Saturday, July 12, 2003
Thursday, July 10, 2003
i skipped school today...felt a bit sick...head is still aching but overall- i'm fine. :) anyways, i just found out that coca-cola china aquired another spokesperson----Zhang Ziyi---- Yep, they're on a roll... they've got Nicholas Tse, A Hey, Cecilia Cheung, Shawn Yu, Twins, A-Mei,...
Nicholas Tse....man, he is soooo H-O-T HOT HOT HOT!!!!!!!!!
Zhang Ziyi...the new Coke girl
her mic is kinda weird though..looks like they wrapped a coke six-pack carton around it... hehehe ;P
gotta get meself a coke!!!!!!
Nicholas Tse....man, he is soooo H-O-T HOT HOT HOT!!!!!!!!!
Zhang Ziyi...the new Coke girl
her mic is kinda weird though..looks like they wrapped a coke six-pack carton around it... hehehe ;P
gotta get meself a coke!!!!!!
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
My head is killing me! I already skipped my last class so i can get back home early to catch some ZZZzz's... i'm still sick!!!! I'm about to get a Michael Jackson nose job (the kind that falls off) the next time i sneeze. My friggin' sinuses are clogged and i'm still in sore throat hell. Argh!
i'm currently going thru one of my hellish breaks. i've been sitting on my ass since 12pm... my next class is still at 4:30pm... damn shitty schedule :P
anyways, not much has happened today except for my sudden urge during lunch (i ate lunch with a bunch of chinese friends from school) to share some of my most embarrassing moments from my embarrassing childhood. I started with my classic Buddha-falling-on-my-head story(which is true,btw)....DAMN, I HATE THIS KEYBOARD!!!!! (i'm in one of those computer rental places in school)...argh!!!! I'll continue this tonight...
ApRiL
anyways, not much has happened today except for my sudden urge during lunch (i ate lunch with a bunch of chinese friends from school) to share some of my most embarrassing moments from my embarrassing childhood. I started with my classic Buddha-falling-on-my-head story(which is true,btw)....DAMN, I HATE THIS KEYBOARD!!!!! (i'm in one of those computer rental places in school)...argh!!!! I'll continue this tonight...
ApRiL
sheesh! everyone's going Meteor Garden- crazy... it's so... icky... They actually show MG here from Mondays to Sundays... with replays every saturdays and sundays... i'm getting sick of F4 and especially Barbie Hsu. argh!
major Aneurysm!
major Aneurysm!
I'm back! :)
My trip from that place DownUnder (no, i didn't come from hell) was a blast. A vacation, just what i needed.
Well, it wasn't just a vacation... i sorta went soul searching too.
I could say that last year/the early part of this year was the worst period of my life. I was severely depressed about my grades, friends, and family. I was in so much pain.
But until recently... i've discovered that i must accept the fact that life is full of suffering and pain and that i can do something about it and in that way i might be able to achieve enlightenment.
Doesn't sound like 'lil old me, right?
I've been studying the teachings of buddha for the past month now...and i found it very... enlightening (although, i cannot say that i am enlightened because it is a falasy of which the sentient must not adhere to-> a bit blurry but profound...sort of).
(some excerpts from Jet Li's official website about Tibetan Buddhism)
"The original teachings of Buddha, first off, are contained in scriptures called sutras. They are very traditional, in that they advocate renouncing the self-ego to the maximum extent possible. Desire is bad. Desire is the root of pain. Avoid extremes. Take the middle way. That is the traditional way of enlightenment.
Such a practice, however, might be difficult for many individuals, in a world so filled with material distractions and experiences.
So, Tibetan Buddhism figured out another method. It doesn't reject desire or ignore the ego altogether. Instead, it aims to purify our primal urges by using them to help attain spiritual development. Work with what we have, with what we are faced. This is an alternative way to enlightenment." (www.jetli.com)
Anyways.... (i'll stray away from the topic)... i was able to buy the ORIGINAL Extended Version Double DVD of HERO in Sydney...WaHOOO!!!!
I also bought a bunch of other HK movies (the hotel i stayed in was situated near Sydney's Chinatown)...
1. My Lucky Star (Tony Leung and Miriam Yeung)
2. In the Mood For Love (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung)
3. Chinese Odyssey 2002 (Tony Leung, Faye Wong, Chang Chen, Zhao Wei)
4. Tokyo Raiders (Tony Leung, Cecilia Cheung)
5. Beijing Rocks (Hsu Qi, Daniel Wu)
...it's a bit hard to renounce all material attachments...like cigarettes and Chinese movies..hehehe... but i'll try ;P
My trip from that place DownUnder (no, i didn't come from hell) was a blast. A vacation, just what i needed.
Well, it wasn't just a vacation... i sorta went soul searching too.
I could say that last year/the early part of this year was the worst period of my life. I was severely depressed about my grades, friends, and family. I was in so much pain.
But until recently... i've discovered that i must accept the fact that life is full of suffering and pain and that i can do something about it and in that way i might be able to achieve enlightenment.
Doesn't sound like 'lil old me, right?
I've been studying the teachings of buddha for the past month now...and i found it very... enlightening (although, i cannot say that i am enlightened because it is a falasy of which the sentient must not adhere to-> a bit blurry but profound...sort of).
