BOO! Happy Halloween!

A recommended and convenient way to spend HALLOWEEN is to catch a couple of horror flicks with a group of friends. Why not invite Michael Myers? He seems like a good companion and best still, he brought his own mask. How about THE FERRYMAN?

He seems lonely and desperate for some cosy companion. Oh so sweet! He brought along a bloody knife as well. Anyway, have a spooky Halloween...Trick or treat!

American Gangsters Looking Sharp

Actor Denzel Washington (L) and his wife Pauletta Pearson pose with actor Russell Crowe (R) and his wife Danielle Spencer at the world premiere of American Gangster at the Apollo Theater on October 19, 2007 in New York City (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)

"American Gangsters" is schedule to open in Singapore early 2008.

Singapore Dreaming Wins Best Asian/Middle Eastern Film Award in Tokyo

‘Singapore Dreaming’, the feature film by Woo Yen Yen and Colin Goh, has just won the Best Asian/Middle-Eastern Film Award at the 20th Tokyo International Film Festival.

The Tokyo International Film Festival is one of the world’s most important film festivals and ‘Singapore Dreaming’ was competing in a category titled ‘Winds of Asia-Middle East’, featuring new films from all over Asia, including the Middle East and Central Asia. Other films in this category included ‘Exodus’ by Hong Kong director Pang Ho Cheung and starring Simon Yam; ‘Breath’ by South Korean auteur Kim Ki Duk; ‘The Wall Passer’ by Taiwan’s Hung Hung; ‘Mad Detective’ by Hong Kong’s Johnny To; ‘Cut and Paste’ by Egypt’s Hala Khalil; and ‘A Few Days Later’ by Iranian superstar Niki Karimi.

‘Singapore Dreaming’ is the first Singapore feature to win this prestigious award. The film has previously won two other major awards: the Montblanc New Screenwriters Award at the 54th San Sebastian International Film Festival and the Audience Award for Narrative Feature at the 30th Asian American International Film Festival in New York.

Directors/Screenwriters Woo Yen Yen and Colin Goh were unable to attend the award ceremony in Tokyo as they had to be in Washington DC, where ‘Singapore Dreaming’ is the closing film of the US Asean Film Festival at the Smithsonian Institution, an event partly sponsored by the Singapore Embassy, the Singapore Tourism Board and the Washington Post.

Receiving the award on Woo and Goh’s behalf was Ms. Thong Leng Yeng (Attached photo: Ms Thong Leng Yeng receiving the Best Asian/Middle Eastern Film Award on behalf of ‘Singapore Dreaming’ at the Tokyo International Film Festival), a Monetary Authority of Singapore officer stationed in Tokyo, whose mother Alice Lim Cheng Pheng played the lead role of ‘Ma’ in ‘Singapore Dreaming’. According to Ms. Thong, “The jury said it was an excellent film with familial themes which resonated across borders.”

“The win came as a complete shock,” said Goh. “I learned about it at 5.30 a.m., when the phone rang. I thought, at this hour, it could only be bad news. But it was Alice calling to congratulate us. In my jet lag-addled state, I thought I was dreaming, but it was a dream come true.”

“When we made Singapore Dreaming, we wanted to tell a really Singaporean story, and it’s great to see it has touched overseas audiences as well,” added Woo. “I think this bodes well for all Singaporean filmmakers who want to tell authentic Singapore stories.”

On receiving the news, Singapore Film Commission Director Mr. Man Shu Sum issued a statement saying, “I congratulate the Singapore Dreaming team on achieving this milestone for Singapore film. Their success proves we have talent on par with the world’s best.”

On 9 November 2007, ‘Singapore Dreaming’ will also be the first Singapore film to get a commercial theatrical release in Taiwan since 2002’s ‘I Not Stupid’.

Released commercially in Singapore by Golden Village in September 2006, this family drama was executive produced by Dr Woffles Wu, and stars Richard Low, Yeo Yann Yann, Lim Yu-Beng, Serene Chen, Alice Lim and Dick Su. The DVD of the film is distributed in Singapore by Scorpio East, and is available at all good DVD retailers.

Mx Congrats Gurmit Singh for his Golden Horse Nomination

For his role as the blue-collar worker Shui in JUST FOLLOW LAW, Gurmit Singh is nominated for the Best Leading Actor category in the upcoming 44th Golden Horse Awards, going against the likes of Tony Leung (LUST,CAUTION) and Aaron Kwok (The Detective).

Just Follow Law also received nominations for Best Original Screenplay (Bon Sek Yieng & Tan Wei Lyn) and Best Visual Effects (Michael Yeoh)

other noteworthy nomination from Singapore would be 881's Moe Kasim & Dollei Seah for the Best Makeup & Costume Design category.

