Ip Man 4: The Finale

[GeneChing]

From Donnie Yen's facebook page:

Donnie Yen-甄子丹 Official
4 hrs ·
I want to share this very excited news with you all, my good friend Wilson Yip, who had directed all of my last three Ipman series, tonight, we have decided to reunite and continue to make our next project together, Ipman4! Yes I-P-M-A-N part 4! 💪
#donnieyen #甄子丹 #ipman3 #ipman #actionmovie #martialarts #actionstar

Ip Man 1
Ip Man 2
Ip Man 3

[GeneChing]

Donnie Yen’s ‘Ip Man 4’ will be set in the US Chinatown
BY ISAAC CHAMBERS | AUG 17, 2017

In the upcoming ‘Ip Man 4’, Donnie Yen will be reprising his signature role as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man. He will also be co-producing the film with Raymond Wong.

The fourth film will see Ip Man travelling to the US Chinatown after Bruce Lee upset the local people by setting up his own fight school and teaching Westerners martial arts.

Wilson Yip, director of the first 3 films in the popular franchise, will be again at the helm. Yuen Woo-ping will be choreographing the action.

Follow the link to view the initial poster.

[GeneChing]

Hong Kong director Wilson Yip on SPL instalment Paradox, Wu Jing’s rise and Bruce Lee’s key part in the upcoming Ip Man 4
Filmmaker explains his casting of Louis Koo in a martial arts action film, says he’s not surprised SPL stars Donnie Yen and Wu Jing have become superstars, and talks about Ip Man 4’s focus on the relationship between Ip Man and Lee
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 23 August, 2017, 2:16pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 23 August, 2017, 4:58pm
Edmund Lee
edmund.lee@scmp.com



Fans of Chinese kung fu cinema will recall the deadly fight scene between Donnie Yen Ji-dan and Wu Jing in the 2005 action film SPL – Hong Kong director Wilson Yip Wai-shun’s ambitious attempt to blend the gritty narrative of crime thrillers with bone-crunching violence delivered by top martial arts actors.

“In my opinion, that scene in particular looked like it’s coming from a wuxia film – even though the characters are in contemporary clothing,” says Yip. “Some of Johnnie To’s films, like Running Out of Time, also play like wuxia movies. SPL is a bit similar to that in style.”



While SPL was – even by Yip’s own account – “quite a weird movie”, it struck a chord with many movie fans, who have since seen both its main actors rise to superstardom – Yen via the Ip Man films, also directed by Yip, including Ip Man 3 , and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Wu with the record-breaking Wolf Warrior 2 .



Yip, 53, handed the directing duties to close friend and long-time work partner Soi Cheang Pou-soi (The Monkey King 2) when a sequel to SPL was made in 2015. By reshuffling its plot elements for a new story, SPL2: A Time for Consequences – on which Yip served as both producer and script consultant – provided an efficient template for future instalments to follow.
In new film Paradox – which Yip curiously refuses to call “SPL3” but is really just that in all but name – the franchise’s fixation on karma and destiny finds a new expression with the recasting of the previous chapter’s villain as the film’s hero: just as Wu Jing went from playing the protagonist’s nemesis in SPL to the hero in SPL2, Louis Koo Tin-lok has followed the same path between SPL2 and Paradox.

“It’s a coincidence,” says Yip, who reveals that his original intention was to tell the origin story of Koo’s character in SPL2 – the evil leader of an organ-trafficking syndicate – until he realised that this amoral tale was never going to get past the censors. Instead, the director turned to an idea that had been gestating since he watched the Liam Neeson vehicle Taken in 2008.
“It’s true that Taken has a considerable influence on me,” he admits. “I remember very well that I showed it to Sammo Hung Kam-bo when we were shooting the first Ip Man film; it’s a really great movie. I’ve kept the story inside me as a potential idea. … Here, I’ve used a father’s search for his daughter as the story’s starting point, but after that, our films [diverge].”

In Paradox, Koo plays a Hong Kong policeman who arrives in Thailand to look for his teenage daughter after she is abducted there. As a widower who can’t afford to see his only child in peril, Koo turns into a vengeful killing machine on his way to tracking down the organ traders responsible for his daughter’s disappearance.