(some excerpts from Jet Li's official website about Tibetan Buddhism)
"The original teachings of Buddha, first off, are contained in scriptures called sutras. They are very traditional, in that they advocate renouncing the self-ego to the maximum extent possible. Desire is bad. Desire is the root of pain. Avoid extremes. Take the middle way. That is the traditional way of enlightenment.
Such a practice, however, might be difficult for many individuals, in a world so filled with material distractions and experiences.
So, Tibetan Buddhism figured out another method. It doesn't reject desire or ignore the ego altogether. Instead, it aims to purify our primal urges by using them to help attain spiritual development. Work with what we have, with what we are faced. This is an alternative way to enlightenment." (www.jetli.com)
Anyways.... (i'll stray away from the topic)... i was able to buy the ORIGINAL Extended Version Double DVD of HERO in Sydney...WaHOOO!!!!
I also bought a bunch of other HK movies (the hotel i stayed in was situated near Sydney's Chinatown)...
1. My Lucky Star (Tony Leung and Miriam Yeung)
2. In the Mood For Love (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung)
3. Chinese Odyssey 2002 (Tony Leung, Faye Wong, Chang Chen, Zhao Wei)
4. Tokyo Raiders (Tony Leung, Cecilia Cheung)
5. Beijing Rocks (Hsu Qi, Daniel Wu)
...it's a bit hard to renounce all material attachments...like cigarettes and Chinese movies..hehehe... but i'll try ;P
Monday, July 07, 2003
Who's Who in HK cinema (the men basically...hehehe)
1. Tony Leung Chiu-wai
- My personal favorite. He's pretty old (Tony is 41 years old) but still he's H-O-T HOT!!!! He's THE most versatile and awarded actor in HK film history. He won the Best Actor award in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France for the movie In The Mood For Love.
2. Daniel Wu (Ng Yin-Cho)
- Daniel Wu was born in San Francisco on September 1974. He has a BA in Architecture from the University of Oregon. He's usually seen in romantic comedies, B-movies, and sometimes in action movies.
3. Nakamura Toru (he's the tall guy beside Zhang Ziyi)
- Obviously, Nakamura Toru is not Chinese. He's a well known dorama (Japanese soap-opera) actor (I so HAVE to get the vcd set of A SLEEPING FOREST!!!). HK films: Tokyo Raiders (with Tony Leung), Gen-X cops, and Purple Butterfly.
4. Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (also known as Fung Dak-Lung)
-Blessed with good looks and talent, you could say Stephen Fung was born with acting in his blood because his mother, Sek Yin, was a Shaw Brothers actress from the 1970's. After getting his degree from the University of Michigan for graphic design, Stephen returned to Hong Kong to launch his career as an entertainer. His first taste of stardom was due to his band Dry, which he formed with Mark Lui. After Dry broke up, Stephen pursued acting. Gen-X-Cops was his first successful hit and it paved the way for his career. Aside from acting, Stephen Fung also sings, composes music, plays guitar, produces tracks, and directs.
I LOVE THOSE DIMPLES!!!!
5. Edison Chen
- Edison appeared in 9 Girls and a Ghost, Gen-Y Cops 2, Infernal Affairs, and Dummy Mommy Without a Baby. My sister likes him a lot. (Yun lang..hehehe)And he also sings too (but he's into the R&B and Hip-hop thing :P)
some other HK actors:
6. Andy Lau (he's the guy with the girl...the other guy is Tony Leung)
7. Nicholas Tse
8. Aaron Kwok
9. Leslie Cheung (too bad he's dead)
10. Chow Yun Fat (but he kinda looks like my friend Migui :P)
1. Tony Leung Chiu-wai- My personal favorite. He's pretty old (Tony is 41 years old) but still he's H-O-T HOT!!!! He's THE most versatile and awarded actor in HK film history. He won the Best Actor award in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France for the movie In The Mood For Love.
2. Daniel Wu (Ng Yin-Cho)
- Daniel Wu was born in San Francisco on September 1974. He has a BA in Architecture from the University of Oregon. He's usually seen in romantic comedies, B-movies, and sometimes in action movies.
3. Nakamura Toru (he's the tall guy beside Zhang Ziyi)
- Obviously, Nakamura Toru is not Chinese. He's a well known dorama (Japanese soap-opera) actor (I so HAVE to get the vcd set of A SLEEPING FOREST!!!). HK films: Tokyo Raiders (with Tony Leung), Gen-X cops, and Purple Butterfly.
4. Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (also known as Fung Dak-Lung)
-Blessed with good looks and talent, you could say Stephen Fung was born with acting in his blood because his mother, Sek Yin, was a Shaw Brothers actress from the 1970's. After getting his degree from the University of Michigan for graphic design, Stephen returned to Hong Kong to launch his career as an entertainer. His first taste of stardom was due to his band Dry, which he formed with Mark Lui. After Dry broke up, Stephen pursued acting. Gen-X-Cops was his first successful hit and it paved the way for his career. Aside from acting, Stephen Fung also sings, composes music, plays guitar, produces tracks, and directs.
I LOVE THOSE DIMPLES!!!!
