At first, I didn't want to write this post because I didn't want to give the particular artist mentioned in this post any more 'publicity' than he already has, but once again, TVB pissed me off big time and I needed to vent about it to get it out of my system. So here it goes....
I just finished watching the finale episode of the variety series "All Star Glam Exam (華麗明星賽)" hosted by HK veteran Cantopop band/group Grasshopper. Up until yesterday, I was fine with the show, as I feel that throughout the season, there were definitely funny moments and the show wasn't really 'raunchy' like alot of the other variety shows out there recently (except for a few episodes that sort of pushed the envelope) -- it's actually one of the few variety shows that I've been able to tolerate in the past few years (needless to say, the quality of TVB's variety shows, just like their series, have gone done the toilet!!). Plus I like the hosts, as I grew up listening to the music of Grasshopper, and they are one of my favorite HK Cantopop bands / groups (not that there are that many to begin with anyway).
However, after watching the two-part finale episode, my opinion has somewhat changed.
Just to quickly "set the scene" for those who did not watch the finale yet: since it was to be the last show of the season (and possibly the show itself, since Grasshopper will be going on a World Tour concert in the coming year, so won't be able to host the show anymore, at least for now), TVB had a "special edition" of the show in which 10 guests were invited on the show to compete in various categories for prizes and money (as opposed to the usual 4 to 6 guests). Most of the guests who were invited for the finale had already gone on the show before and only a few of them were truly 'brand new' to the show. The guests who are invited are usually 'friends' of each of the 3 Grasshopper, as the 3 of them are sort of ‘competing’ as well (if their guests win, they win) -- the 10 guests were paired up into teams of 2 to compete against each other. The teams consisted of: Sammy Leung and King Kong, Nat Chan and Mandy Lieu, Louis Yuen and Nancy Sit, Raymond Lam and Wong Cho Lam, Johnson Lee and Bosco Wong. In general, each guest participates in 5-6 rounds of games and the highest cumulative score wins -- with the finale, the scores of the 2 guests in each team are combined together to form the cumulative total.
There were quite a few things in the finale to "complain" about but for the purpose of this post, I am going to focus on one thing in particular -- TVB's obvious favoritism of their 'favorite son' Raymond Lam. From the time the show first started about a year ago, I just knew that Raymond was going to appear on 1 of the episodes -- just didn't know which one (of course TVB wouldn't give up on the opportunity to promote their favorite son even more!)...turns out his one and only appearance was on the finale episode in which he paired up with Wong Cho Lam to compete in the games (I have a feeling it was deliberately planned this way by TVB for reasons that I won't get into here).
From the very first ‘game’ that the guests played, the favoritism of Raymond Lam was already very obvious. In the first game segment called “King of Posing”, each of the guests are given a series of camera numbers (camera 1, camera 2, etc.) to memorize – then, as the theme music to the show (sung by Grasshoppers) starts up, they do a ‘catwalk’ along the stage (in whatever manner they like) and pose for the cameras during the appropriate pauses in the music – the object of the game is to face the correct camera when posing (according to the sequence of numbers the guests were given earlier) and to get as many right as possible (8 angles total). Of course, each guest had their own way of doing the ‘catwalk’ – some were funny, some were silly, some were serious, etc. But when it came time for Raymond’s turn, things were completely different. First, instead of using the standard Glam Exam theme music for the game as everyone else did, he was the ONLY one of the 10 guests who was allowed to use his own song for the game – obvious and convenient ‘plug’ on the part of TVB, no? (And no, I don’t buy into the “well, Raymond is a singer but the others are not” crap because both Bosco and Cho Lam are officially singers as well). Second, instead of stopping to pose for the cameras at the appropriate times, all Raymond did was pretty much dance around the stage in beat with his song, completely ignoring the object of the game (needless to say, he scored a big fat ‘zero’ on that game!). So my question is – why is it that Raymond Lam gets the ‘special privilege’ of plugging his song as well as his dance during this segment instead of actually ‘playing the game’ properly like everyone else? There were many singers who appeared on the show previously and none of them got the same ‘privilege’ of plugging their songs and completely ignoring the objective of the game, so why does he get to?
The other segment where there was obvious favoritism was during the “Great Grasshopper Meal’ game where the guests are all seated around the table and while given special dishes to eat, they are asked a series of questions. Each time they answer a question wrong, they are “punished” in some form -- i.e. their utensils are taken away and they must eat with ‘specially-made’ utensils (usually something silly like long chopsticks, heavy paperweight utensils, celery sticks, other food, etc.), or they have to wear some type of silly accessory (anything from silly hats to jewelry to glasses, etc.), or they have to sit on something through the rest of the meal (i.e. a balloon, a cone chair, etc.)….there were other ‘punishments’ as well, but those were the main ones. After one of the Grasshopper hosts reads the question from a card, they are supposed to pick one of the guests (or in this case, the team of guests) to answer the questions (which range from the obvious ‘giveaway’ type questions to the extremely difficult / trick-type questions).
Well, during this segment, Raymond (and his partner Wong Cho Lam) had the ‘privilege’ of only answering 2 questions (yes, I counted and it was only 2) and was only ‘punished’ once (since the other question they answered was super-easy), whereas everyone else was being asked difficult questions and were being ‘punished’ left and right. The other thing too is that technically, Raymond himself didn’t even answer any questions – he just sat there and ate while Cho Lam was asked the questions (the hosts even called on Cho Lam specifically) and gave the answers. For those who get a chance to watch this segment, you will definitely notice the ‘favoritism’, as after the host asked each question, they would call out each group EXCEPT Raymond’s, even if they were ‘next in line (Raymond and Cho Lam sat between the Nat/Mandy group and the Sammy / King Kong group). Several times, the hosts went around the table -- sometimes even in order, going from Nat’s group then to Sammy’s group (skipping Raymond’s group) then around the table again, once again skipping the Raymond / Cho Lam group once it got to their side of the table. Even my mom, who was watching the show with me (and she is certainly an ‘impartial’ audience, as she pretty much watches everything without bias towards or against any artist or any show), commented several times while watching the segment: “Hey, did they just skip over Raymond and Cho Lam again?” I think even the guests themselves were starting to notice it, as some of them had surprised looks on their faces when they kept getting called on (someone even said “me again?”) – it wasn’t until close to the end of the segment that Raymond’s group got called on (to put things in perspective, the guests were served 3 dishes during the segment and they went several rounds for each dish – Raymond/Cho Lam didn’t get ‘picked’ to answer any questions until the very last dish was served….). So again, why did Raymond / his team get the ‘special privilege’ of not being called on for most of the game? Is it because they knew he wouldn’t be able to answer the question(s) correctly and didn’t want him to make a fool of himself with the silly ‘punishments’? Or was it some other reason? I could go on and on with all sorts of ‘speculation’ as to why this happened (but again, I will refrain from doing so).
Oh, and to ‘add salt to the wound’ so to speak, of course all the entertainment news reports that came out after the filming of that particular episode were pretty much ‘all about Raymond’ (oooh, he finally appeared on the show; oooh, he was ‘chok’-ing all night, oooh, he looks so handsome up there, blahblahblah….) – in the scheme of things, the other guests didn’t get talked about as much (though it seems that no one complained, so I guess they don’t really care…or maybe they are already used to TVB’s ‘tactics’ and so just turned a blind eye to it?).
I honestly don’t know what TVB’s intention was behind the ‘favoritism’, but I do know that it’s unfair to the rest of the guests who actually took the games seriously and were ‘good sports’ with their participation (again, this is just my personal opinion – the guests probably didn’t even care).
Lastly, I know that some may argue that the hosts were the ones at fault for the favoritism in a sense because they were the ones who told Raymond to show his ‘chok’ look during the Pose segment and they were the ones who ‘skipped’ over Raymond’s team during the Meal segment. In response to that, all I am going to say is that no matter what type of ‘atmosphere’ the hosts create, at the end of the day, all of these shows are ‘scripted’ to some extent and with the show being “TVB-produced”, the company definitely has a say in things. So no, TVB can’t claim ignorance in this case! End of story!
LL's Musings 小賢角落
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Article on the Biography Channel special – “HK’s The Four Heavenly Kings: Jacky Cheung”《香港四大天王﹕ 張學友》
Omg, a Jacky documentary? Well, not really, but it's as close as we're going to get....you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be hunting all over the Internet for this program when it airs next month!
Meanwhile though....we will just have to settle for the below article....
My thoughts on the article:
.>> I'm glad that Jacky talks about his battle with alcoholism because even though that particular period in his life and career (late 1980s) was the lowest point for him, he was able to overcome it and become the "God of Songs" that we have today. His story truly serves as an inspiration for others -- it proves that entertainers are human just like everyone one else and will encounter the same types of problems.
.>> Every time I hear the part about how Jacky's friends and family (especially his then girlfriend / now wife May Lo) supported him and helped him through the most difficult time in his life, I can't help but feel warm inside. This is one of the reasons why I admire Jacky and May so much as a couple -- throughout their relationship, they truly demonstrated that it's not necessarily about how long they've been together, but rather the experiences -- good and bad -- they encountered together as a couple. Regardless though, 26 years (11 years dating, 15 years married) is still a LONG time, especially for a celebrity couple. Anyway, I wish them continued happiness forever!! :o)
.>> The part about Jacky taking up his brother's gambling debts was not a 'rumor' -- it truly did occur (and not just once either). But glad that Jacky made the right choice in publicly declaring at that time that he was no longer going to pay for his brother's debts and stopped the brother from using his name for his own benefit.
.>> LOL at the part about "Snow Wolf Lake"! Ah, brings back memories of another great King and Queen collaboration (Jacky and Sandy)!
*******
Jacky Cheung to be the subject of new Biography Channel program
Article published: Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Source: Oriental Daily, Ming Pao
Translated by: llwy12
God of Songs Jacky Cheung has experienced his fair share of peaks and valleys in his long career as a HK entertainer. In the new program《The Four Heavenly Kings: Jacky Cheung》airing on the Biography Channel next month, Jacky explains in detail the various highs and lows he has experienced in his career. He recounts how, back in the 1980s, due to pressures with a stagnant career, he started drinking heavily, which gave rise to a lot of negative publicity and almost ended his career permanently. In the interview, Jacky candidly admits his one-time struggle with alcoholism: “I had a pretty good grasp on my career – whether it was recording albums or doing concerts, I was able to handle it fine – but only the drinking part I had no control over. I hate that type of feeling!” Fortunately, with the support of good friends such as record producer Michael Au as well as then girlfriend May Lo, Jacky was able to overcome his drinking problems and restart his career, ultimately achieving the tremendous success he has today.
With regard to rumors that surfaced back in 1993 of Jacky taking up his older brother’s huge gambling debts, Jacky admits that gambling runs in the family: “My dad likes to gamble, so both my brother and I grew up with the same interests – in fact, in my youth, I was an even bigger gambler than my brother! However, later on, I realized that it’s impossible to make a living off gambling and it wasn’t reliable for me, so I stopped.”
Discussing Jacky’s successful 1997 on-stage musical《Snow Wolf Lake》-- which he starred in and artistically directed – co-star Kit Chan reveals a few behind-the-scenes ‘secrets’ and funny moments that had occurred during the production, including Jacky’s “smelly” performances. Laughing, Kit playfully expressed that she felt sorry for the production’s female star, pop Queen Sandy Lam: “During a few performances, Jacky started to sweat heavily due to the various dance segments, and by the middle segment of the show, we started to smell ‘odors’ coming from his body – by the end of the show, some of us didn’t even want to go near him! And to think, during the very last scene, poor Sandy had to lie there, embraced by Jacky, with her head very close to his underarm….I ‘heard’ that it was not a very pleasant experience!”
Meanwhile though....we will just have to settle for the below article....
My thoughts on the article:
.>> I'm glad that Jacky talks about his battle with alcoholism because even though that particular period in his life and career (late 1980s) was the lowest point for him, he was able to overcome it and become the "God of Songs" that we have today. His story truly serves as an inspiration for others -- it proves that entertainers are human just like everyone one else and will encounter the same types of problems.
