Sales Presentation and Actual Series

I was visiting hyn5 Fortunate City blog and stumbled into this very interesting article about TVB's sales presentation compared to the actual series being filmed. First of all, I need to give special thanks to hyn5 for the wonderful information and rare pictures that I am using for my own entry.

As a fan, whether you are a certain artist's fan or a TVB fan in general, it's always interesting and curious to find out what artists were supposed or first chosen to film a series and then were replaced by a completely different cast. I have chosen certain series to give my two cents about out of the many series and sales clips that hyn5 has at his/her blog.

Romance Beyond: Frankie Lam, Athena Chu.
Sales Cast: Frankie Lam, Dicky Cheung, Gigi Lai, Fennie Yuen.

I've watched this series and I'm glad TVB chose Athena to pair with Frankie. In general, this series is very mediocre and maybe a bit lame but Frankie and Athena had great chemistry. It's really cute how Athena's character would follow Frankie's almost anywhere he goes and seems to trust only him. The ending is a bit disappointing for me but I did enjoy their collaboration throughout the series. TVB made the right choice to eliminate Dicky, Gigi, and Fennie because there is no other good role for them in the series. I do not like the supporting male character so I'm glad Dicky didn't have to play him.

Holy Dragon Saga: Frankie Lam, Catherine Hung, Marco Ngai.
Sales Cast: Eddie Kwan, Emily Kwan.

Again, TVB made a great decision by choosing Frankie for this role. After all, this was the role that I fell in love with Frankie and his character. I mean, I absolutely would not mind watching Eddie in this role because his handsome looks will fit the role and perhaps I would fall in love with Eddie instead. However, I despise watching Eddie with Emily or even worse, Chilam with Emily. I have watched parts of TVB version of Dagger Lee and whoever casted Emily for the role Lin Shi Yin must be blind or out of his mind. I like Emily as an actress and she is indeed a wonderful actress, but her look is no where near Lin Shi Yin who has two men fighting head over heels for her. Eddie made a fine choice as Li Xun Huan but his partner, tsk tsk tsk... I guess TVB realized its mistake and decided to cast Frankie with Catherine rather than torturing its audience one more time with the pairing of Eddie & Emily. The worst decision, however, was casting Chilam and Emily as a pair in Mystery of the Condor Heroes...

Speaking of Holy Dragon Saga, I was hoping Frankie would end up with Jojo Cho instead of Catherine Hung. Catherine just looks so awkward with the tribal costumes. Despites being a small production, the fighting scenes were great. Frankie and Marco had great chemistry.

Legend of the Condor Heroes 1994: Julian Cheung, Athena Chu, Gallen Lo, Emily Kwan
Sales Cast: Frankie Lam, Athena Chu, Julian Cheung, Leung Siu Bing, Lam Wai, John Chiang, Lau Dan, and Law Lok Lam.

What role would Frankie play if he was in here? Hm... Chilam did a great job as Kwok Jing, so I don't know if I can picture him as Yeung Hong? Maybe Frankie could be Yeung Hong and paired up with Noel Leung. That would be great. I read an article about Noel in which she claimed that one of the biggest regrets during her early career was losing the role Wong Yung to Athena. Perhaps Noel and Athena were both considered for the role but for some reason Athena got it? Athena was very cute with the role and she did perform very well. However, one thing about her performance that bugged me was that she kept playing with her hair and sometimes her expressions were a bit too much. I think perhaps Noel would do a better job as Wong Yung but Athena was great as well. By the way, the Gallen and Emily pairing was another bad decision.

Remembrance: Chilam Cheung, Kenix Kwok, David Siu.
Sales Cast: Chilam Cheung, Kenix Kwok, Athena Chu, Sunny Chan.

Oh my! This is new and interesting! I am so glad Athena did not take part or else Kenix was likely to play a supporting role. I cannot imagine her playing the annoying sister. Oh my! Plus, Kenix doesn't look like she is Athena's younger sister. Maybe Athena could be the younger sister? ^___* This series belongs to Chilam and Kenix. Hey you, back off!

Never Made #1: Frankie Lam, Chilam Cheung, Noel Leung
Who in their right mind wouldn't make this into a series?

Detective Investigation Files: Michael Tao, Kenix Kwok, Joey Leung
Sales Cast: Michael Tao, Kenix Kwok, Deric Wan, Alex Fong, Sheren Tang.

I have no comment about the sales cast. It would be great if Kenix could collaborate with Deric, one of my favorite actors, but the chosen cast’s chemistry and performance exceeded expectations.

Down Memory Lane: Alex Man, Frankie Lam, Michelle Yim, Kenix Kwok, Candy Lo.
Sales Cast: Alex Man, Damian Lau, Michelle Yim, Kenix Kwok, and Eddie Cheung.

So, if TVB kept the sales cast, I guess Kenix and Frankie would have no collaboration and we probably won’t have this one of the most loved couples of Hong Kong showbiz?