5. Edison Chen- Edison appeared in 9 Girls and a Ghost, Gen-Y Cops 2, Infernal Affairs, and Dummy Mommy Without a Baby. My sister likes him a lot. (Yun lang..hehehe)And he also sings too (but he's into the R&B and Hip-hop thing :P)
some other HK actors:
6. Andy Lau (he's the guy with the girl...the other guy is Tony Leung)
7. Nicholas Tse
8. Aaron Kwok
9. Leslie Cheung (too bad he's dead)
10. Chow Yun Fat (but he kinda looks like my friend Migui :P)
New movies to look forward to:
1. Purple Butterfly (Nakamura Tooru, Zhang Ziyi, directed by Lou Ye)
- Currently in competetion at the Cannes Film Festival, this movie might be the next big thing to come out of East Asia after the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2001.
This is a period film set during the Japanese occupation of China (the setting is in Manchuria).
2. Around the World in 80 Days (Jackie Chan)
Jackie Chan's next movie is a remake of the classic film which won the Best Picture Oscar in 1956. Jackie will play the role of "Passepartout" in Around the World in 80 Days. The movie will be directed by Frank Corcasi.
Around the World is also currently in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
3. 2046 (Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Takuya Himura, directed by Wong Kar-Wai)
- The plot of the movie 2046 has been changed more than twice ever since it started filming somewhere in 2000 (or is it 2001?). Some say that it is a futuristic film (somewhat like A.I.) and there are others that speculate that 2046 is really the sequel to Wong Kar-Wai's award winning movie, In the Mood For Love.
4. MO LI HUA KAI (Zhang Ziyi, Joan Chen, Jiang Wen)
- The english title of this movie is JAMINES BLOOM. Here's the plot:
This is a story of three women of an ordinary family in Shanghai. They are Mo, Li and Hua:
Mo's Story (1930's)
18 year old Mo (Zhang Ziyi) lived with her mother (Chen Chong (Joan)) who owns a small photo shop. She wanted to be a movie star, a dream her mother could not understand. One day, Mo met Mr. Meng (Jiang Wen), manager of a movie studio. Close relationship with Meng made her dream come true and also made her pregnant with Meng's baby. When the Japanese invaded China, Meng left Shanghai and vanished forever along with Mo's dream. Mo gave birth to Li and blamed her for everything she had lost…
Li's Story (1950's)
Li (Zhang Ziyi) had grown up with her mother (Chen Chong (Joan)) with great misery. She married Zou Jie (Lu Yi) just for staying away from her mother. Unable to bear a child of her own, Li adopted a baby girl named Hua. Day by day, Li had become more and more paranoid and even accused Zou for violating Hua. Li’s own family collapsed and Zou ended his life on a train track…
Hua’s Story (1980’s)
Li disappeared when Hua (Zhang Ziyi) was still very young and she grew up with her grandmother Mo (Chen Chong (Joan)). Mo treated her own daughter very badly but found comfort on taking care of her granddaughter. Hua’s husband Du (Liu Ye) was not happy with his wife and had an affair with another woman. Hua decided to end the marriage even though she had already carried Du’s child. Years later, Du wanted to go back to Hua but only found out she had married again… (from www.monkeypeaches.com)
1. Purple Butterfly (Nakamura Tooru, Zhang Ziyi, directed by Lou Ye)- Currently in competetion at the Cannes Film Festival, this movie might be the next big thing to come out of East Asia after the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2001.
This is a period film set during the Japanese occupation of China (the setting is in Manchuria).
2. Around the World in 80 Days (Jackie Chan)
Jackie Chan's next movie is a remake of the classic film which won the Best Picture Oscar in 1956. Jackie will play the role of "Passepartout" in Around the World in 80 Days. The movie will be directed by Frank Corcasi.
Around the World is also currently in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
3. 2046 (Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Takuya Himura, directed by Wong Kar-Wai)
- The plot of the movie 2046 has been changed more than twice ever since it started filming somewhere in 2000 (or is it 2001?). Some say that it is a futuristic film (somewhat like A.I.) and there are others that speculate that 2046 is really the sequel to Wong Kar-Wai's award winning movie, In the Mood For Love.
4. MO LI HUA KAI (Zhang Ziyi, Joan Chen, Jiang Wen)- The english title of this movie is JAMINES BLOOM. Here's the plot:
This is a story of three women of an ordinary family in Shanghai. They are Mo, Li and Hua:
Mo's Story (1930's)
18 year old Mo (Zhang Ziyi) lived with her mother (Chen Chong (Joan)) who owns a small photo shop. She wanted to be a movie star, a dream her mother could not understand. One day, Mo met Mr. Meng (Jiang Wen), manager of a movie studio. Close relationship with Meng made her dream come true and also made her pregnant with Meng's baby. When the Japanese invaded China, Meng left Shanghai and vanished forever along with Mo's dream. Mo gave birth to Li and blamed her for everything she had lost…
Li's Story (1950's)
Li (Zhang Ziyi) had grown up with her mother (Chen Chong (Joan)) with great misery. She married Zou Jie (Lu Yi) just for staying away from her mother. Unable to bear a child of her own, Li adopted a baby girl named Hua. Day by day, Li had become more and more paranoid and even accused Zou for violating Hua. Li’s own family collapsed and Zou ended his life on a train track…
Hua’s Story (1980’s)
Li disappeared when Hua (Zhang Ziyi) was still very young and she grew up with her grandmother Mo (Chen Chong (Joan)). Mo treated her own daughter very badly but found comfort on taking care of her granddaughter. Hua’s husband Du (Liu Ye) was not happy with his wife and had an affair with another woman. Hua decided to end the marriage even though she had already carried Du’s child. Years later, Du wanted to go back to Hua but only found out she had married again… (from www.monkeypeaches.com)
HAPPY TOGETHER (Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Leslie Cheung, written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai)
I went to the tiangge in BF this afternoon after one of my good friends (also one of my former crushes) gave me a tip that a stall in Ruins was selling a bootlegged DVD copy of the movie Happy Together. Still coughing, i drove to BF with my little sister (who, at first was reluctant to go with me, was fearing that i might blackmail her..hehehe).