.>> Every time I hear the part about how Jacky's friends and family (especially his then girlfriend / now wife May Lo) supported him and helped him through the most difficult time in his life, I can't help but feel warm inside. This is one of the reasons why I admire Jacky and May so much as a couple -- throughout their relationship, they truly demonstrated that it's not necessarily about how long they've been together, but rather the experiences -- good and bad -- they encountered together as a couple. Regardless though, 26 years (11 years dating, 15 years married) is still a LONG time, especially for a celebrity couple. Anyway, I wish them continued happiness forever!! :o)
.>> The part about Jacky taking up his brother's gambling debts was not a 'rumor' -- it truly did occur (and not just once either). But glad that Jacky made the right choice in publicly declaring at that time that he was no longer going to pay for his brother's debts and stopped the brother from using his name for his own benefit.
.>> LOL at the part about "Snow Wolf Lake"! Ah, brings back memories of another great King and Queen collaboration (Jacky and Sandy)!
*******
Jacky Cheung to be the subject of new Biography Channel program
Article published: Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Source: Oriental Daily, Ming Pao
Translated by: llwy12
Picture credits as listed
God of Songs Jacky Cheung has experienced his fair share of peaks and valleys in his long career as a HK entertainer. In the new program《The Four Heavenly Kings: Jacky Cheung》airing on the Biography Channel next month, Jacky explains in detail the various highs and lows he has experienced in his career. He recounts how, back in the 1980s, due to pressures with a stagnant career, he started drinking heavily, which gave rise to a lot of negative publicity and almost ended his career permanently. In the interview, Jacky candidly admits his one-time struggle with alcoholism: “I had a pretty good grasp on my career – whether it was recording albums or doing concerts, I was able to handle it fine – but only the drinking part I had no control over. I hate that type of feeling!” Fortunately, with the support of good friends such as record producer Michael Au as well as then girlfriend May Lo, Jacky was able to overcome his drinking problems and restart his career, ultimately achieving the tremendous success he has today.
With regard to rumors that surfaced back in 1993 of Jacky taking up his older brother’s huge gambling debts, Jacky admits that gambling runs in the family: “My dad likes to gamble, so both my brother and I grew up with the same interests – in fact, in my youth, I was an even bigger gambler than my brother! However, later on, I realized that it’s impossible to make a living off gambling and it wasn’t reliable for me, so I stopped.”
Discussing Jacky’s successful 1997 on-stage musical《Snow Wolf Lake》-- which he starred in and artistically directed – co-star Kit Chan reveals a few behind-the-scenes ‘secrets’ and funny moments that had occurred during the production, including Jacky’s “smelly” performances. Laughing, Kit playfully expressed that she felt sorry for the production’s female star, pop Queen Sandy Lam: “During a few performances, Jacky started to sweat heavily due to the various dance segments, and by the middle segment of the show, we started to smell ‘odors’ coming from his body – by the end of the show, some of us didn’t even want to go near him! And to think, during the very last scene, poor Sandy had to lie there, embraced by Jacky, with her head very close to his underarm….I ‘heard’ that it was not a very pleasant experience!”
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Review of "When Lanes Merge 情越雙白線"
I recently watched this series in its entirety when it came on TV. Even though I had heard alot of praises for this series from various people, I really did not have high hopes going into it because majority of TVB's productions have been huge disappointments for me this past decade. Plus I had attempted to watch quite a few of TVB's 2010 series already and was only able to get through 2 of them completely -- I gave up on the rest of them after the first few episodes (for various reasons), since I didn't want to waste my time any further. Also, I wasn't too fond of the cast for this series -- the male side was fine, but I didn't like most of the actresses on the female side -- which was sort of the reason why I had put off watching the series in the first place (despite the series being on my "to watch" list for quite some time already plus owning the DVD).
Surprisingly, this series exceeded my expectations -- and that's saying alot for someone like me who has already lost all faith in TVB and its abilities to produce good series. Though I still hold that sentiment about TVB (most of their series nowadays are still crappy), I will admit that this particular series is one of those 'rare gems' that stands out from the rest of the pack. Of course, the series has its flaws and there were certainly some things I didn't like about it, but overall, the positives outweighed the negatives (for me at least).
As with most of my series reviews, I'm not going to talk about every single 'good' or 'bad' thing about the series because frankly, I don't see the need to do so (plus I'm always of the belief that it's best for people to watch the series for themselves to form their own opinion on it, since everyone's tastes are different). So I'm basically just going to highlight a few things that stood out to me in terms of the storyline and characters....
In terms of the storyline, it revolved around something that we do every day -- driving -- as well as the consequences of not following traffic laws and regulations. With this storyline and theme, I'm not really surprised in a sense that many audiences liked the series because the realism of the plot made it easier for audiences to relate. The series is a bit 'heavy' in the sense that it deals with alot of 'drama' and tragedy such as car accidents resulting from drunk driving or reckless driving and people dying or getting seriously injured as a result -- and it is a bit painful to watch how the lives of the families and friends of all involved (the victims of the accidents as well as those who cause the accidents) get turned upside down as a result of one person's actions. But that's life -- and that's where this series is successful -- depicting the tragedies of life and the aftermath. After watching this series, it really made me think twice about being reckless when driving!
With regard to character development and the acting -- well, here is where I need to applaud the writers and the actors for doing a great job, especially the male cast (though I have some reservations about the females -- but more on that later).
Here are some of the highlights:
Kent Cheng (Taxi Gor): Kent Gor illustrates once again why I enjoy watching veteran actors' performances so much -- his portrayal of 'bad boy' Turbo's (Raymond Wong) father Taxi Gor was close to perfect! He definitely brought out the emotional aspect to the character and did a fine job showing us the complexity of the character -- a father who has immense love for his son, yet at the same time is frustrated with his son's actions and to some extent, feels guilty that he, as the parent, had a hand in his son going down the wrong path (by spoiling him when he was a child). His relationship with his son in this series was very interesting because it was not 'traditional' -- even though he would constantly argue with his rebellious son and yell at him profusely when he does 'reckless' stuff (to the extent of telling his son to his face that he is "a piece of trash"), it's obvious that he still loves him very much -- yelling at his son is a way of acting out his helpless frustration and desperation while at the same time holding out hope that he can still 'reform' his seemingly incorrigible son and bring him back on the right path. And to see all the pain and suffering that Kent's character goes through all because of his son's reckless actions (i.e.: selling his 2 taxi licenses in order to pay compensation to the dead victim's family, enduring the wrath of the other victim who becomes disabled because of the accident, working long hours despite his age and not being in good health just so that his son could have as 'normal' a life as possible once he got out of jail, etc.) -- it definitely made me appreciate the parent / child relationship so much more.
The scene in episode 3 or 4 when both Taxi Gor and Turbo go to the hospital after Turbo's drunk driving accident to apologize to the victim's family and the doctor comes out to tell them that they weren't able to save the victim -- that scene was especially intense, suspenseful, and well-acted....I literally jumped when Kent's character slapped Raymond's character so hard and so many times -- now there's professional acting for you right there!
Raymond Wong (Turbo): I will admit that I was hugely impressed with Raymond's performance in this series. I never really took notice of Raymond prior to last year because he had just joined TVB not too long ago and none of his roles really stood out before that -- so at first, I assumed that he was just another newbie actor with mediocre skill whom TVB was trying to push in our (the audience's) faces. But, it turns out that I was wrong (about the 'newbie actor' and 'mediocre skill' part at least) -- Raymond is actually not new to the industry, as he started in the late 90s in movies and a few years ago switched to television, so up to last year, he already had 13 years of acting experience. And he definitely does have the acting skills as far as I can tell from the little I've seen of his performances. No wonder he was able to handle his first lead role (in this series) so well!
I like how Raymond's character develops throughout the series -- he is obviously a 'bad boy' in the beginning (no, not the evil villain type by any means) -- he was pretty much a tempermental, rebellious young guy who couldn't hold down a steady job and instead spent most of his time hanging out with his buddies and enjoying the thrills of driving / racing fast cars (hence gaining the name Turbo). Then, after he drives drunk and ends up killing someone (and severely injuring another person) and gets sent to jail, he changes his ways and truly tries hard to be a good person. What I like though is that the ‘transformation’ is not the typical “now I’m going to become the perfect son” type of thing – even after he is released from jail, he still has a fiery temper and a somewhat rebellious streak about him (and still argues with his father), but he has matured in his thinking and knows how much his father suffered because of him (as well as the pain that he caused the victims’ families) and so he thinks more before he acts.
Also, the genuine love and concern that he has towards his father is admirable – even though on the outside, he is always arguing with his father and comes across as though he doesn’t care, on the inside, he is really concerned for his father’s well-being. I especially saw this during the ‘jail visit’ scenes between him and his father – i.e.: the part when he is sitting in the room waiting for his father to come for his scheduled visit and when his father is late, he keeps looking worriedly at the door…when his father finally arrives all out of breath and sweating, he’s worried and tells him to be more careful and take care of himself. Then, when the time is up and he gets up to go back to his cell, he tells his father to wait until he catches his breath before leaving (obviously genuinely concerned for his health). Maybe it’s just me (and my ‘old-school’ way of thinking), but I’ve always been of the mindset that someone who can be that good to their parents (I’m talking genuinely filial here, not faking it) -- no matter what happens -- can’t possibly be THAT BAD of a person at the core.
Also, the 2 scenes where Turbo shows his remorse for the pain he caused both the widow of the guy who died in the accident as well as ruining the life of Kwok Fung’s character – where he gets down on his knees and sincerely begs for forgiveness – I will admit that I got a bit teary-eyed for those few seconds (again, that’s saying a lot). Once again, it goes to show how much of an impact Raymond’s performance in this series had.
Sonjia Kwok (Cheung Hui Mun): To be honest, I don’t really have much to say about Sonjia’s character – I guess I’m basically neutral towards her character (I neither like her nor hate her). I honestly don’t think that Sonjia’s character stood out that much, at least not to me. She actually plays the typical “ex-girlfriend of the main character who still has feelings for him but he loves someone else” character – nothing really exciting or refreshing about her character. I also didn’t like Sonjia’s ‘look’ in this series – the short hair that she sported made her look way older than she really is and as a result, I don’t feel that she ‘matched’ Raymond’s character (it made her look older than him – not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I just couldn’t really see them as a couple).
In a sense, I feel that Sonjia’s character was a somewhat supporting role in the series because she definitely did not have as much screen time as Kate – in fact, there were some episodes where she didn’t appear at all or if she did, she was part of a group scene and had very little dialogue (if any). I’m thinking that her primary purpose in the series was to be a potential love interest for Raymond so that TVB can do their typical ‘love triangle’ thing that they manage to do in most series – if that’s the case, I would rather they have cut her character out completely rather than do a mediocre job of character development.
Kate Tsui (Ko Lai Sum): I’ve never liked Kate and after watching this series, my opinion of her hasn’t changed. Kate’s character is a traffic enforcement officer who is at odds with Raymond Wong’s character Turbo because of his reckless driving (not surprisingly, since she IS a traffic cop after all). But their relationship becomes even more strained after Turbo causes an accident when driving drunk and she is the first officer on the scene. After Turbo gets out of jail, the 2 become friends and eventually become a couple (of course – typical TVB).
I’m not too fond of Kate in this series because to me, her character comes across as fake – maybe it’s her (bad) acting that caused me to think this way, but I really felt her character was boring and didn’t display the emotion that I would expect her to. She is also definitely not convincing as a traffic cop (in fact, she came across as very awkward in that role). Maybe she should stick to playing those ‘vixen’ roles that she seems to do so well in (perhaps because it’s closer to the image that most audiences have of her?).
Ruco Chan (Kwan Shu Yan): Ruco’s character is obviously the villain in the series. On the surface, he is the CEO of a big company and tries to pass himself off as a respected business person, however underneath that ‘cool’ and ‘calm’ demeanor is an evil, heartless monster who has no qualms about driving recklessly and even injuring or killing people in car accidents that he causes. He and Turbo are enemies because he once caused Turbo to crash the car that he was driving, which resulted in his dad Taxi Gor to be seriously injured – but the worst part was the fact that Ruco’s character schemed to cover up his involvement in the accident, using all the people around him to his advantage. Of course, as with most of the villains in TVB’s series, his character encounters a tragic, yet predictable end….
