SHAOLIN - the 2011 film

[GeneChing]

Jet Li, Andy Lau eye ‘New Shaolin Temple’ (http://www.kungfucinema.com/jet-li-andy-lau-eye-new-shaolin-temple-9579)
by Mark Pollard | August 5, 2009

Producers for a martial arts film being developed in association with the real Shaolin Temple are currently in talks with wushu star Jet Li and actor/singer Andy Lau to star in NEW SHAOLIN TEMPLE. Li is reportedly being considered for a role as a senior monk.

It has also been revealed that a script by Alan Yuen (ROB-B-HOOD) sets the film’s events during the time of China’s Republican period. The plot loosely deals with efforts by Shaolin monks to aid the populace during a turbulent era.

Co-producers Henan Television and Emperor Motion Pictures intend to begin shooting by the end of the year.

For the past few years, Shaolin Temple has been developing film and television series based on the history of Shaolin. In 2006, the 1500-year-old Temple joined forces with Shenzhen Satellite TV to produce a talent show to discover fresh kung fu stars. Watched by an estimated 300 million people, the Global Chinese Kung Fu Star TV Competition brought together 36 competitors selected from 100,000 applicants from around the world.

If Jet Li takes this role, it would return him to the genre he had sworn off after his starring role in Ronny Yu’s kung fu actioner FEARLESS. Li’s presence in NEW SHAOLIN TEMPLE would also return him to his roots. The former wushu champion began his film career in 1982 by portraying a young fighting monk in the hugely successful mainland Chinese film SHAOLIN TEMPLE.

But then, there are two refutations (albeit the second is derivative) from Li himself.


Jet Li: Never heard about 'Shaolin' remake (http://www.china.org.cn/culture/2009-08/06/content_18287472.htm)

Chinese action superstar Jet Li has denied reports that he is to star in a remake of the 1982 smash-hit film "The Shaolin Temple", which launched his celebrated career.

Jet Li was promoting his self-developed exercise "Wuji" in Beijing on Wednesday. When reporters asked him to confirm his involvement in the project, the actor said, "I never heard about this film."

Several media reports had suggested Jet Li was in talks to play a supporting role in the remake.

The 46-year-old actor made his screen debut as a teenager, playing the leading character, monk Jue Yuan in "The Shaolin Temple". The film, named after the martial-arts hotbed in central China's Henan Province, not only made Jet Li an idol for many, but also brought an influx of kung-fu hopefuls to the temple.

Previous reports say a remake of the film is being planned with a budget of 200 million yuan (US$29.3 million) and the Shaolin Temple would allow the film to be shot on location.

(CRI August 6, 2009)


Jet Li denies 'Shaolin Temple' remake (http://www.examiner.com/x-4211-LA-Asian-American-Movie-Examiner~y2009m8d6-Jet-Li-denies-Shaolin-Temple-remake)
August 6, 9:36 AMLA Asian American Movie ExaminerEd Moy

Chinese action star Jet Li won't be starring in a remake of "The Shaolin Temple," which helped launch his acting career.

A report from China Radio International stated that Li was promoting his self-developed exercise "Wuji" in Beijing on Wednesday when reporters at the event asked him to confirm his involvement in the project.

But the actor is quoted as telling reporters, "I never heard about this film."

Several Chinese media reports had suggested Li was in talks to play a supporting role in the remake.

The 46-year-old Li made his screen debut as a teenager playing the leading character, a monk named Jue Yuan, in "The Shaolin Temple" film which was named after the legendary martial-arts center in China's Henan Province.

The remake is rumored to begin later this year on a budget of 200 million yuan (US $29.3 million) with the Shaolin Temple allowing the film to be shot on location.

KungFuCinema.com spread the rumor yesterday that Chinese singer/actor Andy Lau was also in talks to the star in the remake which is entitled "New Shaolin Temple" from a script by Alan Yuen, who wrote Jackie Chan's "Rob-B-Hood."

The original film made Li a popular martial arts star in China while inspiring many youngsters to begin training at the Shaolin Temple.

Li went on to star in several "Once Upon a Time in China" films, in which he portrayed the legendary martial arts hero Wong Fei-Hung. He also co-starred with Jackie Chan in last year's "The Forbidden Kingdom" and appeared with Brendan Fraser in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."

In his next film "The Expendables", Li will co-star with Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham as part of a team of mercenaries who travel to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator. The film will be released in April 23, 2010.

For more about Jet Li visit his official website at: http://www.jetli.com

[SPJ]

instead of remake, they should consider continuing the original saga, like a sequel or part II etc.

we always remember Jet Li won wushu at 13 etc.

we always remember he had a big smile on the film. He likes to eat dumpling.

--

there is a giant current of remake everything in China.

for example:

legend of condors heroes.

1.2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PFWOttrgOc&feature=related--

2.2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQNaCCw6wao&feature=related

they finished a TV series and 2 years later, they remake the same story and change the caste.

I think that is totally NOT necessary.

:)

[SPJ]

instead of remake, they should consider continuing the original saga, like a sequel or part II etc.

we always remember Jet Li won wushu at 13 etc.

we always remember he had a big smile on the film. He likes to eat dumpling.

--

there is a giant current of remake everything in China.

for example:

legend of condors heroes.

1.2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PFWOttrgOc&feature=related--

2.2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQNaCCw6wao&feature=related

they finished a TV series and 2 years later, they remake the same story and change the caste.

I think that is totally NOT necessary.

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyoQYOsEdfM&feature=related

oops. it was actually 2003.

:D

[GeneChing]

So's Nicolas Tse...

Andy and Jackie Chan would be supporting actors in New Shaolin Temple (http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=2091)
Posted on 20 October 2009 by admin

Because of the film title is similar to Jet Li’s 1982 Shaolin Temple, Hong Kong director Benny Chan’s new film New Shaolin Temple had caught the media’s attention before shooting started. The reporter managed to understand from the film’s investor China Film Group Corporation that the film’s cast had been confirmed, there will be no Jet Li but Andy Lau and Jackie Chan would be the heavyweight supporting actors, one would be villain and the other good guy, the male lead will be Nicholas Tse. Earlier Zhou Xun’s name was once listed on the film’s press conference making one think that she would be the female lead, however her manager expressed that Zhou Xun was invited to be the female lead but reject the offer due to commitments clashed.

Jet Li’s Shaolin Temple leave a deep impression to audience, thus when plans of Benny Chan’s New Shaolin Temple came out, it’s alleged that Jet Li would join the cast, but Let almost immediately expressed that he would not be involved in the project. New Shaolin Temple had strong investors in China Film Group Corporation, Emperor Group and Huayi Brothers, there shall not be problems casting heavyweight actors. According to China Film Group Corporation, the male lead for New Shaolin Temple would be Emperor Group’s Nicholas Tse, whereas Andy Lau and Jackie Chan would be supporting actors.

It is said that there is little screen time for Andy and Jackie in the film. Jackie had the high possibility to be the master of Nicholas and Andy would be the villain general. Benny Chan does not think that Andy’s character being a villain, he said: “He should be an upright and evil character.”

The shooting for New Shaolin Temple will start at the end of 2009.

[hui]

The remake of the 1980s Kungfu film of the same name was launched at a ceremony in the Shaolin Temple, Songshan Mountain. Shooting for "Shaolin" is expected to start at the end of this year with a release for late 2010.

Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse will head the cast of $29.28m (RMB200m) action epic Shaolin, which marks the first time in 27 years that a film has been authorised to shoot in China’s legendary Shaolin temple.


Hong Kong’s Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP), China Film Group and two other Beijing-based companies – Huayi Brothers and Silver Moon Productions – are working with the Shaolin Temple Culture Communication Centre on the project. The last feature film to shoot at the temple was Shaolin Temple starring Jet Li in 1982.

Benny Chan (Connected, New Police Story) will direct the film which is scheduled to start shooting at the end of 2009 for release in late 2010.

Wu Jing, Yu Shaoqun and Fan Bingbing will also feature in the star-studded cast, along with thousands of Shaolin disciples.

Unlike the 1982 film which is set in Tang Dynasty, Shaolin is set in the early 20th century when China was at war. Nicholas Tse will play a wealthy young man who finds refuge in the temple after a tragic incident in his family. He meets his kung fu master, played by Jackie Chan, in the temple as well as future enemies.

Cory Yuen will serve as action director, with Fletcher Poon Yiu-Ming handling cinematography Chung-man Hai working as production designer.

“We felt that it was important not to rush into a film project just for the sake of making another film. It has taken us a long time to find the right partners who had all the right elements for something as monumental as this,” said Abbot Shi Yongxin today at a press conference in the temple in Songshan, Henan province.

Albert Lee, CEO of EMP, said: “This is the project that EMP has been determined to pursue right from the start. I’d like to thank the Abbot for his faith in our vision and also to thank our mainland partners who have helped us realise an outstanding dream.”

[GeneChing]

Corey Yuen choreographing. Interesting.

Jackie Chan, Andy Lau to star in new Shaolin movie (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hnp40f6v7_XVErJLaSURxB1LnpWgD9BFUVAO3)
By MIN LEE (AP) – 10 hours ago

HONG KONG — The king of kung fu cinema is set to star in a new movie about China's famed shrine of martial arts, the Shaolin Temple.

Jackie Chan will star in the $29 million production, "Shaolin," the latest screen portrayal of the 1,500-year old temple in central China whose famous fighting monks have featured in films by stars such as Bruce Lee and Jet Li, and in the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" with David Carradine.

Chan's Chinese-language film will co-star veteran Hong Kong actor Andy Lau, actor-singer Nicholas Tse and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.

The production, said to boast 1,000 real fighting monks and a grand scene in which the temple burns down, will start shooting later this year for release in late 2010. It was announced in a joint statement Thursday by four Chinese film studios: the state-run China Film Group Corp., Emperor Motion Pictures, Huayi Brothers Media Corp. and Beijing Silver Moon Productions Ltd.

Hong Kong filmmaker Benny Chan, who worked with Chan on "New Police Story" and "Rob-B-Hood," will direct and Cory Yuen will serve as action co-ordinator. Yuen's credits include "Lethal Weapon 4" and "X-Men."

"Shaolin" will be an updated version of a 1982 movie, "The Shaolin Temple," in which former Chinese kung fu champion Li made his screen debut, playing a boy adopted and trained by Shaolin monks who seeks to avenge the death of his father.

The new project could draw more heat for Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin, who has been accused of high living and seeking publicity for the famed shrine in the Songshan Mountains of central Henan province. He has also faced criticism for upgrading facilities at the once-austere temple.

Shi has agressively promoted the Shaolin brand, and has threatened to sue companies that use the temple's name or image without permission, but the abbot is clearly on board for Chan's project.

"It's worth cheering that we are now working with the most outstanding production team," Shi was quoted as saying in the statement Thursday.

Chan has most recently been shooting a remake of "The Karate Kid" in China with Will Smith's son, Jaden.

[r.(shaolin)]

Sounds interesting.
r.

Chan, Lau to star in Shaolin Temple movie
HONG KONG — The king of kung fu cinema is set to star in a new movie about China’s famed shrine of martial arts, the Shaolin Temple.

Jackie Chan will star in the US$29 million production, “Shaolin,” the latest screen portrayal of the 1,500-year old temple in central China whose famous fighting monks have featured in films by stars such as Bruce Lee and Jet Li, and in the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu” with David Carradine.

http://www.calgarysun.com/entertainment/movies/2009/10/22/11491296.html
http://www.theinsider.com/news/2958393_Jackie_Chan_Andy_Lau_to_star_in_new_Shaoli n_movie

[Lucas]

very interesting indeed. Lau is definately a great actor, combined with Chan's presence this could be a great film.

high hopes for sure.

[BoulderDawg]

29 Mil? Is Chan working for free?

That's extremely low budget for a Chan film.

[GeneChing]

I got sent some nice photos of Jackie and Abbot Shi Yongxin at Shaolin. :cool:

Everybody's kungfu fighting (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/2009-10/26/content_8847899.htm)
By Qiu Yijiao and Liu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-26 10:33

Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Nicolas Tse will join more than 1,000 kungfu monks from the legendary Shaolin Temple to make a 200 million yuan ($29 million) blockbuster.

Set in early 20th century China, Shaolin Temple tells the story of a young hero who battles warlords with the help of kungfu masters from the Shaolin Temple, which was founded in the 5th century and is acclaimed as a sacred place for martial arts studies.

Director Benny Chan says the film wouldn't be a remake of, or sequel to, Jet Li's big screen debut by the same name that premiered 27 years ago. Instead, the two films' storylines are very different.

Li's film was set in the 7th century and was about a young monk's personal growth and cultivation of martial arts skills.

Everybody's kungfu fighting

Andy Lao in Shaolin Temple talking about the new blockbuster.

The flick made him a household name overnight and set the stage for his rise as an international kungfu star. It was so popular that many young people from around Asia went to the temple in Henan province to learn martial arts. It raked in more than 100 million yuan, during a time when a film ticket cost only 10 fen (less than 2 cents) in China.

Han Sanping, chairman of China Film Group, one of the film's investors, told a press conference on Thursday that he believes the new Shaolin film will generate more box office revenue than Li's.

Also behind the project is Hong Kong-based Emperor Motion Pictures and Songshan Shaolin Temple Culture Communication Center, a company backed by the temple. Huayi Brothers and Beijing Silver Moon Productions Ltd are also on board.

"We felt that it was important not to rush into a film," Shaolin Abbot Shi Yongxin says.

"It has taken us a long time to find the right partners who had all of the right elements for something as monumental as this."

Tse will lead the cast. Joining him are Chan, Lau, mainland actress Fan Bingbing and more than 1,000 Shaolin disciples.

Chan will play a chef monk and kungfu master.

Lau, who plays a warlord, says he was among the millions impressed by Li's film years ago and won't compare it with the new project. He is thrilled to participate in such a film to promote traditional Chinese kungfu.

Corey Yuen, who choreographed such hits as Red Cliff (Chi Bi) and The X-Men, will take charge of the kungfu scenes, some of which will be shot inside the temple.

Filming will start later this year and the film will be released at the end of 2010.

[Jimbo]

This has the potential to be the best film Jackie Chan's been in in years. I would have preferred Lau Kar-Leung as the choreographer, but hopefully Corey Yuen's choreo will stack up.

