Friday, March 31, 2006

long bumpy journey

I get off the plane in Manila and the heat is a full on body assault. humid. but I love it. when I left Toronto on March 18th, the brief flirt with spring vanished as snow fell... so heat like this? welcome in my perspective. I load into a van and am driven 2+ hrs outside of the city through forest and shanties. all very overwehlming. where I am going, I am not to sure. but I know that friends will be there....

(click on photos for bigger image)

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

so so hot

No posts for the last few days, but just as I got the wireless Starbucks connection on my figured out, I flew off to the Philippines where, 2 hrs outside Manila in the countryside, wireless is non-existant. Sitting in a dark pit of an internet "cafe" as I hear motorized rickshaws and pimped out taki buses bleching out smoke and exhaust out side. Why am I here in the middle of nowhere, being the only white guy, dripping w sweat? Simple - RESPECT - a term that goes far here. And this is the true reason of that respect - Romeo Candido. I have over 900 photos take so far on this trip. More to come when in HK on the 31st....

Thursday, March 23, 2006

bus lane

the last picture I took before bed. see the fires of on the side? a young man and woman burning paper offerings to appease the hungry ghosts... quite the image to have in your head as you go to bed........

it wasn't a dream



Wednesday, March 22, 2006

3am wancahi time...


back to the hotel after spending the last 3 hrs in a grime filled alley. to dizzy to describe it. let me try some images...

the master killer


As I was walking to get a cab this afternoon, my sharp eye spied a man wearing a baseball cap walking towards me, none other than Gordon Liu Chia Hui - the Master Killer himself!

I bowed in honour of the Master who was very grateful and sweet. To futher the legacy of the Great Lakes Brotherhood, I offered him a tribute in the form of an issue of Kagan Mcleod's Infinite Kung Fu comicbook. If Gordon Liu has one, why don't you?

Johnnie To On Location Photo Exhibit


Lots going on here in Hong Kong and somehow I found myself as one of only around 6 "gweilio" at a private reception for the opening of a showing of photos taken my Hong Kong director Johnnie To (THE MISSION, PTU, ELECTION, etc). Great shots and several gave us a sneak peak at ELECTION 2 that makes it's premiere at the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival, who sponsored the event as part of there tribute to Milkyway, To's production company. The evening started with the press gathering around To as he looked at the collection and then he held an informal discussioin about his work with local critic Thomas Shin (sadly, in Cantonese only). Then after that, several of his regular actors showed up resulting in an impromtu gathering of the the cast for EXILED, the upcoming sequel to THE MISSION, including Miriam Yeung, Francis Ng and Roy Cheung. Also in attendance was HK actor/producer/peace activist John Sham (THE ISLAND) who told me a great story about the original ending of Patrick Tam's FINAL VICTORY where Tsui Hark's character stabs Eric Tseng on the beach!

Below are some of the snaps I took of the event. Thanks to Shan for inviting me to the event. Sorry about the website address slapped over them, but as I learned when taking pictures on the set of INVISIBLE WAVES, they will be pilferred by other sites covering the film.... (click them to see bigger versions of them)

(Huckle - this one above is for you - he remembers!)

Monday, March 20, 2006

in the land of kung fu

Quick post - I am visiting Hong Kong, both for biz and for pleasure. Attending the HK Filmart, a trade show/market for films from Asia and the rest of the world. Lots of big booths showcasing films for sale to distribs and other stuff folk. Plenty of eye candy for the Asian film fan. I will post some pics of the various booths, starting with these snaps. First and foremost - DRAGON TIGER GATE, the new film directed by Wilson Yip (SPL) and starring Donnie Yen. Saw the trailer and DAMN! It looks good. Will try and take more snaps for the blog this week on this fine flick. Meanwhile, here is the huge poster in the booth promoting it...


And in the "what the f**k" category is this film from Thailand by the company that brought us ONG BAK....


and might this be the new SHREK? ummm. this idea might not travel...

Back to Thailand for this saucy jungle super hero film. I actually have the sequel on VCD. Crap flick, but cute babes running around in skimpy outfits with animal faces....


more to come!

Monday, March 06, 2006

arcade hustle...

Wasn't planning on posting again so soon, but the things you find on the internet. Again, from www.youtube.com, is this unlikely pairing...

A young lad who loves to edit has matched up music by Canada's own Arcade Fire with Steven Chow's KUNG FU HUSTLE. Sit back and enjoy...


And for more info on the editor, "dragoon89", check out his profile on youtube, but beware of his loud myspace page. Kids these days!

clips of the lost condors...

EASTERN CONDORS, Sammo Hung Kam-bo's martial arts action bash up inspired equally by THE DIRTY DOZEN and THE DEER HUNTER, is quite the spectacle for fans, but was considered a bit of a box office bust when it was released. The film has screened several times at the Kung Fu Fridays series and is a favourite with the audience, due to the non-stop action of the last few reels and the fact that the film is a veritable "who's who" of martial arts cinema including: Sammo Hung (ENTER THE FAT DRAGON, SPL); Yuen Biao (PRODIGAL SON, DRAGONS FOREVER; Yuen Wo-ping (SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW, IRON MONKEY, THE MATRIX); Corey Yuen Kwai (YES, MADAM, THE TRANSPORTER), Lam Ching Ying (PRODIGAL SON, MR. VAMPIRE), Yuen Wah (KUNG FU HUSTLE); Moon Lee (ZU: WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN); Joyce Godenzi (Sammo's wife, LICENSE TO STEAL); Hsiao Ho (MAD MONKEY KUNG FU); Dick Wei (SEVENTH CURSE); Yasuaki Kurata (LEGEND OF A FIGHTER); and Billy Chow (FIST OF LEGEND, just to name a few!

Now here is the payoff to this posting... Long rumoured, clips of an amazing showcase to promote the film's release with an astounding demo by Sammo, Biao and Wah! Done as part of the Miss Asia Pageant 1987, some kind soul has put two clips up on www.youtube.com. Behold:

A fine example of how a man of Hung's weight can defy gravity

Yuen Wah's stunning back flip

And if you are interested in seeing the whole thing, just fork out $5.74 CDN for the VCD at yesasia.com, and no this is not a payola plug, but if they want to send me free stuff, go for it!

Here is another clip that I found of Sammo from TWINKLE TWINKLE LUCKY STARS, one of his action comedies from the eightes, and also the action and romance packed trailer for DRAGONS FOREVER, with co-stars Jackie Chan and Yeun Biao.

And here how Sammo looks like today in these snaps I took of him at the world premiere of Wilson Yip's SPL at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival (now that one might be a shameless plug...). SPL certainly shows that the man hasn't lost his powerful skills. (Trailer for SPL and one clip and another...)

Sammo and his wife Joyce Godenzi

(note the poster for EASTERN CONDORS in the background which
he signed when I got to meet him briefly in Boston in 1997)


These cell phone pics were taken by someone and posted on the internet - if you took them and happen to read this, let me know who you are and thanks for recording one of the best moments in my life!

After the screening, Sammo was presented with this beautiful portrait of his character in SPL by the kung fu comic wunderkid, Kagan Mcleod. If you haven't bought his comic, INFINITE KUNG FU, do so NOW!
If you live in the Toronto area and want to see Sammo in his youthful prime, come see ENTER THE FAT DRAGON at the March 24th edition of Kung Fu Fridays.