Ruco is another artist who ‘jumped ship’ to TVB from ATV and even though I have not seen too many of his series so far, I can tell that from the few I’ve seen that he his acting skills are quite good. (What’s with all those ATV artists having such good acting skills?). Even though I disliked Ruco’s character in this series, I do have to admit that he did a good job of portraying the “coldheartedness” of the character.
Raymond Cho (Au Yiu Jun): In most of his previous series, Ray usually plays some type of ‘professional’ character such as a doctor, lawyer, police officer, business man, etc., so it was definitely refreshing to see him play a ‘common man’ type character this time around – a working class taxi driver and family man whose main objective is to give his wife and son the best life he could afford. He’s the typical ‘little man’ character who pretty much lets his wife run the show at home he feels that his wife had to ‘marry down’ because of him (since they only married because she became pregnant), so he wants to do everything he can do to prove his love for her.
I like Ray’s character in this series – even though he doesn’t have too much screen time, I still enjoyed his humorous and straightforward personality in the series. But honestly, why did they pair him up with Elaine? Her character was such a bxxch – he definitely deserved way better than that!
Elaine Yiu (Wai Wai): As usual, Elaine plays another annoying, pathetic character. She plays Raymond Cho’s wife – a mother who obtains a job at a prestigious, high-paying company and obviously makes more money than her taxi driver husband, which means that she also ‘wears the pants’ in the house because she is the ‘main breadwinner’. And of course, as is typically the case, she has a willful, defiant personality and always insists that she is right, refusing to listen to anyone, not even to her own husband when he tries to warn her against getting too friendly with her boss (played by Ruco Chan). Everyone knows that her boss is a bad person who is responsible for hurting many people in car accidents, then covering up his actions, yet she continues to blindly follow him, naively (and stupidly) insisting that he is not that kind of person and that everyone is prejudiced against him (sound familiar? Yup, the same type of stupid, annoying roles she typically plays). The worst part is how she almost ruins her marriage because she believes Ruco more than she does her own husband Ray, even slapping her husband and yelling at him in her boss’ defense! (Ok, that scene was a bit overboard – I actually wanted to slap Elaine silly after that.)
Kwok Fung (Ngai Chiu Fat): Veteran actor Kwok Fung plays a working class café owner who makes a living by making tasty beef balls, which is pretty much what he has done his entire life and what he raised his family on. But when he becomes one of the victims of Turbo’s car accident and severely injures his arm, his life gets turned upside down – because his craft depends upon using his hands and he refused to get therapy even after he was injured, his situation grew worse, to the point that he was no longer able to continue with his craft, therefore losing the café that he had worked so many years to maintain. He becomes depressed and takes on drinking and gambling, plus his personality completely changes, becoming angry, aggressive, and violent – by taking out his anger on his family (his wife and teenage daughter), he ends up losing his family as well.
Kwok Fung has been around forever it seems (I pretty much grew up watching his series) – he is one of those seasoned veteran actors who can pull off pretty much any role he is given with ease. That was definitely the case in this series as well – not only did he have to maintain an accent in the series (and make it sound natural rather than forced), he also had to go from ‘ideal husband and father’ to his family’s worse nightmare. I really can’t imagine who else would be able to play this complex character as well as Kwok Fung did!
Kingdom Yuen (Fen Jie): My first impression of Kingdom’s performance in this series – WOW! I’ve always known that Kingdom can act, as I’ve seen many of the series that she participated in and she is always excellent in her roles as well as extremely convincing. Her role as Kwok Fung’s wife was very well acted – all the emotional scenes that she had were amazingly convincing, especially the scenes where she gets beat up by her husband and subsequently when she stands up to him and fights back.
There were actually quite a few ‘gripping’ scenes that Kingdom was involved in where I couldn’t help but think how underrated she is as an actress as well as how much the younger ones can learn from her. To be honest, out of the entire female cast in this series (lead as well as supporting), Kingdom’s character was the ONLY one I liked – despite how tragic her character is, it was definitely refreshing to see such quality acting!
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Concluding thoughts:
Overall, I was disappointed in the female cast of this series (except for Kingdom Yuen) because all of their characters were pretty much “forgettable”. I’m actually not sure if I should blame the writers for the bad character development on the female side or the actresses for their mediocre acting – either way, when the female cast is placed up against the male cast, there is a very obvious difference in terms of the characters as well as the acting.
In terms of whether I recommend this series or not – well, it depends….it’s definitely not an easy series to get through because of the tragic theme and the intense emotional aspect. Also, with the two extremes in acting on the part of the cast (the female cast, except Kingdom, really dragged the series down whereas the male cast pretty much kept it going), it’s easy to get frustrated at some of the draggy scenes involving the female cast. Luckily though, the series is short (only 19 episodes) and for the really boring scenes, there’s always the option of forwarding through them (as I ended up doing a few times myself)! So pretty much – watch at your own risk!
Surprisingly, this series exceeded my expectations -- and that's saying alot for someone like me who has already lost all faith in TVB and its abilities to produce good series. Though I still hold that sentiment about TVB (most of their series nowadays are still crappy), I will admit that this particular series is one of those 'rare gems' that stands out from the rest of the pack. Of course, the series has its flaws and there were certainly some things I didn't like about it, but overall, the positives outweighed the negatives (for me at least).
As with most of my series reviews, I'm not going to talk about every single 'good' or 'bad' thing about the series because frankly, I don't see the need to do so (plus I'm always of the belief that it's best for people to watch the series for themselves to form their own opinion on it, since everyone's tastes are different). So I'm basically just going to highlight a few things that stood out to me in terms of the storyline and characters....
In terms of the storyline, it revolved around something that we do every day -- driving -- as well as the consequences of not following traffic laws and regulations. With this storyline and theme, I'm not really surprised in a sense that many audiences liked the series because the realism of the plot made it easier for audiences to relate. The series is a bit 'heavy' in the sense that it deals with alot of 'drama' and tragedy such as car accidents resulting from drunk driving or reckless driving and people dying or getting seriously injured as a result -- and it is a bit painful to watch how the lives of the families and friends of all involved (the victims of the accidents as well as those who cause the accidents) get turned upside down as a result of one person's actions. But that's life -- and that's where this series is successful -- depicting the tragedies of life and the aftermath. After watching this series, it really made me think twice about being reckless when driving!
With regard to character development and the acting -- well, here is where I need to applaud the writers and the actors for doing a great job, especially the male cast (though I have some reservations about the females -- but more on that later).
Here are some of the highlights:
Kent Cheng (Taxi Gor): Kent Gor illustrates once again why I enjoy watching veteran actors' performances so much -- his portrayal of 'bad boy' Turbo's (Raymond Wong) father Taxi Gor was close to perfect! He definitely brought out the emotional aspect to the character and did a fine job showing us the complexity of the character -- a father who has immense love for his son, yet at the same time is frustrated with his son's actions and to some extent, feels guilty that he, as the parent, had a hand in his son going down the wrong path (by spoiling him when he was a child). His relationship with his son in this series was very interesting because it was not 'traditional' -- even though he would constantly argue with his rebellious son and yell at him profusely when he does 'reckless' stuff (to the extent of telling his son to his face that he is "a piece of trash"), it's obvious that he still loves him very much -- yelling at his son is a way of acting out his helpless frustration and desperation while at the same time holding out hope that he can still 'reform' his seemingly incorrigible son and bring him back on the right path. And to see all the pain and suffering that Kent's character goes through all because of his son's reckless actions (i.e.: selling his 2 taxi licenses in order to pay compensation to the dead victim's family, enduring the wrath of the other victim who becomes disabled because of the accident, working long hours despite his age and not being in good health just so that his son could have as 'normal' a life as possible once he got out of jail, etc.) -- it definitely made me appreciate the parent / child relationship so much more.
The scene in episode 3 or 4 when both Taxi Gor and Turbo go to the hospital after Turbo's drunk driving accident to apologize to the victim's family and the doctor comes out to tell them that they weren't able to save the victim -- that scene was especially intense, suspenseful, and well-acted....I literally jumped when Kent's character slapped Raymond's character so hard and so many times -- now there's professional acting for you right there!
Raymond Wong (Turbo): I will admit that I was hugely impressed with Raymond's performance in this series. I never really took notice of Raymond prior to last year because he had just joined TVB not too long ago and none of his roles really stood out before that -- so at first, I assumed that he was just another newbie actor with mediocre skill whom TVB was trying to push in our (the audience's) faces. But, it turns out that I was wrong (about the 'newbie actor' and 'mediocre skill' part at least) -- Raymond is actually not new to the industry, as he started in the late 90s in movies and a few years ago switched to television, so up to last year, he already had 13 years of acting experience. And he definitely does have the acting skills as far as I can tell from the little I've seen of his performances. No wonder he was able to handle his first lead role (in this series) so well!
I like how Raymond's character develops throughout the series -- he is obviously a 'bad boy' in the beginning (no, not the evil villain type by any means) -- he was pretty much a tempermental, rebellious young guy who couldn't hold down a steady job and instead spent most of his time hanging out with his buddies and enjoying the thrills of driving / racing fast cars (hence gaining the name Turbo). Then, after he drives drunk and ends up killing someone (and severely injuring another person) and gets sent to jail, he changes his ways and truly tries hard to be a good person. What I like though is that the ‘transformation’ is not the typical “now I’m going to become the perfect son” type of thing – even after he is released from jail, he still has a fiery temper and a somewhat rebellious streak about him (and still argues with his father), but he has matured in his thinking and knows how much his father suffered because of him (as well as the pain that he caused the victims’ families) and so he thinks more before he acts.
Also, the genuine love and concern that he has towards his father is admirable – even though on the outside, he is always arguing with his father and comes across as though he doesn’t care, on the inside, he is really concerned for his father’s well-being. I especially saw this during the ‘jail visit’ scenes between him and his father – i.e.: the part when he is sitting in the room waiting for his father to come for his scheduled visit and when his father is late, he keeps looking worriedly at the door…when his father finally arrives all out of breath and sweating, he’s worried and tells him to be more careful and take care of himself. Then, when the time is up and he gets up to go back to his cell, he tells his father to wait until he catches his breath before leaving (obviously genuinely concerned for his health). Maybe it’s just me (and my ‘old-school’ way of thinking), but I’ve always been of the mindset that someone who can be that good to their parents (I’m talking genuinely filial here, not faking it) -- no matter what happens -- can’t possibly be THAT BAD of a person at the core.
Also, the 2 scenes where Turbo shows his remorse for the pain he caused both the widow of the guy who died in the accident as well as ruining the life of Kwok Fung’s character – where he gets down on his knees and sincerely begs for forgiveness – I will admit that I got a bit teary-eyed for those few seconds (again, that’s saying a lot). Once again, it goes to show how much of an impact Raymond’s performance in this series had.
Sonjia Kwok (Cheung Hui Mun): To be honest, I don’t really have much to say about Sonjia’s character – I guess I’m basically neutral towards her character (I neither like her nor hate her). I honestly don’t think that Sonjia’s character stood out that much, at least not to me. She actually plays the typical “ex-girlfriend of the main character who still has feelings for him but he loves someone else” character – nothing really exciting or refreshing about her character. I also didn’t like Sonjia’s ‘look’ in this series – the short hair that she sported made her look way older than she really is and as a result, I don’t feel that she ‘matched’ Raymond’s character (it made her look older than him – not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I just couldn’t really see them as a couple).
In a sense, I feel that Sonjia’s character was a somewhat supporting role in the series because she definitely did not have as much screen time as Kate – in fact, there were some episodes where she didn’t appear at all or if she did, she was part of a group scene and had very little dialogue (if any). I’m thinking that her primary purpose in the series was to be a potential love interest for Raymond so that TVB can do their typical ‘love triangle’ thing that they manage to do in most series – if that’s the case, I would rather they have cut her character out completely rather than do a mediocre job of character development.
Kate Tsui (Ko Lai Sum): I’ve never liked Kate and after watching this series, my opinion of her hasn’t changed. Kate’s character is a traffic enforcement officer who is at odds with Raymond Wong’s character Turbo because of his reckless driving (not surprisingly, since she IS a traffic cop after all). But their relationship becomes even more strained after Turbo causes an accident when driving drunk and she is the first officer on the scene. After Turbo gets out of jail, the 2 become friends and eventually become a couple (of course – typical TVB).