Criminal Investigator or what?
Hm… maybe Kenix and Frankie would meet in this series instead of Down Memory Lane, hahaha… Anyway, the pairing of Kenix and Felix Wong was great. I’m glad they changed the cast. Plus, I don’t enjoy watching Gordon Lam at all.

Cold Blood Warm Heart: Adam Cheng, Julian Cheung, Gallen Lo
Sales Cast: Alex Man, Julian Cheung, Nadia Chan, Athena Chu, Kenix Kwok, Gallen Lo, Frankie Lam, Jessica Hsuan, and Louis Koo.

I cannot think of any role Kenix could have played except for Christine’s? I would not mind watching her with Alex Man, although I prefer Adam more.

Never Made #2: Bobby Au Yeung, Kenix Kwok, Athena Chu, Noel Leung.

It’s a shame these girls didn’t get to collaborate in a series… But three beautiful ladies for one Bobby? Isn’t it a bit… too much? ^__^

Never Made #3: Michael Tao, Kenix Kwok, Jessica Hsuan.

Kenix and Jessica!!! I am speechless!

Detective Investigation Files 4: Louis Koo, Sunny Chan, Jessica Hsuan, Charmaine Sheh.
Sales Cast: Michael Tao, Kenix Kwok, Joey Leung, Ada Choi, Gallen Lo, Louis Koo, Jessica Hsuan, Flora Chan, and Patrick Tam.

I’m glad Michael left TVB or else there would be another pairing for him with Kenix. I’m so tired of watching them.

At the Threshold of an Era: Gallen Lo, Sunny Chan, Roger Kwok.
Sales Cast: Felix Wong, Deric Wan, Eddie Cheung, Sunny Chan, Lawrence Ng, Amy Kwok, Vivian Chow, Ada Choi, Kenix Kwok, and Monica Chan.

Uh… too many people. But I don’t mind watching Kenix with Felix though, if she gets to pair with him again. There are too many strong female casts we would not know where Kenix would end up.

Credits: hyn5 at Fortunate City

The Grand Entrepreneurs Blessing Ceremony

The Grand Entrepreneurs held its blessing ceremony today. It happens to be Ray's birthday as well so he received many kisses from the girls. What a coincidence! There have been three birthdays within a month for the Grand casts: Kenix, Gallen, and now Ray. I heard that Jamie's birthday is coming up next month!

Credits to DAN for the image.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KENIX!!!

November 27, 2008.

I wish the Grand Entrepreneurs will have a strong script & turn out to be a success.
I wish this role will be a breakthrough performance for you.
& I hope that you will continue to film more series for us fans in the future to satisfy our Kenix-cravings ^__^

The Grand Entrepreneurs Costumes Fitting

Clip at Youtube.

Clip at Baidu

Finally a picture of Kenix and Ray together. Yay! That's all I'm looking forward to at the costumes fitting ^___^

Okay, Kenix must be wearing a wig throughout the series then. She's back to the curvy hairstyle again that I'm not too fond of. She looks much younger & more beautiful with straight hair. However, I should be glad that she doesn't have the same short hairstyle that she has in the sales presentation clip. I kind of like her outfit, so shiny lol... She looks very pretty for a TVB comeback. Ray looks much younger in these pictures than he did in the clip, which is a great thing. He and Kenix look so compatible. I cannot wait for their "steamy" scenes as Kenix has mentioned to the reporters (Batgwa).

Did the lighting strike me or that's Gallen with the beard on the chin? Is he out of his mind? With such an image, I'm so glad Kenix is not paired up with him. I'm speechless.

Jamie looks very pretty and fashionable. She doesn't look like a housewife at all. Kenneth with the mustache, I have no comment. It's a shame Bernice cannot take part in the series. I was looking forward for the second collaboration of Kenix and Bernice after their cute scenes in Love Bond. So Krystal Tin isn't part of the cast?

Credits:
dienanh.net
asianfanatics

The Grand Entrepreneurs Sales Presentation Clip

The clip is finally released!!! Tudou

I remember reading somewhere regarding the release date of the clip but then I forgot what date. Consequently, I have to go online every night to check if it's released ^___^. Today is finally the day!

TVB has a strange way of setting up the background for this clip. I dislike the fake scenes & computer effects because I thought they make a big production look cheap. I remember the sale presentation clip of Revolving Doors of Vengeance was very well done, very captivating even though the actual series didn't turn out to be as great as I expected. I hope The Grand Entrepreneurs will turn out to be something similar to At the Threshold of an Era I and not Revolving Doors.

I haven't seen Ray Lui and Jamie Chik onscreen for such a long time and now they look so different. Gone were their youthful days of the Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain. Kenix looks even skinnier with that puffy hair style. I really hope she won't leave her hair like that for the entire series. In spite of all the above negative comments, I'm so excited about the pairing of Ray and Kenix. Their love story sounds very interesting already and it's been a while since Kenix last played a third party. (Kenix's fans, don't ask me what series she played third party. I'm going to murder you if you ask me!)

