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Thread: Dragon Blade

  1. #31
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    continued from previous


    Jackie Chan at the Far East Festival
    Far East Festival Jackie Chan at the Far East Festival

    How do you feel about the Americanization of Chinese culture? For how long do you think it would be possible for China to preserve its unique Ancient culture?

    A long time ago, I tried to bring the Chinese culture to America but that wasn't a success. I mean, at that time there was "Cannonball Run," "The Protector." And I used Chinese action and Chinese culture but it just didn't work. I think it was the wrong timing but now, over thirty years later, I went to America because America invited me. So, when I go to America, I still do the same kind of action, the same kind of comedy and it's the right timing, the right moment and the right mood. But, I think America is a free country; they like everything but when you bring something in, are you bringing it at the right time, at the right moment? That's all. And, right now, China is probably – I don't know yet – the biggest market in the world. I think it's time to bring not only American culture to China, but whole Asia. Everything in China should be like a collaboration movie with Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia. Film is the international language and we should combine everything together.

    How do you feel about the fact that Wuxia and the tradition on martial arts you were raised on have become the predominant style of action across global cinema?

    Of course, I am very happy! Because, we're talking about a long, long time ago, about Wong Yue, Bruce Lee, and so many who have followed in their footsteps and continued to promote our culture throughout the world and I believe that after me, there will still be a few more people who will continue in my footsteps. And, just like there are so many American directors and actors who promote American culture to the world, it's the same thing; we accept our culture, we learn it and we try to return something to it. If everybody knows everybody's culture, there would be no more wars and no more misunderstandings. I think culture, film and music are very important.

    My impression, and you have confirmed it, is that Hollywood is producing less films involving real martial artists than in the past. What, in your opinion, has changed in the world of action films?

    Because martial arts films are difficult to shoot, it's not easy, you know. You have to have an actor who can really fight and then you can do "Papapapapammm" [Chan shows a move] and use a sword for everything. But, honestly, in Hollywood, not many actors know martial arts! Maybe they know action like Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone – they like boxing, that's a different kind. So, if they use a special effect, like in Batman or Superman, good, they can use a special effect to do all kinds of action.

    Sometimes, the action is even better than my action! Like in "300," I was like "Wow! That's so good!" So, they spend a lot of money to create this kind of action and I think it's ten times better than mine but they don't really use the action. Liam Neeson, for instance, is not an action star, but they can use a small shot and make him become an action star. There's actor action star and there's action star. It's different. Now, Liam Neeson is an actor action star. First, he can act and his action is easy. There's easy action and difficult action and easy action is just like Matt Damon and "Bourne Identity." They can use a camera and "Papapapapammm" [Chan shows a move] and, it's so good! And, even I see it and I'm like, "Wow! Matt Damon can fight that good!" My kind of action is the difficult action. But, the audience doesn't know that. They just want to see good or bad, that's all!

    In "Shanghai Noon," for instance, the two tomahawks were real tomahawks! Eeeeyyyuuuuu! [Chan does the motion of throwing a tomahawk in the air] When I use explosions, I want to use a real explosion behind me. Sometimes, when I make a Hollywood film, they say "Jackie! Action! Act scared!" And there's nothing behind me! They just use pretend scare… When you see the Asian films that I make, I am really scared! You can tell from the face! Maybe I like the excitement! I'm stupid, that's all. But, sometimes I like stupid and also the audience, they like to see Jackie stupid!


    Jackie Chan at the Far East Festival
    Far East Festival Jackie Chan at the Far East Festival

    Nowadays, the success of a film is measured by the success of its box office results. There are some films that have had a poor result at the box office but have nonetheless greatly influenced pop culture and filmmaking. How do you measure the success of a film?