I’m not too fond of Kate in this series because to me, her character comes across as fake – maybe it’s her (bad) acting that caused me to think this way, but I really felt her character was boring and didn’t display the emotion that I would expect her to. She is also definitely not convincing as a traffic cop (in fact, she came across as very awkward in that role). Maybe she should stick to playing those ‘vixen’ roles that she seems to do so well in (perhaps because it’s closer to the image that most audiences have of her?).
Ruco Chan (Kwan Shu Yan): Ruco’s character is obviously the villain in the series. On the surface, he is the CEO of a big company and tries to pass himself off as a respected business person, however underneath that ‘cool’ and ‘calm’ demeanor is an evil, heartless monster who has no qualms about driving recklessly and even injuring or killing people in car accidents that he causes. He and Turbo are enemies because he once caused Turbo to crash the car that he was driving, which resulted in his dad Taxi Gor to be seriously injured – but the worst part was the fact that Ruco’s character schemed to cover up his involvement in the accident, using all the people around him to his advantage. Of course, as with most of the villains in TVB’s series, his character encounters a tragic, yet predictable end….
Ruco is another artist who ‘jumped ship’ to TVB from ATV and even though I have not seen too many of his series so far, I can tell that from the few I’ve seen that he his acting skills are quite good. (What’s with all those ATV artists having such good acting skills?). Even though I disliked Ruco’s character in this series, I do have to admit that he did a good job of portraying the “coldheartedness” of the character.
Raymond Cho (Au Yiu Jun): In most of his previous series, Ray usually plays some type of ‘professional’ character such as a doctor, lawyer, police officer, business man, etc., so it was definitely refreshing to see him play a ‘common man’ type character this time around – a working class taxi driver and family man whose main objective is to give his wife and son the best life he could afford. He’s the typical ‘little man’ character who pretty much lets his wife run the show at home he feels that his wife had to ‘marry down’ because of him (since they only married because she became pregnant), so he wants to do everything he can do to prove his love for her.
I like Ray’s character in this series – even though he doesn’t have too much screen time, I still enjoyed his humorous and straightforward personality in the series. But honestly, why did they pair him up with Elaine? Her character was such a bxxch – he definitely deserved way better than that!
Elaine Yiu (Wai Wai): As usual, Elaine plays another annoying, pathetic character. She plays Raymond Cho’s wife – a mother who obtains a job at a prestigious, high-paying company and obviously makes more money than her taxi driver husband, which means that she also ‘wears the pants’ in the house because she is the ‘main breadwinner’. And of course, as is typically the case, she has a willful, defiant personality and always insists that she is right, refusing to listen to anyone, not even to her own husband when he tries to warn her against getting too friendly with her boss (played by Ruco Chan). Everyone knows that her boss is a bad person who is responsible for hurting many people in car accidents, then covering up his actions, yet she continues to blindly follow him, naively (and stupidly) insisting that he is not that kind of person and that everyone is prejudiced against him (sound familiar? Yup, the same type of stupid, annoying roles she typically plays). The worst part is how she almost ruins her marriage because she believes Ruco more than she does her own husband Ray, even slapping her husband and yelling at him in her boss’ defense! (Ok, that scene was a bit overboard – I actually wanted to slap Elaine silly after that.)
Kwok Fung (Ngai Chiu Fat): Veteran actor Kwok Fung plays a working class café owner who makes a living by making tasty beef balls, which is pretty much what he has done his entire life and what he raised his family on. But when he becomes one of the victims of Turbo’s car accident and severely injures his arm, his life gets turned upside down – because his craft depends upon using his hands and he refused to get therapy even after he was injured, his situation grew worse, to the point that he was no longer able to continue with his craft, therefore losing the café that he had worked so many years to maintain. He becomes depressed and takes on drinking and gambling, plus his personality completely changes, becoming angry, aggressive, and violent – by taking out his anger on his family (his wife and teenage daughter), he ends up losing his family as well.
Kwok Fung has been around forever it seems (I pretty much grew up watching his series) – he is one of those seasoned veteran actors who can pull off pretty much any role he is given with ease. That was definitely the case in this series as well – not only did he have to maintain an accent in the series (and make it sound natural rather than forced), he also had to go from ‘ideal husband and father’ to his family’s worse nightmare. I really can’t imagine who else would be able to play this complex character as well as Kwok Fung did!
Kingdom Yuen (Fen Jie): My first impression of Kingdom’s performance in this series – WOW! I’ve always known that Kingdom can act, as I’ve seen many of the series that she participated in and she is always excellent in her roles as well as extremely convincing. Her role as Kwok Fung’s wife was very well acted – all the emotional scenes that she had were amazingly convincing, especially the scenes where she gets beat up by her husband and subsequently when she stands up to him and fights back.
There were actually quite a few ‘gripping’ scenes that Kingdom was involved in where I couldn’t help but think how underrated she is as an actress as well as how much the younger ones can learn from her. To be honest, out of the entire female cast in this series (lead as well as supporting), Kingdom’s character was the ONLY one I liked – despite how tragic her character is, it was definitely refreshing to see such quality acting!
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Concluding thoughts:
Overall, I was disappointed in the female cast of this series (except for Kingdom Yuen) because all of their characters were pretty much “forgettable”. I’m actually not sure if I should blame the writers for the bad character development on the female side or the actresses for their mediocre acting – either way, when the female cast is placed up against the male cast, there is a very obvious difference in terms of the characters as well as the acting.
In terms of whether I recommend this series or not – well, it depends….it’s definitely not an easy series to get through because of the tragic theme and the intense emotional aspect. Also, with the two extremes in acting on the part of the cast (the female cast, except Kingdom, really dragged the series down whereas the male cast pretty much kept it going), it’s easy to get frustrated at some of the draggy scenes involving the female cast. Luckily though, the series is short (only 19 episodes) and for the really boring scenes, there’s always the option of forwarding through them (as I ended up doing a few times myself)! So pretty much – watch at your own risk!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
From the 2010 Time Vault: Margie Tsang Interviews Carina Lau
Back in December 2010, a 'historic' moment occurred -- Tony Leung's ‘first love’ Margie Tsang sat down with his current wife Carina Lau and spoke candidly about life, career, and, yes, Tony! Why is this considered 'historic'? Well, of course, one reason is because of the 'ex' factor -- namely, Margie being Tony's former girlfriend throughout most of the 1980s (they famously broke up and got back together 3 times throughout that period) plus the fact that the two of them were a popular and endearing couple both on and off-screen at the time. But in my opinion, the reason why this interview is so significant is because of the fact that all these years (more than 20 years now), Margie has rarely talked about Tony in public (except for a radio show interview she did with Carina in the 90s – more on that below) – of course, other people always try to mention his name in interviews with her and such since they were such a famous couple, but the 'mention' is almost always very brief (it's almost as though Margie just 'glosses' over it) and almost every time, Margie usually changes the subject to steer away from having to talk about him. So for Margie to be willing to sit down with Carina and talk so candidly about Tony -- in a public forum no less – is definitely a rare and significant event!
This interview is actually a television interview that Margie had face to face with Carina -- it was a special program that aired on TVB’s Entertainment News Channel on January 2, 2011 (the actual interview took place in December but the program aired in January). The interview was arranged by Carina’s management company and the purpose was to promote her latest film – they invited Margie to be the ‘special guest host’ for the program.
I actually have the DVD version of the program, but to be honest, I have not had a chance to watch it yet (unfortunately, I'm a bit behind on my DVD watching) -- however, I was able to track down the 'written' version of the interview that was printed in Mingpao Weekly Magazine back in January (Issue # 2199, dated 01/01/2011). Of course, until I watch the 'real thing', there's no way for me to know how closely the 'written' version mirrors the original -- but from a translation standpoint, it's much easier (and quicker) for me to translate the written interview than it is for me to translate the actual television one. Plus who knows when I'll have time to watch the TV interview -- I didn't want to hold off on this post any longer, so I figured I'd go ahead and post the translation for the written interview first, then when I actually get around to watching the original TV interview, I will definitely do a follow up post at that time to clear up any discrepancies (to be honest, the written interview seems way too short to me, so I can’t help but think it might not be the complete interview).
One clarification that I do have to make though – this is NOT the first time that Margie has interviewed Carina and talked about Tony. Back in the mid-90s, when Margie was host of a radio show, Carina was a guest on her show then as well – at that time, they had also talked candidly about Tony (of course, Carina was his ‘girlfriend’ back then and not yet his wife) and they also refuted reports in the Media that they didn’t get along by clarifying that they are still good friends.
.****.
So here is the ‘written’ version of the TV interview....hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Source: Mingpao Weekly
Translated by: llwy12
**Note: Only the actual interview part was translated – in the magazine, there are additional pages of commentary by Mingpao that I will not be translating here. **
MT = Margie Tsang
CL = Carina Lau
MT: We’ve known each other for 28 years and were classmates in the same Acting Class, yet very seldom have we talked candidly in front of a camera about our ‘grudges’….
CL (couldn’t help interrupting): What ‘grudges’?
MT: Just kidding! Anyway, even though your main purpose this time is to promote your movie, I still should ‘formally’ welcome you. Welcome, Carina!
CL: Wah! What’s with the formalities!?
(The two ladies embrace cheek to cheek and excitedly greet each other)
.**.
MT: If you were to film another movie, who would you want to collaborate with the most? Tony Leung?
CL: No, no!
MT: Haha! Either Tony Leung or Margie Tsang (points to herself) is fine! Hahahaha!
CL: Ha! Hey, with these types of things, never say never! No one knows what may happen in the future, but for now, it’s not a good idea for me to shoot a movie with him [Tony] because I prefer that my personal life be separate from my work, otherwise, it can get quite awkward.
MT: Plus if you guys had just gotten into an argument that day, then to have to shoot scenes together, it’s a bit…..
CL: Hahaha! Actually, we rarely argue nowadays! Not like back when you two were together, arguing all the time – we hardly argue now.
MT: You know, back then when we [Tony and I] were together, it definitely wasn’t the same. At the time, we were truly very young and both of us had fiery tempers!
CL: Well, did you ever do some self-reflecting?
MT: I did not.
CL: You never reflected on it inwardly?
MT: What is there to reflect upon? Everyone was like that in their youth! At the time you were…..(quickly changes the subject). Hey, I gave you a ‘good card’! [referring to Tony]
(The two women laugh loudly together).
MT: The issues that we [Tony and I] had, I’m sure he wouldn’t repeat them with you.
CL: No, but I still feel there is a need to reflect and understand what happened in the relationship. Perhaps changing a little bit will help a relationship.
MT: No, I’ve always felt that different things will happen at different stages in life. You say that there may be self-reflection or regret….true, self-reflection may occur, but not regret – I feel that once a situation has passed, let it be.
.**.
MT: In terms of male artists, who do you want to collaborate with the most?
CL: Male artists, it doesn’t matter, as long as their acting is good.
MT: How about female artists?
CL: Actually, doesn’t matter either. Of course, I would prefer to collaborate with someone who acts well.
MT: Then would you mind if, let’s say, someone were to ask you and Maggie Cheung [Man Yuk] to collaborate on a movie together? [TN:Throughout the years, there have been many 'rumors' of Tony and Maggie being an 'item' due to their many collaborations and on-screen chemistry]
CL: Of course yes! A movie with her and me – don’t know if there would be an appropriate script or such an opportunity. I feel that if the 2 of us were to collaborate in a movie, just the poster itself would be very pretty!
MT (laughs): How would you arrange the standing positions in the poster?
CL: Have you seen Tony and Andy’s poster for “Infernal Affairs”? Nothing needed to be said and already, you felt like you wanted to go into the theater and watch that movie. If one day, there’s a good director, a good script, and Maggie and I are invited to collaborate, I feel that the movie will be a very good one!
MT: If you and Maggie were to collaborate in a movie, what do you think the theme should be?
CL: I was just thinking about that.
MT: How about adding Tony Leung to the movie? Hahahaha!
CL: Haha! Of course! I feel that he is a great candidate for the male lead role!