The casting of Koo in the intense action film – featuring splendid action choreography by Hung – represents a statement of sorts by Yip, who explains that he wanted to show he “could still make an SPL film even without a brilliant martial arts actor in the lead”.
“I would just as comfortably label a film SPL even if it’s all gunfights. I think of this simply as an action series with strong dramatic elements,” the director says.



While it remains to be seen whether Koo will replicate the meteoric rise of Yen and Wu after their respective star turns in SPL and SPL2, Yip isn’t surprised by the subsequent success of his regular leading men.

“Actually, you could see the signs,” he says. “After Yen made SPL, people in the industry were all waiting for him [to make it big]; we all considered him a really capable veteran.



“Wu, at that time, was also doing great. He didn’t have many scenes in [Tsui Hark’s] The Legend of Zu (2001), but [as a] teenager [he] was already very eye-catching. [These actors] need time [to develop] – and 20 years after [he started his acting career], Wu Jing is taking flight. As a martial arts actor, you usually need some time [to make the next step].”

Yip will reunite with Yen on Ip Man 4, his next directorial project. The filmmaker is currently developing the script, and hopes to start shooting in 2018 and release the film by the end of that year.
“In Ip Man 4, I’m inclined to show how Ip Man views his relationship with Bruce Lee,” Yip says of the real-life teacher-student pair around which the film will be based. Danny Chan Kwok-kwan is – if his schedule allows – Ip’s preferred actor to reprise his role in Ip Man 3 as Lee, who, Yip says, will have “a very important presence” in the new film.



“[The story] won’t be just about Ip Man,” says Yip. “How in reality did Chinese martial arts practitioners live after they went overseas in the 1960s and ’70s? [The film will explore this] through Lee and his martial arts school the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, and his relationship with Ip.”



In the meantime, the SPL series is also set to roll on for a fourth instalment, which is still in the scriptwriting stage and won’t be ready for shooting until next year at the earliest. To many people, the fact SPL2’s Soi Cheang will return to direct the fourth instalment may be less of a surprise than Yip’s decision to label that film SPL3.

“I don’t treat Paradox as SPL3,” he reiterates. “I don’t know why, but I didn’t include the name ‘SPL’ [in the Chinese film title] at first. It’s only when I wanted to tell the audience about the tone of my film that I added SPL to it.”
(From left) Tony Jaa, Louis Koo and Wu Yue in Paradox.
I tell Yip that his resolve to name the fourth instalment SPL3 is going to cause a great deal of confusion for everyone involved. “Never mind, we’ll deal with it when it’s here. That’s fate,” he says with a chuckle, before adding: “Or maybe we should call that SPL4 instead? It’s just a name.”

Paradox opens on August 25

SPL3: Paradox + Wolf Warrior 2 & Ip Man 4

[GeneChing]

《叶问4》正式开机 主演甄子丹发文称将感染中外观众
2018年04月10日 15:39:11
来源：凤凰网娱乐

3人参与 2评论

自动播放


《叶问4》开机图片

凤凰网娱乐讯 近日，演员甄子丹发文宣布电影《叶问4》正式开机。而早前黄百鸣曾透露此次《叶问4》将集合原班人马共同拍 摄。

据悉，这部片讲述的是一代宗师叶问远赴美国帮徒弟小龙开武馆而引发的一系列故事。4月9日，主演甄子丹发文 透露电影《叶问4》正式开机，并感慨表示“我认为这系列能感染中外观众”，他认为电影从不是在塑造某一位强 大的英雄，而是透过一个爱家爱国的善良人，传达了道德观，生存、生活的真谛。


《叶问4》开机图片

而根据之前电影立项时公布的剧情梗概，《叶问4》主要讲述了远赴美国开馆的小龙因授武于洋人而得罪当地人马 ，叶问现身引导小龙以武震慑整个唐人街，以德令华洋各路折服，成为真正宗师的故事。

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"Ip Man 4" Officially Launched Starring Yanzi Dan Wenwen said it will infect both Chinese and foreign audiences
20 April 2018 15:39:11
Source: Phoenix Entertainment

3 people involved 2 comments

Autoplay

"Ip Man 4" boot image

Phoenix Entertainment News Recently, the actor Donnie Yen has announced that the movie "Ip Man 4" has officially started. Earlier, Huang Baiming had disclosed that the “Ip Man 4” will be a collective shot of the original crew.