    For me, when I was young, a long, long time ago, the box office result was very important because if there were no box office, nobody would invite me. And, making money came first, and then the quality because I had to feed my family and myself. And, slowly, when my movies were successful, then I would think about being an actor, a producer, a director. We do have the responsibility towards society, towards the world and this is why, for example, when I made "Drunken Master," it was only drinking, fighting, drinking, fighting -- and when I got older, I realized it was the wrong message! So, I made "Drunken Master II" and the message was: don't drink, don't fight.
    "Today, I don't need money. I have enough money already." Jackie Chan

    I had to correct myself and now, when I am making a movie, it's about not the box office anymore. I want to make the movie I want to make. I want to speak out the things in the movie. I want every movie to have a message, just like "Dragon Blade." Of course, if the box office is good and the credit is good, it all makes me happy and if the box office is not good, it still makes me happy, mostly because I speak out my message. Today, I don't need money. I have enough money already. I want to do something right for when I pass away, for when, in a hundred years, your grandchildren and my grandchildren can say, "That's some movie! It's very good!" and they can forget "Drunken Master" and talk about who I am or "Dragon Blade." That would make me happy. Some movies made a lot of money and people, boom, they forget… but some movies don't make any money but people, 20 or 50 years later are still talking about it and that's what I want!

    You once said that you love action but that you hate violence. This is kind of a conflict of interest, isn't it? How do you deal with it?

    It's a very big dilemma indeed! People always think that action is violence so it's quite a dilemma! Yes, you're right! I just do the best I can to show the whole world, you know, that violence is wrong.

    What are your next projects? There are a lot of rumors about a sequel to "The Karate Kid." Can you talk about that?

    I think that, in a way, I have already planned the next eight years of my life, almost. Next month, I will start a film called "Railroad Tiger" or something like that. Later on, the title might change... I just translated literally "Railroad Tiger"... Then, I'm doing a Kung Fu yoga film in India, and after that, "Civilian" and the director will probably be Peter Segal and then probably something with Michael Campbell and then again something with Daniel Lee; then "Chinese Zodiac 2" with myself directing again and after that, "Police Story 2."

    There are just so many things going on! I think that I just like the challenge! Every movie is different! I want the audience to see every year a different Jackie Chan. This year, at Christmas, "Skiptrace" will be released. It's an action comedy with Johnny Knoxville. And, for "The Karate Kid 2," right now, it's almost the third or fourth draft and Will Smith is concentrating very seriously on it. Every time he gives me a call and says that the script is almost ready, I tell him, "Hurry up! Otherwise, your young son will be taller than me!" Also, there's probably a "Shanghai Dawn" coming to and "Rush Hour 4" -- no, I'm just joking!
    Alas, the Hollywood Jackie flicks...
    Gene Ching
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  2. #32
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    Huading awarded

    Adrien Brody, Jackie Chan Among Winners at China's Huading Awards


    Huading Film Awards

    by Abid Rahman
    6/1/2015 9:49pm PDT

    Adrien Brody and Jackie Chan were among the winners at the 16th Huading Film Awards that took place in Hong Kong on Sunday.

    The stars of the Chinese historical action film Dragon Blade picked up awards for best supporting actor (Brody) and best original song (sung by Chan). The film, that's made $120 million in China alone, also picked up the award for the best action director.

    Brody greeted the audience with Mandarin when accepting award and thanked Chan and Dragon Blade director Feng Xiaogang. Also at the ceremony, Chan performed the winning song "The Heroes of the Gobi", and upon accepting the award joked that "the lyrics sold the movie, not my voice."

    Overall, Hong Kong director Peter Chan’s movie The Dearest was the big winner on the night, winning best picture, best director, and best actress.

    The Huading Film Awards are described as China's version of the People's Choice Awards as the honors are given out based on public voting. Unlike other awards ceremonies, the location of the Huading Awards is not fixed with previous editions held in Macau and Hollywood. The awards honor stars from around the world and previous winners include Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Irons, Quentin Tarantino, Halle Berry and Chris Hemsworth.

    The 18th edition the Huading Awards will return to Hollywood this year the organizers confirmed.
    Still wondering about a U.S. release for this film....
    Gene Ching
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  3. #33
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    Sep 4th for U.S. theatrical and VOD release

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  4. #34
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    September 4, 2015

    Coming to AMC (Wanda) of course. I suspect this release will be akin to what happened with Chinese Zodiac. That's alright though, as I think this film has even less U.S. appeal than CZ did, and a lot of people hated on CZ.