Mx would like to wish them all the best and for more nominations, check out www.goldenhorse.org.tw

PLEASURE FACTORY: Highest Opening for R21 Title in 2007

Spicy Apple Films, Fortissimo Films, InnoForm Media and Shaw Organisation are proud to announce PLEASURE FACTORY is the R21 movie with the highest opening for 2007! Pleasure Factory was launched on 8 screens in Singapore and has collected over S$15,175 on its opening day. This encouraging collection also surpassed the openings of other Hollywood R21 titles which were released this year, namely: Hostel Part II and The Hills Have Eyes 2. Directed by award-winning film and theatre director, Ekachai Uekrongtham, Pleasure Factory features an interesting blend of local and foreign talents telling the intimate tales set amidst Geylang.

You see Vampires before Chuck

We just received word that there's a shuffle of release dates. The Sam Raimi produced Vampire horror thriller "30 Days of Night" now currently on the Number 1 box-office chart in the US will hit Singapore on 29 November while the Jessica Alba headed comedy "Good Luck Chuck" will be pushed back to 13 December.

THE ASIAN FILM ARCHIVE COLLECTION FOR REFERENCE OPENS AT LIBRARY@ESPLANADE

In conjunction with the Audio-Visual World Heritage Day, the Asian Film Archive (AFA) opens its collection for reference to the public at the library@esplanade. This collection consists of Singapore and Asian films from around the region. Amongst the titles are the works of local award-winning filmmakers such as Royston Tan, Anthony Chen, Tan Pin Pin and Kirsten Tan. Films by famed Southeast-Asian filmmakers such as Tan Chui Mui, Riri Riza, and Thunska Pansittivorakul also form part of the collection.

Made available for research and viewing within the premise of the library@esplanade, this is the first time where a collective body of Asian films can be readily accessed at a centralised location in Singapore. This is made possible under a partnership between AFA and the National Library Board (NLB). With over 100 Singapore film titles and 50 Asian titles currently available, the collection is expected to increase substantially by the end of 2008. The synopses of all the films can be found on the AFA’s online catalogue at www.asianfilmarchive.org. The list of locally produced films funded by the Singapore Film Commission can also be found under the Series "Asian Film Archive: Singapore Collection" in NLB's Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) at www.nlb.gov.sg.

The AFA hopes that through the partnership with NLB, more people will be able to appreciate and enjoy the works of Asian filmmakers. With the support of NLB, Singapore Film Commission, the National Archives of Singapore and Canon, the mission of the AFA to save, share, and explore the art of Asian cinema can be further realised.

Takeshi Kaneshiro joins the Asian promotional tour for The Warlords

The production company of The Warlords has confirmed that Takeshi Kaneshiro will make a rare appearance in the film’s promotional tour throughout Asia to meet his fans.
Kaneshiro disagrees with earlier reports about the “atypical performances that will stop at nothing” by himself and his co-stars including Jet Li, Andy Lau and Xu Jinglei. In his opinion, the toughness and masculinity men display in the battle field can be very moving. Except for growing a beard for the earlier part of the film, there has been no significant change in his overall appearance. He considers the change more intrinsic.

Hong Kong director Peter Chan Ho-sun is particularly pleased with Kaneshiro’s brilliant work in the re-dubs for the film done recently in Beijing. According to Chan, “When I offered Takeshi the role of Jiang Wu-yang, I called on him repeatedly. He was convinced he was nothing like the character. He was used to playing more subdued characters and not hero types. We had repeated discussions before he finally accepted the role. True to the name of the character “Wu-yang”, meaning midday sun, he gave a brilliant, unrestrained portrayal while keeping his usual sense of purity and integrity.”

Judging from the official photos released by the film company, Kaneshiro’s unusual appearance is definitely an eye-opener. Undoubtedly, this is Kaneshiro’s most outstanding performance to date. What’s even harder to come by is that he’s willing to sacrifice his beautiful long hair to become a “baldie”. In principle, Kaneshiro has agreed to shave his head for the film, thereby creating an enormous challenge for his agent in maintaining his image. Hence, special effects have been counter proposed to create the bald look. Regardless of how this was achieved, one thing for sure is that Kaneshiro’s fans will not be disappointed with his new look set against the Qing Dynasty.
Kaneshiro himself certainly takes The Warlords seriously. Rather than keeping his low profile, he has taken the unprecedented step to participate in the Asia tour to promote the film. Word on the street is that his fans from around the world will not miss this close encounter with their idol.

Ekin Cheng aka Huo Yuan Jia Star Tour

“The Legend of Huo Yuan Jia” is a remake of the 1980 classic TV drama “Huo Yuan Jia” by Hong Kong Producer, Stanley Kwan. The storyline of “The Legend of Huo Yuan Jia” remains the same as the original version, but the setting of the drama and persona of the characters were enhanced. For instance, “The Legend of Huo Yuan Jia” was filmed in The Great Wall of China and also lead actor Ekin Cheng shaved his head in order to give a realistic portrayal of the character Huo Yuan Jia. Besides Ekin Cheng, “The Legend of Huo Yuan Jia” also stars Jordan Chan, Zhou Mu Yin and Liang Jia Ren.

