Movie Box Review

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The Louis Koo Tin Lok, Kelly Chen Wai Lam, Sandra Ng Kwan Yu and Donnie Yen Chi Tan starred Lunar New Year film ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI) will compete in the 4th Okinawa International Movie Festival.  Producer and actor Raymond Wong Pak Ming was very happy to hear the good news because this type of comedy usually would not be chosen for film festivals.  This selection was certainly recognition and support for the cast and the crew.  He hoped that the Hong Kong government would follow Japan and host more international film festivals so different genre films would be able to find a platform to promote.

For Thursday, February 2 2012

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Eric Tsang Chi Wai and Raymond Wong Pak Ming exchanged fire for the third Lunar New Year in a row, but Chi Wai won all three years.  This year he even won from the beginning to the end.  Two nights ago at
the celebration and the New Spring visit, Tsang Chi Wai even presented the "Universe Nemesis" to Stanley Fung Shui Fan (Gung Gor) who performed for two years in a row.  He said that completely because of him "the Strongest in the Universe" Donnie Yen Chi Tan was defeated, but Gung Gor said that those words scared him.  He worried that they would insult someone and said that after the event he would have to immediately fly out of Hong Kong.

I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 two days ago broke 15 million at the box office.  Two nights ago a New Year group visit and a celebration took place.  Tsang Chi Wai, Fung Shui Fan, Bosco Wong Chung Chak, Teresa Mo Shun Kwan and others attended.  Due to the third Lunar New Year victory in a row over Wong Pak Ming, Chi Wai wrote "Universe Nemesis" and presented the words to Gung Gor as he had fun at the expense of ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2011 (BAK SING PO HEI)'s "Strongest in the Universe" Yen Chi Tan.  Chi Wai said, "Over these two years Gung Gor helped a lot.  Gung Gor took care of 'the Strongest in the Universe' over these two years, one against ten your salary should be worth several tens of
millions.  Next time I will make IP MAN 4 with you."  Gung Gor could not turn it down fast enough.  "I am not sure what you are saying, right now I am a little scared.  I didn't say any of that!  Right after this I am taking a flight out!"

Later Gung Gor said that he was in Taiwan so he did not know about the box office.  Did he know who Yen Chi Tan was?  He joked, "I know, if I don't I would die even faster!"  He also said that the success of a movie was not due to just one person, the credit went to the entire group.  No one could say that it all depended on him, no one should joke about that.  Chi Wai said, "You won with a lot of room to spare.  When you were on top, Who knew where Chi Tan was."  Was Gung Gor very embarrassed?  He said, "No, I am only afraid that someone would be insulted."  Chi Wai also said, "With writing like that, Chi Tan next year will work for Wong Pak Ming for free just to win some bragging right back!"  Chi Wai later would make five or six films for Shaw.  Will he ask Gung Gor?  He said, "How can I do it without him, whenever we are against Chi Tan I have to get him."

Chi Wai also said that actually this year was a real victory over Wong Pak Ming.  The first year Wong Pak Ming won at first, later with more people going he barely won.  The second time at first they were tied but he finally won.  This year he won from the beginning to the end.  Chi Wai said, "This time was risky because I used TVB artists, no comparison to his big stars."  Speaking of Clifton Ko Chi Sum's criticism of current Lunar New Year films as "lacking choices", Chi Wai said, "He has already left this circle, he is working on a Lunar New Year play.  Even if he comes back he would be behind because the comedy is already different. However I would welcome him to join the fray next year.  (Yet he would only work with his girlfriend Perry Chiu Woon?)  I would cast Chiu Woon.  Actually Chiu Woon is very playful, I asked her to take part in THE TRIO DELIGHTS every time.  It's a waste for her to be just on the stage, Ko Chi Sum shouldn't have the monopoly."  Wheat Bread complained that Chi Wai last year promised everyone a vacation but has yet to come through.  Chi Wai said, "This year we have a chance, maybe in Japan!  (Next Lunar New Year will you compete with Wong Pak Ming?)  I will!  Competition is good."

Teresa Mo Shun Kwan two nights ago attended the I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) Lunar New Year group visit and celebration.  She was very happy about the ideal box office but she had reservations about whether she will participate again next year.  Has she and her family seen the film?  She said that she would wait for the video before watching it with her family because she worried that her youngest daughter would not understand and would ask her to explain.  Was she talking about the sexy scene?  She admitted, "Yes, I am a little scared, so I have to watch and explain at home."