So Anita plays Gallen's step-sister? How can you love your step-sister? She got two men falling for her but Kenix seems to have no one. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I'm actually thrilled that Kenix is not paired with Joe Ma again. Ray Lui is such a great choice for a new partner. I've always wanted to watch Kenix with different non-TVB actors. I'm tired of seeing the same old faces over and over again. This is one of the two main reasons I stop watching TVB's recent series - watching the so-called talents is such a waste of time.

On a side note, even though I haven't watched any series this year besides The Silver Chamber of Sorrows, which was an excellent series in a long time, I must offer congratulations to Michelle Yim, Ha Yu, and Tavia Yeung for their long overdue, well deserved awards! Michelle gave an outstanding performance in the Brink of Law two years ago. If I had any influence in TVB, I would've given her the Best Actress title that year.

Kenix's Message to Fans 10.13.08 - Rough Translation

"Hello everyone! During this September month, I only stayed in Hong Kong for a few days. I spent the rest of my time vacationing all of China. I visited many beautiful places (Sorry I can't translate the names) and the local people were very nice to me. Each place has its own historical features that I find irresistible. Throughout September, I feel very happy and satisfied. Perhaps I will take another vacation with Frankie in November."

I thought she's filming in November? Maybe she'll go with Frankie in early November before the filming starts. Gotta enjoy life while you can before the hard work comes along huh? I wonder why she didn't go with Frankie this time. I thought he was done with his latest mainland drama.

Source: Kenix's Sina Blog
Credits to DAN for Vietnamese translation.

More Information on the November Series

I just visited several forums and here are some more updates that I stole from them ^__^

The series will start filming in either mid to late November to April 2009. There will be many scenes that take place in Europe. Aside from the strong casts, it looks like TVB is putting great investment into the series by filming it in other places.

Kenix will play an ambitious lawyer who sacrifices love for career but she will regret later. Ray will be a successful business man whose life story is based on one of the Kwok brothers, the third wealthiest family in Hong Kong. However, TVB claims that their script is "original."

Based on the various resources, the relationship and connection among the characters are as follows:

Family Life:

Ray Lui, Gallen Lo, and Sunny Chan will play brothers. So far we know that Gallen will play a villain and he and Ray are not getting along.

Krystal Tin, Kenix Kwok, Vincent Wong are siblings and children of Nancy Sit.

Ray, Gallen, & Sunny will be cousins of Krystal, Kenix, and Vincent.

Love Life:

Jamie Chik is Ray's legitimate wife and Kenix plays his first love and soulmate. Jamie and Kenix are not getting along.

Anita Yuen is Gallen's wife and best friend of Krystal.

Krystal plays Sunny's girlfriend.

Here's what I think. First, I pray that Gigi Lai will not join the cast. It would be fine if she does, but I still prefer her out of the picture. I also hope Kenix will have close scenes with Anita Yuen simply because I love to see Kenix cooperate with artists who she hasn't worked with before. Too bad Anita & Krystal will play best friends. This might not be a bad thing after all because I very much anticipate Kenix's ambitious character. I hope this role will be something different. I don't want her to be nice anymore and if she's not nice, she might not have a friend *___^

It's a shame that Kenix and Gallen are not a pair even though I also look forward to seeing Ray and Kenix. Ever since we know that Kenix will be paired with Ray and Gallen with Anita, I start to miss their previous collaboration in ATE. I rewatched a few video clips from ATE and also parts of the series itself. They were so cute in there that I really hope for a second collaboration. I wonder if Kenix and Sunny will have any spark? Just a wishful thinking...

I'm not fond of the pairing of Sunny-Krystal. I don't think they look compatible. I watched Phoenix Rising and as much as I admire Sunny's love for Krystal in there, I still don't think they match. Sunny looks so much better with Kenix. So far, we haven't heard much about Sunny's character so lets hope that TVB put something on the plate for him. When was he added to the cast anyway? I have not seen his name anywhere and suddenly he pops up as one of the brothers.

Jamie not getting along with Kenix will be interesting! Lets see if Kenix will get scolded on the streets ^___^

Credits:

http://www.dienanh.net/

http://www.spcnet.com/

Tentative Title: Gold-Plated Wealthy Family

This is the information I've collected from other sites and forums. I just want to put everything together; it is not an update entry on the series.

Cast:

Gallen Lo

Ray Lui

Kenix Kwok

Anita Yuen

Jamie Chik

Nancy Sit

It appears that the above names, especially Gallen, Kenix, Ray, and Jamie are confirmed. Anita Yuen will play Gallen's wife. Kenix-Ray-Jamie will have a love triangle relationship with Jamie being Ray's legitimate wife while Kenix will be his soulmate. Nancy might play Ray's mother.