[Lokhopkuen]

It looks interesting with two of my favorite actors:D

[shaolin23]

Hope it gets released in the states:)

[doug maverick]

ofcourse it will they all do.

[Shaolinlueb]

at an earlier post. they did do 2 sequels, shaolin kids and shaolin north and south. they should get hu jianqiang back on board. he was in the first 3 movies also and he still moves really well.

[GeneChing]

Fri, Dec 18, 2009
The Daily Chilli
Andy Lau becomes 'monk' for three days (http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20091218-186777.html)

HONG KONG superstar Andy Lau has become a 'monk' at an unidentified temple for three days.

The artiste went to the temple to prepare for his latest movie The New Shaolin Temple, directed by Benny Chan.

The US$29mil (S$40.6 million) production movie also features Jackie Chan, actor-singer Nicholas Tse and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.

In preparation for his role as a Shaolin monk in the movie, Lau shaved his head to experience the life of a monk.

"I did nothing but only chanting. I did not speak a word in three days.

"I feel that I am more energetic after that," he said.

Hong Kong's Ming Bao reported that Benny Chan has also invited two Shaolin masters to teach Lau kungfu.

The Shaolin masters had taught Lau the Seven Star Boxing, one of the popular Shaolin martial arts focused on fist fighting.

Lau has also made it a point to meditate for 45 minutes daily.
Andy Lau learning kungfu from a Shaolin monk.

-The Daily Chilli/Asia News Network

http://news.asiaone.com/a1media/news/12Dec09/others/20091218-andymonk1.jpgThis looks like Xingwu...:cool:

[Shaolinlueb]

i dislike andy lau and i think this is an insult to the shaolin series.

i hope its not like every other andy lau hero dies tragic death at end. woman cry.

[doug maverick]

http://news.asiaone.com/a1media/news/12Dec09/others/20091218-andymonk1.jpgThis looks like Xingwu...:cool:

looks a little like the snake movement in xing yi...

[ktkungfu]

Is seven star fist a real shaolin form?

[GeneChing]

Come on over to the Shaolin forum. We've discussed qixing a lot over there. Here's just a taste:
qixing lyrics (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54037)
qixing & changhuxinyimen (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51555)

[GeneChing]

Here's my cover story on Yu Hai (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=688) from our Shaolin Special 2007 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=687).

New Shaolin Temple, Literally (http://english.cri.cn/6666/2010/03/01/1261s553110.htm)
2010-03-01 13:36:46 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Xie Tingting
Filming on location is probably the dream of most directors who focus on Shaolin kung fu. But Benny Chan is an exception.

Filming on location at the Shaolin Temple is probably the dream of most directors who focus on Shaolin kung fu. But Benny Chan is an exception.

Benny Chan is helming "Shaolin" - also known as "New Shaolin Temple" - which features a constellation of stars including Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse, Wu Jing and Fan Bingbing.

"There are so many tourists at the Shaolin Temple," director Chan said recently of the kung fu hotbed, which is located in Songshan, central China's Henan Province. "And the architecture there has been painted with vibrant colors, which I don't want in my film. Besides, my film has lots of action scenes. I don't want to see the temple damaged."

Instead, Chan and his crew have built their own "Shaolin Temple" in Zhejiang Province. The set cost 10 million yuan (US$1.47 million), and is a life-size copy of the actual temple, only with less restoration.

"Shaolin" began shooting in October 2009 with a jubilant ceremony held inside the Shaolin Temple amidst media reports touting the film as the first to be allowed on location since the 1982 smash-hit "The Shaolin Temple" starring Jet Li.

Distinguishing his film from the previous version, Benny Chan sets the new "Shaolin" in the early 20th century. The film is about Shaolin monks who protect and shelter civilians during the war.

http://english.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2010/03/01/4220xtylnshaolin1.jpg

[GeneChing]

Behold the rise of Huayi-wood. ;)

Chinese studio reports 23 percent jump in profit (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h0t6ZYgianpPmlfXtljHMXNVCOZQD9ELJO200)
By MIN LEE (AP) – 6 hours ago

HONG KONG — The first major Chinese film studio to list on a stock exchange said Thursday its net profit surged 23 percent to nearly 84 million Chinese yuan ($12.3 million) in 2009, thanks to thriving TV drama sales.

In its first annual report since going public on the small enterprise board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in October, Huayi Brothers Media Corp. reported operating profit of 604 million yuan ($88.5 million), a 48 percent increase from 2008.

"The growth of these indicators can be mainly attributed to the healthy development of the company's main businesses, the expansion of the market, especially the rapid growth of our TV drama business," the report said.

Armed from the proceeds of its initial public offering — it raised 1.1 billion yuan ($161 million) — Huayi Brothers said it plans to get into the movie theater business by opening six to eight properties this year. It also wants to expand into TV variety shows, video games and life performances, as well as sign more top producers, directors and stars.

The studio said it plans to release eight movies this year. Among the major projects, its Chinese-language adaptation of the hit Disney film "High School Musical" and the Feng Xiaogang disaster movie "Aftershock," are scheduled to hit theaters in the summer, while its kung fu flick "Shaolin," starring Jackie Chan and Andy Lau, is due out at the end of the year.

The company said it will launch 16 TV drama series that combine for a total of 495 episodes.

Huayi Brothers said it derived 201 million yuan ($29.4 million) of its operating income from movies, 280 million yuan ($41 million) from TV sales and 124 million yuan ($18.2 million) from artist management.

While still small compared to the U.S., the Chinese box office is growing rapidly, surging 44 percent to 6.2 billion yuan ($908 million) in 2009.

Other studios are eyeing public offerings as the industry expands. China's leading state-owned studio, China Film Group, hopes to list in Shanghai by the end of the year, one of its executives said in February. Beijing Polybona Film Distribution Co. hopes to list on the New York Stock Exchange this year or next, its chief executive said in November.

[Koontzy]

so when is this movie coming out?

[mawali]

Adding Takeshi Kaneshiro to the cast would be great!

[GeneChing]

But Twitch has the first trailer. Looks interesting. The forms demonstrated are traditional Shaolin - Taizu Changquan and Qixingquan.

First Trailer for Benny Chan's SHAOLIN (http://twitchfilm.net/news/2010/03/first-trailer-for-benny-chans-shaolin.php)
by Al Young, March 22, 2010 3:17 AM

With the Hong Kong Filmart just around the corner, Emperor Motion Pictures has prepared a 2-minute trailer to Benny Chan's Shaolin for the event. The all-star cast include Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse, Wu Jing, Fan Bingbing, Xing Yu, Yu Hai and Jackie Chan in a special appearance while Cory Yuen served as the action director.

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 is forced to take refuge with the monks. As the civil unrest spreads and the people suffer, Hao and the Shaolin masters are forced to take a fiery stand against the evil warlords. They launch a daring plan or rescue and escape.

No specific release date has been set as of yet. You'll find the trailer embedded below.

[GeneChing]

Will the Huayi Brothers be the Shaw Brothers of 2015?

Huayi Q1 disappoints (http://business.globaltimes.cn/industries/2010-04/524214.html)
By Chen Yang

Huayi Brothers Media Group disappointed market expectations with poorer-than-expected results posted in the quarterly report it released Tuesday, but analysts say the company will perform better with more movies and TV drama series to be released later this year.

Huayi Brothers realized revenue of 100 million yuan ($14.65 million) in the first quarter of this year, a 33.02 percent decrease year-on-year, and its net profit attributable to shareholders dropped 56.92 percent to 10.09 million yuan ($1.47 million) during the period, according to the report, released on the website of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SSE).

The company's stock, listed on the growth enterprise board of the SSE since October, rose 1.67 percent to 63.29 yuan ($9.27) Tuesday.

Huayi Brothers' revenue and profit decrease was because the firm released fewer entertainment products, with only one movie and two TV drama series in the first quarter. Its labor management costs increased as well, the report said.

Hot Summer Days, a Chinese movie made in cooperation with the US's 20th Century Fox, saw ticket sales of 130 million yuan ($19.05 million), but it only brought revenue of 20 million yuan ($2.93 million) to Huayi Brothers.

"Huayi Brothers' revenue and profit will increase in the following quarters by releasing more movies and TV drama series," said Pi Shun, a culture industry analyst at CITIC Securities.

The private media conglomerate plans to release eight films, including New Shaolin Temple and director Feng Xiaogang's Tangshan Earthquake as well as 16 TV drama series this year, according to the company's annual financial report released in March.

The Chinese box office is growing rapidly, surging 44 percent to 6.2 billion yuan ($908.3 million) in 2009. It is expected to reach 10 billion yuan ($1.47 billion) this year, according to figures from Entgroup, an entertainment industry consultancy in Beijing.

"Foreign movies, especially 3D ones such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, may have an impact on Chinese movies, but content is always the key to success for movies," Pi said.

Ticket sales of Tangshan Earthquake in the third quarter may reach 500 million yuan ($73.25 million), and three movies - New Shaolin Temple, Di Renjie in the Tang Dynasty and If You Are The One 2 - shown in the fourth quarter could bring a total of 1 billion yuan ($146.5 million), said Wan Jianjun, a media industry analyst at Shenyin & Wanguo Securities in a research report.

Besides making money from selling movies and TV drama series, Huayi Brothers also builds theaters and is considering entering the online game sector to broaden its business, according to comments chairman Wang Zhongjun made at an IT summit held in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, March 27.

"Combing movies and online games is a trend of the entertainment industry with successful examples of Resident Evil and Avatar," Wan said.

[Lucas]

is this the same thing??

im not in pro...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1533749/

[GeneChing]

click for pix

"Shaolin" to join in New Year movie season (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/entertainment/2010-06/15/c_13351577.htm)
English.news.cn 2010-06-15 16:04:58 FeedbackPrintRSS

BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The film "Shaolin," starring Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse, is set to share in the profits the Chinese box office's busiest season.

"Shaolin" will be released at the end of this year during the New Year movie season, it was announced Monday.

Director Benny Chan led a star-studded cast to promote the film at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Despite Andy Lau's absence, Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Fan Bingbing, Wu Jing, Yu Shaoqun and Bai Bing were all present.

The press conference on Monday rallied these stars for the first time since filming wrapped. Passionate photographers and excited fans packed the venue, and heartthrob Nicholas Tse attracted screams almost every time he started talking.

28 years? is that right? :confused:

Shaolin' brings kung-fu back to the temple (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/asia/news/e3i9b6b41a3894c84cf3b0639afd0408b61)
First film to use famous name officially in 28 years
By Jonathan Landreth
June 14, 2010, 12:25 PM ET

SHANGHAI -- “Shaolin” is the first movie in 28 years sanctioned by the famous kung-fu temple of the same name, Emperor Motion Pictures CEO Albert Lee said Monday on the opening day of the market at the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival.

In 1982, “The Shaolin Temple” boosted Jet Li into the spotlight, but the new film stars the already-famous Andy Lau as a besieged early 20th Century warlord who finds salvation in martial arts and Buddhism under the watch of the temple chief, played by Jackie Chan.

At a time when China’s newly booming movie business still makes few big sales outside Asia, Lee said the $25 million “Shaolin,” which Hong Kong-based EMP co-produced with the state-run China Film Group and publicly-listed Huayi Brothers, has export potential.

“The names Jackie and Shaolin are a very feasible combination,” said Lee of the film whose other co-producers are Beijing Silver Moon Productions and the Shaolin Temple itself, in Henan province.

Founded in the 5th century, the temple is on the grounds of what is perhaps the best-known Buddhist monastery to the Western world, long associated with the Shaolin kung fu discipline.

Chan, despite his small role in the film written originally with him in mind for the lead, said he was pleased with the outcome after four months of shooting under director Benny Chan, with whom he worked together on the 2006 comedy “Rob-B-Hood.”

“In the temple, every action is Shaolin kung-fu, so, even though I’m the chief, the role is very appealing,” said Chan at a news conference packed with Chinese media and a crush of fans shouting for co-star Nicholas Tse, also present.

“Shaolin” came about when EMP parent Emperor Group hcairman Albert Yeung chatted with the abbot of the Shaolin Temple in Beijing during the Olympics, Lee said.

“Upon hearing that we had a film in development about wu tang, another discipline, the abbot said, ‘You know, if you want to do a movie about China and kung-fu, you should really work with Shaolin,'” Lee recalled.

Shot in a life-size replica of the temple built in Zhejiang province, “Shaolin” could re-introduce the background to one of the best-known Chinese worlds, Lee said, right at a time when the industry is under pressure from Beijing to make exportable movies to help China’s soft power.

“The temple name is a property, a brand,” said Lee, citing just one of the reasons they couldn’t shoot the film there. Another? “Because we couldn’t burn it down at the end,” Lee said.

The last film connected -- however loosely -- to the Shaolin discipline was Stephen Chow’s 2001 martial arts comedy “Shaolin Soccer,” which got wide global distribution.

The new “Shaolin” also stars actress Fan Bingbing, who recently starred in the Cannes-nominated “Chongqing Blues.”

Leading man Lau was not present as he’s now shooting the Chinese remake of “What Women Want” in Beijing, but Chan held the crowd’s attention before dashing back to the capital on a private jet to prepare for the premiere of “The Karate Kid” on Wednesday, an official from one of the actor’s companies said.

[GeneChing]

Lucas could be the next Jaden Smith. They need to remake Shaolin Temple with him but make it all Karate and market it to the U.S. ;)

16/06/2010
Lucas Tse offered $1.4m to act (http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/celebrity/buzz/asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4153215)

Top HK director reckons the kid is worth twice that of dad Nicholas

Cecilia Cheung and Lucas.

Your son, barely 3, has an earning power twice that of yours.

Hong Kong singer-actor Nicholas Tse, a lucrative cash cow himself, might be in that scenario sooner than later.

Derek Yee, the director of films such as Viva Erotica and Shinjuku Incident, told reporters in Shanghai on Sunday he's willing to pay double to have Lucas Tse, the son of power couple Nicholas and Cecilia Cheung, star in his next film.

He was being asked if he would create a role for the kid when he revealed plans to cast Cecilia soon.

"This idea is not bad. If he's willing, I'll pay double of his dad's pay."