Sister Mo revealed that later she will rest for awhile and will not work on a series.  She will have to move and go with her daughter to look for a school in Canada.  She said, "Moving to me is a big deal in life because every time I moved I got sick.  I even had to go to a hospital, maybe because I was in too much of a hurry.  This time I don't want to have such a hard time.  I am older too, I worry that I won't just go to the hospital but have to stay there.  I hope to move slowly."  Sister Mo has one more year before going to the university.  Because her daughter is a Canadian citizen, she will return to study there.  This year she will look for schools for her there.

Sister Mo's husband Tony Au Ting Ping's birthday will be on February 6, they originally planned to celebrate in Japan.  Yet they heard radiation rumors from friends and told her not to go to Tokyo.  If something happened, the Japanese government would hide it.  Thus she decided to cancel her trip.  yet Chi Wai planned to take the cast to Japan.  Sister Mo said, "If it's Chi Wai's treat, I would risk my life."

People fight to greet Donnie Yen for his laisee

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Pegasus Motion Pictures last night held its spring banquet, many in the industry came in support like Raymond Lam Fung, Louis Koo Tin Lok, Kelly Chen Wai Lam, Sandra Ng Kwan Yu, Ronald Cheng Chung Kei and others.  Speaking of ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI)'s Hong Kong box office defeat at the hands of Eric Tsang Chi Wai's I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI), ALL'S boss Raymond Wong Pak Ming ridiculed Chi Wai's movie for not having a Mainland market and stated that next year he will keep going.  He said, "Why not compete when we can?"

Last night many artists appeared and gave away big laisees so everyone was pleased.  Speaking of this year's ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 disappointing box office, Wong Pak Ming was not disappointed and stressed that it was expected.  He said, "This year has many film releases, so far its Hong Kong box office is 7 million.  However its Mainland, Singapore and Malaysia responses have been decent.  The Mainland box office has already passed 70 million and passing 100 million won't be hard."  Pak Ming stressed that it had profit, this time the word of mouth was even better than last year's ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2011 (JUI KEUNG HEI SI).  As for losing to Chi Wai for a third year in a row, he did not admit defeat.  "Chi Wai('s movie) isn't in the Mainland!  (He won in Hong Kong?)  Then congratulations to him!"

Speaking of Chi Wai revealing that he sent a text message to Wong Pak Ming but has not received any reply, he denied that and only blamed it on him not being in Hong Kong.  "I am not afraid that he would be mad, I am happy for Chi Wai!  Next Year I will keep making Lunar New Year films, why not compete when we can!"  Will he congratulate Chi Wai when he will return on the Lunar 8th, Wong Pak Ming joked, "Let's wait until he is really back first!"  Wong Pak Ming also revealed that this year he will invest on three films.  SAVING GENERAL YANG (YEUNG GA JEUNG) will be released at the end of the year.  In April Vincent Kok Tak Siu's NAM YUN YU YI FOOK (MEN ARE LIKE CLOTHES) will start production; however, the new film with old couple Ronald Cheng Chung Kei and Miriam Yeung Chin Wai will have to be negotiated again due to Chin Wa's pregnancy.

Seven months pregnant, Chen Wai Lam admitted that she has already gained over ten pounds and joked that her appetite was even greater than her husband's.  "I keep eating salty and sweet things, it's very hard to control."  Kelly said that now once her husband was full she would try to stop.  Does her son "Shrimp Dumpling Kid" know that he will soon be an older brother?  Kelly said, "He knows that Mama has a baby in her belly and knows where he came from.  He would even pretend to crawl back inside to come back out again!"  She revealed that during the Lunar New Year she brought "Shrimp Dumpling Kid" on Lunar New Year visits and her friends and family gave laisee to both "Shrimp Dumpling Kid" and the baby in her belly.  When will she be able to break even?  Kelly helplessly said, "It's impossible, I calculated that both of their lifetimes won't be on par with tonight, tonight I will give six figure in laisee."  Last night she wore flats, she joked that now she could not even see her feet so dressing pretty would be useless.  "Now I don't like to sit because standing up I look like a pregnant lady!"  Andy Lau Tak Wa earlier admitted that his wife Chu Lai Sin was carrying a little dragon maiden.  Kelly stated that she would like to make a match.  She said, "'Little Juicy Bun' matches her.  If not that I will tell 'Shrimp Dumpling Kid' to take the place!"  She joked that this time she was rich because Wa Jai's daughter will have a lot in dowry.

