Hong Kong Movies

Here, I sometimes watch Hong Kong movies here. And I find that I'm introduced to the depths of sleaze and someitmes some pretty cool movies. It's interesting how Asian cinema translates here, some filmmakers that are really well known in the West, like Wong Kar-wai, aren't really big here although people sort of know who they are.

And there are megastars here, who aren't known in America at all because they never do artsy stuff, mostly just commercial things. So before I moved here I never knew who Miriam Yeung, Daniel Wu, Sammi Cheng etc. etc. were although their faces are used to cell almost anything and everything here. At the same times, I'm also starting to figure out why Chinese people get disgusted with Hong Kong movies because a lot of them are sort of dumb and rely on bathroom humor. Also the film world seems much smaller so the same people show up again and again and again, aka Chapman To who plays the same dumb character in every movie that he's in. Also, only the super good movies from Hong Kong make it over the ocean, so we're spared all of the pop star vehicles etc.

Also, why is it that these big name Chinese directors are all starting to make martial arts movies. First we had Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon which then seemed to spawn numerous people trying to cash in on the same trend. Hero by Zhang Yimou, The House of Flying Daggers (which in Chinese I believe is a much less Oriental name), Seven Swords which I'm not sure will make it over to the States, and now The Promise, apparently going to be renamed Master of the Crimson Armor (great job, Miramax) for stateside release. These all seem to have a similar sort of artsy melocholy combined with high budget special effects, bright colors and beautiful scenery. Also, the actors they employ are generally not trained martial artists. I enjoyed Crouching Tiger and I even saw it three times, but I kind of wish that it hadn't sparked this visually sumptuous, melancholy tale model that Chinese directors seem to have to follow to get released. Mostly because it means directors try the martial arts genre that really shouldn't, and the movies don't seem that fantastic. Also, it means they're all more or less the same, like how it seems that Japanese directors all have to make horror movies which involve women with long uncombed hair and white dresses.

Also, as nice as it is to see ancient China portrayed on screen, it would be nice to see Asian people in modern situations that don't involve gangsters. Maybe a nice romantic comedy and not just a Hollywood remake. What's now interesting is people like Jay Chou now borrow the same aethetic, ancient Chinese setting, love triangle, lots of red, sad ending, in their music videos. More on this later possibly.