It is reported that this film tells a series of stories triggered by a generation of great masters, Ye Wenyuan, who went to the United States to help the apprentice Xiaolong open martial arts. On April 9th, the star of Yan Zidan issued a message saying that the movie “Ip Man 4” was officially turned on, and said with emotion that “I think this series can infect Chinese and foreign audiences”. He believes that the movie is never a strong hero, but through A loving, patriotic, kind person conveys the moral values, the essence of survival and life.

"Ip Man 4" boot image

According to the outline of the plot released by the movie project, “Ip Man 4” mainly described the dragons who went to the United States to open their doors to offend the local horses for granting Wuyu foreigners. Ye asks to show off and guide Xiaolong to Wu Zhen’s entire Chinatown. Make Hua Yang all the way to be a true master.

How the heck does google translate "2018年04月10日 15:39:11" as "20 April 2018 15:39:11". Maybe google is smoking too much pot?

[GeneChing]

I dunno. Jaynestars isn't always reliable. I tried to look up the original article but I couldn't get on to their site. Timed out.

We shall see.

Donnie Yen And Jackie Chan Will Square Off In IP MAN 4
By Lee Golden - June 21, 2018


Touchstone Pictures

Another headlining rematch is on deck for Wilson Yip's Ip Man 4 with Jackie Chan apparently set to appear opposite star Donnie Yen. This little detail, by way of a report on Wednesday at Jaynestars cites local news sources, confirms that filming has wrapped for the fourth installment in which Chan will play a respected Chinatown Big Brother amid the story setting that lands our title hero in the U.S. alongside martial arts progeny Bruce Lee.

Yen and Chan have shared the screen together a few times in Shanghai Knights (2003) and The Twins Effect 2 (a.k.a. Blade Of Kings) (2004). The two are joined by Paradox co-star Chris Collins and Vanness Wu of Star Runner fame, both who share respective screen history with actor Scott Adkins who also stars.

Oddly enough and despite viral posts, the report also suggests Ip Man 3 co-star and Kung Fu League headliner and most-noted Bruce Lee persona in recent memory; Danny Chan may be sitting out the role this time around.

A late 2018 or early 2019 date may be in tow for Yip's fourth outing which may bookend the director's string of pseudo-biopictoral martial arts hits that began flourishing in 2008. Master Yuen Woo-Ping is once more at the mantle for the fight action.

[GeneChing]

“Ip Man 4” Completes Filming; Donnie Yen to Fight Jackie Chan
By jayne on June 20, 2018 in Hot Gossip!, NEWS



Donnie Yen (甄子丹) announced on social media today that Ip Man 4 <葉問4> has completed filming its scenes in China. Currently busy with the post-production work for his films, Big Brother <大師兄> and Enter the Fat Dragon <肥龍過江>, Donnie could not celebrate with the Ip Man 4 cast and crew.

The Ip Man franchise pushed Donnie’s career to new heights and was wildly successful at the box office. Ip Man 3 was the most successful in the franchise, earning a total of $769 million RMB in total box office receipts. In 2016, Donnie had hinted that a fourth installment would be in the works, but the project did not film until two years later due to his busy schedule.

Director Wilson Yip (葉偉信) and action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (袁和平) return to helm Ip Man 4. New cast members include British actor, Scott Akins, and Taiwanese actor, Vanness Wu (吳建豪), and a special appearance featuring Jackie Chan (成龍).

The story for the new film follows Ip Man’s disciple, Bruce Lee, arriving in the United States to open his own martial arts school. Bruce offends the local people and Ip Man appears in Chinatown to help Bruce establish a stronger foot in Chinatown and win over his adversaries. Showcasing the power and spirit of Wing Chun, Ip Man earns the respect of the locals. The film will also depict how kung fu grows its roots in the United States.

Donnie Yen to Fight Jackie Chan

Portraying a respected Big Brother in Chinatown, Jackie Chan will have a fight sequence with Donnie Yen in Ip Man 4. While both are big martial arts stars, they did not collaborate on many films together before. This scene will be the biggest highlight in Ip Man 4.

