Movie Box Review

A fatal explosion took place in Bangkok. Elannie Kong Yuek Lam two nights ago worked on Pang Fat's new film FAIRY TALE KILLER (SOK MING TUNG WA), which ended yesterday morning at 7AM. Originally she planned to go straight to bed at the hotel. Soon text messages from her

family and friends woke her as everyone was worried about her safety over the Bangkok explosion.

Yesterday Elanne said, "Mommy was the most nervous, as she urged me not to go out aside for work. Now I am the only actor left, I feel so grey." Co-stars James and Gary returned to Hong Kong before the explosion and thought the explosion was severe enough to send text message to see how she was. Because she did not reply, they went to the company to "ask for help".

Elanne yesterday was still in Bangkok, waiting director Pang Fat's notice to see whether additional shoot was needed. The soonest she would return to Hong Kong would be tomorrow. Without anything to do, yesterday she went with local workers to the city center for lunch and shopping. "They said today (yesterday) is the Thailand Buddha's birthday, it is a major event. No one would cause trouble today. Thus I was very at ease when I was out. The streets were very quiet. I only saw a black plastic bag of unknown origin on the street and I immediately went the other way. Safety comes first."

Elanne posted that she was safe online to keep her fans from worrying. "Because we shot in a remote country area, at first no one knew what happened. When we saw the headline we were surprised. We are one of 3,000 Hong Kong people who are stuck in danger, but we are fine. Don't worry!"

Despite the explosion, Hong Kong film professionals are still working on location in Thailand. They were used to seeing situations and fearlessly continued on.

Thai Chinese Pang Brothers were not afraid of the explosion. Currently Pang Fat is still working on the "lucky shot" for FAIRY TALE KILLER's production start. He said, "I am used to it, I know it's nothing. Maybe today is the Buddha's birthday, they are all song and dances over there. (What about brother Pang Shun?) He earlier was shooting THE DETECTIVE 2 (B+ JING TAM) over there. Two days ago he just returned to Hong Kong. We are locals, we know where we can go. Heaven looks after lucky people."

Ken Low Wai Kwong earlier worked on FAIRY TALE KILLER. The Thai local pointed out that after the explosion the city was quiet. "Many tourists went shopping. I went to the city myself. (Were you worried about your safety?) No, maybe it's just because of the election. (Any family over there?) My brother, he doesn't live near where it happened. Just avoid the place where it happened then you are fine!"

Model Kelly Fu Ka Lei also worked on FAIRY TALE KILLER. Two days ago as she was about to return to Hong Kong, the explosion took place in Bangkok. When it happened she was only a block away in the shopping district.

"At the time I was shopping, preparing to buy a gift for a friend's birthday. Suddenly I heard boom, even the ground was shaking! Then many people ran to the streets. The people on the streets were like the lead in RUN LOLA RUN, they just kept running! Luckily I didn't go to the supermarket for snacks, if not it would've been big trouble."

Kelly said that after the explosion chaos ensued, people thought the red shirts were rioting again. Thus she immediately took a taxi back to the hotel to pack and leave. Kelly thought she has been very unlucky. "Several months ago when I went to Thailand for an ad I already ran into

the red shirts, several weeks ago during the shoot my eyes got some strange illness. As I was leaving trouble still happened. (Would you consider getting blessing from the White Dragon King?) I heard he's in the hospital!"

The Danny Pang Fat directed film FAIRY TALE KILLER (SOK MING TUNG WA) yesterday held its production start ceremony in Thailand. Attendees included Elanne Kong Yuek Lam, Lau Ching Wan, Joey Man Yi Man, and Mainland actor Wang Baoqiang. The film company selected a lucky time for the worship ceremony to take place and invited Thai priests for the ceremony. In the film Lau Ching Wan and Man Yi Man play a couple. Yesterday they worked on a scene in which they saw Kong Yuek Lam and Wang Baoqiang on the streets and mistook them for beggars. Ching Wan gave them 20 bucks.

Ching Wan expressed that this time he plays a cop who is investigating serial murders but actually is a "slanted shoulder" (irresponsible) cop. In one scene Kong Yuek Lam had to bite him. Ching Wan said, "It's just a bite! It's no big deal!" This is also Ching Wan's first collaboration with Pang Fat. At first he thought he was very serious, actually he was very happy and had a childlike innocence. The shoot has also been very comfortable, the facilities were complete. His wife earlier also visited the set. Earlier the entire team all succumbed to eye infection. Ching Wan said that his eyes have always been sensitive and required eye drops even with a little more dust. Luckily his eyes were only red and were fine after eye drops, but others had to be hospitalized.

Kong Yuek Lam's character suffers from severe autism. Wang Baoqiang plays her boyfriend. She also has been busy with a TVB series in which she plays a happy and energetic Ming Dynasty princess, a role that is very different from this film's character. Because she plays

someone with autism, she has no dialogue and can only make expressions. She works on each scene until she mentally breaks down, she also has to hit herself in the head. She also goes crazy, hits and bites Ching Wan. Sometimes she works until she wails and she is afraid that she cannot

leave the character. The worst part is the team wants her to face the wall for several hours to gather her emotions. Because she wears white, other people pass by and think they see a ghost. They often use a flashlight on her. The director also prohibits her to go out and eat so she is focused on the character. She also says that this character is very similar to the 15 year old who killed his mother and sister in Hong Kong. She feels that Hong Kong has many mental patients. How does she relieve stress? She says, "Luckily the TVB series has (Michael) Tse Tin Wa and (Sammul) Chan Kin Fung to play with me, later I will take half a month to visit Taiwan or India."

Kong Yuek Lam also said that on her first day in Thailand she was locked in her hotel for half a hour. Luckily later she was able to open the door and she immediately asked her assistant to keep her company. Speaking of the film CHILD'S EYE (TUNG NGAN) being selected for the Venice Film Festival, she was very excited about the chance to go the event. Meanwhile, working with Ching Wan for the first time Pang Fat stated that as soon as the cameras rolled he knew Ching Wan was "good". Kong Yuek Lam also has improved a lot. As for CHILD'S EYE's Venice Film Festival participation, he expressed that he did not know whether he or his brother

would go. Lately he has been busy with writing a love story.