___
Happy Together turned out to centre on one man's struggle to regain mental and emotional equilibrium after the bad ending of an affair. Lai Yiu-Fai(Tony Leung) and Ho Po-Wing(Leslie Cheung) arrive in Argentina from Hong Kong as lovers, but Ho suddenly goes off on his own. He becomes a good-time boy in Buenos Aires, turning the odd trick for fun and profit. Broke and more upset than he fist realizes, Lai takes jobs in the city -- first as a tango bar doorman, then as cook --- to earn money for his ticket home. But Ho turns up on his doorstep, bruised and bleeding from a beating, and they try living together without sleeping together. Eventually the break becomes final. Lai's attempts to put himself back together are aided (unwittingly) by Chang (Chang Chen), a young backpacker from Taiwan who wants to visit the southernmost tip of the continent ---'the end of the world' -- before going home. For his part, Lai decides he must see the huge Iguacu Falls before leaving. When Lai finally gest out of Argentina he passes through Taiwan and goes to look for Chang... The film had its premiere at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, where it earned Wong the Best Director prize.
(www.tonyleung.org)
_____
A well-made movie from Hong Kong's finest film director, Wong Kar-Wai. The whole plot thing was something very unique, and in fact, not very Asian as it touches on the subject of homosexuality.
To some degree, the film did tackle on homosexuality as it exposes the lives of two homosexuals however, it was not limited to that.
The movie was not about love but about life after that love. The consistent break-up and make-up that happened between Ho (Leslie Cheung) and Fai (Tony Leung) showed the obvious: there was no love to begin with. The problem was living with loneliness.
Being lonely sucks to some extent but it doesn't mean that life ends there. Fai knew how to handle his pain...he cried, smoked, cried more, and worked to get back to Hong Kong. Ho...well, the movie didn't really show whatever Ho's ending was. I think he went back to Hong Kong too coz his last scene in the movie showed him looking for his passport.
Guess what??!!!! I've recently discovered a japanese boy band called SMAP... (they're kinda old tho--early 90s boy-band...ito ang ORIG na F4- they're also in Doramas ->Japanese dramas) TAKUYA KIMURA is sooo hot (and flexible)!!!!!->the guy in that old Levi's commercial.
Anyways... i tried cleaning my room... but to no avail..it's still messed up as usual (katulad ng may-ari)....i've discovered that i have 16 chinese movies (in DVD and VCD versions)...weird...hehehe... medyo minamanyak ko ngayon yung mga Asian movies... in fact, i'm paying for my own cable subscription now coz i'm the only one who watches Asiaplus and Star Mandarin Movies.
AnywayZ... here's my top ten must-watch Asian movies:
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang ZiYi, Chang Chen, Cheng Pei Pei)
-Sense and Sensibility gone kung-fu crazy. Man, this movie is DA BOMB!!!! I've seen this movie repeatedly for over a dozen times and still i'm left slacked-jawed and drooly... (SECRET!!!). Sobrang galing!
What CTHD and MATRIX have in common: Martial arts choreographer Yuen Wo Ping... the older brother of Corey Yuen-> director of So Close (Shu Qi), Transporter (Shu Qi) and martial arts choreographer of The One (Jet Li), Romeo Must Die (Jet Li), Kiss of the Dragon (Jet Li)
2. The Joy Luck Club (Ming Na Wen) - self-explanatory.... always a tear-jerker... sobrang drama....My first favorite Asian movie... directed by Wayne Wang (Maid in Manhattan)
-overview: Produced by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone, The Joy Luck Club tells the epic story of four families whose extraordinary lives are filled with joy and heartbreak, richness and magic. From the war-torn fields of early-century China to the streets of modern-day San Francisco, the hopes, dreams, and triumphs of two generations are revealed through the startling events that shaped their lives. Based on the powerful #1 best-selling book by Amy Tan, this rickly moving saga has been hailed by critics everywhere as a must-see film.
- the book is still so much better than the film coz there were some parts of the book that was cut out of the movie.
3. The Road Home - Wo De Fu Qin Mu Qin (Zhang Ziyi. directed by Zhang Yimou)
- The first known movie of Zhang ZiYi (her real first movie is a t.v. movie (Touching Starlight) about Chen Wei, this famous dancer turned radio personality who died of cancer, in 1996, Zhang Ziyi was around 16 then). Medyo obvious na bata pa kasi medyo may baby-fats pa si Zhang Ziyi sa movie na ito(The Road Home). Very touching... a movie about first love... a love that endures... not only sobrang drama...SOBRANG SOBRANG DRAMA! Very cute portrayal of a young village maiden who has a crush on the village's young new lao shi (teacher). Sobrang na-iyak akoW!!!