As to the actor portraying Bruce Lee, Pegasus Motion Pictures kept the casting under wraps and has not made an announcement.

Source: Sina

We shall see.

[GeneChing]

I've been trying to think of how best to present this because it's dense. I decided to present the full list here on the Chollywood rising thread and partial lists to start new indie threads for the titles that look martially interesting or are relevant to other threads.

AFM 2018: The buzz titles from Hong Kong and China
BY LIZ SHACKLETON 2 NOVEMBER 2018

Despite dipping box office and a censorship process slowing up the production pipeline, there are some knockout titles to get excited about for Chinese New Year.


SOURCE: WANDA PICTURES
‘AIRPOCALYPSE’

Mainland China’s film industry is going through a turbulent period. Despite the success of Bona Film Group’s Project Gutenberg, which grossed nearly $160m over the National Day holidays, box office was on a downward trend in October 2018 compared to the previous year. In addition, the censorship process has slowed following the Chinese authorities’ overhaul of their regulatory infrastructure and the government’s recent request that talent and production companies pay their back taxes has sent the industry into a spin.

As a result, production is expected to slow down in the last quarter of this year, which could result in a shortage of big titles in the second half of 2019, but there is still a large volume of films in production and post-production that are on offer at AFM. Big titles scheduled for release before the end of the year include Wanda Pictures’ fantasy drama Airpocalypse and Huayi Brothers’ action adventure Mojin: The Worm Valley.

Although it is still early days for scheduling, films jostling for release during the peak Chinese New Year holiday period in February 2019 include Mega-Vision Project Workshop’s Enter The Fat Dragon, starring Donnie Yen; Emperor Motion Pictures’ Integrity, directed by Alan Mak and starring Sean Lau and Nick Cheung; and Jackie Chan’s The Knight Of Shadows: Between Yin And Yang.

Ip Man 4 - dir Wilson Yip
The fourth instalment in producer Raymond Wong’s blockbuster Ip Man franchise will again star Donnie Yen as the eponymous hero, along with Chan Kwok Kwan, Vanness Wu and Scott Adkins. In post-production, the $52m film follows the eponymous kung-fu master to the US where his student Bruce Lee has upset the local martial-arts community by opening a Wing Chun school. Yuen Wo Ping is again on board as action director.
Contact: Kat Yeung, Mandarin Motion Pictures

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

... and Well Go UK? Hopefully there will be a theatrical release here in the U.S. now. Well Go is good about providing those for select metropolitan markets.

Filmart: Donnie Yen's 'Ip Man 4' Sells to Well Go for North America, U.K.
5:30 PM PDT 3/19/2019 by Karen Chu , Patrick Brzeski


Courtesy of Pegasus Motion Pictures
'Ip Man 3'

The latest instalment in the hit action series about the legendary martial arts master who trained Bruce Lee is budgeted at $52 million and set for release this summer.

Hong Kong-based Mandarin Motion Pictures has sold Ip Man 4 — the latest installment in Donnie Yen's hit action series about the legendary martial arts master who trained Bruce Lee — to Well Go USA for North America and the U.K.

Various other international territories have snapped up theatrical rights to the film, which is budgeted at $52 million and set for release in Hong Kong and China this summer.

The many other deals for the title, which were unveiled during Hong Kong's Filmart content market, include German-speaking Europe (KSM), French-speaking Europe (Program Store), Japan (Gaga), Korea (Kiarient), Oceania (CMC), Indonesia (Primacinema), Indian subcontinent (Tanweer), Taiwan (Skyfilm), Singapore (Shaw), Malaysia (Lotus Five Star), Thailand (Mono Film) and Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Timor Leste, Myanmar (Purple Plan), Turkey (BGfilm) and the Middle East (Phars Film).

A co-production between Mandarin Motion Pictures and China’s Bona Film Group, Ip Man 4 also stars Wu Yue (Paradox), Vanness Wu (Monk Comes Down the Mountain) and Scott Adkins (American Assassin). Legendary Hong Kong action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping will return to oversee the film's many planned fight sequences.

