Curse of the Golden Flower teaser trailers

The first teaser trailer for Curse of the Golden Flower is on the Sony Classics website. Teaser trailer #2. A full official website for the movie will be coming soon. More stills from the trailer on the Curse of the Golden Flower blog. An article in Asia Times on the politics of getting an Academy Award nomination for COTGF. UPDATED: Downloads for both trailers at IGN.COM.

The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (new title)

The following showings and synopsis of the movie as appeared on the official website for the Toronto International Film Festival:

SCREENING TIMES:Friday, September 08 6:00 PM RYERSON

Sunday, September 10 10:15 AM PARAMOUNT 1

Friday, September 15 8:30 PM VARSITY 3

In The Postmodern Life of My Aunt, renowned director Ann Hui blends her humanist cinema with the spirit of Chinese opera. She has created both a humorous look at China today and a new genre of filmmaking: the post-Cultural Revolution satirical melodrama. Cool and articulate, the film has a generous heart, a sensitive soul and a clever mind. Featuring a first-class cast of China's great actors - Siqin Gaowa, Chow Yun-fat, Vicky Zhao Wei and legendary Lisa Lu - The Postmodern Life of My Aunt tells the story of old-fashioned Ye Rutang (Gaowa), a single woman in her sixties who struggles to maintain a dignified life amid the dangers of Shanghai, a city that seems to have become the receptacle for all kinds of con men. The first to pull a scam on Ye is her twelve-year-old nephew Kuan-kuan (Guan Wenshuo). He moves to her old-fashioned apartment after breaking a leg in an accident, but when he can't bear her stinginess, he runs away and pretends to have been kidnapped in order to get the ransom money. Then comes Pan Zhichang (Chow), an amateur opera singer, who tricks Ye into a relationship and steals most of her savings with a complicated swindle involving speculation in the price of cemetery plots. Focusing the film on the experience of women in her home country and around the world, Hui sketches a fine portrait of changing values. She situates her story in a precise cultural moment - a time where the past seems to carry meaning only in the stubborn memories of individuals. This charming social tale takes an original approach to issues including the atrophy of mores in a society that is no longer egalitarian; its freshness rests in its ironic yet compassionate look at its curious protagonists. Beautifully penned by Li Qiang, one of China's greatest scriptwriting talents, The Postmodern Life of My Aunt is endowed with an engaging refinement. Its bold commentary on contemporary China is as sharp as a razor blade. - Giovanna Fulvi

Chow Yun-Fat/Ann Hui film to show at Toronto International Film Festival

The Aunt's Postmodern Life with a new name is listed as showing at this year's Toronto festival. With eleven titles announced, the full Special Presentations line-up features 39 films from 15 countries, including Ann Hui's The Postmodern Life Of My Aunt; Mira Nair's The Namesake; Hong Sang-soo's Woman On The Beach; Emanuele Crialese's Golden Door; Todd Field's Little Children; Johnnie To's Exiled; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Lives Of Others; Joachim Lafosse's Nue Propriété; Paris Je T'aime; Santiago Amigorena's Quelques Jours En SeptembrE; and Marc Evans' Snow Cake. It is the premiere showing of the first movie CYF made in Hong Kong in a decade, but whether or not he will attend has not be announced. Full list of movies to be shown is on the festival's official website.

"Timeless Love"

Chow Yun-Fat's Solvil Titus watch commercial and ad pictures called Timeless Love are probably one of the favorite collections he has made through the years. The video and images tell the story of a couple marrying during the 2nd World War. Their wedding, his service in the Air Force, and their farewell as he leaves to go into combat is depicted by bronzed photos as they might have appeared in someone's memories or put in a photo album. Photos (Photos from Netease Forum)

"Shaq" O'Neal in Beijing

While touring Beijing the famous NBA star Shaquille O'Neal rented the same van that Chow Yun-Fat was seen in every day while he was filming Curse of the Golden Flower. CYF seen on the left exiting the van. The only thing different was the license plate which Shaq wanted changed from a Beijing one to a California U.S. plate - Sina