According to sources, the award-winning Nicholas currently commands an appearance fee of HK$4 million. At two times of that (i.e. S$1.4 million), Lucas would join the league of superstars like Takeshi Kaneshiro and Sammi Cheng.

With his every step tracked by the hungry Hong Kong media, Lucas is a celebrity of sorts. He is slated to lend his vocals to the theme song of CJ7 2, the sequel to the 2008 sci-fi comedy.

When told of what Derek said and asked if he felt threatened by Tse junior, Nicholas, while attending The New Shaolin Temple's press conference in Shanghai with co-stars Jackie Chan, Fan Bingbing and Wu Jing, retorted, "How can I not be happy?"

[JamesC]

For those who haven't seen the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsdtD9C0khE&feature=related

[JamesC]

Btw, anyone mind translating those for us?

[JamesC]

Thanks Gene

Still posted the first clip. :cool:

[Shaolindynasty]

Is the irony of Xing Yu playing a shaolin monk making anyone else smile?


Also, Nicholas Tse recently became a Ng family Martial Arts certified Ving Tsun instructor :cool:

[GeneChing]

Shaolin Theatrical new best trailer 2010 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbALkuuCSLU)

I'm working my qixing just for this. ;)

[SC36DC]

Shaolin Theatrical new best trailer 2010 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbALkuuCSLU)

I'm working my qixing just for this. ;)


I simply can not wait to see this film. Looks amazing.

[GeneChing]

I might move this up to the Shaolin forum (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=6) when it drops.

Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse seen in Shaolin (http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2010-11/10/content_21310135.htm)
CRI, November 10, 2010

http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20101110/000d87ad41a00e44304902.jpg

Photo stills from Benny Chan's upcoming film Shaolin have been released to shed some light on lead actors Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse.

The 1920s-era film centers on warlord Hou Jie, played by Andy Lau, who takes shelter in the Shaolin Temple and gains a new understanding of life. Nicholas Tse plays the antagonist Cao Man.

The film also stars Fan Bingbing, Wu Jing and Yu Shaoqun. Jackie Chan makes a cameo appearance.

The domestic release is set for December.
http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20101110/000d87ad41a00e44306b03.jpg
http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20101110/000d87ad41a00e44307a04.jpg

[sha0lin1]

Here is the trailer for the Shaolin movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsdtD9C0khE

[wenshu]

I had seen some footage a while back of Andy Lau and the cast training Qi Xing Quan with Diao Shan Duo (Shi Yong Zhi), but now I can't find it.

Edit: nevermind, found it:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTQwMzU1NjA0.html

[sha0lin1]

Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1-aMz8YuPs&feature=related

[mooyingmantis]

Must see this!

[GeneChing]

Interesting how the Hollywood films play into this - I'm wondering what else Chollywood has planned for the holiday.


Shaolin kicked into 2011 (http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/shaolin-kicked-into-2011)
By Stephen Cremin
Tue, 07 December 2010, 17:28 PM (HKT)
Distribution News
http://www.filmbiz.asia/media/2010/12/07/01/29/20/768/shaolin.jpg?m=resize&o[geometry]=500x1000&s=ed65e23a55dfbc39

Benny Chan's (陳木勝) martial arts film Shaolin (新少林寺) has had its China release date pushed back to 19 Jan 2011 from its previously announced December slot.

The move was expected — with regional distributors tipped off last month — as it would otherwise have competed head-to-head with co-producer Huayi Brothers' (華誼兄弟) romantic drama If You are the One 2 (非誠勿擾2).

The film's A-list cast includes Andy Lau (劉德華), Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒), Fan Bingbing (范冰冰), Wu Jing (吳京) and Jackie Chan (成龍). It is the first film in 28 years officially endorsed by the Shaolin monastery.

Shaolin will still face tough competition in January, a month that is expected to see the China release of high-profile foreign blockbusters including Tron: Legacy and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Note that Xingyu has changed his name to Yanneng for this film. He has re-discipled, although not under Abbot Yongxin.

[GeneChing]

Check out this new sneak
《新少林寺》新版预告片 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl4XUUKcU1g)

[GeneChing]

I've been practicing my qixing (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51555) in anticipation.

Shaolin releases new poster (http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2011-01/05/content_21679291.htm)
CRI, January 5, 2011

http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20110105/000d87ad41a00e8e757435.jpg
"Shaolin" releases new poster. [Photo: Mtime.com]


Benny Chan's action movie "Shaolin" has released a new poster featuring the four leading actors in the film—Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Fan Bingbing.

The background of the poster shows the burning Shaolin temple. To make the temple look older than it actually was, the director asked Chung-Man Hai, the film's artistic director, to build a second Shaolin Temple. Chung-Man Hai spent two months and 20 million yuan (US$3 million) building the temple, which is larger than the original Songshan Shaolin Temple.

The story is set in the 1920s when an arrogant warlord named Hou Jie (Andy Lau) is trapped by his follower Cao Man (Nicholas Tse). Hou loses his family and hides in the Shaolin Temple where he becomes a monk. As social unrest spreads and people continue to suffer, Hou and the Shaolin monks are forced to take a fiery stand against the evil warlords.

"Shaolin" opens in cinemas nationwide on January 19.

Here's another poster:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6fyaIP-cj0o/TRtoqq-5ekI/AAAAAAAAaOc/OJTkYa4C6AY/s1600/shaolin+temple+poster+newdec.jpg

[Lucas]

thats so cool they build a temple for the movie. should be great for future films.

[GeneChing]

...we're saving them for the next issue. Meanwhile, my qixing is horrid; it needs a lot of polishing...

Shaolin star and director in KL on Jan 19 (http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=56050)

ASIAN superstar Andy Lau and renowned director Benny Chan of such movies as Rob-B-Hood, Divergence and New Police Story will be in Kuala Lumpur this month to promote their latest movie, Shaolin, which is this year’s Chinese New Year martial arts extravaganza.

On Jan 19, the two will attend a press conference and interviews as well as make an appearance at Centre Court, Level 2, of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur at 7pm where fans will get a chance to meet the two in person and participate in stage games to win fantastic movie merchandise and prizes.

Apart from the mall appearance, the duo will also be at GSC Pavilion KL to grace the Shaolin gala premiere the same night.

http://www.sun2surf.com/images/sun2surf/articles/56050/19-TJ9_7900F.jpg
Shaolin (right) is scheduled to be released in cinemas nationwide on Jan 27. The movie marks Lau and Chan’s partnership after a 21-year hiatus since A Moment of Romance in 1990.

The film, which also stars some of Asia’s biggest names like Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan, was produced with a budget of US$25 million (RM76.7 million).

Sharp Plasmacluster, the exclusive presenter of Shaolin, will be offering movie and product giveaways through its campaign on TV, radio and print.

Fans can also catch the Shaolin movie showcase on the Sixth Floor Link Bridge of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur from Jan 11 to Feb 6.

Meanwhile, those interested in winning Shaolin gala premiere invites, movie tickets and merchandise should look out for such contests on Astro Chinese channels and MY FM as well as online at www.gscmovies.com.my.

[GeneChing]

There are more news stories, but I'm in a rush right now, so I'll only post this one. Click for pix.

Fresh 'Shaolin Temple' Goes For Drama Over Kung Fu (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=133044919)
by The Associated Press
HONG KONG January 19, 2011, 01:28 am ET

It's the kung fu classic that launched the career of a then little-known 17-year-old Chinese martial arts champion called Jet Li.

Nearly three decades later, "The Shaolin Temple" has received a blockbuster update, with the backing of the famous center of fighting monks of the title and the setting of the 1982 release. Veteran Hong Kong action director Benny Chan has written a new story and cast some of the biggest names in Chinese cinema — Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Fan Bingbing.

It is the latest screen portrayal of the 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple in central China, whose kung fu monks have been featured in many TV series and movies. But the 2011 version is only the second to be authorized by temple officials.

Benny Chan, who directed Jackie Chan in some of his recent Hong Kong action thrillers including "Who Am I?," "New Police Story" and "Rob-B-Hood," is unabashed about being a crowd-pleaser.

"I am a commercial director. I am not an art-house director. I don't know how to create very artistic shots. I don't know how to shoot slowly," the Hong Kong filmmaker told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

But fans who are expecting an action-packed extravaganza must think twice. Unlike the 1982 original, which featured trademark Shaolin-style moves, Chan's focus is drama — not kung fu. And Chan says he asked choreographer Corey Yuen to imbue the flashy action sequences the film does have with what he calls the spirit of "Zen fighting" — a composed style that stresses personal development over violence.

"The Shaolin Temple" is a revenge story — Li plays a young boy adopted and trained by Shaolin monks who tries to avenge his father's death. For the 135-minute update, simply called "Shaolin," Benny Chan crafted an ambitious story arch. Set in China's warlord era shortly after the downfall of imperial rule in the early 20th century, Lau plays a local military ruler paranoid about being betrayed by an ally. He devised an assassination plot, only to be double-crossed by his second-in-command (Tse). Lau's character then seeks refuge in the Shaolin Temple and becomes a monk who repents his terrorizing ways of the past.

"Everyone knows the first movie mainly features the Shaolin-style of kung fu, especially given its star, Jet Li, was a five-time national champion at the time. That's a big selling point. But I won't use a martial arts champion as a selling point. Andy Lau is an actor," Chan said. The veteran Hong Kong leading man is widely respected for his talent as much as his heartthrob looks.

"Do I need to turn Andy Lau into Jet Li? I don't see the need. I don't want to," he said, adding that Lau, a devout Buddhist himself, gave suggestions on how to develop his character.

There is kung fu in the movie — Lau is seen practicing a set of Shaolin-style punches with a group of monks — although Chan says his focus was the philosophy behind the fighting.

"I don't think very flashy and very powerful moves are a display of Zen fighting ... As I understand the spirit of Zen fighting is that you have to understand your ability first, how powerfully you can strike a fist. And then how to break through your limitations. And you will become happier as you practice more," the director said, pointing to a scene where Lau's warlord character blissfully practices his moves side-by-side with a young monk on a cold night.

"I tried to portray a state of mind," he said.

The interplay between the warlord and Jackie Chan's character is another highlight. Benny Chan said he purposely paired them — Lau's calculating, Machiavellian military man and Jackie Chan's role of a happy-go-lucky monk who runs the Shaolin kitchen.

Despite the meditative story, "Shaolin" also has the trappings of any major commercial production. A massive explosion scene took a month to shoot and, naturally, couldn't be set at the real temple. Instead, they splurged 20 million Chinese yuan ($3 million) on a full-sized replica that included a 9.9-meter- (32-feet-) tall Buddha statue.

Benny Chan said the final scene was a painstaking process and a huge technical achievement. He did not use special effects and could only complete a few shots a day.

"It was very memorable. It was very taxing and very dangerous," he said.

"Shaolin" is being released in China and the Philippines on Wednesday; in Australia on Thursday; in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia on Friday; and in Vietnam on Feb. 18.

[GeneChing]

Lots in the newsfeeds today on this. I'm cherry-picking a few...

Monk-y business (http://www.todayonline.com/Entertainment/Movies/EDC110121-0000209/Monk-y-business)
by Genevieve Loh
05:55 AM Jan 21, 2011

When Andy Lau decided to do Shaolin - director Benny Chan's blockbuster update of the 1982 kung fu classic Shaolin Temple - he "hadn't even seen the script".

Lau took it on readily because he was looking forward to working with the veteran director - 21 years after their first film together, A Moment Of Romance.

The Hong Kong superstar told Today that this time around, they truly bonded.

"The last time, I thought I was very popular and 'hot', so I would ignore him," he quipped during an interview at The Fullerton Hotel yesterday, where he was promoting the highly anticipated film, which also stars Jackie Chan and Nicholas Tse.

"But now, we're actually friends."

This version sees the director relying more on Lau's acting talents than focusing on action-heavy sequences.

"I was very worried about my martial arts skills, but Benny told me, 'Don't worry, I'll make you look good'," laughed Lau.

That is not to say that the devout Buddhist, who will turn 50 years old later this year, doesn't get to show off his kick-ass moves which he spent three months training for.

"More importantly, I'm very happy to be able to spread the Shaolin philosophy, spirit and martial arts through this movie."

Shaolin opens in cinemas today.


21/01/2011
Andy Lau promotes ‘Shaolin’ in Singapore (http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/celebrity/buzz/asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4591806)

The Hong Kong actor refused to speak about his wife, but admitted he liked many women

Andy Lau

It had been three years since Hong Kong's Heavenly King Andy Lau arrived on the shores of Singapore to promote his movies.

Together with director Benny Chan, Andy not only attended the media conference for his latest movie Shaolin, but also the Meet-the-Fans session and the Gala Premiere.

In the movie, Andy portrayed an arrogant and violent general, who was betrayed by his sworn brother, played by Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse. The betrayal not only caused his wife to leave him, but also his daughter's death. Finally, the general repented and sought refuge in Shaolin.

There was a scene where Andy, playing the general, had to shave his head. In reality, the star really did cut his hair away.

When asked the reason behind his "sacrifice", Andy asked, "Is there a body double for shaving heads? I can't help it if I look just as good with a bald head. That's why I'm not afraid [to shave my head]."

Andy Lau and director Benny Chan

The superstar then revealed that director Benny Chan wanted him to put on a wig, so that it was easier for the filming.

However, Andy refused, saying "The bad media would criticise me for not really shaving [my head]. Actually, I'm afraid it would look fake and that'd affect my emotions during filming."

In Shaolin, Andy's character finally comprehended life, attaining a calm state of mind. There were many Buddhism concepts found in the movie and it had been 20 years since the actor converted to Buddhism.

So, has Andy achieved that state in actuality?

"I'm in the same direction; but I don't think I can sacrifice my life for anyone," Andy admitted in an interview with xinmsn.

His character in the movie was also regretful over the things he had done in the past. Did Andy have any regrets in real life?

"Of course, everyone will have them," Andy replied, politely refusing to reveal what his regrets were.

Andy also praised his younger co-star Nicholas. The actor called Nicholas the "Grand Master".

Nicholas Tse and Andy Lau

"He (Nicholas Tse) told me he had the license to teach Wing Chun Fist. (Laughs) He's really good; his actions are fast and agile, [he's] better than me," Andy complimented.