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

Donnie Yen on How Kong Kong Action Cinema Can Reclaim Its Glory
9:40 PM PDT 5/14/2019 by Karen Chu


COURTESY OF MANDARIN MOTION PICTURES

"Being able to play the same character in four films is a rare opportunity," says Donnie Yen of his role in 'Ip Man 4.'

As his career-defining 'Ip Man' franchise comes to a close, the Hong Kong superstar — who will be featured in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of 'Mulan' — also discusses improving onscreen Asian representation: "I hope we can make more breakthroughs."
Since taking up the mantle of Wing Chun grandmaster in Ip Man 4, Donnie Yen has become increasingly synonymous with the real-life martial arts legend, who famously trained Bruce Lee.

In the intervening years, Yen became a part of the Star Wars franchise, playing the fan-favorite blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe in spinoff Rogue One, and will be featured in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Mulan. But it has been the Ip Man franchise that brought him into hand-to-hand combat with Mike Tyson and secured him a place among hard-core kung fu aficionados as one of the great action superstars to come out of Hong Kong.

Yen will reprise the role for the last time in Ip Man 4 — on offer to international buyers at the Marché du Film from Pegasus — which follows the title character as he accompanies his protege Bruce Lee when he relocates to San Francisco in the late 1950s.

Along with Mulan, which co-stars fellow Hong Kong legend Jet Li and Chinese actress Gong Li, Yen will soon appear as a plus-size but highly deadly cop in the Hong Kong action-comedy Enter the Fat Dragon, to be released this year. Yen, 55, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about craving better representation for Asian actors when he was a teenager, how Hong Kong action cinema can reclaim its former glory and why he has resisted training his own children in martial arts.

You have played the character of Ip Man for more than 10 years now. Would you say that this role has defined your career?

Yes, it has. Being able to play the same character in four films is a rare opportunity, and I have to thank the fans of the films for their appreciation. The role has brought me more work and more fans, given me fame and fortune and made me realize that an actor’s life is an unceasing pursuit of bringing to life a character and becoming inseparable from that character in people’s minds.

Fans petitioned online for Disney not to whitewash this remake of Mulan. How did you feel watching that movement unfold? What’s your view on Hollywood’s attempt to embrace diversity in recent years?

I think they should have done this years ago. Since the beginning of time, the world has been diverse. Different ethnicities and cultures have always lived on this Earth. [The pattern of whitewashing ] comes from the fact that Hollywood product has dominated the film industry for decades. And we’ve grown up watching Hollywood films and had been under their influence. For a lot of people, you and me included, when they think of princes and princesses, they’d think of someone with blond hair and white skin. This image has been ingrained in us. But if we think about it, we’d realize that, around the world, Chinese people are quite numerous, too. (Laughs.) So shouldn’t it be time to express these characters and stories with different aesthetics? Something that more people worldwide can share and identify with?

Did you yearn for more onscreen representation for people of Asian descent when you lived in the U.S. during your teenage years?

Certainly. That’s one of the reasons why, growing up during that time, we were all so fascinated by Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee gave us a sense of pride and belonging. We grew up watching Hollywood films and accepting their standards. It was easy to lose track of who we were. When we looked in the mirror, we might wonder why we didn’t look like those onscreen. Of course we also wondered when we’d see something different. But the world is changing, there has been an African American president in the U.S. — that’s something that used to be unimaginable. There are also more and more Chinese actors achieving success on the global stage. As a filmmaker of Chinese descent, I’m very happy and encouraged, and hope we can make even more breakthroughs.


JASON LAVERIS/FILMMAGIC

"I feel it’s lacking a bit of spark," says Yen of the current state of action filmmaking in Hong Kong.
Will you be accepting more Hollywood roles for that reason?

Well, it depends, first of all, on whether the subject matter and the character interest me. Then it depends on my schedule, since I want to make more Hong Kong films from now on. I’ve always been a Hong Kong filmmaker; I’ve never left. Hong Kong is my home; my children live here. Now that I have a little bit of influence and pull, I’d like to use that to make more films in Hong Kong.

The film you’re shooting now, Raging Fire, is the first time you’ve worked with Nicholas Tse since you both starred in Dragon Tiger Gate (2006). Can you say anything about the project yet?

