ATT: Gene

[Ralek..]

Gene,

What do you know about the upcoming Zhang Yimou movie "Hero"? Do you know when it's being released in Asia? It was recently picked up by Miramax for US distribution which sucks! Miramax has a bad history with Chinese KF movies and I hope this one isn't butchered. Doesn't really bother me much, I'll end up buying an import DVD when it's released in Asia.

Thanks!

[GeneChing]

My data on Hero is a little dated - it mostly comes from the interview our editor Martha did with him for our Nov/Dec 2001 issue. It also stars Tony Leung and (one of my favs) Maggie Cheung and it has a budget of $17M. Miramax recnetly picked up over 50 HK titles recently including stuff like Shaolin Soccer, Legend of Zu, God of Gamblers, and a lot of old Jackie and Jet stuff. My suspicion is that while they will probably do their typical hatchet jobs on the old stuff, they will preserve Hero as is since it'll be new. Also Zhang Yimou elevates it a lot, so they'll probably try to keep more integrity.
I think your DVD strategy is the best. While it's annoying to see the cut versions since those are the only ones released on the big screen here, just go to the source. Personally I find it really interesting to cmpare what they cut - kinda gets into the twsited mind of a hollywood editor - and for what it's worth, I thought some of the editing in Rumble in the Bronx and Polices Story 4 was good. It trimmed the fat. It wasn't all good, surely any fight scene deletion is bad, but you know how self-absorbed Jackie can get sometimes...;)

[Ralek..]

Gene,
Thanks! I remember how excited I got when I first heard of the plot and actors involved. Zhang Yimou is an excellent director so my expectations are rather high. Then I learned Donnie Yen was added to the cast and there would be extended fight scenes between himself and Jet. I really can't wait to see this now!. The only person I'm not too thrilled about is Zhang Ziyi. I think she's ok, but gets too much hype. My fiancé (from Bejing) says the Chinese in general aren't very fond of her. They say she is a minature version of Gong Li minus the acting ability :-). I wouldn't know, I've never even been to China myself. Anyway, thanks for the info!!

[GeneChing]

And I'm not a big fan of Zhang either - although I liked her as a villain in RH2. I wouldn't compare her to Gong Li except for her porcelin-face looks, so many make that comparison. Zhang Yimou has made so many incredible films - he's a real powerhouse. It'll be fascinating to see Jet under his direction. I can barely wait. As soon as you hear of that DVD, pass the word!

[Ralek..]

Gene,
As soon as I know about the DVD I will let you know. BTW - I'm very happy to see Jet returning to a Chinese language film. His American films have been really disappointing.