When xinmsn asked if Nicholas had the chance to overtake his position as 'Heavenly King', Andy replied that with the kind of "work attitude and hard work he (Nicholas Tse) possessed, he would overtake me with a little luck and chance."

In the movie, Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing plays the character of his wife. This was Andy's third collaboration with her.

When asked which female celebrity he would like to work with, Andy named Taiwanese actress Sylvia Chang after much thought.

"It's a pity we didn't have a chance to work together," the actor said.

Andy Lau

During the media conference, Andy politely told reporters to not question him about his wife when he was asked.

However, when asked about his unreserved liking for Queen of Cantopop Sammi Cheng, Andy admitted that he still liked her a lot.

"I have liked many women in my lifetime," Andy declared.

The Hong Kong superstar then added that to like someone does not mean he would stray from his relationship.

[GeneChing]

We'll title this SHAOLIN - the 2011 film

Fri, Jan 21, 2011
AsiaOne
Andy wants to romance Angelina Jolie (http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20110121-259381.html)
BY JOY FANG

HOLLYWOOD producers, listen up: Hong Kong veteran star Andy Lau would accept a role in a Tinseltown movie. But only if he felt the role was really meant for him, the 49-year-old said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on his latest movie, Shaolin, Lau said: "I feel I need to have a role that's just for Andy Lau; one which other people would have difficulty pulling off.

"Then I would feel that it was written for me."

Lau, who spoke to reporters at The Fullerton Hotel yesterday, was responding to a question on whether he hankered after a role in the United States.

Lau added that in Hollywood, roles seem to be doled out to Asian actors simply because producers hope to capture the attention of the growing Asian population there.

And he doesn't appreciate the fact that Asian actors are often stereotyped, and are given martial-arts roles.

"I want Hollywood to understand that we are not just people who can fight very well, we can also act," said Lau.

He also objects to the fact that rarely is an Asian actor given a lead role.

"Why can't I have a romance with Angelina Jolie?" he joked.

"We need to continue to make advances in the US, step by step," he added.

While the superstar - who was once a permanent resident in Singapore, and whose parents were reported to live here - is candid about Hollywood, he is fiercely private about his real life.

Especially when it comes to romance.

Lau secretly wed his long-time Malaysian girlfriend, former beauty queen Carol Chu, in Las Vegas in 2008. Asked repeatedly about her, Lau finally said genially: "I don't want to talk about it, it's my own business."

Back to safer topics, then. Like, er, hair.

In Shaolin, Lau plays an arrogant warlord who is betrayed by his sworn brother (played by Nicholas Tse). His character later shaves his head and enters monkhood.

So was it distressing to get rid of his mane?

"Shaving the head was nothing. After all, I look good with a shaved head," Lau said with a laugh.

Expect to see explosive fight scenes between Lau and Tse as they square off in the film's final moments.

Referring to Tse's fighting skills, Lau said: "He can fight fast and he's flexible. I think he is of a higher level than me.

"In fact, he has a licence to teach Wing Chun. At least, that's what he says."

Shaolin opens in cinemas today.


Shaolin captures the spirit of kungfu (http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2011-01/21/content_21789096.htm)
China Daily, January 21, 2011

In 1982, Jet Li's The Shaolin Temple not only put a shrine on Chinese kungfu and Zen Buddhism, but also made Li a household name.

Twenty-nine years later, a Hong Kong director is attempting to reprise the glory.

Benny Chan, best known for directing action films such as Jackie Chan's Who am I and New Police Story, brings together Hong Kong and mainland A-listers such as Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Fan Bingbing to create Shaolin, an action piece set in the chaos of 1920s China.

Lau plays a warlord betrayed by his sidekick, played by Tse. Studying kungfu in Shaolin Temple so he can exact revenge, he meets Jackie Chan, a Zen monk and kungfu master who pretends to be a cook.

From him, Lau's character learns that the essence of kungfu is not about inflicting defeat, but about saving lives. He then joins the other monks to save people from the tribulations of war.

Despite its stellar cast, the film's star is really the temple, Chen says.

"I see Shaolin Temple as an important role in the film," he says. "Historically, monks of the temple have saved many lives during times of chaos."

Hundreds of monks from the temple play supporting roles in the film and some helped train the actors.

To protect the temple, a 1,500-year-old complex on Mount Songshan in Central China's Henan province, the film was shot in a replica created at a cost of 20 million yuan ($2.9 million) in Zhejiang.

Temple abbot Shi Yongxin is the producer of the film, making it the first, among dozens made on the same subject after Jet Li's version, to be supported officially by the temple.

"The film shows that real Shaolin kungfu is closely connected to the spirit of Zen," Shi said at its premiere on Jan 13.

For Lau, a Buddhist, the film is a dream come true. "Since I was a child I dreamed of being in the temple," he says. "But not until acting in this film did I really understand that kungfu is not for show or killing, it is part of your self-cultivation."

Lau also composed the film's theme song and sings it himself.

[PalmStriker]

looking forward to seeing this new movie. Thank's for the head's up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWteiJx8OLY :D

[GeneChing]

'Tron' rules China box office but Shaolin ready to strike (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/tron-rules-china-box-office-but-shaolin-ready-to-strike-2191402.html)
Saturday, 22 January 2011

Much is expected of the star-studded martial arts epic 'Shaolin,' which started to roll out Wednesday in cinemas across China.

Top of the Chinese box office this week went to the sci-fi thriller Tron: Legacy, but cinemas across the country were gearing up for the release of another Chinese epic that looks set to continue the local industry's dominance over the past month.

Tron picked up 71.5 million yuan (eight million euros) over the week ending January 16, to edge out The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which made 42.1 million yuan (4.7 million euros) for a ten-day total of 84.2 million yuan (9.5 million euros).

Meanwhile, director Jiang Wen's hit western Let the Bullets Fly continued to close in on the all-time record for a Chinese production: its earnings of 35.5 million yuan (four million euros) take the film to a total of 642 million yuan (72 million euros) and within striking distance of Feng Xiaogang's all-time record-holder Aftershock, which took in 673 million yuan (76 million euros) in 2010.

However, much is now expected of the star-studded martial arts epic Shaolin, which started to roll out in cinemas across China on Wednesday. The film stars industry heavyweights Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse, Fan Bingbing and Jackie Chan.

There has also been much fanfare across China as the Green Hornet press tour takes to the country - in the same week that the film has topped the North American box office charts.

The Hollywood actioner is set for a China release on February 6 - right in the middle of the Chinese New Year holiday season, usually reserved for local productions - and its stars, Seth Rogen and Taiwanese heart-throb Jay Chou, have been busy drumming up business.

"We have huge expectations for this film," Li Chow of distributor Columbia told a press conference in Beijing on Monday.

In Asia's other major films markets, it was Oscar favourite The Social Network that dominated in Japan, taking in close to US$2 million (1.5 million euros) on its first week of release, while Let the Bullets Fly took almost US$600,000 (445,000 euros) in its first week of release in Hong Kong. No figure has been released for South Korea.

Watch the Shaolin trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbALkuuCSLU GREEN HORNET drops on Chinese New Year. Shoot, I missed that little fact in my coverage (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=942). :(

[GeneChing]

Andy Lau's art immitates life in "Shaolin" (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainmentfeatures/view/1106759/1/.html)
By Han Wei Chou | Posted: 25 January 2011 1623 hrs

SINGAPORE: What is it about his latest film "Shaolin" that gave Hong Kong actor Andy Lau pause when he was shooting it?

It obviously wasn't because Lau, who plays the warlord-turned-monk Hou Jie in the film, had to shave his crowning glory for his role.

Director Benny Chan had actually hoped he would just fake it with cosmetics, so scenes did not have to be shot in any particular sequence.

But Lau insisted on shaving it all off because he didn't want to spend hours in the makeup chair every day and wanted the film to look authentic.

"It was nothing, I still look really handsome when I'm bald," Lau joked when he visited Singapore last week to promote the film.

Could it be the intense action sequences which the 49-year-old actor had with martial arts pros like Wu Jing and Yan Neng that made him baulk?

It wasn't those either.

"I was never worried. In my very first fight scene, I already worked with Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao (both acclaimed martial arts directors).

"I have worked with Jet Li and already met all the other top action actors except Donnie Yen," said Lau nonchalantly.

Then just what was it about the film that posed such a big challenge for Lau?

Andy Lau, then and now

The veteran actor says the film's most challenging bit was actually to make people see 'Hou Jie' and not 'Andy Lau', and to make his character, whose values and outlook changes 180 degrees over the course of the film, believable.

"A lot of people can't help but see 'Andy Lau' instead of the character. It was hard for me to show, through my character's actions, that he has undergone profound change.

"To convince people who have not been a monk or undergone tonsure before, to identify with him," said Lau.

"I had to do a lot of research for this role."

He went on to draw parallels between his character in the movie and himself in real life - his outlook on filmmaking had changed 180 degrees since he worked with Benny Chan on the director's first film "A Moment of Romance" two decades ago.

Back then, it was common for top actors like Simon Yam and Lau to take on three or four films simultaneously and there was little time to talk.

"Twenty years ago, I ignored Chan. At the time, the moment I reached the set, I would immediately want to just shoot my scenes, regardless of whatever happened.

"I was arrogant last time. Everyone has to go through that stage. I didn't really care because I just wanted to quickly finish it and move on to the next movie set. I had no time at all to interact with the director," said Lau.

However, his life experiences over the course of his 30-year career in showbiz has changed him.

For example, in "Shaolin", Lau got a lot more involved in the film making process and frequently met with Chan to talk things over, find the right tone for the script as well as understand the characters better.

"This ("Shaolin") is the first film which allowed us to really become friends. Whenever I have any ideas or feelings about the character, I will speak with Chan and he tweaks the script to improve it," he said.

Chan smiled and nodded in agreement.

"[Working with Lau on this film] feels like meeting an old friend and working with a new one all at the same time," said Chan.

"Shaolin" is now showing.


Andy Lau: ‘I only do one thing a day’ (http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/life/andy-lau-i-only-do-one-thing-day-088622)
Hong Kong's 'Heavenly King' talks Zen, his cautious relationship with Fan Bingbing and warns about the age of the Internet as he promotes his latest film, 'Shaolin Temple'
By Teng Ling 25 January, 2011

Andy Lau -- Shaolin Temple - interviewThe "one thing a day" on Andy Lau's agenda today? Talking to us about "Shaolin Temple."

This year marks 50-year-old Andy Lau’s 30th anniversary in show business.

Aside from his “secret” marriage to Malaysian beauty queen Carol Chu, Lau has not had much fodder to offer gossip mongers. He has never made any inappropriate comments, he's never has stirred up any controversies, and has never even worn the wrong clothes.

In the span of his career, Lau has reportedly acted in over 140 movies, released over 100 albums, held more than 400 concerts and sold more than 50 million records -- achievements that make him worthy of his “heavenly king” title.

Last week, "Shaolin Temple" starring Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Fan Bingbing was released on screens across Shanghai. Lau, who plays a young officer in the film, reveals how Fan Bingbing went from being a stranger to his wife in the movie.

CNNGo: The "Shaolin Temple" director had said that the film is about Zen. What does Zen mean to you?

Andy Lau: Zen, to me, means to be able to leave one’s doubts and confusion behind and find a firm foothold on life.

Zen is a form of destiny, such as what the Buddhists refer to as enlightenment. Once you have achieved that state, you no longer hold any grudges, because you realize that many things just cannot be explained.

I’m a hard worker, just as many actors are. Why does everyone only say “Wow, Andy Lau works so hard,” when this is just my destiny? This is my understanding of Zen, I’ve believed in it for more than 20 years.

CNNGo: Since you're perceived as such a hard worker, what is a day in your life like?

Andy Lau: I only do one thing a day and that is to spend at least 10 hours a day at home.

I unplug the moment I get home and sleep around six to eight hours a day.

If I have a concert coming up, I’ll start preparing to go to bed around midnight. I’ll make myself a little snack and then sleep around 1 or 2 a.m. I usually wake up around 11 a.m the next morning.

Most of my days are like this. I don’t sleep very long. I’ll usually wake up after eight hours or so.

CNNGo: You star in movies, hold concerts and release new albums regularly. How do you manage everything?

Andy Lau: The production for "Shaolin Temple" and "What Women Want" wrapped up ages ago. Since then I've spent about four months rehearsing for my concert and a month staging the concerts. Now I’m back to focusing on the promotional events for "Shaolin Temple."

I feel that the girls though -- not just Fan Bing Bing, but Lee Bing Bing as well -- have an even busier schedule than I do, flying around the world to attend fashion shows in the middle of filming.

I tend to make less public appearances at such events.

More on CNNGo: Karen Mok: Single, happy and unashamedly 40. Pity about her cats

My time is spent mostly in mainland China. I won’t take on any movies while I’m preparing for a concert, or release any new albums in the middle of filming.

This year is a little more special with two of my movies being released at the same time. This has seldom occurred in the past 10 years.

I actually planned to take a three-week holiday after the promotional tours for "Shaolin Temple," since with "What Women Want" coming out a fortnight later, I’m afraid all of you will soon be sick of seeing me.

CNNGo: Why are you still working so hard after all these years?

Andy Lau: Just one word -- love.

CNNGo: So what do you do in your free time?

Andy Lau: I don’t have a habit for shopping, I’ve been this way since young. I like staying at home, but I love traveling too.

CNNGo: You’ve collaborated with Fan Bingbing in three movies so far, "Battle of Wits," "Future X-Cops" and now "Shaolin Temple." Could you talk about what it’s like working with her?

Andy Lau: I first got to know her while working on "Battle of Wits." Because I seldom work with mainland actresses, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

For example, when I work with a Hong Kong actress, whether or not I’ve met her before, if she has to play my girlfriend or wife in the film, I’ll treat her as a lover from the very first meeting.

I’ll hold her hand and drag her everywhere I go, I’ll chat with her, buy her meals and treat her very well. But with mainland actresses, I didn’t know what the situation would be like.

I didn’t have much chance to interact with Fan then and felt somewhat like a Mohist. Mohism advocates inaction, even towards love, and I felt like that extended to our off-screen relations as well.

I didn’t have much time to chat with her, and also didn’t dare to. I was afraid she’d find me annoying.