I’m very happy to reunite with Nicholas, and also Benny Chan, who was the producer and director of two television series I made in the 1990s. We haven’t worked together for over 20 years. As for the plot, I can’t really comment on it now. But the film is action-packed.

Kung fu and action cinema were at the heart of Hong Kong cinema’s heyday. What is your take on the state of action filmmaking in Hong Kong?

I feel it’s lacking a bit of spark. Hong Kong filmmakers are always talking about bringing glory back to the Hong Kong film industry. But what is that exactly? The world is changing rapidly. It’s no longer the same world it was when we were making action films. Hollywood hadn’t developed the visual vocabulary to shoot action, kung fu and combat scenes in our style at that time. But they are very fluent in this language now. So if we stay where we were, the industry will eventually die out.

You have two kids. Is passing your martial arts skills on to them important to you?

My daughter sings and dances, but she’s not that interested in kung fu. My son is still quite young, so I’d rather he learns martial arts from a teacher. Learning martial arts is serious, rigorous business. I don’t want to have any conflicts, or that kind of sternness, with my kids. I don’t spend enough time with them as it is, so I’d like to have quality time — filled only with smiles — when I do spend time with them.

This story first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter's May 15 daily issue at the Cannes Film Festival.

THREADS
Ip Man 4
Cannes
Mulan
Raging Fire

[GeneChing]

詠春宗師葉問次子葉正年初一病逝　享年83歲



撰文：陳栢宇
2020-01-26 15:45
最後更新日期：2020-01-26 15:53
詠春拳一代宗師葉問次子葉正，昨晚大年初一病逝，享年83歲。葉正兄長葉準接受傳媒訪問時便確認弟弟在晚上 11時離開人世，又指對方病了一段時間，而香港詠春體育會主席李煜昌亦在其Facebook專頁中留言：「 懷著悲痛的心情宣佈一個消息，師父葉正昨晚已安詳離世。」

葉正7歲起便跟父親葉問學習詠春，1949年葉問前往香港，葉正與母親張永成及兄長葉準繼續留在佛山，直至 1962年葉正隨兄葉準前往香港。有傳葉準、葉正不滿父親與上海女子相戀並誕下私生子葉少華，所以兩人經常 早出晚歸，與父親少有交流。1972年葉問逝世後，葉正亦離開武館，於新界開設工廠，只私下於家中個別教授 他人詠春。1994年葉正於詠春體育會所開之國術班授徒，及偶爾在外教授詠春拳。

而葉正的角色亦有在甄子丹主演的《葉問》電影系列出現，在《葉問3》和《葉問4》分別由王實和 葉禾飾演。


左起：李煜昌、葉正。（Facebook/@dennisleevt）


《葉問4》的葉正由內地演員葉禾飾演。（劇照）

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Wing Chun's master Ye Wen second son Ye Zheng died of illness at the age of 83
Written by: Chen Baiyu
2020-01-26 15:45
Last updated:2020-01-26 15:53
Ye Chun, the grandfather of Wing Chun Boxing, asked Ye Zheng, who died at the age of 83 last year. Brother Ye Zheng, in an interview with the media, confirmed that his brother had died at 11 pm and pointed out that the other party had been ill for a while, and Li Yuchang, chairman of the Hong Kong Wing Chun Sports Association, also commented on his Facebook page: I am pleased to announce that Master Ye Zheng died peacefully last night. "

Ye Zheng has been studying Wing Chun with his father Ye Wen since he was 7 years old. Ye Wen went to Hong Kong in 1949. Ye Zheng stayed in Foshan with his mother Zhang Yongcheng and elder brother Ye Jun until 1962. Ye Zheng went to Hong Kong with his brother Ye Jun. It is rumored that Ye Jun and Ye Zheng were dissatisfied with his father's falling in love with a Shanghai woman and gave birth to an illegitimate child, Ye Shaohua. Therefore, the two often went out early and returned home late, with little communication with their father. After Ye Wen's death in 1972, Ye Zheng also left Wu Guan and opened a factory in the New Territories. He taught Wing Chun to others in private at home. In 1994, Ye Zheng was apprenticed to the Chinese academy class opened by the Wing Chun Sports Club, and occasionally taught Wing Chun Quan.