Kenix's character will be a lawyer. It looks like another strong, independent role for Kenix but this time, I hope her character will have inner conflicts with twists and turns. I dread another role like Kit in Take My Word For It.

While I was hoping that this will be a second collaboration of Kenix and Gallen, the idea of pairing Kenix with Ray is equally pleasant. I like Ray as an actor, especially his role in The Upheaval with Idy Chan in 1985. I'm looking forward to watching them together as a couple.

The filming will likely start in late November.

Warning: a lot of the information on the characters' relationships above is still rumors. As we all know, TVB likes to change their script everyday so don't put your hope too high.

Credits:

DienAnh.net

Cnhubei News

Gallen Habour

Kenik Kwok will film TVB's new epic series, stated all earlier rumors are meaningless

Since Kenix Kwok had lost out in receiving TVB's "Best Actress" award there had been numerous rumors claiming that her relationship with TVB had changed and she was also removed from casting in "A Pillow Case of Mystery II". Due to not liking how TVB treated her she accepted an interview for i-cable's channel. But it seemed that these rumors were untrue because Kenix has been officially casted in TVB's new epic series and will be heavily promoted.

TVB will start filming a new 40 episode series in November. The main leads will not involve any new actors or actresses. Rather inviting back veteran artistes such as Gallen Lo, Kenix Kwok, Ray Lui Leung Wai and Jamie Chik (Michael Miu's real wife) and many more. TVB hope's that the more experienced actors acting and storyline will attract the audience. Anita Yuen may also be casted in the series.

Kenix accepted a long distance call and admitted that she had accepted to film TVB's new epic series. She said "All the rumors earlier were not true and I do not need to clarify anything. When people hear that I am filming for TVB again it proves that earlier rumors were meaningless." She stresses that she hasn't filmed a series for 2 years and her relationship is still good with TVB. She was just hoping for a good storyline and stated that she had finally found one. Not only did the storyline appeal to her but also TVB executives Virginia Lok and Ngau Koon Ying had invited her to film the series. They also increased her salary making her very touched.

The reporter also asked Anita Yuen who is currently taking a break about the new series, she replied " I'm not sure, I have to look at the script and the requirements. I also have to see how my dieting is going because many people said I looked fat in (Love Exchange)".

Source: The Sun
Translated by: kingkongit27 @ http://asianuniverse.net
News taken from Asian Fanatics

Kenix is Hoping for Twins

Yesterday Kenix Kwok attended Christie Wo's (founder of Charmonde Luxury Limited) promotion activities. Reporter asked her if she would wear lovers matching watch with husband Frankie Lam. Kenix said she had done in the past, but not always the matching watch. She expressed that although they have been married for only four years, she feels they are an old couple. But they still have love of fire towards each other. She disclosed " My hubby and I are still feeling fresh. We have been going out for a long time, therefore it seemed we have been married for a long time. "Reporter asked if she wanted to be a mother yet and if she would like some secret formula to have a baby. Kenix said she is not particularly keen on children. Therefore, she is not in a hurry. If she was to have baby, she prefers twins. Reporter asked if she has seeked fortune teller advice. She said she was told she would only have one baby, but she wanted to have two.

Credits: dragon888 @ http://asianvn.com/

Image: www.kwokhoying.com

News taken from Asian Fanatics

John Woo puts career on the line with 'Red Cliff' blockbuster

Director John Woo, widely known here for his masterful "A Better Tomorrow" series and "The Killer," seemed deeply reluctant to take any chance in marketing his ambitious big-budget historical movie "Red Cliff."

At a press conference held on Wednesday in posh W Hotel in eastern Seoul, Woo led a traditional Korean ritual to invoke spirits. The ritual's single-handed purpose - a huge box-office success for "Red Cliff." The unprecedented marketing gesture illustrates the intensity of Woo's passion - and concerns - about the forthcoming movie, which cost $80 million to produce. What's more, "Red Cliff" is not a single movie; it's the first installment of a two-part series. The second installment will come out later this year.

"This movie is to realize my 18-year dream," John told reporters. "I was given generous opportunities to make films in Hollywood, but it seemed like Western people did not understand our culture accurately. This movie is part of my efforts to help them get a better picture of our culture and spirit." Woo went on to proclaim that "Red Cliff" is the most important film he has ever made.

The press conference was the world-first appearance of Woo and his star-studded cast members to the public. "Red Cliff" is set to be released on July 10 in Korea. The movie showcases the spectacle of grand-scale battles in autumn of 208 A.D. - a turbulent period of Chinese history that is featured in the popular historical novel, "The Romance of Three Kingdoms." The original novel is extremely popular with Korean readers, a plus for the film adaptation of the historical saga.