MT (playfully): Maybe I’ll do a cameo and be the one…. (laughs heartily)….I mean the flashback....(at this moment, Carina can’t help laughing as well) of Tony Leung’s ‘puppy love’ [first love].
CL: Let us think about it more….definitely continue to think about it more! Haha!
.**.
MT: Based on the Tony that I know, he gets jealous sometimes – for instance if you were to have overly intimate scenes in a movie, are you afraid that he may feel jealous?
CL: Oh, I don’t know! Haha!
MT: So that means ‘No’?
CL: Actually, no, he wouldn’t be jealous. It’s possible that if he were to watch those scenes, he may feel uncomfortable, but that’s very normal. In reality, the ‘discomfort’ will pass very quickly because at the end of the day, we both understand that it is only a scene in a movie.
MT: When he [Tony] filmed “Lust, Caution” (can’t help laughing again), did he let you know ahead of time that there would be such a ‘daring’ scene and get your permission first?
CL: Yes, he did.
MT: Did he really?
CL: Yes, he really did. I also felt that he absolutely should have filmed that sequence….
MT (interrupting): …So is this the way he would say it – ‘Carina, honey! I have an intimate scene with Tang Wei that may involve skin to skin contact’?
CL: Actually, what we audiences end up seeing is very ‘basic’ stuff on the surface. I understand that when director Ang Lee wanted to film this scene at first, there was a lot of thought that went into it. What Tony needed the most was my support – it’s actually not that big of a deal – we should look at it ‘professionally’ rather than apply a ‘gossip’ attitude toward it.
MT: I’m sure he [Tony] probably struggled with it though.
CL: Sure! For an actor to have to do those types of scenes with a ‘stranger’ pretty much, no matter what, there will be some pressure. It’s the same as when he filmed that intimate scene with Leslie Cheung in the movie “Happy Together” back in the day – he was so scared, he called me from the set…he was definitely scared….(when recalling the moment, she smiles tenderly and sweetly).
MT: So it was more like ‘Carina, you film it! I don’t want to film it with Leslie!’
CL: It’s because he ‘couldn’t’ film it – he had to calm himself for a long time.
MT: How about you? If you were to come across such a role, would you ‘go all out’ like that? If it was necessary to further the plot, that is?
CL: At my age now, I wouldn’t think about this type of thing. A sexual relationship is a normal part of life, there is no way to avoid it. A movie is just a way to express what happens in real life. I feel that we should take a mature and professional approach to the matter.
.**.
MT: Carina, in all seriousness, we honestly have known each other for 28 years already.
CL: Yes, with the blink of an eye, 28 years have passed already.
MT: We’ve known each other for so long – at one time, honestly, you, me, and Sandra [Ng] used to be known as the ‘Three Musketeers’.
CL: Yes.
MT: There was a period of time when we were very close, yet to sit down together and chat in front of the camera like this, it was very rare.
CL: Very rare.
MT: While chatting with you today, the feeling that I get is that both of us have matured greatly.
CL: Of course! It should be that way!
MT: I feel that, it seems, I used to know you really well, then later on not so well, but now after seeing each other again…
MT and CL (in unison): …feels like we know each other really well again!
MT: The feeling is very interesting….when the names ‘Margie Tsang’ and ‘Carina Lau’ are placed side by side, many people tend to ‘add’ a lot of ‘things’ in between. I want to take this opportunity to clarify once and for all – a lot of people feel that there is a certain ‘subtleness’ to our relationship, all because of one Tony Leung – some of them think that back then, something must have happened….actually, I’m telling you guys [the audience] right now – it is not the truth! Nothing happened!
CL: Hahahaha!
MT: I really….you understand, right? To this day, there are still people who think that way.
CL: Yes.
MT: That’s why I truly want to clarify at this point in time….it truly had NOTHING to do with Carina Lau! (laughs loudly) [TN: Margie is referring to her breakup with Tony Leung – some people believe that Carina was the ‘third wheel’ in the relationship and that she ‘stole’ Tony from Margie]
CL: With this matter, when the time comes, the truth will come out.
(The two ladies laugh together heartily).
MT: Really though, it has always been a mystery to me why people would think that. Plus I feel that the Media divided us a little and caused our relationship [referring to her relationship with Carina] to be a bit distant.
CL: Hm…I didn’t!
MT: It’s true, because there was always the feeling that something was between us….but in reality, there is nothing between us! Sometimes, friends may not see each other all the time, but the friendship is still there.
CL: Yes!
MT: That’s why I’m very happy today, to truly be able to chat with you like this!
CL: Thank you, thank you to you!
.**********.
This interview is actually a television interview that Margie had face to face with Carina -- it was a special program that aired on TVB’s Entertainment News Channel on January 2, 2011 (the actual interview took place in December but the program aired in January). The interview was arranged by Carina’s management company and the purpose was to promote her latest film – they invited Margie to be the ‘special guest host’ for the program.
I actually have the DVD version of the program, but to be honest, I have not had a chance to watch it yet (unfortunately, I'm a bit behind on my DVD watching) -- however, I was able to track down the 'written' version of the interview that was printed in Mingpao Weekly Magazine back in January (Issue # 2199, dated 01/01/2011). Of course, until I watch the 'real thing', there's no way for me to know how closely the 'written' version mirrors the original -- but from a translation standpoint, it's much easier (and quicker) for me to translate the written interview than it is for me to translate the actual television one. Plus who knows when I'll have time to watch the TV interview -- I didn't want to hold off on this post any longer, so I figured I'd go ahead and post the translation for the written interview first, then when I actually get around to watching the original TV interview, I will definitely do a follow up post at that time to clear up any discrepancies (to be honest, the written interview seems way too short to me, so I can’t help but think it might not be the complete interview).
One clarification that I do have to make though – this is NOT the first time that Margie has interviewed Carina and talked about Tony. Back in the mid-90s, when Margie was host of a radio show, Carina was a guest on her show then as well – at that time, they had also talked candidly about Tony (of course, Carina was his ‘girlfriend’ back then and not yet his wife) and they also refuted reports in the Media that they didn’t get along by clarifying that they are still good friends.
.****.
So here is the ‘written’ version of the TV interview....hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Source: Mingpao Weekly
Translated by: llwy12
**Note: Only the actual interview part was translated – in the magazine, there are additional pages of commentary by Mingpao that I will not be translating here. **
MT = Margie Tsang
CL = Carina Lau
MT: We’ve known each other for 28 years and were classmates in the same Acting Class, yet very seldom have we talked candidly in front of a camera about our ‘grudges’….
CL (couldn’t help interrupting): What ‘grudges’?
MT: Just kidding! Anyway, even though your main purpose this time is to promote your movie, I still should ‘formally’ welcome you. Welcome, Carina!
CL: Wah! What’s with the formalities!?
(The two ladies embrace cheek to cheek and excitedly greet each other)
.**.
MT: If you were to film another movie, who would you want to collaborate with the most? Tony Leung?
CL: No, no!
MT: Haha! Either Tony Leung or Margie Tsang (points to herself) is fine! Hahahaha!
CL: Ha! Hey, with these types of things, never say never! No one knows what may happen in the future, but for now, it’s not a good idea for me to shoot a movie with him [Tony] because I prefer that my personal life be separate from my work, otherwise, it can get quite awkward.
MT: Plus if you guys had just gotten into an argument that day, then to have to shoot scenes together, it’s a bit…..
CL: Hahaha! Actually, we rarely argue nowadays! Not like back when you two were together, arguing all the time – we hardly argue now.
MT: You know, back then when we [Tony and I] were together, it definitely wasn’t the same. At the time, we were truly very young and both of us had fiery tempers!
CL: Well, did you ever do some self-reflecting?
MT: I did not.
CL: You never reflected on it inwardly?
MT: What is there to reflect upon? Everyone was like that in their youth! At the time you were…..(quickly changes the subject). Hey, I gave you a ‘good card’! [referring to Tony]
(The two women laugh loudly together).
MT: The issues that we [Tony and I] had, I’m sure he wouldn’t repeat them with you.
CL: No, but I still feel there is a need to reflect and understand what happened in the relationship. Perhaps changing a little bit will help a relationship.
MT: No, I’ve always felt that different things will happen at different stages in life. You say that there may be self-reflection or regret….true, self-reflection may occur, but not regret – I feel that once a situation has passed, let it be.
.**.
MT: In terms of male artists, who do you want to collaborate with the most?
CL: Male artists, it doesn’t matter, as long as their acting is good.
MT: How about female artists?
CL: Actually, doesn’t matter either. Of course, I would prefer to collaborate with someone who acts well.
MT: Then would you mind if, let’s say, someone were to ask you and Maggie Cheung [Man Yuk] to collaborate on a movie together? [TN:Throughout the years, there have been many 'rumors' of Tony and Maggie being an 'item' due to their many collaborations and on-screen chemistry]
CL: Of course yes! A movie with her and me – don’t know if there would be an appropriate script or such an opportunity. I feel that if the 2 of us were to collaborate in a movie, just the poster itself would be very pretty!
MT (laughs): How would you arrange the standing positions in the poster?
CL: Have you seen Tony and Andy’s poster for “Infernal Affairs”? Nothing needed to be said and already, you felt like you wanted to go into the theater and watch that movie. If one day, there’s a good director, a good script, and Maggie and I are invited to collaborate, I feel that the movie will be a very good one!
MT: If you and Maggie were to collaborate in a movie, what do you think the theme should be?
CL: I was just thinking about that.
MT: How about adding Tony Leung to the movie? Hahahaha!
CL: Haha! Of course! I feel that he is a great candidate for the male lead role!
MT (playfully): Maybe I’ll do a cameo and be the one…. (laughs heartily)….I mean the flashback....(at this moment, Carina can’t help laughing as well) of Tony Leung’s ‘puppy love’ [first love].
CL: Let us think about it more….definitely continue to think about it more! Haha!
.**.
MT: Based on the Tony that I know, he gets jealous sometimes – for instance if you were to have overly intimate scenes in a movie, are you afraid that he may feel jealous?
CL: Oh, I don’t know! Haha!
MT: So that means ‘No’?
CL: Actually, no, he wouldn’t be jealous. It’s possible that if he were to watch those scenes, he may feel uncomfortable, but that’s very normal. In reality, the ‘discomfort’ will pass very quickly because at the end of the day, we both understand that it is only a scene in a movie.
MT: When he [Tony] filmed “Lust, Caution” (can’t help laughing again), did he let you know ahead of time that there would be such a ‘daring’ scene and get your permission first?
CL: Yes, he did.
MT: Did he really?
CL: Yes, he really did. I also felt that he absolutely should have filmed that sequence….
MT (interrupting): …So is this the way he would say it – ‘Carina, honey! I have an intimate scene with Tang Wei that may involve skin to skin contact’?
CL: Actually, what we audiences end up seeing is very ‘basic’ stuff on the surface. I understand that when director Ang Lee wanted to film this scene at first, there was a lot of thought that went into it. What Tony needed the most was my support – it’s actually not that big of a deal – we should look at it ‘professionally’ rather than apply a ‘gossip’ attitude toward it.
MT: I’m sure he [Tony] probably struggled with it though.
CL: Sure! For an actor to have to do those types of scenes with a ‘stranger’ pretty much, no matter what, there will be some pressure. It’s the same as when he filmed that intimate scene with Leslie Cheung in the movie “Happy Together” back in the day – he was so scared, he called me from the set…he was definitely scared….(when recalling the moment, she smiles tenderly and sweetly).
MT: So it was more like ‘Carina, you film it! I don’t want to film it with Leslie!’
CL: It’s because he ‘couldn’t’ film it – he had to calm himself for a long time.
MT: How about you? If you were to come across such a role, would you ‘go all out’ like that? If it was necessary to further the plot, that is?
CL: At my age now, I wouldn’t think about this type of thing. A sexual relationship is a normal part of life, there is no way to avoid it. A movie is just a way to express what happens in real life. I feel that we should take a mature and professional approach to the matter.
.**.
MT: Carina, in all seriousness, we honestly have known each other for 28 years already.
CL: Yes, with the blink of an eye, 28 years have passed already.
MT: We’ve known each other for so long – at one time, honestly, you, me, and Sandra [Ng] used to be known as the ‘Three Musketeers’.