- overview: Upon the death of his father, city businessman Luo Yusheng returns to his home village to arrange the funeral. Luo's elderly mother is insistent that all of the traditional customs be observed, despite the reservations the village mayor has about the expense and practicalities of this. Her extreme obstinacy in the matter causes Luo to think back to childhood memories of the stories he heard told of his parents' courtship--a romance that captured the attention of the entire village. In a flashback, their remarkable story of love and loyalty is told...
Anyway, an added info about the director of the movie-> Zhang Yimou also directed these internationally acclaimed films: Raise the Red Lantern, HERO (Ying Xiong in Mandarin), and Ju Dou.
4. HERO- Ying Xiong (Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, Zhang ZiYi, Donnie Yen, Daomin Chen)
(btw, that's not me holding up the poster)
- Medyo hazy yung story and plot pattern niya but... THA BOMB pa rin siya...and guess why???? Kasi..SECRET! HAHAHA!!! Three of my favorite Asian actors are in it: Zhang Ziyi, Tony Leung, and Jet Li. Sobrang galing ng action sequences ng movie... the martial arts choreographer: Chen Xiao Dong -> same action choreographer of Shaolin Soccer (director of Naked Weapon-> ADVICE KO: DONT WATCH NAKED WEAPON...YOU'LL DIE OF STUPIDITY... the plot sucks, the story sucks, the actors suck (the girls in the movie are BAD actors->Maggie Q, for example)...i watched NAKED WEAPON just for Daniel Wu (Hit Team, Beauty and the Breast, Love Undercover, Gen-X cops, Purple Storm)->sobrang HOT HOT HOT!!!!)
5. A Chinese Ghost Story Trilogy (I, II, & III) -
ACGS I and II - Leslie Cheung (the famous HK actor/Canto-pop singer who committed suicide last April 1st by jumping off the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong), Joey Wang, (Michelle Reis and Jacky Cheung joins the cast of ACGS II - yes, the same Jacky Cheung who sang "In Love with You" with Regine Velasquez somewhere in the mid-90s)
- You have to watch the first two ACGS before watching ACGS III kasi malilito kayo sa plot. It's a mixture of genres: Horror, Comedy, Romance, Adventure, Sci-Fi. It also has a little twist of Taoism and Buddhism in it.
A story about a scholar(Leslie Cheung) who falls in love with a prostitute-like ghost (Joey Wang) who works for this Mama-san 1000yr old lady ghost who feeds on young men by sucking their insides out. Basta, the story is very interesting....
ACGS III - has the same plot as ACGS I except Leslie Cheung isn't part of the cast anymore. Instead, Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Broken Sword from Hero) takes over his place as a novice buddhist monk... SOBRANG CUTE NI TONY LEUNG!!! AS IN SOBRA!!!!!!- with his bald head and his buddhist robes....hehehe (YUMMY!!!!)
6. The Ring Trilogy (Ringu, Ringu 2, Ring Zero)
- Holy Horrors! ->friend from school loves using this expression) nakaka-freak out yung first two (Ringu and Ring 2) but the third movie doesn't provide as much freak levels as the first two kasi you'll end the movie with a feeling of guilt and pity towards the character of Sadako. Sobrang 'wawa' si Sadako (played by the Japanese dorama actress Nakama Yukie->who kinda looks like my good friend Stef) kasi pinag-hahamapas siya ng kung anu-ano ng cast ng movie.
7. Not One Less (Wei Minzhi, Zhang Huike) - This movie directed my Zhang Yimou (Hero/The Road Home) is medyo malalim... as in, mahirap ma-understand yung plot (try watching it for the first 15 minutes and let's see kung hindi kayo malaglag sa upuan niyo sa antok)...pero sa bandang end ninyo makukuha yung gist ng movie. "In the crushing poverty of rural China, a young woman (actually she's just a 13 year old girl) is ordered to a remote village to be their substitute teacher. Barely older than her students, the shy girl is charged with keeping the class intact for one month or she won't be paid. ...Faced with overwhelming family debt, her biggest little trouble maker disappears into the city to find work. The stubborn teacher, however, is determined to follow the boy and bring him back to school. Once in the city, her simple peasant pleas fall on deaf ears, and only when the local television station sympathizes does her search bear fruit." - from the back of the VCD... it kinda doesn't make sense but the movie does (hehehe)
8. Chinese Odyssey 2002 (Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Faye Wong, Chang Chen, Vicki Zhao Wei)
- I've only seen this movie once on Star Mandarin Movies...patapos pa yun by the time i changed the channel...pero galing pa rin. This movie was produced by the famous HK director Wong Kar-Wai...he directed In the Mood for Love (the movie that gave Tony Leung the best actor award in the Cannes Festival), Happy Together (another Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung movie but this time they play the part of a gay couple), 2046 (still in production since it started filming in 2001... it's the sequel to In the Mood for Love... Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi are in it...as well as Takuya Kimura).
overview: "The emperor (Chang Chen) and the princess (Faye Wong) are bored of palace life, and so they sneak out of the palace themselves. One day, the princess bumps into a brother (Tony Leung) and a sister (Vicky Zhao) and falls in love with the brother at first sight. However, the princess(Wong), who is dressed up as a young gentleman, is attracting the sister (Zhao). Meanwhile, the emperor falls for the sister. Things quickly become more and more complicated..."
