17-11-08: DANIEL IN THE DRAGON’S DEN

Talking ‘Protégé’ and more with (and about) Wu (part one)

prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" / 

I was one of the first industry people Daniel Wu met when he first relocated to Hong Kong, and its been uphill since then (for him, anyway…). I knew his sister Gloria, albeit slightly, and she asked me to offer him what advice I could about the local industry. Gloria herself was a Hong Kong TV presenter at the time, but her true moment of glory came when she was ringsid...Read more

11-11-08: THE MILD BUNCH

Hanging out in prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /Bangkok with Van, Assante, Ciro and the gang.

prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" / 

Bangkok Film Festival brought together a disparate bunch of criminals for its opening night film. The actual movie screening was the Thai fantasy epic ‘Queens of Langasuka’. (It was originally called Queens of Pattani, but the title was changed when the citizens of Pattani, a small island in the South Ch...Read more

10-11-08 ONCE UPON A TIME IN SAIGON

A brief history of the Vietnamese influence on Hong Kong cinema.

prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" / 

‘The Rebel’ is bringing a whole new flavour of Asian action to the mainstream audience, as prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /Vietnam comes into its own in terms of commercial film-making. Though its emergence onto the world cinema stage has taken some time, the troubled history of this beautiful nation has provided inspirat...Read more

9-11-08: MEETING THE WONG JING OF HOLLYWOOD

prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /One night in Bangkok with Roger Corman.

prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" / 

It has to be said that Bangkok Film Festival was much diminished this year. The fest had split from its ‘market’ aspect, an Entertainment Expo held at a convention centre situated in the Siam Paragon mall. (Awesome book store in that place, by the way.) Perhaps to make up for the lack of exhibitors and busin...Read more

Putting The Tang Into 'Shanghai' (part two)

Fashion with passion in a prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /Bangkok studio (continued) prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

Joyce Hu and Sam Roseman flew in to Bangkok prior to the fashion show shoot days, and we had to figure out how to get our posse of models rehearsed and ready. We had a guide track for the girls to dance to. It was some slinky 30s song about ‘Santy Claus’, and if I have to hear it just one. More...Read more

Putting The Tang Into 'Shanghai'

prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" / 

  Bey with Sir David Tang on 'Shanghai' set

PUTTING THE TANG INTO ‘ prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /SHANGHAI’: Fashion with passion in a Bangkok studio.

Anyone who’s seen...Read more

Empire magazine top ten heroes of DVD

Among other publications, I read the following magazines every week/month : Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, Inside Kung Fu, Shambhala Sun and... Empire. This last is a British-based movie magazine (you can find it in Hong Kong at HMV). I was happy and surprised when I opened the September 2008 issue to find myself listed in Empire's Top Ten Heroes of DVD, wedged between Oliver Stone and Robert Rodriguez. (I'd rather be wedged between Jessica Alba and Monica Belucci, but at my age I'll take what I...Read more

21-9-08: NO SMALL PARTS (part two) : How Selina got the Lo down on ‘Shanghai’.

prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /  Selina Lo and Sir David Tang at the 'Shanghai' studios

In an earlier blog, I described how rising Hong Kong star (and fellow Alive Not Dead-er) Andy On came to be cast in ‘Shanghai’, a period ...Read more

Beyond Our Ken: Toe to toe with Ken Lo

Like most fans of martial arts action cinema, I first became aware of Ken Lo (AKA Lo Wai-kong) due to his final reel duel with Jackie Chan in Drunken Master 2. In this fight, Lo displays his legendary 180 degree kick amid a display of boot work that harks back to the glory days of Korean bad guys Wong Jang Lee and Hwang In-shik. I actually met him on the set of that film. Back in the day, you could pretty much walk onto the Gol...Read more

Kung fu fighting in Central: change of venue

For everyone who wants to get their 'fu' on, the redoubtable Mak Sifu is teaching the Hung Kuen style every week at Central pier (opposite IFC). Hung Kuen (also known as Hung Gar) is the syle of southern Chinese martial art made famous by the legendary Wong Fei-hung. Its focusses on developing deep stances, powerful hand strikes and effective kicking techniques. Classes include basic drills, empty hand forms and weapons. We already have a great group of die hards, but always welcome new students....Read more