CL: Yes.
MT: There was a period of time when we were very close, yet to sit down together and chat in front of the camera like this, it was very rare.
CL: Very rare.
MT: While chatting with you today, the feeling that I get is that both of us have matured greatly.
CL: Of course! It should be that way!
MT: I feel that, it seems, I used to know you really well, then later on not so well, but now after seeing each other again…
MT and CL (in unison): …feels like we know each other really well again!
MT: The feeling is very interesting….when the names ‘Margie Tsang’ and ‘Carina Lau’ are placed side by side, many people tend to ‘add’ a lot of ‘things’ in between. I want to take this opportunity to clarify once and for all – a lot of people feel that there is a certain ‘subtleness’ to our relationship, all because of one Tony Leung – some of them think that back then, something must have happened….actually, I’m telling you guys [the audience] right now – it is not the truth! Nothing happened!
CL: Hahahaha!
MT: I really….you understand, right? To this day, there are still people who think that way.
CL: Yes.
MT: That’s why I truly want to clarify at this point in time….it truly had NOTHING to do with Carina Lau! (laughs loudly) [TN: Margie is referring to her breakup with Tony Leung – some people believe that Carina was the ‘third wheel’ in the relationship and that she ‘stole’ Tony from Margie]
CL: With this matter, when the time comes, the truth will come out.
(The two ladies laugh together heartily).
MT: Really though, it has always been a mystery to me why people would think that. Plus I feel that the Media divided us a little and caused our relationship [referring to her relationship with Carina] to be a bit distant.
CL: Hm…I didn’t!
MT: It’s true, because there was always the feeling that something was between us….but in reality, there is nothing between us! Sometimes, friends may not see each other all the time, but the friendship is still there.
CL: Yes!
MT: That’s why I’m very happy today, to truly be able to chat with you like this!
CL: Thank you, thank you to you!
.**********.
Monday, June 6, 2011
POLL RESULTS: Final Scene in “Looking Back in Anger 義不容情”
First, my apologies for the delay in putting up this post, as I’ve been quite busy lately so haven’t had a chance to work on my blog as much as I would like (plus I got sidetracked with the LOTCH reunion show...LOL!).
Anyway, my latest 80s/90s poll asked the question: In the famous final scene of the series “Looking Back in Anger (義不容情)”, in your opinion, who do you feel is the ‘mystery woman’ who leaves the note for Felix Wong’s character Ding Yau Kin (丁有健)?
The choices:
.> Ding Yau Kin’s WIFE, Ngai Chor Gwan 倪楚君 (played by Carina Lau 劉嘉玲) = 2 votes
.> Ding Yau Kin’s SISTER, Chan Siu Ling 陳少玲 (played by Carrie Ho 何嘉麗) = 1 vote
.> Someone else (Who? Please explain in poll results to be post in 2 weeks) = 0 votes
Before I analyze the results of the poll, let me first explain why I decided to ask the question in the first place. To some, the answer may be ‘obvious’ in a sense based on the development of the storyline that led up to that particular scene -- but upon paying closer attention, the answer actually isn’t that obvious. The fact that in the past 20+ years since the story aired, people continue to debate the ending proves that there is definitely more than meets the eye…
So is the ‘mystery woman’ Carina or Carrie? Or someone else perhaps?
Based on the votes, looks like I was the lone dissenter who voted for Carrie, who played Felix’s adopted sister in the series. Interestingly enough, as many times as I’ve seen this series, I’ve always thought that the ‘mystery woman’ was his sister – never once did I think it was Carina (who played Felix’s wife).
There are a few reasons why I feel that the ‘mystery woman’ is Carrie:
First, the ‘outfit’ that the woman wore (or at least the little that the audiences were able to see, which were pretty much the shoes and stockings) just did not look like what Carina’s character would wear. If I remember correctly, the shoes looked a bit old-fashioned and with Carina’s character having such good fashion sense, it just doesn’t seem reasonable that she would wear shoes like that.
Second, I truly believe that Carina’s character died in the earthquakes and/or landslides in Ethiopia – after Felix had been waiting 10 years to see his wife again (and on such a special occasion, their shared birthday) and she had even called him prior to the disasters to tell him she was returning home (which means she has forgiven him), it just doesn’t make sense to me that she would change her mind suddenly and decide not to return after all. Maybe it’s just hard for me to believe that Carina’s character would ‘play’ Felix like that – it just doesn’t seem like her personality at all in the series.
Third, I didn’t really catch it the first time, but after watching the series several times, I started to see ‘hints’ in the last few scenes of the series (the party scenes at the end where all of the siblings are there) of possibly the siblings knowing the truth (that Carina had died) but just couldn’t bear to break it to Felix – plus he was so adamant that she would definitely show up on their designated meeting day that they probably knew there was nothing they could say or do to convince him otherwise until that day arrived. So when that day came and Carina was a no-show, the sister decides to leave Felix the note so that he will finally be convinced and move on with his life.
So that’s my explanation….right or wrong, I don’t know, but that’s what I’ve believed all these years.
For those who voted, what is your reasoning for your pick? Please feel free to share! :o)
Anyway, my latest 80s/90s poll asked the question: In the famous final scene of the series “Looking Back in Anger (義不容情)”, in your opinion, who do you feel is the ‘mystery woman’ who leaves the note for Felix Wong’s character Ding Yau Kin (丁有健)?
The choices:
.> Ding Yau Kin’s WIFE, Ngai Chor Gwan 倪楚君 (played by Carina Lau 劉嘉玲) = 2 votes
.> Ding Yau Kin’s SISTER, Chan Siu Ling 陳少玲 (played by Carrie Ho 何嘉麗) = 1 vote
.> Someone else (Who? Please explain in poll results to be post in 2 weeks) = 0 votes
Before I analyze the results of the poll, let me first explain why I decided to ask the question in the first place. To some, the answer may be ‘obvious’ in a sense based on the development of the storyline that led up to that particular scene -- but upon paying closer attention, the answer actually isn’t that obvious. The fact that in the past 20+ years since the story aired, people continue to debate the ending proves that there is definitely more than meets the eye…
So is the ‘mystery woman’ Carina or Carrie? Or someone else perhaps?
Based on the votes, looks like I was the lone dissenter who voted for Carrie, who played Felix’s adopted sister in the series. Interestingly enough, as many times as I’ve seen this series, I’ve always thought that the ‘mystery woman’ was his sister – never once did I think it was Carina (who played Felix’s wife).
There are a few reasons why I feel that the ‘mystery woman’ is Carrie:
First, the ‘outfit’ that the woman wore (or at least the little that the audiences were able to see, which were pretty much the shoes and stockings) just did not look like what Carina’s character would wear. If I remember correctly, the shoes looked a bit old-fashioned and with Carina’s character having such good fashion sense, it just doesn’t seem reasonable that she would wear shoes like that.
Second, I truly believe that Carina’s character died in the earthquakes and/or landslides in Ethiopia – after Felix had been waiting 10 years to see his wife again (and on such a special occasion, their shared birthday) and she had even called him prior to the disasters to tell him she was returning home (which means she has forgiven him), it just doesn’t make sense to me that she would change her mind suddenly and decide not to return after all. Maybe it’s just hard for me to believe that Carina’s character would ‘play’ Felix like that – it just doesn’t seem like her personality at all in the series.
Third, I didn’t really catch it the first time, but after watching the series several times, I started to see ‘hints’ in the last few scenes of the series (the party scenes at the end where all of the siblings are there) of possibly the siblings knowing the truth (that Carina had died) but just couldn’t bear to break it to Felix – plus he was so adamant that she would definitely show up on their designated meeting day that they probably knew there was nothing they could say or do to convince him otherwise until that day arrived. So when that day came and Carina was a no-show, the sister decides to leave Felix the note so that he will finally be convinced and move on with his life.
So that’s my explanation….right or wrong, I don’t know, but that’s what I’ve believed all these years.
For those who voted, what is your reasoning for your pick? Please feel free to share! :o)
Friday, June 3, 2011
1983 version Legend of the Condor Heroes Cast Reunion (中国梦想秀--83版射鵰英雄傳重聚) -- FINAL THOUGHTS
Photos credit: 中国梦想秀’s weibo and Michael Miu's Weibo
Some final thoughts on the overall reunion show….
** As a fan of the original series, I definitely wish that more of the cast could have been in attendance (because then it would have been a true reunion) – I mean, a good majority of the cast (i.e. Louise Lee, Lau Dan, Lau Gong, Rebecca Chan, Ha Yu, etc.) are still active in the industry, so it probably wouldn’t be too difficult for them to attend. Oh and it was awesome to see Wong Wan Choi and Sharon Yeung again, since both of them left the industry already and we rarely get to see / hear anything about them anymore. However, I really would have loved to see more of the artists who are no longer active in the industry and who we really haven’t seen for a long time attend -- i.e. Marilyn Wong (Wah Tsang), So Hung Shuen (Kwok Jing’s mom), etc. But anyways, no complaints -- I'm grateful that ZJTV even made the effort and were able to put such a show together!
** Sort of related to the point above, only 1 of the “5 Greats” (Kenneth Tsang, Yeung Chak Lam, Lau Dan, Lau Siu Ming, Chun Wong) attended the reunion in person – the “5 Greats” were a core component of the series and those actors’ awesome performances were part of what made the series such a classic (plus most of them are no longer active in the industry), so it definitely would have been a ‘historic moment’ to see them together again. Well, at least Chun Wong (Chow Bak Tong) attended and Kenneth Tsang (Wong Yeuk See) sent his regards via a video clip – I’m happy with that!
** Of course, without Barbara Yung, there will always be a missing void that can never be filled when it comes to a LOTCH reunion, but kudos to the organizers for at least making the effort to make Wong Yung a part of the show.
** In terms of the hosting -- I will admit that since I don't follow Mainland China entertainment at all, I had no clue who the hosts were -- but I feel that they did a pretty good job (especially Wah Shao). Though I do wish that they had done a little more homework in terms of the guests (since they did ask some stuff that anyone paying attention to HK entertainment would know) -- but I can't really fault them, since they are probably going off of a script and plus, the organizers are not from HK, so they probably are not as familiar with the artists as HK audiences would be.
** The organizers added some stuff in there that I feel didn't need to be there (like helping that guy fulfill his wish to perform in a kungfu segment, having those people come up to demonstrate kung fu-related moves and having the artists comment, that random part where some guy does some modern dance thing, etc.). It would have been better if they had focused entirely on LOTCH and talked more about behind-the-scenes stuff from filming the series rather than the non-related stuff.
** The theme song performances weren't that great (except for Felix Wong's rendition of course) and I actually cringed when the singers went completely off-tune or messed up on the lyrics, but hey, I applaud the effort -- especially since most of the singers were Mainlanders who don't
know Cantonese. And yes, I felt honored to hear Felix sing (I don't care how he sounded either)...LOL!
** I will admit that I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t much interaction between Yeung Hong and Muk Nim Chi during the show – they were a great couple in the series and I was hoping for a mutual sharing of memories together. But off camera, it looks like Michael and Sharon (as well as Michael’s wife Jamie) were able to get together and share about old times based on the conversations I’ve been following on their Weibos.
** The show overall was well done -- I absolutely enjoyed watching it and it absolutely brought back A LOT of fond memories! How I wish I was I could have been there in the audience!!!
.---.
Lastly, for old times sake…..here’s a fun picture I found on Michael Miu’s weibo. Lau Dan (Hong Chut Gong) wasn’t able to attend the reunion, but it looks like some of the cast bumped into him on the plane on the way back! Aww, sweet picture!
And here are 2 random backstage photos of the guys...
1983 version Legend of the Condor Heroes Cast Reunion (中国梦想秀--83版射鵰英雄傳重聚) – PART 4
Photo’s credit: 中国梦想秀’s weibo
.>> The next segment can best be described as the ‘climax’ of the show – the introduction of the main leads of the series….before the main leads were introduced, a short montage consisting of clips from the series was played.
.>> The seventh cast member to appear was Sharon Yeung, who played Muk Nim Chi.