When it came to filming "Future X-Cops," we only had a few days of working together, but I started chatting with her. We had some pretty normal conversations, I asked what was her secret to staying slim and we chatted about everyday life.

This time for "Shaolin Temple," Fan had to play my wife. We also have a child together in the film and the three of us were like family on set.

The love affection we have for each other is one of the highlights of the movie. Even if you're not interested in the action or in Buddhism, watch it for the love story, I think it’s very entertaining.

CNNGo: What movies have you watched recently? Any to recommend?

Andy Lau: I think "The Social Network" is a very powerful film because it exposes the dangers of the Internet. It’s something everyone should know about, because the Internet is so deeply intertwined with our daily lives.

The Internet gradually changes everything about the way we interact and it’s a change that we can’t fight, but you should be clear about your thoughts and morals, just like in Buddhism.

Whether you can achieve it or not is another thing, but you should at least know what they are.

Who's going to post that first review?

[GeneChing]

A strong debut...

'Shaolin' leaves its mark on Chinese box office (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/shaolin-leaves-its-mark-on-chinese-box-office-2196088.html)
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Star-studded 'Shaolin' has been dominating the Chinese box office.

China's passion for bombastic blockbusters continues to be insatiable with the latest epic to roll off the production line, director Benny Chan's star-studded Shaolin, dominating the domestic box office over the past week.

Chan's film - which cost US$29 million (21 million euros) to make and has gathered together the likes of Andy Lau, Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse and Fan Bingbing - took 105 million yuan (11.6 million euros) in its first week of release in China, to leave its rivals in its wake.

Shaolin sees Lau playing a 1920s warlord who seeks help at the legendary Shaolin Temple after being betrayed by his off-sider (Tse).

Second place in China for the week ending January 23 went to the animated Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf 3 - Moon Castle: The Space Adventure, which collected 54.1 million yuan (six million euros).

Shaolin also topped the charts in Singapore with US$785,000 (448,000 euros), and in Taiwan with NT$6.5 million (163,000 euros), and was set for release in Hong Kong on Thursday.

Reports from film industry press this week have suggested that Jiang Wen's western Let The Bullets Fly had surpassed the 673 million yuan (76 million euros) collected by Aftershock to become China's all-time local box office champ, but there were no official figures released to confirm the fact.

What could be confirmed, however, was that the film was still on top of the box office in Hong Kong, where it has now topped US$1 million (730,000 euros) after two weeks of release, after picking up US$321,148 (234,298 euros) over the past week.

In Japan, meanwhile, the Oscar favorite The Social Network picked up a further US$2 million (1.5 million euros) to be ranked number one - and the film has now collected more than US$6 million (4.4 million euros) in two weeks of release.

And in South Korea it was director Kang Woo-suck's feel-good baseball flick Glove at number one, with takings of just over US$3 million (2.2 million euros).

[GeneChing]

Sat, 29 Jan 2011
TIME OUT :: The Big Picture
Shaolin redux (http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=56901)
> Hongkong director Benny Chan and actor Andy Lau believe a good script is essential for an action movie
By Chan Soo Wah

TO BOTH Hongkong director Benny Chan and actor Andy Lau, the essence of drama is important in an action film.

Therefore in their new film, Shaolin, not only can you enjoy the excellent action scenes but the dramatic plot line may also move you to tears.

Chan and Lau were recently in Malaysia to promote their new film which is timed for release near Chinese New Year.

Many would think that Shaolin (also known as The New Shaolin Temple) is a remake of Jet Li’s 1982 The Shaolin Temple, which was set over 1,500 years ago. Shaolin is far from that.

"We consciously set out not to remake the 1982 Jet Li classic. Instead, we set our Shaolin in China during the 1920s – the age of the warlords, and therefore, with a totally different plot line," said Chan.

Shaolin also marks the second time Chan is directing Lau, after the 1990 The Moment of Romance, which was also Chan’s directorial debut.

So how was it working with Lau again after so many years?

"As it has been 20 years since we first worked together, it felt as if we were working together for the first time when we were doing Shaolin.

"While the filming for The Moment of Romance was very hectic and rushed, this time around, we had more time to communicate and held more discussions," said Chan.

Shaolin might be an action-packed film but Chan made sure that he utilised the acting skills of Lau and co-star Nicholas Tse well and that is why this film has a balance of drama and action scenes.

He said: "I’ve to consider what the audience want from an action film, and most of the time they expect to see non-stop fighting from the beginning to the end. I did Invisible Target in 2007 and the audience liked it because it’s action packed.

"But this time around, I want to incorporate the essence of drama and a good plot line because this is what that’s most needed in an action film. People can’t be fighting non-stop for no reason at all!"

On the destruction of the 10 million yuan (RM4.6 million) replica of the Shaolin temple that they had built especially for this film, Chan said he did not feel heartbroken seeing it going up in flames when filming the climatic ending of the film because it is part of the "production value".

He added: "Personally, I feel that the destruction cannot be compared with what happens in normal Hollywood productions.

"What I want to give to the movie is that sense of realism for the audience to experience. Sometimes, if you destroy a small set, the audience might not get the impact and I feel like I’ve cheated (them).

"Besides, when we built it, I already knew it was going to be destroyed, so I didn’t feel sad at all."

This film also sees Lau co-starring with Tse for the first time. Tse’s acting has been getting better with each film, winning the best supporting actor at last year’s Fourth Asian Film Awards for his role in Bodyguards and Assassins.

This time, the actor brilliantly tackled the role of Cao Man, a kung fu practitioner who becomes driven by greed to misuse his skill.

Lau has nothing but praise for Tse. "Prior to working with him, I heard that he is extremely focused in his work and I’ve to agree with that too," said the veteran star. "Tse is very diligent. In fact, he was so assiduous in his acting and especially in the action scenes that I got worried that he might hurt himself!"

Lau has this to say about the misuse of kung fu for personal gain: "Kung fu skills can be likened to handling a gun. The more powerful your skill is, the more you need to control yourself.

"There are people who practise kung fu for health reasons and some to help others, but it would be a wrong if we were to use it to harm others for personal gain. That’s what we want to show the audience in this film."

Lau also picked up a lesson on forgiveness, which his character learns in this film.

"As a human being, we’re driven by vengeance all the time. But we have to learn to let go of the past and our mistakes, and move away from a life that’s filled with hatred. Most of all, we need to learn how to forgive others."

That’s why, Lau adds, his favourite line in the film is "to live life freely" unencumbered by the baggage of history.

Shaolin is currently showing in cinemas nationwide.
Still waiting for some forum member reviews...

[Lucas]

i checked fandango but dont see it playing in any local theaters :(

i really want to see this.

[GeneChing]

It's only playing in Asia at this time.

Ip Man 2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56421) just opened theatrically in America - only 7 months after it's Asia premiere...:rolleyes:

[Qixing Tanglang]

Just looking at title cover of the New Shaolin Temple movie that just came out in China with Liu De Hua (Andy Lou) and Xie Ting Feng (Nicholas Shae). Looks like Yu Hai is also in movie.

[GeneChing]

A fine overview by Dean Napolitano. Mr. and Mrs. Incredible is covered here (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59591). We haven't gone into Donnie Yen in All's Well yet...that's a funny franchise - given this review, I might have to check that out.

I'm moving this thread up to the Shaolin forum for a spell.


* January 27, 2011, 4:43 PM HKT
A Lunar New Year Laugh-in (http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2011/01/27/a-lunar-new-year-laugh-in/)
By Dean Napolitano

With the Year of the Rabbit just days away, the Hong Kong movie industry is making final preparations for an annual tradition — the Chinese New Year comedy.

These popular films — a unique Hong Kong genre for the new-year holiday — have a simple formula: an all-star cast, madcap antics, music and a happy ending.

The dialogue and gags usually play on knowledge of Hong Kong culture and current events, and the stars often poke fun at their public personas. For instance, in “All’s Well Ends Well 2011” — the latest in a long holiday series — martial-arts star Donnie Yen sends up his hero image by playing a makeup artist who operates at the same lightning speed as a kung-fu master.

The jokes are often crass but never mean-spirited, and the movies aim to be suitable for grandparents and children alike.

“We must make a family picture,” says Raymond Wong, a veteran of more than 30 years in the Hong Kong movie scene and the producer of the “All’s Well Ends Well” series.

Fiona Law, who teaches a class on Hong Kong cinema at the University of Hong Kong and has done extensive research on the phenomenon of the Chinese New Year movie, says the first known example was “Bloom and Prosper,” a 1937 comedy from mainland director Tang Xiaodan. No copy is believed to survive, but Dr. Law says it involves a familiar theme for the genre: winning the lottery and easy fortune.

Over the decades, she says, the New Year practice of going to the movies “was a very important family event,” and in keeping with the family-oriented holiday. Today, the ritual brings “a sense of belonging. They are a cultural memory.”

Indeed, Mr. Wong recalls from his 1960s childhood that his parents went to the cinema only once a year — during the Lunar New Year — and the movie had to have two elements: well-known stars and lots of laughs.

Another prime example of this genre is 1993’s “The Eagle Shooting Heroes,” from director Jeffrey Lau and producer Wong Kar-wai. A wild parody of 1960s martial-arts movies, it features an A-list cast hamming things up big-time: Jacky Cheung, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Brigitte Lin and the two Tony Leungs — Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Tony Leung Ka-fai.

The spoofs of martial-arts movies “are nostalgic elements,” says Dr. Law, and in Hong Kong, the audience gets the jokes.

This year audiences will find three comedies at the cineplex: “Mr. & Mrs. Incredible,” starring Sandra Ng and Louis Koo, a family-comedy that strays from the genre a little in that it doesn’t mention the new-year holiday; “I Love Hong Kong” with Eric Tsang, Aarif Lee, Sandra Ng (yes, she’s in two), and a pack of other familiar faces; and, of course, “All’s Well Ends Well 2011,” the sixth entry in the series that began nearly 20 years ago.

Many studios typically have rolled out their big movies of the year during the Lunar New Year, but recent shifts in the movie-going public — particularly the growing importance of the mainland China market — mean that other holiday periods, such as the Oct. 1 National Day holiday, are now just as important.

Not all movies released during the Lunar New Year are comedies. Starting in the 1990s, Jackie Chan often took advantage of the season’s large audiences to release his action films, even though the plots had little to do with the holiday. This New Year will bring the release of the martial-arts action-drama “Shaolin,” which stars Mr. Chan, Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Fan Bing Bing; Benny Chan directed.

In recent years, as other forms of entertainment such as video games and iPods have become more popular, Chinese New Year movies haven’t had the same social impact. And Hong Kong movies now have to consider audiences in mainland China, where they also are widely distributed, and the jokes have to be tailored differently.

But the plots of Chinese New Year movies today still center around family and romance. And above all, says Mr. Wong, the script must include the traditional Chinese New Year greeting: “Kung hei fat choi.”

[SPJ]

just bought the dvd and watched it

it is ok.

the one who tied the knots will have to untie them.

JC was the shaolin chef and cooked big meals with a shovel in a giant wok.

Andy Lau was the warlord overthrew by his protege-

---

the temple was destroyed by foreign artillery--

the temple lives in people's heart--

---

may not be good for kids

but over all it is good.

all familiar characters, the chief abbot, the big brother and second brother

----

:cool:

[SPJ]

the theme carries anti war message

just like the "big soldier and small general" last year from JC.

:)

[bawang]

the new shaolin movie feels very soap opera ish like lots of modern chinese movies. it also pains me to see xingwu

[GeneChing]

I just got it. Hope to watch it tonight.


Shaolin (新少林寺) (http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/shaolin)
China/Hong Kong
Period action drama
Directed by Benny Chan (陳木勝)

Shaolin
By Derek Elley
Tue, 01 February 2011, 12:47 PM (HKT)

Potentially epic tale ends up as okay popcorn entertainment. Beyond Asia, largely ancillary.
Story

Central China, early years of the Republic, c. 1920s. In Dengfeng, Henan province, a battle for the city has just taken place between rival warlords and, as winter approaches, the monks of Shaolin Temple help shelter and feed the locals. Defeated warlord Huo Long (Chen Zhihui) takes refuge in the temple, where he is hunted down and killed by victorious warlord Hou Jie (Andy Lau), even after he has handed over to Hou all his plunder. After taking control of the city, Hou tells his deputy Cao Man (Nicholas Tse), whom he took under his wing like a younger brother years earlier, to assassinate fellow warlord Song Hu (Shi Xiaohong) who wants to divide up the city between them. Hou's wife (Fan Bingbing) begs him not to, as Song is Hou's sworn elder brother, but Hou refuses. At the dinner where the assassination is to take place, the plan goes awry, and Hou just manages to escape with his young daughter Shengnan, who's seriously wounded. Hou takes refuge in Shaolin Temple and begs the monks to help save her, but Shengnan dies. Enraged, Hou's wife walks out on him. After meeting itinerant monk Wu Dao (Jackie Chan), who works in Shaolin's kitchen, Hou enrols at the temple as a novice, despite the enmity of many monks - including Jing Neng (Wu Jing), Jing Hai (Yu Shaoqun) and Jing Kong (Shi Yanneng) - over his former behaviour towards them. However, he gradually wins their trust and becomes a fully fledged Shaolin monk called Jing Jue. Meanwhile, Cao, who double-crossed Hou over Song's assassination, has done a deal with British military types to help them build a railway in exchange for automatic guns. Now crazed with power, Cao asks Hou to re-join him, but Hou refuses, setting the two on collision course - and Shaolin Temple with them.
Review

Though the Chinese title (新少林寺, New Shaolin Temple) signals it as a remake of the 1982 Mainland movie that introduced Jet Li (李連杰), Shaolin is much more just a popcorn action drama reminiscent of Hong Kong productions shot in China 20 years ago. The plot also centres on a man who turns to the temple for redemption, and the movie also features actor-cum-wushu Grand Master Yu Hai (于海) from the original, but the setting is updated to the early 20th century - with a strong message for the present about "the Great Powers falling over themselves to get into China", to quote the opening titles - and there's none of the 1982 film's obsessive focus on training and technique that was such a part of martial arts films of the era. As a popcorn movie, Shaolin is an entertaining two-hour-plus ride, with strongly drawn characters, some good action sequences (Andy Lau's 劉德華 early escape with axes and horses, the temple's final destruction), and handsome production values with a grey, dusty look to the temple scenes. Its main problem, as with many of director Benny Chan's (陳木勝) films (Gen-X Cops 特警新人類, City under Seige 全城戒備), is that it still promises much more than it actually delivers.