Among the main cast present at the press conference was Tony Leung, who plays Zhou Yu in "Red Cliff." He left an indelible impression with his impassioned role in "Lust, Caution." Asked about the traditional musical instrument he plays in the film, he said he found it difficulty to synchronize his hand gestures to the tune because he does not play it himself. When a seemingly ardent fan-cum-reporter asked about how he looks sexier, Leung smiled and replied that men become more mature as they get older, perhaps because life experiences add to the internal charm.

Chen Chang, who plays Sun Quan, said he felt a surge of excitement on the production site when he was filming. "When I put on the traditional clothes and got ready for shooting, I felt as if I'm actually in the very battlefield in that ancient era."

Wu Chin-cheng, also known as Takeshi Kaneshiro, said that he was not bothered by the absence of action scenes allocated for his role, Zhuge Liang, the paragon of a masterful war strategist. "I focused on sharpening my inner feelings that can be reflected on the screen, and watched other related films to add more depth to the character."

Lin Chiling, who makes a silver-screen debut with "Red Cliff," said she was under a lot of pressure in playing the role of Xiao Qiao, but she found the character intriguing and attractive. "Xiao Qiao is realistic and relies on her husband to see the world, but she is, at heart, very passionate about peace, which I hope will be relayed to the audience," she said.

The movie, showing off a number of massive battles and numerous extras, builds up necessary dramatic tension and provides a basic storyline right before the make-or-break battle at the Red Cliff starts. The full-scale battle at the cliff will play out in the second installment, to be released around the winter season.

By Yang Sung-jin

(insight@heraldm.com)

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/

Article taken from AsianFanatics

Tony Leung & Carina Lau to Tie the Knot

PETALING JAYA: Finally, long-time Hong Kong showbiz couple Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Carina Lau Ka Ling are tying the knot in a big way. News has leaked that the couple’s wedding will cost them well over HK10mil (RM4.4mil) reports China Press and Nanyang Siang Pau.

This is said to include a 38-table wedding dinner (RM456,000), a 38-table wine party (RM45,600), a HK50,000 per night (RM25,000) presidential suite for a week, wedding cakes and invites worth HK200,000 (RM82,000), a dowry of HK1mil (RM410,000), a diamond ring worth HK2mil (RM850,000) and a honeymoon in Europe costing HK300,000 (RM123,000).

Some 10 years ago, Leung was reportedly advised by fortune-tellers not to tie the knot or have any children before the age of 46 for fear of poor health and bad luck. Leung turns 46 on June 27. Lau, believed to be four months pregnant, will turn 43 in December. The pair have been together since 1989 and their wedding is expected to be held at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong sometime in October.

Lau makes millions in product endorsements every year and is still a stunning beauty. Just last year, it was reported that Lau was being courted by Taiwanese tycoons Terry Gou and Jack Sun. Before she hooked up with Leung, Lau was engaged to Hong Kong tycoon Hui Chun Hung.
Then rumours abounded that the long-time couple secretly married after Lau was named best actress at China’s Golden Rooster Awards last year while a fellow actor revealed that they had already applied for a marriage licence.

The Suzhou-born beauty showed off her wedding ring to the Chinese media during a visit to China in April and announced her marriage to Cannes best actor Leung. The happy couple were pictured together while on a working holiday to France for the 61st Cannes Film Festival late last month.

Leung is currently busy with promotional activities for John Woo’s war epic Red Cliff and is set to play Bruce Lee’s martial arts master Ip Man in Hong Kong art house director Wong Kar-Wai’s biopic.

By Seto Kit Yan

Credits: The Star Online

Wow, so it was the fortune teller who "delays" the wedding all this time? What about the article of him and his marriage phobia? I guess we should all be skeptical when reading stars' reports. Anyway, I cannot wait to see his grand wedding and grand production Red Cliff!!!

Catch Me Now: Idy Chan's Last Series?

After 14 years of hiatus, Idy Chan had made a comeback to the small screen due to the persuasion of her latest co-star Damian Lau. Catch Me Now has an interesting plot and was able to garner satisfactory ratings when it was aired just a few weeks ago. However, it might be the last series of Idy for us fans for quite a while. Due to various news articles, it appears that Idy will leave it to fate whether she'll film another series. She has no interest in staying in the limelight but aims for the tranquil and meaningful life doing charity. Ever since Catch Me Now was aired, she was forever absent in all of the promotion and rating celebratory events. Damian talked her into coming back for Catch but I highly doubt that he can persuade her to stay for more...

I am currently watching Catch and it is a fairly enjoyable series so far. Idy looks pretty in the series with nice outfits. She really knows how to dress beautifully onscreen compare to how casual she is offscreen. Unlike some negative comments from the youngsters, I thought she acts great so far. After 14 years out of showbiz, being able to show convincing emotions speak for her natural acting talent. Take one scene for example. Her husband used dirty trick to take the custody away from her and she went to negotiate with him. Damian winked at her and she turned around and slapped the husband. I could see the shock on her face because even she was amazed at what she just did. Being a kind woman and an obedient housewife, this action was so new to her. I totally love the look on her face at that time. She just looked so cute!

