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NEWS ITEMS October 2006
Oct 31: Several new "Curse of the Golden Flower" publicity photos have been added to the Sony Pictures Classics site today --> VIEW! From Business Wire: "Along Mobile Technologies, Inc. today announced that it has gained the exclusive right to design, publish and produce a new mobile phone game based on the new movie 'Curse of the Golden Flower'. This game will be interactive as users will be able to choose which characters they want to be. The game structure mostly follows the movie's story, but there will be changes based on user feedback. The game is planned to be released during the Christmas holiday, after the premiere of the Movie in China." Links to video reports from Monday night's premiere of "Miami Vice" in Beijing: Sina.com Sohu.com Li told a Beijing Youth Daily reporter, "Miami Vice was a true Hollywood production and it opened up my eyes to American film making and the country's film industry. Isabella loves adventure, and I love adventure too. She has this power and strength, which the director thinks I have, too."
Oct 30: Li attended the Beijing premiere of "Miami Vice" tonight with Colin Farrell. Recap from The Morning Post: Li and Colin arrived hand-in-hand, and Colin loudly said "hello" to the photojournalists in Mandarin. "From walking the red carpet to the finish of the activities, Gong Li and Colin Farrell continuously held hands, but also often whispered intimately. Only when signing the Miami Vice posters did the two people pull their hands apart, only then separated for the moment. When posing for group photos, Colin Farrell could not understand the instructions, 'left side, right side'. Gong Li sympathized and pointed in the right direction. After the entire event had ended, Colin Farrell protected Gong Li as they went down the stairs, and the two people left hand-in-hand, away from everyone's line of sight." View Pics! China Times reports that the China premiere of "Miami Vice" will be held tonight in Beijing with Li in attendance. Their reporter interviewed Li Sunday afternoon at the Palace Hotel, and Li also accepted interviews this morning. Photos taken during interviews: Oct 29 Oct 30. Video reports: Sohu.com / ent.qq.com / Sina.com Oct 29: There is a mention of "Hannibal Rising" in the Nov 6 issue of Newsweek with remarks by director Peter Webber: "It's easy to look down on sequels and prequels and think you're getting into 'Police Academy 47'. But if this film did that, I wouldn't have gotten involved. There can be tension in the telling. I can drive a car from New York to Los Angeles, but you don't know how I'm getting there." Read article An article on sina.com includes the news that French President Jacques Chirac has spoken about his wish to see Li star as Yang Guifei. "Chirac has done a lot of research about the Tang Dynasty, and especially likes Tang ceramics, drawings and poetry. Chirac once disclosed that after retiring he plans to write a screenplay about [Tang Dynasty poet] Li Bai, and wants Gong Li to play the role of Yang Guifei." Background: In Simon Elegant's "A Floating Life", a mock-autobiography about Li Bai, Yang Guifei is included as one of the historical characters that Li Bai encounters. Oct 28: I posted on our forum links to download/save "The Secrets Within" featurette about the making of "The Curse of the Golden Flower". GO Oct 27: Sina.com is reporting that Li will meet with reporters in a Beijing hotel on October 30 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss "Miami Vice", opening in China on November 1. She will also meet with sohu.com reporters the same day and answer questions submitted by fans online. Li is the cover girl for the November issue of Elle magazine (Hong Kong). It appears that the article, "Profile: Queen of Glamour", includes photos used in the October issue of Elle China. New publicity stills for "Curse of the Golden Flower" are up on the Sony Pictures Classics site. GO The release date in China for "Curse of the Golden Flower" has been moved up one week to December 14. Producer Zhang Weiping reportedly confirmed the news to a Shanghai Youth Daily reporter. CriEnglish.com reports: "Zhang said that the change was made as a result of earnest urging from audiences and cinemas. Also, it will allow the film more time to take in higher box office yields before the end of the year. As a big-budget blockbuster with a stellar cast, the film's screening date will decide the destiny of other relatively small films." Oct 25: There is a mention of Li in a China Newsweek article about veteran actors. The writer notes that while some members of the Chinese media refer to Li as a movie star from the past, Hollywood is very interested in her currently. "Perhaps her performance as Miami Vice's leading lady proves their reasoning," noting that she has an appealing "mature flavor". Oct 24: Box office update: Reuters reports that "Miami Vice" has earned $94.6 million overseas through Sunday. The domestic total is $63.4 million; worldwide total is now $158 million. An official blog for "Curse of the Golden Flower" has been