    Dragon Blade



    Coming Soon

    Synopsis

    A massive success this year in its native China, "Dragon Blade" brings action spectacle on a grand scale to US audiences. Featuring an international cast led by Jackie Chan, John Cusack and Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody, the film features the fight for the Silk Road when East and West collide. When corrupt Roman leader Tiberius (Adrien Brody) arrives with a giant army to claim the Silk Road, Huo An (Jackie Chan) and his group of trained warriors teams up with an elite legion of defected Roman soldiers led by General Lucius (John Cusack) to maintain the delicate balance of power in the region. To protect his country and his new friends, Huo An gathers the warriors of thirty-six ethnic nations together to fight Tiberius in an incredible epic battle. The film is written and directed by Daniel Lee ("Black Mask") and produced by Jackie Chan and Susanna Tsang.

    Running Time
    2 hr 7 min
    Release Date

    September 4, 2015
    Gene Ching
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  5. #35
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    Opens next week

    Even made Parade...

    Jackie Chan on Dragon Blade, Doing Stunts and Conservation
    August 28, 2015 – 5:00 AM
    By Paulette Cohn


    (Getty Images)

    Jackie Chan’s name is synonymous with action comedies like the Rush Hour series. But in 2015, the Hong Kong-born actor/martial arts expert is trying something a little different: a historical action film. Dragon Blade, in theatres and on-demand on Sept. 4, is the story of the war between the Romans and Chinese over the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty. Chan, who still does his own stunts, throws fewer punches, but he feels audiences will enjoy it just the same!

    How is Dragon Blade different from other Jackie Chan films?

    When you look at my previous movies, all I did was fight! From the opening credits to the closing credits. The audience was excited when I jumped from a tall building or leaped from a moving bus. It was all fresh. But now, with this new film, I’ve come to realize that if the plot is really good then the audience will cheer even if there is only one single punch!

    Who do you play?

    I play Huo An, the adopted son of the legendary general Huo Qubing. He was a real historical figure, the founder and commanding officer of the Silk Road Protection Squad of the Western Regions in China. Huo An is a man who detests war, but he lives in a time when peace can only be gained by fighting.

    Have you ever been seriously injured?

    The most serious injury I had was during the shooting of Armour of God II. It was actually just a simple stunt, jumping from a slope. But I was seriously injured and had a surgery to my brain. I still have a metal plate in my head and can feel the indentation from the impact.

    Do you feel you are making progress in changing attitudes in China when it comes to conserving wildlife?

    As an ambassador of WildAid, I have been supporting the saving of all kinds of creatures including tigers, sharks, rhinos and elephants. I think China is undergoing a big change in its attitudes in regards to conserving wildlife, but it will take time.

    What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

    As I have been injured so many times, I have come to cherish life more. I focus more on environmental protection activities and charity work. I deeply understand that I am very blessed. So I have been actively participating in all kinds of charitable works and contributed myself to help the poor and people in need.
    Gene Ching
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  6. #36
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    Dragon Blood?

    Hope they catch that typo before 6:13 AM tomorrow...

    The world's 2nd highest paid actor Jackie Chan reveals the truth about John Cusack's sword skills in 'Dragon Blood'
    Jason Guerrasio Tomorrow at 6:13 AM


    Jackie Chan.

    Jackie Chan is known best in America as an international action star who does his own stunts and has comedic chops.

    In his homeland of China, he’s know for all those things, plus being the owner of a successful theatre chain, merchandise, and a Segway dealership.

    All of this has led him to be the second-highest paid actor in the world for 2015, according to Forbes. A striking achievement seeing he hasn’t had a hit in the US since the reboot of “The Karate Kid” in 2010.

    But with China being the largest movie market behind the US an actor no longer has to be a viable name in Hollywood to find success.


    Jackie Chan in ‘Dragon Blade.’