I have read many good comments on the series and I'm so glad that her first comeback was a success. After the filming wrapped up, I prayed that TVB would air the series and not warehouse it. When they decided to air the series, I prayed it would attract the audience. I was so happy to read the ratings report everyweek and see that Catch could stay in the top spot with more than 30 points average. The final week even peaked at 38 points. It is more than I could ask for. Now if she can film another series, and then another... I'm so greedy. ^___^

Catch Me Now Ratings:

Week 1: 31 pts

Week 2: 32

Week 3: 32

Week 4: 33 (highest at 38)

Image: TVB

Credits to A5News and AsianFanatics

Kenix Kwok Denies Anorexia and Marriage Conflict Rumors

Earlier, there were rumors circulating that Kenix Kwok and husband, Frankie Lam Man Lung were in a rocky marriage. Allegedly, Kenix's weight decreased dramatically to 80 pounds. She was rumored to be suffering from anorexia.

Appearing at a fashion boutique opening with Theresa Fu Wing and Yumiko Cheng Hei Yi, Kenix wore a pale pink dress. She sported a wide smile and appeared to be in good spirits. Yesterday, while blow drying her hair at home, the blow dryer sparked and the flames burned Kenix's right palm. The blow dryer was placed closely to her face at the time. Fortunately, the flames did not burn her face.

Reporters asked how Frankie comforted Kenix. She noted that he was not home at the time. Was Kenix concerned that her burnt palm will be a cause of speculation that she was not taking care of herself? "I will view the incident through another light. Perhaps this mishap barred me from other major catastrophes."

Regarding rumors that her marriage with Frankie was on the rocks, Kenix said the news was fabricated by tabloid magazines. In the past, she would have been bothered by the reports and may have held a press conference to clarify. However, she will now ignore these type of rumors and not let them affect her emotional state. Was Frankie troubled by the recent marriage rumors? "Of course not. Frankie's EQ (emotional quotient) is greater than mine. These rumors have not affected our relationship."

How would Kenix describe her current relationship with Frankie? "We care about each other greatly. Even if both of us are not at the same place together, we will often think of the other person. Although Frankie and I have known each other for 13 years, our relationship does not lack sparks. I continue to perform romantic gestures, such as cook for him."

In response to anorexia rumors, Kenix smiled and noted that her weight has remained in the 90 pound range in the last several years. She does not care what the tabloid reports say, as long as she is happy.

Will Kenix consider having a child to improve her marriage with Frankie? Kenix indicated that having a child will be in the long-term. without a child, she can pursue a more independent lifestyle. However a family will be more lively with a child. However if a particular family member is missing, Kenix will have other family members to accompany her.

Source: Wenweipo
Translations from Jaynestars

Kenix Kwok Has a Habit of Not Wearing Rings

Earlier there were reports that Kenix Kwok and her husband Frankie Lam had problems in their marriage. Yesterday Kenix did an interview but the reporter noticed that she wasn't wearing her wedding ring. Kenix explained that she had got used to not wearing rings due to work and said there were no problems whatsoever in her marriage.

Tang Duk Hei a Top TVB Producer will be the producer for a new ATV series called 《法網群英》. He had already casted Lawrence Ng, William So and a number of previous TVB actors to star in the series. He hopes that the influence of these actors will steal Top ratings from TVB.Kenix admitted that she had also been offered to star in this series but she had decided to temporary rest from fliming any TV series. She hopes to find a role that will allow her to have a good response before she returns to act.

Kenix said "ATV have talked about offering me a role. If I think the role is good I won't mind taking it. TVB had also asked me to return to film a new series. I have a very good relationship with TVB so there will be plenty of opportunities working together in the future".

Translated by: kingkongit27 @ http://asianeu.net/forums/
Source: Oriental Daily

I'm so glad Kenix plans to continue acting in the near future. There seemed to be implications at various places in the web that TVB has stopped asking Kenix to film for them (e.g. they asked Jessica to film Pillow 2) but now this news proves that was false. So TVB contacted her to film a series. I wonder if it was Pillow 2 or another series. It's good she didn't accept ATV's offer; their productions have low quality.

'Red Cliff' Website Releases

The highly-anticipated blockbuster "Red Cliff" directed by John Woo launched its official web site, Wednesday in Beijing. Supplementing the pre-release promotion are a series of related events before the film hits the cinema in July.

Director John Woo and his leading actor Zhang Fengyi gave presentations at the launch of the film's web site. For the first time clips of the film were released to media. The trailer was produced too early to preview some of the film's biggest scenes. It did provide a glimpse of the films costume and props for a story about events in China between 184 and 280 AD.