The movie's original version was reportedly around three hours, and a lot appears to have disappeared in the cutting room while trying to get it down to just over two. After a broad-limbed beginning, which draws the plight of the locals following a battle between opposing warlords, and sets up the forthcoming conflict between Lau's ruthless general, Nicholas Tse's (謝霆鋒) loose-cannon deputy, and with the monks themselves, the film sketches Lau's personal life with his wife and young daughter, followed by a well-paced restaurant sequence in which Lau's assassination plot goes horribly wrong. From thereon, however, Shaolin gradually abandons any pretence at being an epic character drama and becomes a formula action movie. Even Jackie Chan's (成龍) nicely insouciant character of a monk-cook is interestingly set up but then pretty much thrown away: the veteran star gets one witty fight sequence with kitchen implements and kids but is never really incorporated into the plot. Actress Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) simply disappears during the middle portion before being resurrected as a plot convenience.

The film still has more going for it on a character level than Tsui Hark's (徐克) Detective Dee (狄仁杰之通天帝國), which also started promisingly, and the action and martial arts, staged by veterans Corey Yuen (元奎) and Yuen Tak (元德), feature some solid business without resorting to fantastic visual effects. But with this kind of cast and budget, Shaolin could have been much more. Lau's classiest acting comes in the first half-hour as the unreformed bad guy, where he's well supported by Tse as his ambitious sidekick; Lau's later playing of the redeemed monk and Tse's power-crazed warlord are much more formulaic. Some of the best inter-action is between the trio of monks played by action star Wu Jing (吳京, Wind Blast 西風烈), up-and-coming Yu Shaoqun (余少群, the young Mei Lanfang in Forever Enthralled 梅蘭芳) and dopey-looking Shi Yanneng (釋延能). All have professional wushu training and likable screen presences, with Shi an actual Shaolin disciple for good measure.

[GeneChing]

...I fell asleep before I could even get it into the DVD player. :o

I was so excited all day, looking forward to watching this, but I guess I've been working too hard, because I got home and collapsed after dinner. My wife thought that was hilarious. She's into The Good Wife, and there was a new episode on last night, so she wasn't going to let me have the TV until after it was over, and I was asleep long before that.

[GeneChing]

Although I confess that I liked Detective Dee (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52870) better, at least in terms of Chollywood (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57225) and Andy Lau.

I'll have a more complete review soon, after I get some tea in me.

[GeneChing]

Shaolin is well written - a cut above the average kung fu flick for sure. It's character driven, which stands to reason with Andy Lau in the lead. Lau has the acting chops to give his role plenty of gravitas, but it detracts somewhat from the final fight, as Lau isn't known for his martial skills. Fortunately, there's lots of other fights in the film, but the choreography relies heavily on wire work and CGI. many of the wire work jumps look hokey. The wire work falls are good however. There are some really good falling stunts. Jackie Chan is very Jackie Chan. He interjects some much needed humor in what is a generally depressing film about war ravaged peasants and brutal warlords. Jackie's scenes really stick out. Yu Hai (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=687), Wu Jing and of course Yanneng (aka Xingyu) all turn in some decent fights, once you get past the wire work. Their acting performances outshine their choreography however. If you practice Songshan Shaolin qixingquan (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51555), there's a lot of quick references to it. That makes it a better film for those who practice this form. The sets and costumes are spectacular. I love the look of the Shaolin Temple set, which was built to scale apparently. I also liked the costumes, which were opulent for the warlords and ragtag for the monks. I enjoyed the way the monks were depicted too - very compassionate - that's surely why the Abbot endorsed it. There were several scenes that I really liked - a bit over-romanticized views of Shaolin monks, but then I know too many of them personally, so I'm jaded in that regard. Yanneng is great. His character, well, it's just like I remember him. He really carries an authenticity for a Shaolin monk role.

This won't have the overwhelming impact of the 1982 film. How could it? That film changed everything. And I'm not sure how well it will play in America, if it ever gets here. It might do okay. It does have cartoonish Caucasian villains, but then, so does Ip Man 2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56421).

I'll have more to say in print in our next issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59604). I don't want to spoil it for anyone by saying much more...

[Hebrew Hammer]

Here's a link to watch it online if you want.

http://uploadville.com/544vfh2epr7z

[GeneChing]

I really enjoy Napolitano's coverage of Chollywood.


* February 10, 2011, 5:54 PM HKT
‘Shaolin’ and Director Benny Chan (http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2011/02/10/shaolin-and-director-benny-chan/)
By Dean Napolitano

“The Shaolin Temple” from 1982 was remarkable for two firsts: The movie marked Jet Li’s big-screen debut and it was the first time the legendary temple officially sanctioned any film. Almost three decades later, “Shaolin — the new movie from leading Hong Kong director Benny Chan — has become only the second film to earn the Zen Buddhist temple’s stamp of approval.

The film stars Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan, and takes place during the Warlord Era, after the fall of the Qing Dynasty in the early 20th century. Mr. Lau plays a brutal army leader who loses his wife and child in battle and retreats to the legendary Shaolin Temple in search of salvation.

“It’s totally different [from the Jet Li film,]” the 49-year-old director says. “Will the audience expect that Andy Lau can fight like Jet Li? I don’t think so. So first, I set up the drama. The story is more important than the action, but I know that the audience will expect action. Is it the same as Jet Li’s action? Of course not, but you will see something fresh.”

The 200-million-yuan ($30.5 million) production, which opened late last month, takes on an ancient icon, but it still showcases his cinematic trademark: super-charged excitement, tense drama and strong visuals.

Q. This is your fourth movie with Jackie Chan. How is your working relationship?

A. “Who Am I?” [1998] was the first time I worked with him. He was a big star and also the boss. At that moment I was a new film director and wanted to learn more about how to make a big-budget movie. The second time it was my story and my picture. He trusted me. I tried to change his acting style. You never see Jackie Chan cry in his movies. So for “New Police Story” [2004] I asked: “What is a hero?” Before that he was a superhero, but I wanted him to be a man. The third time, [with the 2006 action comedy “Rob-B-Hood] was the happiest time I worked with him. We didn’t need to say anything on the set because we knew each other.

Q. In recent years Hong Kong directors have focused on making films for the mainland China market. What are the challenges?

A. We try to balance. The difference with the cultures is the problem for us. But for me, I’m quite lucky because I make action movies—action movies are the international language. I want to make movies for the Hong Kong audience. But I know that because of the market, the investors focus on mainland China first.

Q. “Shaolin” is an action movie. But the film also has a softer side.

A. There are strong Buddhism beliefs that teach benevolence and forgiveness. I wanted to bring this message out in “Shaolin.”

[wenshu]

Just bought the DVD last night (along with a Theresa Tseng compilation, I'm such a softie, 月亮代表我的心。 。 。)

If I'm not in an insulin coma after my post training meal I'll start watching it tonight.

[Sardinkahnikov]

It is my opinion that the movie sucked pretty hard. They had the chance to make a quieter movie about kung fu and buddhism, but they passed this opportunity and created yet another cookie-cutter fearless/crouching dragon/hero-type boring flick that will just fade from your memory in the next day. The emo mustache twirling villain, the cringe-worthy, over-the-top acting...argh, so boring, dull, repetitive and uninteresting.

Highlights of the movie include shaolin monk getting drop kicked in the face, tho.

[wenshu]

It is my opinion that the movie sucked pretty hard. They had the chance to make a quieter movie about kung fu and buddhism, but they passed this opportunity and created yet another cookie-cutter fearless/crouching dragon/hero-type boring flick that will just fade from your memory in the next day. The emo mustache twirling villain, the cringe-worthy, over-the-top acting...argh, so boring, dull, repetitive and uninteresting.

Highlights of the movie include shaolin monk getting drop kicked in the face, tho.

Yeah, it was utter melodramatic drivel. That chase scene was cringe inducing.

To its credit, the director of photography did some interesting things in the beginning with the juxtaposition of the washed out grey/blue-greens and the ostentatiously ornate costumes during the parade. Obviously trying to bite Yimou, however even that devolved into an incoherent mish-mash by the mid point of the movie. No coherent unity of style whatsoever.

[LFJ]

i agree with the last two posts.

it was just a mostly boring violent movie about combating warlords. it seemed to have little to do with shaolin actually. shaolin temple was just the unfortunate setting for the fight between warlords.

jackie chan's part was minuscule and his character didnt know how to fight.

there were also no good shaolin training scenes or anything. not sure why it was called "shaolin" or "new shaolin temple".

[bawang]

i think the difference is the innocence and naivety of the original 80s movie is lost. china is westernizing and changing and people arent the same anymore, and the movies arent the same anymore.

[GeneChing]

That comment reminds me of a lot of Thai cinema, which has a heavy Buddhist influence given the religious bent of that country. I don't think I've ever seen a 'quiet' Thai movie. ;)

It's doing quite well in Asia.

Hard punches to kickstart wisdom (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/02/14/hard-punches-to-kickstart-wisdom/)
Tiberius Kerk
| February 14, 2011

Meet Andy Lau who stars in a martial arts film, which is not exactly his cup of tea, but is still entertaining.
MOVIE REVIEW

(Shaolin) Some diehard kung fu fans had an incredulous look on their faces when they found out that Andy Lau played the lead role in the latest Shaolin flick.

“You can’t be serious” was the usual reaction. Lau is an undeniably good actor and he has been around for decades but a martial arts film is not exactly up his street, let alone his back-alley.

But director Benny Chan obviously had more than one ace up his sleeves. Thus, Lau’s display of martial arts is confined to dazzling acrobatic moves engineered by some very thin, high tensile wires.

Seriously though, the story is above average. Once again, I am surprised by the quality of a Hong Kong movie. Hong Kong movie-makers have earned low marks from me for a long time.

Since those days when director Chang Cheh of Shaw Brothers Studios showed us all what he was capable of, kung fu movies from Hong Kong have fallen from its high pedestal to a deplorable and grimy bottom.

However in one word, Shaolin is entertaining. It is about an ambitious and suspicious warlord, general Hou Jie (Andy Lau) who is not content with eliminating other warlords but also sees compassion as a sign of weakness.

That is, until his right-hand man Cao Man (Nicholas Tse) decided to turn the tables on him and gave him a dose of his own medicine. In an ambush which was meant for Hou Jie’s “tai kor” (big brother in arms), Cao Man unleashed his band of assassins against both warlords and their families.

Despicable acts

Hou Jie barely escaped with his life but his young daughter is killed. Hou Jie’s wife is caught and imprisoned. The once all-powerful general Hou Jie is forced to take refuge at the Shaolin temple.

The chief abbot gave sanctuary to Hou Jie despite opposition from fellow monks because of the general’s past despicable acts of cruelty.

The message in Shaolin is clear. Mercy melts a cold heart faster than a thousand soothing words. Hou Jie began to realise his flawed past as Cao Man launched a manhunt for his former mentor.

The Shaolin plot is as transparent as the water from the temple well. It is simple and yet appealing. Somewhere in the labyrinth of walls comes the shaggy form of Jackie Chan who is the cook at the
Shaolin temple.

Lately, Chan has taken to playing vagabond or hobo roles. Perhaps it is the age factor, or maybe it’s just his propensity to humble himself before his legions of fans around the world but Chan seemed to wear the tattered robes of a simple peasant or a lowly kitchen cook rather well.

This is one of the few movies that Chan plays second fiddle to an actor whose reputation is not as noteworthy as his. But Chan does a proper job in fleshing out the whimsical character of a cook who lacks confidence in his own abilities.

The person who nearly stole the show from everyone else is Tse who came across as a convincing baddie whose blood-thirsty ways intensified as his power increased.

Tse won the Best Supporting Actor award last year for his role in Bodyguards and Assassins. He is proving to be a better actor than his dad, Patrick, who was the rage of the Cantonese film industry in
the 1950s and 1960s.

Scenic spots

Truth be told, the only character in Shaolin who is a true blue wushu exponent is Wu Jing (Jacky Wu) who plays a very competent monk called Jing Neng.

Wu Jing is an accomplished wushu exponent who has numerous national champion titles to his name. His martial arts forms in Shaolin reveal his fluidity and his indisputable prowess in the Chinese martial arts system.

The only pretty face in the crowded Shaolin hall of bland and tired-looking monks is Fan Bing Bing who plays Hou Jie’s wife. This talented actress from Qingdao, Shandong. has a long list of films in
her portfolio.

Her proficiency in a craft honed from an early age gives the movie the grit that it needed. Even though her role is minor, it is significant enough to add some weight to the story.

Some of the most memorable scenes in Shaolin are the breathtaking scenic spots in China. Director Chan has wisely added a number of lovely mountain scenes and courtyards of temples located in remote parts of China.

The Western faces were the “treacherous foreign devils” in this film are quite forgettable. In fact, it’s best we forget them. They not only looked wooden, they were downright awkward and oafish.

Still, the pyrotechnics gave Shaolin an explosive conclusion seldom seen in Hong Kong films.

[LFJ]

Truth be told, the only character in Shaolin who is a true blue wushu exponent is Wu Jing (Jacky Wu) who plays a very competent monk called Jing Neng.

What?? Xingyu is actually from Shaolin...

[GeneChing]

Never mind Yu Hai (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=688) either..:rolleyes:

[SPJ]

the movie is ok.

1. warlord is depicted about their greed to grab more land and wealth and take up more that they ever need such as care for family--

in contrast, shaolin monks saw thru this, helping those in need such as feeding the refuge from war torn china

2. foreigners were depicted about their greed to plunder more and more including chinese treasure from china

3. in the world of greed, crazinese/not knowing things clearly, never enough/satisfied--

tan chi cheng

these are hurdles or barriers every one has to see thru--

In contrast, shaolin monks would fight and die for helping those in need including children and women--

warlords and westerners are fighting for more wealth, resources, more land

colony in africa, thruout asia, and splitting control of china

andy lau is a patriot, he would not sleep well till all his opponent are out of action

it is a sarcasm for you know who

lau's protege is clueless about what he is fighting for, money more money, bloodshed more bloodshed, destroying shaolin temple, selling out treasures to foreigners, he is really a "dog" or servant for greed or insatiable greed over everything else---

--

it is about human nature vs monkhood

it is another classic by itself

---

:cool:

[LFJ]

3. in the world of greed, crazinese/not knowing things clearly, never enough/satisfied--

tan chi cheng

You mean the three poisons of the mind; greed, anger, and delusion (tān, chēn, chī 贪嗔痴)?