    This is evident with Chan’s latest movie, “Dragon Blade,” which is being released for the first time in the US this Friday after having played all over the world, including China where it’s one of the biggest hits of the year having grossed over $US116 million.

    “I’ve been very fortunate that my recent films have all been hits in China,” Chan told Business Insider via email. “Audiences are willing to take a risk on me, knowing that I’ll give them something different every time.”

    “Dragon Blade” is a period action thriller set on the ancient “Silk Road” desert trade route. Chan plays a leader of a squad that protects the route who teams with an exiled Roman general (played by John Cusack) to go up against evil Roman legion leader Tiberius (Adrien Brody).

    The action, big-name stars, and sequence not usually seen in the genre — like when Chan and Cusack sing an old Roman anthem with their troops — made the film number one at the box office in China when it opened in mid-February.

    But the film took 7 years to get off the ground. In 2009, Chan met with rising Chinese director Daniel Lee who pitched the superstar actor the period film set on the Silk Road. They agreed that Lee would direct the movie and Chan would oversee the fight sequences as its “action director.” Lee is known in China for action films like “14 Blades.”

    Chan takes the blame forthe long delay; he says he had to find an opening in his schedule to take on “Dragon Blade.” But he points out that if it wasn’t for the delay, they likely wouldn’t have gotten Brody as his co-star.

    “One day I got a message, out of the blue, from Adrien Brody asking if we will ever have the chance to work together,” Chan recalled. “I told him I was preparing to make this movie and that we could work together right away. I sent him the synopsis in the morning and got a call that night agreeing to work together. It was fate.”


    Adrien Brody in ‘Dragon Blade.’

    Chan complimented Brody’s dedication to training for the fight sequences. The Oscar winner asked Chan for videos of sword fighting so he could practice the techniques with a broom before he arrived in China.

    Cusack, however, needed a little more work.

    “John is really good at kickboxing but not very experienced with weapons,” wrote Chan, who said he had to teach Cusack from scratch how to use the swords and knives his character handles in the film.

    Though Chan added, “When it comes to acting, there isn’t anything I can teach him.”


    (L-R) John Cusack and Jackie Chan in ‘Dragon Blade.’

    Chan said the greatest challenge when making “Dragon Blade” was the setting. Shot in the Gobi Desert, the heat and sandstorms took a tole on everyone. “Just keeping your eyes open during the fighting scenes was painful,” said Chan. During the sandstorms, even the actors’ horses needed to be calmed.

    Though the US will see Chan in action mode once more with “Dragon Blade,” the 61-year-old says he wants to begin focusing on more dramatic roles next.

    But don’t expect him leaving the action genre completely. He said another instalment of “Rush Hour” is not out of the question — if he and co-star Chris Tucker can “find the right story that will satisfy the audience.” US audiences will also see him next in an action comedy opposite Johnny Knoxville titled “Skiptrace.“

    “The genre is still important to me because it’s where I came from,” Chan said of action movies. “I will still continue to do [them].”

    “Dragon Blade” opens September 4.

    Watch the trailer:
    Gene Ching
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  7. #37
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    A surprisingly postive review from New York Post

    I still don't think this will play well in the U.S. because it's outside of the way Americans have typecasted Jackie. Nevertheless, it's probably better on the big screen.

    Jackie Chan and John Cusack’s bromance makes ‘Dragon Blade’ a win
    By Lou Lumenick
    September 2, 2015 | 6:10pm


    John Cusack (left) and Jackie Chan in "Dragon Blade." Photo: Handout
    MOVIE REVIEW
    Dragon Blade

    In English and Mandarin with English subtitles. Running time: 127 minutes. Rated R (bloody violence).

    John Cusack as a Roman general who becomes allies with peacekeeper Jackie Chan in China in 48 B.C.? Daniel Lee’s elaborate Chinese historical action epic “Dragon Blade” certainly gets points for creative casting, as well as its gorgeous widescreen visuals.

    It’s not always the easiest story to follow, possibly because of the 23 minutes (including a prologue set in 2015) that have been excised since the film set box-office records earlier this year in China. There it was shown in 3-D IMAX, while stateside it’s just more fodder for the video-on-demand marketplace, supported by a token theatrical release.