opened at sina.com. The first item posted there is an article written by producer Zhang Weiping and includes two photos of Gong Li and Zhang Yimou. ZW took the photo of the duo at the Great Wall in 1992. He writes that at that time ZY made a wish that GL would play the Empress Wu Zetian in a film he would direct. His wish has come true in 2006; GL has reunited with ZY to play an Empress in CotGF. Visit blog Oct 23: Remarks from a recent interview with director Zhang Yimou; from CCTV's "Chinese Movie Report": Having a good story foundation for "Curse of the Golden Flower" was of the utmost importance, and he paid the most attention to the characters and continuity when developing the project. ZY feels that Gong Li has succeeded extremely well in showing her character's struggling of mind and soul. Her age and experience allowed her to display the character's innermost feelings; "a queen basically now in the mainland, I thought she is the first choice" for the role. Oct 22: Li will be the cover girl for the December issue of Marie Claire (China). The fourth anniversary commemorative issue will include an interview and several new photos. An international production team was assembled for the photo shoot, including a Marie Claire senior fashion editor from Paris. The timing of the issue coincides with the release of "Curse of the Golden Flower" in December. (Thanks to NewPath for the tip.) Several behind-the-scenes pics from the photo shoot can be viewed at sdnews.com.cn. Oct 21: More on the competition for the Best Foreign Language Picture Oscar from AFP via the Globe and Mail: "Spanish entry 'Volver', directed by Oscar-winner Pedro Almodovar and starring Penelope Cruz, has emerged as an early front-runner, and has earned glowing reviews since its release. But 'Volver' faces stiff competition from China's entry, Zhang Yimou's stunning 'Curse of the Golden Flower' as well as Mexico's 'Pan's Labyrinth', directed by Guillermo del Toro." List of films submitted Oct 20: "Curse of the Golden Flower" a favorite for Oscar nom? TheEnvelope.com's Mark Olsen thinks so: "A record 61 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category, AMPAS announced [Thursday]. Many of these films have been circulating on the fall festival circuit, and among the submissions possible favorites for a nomination must include Water (Canada, Deepa Mehta), Curse of the Golden Flower (China, Zhang Yimou), After The Wedding (Denmark, Susanne Bier), Avenue Montaigne (France, Daniele Thompson), The Lives of Others (Germany, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), Pan's Labyrinth (Mexico, Guillermo de Toro), Black Book (The Netherlands, Paul Verhoeven) and Volver (Spain, Pedro Almodovar)." Oct 19: "The Curse of the Golden Flower" official site (Sony Pictures Classics) has been updated today with the addition of "The Secrets Within" featurette. GO Two high quality production stills:
The CotGF listing on the AFI Fest site has been updated; "Rush Only" tickets to the November 12 screening may be available. More about the event from a press release: "After the film, AFI Fest's Rooftop Village, an interconnected suite of pavilions, will open up into a lavish gala event in keeping with the spirit and look of the film." Oct 18: The official Chinese site for "Curse of the Golden Flower" is now online -- GO I posted on our forum a "Hannibal Rising" review that was written by a fan who saw a sneak peek this week. Read Oct 17: I have added to our "Curse of the Golden Flower" forum several new publicity stills. The Chinese official website is scheduled to go live tomorrow. View Pics Oct 16: Mention of Li in The Star Malaysia article, "China's top personalities in film": "Gong Li -- The first Chinese actress to win international acclaim. Gong Li was still a student at the Beijing Central College of Drama when Zhang Yimou picked her to star in 'Red Sorghum'. More recently, she has gone Hollywood with roles in 'Memoirs Of A Geisha' (2005) and 'Miami Vice', which is now playing at local cinemas. Must watch: 'Raise The Red Lantern' (1991), where she morphs from rebellious girl to resigned woman as the concubine of a rich man." Box office update from Variety International: "UIP's 'Miami Vice' with $1.2 million at 800 in 30 markets for a foreign cume of $93.5 million and a worldwide total of $156 million." Oct 15: Publications around the world have picked up the news that "Miami Vice" will not be screened in China in its original form. From Virgin.net: "Chinese viewers will have to get a foreign copy of the DVD for the full version, as 20 minutes are reportedly being cut for its Chinese release, including the sex sessions between Colin Farrell and Gong Li. China Film Group, which is importing the movie, has refused to confirm the news." Oct 14: From Jane Magazine's movies blog: "Sitting through Michael Mann's Miami Vice earlier this summer, I tuned out all of that technical police talk about drug running with fast boats and just concentrated on the hot, hot heat between Gong Li and Colin Farrell. Scorching. Unfortunately though for Chinese audiences, they'll be seeing an edited version of the flick