Wow, I must say that Sharon still looks really good – other than her age, she hasn’t changed a whole lot from 28 years ago in terms of looks (in my opinion anyways). She stated that she was really touched that so many fans still remembered them after 28 years. (The host said that it’s because the 1983 version of LOTCH was so well-made and such a classic – haha, he’s obviously a fan!) Sharon is actually a ‘sifu’ now and her own studio where she trains young men and women in various disciplines such as martial arts, tai chi, different elements of dance, etc.
The hosts commented how it’s interesting that not only did the character Muk Nim Chi know kung fu, Sharon also does as well in real life (they made it sound like it was a ‘big reveal’ thing, but actually most of us HKers already knew this about Sharon) – ironically, Muk Nim Chi couldn’t even defeat Au Yeung Hak (since Wong Wan Choi doesn’t know any kung fu in real life)…another funny moment…
During this segment, there was another surprise – turns out that the cast member who played Mui Chiu Fung (the blind, scary-looking woman in black) in the series, Wong Mun Wai, is Sharon’s good friend and they actually get together all the time (she takes Tai Chi lessons at Sharon’s studio). So the hosts were able to reach Wong Mun Wai on the phone so that she could also greet the audience.
.>> Next, the hosts gave Sharon a surprise by arranging for a group of her students to perform for her – that was nice of the hosts to do that! The performance, which incorporated both martial arts and dance moves, was excellent – obviously, Sharon has been working hard trying to train up the next generation of action stars!
.>> Ok, so by this point, I’m sure we can all guess who the next cast member will be – yup, Muk Nim Chi’s other half, Yeung Hong(Michael Miu)!
Of course, the audience went wild when Michael stepped onto the stage (and the first thing he did was hug the female host – haha, she was so flattered!). And yes, Michael looked as handsome as ever on that stage!
He greeted the screaming fans but also told them not to call him ‘3 Gor’ tonight because ‘4 Gor’ (Patrick) is here, so he (Michael) can only be ‘3 Dee’ (little brother). LOL – typical Michael humor!
Ok, I pretty much figured out that the female host (Chu Dan) must be a fan of Michael’s because she kept saying how ‘shuai’ (good-looking) he is. She then asked him if he had any regrets related to the series, to which Michael replied that one ‘regret’ is that his character Yeung Hong dies so early in the series and couldn’t be together with Muk Nim Chi in the end.
Michael also stated that in reality, Yeung Hong isn’t a villain – he’s actually a good person in that he only loves Muk Nim Chi (so he is very loyal when it comes to love), but he allowed the desire for power and fortune to get to his head and destroy him. The best way to describe Yeung Hong is that he is both good and bad – which, as the hosts aptly pointed out, is one reason why his character was so memorable (indeed, he was a character people loved to hate).
.>> So now that Muk Nim Chi has appeared and Yeung Hong has appeared, who does that leave? Of course, saving the ‘best’ for last (haha, well, I actually love the entire cast, but Felix truly is the main lead in the series)….the last cast member to appear was Felix Wong (Kwok Jing).
Omg, the audience REALLY went wild when Felix came out (they even did a countdown for him…5, 4, 3, 2,1…LOL!).
As soon as Felix came out, he walked all around the stage, all suave and cool, posing like a model (I’m surprised they didn’t play the Miss HK music…hahahaha), even buttoning up his jacket while he was walking – the thing that cracked me up the most though was that he had such a serious look on his face! Hehehe! (Also, you could tell Michael was trying hard not to laugh standing right there on the stage with him.)
Of course, when Felix was done with his ‘catwalk’, Michael just had to poke fun at him, saying that this is ‘China Dream Show’, not ‘China Fashion Show’…LOL! (Obviously, I’m a Felix fan – I just love his sense of humor! And of course, love his chemistry with Michael – those two together are just phenomenal!!). Felix said that he was just trying to fulfill his ‘dream’ of doing a ‘catwalk’ and having photographs taken (though the host jokingly said that they didn’t film that segment…hahaha).
Now that Felix was done with his ‘catwalk’, it was down to business -- though of course, he gave the female host a hug as well (boy is she lucky!) But then right afterwards, he hugged the male host as well (Michael looked jealous – hehehe).
The hosts asked Felix to greet the audience as Kwok Jing. He started to get into character, but then realized he had his glasses on (Michael was like – hey, Kwok Jing didn’t wear glasses!), so he had to “NG” and get into character again (LOL…). He puts on the ‘Kwok Jing’ expression (meanwhile the audience goes wild again) and says a few words – the funny thing is, Michael became Yeung Hong and the 2 of them started talking to each other (in Mandarin nonetheless) and acting out a scene together as though no one else was there (I laughed when Michael chimed in with “Kwok Jing speaks Mandarin?”). Awww, love these guys!! (I must admit though that Yeung Hong speaks better Mandarin than Kwok Jing…LOL...)
The host went on to say that the series LOTCH made Felix a household name and made him recognizable to millions of people – what were his feelings about this? (His buddy Michael replied that the series had a great impact on him – their interaction reminded me of their Green Room interview where Michael would sometimes answer for Felix – after all, they’ve known each other 30 years and are closer than brothers!). Felix replied that because of the series, he was ‘set’ for life – he became popular in the Mainland and was invited to do many stage performances, therefore earning lots of money (well, with his so-so Mandarin, he actually said ‘fired up’ instead of ‘popular’, but hey, he’s Felix, so who cares? I forgive him! HAHA).
Michael told the hosts that in addition to Felix demonstrating his singing skills, he was also going to perform his signature pose for everyone (the ‘bow and arrow’ pose that I’m sure all LOTCH fans are familiar with). Michael explained that back then, Felix spent 1 entire day practicing that pose and spent another day filming just that pose – so total 2 days! (the host asked whether it was really that hard?)
First, they showed video clips of Kwok Jing’s ‘signature’ moves, then Felix did his thing (he kept ‘NG’ing again – and Michael kept yelling at him to take off his glasses…LOL!). Finally, Felix did ‘the pose’ (with a serious look on his face again) – then he stood up and rubbed his legs (haha…he’s too old for this now…). Michael then says: “You see, such an easy pose, yet he took 1 day to practice and 1 day to film – he’s definitely the perfect person to play Kwok Jing – so dumb!” (Awww….but hey, Michael has got to be the ONLY person who can call Felix ‘dumb’ in public and get away with it..haha!).
Then, it was Michael’s turn to ‘perform’ – what was his signature move? Well, not really signature move, but remember that scene where Yeung Hong first meets Muk Nim Chi and fights with her, then pulls off her shoe? Classic scene! Michael says that he doesn’t pull off those types of shoes anymore – it’s high heels now -- implying that the host Chu Dan should play the role of Muk Nim Chi so he can pull off her high heels – haha…he was joking though (I’m sure Jamie was backstage watching him – how dare he flirt?…LOL!).
The host Wah Shao asked if he could make a special request (after all, he stayed to host even with an injury primarily because he wanted to make this request) – when he watched LOTCH as a kid, he was so in love with the series that he learned the entire ‘Hong Lung 18 Fists’ kung fu moves (copying that scene in the opening credits where Kwok Jing does the 18 Fists thing). So he asked if Felix could perform ‘Hong Lung 18 Fists’ for him (of course, they were going to make Wah Shao be the ‘target’ for Felix to hit – actually, I think that was Michael’s idea – LOL). They asked the rest of the artists there which of them have been ‘victims’ of the 18 Fists kung fu – of course Au Yeung Hak was the only one, so they made him go up there too.
The next scene was super-funny: it was Kwok Jing with his 18 Fists versus Au-Yeung Hak with his Ha Mo Gong, except the ‘mid-life’ version!! (LOL – so who wins this battle? It was a tie in my opinion!)
.>> After Wong Wan Choi returned to his seat, the camera panned to the audiences, especially to the front row, where quite a few fans were showing off all sorts of LOTCH memorabilia (lucky!). The hosts recounted how when they were young, they were crazy about the series as well and spent lots of money on buying whatever memorabilia they could find (stickers, cards, magazines, etc.), just like the fans here. (Felix tells Michael to return the money to them – Michael tells them to keep the memorabilia for another 30 years and it will be worth a lot. LOL)
.>> In the audience, there was one dedicated fan who even spent money out of pocket to have a special outfit made so that she could dress up as Wong Yung. Indeed, there were also many fans who held up Wong Yung (Barbara Yung) posters and banners.
.>> The show took on a more serious tone as the tribute to Barbara Yung began.
The hosts started off by saying that with today’s special reunion, unfortunately there is 1 important person who could not be present with the group – Wong Yung (Barbara Yung). They went on to show a video clip montage about Barbara that was sort of a recap of her career / life in like 2 minutes. The clip included scenes from the series as well as other events.
As the sad music from LOTCH played in the background, the hosts expressed the sentiments of many fans around the world when they talked about how much everyone misses Barbara and thanking her for giving us such fond memories.
The hosts then went on to ask the guests who were present about Barbara and their memories of her:
.—Wong Wan Choi talked about how the day before Barbara died, he had seen her at work – she was getting off the van after having finished filming and he was just getting on the van to film on location. He noticed how tired and skinny she looked. He told her that she needs to eat more and take care of her health. She replied “Choi Gor, thanks for the concern. I know, I will! Have a good time at work!” The next morning, he received news of her death. It made him realize how valuable life is and how no one knows what may happen the next minute, so be happy and enjoy life.
.—On a lighter note, the cast shared their memories of Barbara back when they filmed LOTCH together:
.> Patrick Tse – He and Barbara actually didn’t have too many scenes together, so mostly they saw each other at the studio. He said that Barbara was a little afraid of him, probably because he always had a ‘serious look’ back then, plus he was a senior, so sometimes he came across as intimidating.
.> Paul Gor – He said that he is even more senior than Patrick, so everyone was intimidated by him. He said that Barbara was a very lively and cute person and in reality, everyone doted on her. Her death was definitely a huge loss to the entire television industry.
.> Michael talked about his memories of Barbara (he knew her best, as both himself and Jamie were close friends with her). Even though the two of them weren’t paired together and were actually ‘enemies’ in LOTCH, they did collaborate on a lot of series together after that. Michael expressed that his relationship with Barbara was that of ‘brothers’ – he never treated her like a female because she was always so lively and active, so he treated her pretty much like a ‘brother’.
Michael’s fondest memory of Barbara when filming LOTCH was the one time when she accidentally hit him in the eye with her ‘da gau pang’ and he ended up spending 1 month in the hospital. Michael said the first thought that entered his mind when he fell to the ground was “Where’s my eye?” (he felt like his eyeball was poked out). The injury was actually pretty severe, but he recovered and never blamed her for the accident. In fact, after that, they became good friends.
.> Felix said that when he was watching the video clip earlier, it brought back a lot of memories of the time they spent together filming LOTCH. He expressed that Barbara was very intelligent and also a quick learner – when the senior actors would teach her some acting stuff, she would understand right away the essence of the acting. He also said that Barbara was very personable and therefore had a lot of friends – sometimes, when they didn’t have to work, she would teach him skills on how to interact with people, etc.
.> Both Michael and Felix expressed that Barbara is a very straightforward and direct person – whenever she saw injustice being done, she would speak out and stand up for what was right…she definitely had a ‘xia nu’ (chivalrous) personality.
.>> After the cast shared their memories of Barbara, the hosts stated that with this being the 28 year reunion of the LOTCH cast, the reunion would not be complete without Wong Yung. So they said that today, they were going to use a special method to have Wong Yung be a part of the reunion as well. It was something that they had specially designed for the event.
.>> A video clip was played with various scenes from the series, but modern dialogue was added so that it sounded like Wong Yung was talking to everyone 28 years later.
Wong Yung to Kwok Jing: Jing Gor Gor, I’m over here! So many years have passed, how come you are still as silly as before? But, you are getting cuter and cuter!
Wong Yung to Yeung Hong: Yeung Hong, are you still bullying my Jing Gor Gor, even now so many years later? Be careful – I won’t let you get away with it!
Wong Yung to AuYeung Hak: Au Yeung Hak, I heard that your singing is not bad now, but why is it that your physique is looking more and more like Lao Wan Tong (Chow Bak Tong)?
.>> The significance of the clip is that the organizers invited the woman who was the voice of Wong Yung in the Mandarin version of LOTCH 28 years ago to record the special video clip using Wong Yung’s voice. They also invited her onto the stage as well.