Ng Kwan Yu was linked to Winnie Yu Tseng years ago.  Last night Kwan Yu appeared at the spring banquet and became the focus.  Recently Yu Tseng and Pansy Ho Chiu King were caught holding hands in Europe.  Kwan Yu coldly responded, "I didn't see the news, I don't know.  As long as they are happy it's fine.  It's got nothing to do with me.  Don't ask about other people."  She joked that she and her daughter constantly held hands too.

As for a dragon baby, she responded, "I have to rest for half a year before even trying, but I still have two movies on hand."  Kwan Yu admitted her body was like an animal's, one day without a child was like ten.  As for advice from her good friend Andy Lau Tak Wa, she said, "I can handle my own deal.  Telling him to raise me too sounds more like it."  As for Louis Koo Tin Lok recently he has been working on his new film DRUG WAR (DUK JIN) in Tianjin.  Goo jai said, "The low temperature there was seven degrees below zero (Celsius), we still have awhile on the shoot."  Speaking of ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012's mediocre Hong Kong box office, he hoped that next time will be even better.  Actors have to do their part.  As for whether he will work on another Lunar New Year film next year it will depend on whether the boss will invest.

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"Shell King" Chan Kwok Keung joins the TVB board this year courtesy of takungpao.com

As the Lunar New Year just passed, TVB received good news.  First the return to work laisee increased by 75%, then the Lunar New Year program rating was good, and its Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) became the Hong Kong film box office champion.  Next week a celebration will be held.

TVB and Shaw's third Lunar New Year film collaboration I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 as of 4PM yesterday reached 9.364 million at the box office, the best among Hong Kong films.  After last year the box office has been estimated to pass 10 million.  Thus next Monday a celebration will be held.  THE VIRAL FACTOR (YIK JIN)'s box office so far is 7.794 million while ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI)'s box office is 4.568 million.


The Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association yesterday announced the 2012 Spring Festival holiday box office (January 22 to 25) as HK$47,012,740 in total, a 5.9% increase from the same period last year;  however, this Spring Festival foreign films dominated as Hollywood 3D film JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND beat out Chinese films and animation of the same period for the top spot.

This Spring Festival slot had 8 film releases, JOURNEY 2 THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND performed the best.  Over the 4 day holiday it made HK$14,158,846, as of the 25th its cumulative box office was HK$20,049,092.

The Eric Tsang Chi Wai produced Shaw Lunar New Year film I LOVE HONG KONG 2012 (2012 NGOR OI HK HEI SEUNG GA HEI) came in second with HK$7,541,083 over the holiday and accumulated HK$8,804,008.  It left its rival the Raymond Wong Pak Ming produced comedy ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI) in the dust.  ALL's holiday box office was HK$4,536,450 and cumulative box office was HK$5,423,774.  Chi Wai and Wong Pak Ming have engaged in a battle of words every year over their Lunar New Year films.  Chi Wai this year won again, a third year of victory over Wong Pak Ming.

Animation PUSS IN BOOTS made HK$6,583,185 over the holidays, crushing by 470,000 the Nicholas Tse Ting Fung and Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun) starred Hong Kong action film THE VIRAL FACTOR (YIK JIN)'s holiday box office of HK$6,113,242 for third place; however, THE VIRAL FACTOR's cumulative box office was HK$8,626,689, which exceeded PUSS IN BOOTS' HK$7,630,722.  Thus in the upcoming weekend they still had hope to catch up with momentum.

However, two other animated films KOKURIKOZAKA KARA and THE MUPPETS only had average performance with HK$2,022,120 and $997,994 respectively.  Their cumulative box office numbers were HK$3,651,924 and HK$1,342,627 on the bottom of the chart.

Big time director Zhang Yimou's THE FLOWERS OF WAR perhaps due to its earlier Mainland release has already been seen through different channels.  With the taste difference its Hong Kong release has been
mediocre.  Over the holiday it made HK$2,668,752 and accumulated HK$4,561,952, slightly better than KOKURIKOZAKA KARA and THE MUPPETS.

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Sandra Ng Kwan Yu, Lynn Xiong (Hung Doi Lam), Chapman To Man Jat have been busy with promoting ALL'S WELL ENDS WELL 2012 (BAK SING PO HEI) before and after the Lunar New Year.  Kwan Yu's mother celebrated her birthday on the Lunar 3rd, but Kwan Yu due to work has not been able to celebrate with her.  This year she finally was able to make time.