9. So Close (Shu Qi, Vicki Zhao Wei, Karen Mok)
- ust read the Hkflix review of the movie http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.527512/qx/details.htm
mahaba kasi. Anyways, they're showing it in Manila by next week. It's like an Asian version of Charlie's Angels pero better yung action sequences and choreography. (Despite having martial arts master choreographer Yuen Wo Ping for Charlie's Angel, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz' portrayal of kung-fu still sucks...obvious na hindi sila pwedeng lumipad. Medyo believable pa si Lucy Liu kasi Asian siya.)
Ganda rin ng clothes nila especially the first scene with the all-white outfit of Shu Qi (ginaya ng PLDT vibe commercial yung scene na yun).
And lastly...
10. Infernal Affairs (Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Edison Chen, Sammi Cheng, Elva Hsiao->the famous C-Pop singer)
- overview: Ming (Andy Lau) is an undercover triad spy working as a police sergeant in the Criminal Intelligence Bureau. Yan (Tony Leung) is an undercover police spy who has infiltrated and joined a triad. Working from within, the two moles work secretly towards the opposite ends, until eventually they cross paths.
This film won most of the major awards in the recent Hong Kong Film Awards (including best actor for my honey, Tony Leung Chiu Wai).
Where the hell did i get these movies? Astrovision sells VCDs of The Road Home, The Joy Luck Club, Not One Less, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (they also have it in the Collector's Edition DVD and Superbit DVD).
The Ring Trilogy - nagpa-burn ako sa friend ko kasi downloaded lang siya from the internet
The other movies..well... malayo ang lalakbayin ninyo coz i had to go all the way to Ongpin in Binondo (Chinatown, Manila) to buy them. There are 3 shops in Ongpin (North Ongpin specifically) that sell movies (in VCD or DVD versions). You'll have to ask around if the movies you're looking for have english subtitles.
Payong kaibigan:
- Bring a hookien/fookien (dialect spoken by most tsinoys) speaking friend along if you're kuripot coz they have the power to talk their way to getting discounts.
- I prefer the big Mei-Ah shop... i think it's the one near the Gloria Maris restaurant.
- parking is difficult in Ongpin (actually, anywhere in Binondo)
try looking for a pay-parking place.
here's one: Mandarin Palace Parking Area
Ongpin Street
30 Php for light vehicle
40 Php for heavy vehicle
- bring a driver if you feel that your car might get stolen or damaged.
Stores' addresses:
Anjieson
828 Ongpin Street
on the side of Lai Lai
7347533, 0917-9643808
Mei-Ah VCD shop (big)
921 Ongpin Street
Mei-Ah VCD shop (small)
846 Ongpin Street
And oh... try checking out Ruins tiangge in BF.... they have pirated DVDs pero ok lang sila... (i get my DVDs at 80 bucks each)
pero kung tinatamad talaga kayo at sobrang kuripot like anything...well, you can always borrow those movies from me :) (i have all of those titles except for Chinese Odyssey 2002 - mag-subscribe kasi kayo sa Sky Premium for Star Mandarin Movies)
other movies i have:
The Eye (HK horror flick)
Inner Senses (HK horror flick with Leslie Cheung and Karina Lam)
Shaolin Soccer
Love Me Love My Money (Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Shu Qi)
High Risk (also known as Georgeous... Jackie Chan and Shu Qi)
Rush Hour 2- i LOVE RH2 pero i can't say that Asian siya kasi it's really a U.S.-made movie (Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Zhang
Ziyi)
Naked Weapon (Maggie Q and Daniel Wu- not a nice movie tho)
Returner (Takeshi Kaneshiro)
Musa (said to be the most expensive Korean movie ever made... Zhang Ziyi->no, she is not Korean, Joo-Jin Mo, Jung Woo Sung)
Touching Starlight (CCTV t.v. movie- the first movie of Zhang Ziyi)
**some of the overviews came from hkflix.com
Anyways... i tried cleaning my room... but to no avail..it's still messed up as usual (katulad ng may-ari)....i've discovered that i have 16 chinese movies (in DVD and VCD versions)...weird...hehehe... medyo minamanyak ko ngayon yung mga Asian movies... in fact, i'm paying for my own cable subscription now coz i'm the only one who watches Asiaplus and Star Mandarin Movies.
AnywayZ... here's my top ten must-watch Asian movies:
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang ZiYi, Chang Chen, Cheng Pei Pei)-Sense and Sensibility gone kung-fu crazy. Man, this movie is DA BOMB!!!! I've seen this movie repeatedly for over a dozen times and still i'm left slacked-jawed and drooly... (SECRET!!!). Sobrang galing!