    Despite some odd tonal shifts, this handsome production deserves better. Top-billed Chan plays Huo An, the head of the Silk Road Protection Squad, whose job is to keep the peace between the 36 races who live in China’s remote Western Regions.

    Framed for smuggling, the squad members are sentenced to hard labor at the Wild Goose Gate, where Huo An ends up leading the defense when the remote outpost is besieged by a wandering Roman legion.


    John Cusack Photo: Handout

    When the siege is interrupted by a sandstorm, the peace-loving Huo An offers shelter to the Romans and their leader, Lucius (Cusack), who are on the run from the evil consul Tiberius (Adrien Brody) and his 100,000-man army.

    Lucius and his men lend their Roman ingenuity and brawn to help Huo An rebuild Wild Goose Gate — a beautifully staged montage — just before Tiberius and his legions show up for an even more impressive climactic battle.

    Veteran star Chan, who plays it mostly straight, has great bromantic chemistry with Cusack, surprisingly convincing as an ancient Roman warrior trying to protect a child of noble birth.

    Brody, who wields both a mean sword and villainous quips with aplomb, makes the most of his limited screen time in “Dragon Blade,” which overall is a lot of fun.
    At least this makes our Silk Road thread timely.
    Gene Ching
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  8. #38
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    U.S. premiere today!

    On the whole, I'm inclined to agree with this review, but I think what it misses is the news above about the impact of this film in China. I'm curious to know how big a release this got here in the U.S.

    Review: ‘Dragon Blade’ Features Jackie Chan, Romans and a Lot of Mayhem
    By MANOHLA DARGISSEPT. 3, 2015


    Jackie Chan as the leader of the Silk Road guard, with Mika Wang as his wife, in this Chinese production from Daniel Lee. Credit Lionsgate

    All fighting, all grimacing — though sometimes all smiling, weeping and singing — “Dragon Blade” is the kind of nutsy maximalist entertainment that isn’t content merely to tap a handful of influences. Instead, it stuffs an entire encyclopedia of dicey ideas (visual, narrative, political) into a blender to create a wacky, eyeball-popping and -glazing extravaganza that suggests a Cecil B. DeMille Bible epic, a Chinese military parade and a Busby Berkeley musical, at times all at once. And while it can be tough to find the human pulse amid the spectacle noise, Jackie Chan, John Cusack, Adrien Brody and a trillion horse-riding extras are also part of the very big picture.

    The least interesting question to ask about a movie like “Dragon Blade” is whether it’s any good. Of course it isn’t, not especially, but questions of quality pale next to the greater headscratcher: What is it? For starters, it is a Jackie Chan vehicle, a period story, a Chinese production and a huge 2015 box-office hit in the People’s Republic. (It opened in China in February.) Written and directed by the genre-smashing Daniel Lee, who has epic DeMille-level ambitions, the movie takes place in the first part of the Han dynasty, when the court, supported by its elites, ruled its far-flung empire with military muscle and bureaucratic administration. So the movie, which involves a government squad protecting the Silk Road, may be a resonant, topical metaphor — or not.


    Adrien Brody plays a Roman general in “Dragon Blade,” set during the first part of the Han dynasty. Credit Lionsgate

    Whatever it is, it is also about putting on a really big show with your pals, who here include both the fantastically outfitted constituencies of 36 nations who swirl around the Silk Road and a legion of Roman soldiers who materialize on it one day, having apparently taken a wrong turn on the Appian Way. The clotted story involves how these different groups are juggled with a broad smile and some fancy footwork by Huo An (Mr. Chan), the leader of the Silk Road guard. A jolly, friendly warrior with chin fuzz, some swinging Heidi braids and the kind of intricately detailed costume that turns seamstresses blind, Huo insists on giving peace a chance, even when dodging arrows shot by Cold Moon (Lin Peng), one of the few women in what is otherwise an enormous brotherly be-in.