The inspiration for the film is "Romance of Three Kingdoms" considered among China's four most important works of ancient literature. It tells amazing tales of the era when China was divided into the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu. The vast 600-year-old novel has been a favorite for many generations and a popular focus on screen. Many wonder what John Woo has in store for the audience.

John Woo said, "Each director has his or her own style. The story I want to tell about the three kingdoms will not be very fancy. The figures in our film even don't have that kind of helmet. But we care more about the inside of each character, the interior person. We have done a lot of research. I use my emotions to feel the ancient figures' thought. It's a kind of adaptation but won't run far away from the history or the truth.

"It's said Woo has added his classic scene of flying pigeons again. He used it in his early film "A Better Tomorrow" which established his reputation.John Woo said, "I couldn't put any guns into the film. But I kept the pigeons there. You will see Zhuge Liang let pigeons go and fly away for three times. I can't help doing this."

The opening of the web site reveals only the story of Cao Cao, one of the three most powerful leaders. Later another two tales, about Sun Quan and Liu Bei will soon be added.

Source: CCTV.com

Editor:Liu Fang

News taken from AsianFanatics

Kenix Kwok Steps into Modelling Industry

It’s been 1 year since Kenix Kwok’s contract with TVB had expired. Recently she has signed a modelling contract with Style International Management for 1 year. Other Top models in the company are Lynne Hung, Mikki Yao, Angelababy. Kenix is the first actress to sign with this company. Asked whether Kenix consider’s herself replacing Lynne’s (Style sister position) in the future? Kenix replies comfortably “ All of us have different individual styles. We are like a family, most important is that we are happy working together”.

Kenix appeared with a new image yesterday. She had a new hair cut that resembled to Victoria Beckham. Wearing a long DKNY dress and Chanel, Piaget Brands. Style Management Kim and Angelababy gave Kenix gifts and flowers to wish her a good start. Kenix claimed that she has a similar personality to Kim and they both get on very well. Her contract is also very flexible and doesn’t effect her plan’s for having children in the future. She says “My contract does not say that I cannot have children. Briefly speaking, I am ready to have children whenever the time comes”. Kenix is mainly focused on modelling for commercials and will do catwalks. Kenix states “ I want to temporary rest from any tv productions. If there is a good storyline or good partner I don’t mind filming for TVB or a mainland China series in the future”.

Translated by: kingkongit27 @ http://asianeu.net/forums/
Credits to asianfanatics
Source: Mingpao

1956-2003: Leslie Cheung & Happy Together

It's been 5 years since the passing of our beloved star Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing. How time flies! I've heard of his name for quite a while and the first time I really got to know about Leslie's work was with Farewell My Concubine, the performance that made him an acclaimed actor. At the time, I did not know of his sexual orientation. I just thought that the man did extremely well playing a young actor who was in love with his male colleague. However, his friend loved a woman played by Gong Li. When I rented the movie, the cover said that Gong Li's character would come between the friendship two men. At the time, I interpreted as her being loved by these two men only to find out that it was the total opposite of that. I still vividly remember the scene during which Leslie's and Gong Li's characters first met. Leslie's character was still in his female opera costumes and he politely nodded at Gong Li's to say hi. Then he walked into his room slowly with unchanged expressions, and all of a sudden, everybody heard the door slammed. I thought the scene was very well done and Leslie's performance exceeded expectations. It was too obvious that the man was full of jealousy of a third party in his relationship. I fell in love with Leslie right after this scene and ever since.

A few months ago, I got a chance to watch Happy Together, a collaboration of Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu Wai. This was yet another gay role for Leslie. I've always wanted to watch this movie for so many reasons. Two of my favorite actors playing gay lovers and Tony playing a homosexual for the first time; I would be ashamed to call myself a fan if I have not watched Happy Together.

SPOILERS ALERT!

It turned out the movie was done beautifully and the performances were top-notch. Tony & Leslie were lovers but Leslie was not serious with the relationship. He enjoyed having different partners, especially those who could cover his expenses. Both men came to Argentina to work (not quite clear on how they got to this country) and Leslie stated that he wanted to break up. They've used up all the money and Tony had to work at various jobs to earn a ticket back to Hong Kong. They bought a pretty lamp with animated image of Iguazu waterfall. Tony would love to go see the waterfall with Leslie but they never got the chance.

One night, Tony got drunk and came to ask Leslie why he had to suffer so much. It was because of Leslie that they got to Argentina; his money was gone and he could not make enough to go back to Hong Kong; and while he was working restlessly, Leslie was hanging around with different rich men. Leslie answered that he really wanted to be with Tony at the time but Tony punched him and left. Leslie was crying on his bed afterwards.