when it hits their theaters at the end of this month. Reuters reports that the state-run China Film Group has excised 20 minutes of the movie, including a sex scene between their countrywoman and the randy Irishman. Darn shame, that's probably the most creative use of an SUV's backseat floor I've ever seen." The Beijing News includes more quotes from Colin Farrell's interview on Thursday. Reporter: "In Miami Vice you fall in love with Gong Li's character. How do you feel about her in real life?" Colin: "She is very beautiful, unbelievably appealing. She is intelligent, interesting and attractive. For men who love women, it is very difficult not to be attracted to her." Colin was asked the reason for his trip to Beijing, and he reportedly replied that he wanted to see Gong Li's hometown. Oct 13: According to a report on sina.com, the official "Curse of the Golden Flower" Chinese website will be online October 18. Zhang Yimou and Jay Chou will attend the opening ceremony. From The Hollywood Reporter: "Twenty minutes, including steamy sex scenes between Gong Li and Colin Farrell, will be cut from 'Miami Vice' before it opens in China. A 120-minute version of Michael Mann's big-screen remake of the 1980s TV cop show will open on the mainland three months after its world premiere, the Beijing Morning Post said, citing official industry sources." Oct 12: As rumored, "Curse of the Golden Flower" will be screened on the closing night of the AFI Fest. From Indiewire: "The world premiere of Zhang Yimou's 'Curse of the Golden Flower' will close the 2006 edition of AFI Fest, organizers announced. The film, starring Chow Yun Fat, Gong Li and Jay Chou, is a Sony Pictures Classics release and will end the festival on November 12, 2006. It is China's official selection for the Oscar's Best Foreign Film category." From Variety: "Preem will be held at ArcLight's Cinerama Dome, followed by a gala event at AFI Fest's Rooftop Village." Colin Farrell's trip to China includes a visit to Beijing, where a private party is being held for him tonight. (Thanks, NewPath) Colin met with reporters today and again spoke highly of Li, saying that she has an "explosive force" as an actor, and that he felt shy and anxious when he started working with her. "I discovered when she and I worked together that she has a rich spirit, is an extremely warm person, an extremely outstanding actor. She enjoys a good reputation in the world film circle, representing Chinese femininity and strength. She approves of the equality of the sexes, that a woman must not necessarily serve the man; in other words, not be weaker than the male, she thinks they should have an independence." More details about the "Miami Vice" DVD are being released -- From themanroom.com: "The unrated HD-DVD presentation will add 19 minutes to the film's runtime and utilize Universal's U Control menu system. These dynamic menus will allow viewers to check out vehicle (cars and boats) tech specs, track the car chases through the streets of Miami with an on-screen GPS locator, or examine production photographs and cast biographies - all while the film continues to run." Oct 11: The Shanghai Oriental Morning Post is reporting that Li dubbed her "Miami Vice" dialog in Mandarin on September 25 and 26 at a recording studio in Shanghai. The dubbing director said that several lines of dialog have been changed for matching purposes and that he and Li worked very well together. The report also states that Li will participate in the "grand first screening event which will be held in Beijing". "Miami Vice" opens in China on November 1 with a running time of 120 minutes. MV co-star Colin Farrell will also be making an appearance in Shanghai this week. He will accept interviews with the media on Saturday and play a basketball game with mentally handicapped children, part of an appearance for Special Olympics. The event organizer said: "It was learned that Colin has never been to Shanghai before, perhaps afraid that the scene would attract so many fans, so this trip is very confidential." The reporter says that the organizer refused to disclose just when Colin will depart Shanghai. Oct 10: From Conor Bresnan's "Around The World Roundup" for Box Office Mojo: "Miami Vice headed Italy with a $1.6 million start from 207 screens, which was strong for the cop genre, and the movie has two territories ahead (Lebanon on Oct. 27 and China on Nov. 1). With $91.3 million in the till overall [in overseas receipts], Vice should cross the century mark by the end of its run." The domestic total is $63.5 million. "Farewell My Concubine" and "The Story of Qiu Ju" will be screened during the Bhubaneswar Film Festival (India) this month, a part of the "retrospective cinema from China" section, according to the Statesman News Service. Oct 9: Photographer Chen Mo has added to his blog more great pics from the Sleemon commercial shoot. View Pics Oct 8: I have previously posted in our Magazine Gallery scans from the October issue of Elle China. Today, the folks at tom.com have posted nice quality images from the photo shoot. View Pics Oct 7: Li is the cover girl for the October issue of Singapore's Simply Her magazine. "Gong Strikes Again - After keeping a low profile for some time, Gong Li is back with a vengeance. The 40-year-old queen of Chinese cinema tells Yanni Tan why age is no barrier to ambition... 