    Mr. Chan has slowed considerably since his glory action years, even if he still dodges and darts with elastic grace. His character is on the dull side and is mostly a hub for all the swirling parts that Mr. Lee puts into motion. There are many of these, because Mr. Lee, like Michael Bay and other specialists in the art of cinematic mayhem, likes to throw everything at the screen that a monster budget can give him. And, other than women, “Dragon Blade” has a whole lot of everything, including armies of extras, herds of horses, truckloads of feathered-and-furred costumes, bushels of strikingly styled hair, innumerable crane shots and choreographed fights. There’s also a blind Roman boy with a blond mop who sings a nationalist ditty and brings the multitudes to collective tears.

    There are special effects, too, though none as jaw-slackening as the performances from Mr. Cusack and Mr. Brody. Mr. Cusack plays General Lucius, who has ended up on the Silk Road in an effort to protect Publius (Jozef Liu Waite), the warbling babe, from his older brother, General Tiberius (Mr. Brody). Mr. Brody either took his role seriously or can keep a straight face better than Mr. Cusack, whose contortionist expressions tend to suggest someone desperate not to let loose either laughter or bowels. Mr. Brody, by contrast, takes to his villainous role with old-fashioned Basil Rathbone hauteur, swaggering and twirling while leading with his profile. At one point, Mr. Brody even runs his tongue over his bloody hand, as if to acknowledge just how finger-licking good his role is.

    “Dragon Blade” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Swords, arrows, bodies!

    Dragon Blade

    Opens on Friday

    Written and directed by Daniel Lee; action director, Jackie Chan; action choreography by He Jun and JC Stunt Team; director of photography, Tony Cheung; edited by Yau Chi-Wai; music by Henry Lai; production design by Mr. Lee and Thomas Chong; costumes by Mr. Chong; produced by Mr. Chan and Susanna Tsang; released by Lionsgate. Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes.

    WITH: Jackie Chan (Huo An), John Cusack (Lucius), Adrien Brody (Tiberius), Lin Peng (Cold Moon), Mika Wang (Xiu Qing), Siwon Choi (Yin Po), William Feng (General Huo Qubing), Jozef Liu Waite (Publius) and Sharni Vinson (Lady Crassus).
    Gene Ching
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  9. #39
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    An amusing review

    Dragon Blade may be slumming, but the future of movies belong to China
    Johanna Schneller
    Special to The Globe and Mail
    Published Thursday, Sep. 03, 2015 4:00PM EDT
    Last updated Thursday, Sep. 03, 2015 5:40PM EDT


    Adrien Brody, Jackie Chan, and John Cusack taste dumplings during an event to promote their new movie "Dragon Blade" in Taipei, Taiwan.
    (Chiang Ying-ying/The Associated Press)

    When rival Roman factions aren’t duking it out on the Silk Road along with hordes of Chinese, Huns, Arabs and a dozen other ethnic armies, or slicing and dicing each other in alleyways and palaces, they’re making overly solemn speeches about nations coming together in peace. One minute, they’re lopping off limbs, and the next, they’re having a dance contest.

    At the same time, it’s obvious that the work that went into this thing is staggering. Writer/director Daniel Lee spent seven years on it. More than 350 crew members speaking 10 languages traversed 3,200 kilometres across China to film it. Three massive sandstorms and several smaller ones caused damage and delay – the first time because the crew members were so green that they didn’t know to cover the cameras. Chan’s 21-man stunt team, plus three assistant action choreographers, worked 18-hour days. A sizable chunk of the credits is devoted to the Gun Firing Department. Even the production notes call it “a massive and arduous production,” in which “hundreds of crew went crazy.”

    And there, standing tall amid the insanity, are these two American actors – one of them, Brody, with a best actor Oscar (for The Pianist, in 2003). He actually fares all right here, because he’s playing the villain. What scenery-chewer worth his SAG card wouldn’t have fun declaiming, “I like people to hate me. Their hatred makes me feel alive”?

