The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies
The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies |
- Battle of wits
- 'Kung Fu Panda 2' tops Annie Award nominations
- Johnny Depp sparks pre-Christmas outrage with Jesus song
| Posted: 06 Dec 2011 03:31 AM PST Hong Kong filmmaker Daniel Lee says White Vengeance is his best work ever. EPIC battles recorded in Chinese historical annals have always been a bountiful source of cinematic masterpieces. Hence, the latest war epic to hit the screens, White Vengeance (known in Mandarin as Hong Men Yan), aims to present an explanation to one of the most intriguing of tactical mysteries in Chinese history. The story is set in the late Qin Dynasty, when rebels rose and the nation fell into chaos. Its action-packed plot revolves around warlords Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, who served under King Huai. The two warlords were also leaders of their own rebellious armies and as their power grew, King Huai was advised to turn the two sworn brothers against each other to protect his throne. But, the true battle is the one that pits the wits of two legendary military strategists Zhang Liang and Fan Zeng, who control the outcome of the fight like chess pieces on a battlefield. Director Daniel Lee says White Vengeance is his best and most satisfying cinematic production to date. "Hong Men Yan is one of the more popular topics of Chinese history that can be very exciting when translated onto the silver screen. Yet, it requires an impactful angle and skillful handling, otherwise everything will be in vain. "A lot hinges upon this battle for supremacy that will decide whether the next dynasty is going to belong to the Han (represented by Liu Bang) or the Chu (represented by Xiang Yu)," Lee continued in a telephone interview from Hong Kong. How does the Han leader Liu Bang overcome a more powerful adversary like the Chu leader Xiang Yu? Following his success, what possessed Liu Bang to kill his most able supporters? A lover of battle strategies and tactical mysteries, Lee set out to recreate a historical epic about a legendary battle that had stumped historians for centuries and set out to put together a worthy cast to tackle the iconic characters. Going head-to-head as the two battling warlords are cool Hong Kong singer-actor Leon Lai who plays Liu Bang, the Warlord of Politics, and dashing mainland Chinese actor William Feng, who plays Xiang Yu, the Warlord of Strength. Coming between them is Yu Ji, the Fatal Beauty, who is portrayed by delicate mainland Chinese actress Crystal Liu. Cast as the brains behind the battle are mainland Chinese actor Zhang Hanyu, who plays the iconic Zhang Liang, the Advisor of Intelligence (in Liu Bang's camp) and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong, who plays the elderly and blind Fan Zeng, the Advisor of Wisdom (in Xiang Yu's camp). Also in Liu Bang's camp are his hot blooded warrior "brother" Fan Kuai, played by Hong Kong's Jordan Chan and Andy On's Han Xin, the undefeated general, whose efficiency helped the wily Liu Bang defeat the more powerful Xiang Yu. In a recorded interview, Lai, who plays Liu Bang, says he was completely taken by the script. "When I got the script, I was instantly impressed that it was so well written. Each character was so vividly outlined that it was immediately obvious where they each stood and how they were related to one another. I found the script so captivating that I imagined the movie to be even more enthralling. Liu Bang is a character who has to keep making decisions that take him down new paths and also make untold sacrifices that will return to haunt him." Portraying the advisor Zhang Liang, Zhang Hanyu said: "Hong Men Yan is a gripping piece of history that has always been mystifying, so people have always been curious about what happened and have let their imagination run wild. A legendary military strategist like Zhang Liang must be imbued with superhuman intelligence and boundless energy in order to ably support Liu Bang as a political advisor," he said about the tactical mystery that has remained unsolved for centuries. Playing advisor Fan Zeng, Wong explains: "In the legendary Hong Men Yan that was recorded in the historical annals, there's a lot that's unaccounted for. And it is within these spaces that we as artistic folk have the freedom to explore." ■ White Vengeance, rated 18, opens in local cinemas on Thursday. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| 'Kung Fu Panda 2' tops Annie Award nominations Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:59 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Annie Awards, which have been wracked by controversy in recent years, attempted to right the ship on Monday with a slate of nominations that included, well, everybody. With an expanded field in nearly every category, including 10 nominees for Best Animated Feature, the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, was all-inclusive in its nominations, with 13 different animated films receiving nominations and no one film running away from the field the way ''How to Train Your Dragon'' did last year. Typically, a DreamWorks Animation production led the pack, with the 12 nominations for ''Kung Fu Panda 2'' being three more than the nine received by that company's ''Puss in Boots'' and Paramount's ''Rango.'' But Disney and Pixar were well-represented as well, after a year in which they withdrew from ASIFA-Hollywood over concerns about the judging process. Pixar's ''Cars 2'' received seven nominations and Disney's ''Winnie the Pooh'' received eight, though it was shut out of the top category, Best Animated Feature, despite that category's 10 nominees. Competing for the top award will be DWA's ''King Fu Panda 2'' and ''Puss in Boots,'' ''Cars 2,'' ''Rango,'' Blue Sky Studios' ''Rio,'' Sony and Aardman Animation's ''Arthur Christmas'' and Amblin's Steven Spielberg production ''The Adventures of Tintin.'' Also in the running: the smaller European films ''A Cat in Paris,'' ''Arrugas'' (''Wrinkles'') and ''Chico & Rita,'' all of which are also in the running for the Best Animated Feature award at the Oscars. George Miller's ''Happy Feet 2,'' which opened in November to disappointing box-office returns and largely negative reviews, did not receive any nominations. ASIFA reorganized under new leadership earlier this year, resulting in Disney and Pixar returning to the organization. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Johnny Depp sparks pre-Christmas outrage with Jesus song Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:58 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - If some Christian groups get their way, Johnny Depp will end up with a lump of coal in his stocking this Christmas. The ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' star has enraged at least two religious organizations by contributing vocals to the song ''Jesus Stag Night Club'' by the British band Babybird. The song, which recasts the Son of God as a booze-chugging party animal who revels in driving stolen cars and facilitating bachelor parties, begins with the lyrics, ''Saw a man in a bar with his hair like a lady/ Bloody thorns round his ear like he was a crazy/ He had holes in his hands and a cross for a spine/ Crushed a berry in his Perrier and called it wine.'' For some reason, this has raised the hackles of some religious folk. Christian Coalition spokesperson Lee Douglas told British newspaper the Daily Star that the song is ''blasphemy,'' adding that Depp is ''simply a disgrace'' for taking part in the song. ''One day, Johnny Depp and his cronies will face the judgment of our Lord and they will burn in hell for this filth,'' Douglas predicted. The Focus on the Family organization was similarly condemnatory, telling the paper, ''We are sickened by Mr. Depp's behavior. Why did he need to record this song?'' The song, according to Focus on the Family, is ''a slap in the face to Christians all over the world.'' Apparently, the whole ''turn the other cheek'' philosophy is just sooooooooooo first century. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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