To be honest, this particular moment in the show didn’t have as much significance to me as it probably did to the audience, as I never watched the Mandarin version of the series (of course I watched the series in its original Cantonese version). But as the hosts explained, all of the Mainland China audiences could only watch the Mandarin dubbed version of the series and back then, 28 years ago, that was the exact voice of Wong Yung – so for Mainland audiences, hearing that voice again was very special for them. Some of the fans in the audience were actually crying because they were so touched by it. Even though there was less of an impact for me, I definitely appreciate the efforts of the organizers with this segment.
.>> Ms Liao (the voice of Wong Yung) came on the stage and shared her memories of working on the series (in terms of the voice over work) and also meeting Barbara Yung. As Ms Liao was speaking, Felix was using his hand to measure how tall she was and said she is very similar in height to Barbara – when the host asked about her voice, Felix replied that Ms Liao’s voice sounded better than Barbara’s (aww, come on Felix…LOL!).
.>> The segment ended with 2 Mainland artists singing the themesong to part 2 of the series, 射鵰英雄傳之東邪西毒.
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Ending
.>> In the last segment, the hosts talked about how big of an impact that LOTCH had on Mainland audiences, to the point that it even inspired some people to do have a ‘chivalrous’ attitude and do heroic works (they had a guy recount a story of modern day heroism)
.>> And the grand finale – Felix Wong and Mainland artist Yang Li sang the themesong for part 1 of LOTCH, 鐵血丹心.
Yay!! Felix did a great job with the singing (especially for a non-professional singer) – but then again, he’s had many opportunities to practice the song because it’s the same one he performs at his ‘Fai Wong Concerts’! Hahaha! Hey, even Michael commented at the end of the performance that it is this song that has given Felix his livelihood the past 30 years!
Also, I loved how Felix kept trying to pull Michael onstage to sing with him –Michael refused to, probably because he didn’t know the song as well as Felix (LOL). It was also fun to see the rest of the cast singing along with Felix.
.>> At the very end, the hosts invited all the guests onto the stage for a special cake cutting ceremony and also to celebrate Paul Chun’s birthday (which was in May). That was a very nice gesture! At the same time, they also took a group picture.
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Stay tuned for the final post related to this show – My Final Thoughts!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
1983 version Legend of the Condor Heroes Cast Reunion (中国梦想秀--83版射鵰英雄傳重聚) – PART 3
.>> The next segment was a bit of a break in the show (though they did try to correlate it back to the event at hand). Apparently, there was supposed to be another host of the show (a male host named Wah Shao), however he had gotten hurt prior to the start of the show, so he pretty much wasn’t there for the first half. Well, in the next segment, some video clips were played that showed what had happened to Wah Shao….
Ok, I will admit that I skipped some parts of the video because I really wasn’t too interested in watching how the host helps a guy realize his dreams of being a kung fu star (or something like that). So pretty much all I have to say about this part is that the host invites Mr. Liu to perform a kung fu segment on the reunion show – the “cool” part was that they also invited famous choreographer / director Ching Siu Dong to choreograph and oversee the entire segment (wow, for kungfu fanatics, that is definitely an honor – plus he was the martial arts choreographer for the entire LOTCH series back in the 80s).
.>> After the video segment came the actual kung fu performance (meant to help Mr. Liu realize his dream) – the kung fu segment was choreographed to one of the subtheme songs from LOTCH. Didn’t really watch the performance so can’t comment on it, but it was very nice of the organizers to do that for a complete stranger! I also thought it was great how they gave Mr. Liu a surprise by inviting Ching Siu Dong and Wah Shao (the other host who was supposedly hurt and so couldn’t come on the show) to come on stage and comment on his performance.
.>> Ok, back to the main event. So the next segment started off with both hosts talking to Ching Siu Dong about his memories of choreographing the series.
.>> Ching Siu Dong recounted how he actually hadn’t seen some of the cast for many years, so when they first saw each other again backstage, they were all taking pictures. The hosts then asked him which of the cast members made a lasting impression on him.
His response:
.—Patrick was already a big movie star and drove nice cars and was good looking, so Siu Dong looked up to him as an idol.
.—Paul Gor is a good friend and they actually flew to Hangzhou (where the show was filmed) together from Beijing on the same plane, yet Ching Siu Dong couldn’t recognize him because of his beard. He said that Paul Gor had walked by several times on the plane and he was thinking to himself how cool that person looked and how he didn’t have a bulging belly like he himself did (haha – not! Siu Dong is very fit actually).
.—Chan On Ying will always be a ‘little girl’ to him because of the character she played in LOTCH. On Ying recounted how there was a scene where she did some really good kungfu moves, but Siu Dong told her that ‘good’ doesn’t fit the character of Sor Gu – her moves need to have an element of 傻 in it in order to be convincing.
.—Ching Siu Dong said that the most ‘difficult’ person to work with was Chun Wong – because with his physique, it was difficult for him to fit into costume and choreograph appropriate moves. In some scenes, Siu Dong had to have the martial arts stuntmen do the moves for him. But, Siu Dong praised Chun Wong, saying that he did an excellent job in the series based on his own acting talent, not based on his kungfu moves (so true!).
.—Wong Wan Choi had that cool paper fan weapon thing where as soon as he opened the fan and flicked it at people, they were supposed to fall on the floor – made him look cool and handsome (hehe!).
.—Ching Siu Dong also praised Andy saying that him and all the other actors fought ‘handsomely’ (meaning they still looked good while doing the moves and looked very natural). Andy stood up and told Siu Dong how much they enjoyed working with him because he treated them all so well – Andy expressed how as a newbie at that time, he felt a lot of pressure working with such a famous choreographer, but he actually had nothing to worry about, since Siu Dong was so great to work with. Also, Ching Siu Dong was very understanding of the artists and knew that they weren’t professional martial arts experts, so if there were certain kung fu moves they weren’t able to do, he would tell them as long as they put in the effort, don’t worry about it, as he could have the stuntmen help out – he had high standards, but didn’t force the artists to overexert themselves if he knew they wouldn’t be able to do it.
.>> Siu Dong recounted that all the artists were very professional and they had a lot of fun working together – the whole thing was a group effort and everyone wanted to do a good job, so they were willing to try different things and didn’t worry much about certain moves being dangerous or not. They all worked hard and put in a lot of effort – and they only used stunt doubles when they truly had to…
.>> The host mentioned one memory he had of a scene where Patrick Tse’s character was singing Chinese opera and next thing you knew, he turned around and stuck his spear into one of the soldiers, played by none other than Stephen Chow (an extra at that time). The way Patrick did that move was so cool (“shuai dai le”) according to the host (haha…the recounting of that story was a great comedic moment in the show!)
.>> That segment ended with some guy who comes out and does some dance moves (no clue what that was about or what the correlation was, but oh well….)
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To be continued…
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
1983 version Legend of the Condor Heroes Cast Reunion (中国梦想秀--83版射鵰英雄傳重聚) – PART 2
.>> The next segment talked about the ‘kung fu’ aspect of the series and how much effort was involved in putting together all those action scenes. One thing I learned is that the series was filmed on Lantau Island (interesting fun fact!).
.>> The fifth cast member to appear was Patrick Tse, who played Yeung Tiet Sum (Yeung Hong’s dad in part 1).
Of course, since Patrick is known for his ‘suaveness’, the host kept saying how handsome and suave he still is, even now 28 years later. (Oh, and it seems that it’s impossible to mention Patrick without mentioning his son Nicholas Tse).
The part I thought was funny was when the host asked Patrick to greet the audience and he said “you guys already know who I am”, then a little girl (couldn’t be more than 5 or 6 years old) replied that he is Yeung Tiet Sum (cute!). When the host asked whether Patrick or Yeung Tiet Sum was more handsome, the girl replied that they were the same person anyway (smart!). Then Patrick tells the girl that Yeung Tiet Sum is actually his uncle (haha…well, at least he tried to be funny).
.>> The sixth cast member to appear was Paul Chun, who played Mongol leader Genghis Khan.
I love Paul Gor – he’s one of my favorite actors! His ‘bearded look’ when he stepped through the doors surprised me though – wasn’t really expecting that -- but I loved his response when the host asked him about the beard – he said that it was “glued” on…(hahaha…I’m sure he was just joking…that beard looks real – he was probably filming or something).
It was so cute to see Paul Gor’s fans there – a bunch of young guys were sitting in the crowd holding pictures of him and his kids Benji and Lesley. Awww!
.>> After Paul Gor was introduced, Patrick came back on stage as well and the host chatted with both of them. Some of the things they talked about was how the two men were already big film stars back when they shot LOTCH in 1983. It was funny how Patrick tried to pull on Paul Gor’s beard and then proclaimed that it was fake…
.>> The host asked Paul Gor and Patrick why they agreed to shoot a TV series when both actors were all such big film stars in their own right.
Patrick’s response: Because the first series / film that he did was one of Jin Yong’s works, so he has confidence in his works.
Paul Gor’s response: Mr. Cha (Jin Yong) is his good friend, so he agreed to film it. However, his regret is that all these years, he has only filmed 1 Jin Yong series – LOTCH.
.>> OMG, I really got a big surprise in the next segment when they aired a taped segment of Kenneth Tsang(who played Wong Yeuk See), who recorded a greeting just for the show (Kenneth is obviously one of my all-time favorite veteran actors)!
Kenneth’s speech was in typical Wong Yeuk See fashion, yet there was a bit of humor in it as well. Too bad he only appeared for a minute or two – man, I really miss his awesome acting!!!
.>> After the video segment, the host asked Patrick and Paul Gor more about how it was like for them to film on the set. Paul Gor kept saying how Patrick and Kenneth were his “older brothers” (inadvertently saying that they are old and he is young..LOL!). Their “he’s older, no he’s older” banter was actually quite amusing!
.>> Next, the host asked the other 4 cast members who had appeared earlier (Wong Wan Choi, Chan On Ying, Andy Dai, and Chun Wong) to join Paul Gor and Patrick on stage so they chat together.
.>> Hmm, I actually don’t think that the host did her homework because she asked the group how long it has been since they saw each other (Um, quite often, as they all work together currently in various series). The only person that they truly haven’t seen in a long time was Wong Wan Choi (ok, come on now – let me go up there and host this please!).
.>> Next, came the ‘juicy’ part – recounting the memorable behind-the-scenes moments from filming LOTCH (well, not until after Paul Gor makes fun of Andy’s mandarin – hehe!):
.—In response to the question of who was the most hard working and who was the laziest: well, they didn’t actually answer the question, as everyone commented that the whole cast worked hard to learn the kung fu moves that were needed to in order to film successful (despite the ‘stuntmen’ that Wong Wan Choi claimed they used – haha).
.—Oooh, Chun Wong recounts that memorable scene when he does that multi-hand kung fu thing. He asked that host whether she wants to learn that move and she of course said yes, so he did a demonstration of how that scene was made right then and there (that part was so funny – but I’m not going to begin to describe it because I wouldn’t be able to do justice to it).
.—Of course, Chun Wong was the most playful one on the set – it seemed that he was always running around and could never stay in one place (maybe Chow Bak Tong had ADHD? LOL!).
.>> Lastly (for this segment at least), the host asked the group to share their feelings about reuniting again 28 years after filming such a successful and memorable series.
.— Patrick’s response was very typical – he said that he doesn’t have any particular feelings about it because he doesn’t focus on things that happened 28 years ago and prefers to focus on the now. When asked if he could share his possible plans in the next 28 years, Patrick of course said that he cannot reveal anything and time will tell (I would definitely expect that kind of answer from him).
.—Paul’s response: He said that he has a lot of feelings about it, but for him, at that time, he was a ‘young handsome man’ and now he is an old man (aww, that’s nothing to fret about though…hehe). But he says that he really felt the passing of time, as it was as though he blinked and several decades had passed already. (But he ended his comment on a funny note by saying that so many years later, everyone is still very good-looking and handsome).
.>> The segment ended with Wong Wan Choi and a female Mainland artist singing the themesong to Part 3 of the series (射鵰英雄傳之華山論劍). Hey, what happened to the theme song for Part 2?
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To be continued....