[SPJ]

yes. or something to that effect.

Jackie always wanted to be comedian or chou jue 丑角

he was very successful at his role, by the way the lead characters are several others and dynamic among them are good

fight for what you believe

but fight for a good cause (good for many) and not a selfish one--


etc etc

[GeneChing]

My cover story, The Movie Monk, is on Shi Xingyu aka Shi Yanneng.

Shaolin Special 2011
(http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=955)

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/images/mzine/COV2011_03.jpg

[rachard1583]

Interesting facts about the , Shaolin was originally slated for a late 2010 release.The film was released in China on January 19, 2011 and in Hong Kong on January 27 2011. Shaolin premiered as number one in the Hong Kong box office, grossing $592,046 during its first week. The film also premiered at number one in the Thailand and Singapore box offices during opening week.


russian martial arts (http://www.kgb-militaryschool.com/view/video )

[shaolin_allan]

Hey everyone I just watched the new Shaolin movie. In a scene during the movie the newest monk who was a general is doing a form in front of a bell with a little kid monk. The form looks like qixing to me I was just wondering if anyone else knows what form that is?

[GeneChing]

But that film was filled with qixing.

I'm merging this with the Shaolin thread.

[LFJ]

Yes, it is Qixingquan. It's basically the only set they do in the entire movie. They did it in a large group out on the training yard earlier in the movie.

Shi Yongzhi taught it to the actors.

[shaolin_allan]

cool thanks for the replies everyone. who here trains qixing in their regimen?

[GeneChing]

Review the earlier part of this thread as we discuss it. Here's our qixing thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51555)again.

My two favorite parts of this film were 1. all the qixing and 2. seeing an old friend, Shi Xingyu (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=959), in a lead role.

[LFJ]

Review the earlier part of this thread as we discuss it. Here's our qixing thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51555)again.

As I was the original poster in that thread, you can add me as another fellow practitioner of this style. It's one of my favorites. Very unique feeling, yet practical.

[shaolin_allan]

does qixing use fa jing similar to chen taiji?

[sha0lin1]

cool thanks for the replies everyone. who here trains qixing in their regimen?

You can count me in as well, and the related form Chang Hu Xin Yi Men.

[GeneChing]

We don't have a Let The Bullets Fly thread.

Bullets finds US target (http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/bullets-finds-us-target)
By Patrick Frater
Wed, 06 July 2011, 13:06 PM (HKT)

Record-breaking Chinese film Let The Bullets Fly has been acquired for North American release by WellGoUSA.

The film, which scored $100 million at the Chinese box office on its December 2010 release, was one of four titles licensed by Hong Kong's Emperor Motion Pictures to the specialist distributor. Others included Andy Lau-starring Shaolin, The Stool Pigeon and Triple Tap.

"This acquisition solidifies our position as the leading distributor of Asian films to the North American market," said WellGoUSA president Doris Pfardrescher. "We are confident that these films which have done so well in our home territory will now enjoy a much wider Western audience base," said EMP CEO Albert Lee in a statement.

WellGoUSA has evolved from a base in home entertainment into theatrical releasing. It has acquired Little Big Soldier, Chen Zhen: The Legend of the Fist and Ip Man 2. It is planning a day-and-date release for upcoming Jackie Chan film 1911.

Bullets is expected to receive a release in early 2012.

[GeneChing]

"opens in the U.S. in September"

Shaolin: Film Review (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/shaolin-film-review-210852)
5:55 PM 7/13/2011 by Maggie Lee

The Bottom Line
A well-mounted but soft-edged reinterpretation of a martial arts classic that gives precedence to drama over action.

Director-producer
Benny Chan

Screenwriters
Cheung Chi-kwong, Wang Qiuyu, Chan Kam-cheong, Zhang Tan

Cast
Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse, Jackie Chan

Benny Chan's redo of famed Hong Kong martial-arts blockbuster "Shaolin Temple" charts the hubris and spiritual rebirth of a warlord rather than focusing on hardcore action.

HONG KONG — Benny Chan’s Shaolin is inspired by but not exactly a nostalgic homage to martial arts blockbuster Shaolin Temple (1982), which heralded the screen debut of Jet Li. Substantial rewriting of Alan Yuen’s original story by the screenplay team has significantly altered the philosophy and screen representation of martial arts. Instead of vengeance, the theme is repentance and forgiveness, as it charts the hubris and spiritual rebirth of a warlord. Directed with feeling for its richly layered protagonists, the film is elevated by its emotional complexity but simultaneously dragged down by the relative shortage of propulsive, hardcore action.

Shrewdly marketed to spark associations with its predecessor, which was an international breakout hit and still a standard bearer in the genre, the distributor cut nice deals across three continents. The film, which recently played in the New York Asian Film Festival, opens in the U.S. in September.

Upon the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1920s, China is embroiled in a power struggle between the republican government and lawless warlords, such as the protagonist Hou Chieh (Andy Lau). After a victorious turf war in Dengfeng, a town in Henan province, Hou becomes so puffed up with pride that he begins to see his sworn brother General Sung as a rival and threat. He ensnares Sung to a banquet to bump him off only to be double-crossed by trusted captain Tsao Man (Nicholas Tse), who engineered this to kill two birds with one stone.

Hou escapes with his fatally injured daughter Nan to nearby Shaolin Temple, where he repents and eventually ordains as a monk. His chance to atone for his sins arrives when Tsao lays siege against Shaolin to stop them from uncovering his conspiracy with a foreign arms dealer.

An early chase scene in which Hou courses through streets performing stunts between chariots and cliffs, as well as Tsao’s final assault on the temple are logistical feats that demonstrate Chan’s métier at making action of Brobdingnagian scale interesting in a cinematic way. The problem is, there are not enough of such set pieces to go around the drama-driven narrative, which does feel a bit long-winded for its two-hour plus duration.

The 1982 verison boosted titular Monastery’s image as the cradle of Chinese martial arts by rolling out hordes of national caliber “wushu” artists performing authentic moves with the synchronicity of North Korean cheerleaders. Shaolinalso inserts a handful of scenes of monks in awesome poses framed in artsy compositions but they ultimately serve a decorative function.

Corey Yuen’s (X-Men, Red CliffI&II) martial arts choreography tends towards decorous rather than dynamic. He is probably hamstrung by his leads Lau and Tse, who no matter how diligently they drilled, cannot measure up to Jet Li’s level. National “wushu” (martial arts) champion Wu Jing (SPL, Invisible Target) is allotted the meatiest action sequences and he displays impressive physical clout. Pity his role as an upright senior monk is so bland.

The casting of Jackie Chanalso delivers less than it promises. Playing Wudao, a goofy monk who becomes Hou’s spiritual mentor, the action superstar makes a belated entrance one hour into the film, only to show off his cooking skills rather than his signature danger-defying stunts. He does put wok and fish-slice to acrobatic use in a much later scene, but no matter how good-natured and crowd-pleasing, his role is ultimately one of minor comic relief.

Where Shaolinhas one-up on most Chinese action blockbusters, which are increasingly driven by spectacle alone, is the finely tuned screenplay, which takes the time to chart the protagonists’ moral trajectory instead of making them change overnight for plot convenience. Hou’s feelings toward his wife (Fan Bingbing) takes on surprising depth as his earthly love is sublimated into a higher state of compassion.

Nor is the relationship between the two male protagonists a simple equation of good and evil, since Tsao is like a shadow of Hou’s former self. Their final duel packs a genuine emotional wallop, as Hou’s intention is not to defeat Tsao, but to enlighten him. A beautiful sequence designed around a giant Buddha statue evokes spiritual serenity.

If the action underwhelms, spectacle comes in the form of the imposing sets, constructed as one-to-one models of the real site.

Opens: Sept. 9 in U.S. (Well Go)
Production companies: Emperor Classic Films Co. Ltd., China Film Group, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, Beijing Silver Moon Productions, Shaolin Temple Culture Communications Company present
Cast: Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse, Jackie Chan, Wu Jing, Fan Bingbing, Yu Shaoqun
Director: Benny Chan
Screenwriters: Cheung Chi-kwong, Wang Qiuyu, Chan Kam-cheong, Zhang Tan
Original screenplay: Alan Yuen
Chief producer: Shi Yongxin
Producer: Albert Lee, Benny Chan
Executive producers: Albert Yeung, Han Sanping, Wang Zhongjun, Xue Guizhi, Fu Huayang
Director of photography: Pun Yiu-ming
Production designer: Yee Chung-man
Music: Nicolas Errera, Anthony Chue
Costume designer: Stanley Cheung
Editor: Yau Chi-wai
Sales: Emperor Motion Pictures
No rating, 131 minutes

[GeneChing]

I've hyperlinked the official U.S. website and trailer in this article.

Watch: Awesome Trailer for 'Shaolin' Starring Andy Lau & Jackie Chan (http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/watch-awesome-trailer-for-shaolin-starring-andy-lau-jackie-chan/)
August 1, 2011
Source: Apple
by Alex Billington
Benny Chan's Shaolin Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1LFF_BsahY)

Protect the Temple! Well Go USA & Variance Films have debuted the official US trailer for Shaolin, a kung fu action drama from director Benny Chan (New Police Story, Robin-B-Hood) starring quite a kick ass cast: Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse, Fan Bingbing and even Jackie Chan. The rather expansive story follows a ruthless General Hou (Lau) who must take shelter at a Shaolin temple, then begins to learn their ways, but of course the past inevitably always catches up. I honestly hadn't heard of this before, but it kicks ass and I really want to see it! Just looks like an awesome film with some great action, I need to see it! Check this out.

In a land torn by strife, the righteous Shaolin monks stand as a beacon of hope for the oppressed masses.

Shaolin, originally known as Xin Shao Lin Si in Mandarin, is directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Benny Chan, of films like Big Bullet, Jackie Chan's Who Am I?, Gen-X Cops, New Police Story, Divergence, Robin-B-Hood and City Under Siege previously. The screenplay was written by Chi Kwong Cheung, Zhang Tan & Alan Yuen. This was already released in Hong Kong in January this year, but Well Go USA & Variance Films will be releasing it in the US in limited theaters starting September 9th this fall. Visit the official website. (http://www.shaolinmovie-us.com/)

[GeneChing]

Couldn't resist an Epoch Times review:

Movie Review: Shaolin (http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/movie-review-shaolin-61245.html)
By Joe Bendel Created: Sep 6, 2011 Last Updated: Sep 6, 2011
Respect These Monks

A scene from the action-drama film "Shaolin." (Variance Films Inc.)
The Shaolin monks of the early 20th century Chinese Republic were highly skilled practitioners of the martial arts. Brothers of charitable mercy, they believed in turning the other cheek. However, they could only be pushed so far, as one power-mad warlord learns in Benny Chan’s “Shaolin.”

When Hou Jie’s vanquished rival took refuge in the Shaolin monastery, the warlord went in after him. Hou Jie’s hubris told him he was on the brink of permanently consolidating his control over the region, but karma will say otherwise.

A scene from the action-drama film "Shaolin." (Variance Films Inc.)
Expecting to betray a key ally at the dinner celebrating their young children’s arranged marriage, Hou Jie finds himself triple-crossed by his lieutenant, Cao Man. Escaping with his life, the fallen warlord finds sanctuary with the very monks he so lately dissed.

Mourning his daughter, Hou Jie shaves his head, finding solace in the life of a novice. Of course, his former “little brother” is still out for his head, but Cao Man is also busy colluding with the evil Westerners, using up and discarding desperate workers in their malevolent public works projects, which at least have the merit of being “shovel-ready.” A spectacular showdown is inevitable, especially considering the monks’ Robin Hood relief work.

A scene from the action-drama film "Shaolin." (Variance Films Inc.)
A richly detailed period production, Yee Chung-man’s design team meticulously recreated the imposing Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, for the express purpose of watching it all eventually come crashing down. In fact, the audience is so thoroughly immersed in the ancient sets that it is difficult to get an accurate read on the film’s exact timeframe.

Action director Corey Yuen (who served a similar role on little films like “The Expendables,” “X-Men,” and “Red Cliff”) choreographs some impressive fight sequences, including both the sweeping macrobattles and the hand-to-hand combat at the micro level.

Andy Lau is appropriately intense as Hou Jie, convincingly handling the action sequences as well as his character’s transition to Zen-like resignation, if not full enlightenment. As an added bonus, Bingbing Fan is as radiant as ever in portraying his grieving wife Yan Xi.

Aside from the clichéd white-devil imperialist villain (an already tired convention of Chinese popular film), “Shaolin” is quite a rich martial arts morality play. Frankly, it is refreshing to see a film with genuine respect for religious service that also takes themes of redemption profoundly seriously. It also delivers ample spectacle and a generous supply of action.

Enthusiastically recommended, “Shaolin” opens this Friday (9/9) in New York at the Cinema Village.

Shaolin
Director: Benny Chan
Cast: Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse, Bingbing Fan
Running Time: 131 minutes
Rating: R
In Mandarin and Cantonese with English subtitles

Joe Bendel writes about independent film and jazz and lives in New York. To read his most recent articles, please visit http://jbspins.blogspot.com.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 According to the official U.S. site for Shaolin (http://www.shaolinmovie-us.com/), it will be released in 9 theaters in the U.S this Friday. It's the same weekend that Warrior (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51936) premieres, which will be released in 1700 theaters.

Here's the list:


opening september 9
Austin, TX - Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek
Dallas, TX - Texas Theatre
Denver, CO - Denver FilmCenter/Colfax
Honolulu, HI - Pearlridge 16
Los Angeles, CA - Laemmle Sunset 5
New York, NY - Cinema Village
Phoenix, AZ - FilmBar
San Diego, CA - Gaslamp 16
San Fransisco, CA - Four Star Theater

opening september 16
Portland, OR - Hollywood Theatere
Los Angeles, CA - CGV Cinemas

opening september 22
Salt Lake City, UT - The Art House Cinema

opening september 23
Philadelphia, PA - Cinema 16:9
San Francisco is misspelled. :o

[GeneChing]

Some fresh reviews.