Leslie came to see Tony one time with his face and body all bruised. His boyfriend beat him up because he gave Tony a watch as a gift. The doctor bandaged Leslie's hands and so Tony had to take care of Leslie for quite some time. Everyday, Tony would go to work and stole the food or leftovers from the restaurant where he worked, or cooked for Leslie. He had to do all the bathing, feeding, putting Leslie in bed, etc... to nurture him back to health. Tony was really happy to be back with his lover but he knew Leslie was not a faithful person. Tony hid Leslie's passport and other things so Leslie could not leave. As expected, Leslie tried to leave once he was healthy again and asked for his passport but Tony refused to give it back. Nevertheless, Leslie left and did not come back to the apartment for a long time, giving Tony the second blow in their love life.

Tony continued to work hard to earn his way back to Hong Kong and gradually, he learned to forget. When he finally saved enough money, he wanted to do one last meaningful thing before leaving Argentina for good. He went to Iguazu waterfall and reminisced about the past. He was feeling very sad and wished that Leslie was here with him. It would be much nicer if both of them were to look at the beautiful waterfall together. He came back to Hong Kong and rebuilt his life, alone. Meanwhile, Leslie went back to the apartment to look for Tony. Either he got bored with his latest partner as usual or he had realized that Tony was the only person who treated him good, but it was too late. He waited and waited for hours, rearranged the items, cleaned the room, and made the bed. He then bursted into tears realizing that he had lost a loving and devoted relationship that would have belonged to him if he valued it.

Tony very much deserved his Best Actor Award for this performance. Leslie came very close behind only because his screen time was less. I just read an article about Leslie Cheung and there was a paragraph that mentioned how he persuaded Tony to feel comfortable filming their love scene in the movie. I thought it was a very nice drama behind the stage that we don’t get to know very often. I highly recommend Happy Together to anyone who knows how to appreciate the true beauty of performing arts.

Captures were done by me.
First image credit to respective owner.

Tony Leung defends blacklisted Chinese "Lust" actress

2nd picture caption: Tony Leung and South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Award-winning Hong Kong actor Tony Leung said Chinese actress Tang Wei should not have been singled out and blacklisted by Beijing, following her sexually explicit role in the acclaimed movie "Lust, Caution."

China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) recently demanded local stations cease airing ads starring Tang, including skin care commercials for cosmetics brand Pond's, which local media have linked to her sexually explicit and politically sensitive role in "Lust."

In the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in August, China has moved to crack down on broadcasters, Web sites and print media showing sexually explicit content.
"I think the (Chinese) film authority understands an actor's place," Leung said after picking up the best actor award at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Monday night. "Our work is only to express our roles and I don't think that an actor should be blacklisted because of this."

He said the entire film crew including himself had a shared responsibility to bear any controversy generated by the film. "If a film has problems, then the whole (film production) crew should have a responsibility. We are a team and not an individual, and I'm a part of this team," said Leung at a post-award media conference.

Tang, 28, lost out on the best actress award at the Asian Film Awards for her debut performance in "Lust, Caution." She played a student activist who seduces a Japanese-allied Chinese spy during Japan's World War Two occupation of Shanghai.

The film's Oscar-winning director Ang Lee earlier expressed "regret" that Tang had been hurt by the blacklist decision.

(Reporting by James Pomfret; editing by Mary Gabriel)

credits to Reuters

I'm not so surprised to hear about this since I am one of the few conservative people who still exist in this progressive world. I know I have said that I would not watch "Lust, Caution" but I still could not resist. Not that I could not resist the "scene" *__^ but because I was missing Tony. I'm very much anticipated for the release of "Red Cliff" because I have not watched Tony onscreen for quite some time already. I always like the war strategy in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and so I believe "Red Cliff" will be a great movie. While waiting for the movie, I got a chance to watch "Lust, Caution" that I found it hard to pass it up when it was right in front of me.

After watching the movie, I must speak my regrets. I really should not have watched it. No, it does not ruin my fondness for Tony because I have seen him in love scenes before. However, the ones in this movie are BAD; not one, but TWO! The scenes are so sexually provocative that I find it unbelievable that Tony and Tang Wei agreed to film this movie. Call me conservative, outdated, whatever, but I still say these scenes were unnecessary. Now I totally understand what Andy Lau meant when he said that he would not be able to film such scenes. If it wasn't for the big names of Ang Lee and Tony Leung, would "Lust, Caution" be considered pornography? I would say yes. However, with Tang Wei being the only person who is being punished from filming the movie whereas Tony is grabbing awards for the same performance, I find it very unjustified. My best wishes are with her. I believe she won't be severely affected by this incident and will even gain better recognition in the near future.

Frankie & Kenix at Lydia Shum's Memorial

February of 2008 was such a memorable month for the Hong Kong showbiz. First was the tabooed scandal, then Jackie Chan's father's passing & Jacky Cheung's grandmother's, the departure of Lydia, and the snow storm in China with artists lending a helping hand.

Rest in Peace, Mrs. Lydia Shum!

Image Source: Tungstar