What CTHD and MATRIX have in common: Martial arts choreographer Yuen Wo Ping... the older brother of Corey Yuen-> director of So Close (Shu Qi), Transporter (Shu Qi) and martial arts choreographer of The One (Jet Li), Romeo Must Die (Jet Li), Kiss of the Dragon (Jet Li)
2. The Joy Luck Club (Ming Na Wen) - self-explanatory.... always a tear-jerker... sobrang drama....My first favorite Asian movie... directed by Wayne Wang (Maid in Manhattan)
-overview: Produced by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone, The Joy Luck Club tells the epic story of four families whose extraordinary lives are filled with joy and heartbreak, richness and magic. From the war-torn fields of early-century China to the streets of modern-day San Francisco, the hopes, dreams, and triumphs of two generations are revealed through the startling events that shaped their lives. Based on the powerful #1 best-selling book by Amy Tan, this rickly moving saga has been hailed by critics everywhere as a must-see film.
- the book is still so much better than the film coz there were some parts of the book that was cut out of the movie.
3. The Road Home - Wo De Fu Qin Mu Qin (Zhang Ziyi. directed by Zhang Yimou)- The first known movie of Zhang ZiYi (her real first movie is a t.v. movie (Touching Starlight) about Chen Wei, this famous dancer turned radio personality who died of cancer, in 1996, Zhang Ziyi was around 16 then). Medyo obvious na bata pa kasi medyo may baby-fats pa si Zhang Ziyi sa movie na ito(The Road Home). Very touching... a movie about first love... a love that endures... not only sobrang drama...SOBRANG SOBRANG DRAMA! Very cute portrayal of a young village maiden who has a crush on the village's young new lao shi (teacher). Sobrang na-iyak akoW!!!
- overview: Upon the death of his father, city businessman Luo Yusheng returns to his home village to arrange the funeral. Luo's elderly mother is insistent that all of the traditional customs be observed, despite the reservations the village mayor has about the expense and practicalities of this. Her extreme obstinacy in the matter causes Luo to think back to childhood memories of the stories he heard told of his parents' courtship--a romance that captured the attention of the entire village. In a flashback, their remarkable story of love and loyalty is told...
Anyway, an added info about the director of the movie-> Zhang Yimou also directed these internationally acclaimed films: Raise the Red Lantern, HERO (Ying Xiong in Mandarin), and Ju Dou.
4. HERO- Ying Xiong (Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, Zhang ZiYi, Donnie Yen, Daomin Chen)
(btw, that's not me holding up the poster)
- Medyo hazy yung story and plot pattern niya but... THA BOMB pa rin siya...and guess why???? Kasi..SECRET! HAHAHA!!! Three of my favorite Asian actors are in it: Zhang Ziyi, Tony Leung, and Jet Li. Sobrang galing ng action sequences ng movie... the martial arts choreographer: Chen Xiao Dong -> same action choreographer of Shaolin Soccer (director of Naked Weapon-> ADVICE KO: DONT WATCH NAKED WEAPON...YOU'LL DIE OF STUPIDITY... the plot sucks, the story sucks, the actors suck (the girls in the movie are BAD actors->Maggie Q, for example)...i watched NAKED WEAPON just for Daniel Wu (Hit Team, Beauty and the Breast, Love Undercover, Gen-X cops, Purple Storm)->sobrang HOT HOT HOT!!!!)
5. A Chinese Ghost Story Trilogy (I, II, & III) -
ACGS I and II - Leslie Cheung (the famous HK actor/Canto-pop singer who committed suicide last April 1st by jumping off the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong), Joey Wang, (Michelle Reis and Jacky Cheung joins the cast of ACGS II - yes, the same Jacky Cheung who sang "In Love with You" with Regine Velasquez somewhere in the mid-90s)
- You have to watch the first two ACGS before watching ACGS III kasi malilito kayo sa plot. It's a mixture of genres: Horror, Comedy, Romance, Adventure, Sci-Fi. It also has a little twist of Taoism and Buddhism in it.
A story about a scholar(Leslie Cheung) who falls in love with a prostitute-like ghost (Joey Wang) who works for this Mama-san 1000yr old lady ghost who feeds on young men by sucking their insides out. Basta, the story is very interesting....
ACGS III - has the same plot as ACGS I except Leslie Cheung isn't part of the cast anymore. Instead, Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Broken Sword from Hero) takes over his place as a novice buddhist monk... SOBRANG CUTE NI TONY LEUNG!!! AS IN SOBRA!!!!!!- with his bald head and his buddhist robes....hehehe (YUMMY!!!!)
6. The Ring Trilogy (Ringu, Ringu 2, Ring Zero)
- Holy Horrors! ->friend from school loves using this expression) nakaka-freak out yung first two (Ringu and Ring 2) but the third movie doesn't provide as much freak levels as the first two kasi you'll end the movie with a feeling of guilt and pity towards the character of Sadako. Sobrang 'wawa' si Sadako (played by the Japanese dorama actress Nakama Yukie->who kinda looks like my good friend Stef) kasi pinag-hahamapas siya ng kung anu-ano ng cast ng movie.