Shaolin (2011) (http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/movies/warlords-face-off-in-shaolin-review.html)
Variance Films/Well Go USA
“Shaolin” stars Andy Lau whose character, a warlord in China, becomes a monk who ends up fighting his former protégé.
Buddha Stars in a Kung-Fu Flick
By RACHEL SALTZ
Published: September 8, 2011

Sadistic warlords square off against noble monks in “Shaolin,” Benny Chan’s satisfying kung-fu action-and-redemption film starring Andy Lau. If the movie feels old-school (with new-school production values), consider its pedigree. It’s no wonder: “Shaolin” is a reimagining of the 1982 “Shaolin Temple,” in which Jet Li made his debut.

“It’s never wrong to strike first,” says Mr. Lau’s Hou, a warlord in early Republican China whose Machiavellian scheming leads him to disaster. Hou finds refuge at the Shaolin temple, whose sanctity he has earlier violated and mocked. Repentant, he becomes a monk, focusing his steely concentration (Mr. Lau gives good glare) on kung-fu discipline and Buddhist right action. And he’s needed to fight the good fight against his former protégé, the sneeringly cruel Cao Man (Nicholas Tse), who is wreaking havoc on the land and people.

With its oppressed masses; its muted palette of browns, grays and greens — all the better to set off a golden statue of the Buddha — and its elegant if bloody fights (so many knives through chests), “Shaolin” fits in the more somber kung-fu tradition. But it also finds room for the genre’s comic strain. Jackie Chan plays an older monk, a cook who never excelled at the martial arts (!) but knows his way around a wok. “Stir-fry them like vegetables!” one of his young disciples screams when bad guys attack him. And so he does, before kneading them like dumpling dough. A different kind of redemption, though, features in the climactic battle as Hou, the former sinner, falls — quite literally — into Buddha’s embrace.

SHAOLIN

Opens on Friday in New York and Los Angeles.

Directed by Benny Chan; action director, Cory Yuen; director of photography, Anthony Pun; production design by Yee Chung-man; released by Well Go USA and Variance Films. In Manhattan at the Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, Greenwich Village. In Cantonese and Mandarin, with English subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 11 minutes. This film is not rated.

WITH: Andy Lau (Hou Jie), Nicholas Tse (Cao Man), Jackie Chan (Wu Dao), Wu Jing (Jing Neng), Fan Bingbing (Yan Xi) and Yu Hai (the Abbot).



Finding Redemption (And New Moves) In 'Shaolin' (http://www.npr.org/2011/09/08/140146859/finding-redemption-and-new-moves-in-shaolin)
by Mark Jenkins

Shaolin

Director: Benny Chan
Genres: Action, Melodrama
Running Time: 131 minutes

Not rated; violence

In Mandarin with English subtitles
text size A A A
September 8, 2011

After more than two hours of kicking, punching and slashing on the part of Shaolin monks — including some real ones in supporting roles — Shaolin ends with a disclaimer: The movie "should not be construed religiously for the understanding and appreciation of the Buddhist faith."

In other words, kung fu fans: Do as the badass monks say, not as they do.

Shaolin monks are a staple of Chinese-Hong Kong co-productions, of course, but director Benny Chan's melodrama treats them more seriously than most. Perhaps because the fabled monastery cooperated with this particular enterprise, the filmmakers have crafted an action scenario that's fairly ... well, Buddhist. Shaolin is a tale of monstrous evil, spiritual transformation and ultimate self-sacrifice, all rendered in a subdued, misty palette.

If the movie is grimmer than most battling-monk flicks, that's partially because it's set in the 1920s. Railroads, machine guns and electricity — all presented as ominous — have arrived in China; several scenes depicting mass graves foreshadow the horrors of the Sino-Japanese War and Maoism.

Despite these historical shadows, the story is more theatrical than realistic. Ruthless warlord Hou (Infernal Affairs' Andy Lau) has just conquered his enemies, and is plotting how to defeat his friends. Bringing his beloved wife and daughter to give the illusion of peaceability, Hou meets Song (Shi Xiaohong) at the sort of elaborate multi-level restaurant that in kung fu movies always guarantees a major fight scene.

When the battle's over, both Hou and Song have lost. Hou and his family seek refuge at the Shaolin Temple — the very place he'd previously desecrated while searching for an adversary. He gradually comes to accept the temple's ethos, in part because of the example set by Wudao, a humble cook who insists that kung fu is "beyond me."

Meanwhile, Hou's former lieutenant Cao (Nicholas Tse) takes control of the area, making a deal with the British looters Hou had rejected. To ensure that his treasonous activities remain secret, he regularly massacres the peasants who work for him.

The temple's monks pursue a rigorous regimen of physical and mental training — but some leaven it with an irrepressible humor.

Some of the monks bend their vows, stealing rice for the poor and rescuing laborers who would otherwise be doomed. Finally, Cao and his troops invade the temple, and the upstart has a one-on-one showdown with his former commander, who by now become an exemplary Buddhist — and crackerjack martial artist.

Choreographed by the great Corey Yuen, Shaolin features a half-dozen impressive action set pieces, including an elaborate carriage chase and a battle inside the cages where Cao imprisons his workers. There's also a comic scuffle in which Wudao — played by Jackie Chan — uses his culinary skills to knead and flip attackers as if they were so many dumplings.

Both Lau and Tse are Cantopop vocalists as well as cop-movie regulars, but Shaolin doesn't burst into song until the final credits. Yet the movie does include fanciful touches that border on the operatic: A man's tears turn into a rainstorm, and a fallen monk slips into the giant hands of a Buddha statue.

Shaolin's isn't quite distinct enough stand apart from the many other Hong Kong and Chinese movies (including Infernal Affairs) that riff on Buddhist precepts. But with its particular mix of bedlam and piety, it might at least improve the filmmakers' karma.

[GeneChing]

The U.S. premiere reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.


Movie review: 'Shaolin' (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-shaolin-20110909,0,1923636.story)
The kung fu is furious and the body count is high.
By Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times Film Critic
September 9, 2011

"Shaolin," with its feuding warlords and fighting monks in '20s era China, is a sprawling popcorn blast of action kept spinning with crazy cool kung fu, tons of fake spurting blood (I think everyone had a packet clinched in their teeth) and slacker improvised, or inspired, U.S. subtitles.

How else to explain the warlord who growls at his No. 2, "You just don't get the drift…" while he's choking him. Maybe to death.

This is, however, exactly the drift you can expect when Hong Kong action impresario Benny Chan, with 20-plus very energetic fighting flicks under his black belt, is in charge. The director has never met a battle sequence he didn't want to extend — the better to slice and dice a few more bodies. Sharp-edged blades come in all shapes and sizes in "Shaolin," but machine guns, mortars and the rest are making their brutal, cultural debut.

There are bodies galore littering a battlefield to open the film, as the monks of Shaolin Temple pick through the carnage, sending the dead off to their next life and looking for the living. The devastation has been wrought by Gen. Hou Jie, with Andy Lau ("House of Flying Daggers," "Warlords") wonderful to watch per usual. Hou has more than a little help from his eager-to-please No. 2, Cao Man, a dark brooding grudge holder well played by Nicholas Tse ("The Promise").

To set up the conflict to come, Hou's rival has survived that first battle and is seeking shelter with the Buddhist monks of the legendary Shaolin temple, which gives the film its name and its inspiration. Chan chose a different page from history, setting his film more than 1,000 years after 1982's "The Shaolin Temple," which starred Jet Li and unfolded during the Tang Dynasty, and a few decades before Quentin Tarantino started visiting in "Kill Bill: Vol. 2."

The monks are an eclectic group that range from the ancient and wise to the young and reckless with martial arts movie master Jackie Chan as a very amusing baking buffoon in the middle. Theirs is a religion of peace but also preparedness — hours each day spent training in Shaolin Kung Fu, a super-fast brand that the monks teach at their World's School of Martial Arts.

The standoff between Hou and his rival on the temple grounds proves to be only the first of the film's fateful turning points. The general teaches his cruel acolyte Cao a lesson. But then the worm turns, and there are a series of betrayals and comeuppance that send Hou on a journey of enlightenment. Lau is responsible for most of the film's emotional depth, to which he brings a captivating introspective intensity. There's a secondary story line designed to lighten things up, when a few of the monks undertake a steal-from-the-rich plan to aide hungry peasants. But it doesn't really pay off, instead becoming a distraction from the main event.

Beyond the art of warfare, there is plenty of ancient wisdom dispensed by the monks. Chan is especially entertaining as the self-deprecating cook whose noodle kneading turns out to be as instructive as the hours the monks spend in martial arts training sessions. The kung fu itself is great fun to watch, from the discipline of balancing on one foot on a wooden pillar, the other in the air, for hours at a time to the confrontations that send fist and feet flying.

[Jimbo]

I enjoyed it. It was better than I expected it to be. Not so much for the fight scenes, which, IMO, seem pretty standard for these types of movies nowadays. Andy Lau did a great acting job, and I liked the story. My only complaint would be that it seems most of the movie was filmed in fairly dim light. IDK if it only seems that way when you watch it in the theater. This made most of the fights hard to see.

One of the things I really liked was that they departed from the flashy wushu style in the training scenes. I know next to nothing about Shaolin, except what I've read in KFM. :) But the training and forms look traditional.

A reviewer for one of the local free magazines pretty much ripped this movie, calling it "ho-hum" and "ridiculous." I have to admit I wasn't expecting much, either, but I liked it enough that I won't mind owning it when it becomes available.

[GeneChing]

I wonder if Well Go USA has seen our 2011 Shaolin issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=955).

Shaolin Spares with DVD, BD (http://dvd.ign.com/articles/119/1195218p1.html)
Standard and Collector's Editions due.
September 19, 2011
by David McCutcheon

Well Go USA has been releasing some great martial arts epics on DVD and Blu-ray for years now, bringing some classic Asian pop culture staples to North America at a workmanlike pace. This time around, they will be unveiling Shaolin featuring Jackie Chan to both formats on October 25, 2011. There will be a standard edition, as well as a Collector's Edition. The Collector's Edition features extensive bonus materials including deleted scenes and a "Making of" featurette

In the early years of the Republic, China has been plunged into chaos as feuding warlords battle to expand their power and their lands. Young army leader Hou Chieh (Andy Lau) and his sworn brother Tsao Man (Nicholas Tse) find themselves on opposing sides as the war escalates. The ultimate battle ensues when the army is set to besiege the peaceful Shaolin Temple and the peace-loving monks are forced to take up arms to protect their people and beloved temple.

The DVD will be available for the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) of $24.98, while the Blu-ray will run at the MSRP of $29.98. If you're going Collector's style, you'll need to plunk down $32.98 for the Blu-ray. The DVD Collector's Edition comes packed in with the regular Blu-ray version.

The releases will feature the following bonus materials:

-- Behind the scenes interviews (including interview with Shaolin Abbot)
-- Making of Featurette
-- Deleted Scenes

[GeneChing]

While this film didn't have nearly the impact we would have hoped for, it it getting a lot of global exposure via streaming.

Netflix vs Lovefilm Instant: Study suggests you need both (http://crave.cnet.co.uk/homecinema/netflix-vs-lovefilm-instant-study-suggests-you-need-both-50010180/)
By Luke Westaway on 16 January 2013, 6:03pm

Struggling to decide whether Netflix or Lovefilm Instant is a more comprehensive streaming service? A new number-crunching study suggests you need to splash out for both, as almost every film or TV show available for streaming in the UK is exclusive to one or the other, but not both.

Statistics from Oric, a site we've previously covered that lists where you can legally watch TV shows online, shows that Lovefilm Instant offers a total of 3,284 movies, 3,015 of which are Lovefilm exclusives. Netflix, on the other hand, has a total of 1,668 films in its roster, 1,399 of which can't be found on Lovefilm.

Of films that came out in 2012, not a single one can be found on both services. And of the 187 movies released in 2011 that are present on both Lovefilm and Netflix, only one film (Hong Kong chop-socker Shaolin) can be found on both. The bottom line -- if you want anything even approaching a comprehensive movie and TV selection, you need to subscribe to both services.

On the TV front, only Netflix has popular shows such as Arrested Development, Breaking Bad and Dexter, while only Lovefilm gets 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica and The Tudors. Lovefilm is lacking in The Thick of It, but curiously does lay claim to the special episodes.

Netflix has 412 TV shows in total, 322 of which can't be found on Lovefilm. Conversely, Lovefilm has 300 TV shows, 210 of which don't feature on the rival services.

But which one should I choose?

Deciding which service is better is a near-impossible task, as raw numbers of available films and TV shows don't indicate the quality of what's available (Nude Nuns with Big Guns is one of the few films available on both services, for example). Netflix deserves a bit of credit for featuring 41 films that were released last year, however, compared to Lovefilm Instant's more meagre 18.

It's fair to say, then, that Netflix is more up to date, while Lovefilm is more comprehensive. Netflix costs £5.99 per month, whereas Lovefilm Instant costs £4.99.

It's dismaying, however, to see how far we are in the UK from a service that's approaching something all-encompassing (unless you splash out for a pricey Sky subscription). I'm sure I'm not the only Brit who hates flicking from Netflix to iPlayer to the Xbox trying to find my favourite shows.

It's also worth noting that in the UK we're privy to far fewer titles than the US enjoys -- Netflix has a total of 1,668 movies in the UK for example, compared to 9,153 available flicks in the US.

[Orion Paximus]

It was cool and all, but the monks weren't very Buddha like lol.

[David Jamieson]

Just watched this over the holidays.
I thought it was alright overall.

Some parts were a bit... well, not that great, but it was a good flick.
Anyone else see it?
What did you think?

[David Jamieson]

oh, one other thing. What are the rules for animal treatment in films made there? Because I'm pretty sure they hurt some horses very badly in the making of that.

[GeneChing]

Animal treatment is something they will have to address if they want that global blockbuster to happen.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1maE-vjEsY