Videos to watch on You Tube

The AZNTV has been having a Korean marathon showing some of the dramas from that country. One of them was Winter Sonata and later will be one of Chow Yun-Fat's favorite Jewel in the Palace. While looking for video for "Winter" on YouTube I came across several videos for CYF. In case you are not familiar with YouTube it has hundreds of videos available to watch that people have been willing to share. Just put CYF's name, anyone else's name, or the name of a movie in the search and it will display the videos you can choose from. If you are a fan of Winter Sonata it has videos of the concert in Japan which features scenes from the series and the music using a full symphony orchestra.

The Bitter Sea update

From Michelle Yeoh Web Theatre: "The Sydney Talent Company describes the young actor they are seeking for Children of Huang Shi (a.k.a. The Bitter Sea) as: "13-15 yr old Chinese boy. Speaks fluent English. Charismatic, gutsy, confident." Send photo and bio to: sydneytalentco@tpg.com.au . The advertisement was put up a month ago and it is still open. With a script written by Jane Hawksley, the film will be produced by Arthur Cohn, Jonathan Shteinman, Peter Loehr and Wieland Schulz-Keil. When the production was aimed to begin last year, it was officially announced that Brendan Fraser would star as George Hogg. However, after the production date was re-set to this fall, no cast has been officially announced."

Chow Yun-Fat tells story of his depression to Family

Repulse Bay

In 2003 Chow Yun-Fat in a TV interview with Carol Cheng confided he had suffered from depression after making Bulletproof Monk. Now he has also documented for the publication Family that he as recently as 2005 suffered a new depression. One that sounds far more serious than the first. How he and his wife Jasmine together went through this most difficult challenge can be of benefit to those who have gone through such a time, and those who now or will in the future experience physical or emotional changes. It seems to have begun in February of 2005 and he had finished filming Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Sleepless nights, negative feelings, and loss of appetite that are signs of depression were apparent. It was difficult at this point for him to acknowledge his own sickness, but because of his spurts of bad temper and obvious other signs Jasmine was left with the job of convincing him to seek medical help, and it was not easy! It is always frightening to see this in our loved ones and forcibly have to make them see what is happening. Finally CYF accepted psychological treatment, and trying to adjust his thinking and life after months of suffering, he returned to being himself. The Chows had purchased a couple of years ago 2 duplicate buildings in Repulse Bay (area photo) that needed some repairs. CYF took part in making the repairs with the crew. They also visited a welfare home for senior citizens and an orphanage. He was touched that those who were unfairly treated in life could find joy. After the bad time was over he expressed to Jasmine his appreciation for what she had done for him and he would make it up to her. It was not the first time Jasmine has helped CYF through difficult times, but after this he said that although they had been married nearly 20 years he felt their life together was just beginning. (Full version of the Family interview in Chinese)

Updates new link

An Updates link has been added on the News Blog. This will include the Curse of the Golden Flower, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, News articles in Chinese blogs, and all of the other links shown on the News Blog except those to other websites.

PIAGET event in Shanghai

HAPPY HERO:

Chow Yun-fat is arguably China's biggest movie star, with one of the most well-known faces on the planet. The 51-year-old doyen of Chinese cinema has just finished another epic film, Curse of the Golden Flower, in which he plays a king and will soon start working on the third installment of Pirates of the Caribbean. He is ranked right up there with every big actor in the world, but compared to his Hollywood rivals, there is something refreshingly different about this gun-toting, action hero: his killer charm.
BJW recently caught up with the super star in Shanghai, where he was helping his on-screen lover Cherie Chung. Chung, the famous Hong Kong actress and Asian ambassador for Piaget jewelry, was promoting the launch of a new Shanghai store, and Chow joined the promotion, with his wife Jasmine by his side.
For luxury brand Piaget, Chow's presence would have been a public relations dream come true, but somebody should have done their homework. When it comes to being orthodox, Chow doesn't follow any script. When he walked on centre stage with his trademark naughty smile, he immediately transformed the otherwise formal ceremony into a stand-up comedy and treated hundreds of shoppers at the mall to an Academy Award winning performance.
Chow co-starred with Chung often in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when he emerged as China's leading man. In these films, he was the king of cool who would wear black sunglasses, chew a toothpick and carry two guns (usually Beretta 92's). But he was also a fun, capable and extremely charming on-screen lover. One of their most reknown co-operations was the film Once A Thief, directed by Hong Kong director John Woo in 1991. Along with the late Leslie Cheung, the three portrayed a trio of orphans who grew to become art thieves. There was a stunningly graceful waltz scene in which Chow, in a wheelchair, danced with Chung. That was 15 years ago, and when Chow and Chung showed up together before the press, they were bombarded with questions about their relationship and any future movie plans.