    Cusack, on the other hand, just looks goggle-eyed and exhausted. He has no idea how to comport himself. It’s as if on the first day of production, he wandered, stoned, into the wrong makeup trailer, and then simply shrugged and went with it. He can never find his eye line, and (spoiler alert) in his death scene, he literally gnashes his teeth.

    Of course, bad movies happen to good actors all the time; these two are far from the first, or the only Oscar nominees. Jeff Bridges made R.I.P.D. Julianne Moore is in Seventh Son. Liam Neeson intoned his way into infamy (“Release the Kraken!”) in Clash of the Titans, and then made a sequel. Many A-list thesps have a “one for the soul, one for the paycheque” policy in choosing projects.

    It’s not as if Cusack and Brody’s stuff has been roaring up the box office lately, either.

    Since his turn-of-the-millennium heyday of Being John Malkovich and High Fidelity, Cusack has made a lot of movies you’ve never heard of (although I did think he was a terrific psycho in The Paperboy, and he’s in Spike Lee’s next film, Chiraq, about racial unrest in Chicago).

    Brody (whom I happen to find dead sexy, though I get why I’m in the minority there) practically has two careers: one full of interesting roles with the likes of Wes Anderson and Woody Allen; the other full of inexplicable doo-doo.

    So perhaps we can understand why, when someone asked, “Want to hang out in China and learn martial arts moves from Jackie Chan, plus make a whackload of dough?” they grunted yes.

    It’s also possible that in a few years they’ll look like geniuses, because Dragon Blade may just be the future of cinema. (The current financial crisis notwithstanding.) About 10 production companies and funding agencies put money into it, including Alibaba (China) – the very agencies American studios are madly courting for co-productions – to the tune of $65-million (U.S.). That might not sound high compared with some Hollywood budgets, but for China, it’s mighty. And believe me, if it was made by an American crew, it would have cost about $300-million. The Chinese crew slept in tents, not hotel rooms, and ate more sand than sandwiches – decidedly non-U.S.-union practices.

    When asked by Ain’t It Cool News about Dragon Blade, Cusack said, “You think, ‘Okay, that’s a smart business move, you’re going to be in China – China is a big, booming thing.’ Those Chinese companies are probably going to buy Paramount and Warner Brothers one of these days.”

    And Brody, who made a previous Chinese epic in 2012 (Back to 1942, for director Xiaogang Feng), now heads up his own production outfit, Fable House, with staff in the United States and China, and funding from Chinese and Nigerian sources. It gives him, as he told Deadline, “access to an enormous amount of financing if it appeals to my partners’ sensibilities.” So who’s laughing now?

    Most important, if Dragon Blade doesn’t cater to North American tastes, that may not matter much any more. Three supporting roles are played by K-pop musicians the Chopsticks Brothers and Si Won Choi, who may be bigger in Asia than Brody and Cusack ever were stateside.

    When the film opened in China this past February (the cut was, unthinkably, longer and in 3-D), not only did it rake in about $120-million, it also contributed to the first month on record where the Chinese box office ($650-million) was higher than the U.S. box office ($640-million). I bet it won’t be the last.

    I can't find any box office numbers on the U.S. release.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #40
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    Jackie Chan’s Green Heroes – National Geographic

    Jackie Chan’s Green Heroes – National Geographic
    Sat, September 1 19:00



    During the filming of 2015’s Dragon Blade, Jackie Chan grew angry.

    The team used 2,000 boxes of bottled water in just five days, and the film star couldn’t believe there wasn’t a solution to turn that waste into something useful.

    So he teamed up with green engineer Arthur Huang and they dreamed up the Trashpresso – the world’s first mobile recycling plant.

    This one-off follows them as they take the prototype to the Tibetan Plateau to see how the machine fares in one of the world’s harshest environments.



    Jackie educates children on the importance of recycling at the Tibetan Plateau

    An entertaining, eccentric, but ultimately uplifting story on tackling plastic waste.

    TV Times rating: ****

    Read more at https://www.whatsontv.co.uk/events/j...Cu8mErAlcDr.99
    THREADS
    Dragon Blade
    Jackie’s Charity work
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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