In conjunction with the launch of the serial, Scorpio East Entertainment is pleased to announce that Ekin Cheng will be in Singapore for "The Legend of Huo Yuan Jia Star Tour" on 3rd November 2007, Saturday! Ekin will also be making two public mall appearances at Capitaland Malls to greet his fans and supporters. There will be interactive games with attractive prizes to be won and autograph sessions during the mall appearances. 3.45pm - Tampines Mall (Open Plaza, Level 4) 6.30pm - Junction 8 (Top of the 8, Level 3) Meet Ekin at K BOX At 5.15pm there will also be an exclusive Meet-the-fans session at K BOX, K UNION (Orchard Cineleisure, Level 8). To win tickets to this exclusive session, fans should look out for various contests on radio and newspapers held in conjunction with "The Legend of Huo Yuan Jia Star Tour"!

"The Legend of Huo Yuan Jia" is available now in DVD：42 Episodes / Chinese Dialogue with Chinese, English & Malay Subtitles and VCD：42 Episodes with Chinese Dialogue / Chinese Subtitles

An "Atonement" Book Review

Our Reviewer, Ninart delves into British author & Booker Prize Winner Ian McEwan"Atonement", a book which she describes that could only have been written by one of the English greats - and deserves to be ranked up there with perennial classics we all have to pore over during boring English Literature lessons... The full extensive review can be found here

Atonement, the movie starring Keira Knightley is tentatively schedule to open here early 2008

Relieve Your Childhood's Dreams with Jungle Book & Disney Princess

The Jungle Book based on the adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic novel comes alive in this exciting 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition, brilliantly restored with enhanced picture and sound. Full Review Here..

Cross the drawbridge, step inside a dazzling castle and accompany Princess Aurora on her first new adventure since the cherished classic Sleeping Beauty. Then take a magic carpet ride to Agrabah where Jasmine and your favourite characters from the award-winning masterpiece Aladdin return for a whole new world of never-before-seen enchantment. Full Review Here..

Ryan Gosling Interviews for LARS & THE REAL GIRL

Click on the following for interviews with Ryan Gosling, one of the most promising young actors in Hollywood who earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for HALF NELSON stars in the quirky drama LARS & THE REAL GIRL, opening in cinemas 25th Oct.
Hollywood Reporter
Filmstew.com
Movie Review on Moviexclusive.com

With thanks to Lighthouse Pictures

A Touch of Zen

Tuesday 13 November, 7.30pm
Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore

Dir: King Hu
1971 / Taiwan / 187 min / 35 mm / PG
(in Mandarin with English subtitles)

A milestone in martial arts cinema, A Touch of Zen is King Hu’s most acclaimed and ambitious film.

Inspired by the aesthetics of Japanese samurai films, this poetic three-hour epic brought Chinese cinema to new technical and artistic heights, revolutionising the martial arts genre and influencing the works of directors like Tsui Hark (Swordsman II) , Ang Lee (Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and John Carpenter (Big Trouble in Little China).

The film tells the story of a poor scholar, Ku Shen Chai whose path crosses with two fugitives, General Shih and an enigmatic lady, Yang Hui Ching. The two are hiding out in an abandoned estate from the corrupt court official, Eunuch Wei. Shen Chai’s interest in military strategy and Hui Ching’s quest to revenge the massacre of her family brings them together in a face–off with Eunuch Wei. They are finally joined by other pugilists and a group of mysterious and powerful Shaolin monks, headed by Abbot Hui (played by veteran actor Roy Chiao), as the film builds up to its seminal and breathtaking final battle scene.

A Touch of Zen has been named as one of Time Magazine’s All-Time 100 Best Films. It also won a special technical award at the Cannes Film Festival and is one of the first Chinese films to gain recognition in the international film festival arena.

A discussion of the film will be led by Stephen Teo. Stephen is a research fellow in the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. He is also the author of Hong Kong Cinema: The Extra Dimensions (1997), Wong Kar-wai (2005), King Hu's A Touch of Zen (2007), and Director in Action: Johnnie To and the Hong Kong Action Film (2007).

Ticketing Information
$8 / $6.40 concession
Free admission for Singapore Film Society members

Counter Sales
Stamford Visitor Services Counter: 10am – 7.30pm
Canning Visitor Services Counter: 10am – 5pm

Online Booking
www.nationalmuseum.sg
(click on Online Booking tab at the bottom of the webpage)

Ticketing Information: 6332 3659
General Enquiries: 6332 5642

JUMPER: ANYWHERE IS POSSIBLE

TVB 40th Anniversary Lucky Draw Promotion

TVB will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year and in conjunction with that, TVB will be holding a 40th Anniversary Show “live” in TVB Studio in Hong Kong on the 19th November 2007. A Prize Award Ceremony to honour the best in TVB, will also be held on the 17th November 2007.