The role of Ye Zheng also appeared in the film series of "Ye Wen" starring Zhen Zidan, and played by Wang Shi and Ye He in "Ye Wen 3" and "Ye Wen 4" respectively.

From left: Li Yuchang and Ye Zheng. (Facebook / @ dennisleevt)

"Ye Wen 4" is played by mainland actor Ye He. (Still photos)

THREADS
RIP Grandmaster Ip Ching 1936-2020
Ip Man 4

[GeneChing]

‘China will win the coronavirus battle’: Ip Man star Donnie Yen donates HK$1 million to frontline medical workers in Wuhan
The 56-year-old star and film producer posts a 28-second video clip on Weibo thanking frontline medical staff
The Hong Kong actor’s donation comes at the back of two successful movie releases lately
Unus Alladin
Published: 5:50pm, 19 Feb, 2020


A sombre Donnie Yen thanks medical workers in his 28-second video clip on Weibo. Photo: Weibo

Ip Man star Donnie Yen Ji-dan will donate HK$1 million to medical staff working on the frontline in the fight to eliminate the coronavirus. And he believes China will win the battle.
Yen has been in the news lately with his finale of the Ip Man franchise bringing the curtain down on a highly successful series. His latest movie release, Enter the Fat Dragon, has also received positive reviews, giving him a solid foothold in the martial arts movie industry this year.


Donnie Yen gets serious in Ip Man 4: The Finale. Photo: Mandarin Motion Pictures

The 56-year-old Hong Kong martial arts star and film producer turned to a more serious note when he told thousands of his followers on Chinese website, Weibo, that he wanted to thank all medical workers in China in their fight against the coronavirus.
The Guangzhou-born star said paintings drawn by his two children, Jasmine and James, would also be donated to Wuhan to help “spread cheer” to frontline workers.
Wuhan is the epicentre of the coronavirus that has ravaged much of Hubei province and other parts of China. The deadly virus has spread to more than 25 countries.


Ip Man 4 is a fitting end to the franchise. Photo: Mandarin Motion Pictures

Speaking in Mandarin, Yen made a 28-second video which he posted on Weibo. A sombre-looking Yen said: “Hello everyone, I am Yen Ji-dan. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the medical frontline workers [in China]. In this critical moment, everyone please protect yourself well by wearing a mask and washing your hands more often. Distance yourself from the virus but don’t distance love. I believe our country [China] will win the battle against the virus and have the situation under control. Wuhan add oil [come on], China add oil.”
Ip Man 4 star Donnie Yen ‘very disappointed’ by Quentin Tarantino’s Bruce Lee depiction
12 Dec 2019

Having wowed movie audiences with the fourth and final instalment of the highly popular Ip Man series in Ip Man 4: The Finale, Yen has enjoyed a new lease of life with his latest movie, an action-packed buddy-cop comedy, Enter the Fat Dragon, which was released during the Lunar New Year holidays.


Donnie Yen in a still from Enter the Fat Dragon. Photo: Mega-Vision Pictures

Ip Man 4: The Finale broke box office records in several Asian markets such as Taiwan and Malaysia, ending the series on a bright note as one the most popular martial arts franchises in movie history.
His HK$1 million donation, which has been reported by the mainland media, triggered some positive love from his fans on Weibo. “Donnie is awesome and what he says is so warm and full of love!” said one Weibo user.
Yen is a well-known philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to charity over the years.
In 2012, Yen and his wife Sissy Wang, co-founded Go.Asia, an online charity platform that encourages individuals to participate in charity work while serving local communities. Yen also served as an ambassador for the international charity Save the Children in 2015 and has supported other noble causes.
Yen is not the first Hong Kong martial arts star to help the Wuhan cause.
Fellow kung fu superstar Jackie Chan reportedly offered to pay one million yuan as a reward to whoever develops a vaccine for the coronavirus.


Unus Alladin
Unus Alladin is an award-winning sports journalist. He has covered the Hong Kong and international sports scene for more than 35 years, ranging from Formula One to the Olympic Games.

I'm going to see Enter the Fat Dragon tonight.

