Fluff from March 3rd, 2001


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Fluff from March 3rd, 2001

CORRECTIONS: In the February 27th edition, ATV was mistakenly reported as having the Hong Kong broadcast rights to the Taiwanese televison series CHING SUM SUM YU MONG MONG (lit. LOVE DEEP RAIN MISTY) TVB has the Hong Kong broadcast rights. Thanks to the ever-vigilant N. Woo for pointing out the error.

In the March 1st edition, Bai Ling's television series was erroneously identified as THE MAGIC KINGDOM. It is, in fact, THE LOST KINGDOM. The series stars Bai, Russell Wong and Thomas Gibson and is based on the classic novel JOURNEY TO THE WEST. It is not a series about Chinese deities and the Disney Corporation.

Above images courtesy Oriental Daily News.

In a meeting of a panel of the Legislative Council on security, Secretary of Security Regina Yip Lau Suk-Yi urged the panel to take measures to closely monitor the activities of the Falun Gong movement in Hong Kong. During her presentation, she compared the teachings of Falun Fong to some of the fantastic notions found in the novel ZU WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN (right). Yip: "Their teachings (Falun Gong's) promote nothing but superstition. I thought I was reading ZU WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN."

Putting aside the debate the balance between freedom of thought and a secure society, Yip's comments raised the ire of Tsui Hark and China Star as their US$10 million big screen adaptation of the film is set to hit Hong Kong and international movie screens later this year. Tsui: "The film isn't even out yet. I don't want to say anything about this because if people have preconceived notions about the ZU WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN, it won't do any good."

Director Johnnie To Kei-Feng, in his capacity as an executive at China Star, had this to say about Yip's comments. To: "I think that before a person in government speaks, they should think first. To say something like that may effect the way the film is released internationally."

ZU WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN tells the story of a battle between good and evil between warriors with magical powers. The author, Wan Chi-Lau (real name Lee Sau-Man), was born in 1904 and spent his formative years travelling around many of China's most revered sites. In addition to ZU WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN, Wan also wrote CHING SING SAP GAU HUP (lit. CHING SING NINETEEN HEROES) and CHEUNG MEI JUN YAN JUEN (lit. LEGEND OF THE LONG EYE-BROWED MONK) among other novels. The novel was banned at one point by the Nationalist government as it felt the writings promoted people to form groups to subvert the government.

Adapted once before by Tsui Hark for the big screen in 1983, the latest film adaptation of the novel stars Patrick Tam Yiu-Man (left), Cecilia Cheung Bak-Chi (centre), Ekin Cheng Yi-Kin, Louis Koo Tin-Lok, Zhang Ziyi and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo among others.

(SANNEY: See Hong Kong i-mail link below for more on this story.)

Above images courtesy The Sun.

At the first of her two concerts at the Hung Hom Coliseum the night before last, not only did Karen Mok Man-Wai wear a tube top and hot pants (centre), she scorched the audience by being bathed by her backup dancers (left) as well as changing on stage and doing some dirty dancing. Despite talk that Richie Ren (Yam Yin-Chai) would be a special guest performer, singer Wong Bun-Yuen was the only official guest.

A star-studded crowd that included Rain Li Choi-Wah, Cecilia Cheung Bak-Chi, Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing, Roman Tam (Lo Man), Anita Mui Yim-Fong, Law Kar-Ying, Lisa Wong Ming-Chuen, Stephen Fung Tak-Lun, Kenny B (Chung Jun-To), Kristy Yang (Yeung Kung-Yu), Vincent Kuk Tak-Chiu and Stephen Chiau Sing-Chi watched what was agruably the steamiest concert in Hong Kong in years. During her performance, Mok made it a point to publicly thank Leslie Cheung with a kiss (right) for giving her her first opportunity to peform at the Hung Hom Coliseum. Mok: "I remember when Gor-Gor (Cheung) had his concerts here, he gave me a chance to perform by inviting me to be his special guest performer. I was so happy. Every night I got to give Gor-Gor a kiss on stage! Hey, hey. Don't misunderstand. He's like an uncle to me. The kiss was just like a niece kissing an uncle!" Related images (courtesy Apple Daily unless otherwise indicated):

Above images courtesy Oriental Daily News (centre, right) and The Sun (left).

At an event for RTHK yesterday, a star-struck Joey Yung Tso-Yi met Dicky Cheung Wai-Kin for the first time (left). As it turns out, Yung is a huge fan of Cheung's work and has been watching DUKE OF MT. DEER 2000 every night. After Yung gushed over him, Cheung returned the favour by saying: "I plan to buy tickets to see FEEL 100% II."

To that, Yung gushed again and said: "Come to the premiere!" Related images (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ej6p.jpg (Yung and Cheung.)
http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ej5p.jpg (Cheung hams it up for reporters.)