In conjunction with TVB's 40th Anniversary celebrations, Scorpio East Entertainment, the exclusive video licensee of TVB drama serials in Singapore, will be holding a lucky draw promotional campaign at all authorized dealer outlets for 4 weeks, starting from now till 25th October 2007. The top prizes of the lucky draw promotional campaign consists of 3 pairs of air tickets to Hong Kong, accommodation for 3 days 2 nights, as well as tickets to the exclusive TVB 40th Anniversary Show “live” in TVB Studio. Other subsidiary prizes include DVD Players from Pioneer as well as Lam Soon products.

The latest TVB drama serials that are released at the same time as those in Hong Kong, are available for rent at all 117 Scorpio East authorized dealer outlets that are located strategically island wide. Some of the popular TVB drama serials that are released this year include the hit drama serial "Heart of Greed" starring Ha Yu, Lee Sze Kee and Kwan Kuk Ying. Another popular 60-episode drama that will conclude by this week is "The Drive of Life" starring Damian Lau Chung Yan and Miu Kiu Wai. Other upcoming dramas to look out for include "The Ultimate Crime Fighter" starring Yuen Biao and Moses Chan, as well as "Men Don't Cry" starring Wong Tze Wah and Cecilia Yip.

Pleasure Factory comes home

Pleasure Factory opens 25 Oct in local cinemas

After premiering in Cannes, Montreal, Oslo & Pusan, Pleasure Factory is coming home. The film will be released by InnoForm Media & Shaw Organisation in local cinemas on 25th October 2001 with an R21 rating.

“I’m happy to learn that Pleasure Factory has been passed by the local censors. Not too long ago, this would have been unimaginable”, says Ekachai Uekrongtham, the film’s director, producer and screenwriter. He has personally supervised the editing of the film for the release in Singapore.

Rule #1 Filming Production – Fiona Xie in Hong Kong

Our very own local star, Fiona Xie, has completed filming her part for the Kelvin Tong horror/thriller Rule #1 in Hong Kong last week.

It was a hectic filming schedule for Fiona, as she had to complete filming her scenes in Hong Kong within ten days. Fiona plays a pivotal role in the movie, which helps to bring out the more humane side of Shawn Yue's character. In the movie, Fiona and Shawn play a doting couple. Cast as a school teacher in Rule #1, audience will get to see a very different side of Fiona in the movie.

Of her experience in Hong Kong, MediaCorp artiste Fiona Xie says, “This has been a surreal experience for me to participate in a movie shot in Hong Kong. It’s almost like an awakening for me and very inspirational to be able to work with such a professional yet passionate team. It was probably the first time I’ve ever felt like I was possessed by work! The director, crew and co-star Shawn have all been very nice to me, and I totally enjoy my time there. I really feel very blessed and thank my company and director Kelvin for the opportunity to be part of this exciting movie.”

"The High Cost of Living" wins "BEST FEATURE FILM" award at 9th International Panorama of Independent Filmmakers, Greece

“The High Cost of Living” <生活的代价> won the “BEST FEATURE FILM” award at the recently concluded 9th International Panorama of Independent Filmmakers in Greece. Competing against 18 feature films from all over the world in the International Competition category, “The High Cost of Living” came out tops to grab the coveted prize of the “BEST FEATURE FILM”. The film opened in Aug 2006 at The Picturehouse, Cathay for a short limited run, and has traveled and competed in more than 13 international film festivals from Hungary to the Philippines since.

“The High Cost of Living” is also currently competing in the 5th Asian Film Festival from 7~14 October 2007 in Rome, Italy.

You can read more about “The High Cost of Living” here and also our interview with Director Leonard Lai

Estimated Release Date for Transformers Dvd

Berjaya HVN has just given us the Incoming Alert!!!

The Mega Popular Transformers will be out in DVD Soon!

Estimated release date is 1st Nov 2007!

Remember to mark your Calender for it!

The Different Formats available:
Transformers VCD $19.90
Transformers DVD (1 Disc) $29.90
Transformers DVD (2 Disc) $44.90
Transformers DVD (Special Edition) $69.90

You Have "One Missed Call"......

In this remake of the Japanese horror film "Chakushin Ari" (2003), several people start receiving voice-mails from their future selves -- messages which include the date, time, and some of the details of their deaths. What will it sound like when you die? In an American way perhaps...CLICK HERE FOR THE TRAILER IF YOU DARE!

The Rock turns "soft"

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson goes family-friendly in Disney's latest comedy, "The Game Plan" coming soon to Singapore shores. Watch the featurette right here on moviexclusive.com!