The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies
The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies |
| Posted: 04 Apr 2013 05:25 AM PDT Renowned Hong Kong director Ronny Yu gathered a star-studded cast for this epic tale on the legendary Yang family. CONFUCIOUS once wrote, "fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue". Well, director Ronny Yu might have just defied that centuries-old quote with his most recent movie, Saving General Yang. Although his cast features some of the most good-looking men in Chinese entertainment, including Ekin Cheng and Raymond Lam from Hong Kong, Wu Chun and Vic Chou from Taiwan, and China's Yu Bo and Li Chen, you can't deny that this movie does indeed highlight the virtues of the legendary Yang family. "When Edmond (Wong, writer of the movie) and I got together to produce this movie, we wanted to have the prettiest and coolest boys for the Yang family, but at the same time we made sure that the boys were assigned to characters that suited their personality," said Yu, who was in town on Sunday along with four of his cast members – Cheng, Wu, Chou and Yu Bo – for the gala premiere of movie at Pavilion KL. As an example, Yu pointed out Chou, whom he says is the quiet one. "When I first met him for the role, he only said three sentences, 'Hello', 'How do you want me to interpret the role?' and 'Thank you'. So, his character in the movie also had three sentences only!" he said. Then again, Yu also emphasised that the movie is not just about pretty boys. "It is about the values of the Yang family, which are zhong (loyalty), xiao (filial piety), ren (humaneness) and yi (righteousness). This is the main highlight (of the movie), and we want to remind the youth about these values." The movie centres on the renowned Yang clan led by patriarch Yang Ye (played by Adam Cheng), and his seven sons, who were the loyal defenders of the ancient Chinese Song Dynasty. General Yang's seven sons set off on a mission to rescue their father, who has been captured by their bitter enemies, the Liaos. The movie, which opens today, is distributed by Lotus Five Star, along with marketing partner RAM Entertainment. By focusing on the seven Yang brothers and their father, Yu's film is a contrast to the usual television dramas on the Yangs, which tend to revolve around the widows of the generals, who became female warriors. The story of the lady Yang warriors are apparently urban legends and were fictional characters created by script writers, explained Yu, who did extensive research and preparation, almost a year prior to shooting the movie. "(The film) took three years in total. Nine months of training for the casts, three months of production and 12 months of post-production," said Yu. Based in Los Angeles for the last 15 years, Yu has directed movies such as Jet Li kungfu blockbuster Fearless, and horror flicks Bride Of Chucky and Freddy vs Jason, and this time, the 63-year-old director wanted to make a Chinese movie that could be on par with Hollywood films. Together with producer Raymond Wong, they concluded that time and financial constraints are usually the main variables that determine a movie's quality, so Yu decided to take his time directing this US$26mil (RM80mil) movie. To ensure the movie looked authentic, Yu made his cast members wear bulky and heavy infantry armour while riding horses. In one scene, Wu's character had to carry a dead body and a stash of weapons on his own. "The dummy was 60kg and the weapons were not light. Luckily I listened to Yu and worked out at the gym during the training period," the 34-year-old Taiwanese heartthrob said. Chou, who played the archer of the family, had to put up with an ancient bow that could not function as a bow because the string and the limb were too stiff. "On one occasion, they wanted me to try firing an arrow with it, and it ended up just three feet away from me," said Chou with a laugh. Even the more experienced Cheng, the eldest of the "seven brothers", was not spared – the 45-year-old actor had a near-death experience during the shooting of the war scenes as well. "There was a scene where I was leading the charge, and we were shooting near a cliff. Behind me were my 'brothers' and 500 horses. While charging, we (Cheng and his horse) came very close to falling off the cliff, but we somehow managed to get back upright. It was a miracle!" said Cheng. That close call was captured on screen, and it is featured in the behind-the-scenes production. Coincidentally, while looking for the location for shoots, Yu actually stumbled upon the exact battleground where the Yang generals fought their last war. Hence, the director and his cast members truly felt that they were blessed by the spirits of the Yang family who wanted them retell their story. "Many a time, we could feel the presence and aura of the Yang family when we were doing the shoots. I learned so much of our history from this movie itself," added Yu. As to whether there will be a sequel on the Yangs, Yu hinted at a more contemporary take, the likes of Ocean's Eleven. "The boys would definitely be happier with this idea because they will be driving Ferraris and Porsches instead of riding horses!" he concluded with a laugh. n Saving General Yang opens in cinemas today. |
| Posted: 04 Apr 2013 12:18 AM PDT For the first time, a Hollywood flick, The Company You Keep, opens in a Malaysian online portal. THE days of standing listlessly in a queue, waiting to get tickets to watch the hottest movie in town may soon be over as MaxMan.tv brings new Hollywood films to viewers online. The first on the list is Robert Redford's political thriller, The Company You Keep. The movie premiered in Malaysia on Thursday on the online portal exclusively, ahead of its United States limited theatrical release on Saturday. Ahmad Izmir, CEO of the IZI Media Group which runs MaxMan.tv, says screening the movie online meant that viewers can watch it with ease and convenience. "This is the first time a high-profile movie such as The Company You Keep premieres in Malaysia on an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) channel instead of the cinemas. Malaysian viewers will be able to watch the movie from the comfort of their own homes, rather than head off to the cinema," he says. "We are proud to bring The Company You Keep to Malaysian shores. We are certain that the film will appeal to local audiences of all ages, with its all-star cast under the brilliant direction of Robert Redford," he continues. The political action flick, based on the 2003 novel by Neil Gordon of the same name, is helmed by Oscar-winning director Redford and stars some of the biggest names in Hollywood such as Shia LaBeouf, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, Terrence Howard, Sam Elliott and Anna Kendrick. The movie revolves around a suburban single father and civil rights lawyer, Jim Grant, whose treacherous past catches up with him when a young nosy reporter, Ben Shepard, knocks on the his door. Grant was a former 1970s anti-war radical fugitive who is wanted for a bank robbery and the murder of the bank's security guard. Meanwhile, Shepard, an ambitious journalist eager to impress his editor and make a name for himself, catches wind of Jim's involvement in the murder following the arrest of Sharon Solarz, Jim's friend who was part of the same bank robbery. Grant and his daughter Isabelle travels to Toronto, Canada, after receiveing an unwelcome visit from Shepard. But the relentless reporter is bent on getting the truth out, spawning the heart-pounding cat-and-mouse chase that takes place anywhere from Milwaukee in Wisconsin to New York. Besides The Company You Keep, MaxMan.tv has been streaming various movie and television titles such as The Prisoner, The Take, Top Boy, Lilyhammer and Borgia, for free since its inception last September. The online channel, also launched in Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the Philippines, was created with male viewers in mind in response to the current barrage of female-centric programming on television. It is committed to providing viewers with raw, action-packed, uncensored entertainment. Catch The Company You Keep on maxman.tv/channel/the-company-you-keep. |
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