Sophie Ngan Chin-Man (centre) continued to project a sexy image as shooting of JUN WAN TIN HA (lit. ALL AROUND HEAVEN AND EARTH aka FLAMING BROTHERS II) took place on location at a Tsimshatsui nightclub the night before last. In the series, Ngan plays a bored housewife who frequently has affairs. Also on hand were Patrick Tam Yiu-Man, Michael To Dai-Yu, and Damian Lau Chung-Yun, the trio play father and sons in the series. Tam plays the spoiled son while To plays the long lost son who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Related images (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03et86p.jpg (To and Tam.)
http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03et87p.jpg (To and Lau.)
http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ex2pnew.jpg (Sophie Ngan)

JUN WAN TIN HA co-star Kristy Yang (Yeung Kung-Yu) has been very busy these days. Having just completed work on HEALING HEARTS, Yang (right) is now busy working on the new series. In April, she will be heading to Beijing for work on the historical drama CHOR LAU HEUNG. Further, she recently took time out from her hectic schedule to shoot a set of ads for Mastina modern fashions.

Above images courtesy Oriental Daily News (left, right) and The Sun (centre).

The criticaly acclaimed but underappreciated film LOVE AU ZEN will re-emerge on Hong Kong movie screens this weekend for two days only (March 3rd and 4th). Despite favourable reviews from almost every paper, the movie --starring Flora Chan Wai-Shan (left) and directed by Derek Chiu -- failed to draw an audience when it opened in February.

In related news, Flora Chan and HEALING HANDS II co-stars Bowie Lam Bo-Yi and Kit Chan Kit-Yi were seen having dinner in a Happy Valley restaurant with some of the crew from the television series. The restaurant is famous for its congee and has been patronized in the past by Edmond Leung Hon-Man, Charlie Yeung Choi-Lei and Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing. Related images (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ed9p.jpg (Flora Chan)
http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ed7p.jpg (Bowie Lam)
http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ed8p.jpg (The arrow points to Kit Chan.)

Retired actress Brigitte Lin (Lam Ching-Ha), forty-six and six months pregnant, was spotted having lunch with Ti Lung's wife -- To Man-Ming -- in the Causeway Bay district yesterday (centre). While she smiled at reporters, Lin did not stop to speak with reporters.

The second pictorial book for Taiwanese bombshell Tien Shin (Tin Sum) was released in Hong Kong earlier this week. Shot on location in Italy, Tien Shin (right) feels that this latest pictorial book is head and shoulders above her first one because she felt more open and less reserved this time around.

MISCELLANEOUS FLUFF:

- A "behind-the-scenes" video for the film MASTER Q 2001 was released to a local chain of karaoke centres recently. In it, the video shows kissing scenes between stars Cecilia Cheung Bak-Chi and Nicolas Tse Ting-Feng as well as scenes showing how the live action is blended with the animated MASTER Q characters. Related images (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03eb6p.jpg (Tse and Cheung.)
http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03eb7p.jpg (Tse and Cheung kiss.)
http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03eb8p.jpg (Cheung and Master Q.)

- Riding a wave of popularity from their recent TVB series COLORFUL LIFE, Florence Kwok Siu-Wan and Lo Yuen-Yan shot an ad for a Thai brand of fragant rice recently. The campaign is the first for Kwok in the world of advertising. Related images (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03eb4p.jpg (Kwok)
http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03eb5p.jpg (Kwok and Lo Yuen-Yan.)

- Kenix Kwok Ho-Ying recently shot a photo layout for a local wedding magazine. Related image (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03eb1pnew.jpg

- Diana Pang Dan attended a charity ball the night before last. At the event, one of the charity's directors Siu Bing-Kwun lent Pang a US$150,000 diamond bracelet for the evening. Related image (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ec6p.jpg (Pang and Siu.)

- Yoyo Mung Ka-Wai attended the opening of a new bank branch in the Wanchai district yesterday. Related image (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ec9p.jpg

- Andy Hui Chi-On was in Kampuchea yesterday as part of his duties as the official spokesperson for the Hong Kong version of the 30 Hour Famine. Related image (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ej12p.jpg

- During an interview with Hong Kong Commercial Radio, Nick Cheung Ka-Fai defended girlfriend Esther Kwan Wing-Ho against recent rumours that she is a troublemaker on the set. Cheung: "I don't know why rumours like this would even start. Maybe someone is trying to create some publicity?" Related image (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ex901p.jpg (Nick Cheung)

- In an interview yesterday with Metro Radio, Suki Kwan Sau-Mei revealed that she is close to signing a deal that will have her working on a television series shortly. Kwan: "Right now, I'm still negotiating but it's very likely that I will be signing on for it. I haven't worked in television for nine years so I'm a little worried about making the adjustment." Related image (courtesy Apple Daily):

http://appledaily.atnext.com/webimg/640pix/20010303/Article_ent/03ex33p.jpg

LINK OF INTEREST

Falun Gong writings are like ZU: WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN, says HK Secretary for Security
http://hk-imail.singtao.com/inews/public/article_v.cfm?articleid=17928&intcatid=1 (SANNEY: Thanks to Tim for the link.)

All other articles and images are clearly identified as such and appear courtesy their originating publications. Copyright remains with their respective copyright holders. No infringement of copyright is intended.

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