'Entering my 40s means I've become more assured of myself and clearer about what I like and what I want. The kind of roles I will consider are those that are different from all my previous work... I still live in Beijing, where I can keep in close contact with my friends and family. When I'm not working, I sleep a lot, play billiards, hang out with friends, and discuss projects with my manager.'" Read Article Oct 6: An article about "Curse of the Golden Flower" in the Guangzhou Daily has been picked up today by Xinhuanet, and includes the following observations: Gong Li's costumes are gorgeous… the actress's plentiful stature and sex appeal make the person daydream… CotGF is not inferior to a Hollywood epic movie… Gong Li's and Zhou Runfa's exquisite performing skill, and Zhou Jielun's splendid performance all let a person feel delighted. Oct 5: Thanks to a fan on the Baidu forum for a link to scans of photos from "Curse of the Golden Flower" that appear in a Chinese magazine. View Oct 4: Cinema's Legacy News is reporting that "the brand new closing night film of this year's upcoming AFI Fest 2006 [is] Curse of the Golden Flower… Your CL moderator has seen a sneak copy of CotGF, and it is beyond amazing. Without a doubt, Zhang Yimou is one of the greatest master filmmakers working in the medium today." (Thanks, Cocoa) Tickets for individual events go on sale October 13. Oct 3: A post on hometheaterforum.com includes info about the extras planned for the Region 4 "Miami Vice" DVD: "Audio Commentary with Director Michael Mann; Deleted Scenes & outtakes; Multiple Camera Angles; Pre-production; Real World High-tech Global Crime; Special Effects & Stunts; The Visual & Aural Style; The Locations; Creating the Chemistry between Crockett and Isabella." (Thanks to Cocoa for the find.) There is no official confirmation yet about the extras being included on the R1 DVD… Oct 2: Reviews of "Miami Vice" are still being published… Joel Siegel of ABC News writes, "Michael Mann did well in casting three of the most arresting stars in Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx and Asian superstar Gong Li. The story is completely incomprehensible - and less than half the action takes place in Miami - but the actors and the technology kept me going." Scott Davis of Wish TV writes, "This is a gritty movie that really had me from the first frames... Li Gong is solid as Isabella. She works her magic behind the scenes, but the way Gong carries herself lets you know who is really in charge of the drug business." From The Statesman: "[Gong Li's] Isabella is quite a complex portrayal though... In her intensely beautiful scenes with Crockett, they anticipate a freedom that moves further and further away. It shows that the danger lurking isn't the heat around the corner but the flicker of impossible love." As a blogger writes: "Body language is king in this show, much of the story is told without words allowing the art form to express in its audio and visual glory, but the queen on the screen is without doubt Gong Li. She outshines everyone when she's in a scene." Oct 1: The ChinaBed.com site now includes a lovely Flash intro with photos of Li and a commercial advertisement. Watch From Steve Mason's early look at the holiday movie season for Box Office Prophets: "Sleepers – Films That Will Outperform Expectations… Curse of the Golden Flower (Sony Classics) – 12/22 limited – undetermined rollout -- This is the newest picture from Yimou Zhang. He previously delivered with House of Flying Daggers ($11 million) and Hero ($54 million). Sony Classics is booking this film into more commercial houses, and it is described as Zhang's biggest and most spectacular film yet. There is some martial arts fatigue in the marketplace, but there is real poetry in this director's films that set them apart. There will be some great per screen averages early in the run, and the focus on commercial venues will give the picture a chance to do some real box office numbers in January."
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There
were two main reasons that Li said was excited to attend the Beijing
premiere: First, she attended university in Beijing, and considers the
movie folk there her family. Secondly, she thinks "Miami Vice"
is a very good film, and Colin Farrell's performance extremely good.
"The past couple of years I have continuously made movies overseas,
and thought the audience here had forgotten me. Today when I arrived and
saw such a scene, I was very affected emotionally." Colin said,
"I thought no one knows me in China, that they all are here and
cheering for Gong Li. But they were also warm to me when they saw me. I
am very happy." At the cocktail party, many stars came to support
Gong Li, say hello and take group photos. Li said, "This is simply
not a preview ceremony, but is a big meeting of domestic colleagues. I
like this kind of kind feeling."
