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• Art-house films top contenders at Chinese Oscars

  HONG KONG – An Australia-based director's romance, a Taiwanese family drama and the story of a Chinese peasant guarding a

  cow are the unlikely trio of top contenders at the Chinese-language equivalent of the Oscars to be announced on Saturday.

  Jurors for this year's Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan pushed aside several of the year's blockbusters in favor of art-house films. Movies like Jackie Chan's "Shinjuku Incident," John Woo's historical epic "Red Cliff II" and the biopic of Bruce Lee's kung fu teacher, "Ip Man," weren't among the leading nominees.

  Instead, Clara Law's "Like a Dream" bagged nine nominations, Leon Dai's "No Pudeo Vivir Sin Ti" had eight and Guan Hu's "Cow" seven. The three films are vying for best pictures honors against Tsai Ming-liang's "Face" — the latest offering from the Malaysian-Chinese director known for minimal dialogue and music — and Chinese filmmaker Ning Hao's "Crazy Racer."

  Law, Dai, Guan and Tsai are also candidates for best director.

  The best actor nominees are Daniel Wu, who played a Chinese-American man who travels to China to look for his imaginary love in "Like a Dream;" Chen Wen-pin from "No Pudeo Vivir Sin Ti," the story of a working-class father who tries to retain custody of his 7-year-old daughter; Huang Bo from "Cow," which follows a Chinese peasant who protects a dairy cow from Japanese invaders, and Nick Cheung from the action thriller "The Beast Stalker."

  The best actress competition will see a showdown between two of China's top actresses — Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing. Both women received nods for their performances in "The Message." The other contenders are Sandrine Pinna from the drama "Yang Yang" and Yolanda Yuan from "Like a Dream."

  "The Message" is one of the few major commercial releases that racked up at least a few nominations. The Chinese spy thriller is also up for best screenplay adaptation, best visual effects, best art direction and best makeup and costume design.

  Another high-profile production, Chen Kaige's "Mei Lanfang," also missed out on the top prizes. The famed Chinese director's profile of late Peking Opera star Mei Lanfang was nominated for best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best new performer and best makeup and costume design.

  U.S.-based Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will serve as a presenter for his home country's top movie awards ceremony, as will Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung, who is making a rare appearance during an extended break from filmmaking.

  ...(more) - 11 27 2009 4:47PM

• The Incredible Hulk vs. Hulk

  Los Angeles (E! Online) - Forget considerable Carrie Bradshaw and hefty Po. The biggest obstacle standing between the Hulk and an

  incredible opening weekend may be itself.

  The Incredible Hulk, the all-new franchise reboot—opening at midnight tonight—comes only five years after Ang Lee's Hulk proved a smashing disappointment, critically and commercially.

  "I am concerned the first movie's reaction could hurt the box office on this second go-round," Tim Frady of the fansite HulkAngry.com wrote in an email. "I hope people give it a chance."

  Conventional wisdom says ticketbuyers will.

  "We're starting to hear things that are good," says Exhibitor Relations box-office analyst Chad Hartigan.

  Good could translate into a $60 million-something opening weekend, and a No. 1 finish atop holdovers such as Kung Fu Panda and Sex and the City.

  The Incredible Hulk is also expected to best the weekend's other major new release, M. Night Shyamalan's latest thriller, The Happening.

  Or else.

  "I think it would be troublesome for the studio if [Incredible Hulk] was beaten by The Happening," Hartigan says.

  Also troubling would be a scenario where The Incredible Hulk fails to come close to the opening weekend posted by Hulk.

  Maligned or no, Lee's Hulk managed a $62 million debut. (It fell of a cliff in the second weekend, grossing just $70 million more through the rest of the summer.) Adjusting for 2008's sky-high ticket prices, Box Office Mojo's Brandon Gray estimates the movie probably hauled in the equivalent of $71 million in its first three days.

  Gray, for one, doesn't expect The Incredible Hulk to top Hulk in 2008—or 2003—dollars.

  "I'm not convinced they have overcome the stigma yet," Gray says. "It's not clear if the picture is a restart of the franchise or a sequel. It's not clear what it is exactly."

  Starring Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner, the scientist who morphs into a CGI monster when the angry occasion arises, The Incredible Hulk shares not much more than a cameo by TV Hulk Lou Ferrigno with its predecessor.

