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Gordon Chan has been in the industry for some decades, starting at the Shaw Brothers as a special effect assistant and later writing scripts for Tsui Hark, John Woo and the likes in the Film Workshop. Writing has always been an important part in his professional life as he wrote all his films and helped out a lot of filmmakers to shape engaging stories.
 
In addition to scriptwriting, Chan directed all kinds of movies from light social comedies like Heart to Hearts to nonsensical laugh-out-loud comedies such as the Fight Back To School series, King of Beggars, to police dramas and action flicks with Final Option, to kung fu films with Fist of Legend, to modern wuxia pian like Painted Skin or straight Jackie Chan’s flicks with Thunderbolt or The Medallion. HK Cinemagic >>More<<

Most remembered by Hong Kong movie fans for his part as Smith in Yuen Woo Ping’s Tai Chi 2, Darren Shahlavi is a man of talent who has worked all over the world. But it’s from Asia, especially in Hong Kong, where this impressive martial artist started it all. During a couple of years, he did it all in the pearl of Asia, from extra parts to supporting actor and even bodyguard! As part of our series on Gweilos, Shahlavi has agreed to talk about all that and some of his more recent works in the West  HK Cinemagic >>More<<

-- Garnet on the Golden Sand --

Beyond Hollywood reports that Yuen Wo Ping is set to direct the American-Hong Kong co-production Garnet on the Golden Sand, written by Jun Tan, in China next summer. The film will be a co-production between Yuen Woo-ping’s Hong Kong-based FilmCan Production and the L.A.-based Ambush Entertainment.

Garnet on the Golden Sand is set in the 17th century, and follows a European merchant and two Chinese swordsmen who are recruited by the leader of a prosperous trade town along the Silk Road to fight off a notorious desert raider. Much wireworks and kung fu action ensue.

-- New Shaolin Temple --  
Rumours have been floating around for some time regarding who is set to star in Hong Kong veteran director Benny Chan’s upcoming - all star cast laden - martial arts epic Shaolin. Well now it seems most of the talent has signed on the dotted line and it’s quite the who's who of A-list Action stars. Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Wu Jing!! are confirmed, with that added plus of a cameo appearance by none other than Jackie Chan. Soooold!
 
 This movie is not be a remake or sequel to Jet Li’s 80s classic Shaolin Temple. Rather, it is an entirely new story, written by Alan Yuen, that is set in early 1900s Republican period. Shot in a real Shaolin Temple it will also feature real life Shaolin monks in the supporting cast using exotic Shaolin kung-fu. Filming is due to start this December, and is expected to be completed by April 2010.
 
 Synopsis: China is plunged into strife as feuding warlords try to expand their power by warring over neighboring lands. Fuelled by his success on the battlefield, young and arrogant Hao Jie sneers at Shaolin's masters when he beats one of them in a duel. But the pride comes before a fall. When his own family is wiped out by a rival warlord, Hao Jie is forced to take refuge with the monks. As the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hao Jie and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a fiery stand against the evil warlords. They launch a daring plan or rescue and escape. 24FramesPerSecond, via Maz

-- Bad Blood --
Bad Blood official site has been launched officially. This upcoming action film directed by Dennis Law is about internecine conflicts among the triad members following the death of their boss.

 

Trailer isn't ready yet but there's a 4:38 minutes making-of which shows highly intense and complex martial arts sequences being done by the various cast-members Jiang Lu Xia, Ken Lo, Xiong Xin Xin, Andy On and Bernice Liu, under the choreography of Nicky Li who seems to have scored a hit this time.

 Press conference announcing production of 《海洋天堂》 Sea of Heaven/Ocean Paradise (tentative), to be filmed in Qingdao, was held in Beijing on August 26. Continue reading "Jet Li Explores Parental Love and Autistic Kids in Sea of Heaven"

-- True Legend --

A brief video interview of David Carradine (2009-07-19, Legendary Collaboration) showing some of his scenes as a fight promoter in the film has been added to True Legend official site.

 

And don't forget to check out Yuen Wo Ping's diary (2009-06-21, In Memory of David Carradine), where he pays tribute to the late actor, who passed away last month.

-- Taishan Kung Fu --

Director Tao Ming Xi's Kungfu film Taishan Kung Fu, filmed last summer, premiered in Beijing recently and is gradually being expanded to cinemas across other Chinese provinces. The film showcases Mt Tai's rare kungfu known as Stone Skill, and apart from scintillating martial arts scenes, it explores the culture of Mt Tai.

Taishan Kung Fu is Tai Ming Xi's fourth film as a director, with Huang Guan Bao as the martial arts director. The film stars Wu Yue, Wei Yu Hai, Xu Huan Huan, Zhao Pei, Cheng Pei Pei, Wang Fei Hong. Both Tao Ming Xi and Wei Yu Hai are members of Sammo Hung Stunt Team.

Continue reading "Taishan Kung Fu Premieres in Beijing"

-- True Legend --
It's been a while since True Legend official site has been updated. Recently two new entries have been added to Director's Diary.

The April entry talks about Yuen Wo Ping, now doing post-production on True Legend, having done an interview for the making-of documentary and the documentary director told him that he shot 200 hrs worth of footage for the documentary, covering various aspects of production such as location scouting, building of the sets, costume designs, martial arts training.

Next Yuen Wo Ping talks about choreography of Drunken Fist for the movie, in which Zhao Wen Zhuo was required to incorporate street dancing movements with martial arts under his direction, and they also created some new moves in the process, as well as seeing Zhao Wen Zhuo executing the new Drunken Fist beautifully in the beggar outfit for the first time when filming began.