2008/12/11/902s431679.htm

Over-age Chinese B-ballers
http://shanghaiist.com/2008/12/11/overa ... allers.php

Lost in translation - Chinese poetry on magazine cover?
http://shanghaiist.com/2008/12/11/lost_ ... k_fors.php

[Brian Thibodeau]

Pirates of the High Street
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7771334.stm

Good article about two sides of this issue: the massive fraud that it represents, and the the sad livelihood that it provides many illegal immigrants. I'm wouldn't doubt it's the same situation here in Canada, though very recently the pirates must have taken a serious hit because a good half of the bootleg DVD stores in the nearby Chinese malls disappeared overnight, and bootlegs of American movies, once brazenly displayed, are almost nowhere to be found (unless someone offers to show you a "back room").

Whatever happened, it happened fast and it didn't make the news the way previous busts did. Past media reports only increased demand for the product, so perhaps the fuzz realized the media wasn't exactly helping the cause.

Now, though, it's nice to walk through these malls and not be elbow to elbow with cheap ass gweilos who have no interest in the culture outside of how cheaply it can sell them American movies that are still playing in local theatres. Additionally, the small number of shops that survived because they pirate strictly sold Asian stuff (still unprotected by legislation here, and thus still available) means the legit shops were able to gain a small foothold again, even if only temporarily. At the same time, one can't help but think about the many woeful recent immigrants (illegal or otherwise) now have no source of income because of what appears to be a very successful and sustained crackdown. Of course, who knows if it won't start up again when the heat dies down?

[Brian Thibodeau]

and in unrelated news . . .

Robot 'not really' his girl, man says
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/552049

[dleedlee]

and in unrelated news . . .

Robot 'not really' his girl, man says
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/552049

Aiko and her creator were the lead story on this evening's TMZ program.

[Brian Thibodeau]

Aiko and her creator were the lead story on this evening's TMZ program.

Didn't see that, but I can only imagine they made fun of the poor guy?? His invention might actually have many legitimate uses some day, but unfortunately it can also lead to all sorts of assumptions and insinuations (like those in the article). Hopefully he's savvy enough to deflect it or use it to his advantage.

She also made CNN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4UPcv7Y1AE

and various other Youtube videos (including cosplay ):
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... type=&aq=f

Mind you, I think there's a great Terminator-style movie in all of this, with Trung Le as a present-day Miles Dyson who unleashes some kind of Robo-Hentai Apocalypse upon the future, necessitating an "Aiko" to come back and save mankind.