Whatever he may look like on screen, in reality, Chow is fun, gentle, approachable and naughty. Instead of taking pre-prepared questions from the Shanghai presenter, he asked for direct interaction with the press and even the audience. A reporter from Hong Kong once raised a question in Cantonese; Chow insisted that she use Mandarin instead, citing the practice "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and as a gesture of respect to the rest of reporters and the audience, who rewarded him with applause and laughter. When the reporter finally voiced her question in broken Mandarin, it turned out to be about Chow's recent film, Curse of the Golden Flower directed by Zhang Yimou. Chow has come back from the making of the film, in which he starred as a king, along with other big names like Gong Li, Jay Chou and Liu Ye. The confident Chow half jokingly gave his performance in the film 200 points. "People will not see the usual Chow Yun-fat," he said. Because he has just worked with Gong Li, Chow was asked to compare Chung with Gong. Chow responded that both are outstanding Chinese beauties. But he has a love-hate relationship with Gong. In the film, Gong's queen character was a fierce enemy. Off -screen he felt Gong was a good woman. And the fact that she personally made dessert on the set made her even more lovable.
Later in the year Chow will work on Battle of Red Cliff with Taiwan supermodel and beauty Lin Chiling. The film, also to be directed by John Woo, is an adaptation of a famous episode from Romance of Three Kingdoms, one of China's four major ancient literary masterpieces.

Piaget event co-ordinators arranged for children to present flowers to the guests at the function. One child fell before reaching the stage and started to cry. Before anyone could react, Chow leapt off-stage to pick up the child. He and Jasmine used all of their tricks to cheer up the child. They were very gentle and warm, but the child kept crying. Chow could only carry the child away.
Throughout the entire ceremony, the high-spirited Chow has maintained his trademark big smile. When asked for the reason, he said, "because I am happy." And what's the trick for being happy?
"Because life is simple," said the actor. "As an actor at the shooting scene, I am just like a worker in a factory: I provide my service to directors. I do what directors tell me to do. As a man and a husband at home, I do as my wife tells me to do." - Exerpts from an article in chinaculture.org - Pictures in Special Events Gallery

Stranglehold delayed release to 2007

"Midway today released new screens and announced a new ship date for the highly anticipated, 3rd person action game, Stranglehold. Now scheduled to ship in Q1 2007, Stranglehold allows players to experience exhilarating 3rd person next–gen action as you continue the story of John Woo's influential action film, "Hard-Boiled" starring Chow Yun–Fat. Run into danger with both fists full of lead and take down the organized crime bosses who stepped over the line when they took your family. Stop at nothing as you destroy the entire world around you to get them back. You are a desperate man following your own rules; honor thy family; do what's right; fear no man." Three new gigantic screenshots on TeamXBox. Videos on IGN.com More pictures in Picture Galleries

Men's Uno Magazine on E-Bay

I usually don't try and sell things on this blog, but the July 2003 issue of Men's Uno Magazine is special because of the beautiful spread on Chow Yun-Fat. The pictures are large, and the paper is first class. Although many of the pictures have been published on the internet, seeing such large copies and of such quality it's like seeing them for the first time. I bought my own copy on E-Bay years ago and it is one of the best memorabilia I own for CYF. The end time for bidding is August 8th. - Link to E-Bay page