7. Not One Less (Wei Minzhi, Zhang Huike) - This movie directed my Zhang Yimou (Hero/The Road Home) is medyo malalim... as in, mahirap ma-understand yung plot (try watching it for the first 15 minutes and let's see kung hindi kayo malaglag sa upuan niyo sa antok)...pero sa bandang end ninyo makukuha yung gist ng movie. "In the crushing poverty of rural China, a young woman (actually she's just a 13 year old girl) is ordered to a remote village to be their substitute teacher. Barely older than her students, the shy girl is charged with keeping the class intact for one month or she won't be paid. ...Faced with overwhelming family debt, her biggest little trouble maker disappears into the city to find work. The stubborn teacher, however, is determined to follow the boy and bring him back to school. Once in the city, her simple peasant pleas fall on deaf ears, and only when the local television station sympathizes does her search bear fruit." - from the back of the VCD... it kinda doesn't make sense but the movie does (hehehe)
8. Chinese Odyssey 2002 (Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Faye Wong, Chang Chen, Vicki Zhao Wei)
- I've only seen this movie once on Star Mandarin Movies...patapos pa yun by the time i changed the channel...pero galing pa rin. This movie was produced by the famous HK director Wong Kar-Wai...he directed In the Mood for Love (the movie that gave Tony Leung the best actor award in the Cannes Festival), Happy Together (another Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung movie but this time they play the part of a gay couple), 2046 (still in production since it started filming in 2001... it's the sequel to In the Mood for Love... Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi are in it...as well as Takuya Kimura).
overview: "The emperor (Chang Chen) and the princess (Faye Wong) are bored of palace life, and so they sneak out of the palace themselves. One day, the princess bumps into a brother (Tony Leung) and a sister (Vicky Zhao) and falls in love with the brother at first sight. However, the princess(Wong), who is dressed up as a young gentleman, is attracting the sister (Zhao). Meanwhile, the emperor falls for the sister. Things quickly become more and more complicated..."
9. So Close (Shu Qi, Vicki Zhao Wei, Karen Mok)
- ust read the Hkflix review of the movie http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.527512/qx/details.htm
mahaba kasi. Anyways, they're showing it in Manila by next week. It's like an Asian version of Charlie's Angels pero better yung action sequences and choreography. (Despite having martial arts master choreographer Yuen Wo Ping for Charlie's Angel, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz' portrayal of kung-fu still sucks...obvious na hindi sila pwedeng lumipad. Medyo believable pa si Lucy Liu kasi Asian siya.)
Ganda rin ng clothes nila especially the first scene with the all-white outfit of Shu Qi (ginaya ng PLDT vibe commercial yung scene na yun).
And lastly...
10. Infernal Affairs (Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Edison Chen, Sammi Cheng, Elva Hsiao->the famous C-Pop singer)
- overview: Ming (Andy Lau) is an undercover triad spy working as a police sergeant in the Criminal Intelligence Bureau. Yan (Tony Leung) is an undercover police spy who has infiltrated and joined a triad. Working from within, the two moles work secretly towards the opposite ends, until eventually they cross paths.
This film won most of the major awards in the recent Hong Kong Film Awards (including best actor for my honey, Tony Leung Chiu Wai).
Where the hell did i get these movies? Astrovision sells VCDs of The Road Home, The Joy Luck Club, Not One Less, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (they also have it in the Collector's Edition DVD and Superbit DVD).
The Ring Trilogy - nagpa-burn ako sa friend ko kasi downloaded lang siya from the internet
The other movies..well... malayo ang lalakbayin ninyo coz i had to go all the way to Ongpin in Binondo (Chinatown, Manila) to buy them. There are 3 shops in Ongpin (North Ongpin specifically) that sell movies (in VCD or DVD versions). You'll have to ask around if the movies you're looking for have english subtitles.
Payong kaibigan:
- Bring a hookien/fookien (dialect spoken by most tsinoys) speaking friend along if you're kuripot coz they have the power to talk their way to getting discounts.
- I prefer the big Mei-Ah shop... i think it's the one near the Gloria Maris restaurant.
- parking is difficult in Ongpin (actually, anywhere in Binondo)
try looking for a pay-parking place.
here's one: Mandarin Palace Parking Area
Ongpin Street
30 Php for light vehicle
40 Php for heavy vehicle
- bring a driver if you feel that your car might get stolen or damaged.
Stores' addresses:
Anjieson
828 Ongpin Street
on the side of Lai Lai
7347533, 0917-9643808
Mei-Ah VCD shop (big)
921 Ongpin Street
Mei-Ah VCD shop (small)
846 Ongpin Street
And oh... try checking out Ruins tiangge in BF.... they have pirated DVDs pero ok lang sila... (i get my DVDs at 80 bucks each)
pero kung tinatamad talaga kayo at sobrang kuripot like anything...well, you can always borrow those movies from me :) (i have all of those titles except for Chinese Odyssey 2002 - mag-subscribe kasi kayo sa Sky Premium for Star Mandarin Movies)
other movies i have:
The Eye (HK horror flick)
Inner Senses (HK horror flick with Leslie Cheung and Karina Lam)
Shaolin Soccer
Love Me Love My Money (Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Shu Qi)
High Risk (also known as Georgeous... Jackie Chan and Shu Qi)
Rush Hour 2- i LOVE RH2 pero i can't say that Asian siya kasi it's really a U.S.-made movie (Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Zhang
Ziyi)
Naked Weapon (Maggie Q and Daniel Wu- not a nice movie tho)
Returner (Takeshi Kaneshiro)
Musa (said to be the most expensive Korean movie ever made... Zhang Ziyi->no, she is not Korean, Joo-Jin Mo, Jung Woo Sung)
Touching Starlight (CCTV t.v. movie- the first movie of Zhang Ziyi)
**some of the overviews came from hkflix.com