  Norton, who also cowrote the script, succeeds Eric Bana. Liv Tyler replaces Jennifer Connelly as Hulk ladylove Betty Ross. William Hurt supplants Sam Elliott as Hulk foe Gen. "Thunderbolt" Ross. Nobody stands in for Nick Nolte, as the father-son storyline of the first film has been jettisoned. And in the director's chair, Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2) takes over for Lee.

  While The Incredible Hulk understandably wants to put distance between itself and Hulk, it understandably isn't above being associated with Iron Man, the summer's $290 million-grossing superhero hit.

  The Incredible Hulk's latest TV spots virtually star Robert Downey Jr., whose brief appearance as Iron Man alter ego Tony Stark once was supposed to be a surprise.

  "I think the success of Iron Man will assist The Incredible Hulk," says Joel Cohen, executive vice president and general manager of MovieTickets.com.

  According to a recent MovieTickets.com poll, The Incredible Hulk was tied with Will Smith's Hancock as the next movie men expected to see this summer, although both Get Smart and WALL-E ranked higher.

  If Iron Man gives any kind of boost to his Marvel Comics brethren, then that's all the better according to Frady, who has seen the new Hulk movie—and liked.

  "It paid homage to the TV series and the comic book as well," Frady wrote. "The most important factor is that it kept up a nice pace that summer movie fans have come to expect in a movie."

  Even a Hulk movie.

  ...(more) - 06 13 2008 10:46PM

• Movie on working-class dominates Hong Kong Awards

  HONG KONG (AFP) – "The Way We Are", an unglamorous but moving portrait of a working-class town best known for i

  ts poverty and violence, on Sunday swept the top honours at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

  The docu-drama, produced with a low budget and a little-known cast, took the best director, best actress, best supporting actress and best screenplay gongs at Hong Kong's biggest annual film event, which also marked the 100th anniversary of the city's film industry this year.

  The movie gives voices to the ordinary residents of Tin Shui Wai, a Hong Kong town near the border with China which has in recent years suffered a string of tragedies involving suicide and domestic violence.

  "When I was young, I always thought I could only prove myself a great (director) if I got awards in the Cannes (Film Festival)," veteran director Ann Hui told the audience after receiving the award at the glittering ceremony held in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

  "But now that I am old, I think getting the award from my own people is my greatest honour."

  Paw Hee-ching, 59, who grabbed the best actress award for playing a single mother in the drama, praised director Hui.

  "There was no money, no all-star cast. There was only a director with great enthusiasm and excellent work attitude, who managed to turn a film like this into a spectacular achievement," she said.

  Paw beat Prudence Liew, winner of the best leading actress gong in the 2008 Golden Horse Awards, Taiwan's equivalent of the Oscars. She also beat China's Zhou Xun, another best actress hopeful, who was nominated for her role as a fox spirit in the love-horror film "Painted Skin".

  But the best film award went to "Ip Man", a biopic of Ip Man, the kung fu master of martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

  Hong Kong action supremo John Woo's historical war epic "Red Cliff" grabbed five gongs, including best visual effects, art direction, costume and makeup, but lost out to other contenders in the more important award categories. Woo, who is best known for directing Hollywood blockbuster "Mission: Impossible II", portrayed in the movie the Battle of Red Cliffs in the final days of the Han Dynasty in 208 A.D. The film was said to be the most expensive Asian-financed film to date with its estimated budget of 80 million US dollars.

  Rising star Nick Cheung bagged the best actor award for playing a kidnapper in action-packed thriller "The Beast Stalker".

  The best new performer award went to the youngest nominee this year, Xu Jiao, for her lively performance in Stephen Chow's sci-fi movie "CJ 7".

  "I am very touched. Father, I got full marks this time!" the 11-year old said after grabbing the award.

  Veteran actress Josephine Siao took the lifetime achievement award.

  Hong Kong enjoys a rich film heritage and became an international movie powerhouse in the 1970s, but it has fallen on tough times in recent years with dwindling box office receipts.

  However, its stars still enjoy huge popularity across Asia. There have been increasing collaborations between Hong Kong and mainland filmmakers in recent years targeting the large market of cinema-goers in China.

  ...(more) - 04 20 2009 9:41AM