THREADS
Donnie Yen: Uber Awesome !!
Enter the Fat Dragon
Ip Man 4
COVID-19

[GeneChing]

May 6, 2020 2:31am PT
‘Better Days’ Dominant at Closed Door Edition of Hong Kong Film Awards
By Vivienne Chow


Goodfellas Pictures, Fat Kids Production

Chinese romantic crime drama “Better Days” directed by Hong Kong’s Derek Tsang, scooped eight awards at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, including best film, best director, best screenplay and best actress. Critically acclaimed elderly gay drama “Suk Suk” took the best actor and best supporting actress awards, organizers announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Winners, however, were unable to give acceptance speeches on stage as the awards ceremony was cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic. The results were announced instead via a 25-minute live streaming event hosted by awards chairman Derek Yee.

Dressed in black tie, Yee appeared to be sitting in a dimly lit VIP cinema among the awards statuettes, yet to be presented to the recipients. He said despite the cancellation of the star-studded awards ceremony, organizers kept the polling going and received 1,675 votes from industry practitioners, about 57% of registered voters.

“Better Days” was yanked by mainland authorities from the Berlinale last year, but later became a box office sensation. It also earned awards for acting star Zhou Dongyu and China pop sensation Jackson Yee, and for best original film song for “Fly,” written by Ellen Joyce Loo, the Hong Kong singer-songwriter who died of suicide in 2018, age 32.

Action drama “Ip Man 4: The Finale” emerged as the biggest winner of craft awards, with prizes for film editing, sound design and Yuen Wo-ping’s action choreography.

2020 Hong Kong Film Awards Winners
Best Film
“Better Days” Produced by: Jojo Yuet-chun Hui

Best Director
Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang (“Better Days”)

Best Actor
Tai Bo (“Suk Suk”)

Best Actress
Zhou Dongyu (“Better Days”)

Best Screenplay
Lam Wing Sum, Li Yuan, Xu Yimeng (“Better Days”)

Best New Performer
Jackson Yee (“Better Days”)

Best New Director
Norris Wong Yee Lam (“My Prince Edward”)

Best Costume & Makeup Design
Dora Ng (“Better Days”)

Best Art Direction
Cheung Siu Hong (“***ara”)

Best Film Editing
Cheung Ka Fai (“Ip Man 4: The Finale”)

Best Cinematography
Yu Jing Pin (“Better Days”)

Best Supporting Actor
Cheung Tat Ming (“i’m livin’ it”)

Best Supporting Actress
Patra Au Ga Man (“Suk Suk”)

Best Action Choreography
Yuen Wo Ping (“Ip Man 4: The Finale”)

Best Visual Effects
Yee Kwok Leung, Ma Siu Fu, Leung Wai Man, Ho Man Lok (“The White Storm 2: Drug Lords”)

Best Sound Design
Lee Yiu Keung George, Yiu Chun Hin (“Ip Man 4: The Finale”)

Best Original Film Song
“Fly” (from “Better Days”). Composer: Ellen Joyce Loo. Lyrics: Ellen Joyce Loo, Wu Qing Feng. Vocal artist: Yoyo Sham.

Best Original Film Score
Eman Lam (“My Prince Edward”)

Best Asian Chinese-Language Film
“An Elephant Sitting Still”

THREADS
HKFA
covid
Ip Man 4

[Jimbo]

Finally saw it. I liked it more than I thought I would. IMO, it’s the best sequel of the Ip Man franchise.

Interestingly, Chris Collins, who plays the senior karate guy, is portrayed as a white racist, but actually looks half or part-Asian himself.

Scott Adkins, as the marine sergeant, gave the most expressive acting performance I’ve ever seen from him.

The Ip Man franchise does little to make Chinese martial arts look good. In fact, except for Ip Man himself and the Wing Chun style, the Ip Man movies make CMA look really bad, for the most part. All the CMAists from all the other styles always get decimated by the non-Chinese martial artists, and it’s up to Ip Man to fight for their honor. I especially feel bad for Lo Meng. In all three of the Ip Man movies he’s appeared in, he’s gotten his butt handed to him, easily. He was great in his Shaw Brothers/Venoms days, but in the movies now, he’s what the pro wrestlers call a “jobber”; a guy who is always scripted to lose to make everyone else look good. I get that he’s old now, but come on. If you’re still going to cast him in movies, at least let him shine once in a while and not look totally inept.