Movie Box Review

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The Tsui Hark directed 3D wuxia film FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP) two nights ago appeared in Berlin.  He and his wife Shi Nansun, actors Mavis Fan Hiu Huen and Kwai Lun-Mei promoted there.  An avid tattoo fan, Siu Huen at the press conference and the premiere without hesitation displayed her arm tattoo and her wild side.  At the press conference she stepped on her long dress, luckily she did not embarrass herself.

At the press conference, Tsui Hark said that kung fu director King Hu (Wu Kam Chuen) could be said as his mentor.  His film DRAGON GATE INN was one of his favorite films.  20 years ago, he had a chance to remake NEW DRAGON GATE INN and over 2 years of working with Wu Kam Chuen he benefited a lot.  Thus FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE was a continuation of his memory and emotions as well as a salute to Wu Kam Chuen.  Shi Nansun said, "FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE has been interpreted continuously, like a Shakespearean play it is a classic is worth making and making again.  3D film is a very interesting attempt.  I believe the themes of love, friendship and justice was values that the entire world share."

An avid fan of the tattoo art, Siu Huen wore a long dress that showed off her exaggerated arm tattoo.  Yet she accidentally stepped on her dress and almost embarrassed herself in front of the foreign media.  She said that she has always been a Tsui Hark fan and hoped to play in the film a "water like woman".  Although it was very abstract the role was able to trigger her imagination.  At night she showed her wild side in a fiery short dress.

Kwai Lun-mei revealed that this year she has already received a great dramatic film and hoped to be able to get a musical film.  Speaking of her BLUE GATE CROSSING co-star Chen Bo-Lin, Siu Mei admitted because they wanted it to be perfect too much they have been very cautious with their collaboration opportunities.  She also very "ambitiously" said, "I really want us to grow up to a silver screen couple in the future like (Maggie) Cheung Man Yuk and (Tony) Leung Chiu Wai."

Still in Berlin to promote her husband Wang Quanan's WHITE DEER PLAIN, Kitty Zhang Yuqi humbly said that her male co-stars motivated her WHITE performance.  She even said that when working with actors of different styles she felt like she was riding a roller coaster.  Zhang Yuqi who still has not have a wedding ceremony with her husband admitted that she hoped to have it soon after her husband finished promoting this film and she would like to become a mother soon as well.

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Making her first wuxia film, Mavis Fan Hiu Huen worked with director Tsui Hark, Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit), Zhou Xun, Kwai Lun-Mei and Chris Lee Yuchun.  Under such a strong ensemble, Siu Huen had to perform with an effort.  At first she regretted that she did not have any action scene, but seeing how tough each actor fought, she could not help but consider herself lucky.

Being able to work with her idol Director Tsui Har, Siu Huen felt very pleased.  She also did all the preparation to welcome the challenge.  However as for being assigned to play a gentle character, Siu Huen at first was completely lost.  "At first I thought why would I play this character?  Yet when I saw how pretty the costume was, I worked hard to play this fragile character.  After working with the director, I felt he was like a big kid.  He was not a modern person, but a hero.  I didn't know what he was thinking, he made people feel that he was beyond their grasp and without certainty.  Thus during the shoot she was also very nervous.  Actually all those gave people space to imagine.  The director wanted to give people a pleasant surprise!  Actually making wuxia film felt great.  This time was a Chinese traditional subject that merged martial arts and 3D into one.  The mix was very modern.'

Siu Huen even admitted that at first when she learned that she would make this wuxia film she regretted that she did not have any chance to show her skills.  Yet during the production, she witnessed how tough every actor fought and felt very lucky.  "In the film he had the protection of many masters.  I had more scenes with Zhou Xun.  I remembered on a desert shoot, the sandstorm was so strong I couldn't even open my eyes.  Yet we had to keep working.  Thus everyone's eyes were filled with sand and tears......when I saw all the action scenes of the other actors, I felt bad for them but I also thought they were a lot of fun."  Rarely making movies, Siu Huen said that each time she made a film she hoped to bring something fresh.  Like a vacation she could be in touch with different things.  The most memorable for her in FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATES (LUNG MOON FEI GAP) was the relationship with Zhou Xun.  "In a farewell scene with Zhou Xun, I had to play a feeling that I didn't agree with her leaving.  After the shoot, everyone said that this scene had quite a feeling.  I was very happy to hear that."

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The Tsui Hark directed 3D wu xia epic FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP) was released yesterday.  Originally the Hong Kong release was to be the Cantonese version, but because earlier during the professional screening film critics, directors and viewers all would like to watch the original Mandarin version.  The film company in accordance to the audience demand released the Mandarin version starting today.  The Mandarin version will have Chen Kun and Chris Lee Yuchun's real voices.  Lee Yuchun joked, "In one scene Kwai Lun-Mei and I fought over Brother Kun, I in particular got to slap him.  That slap was especially loud.  With my real voice I believe it would be very realistic."

The film's six leads Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit), Zhou Xun, Kwai Lun-Mei, Chen Kun, Lee Yuchun and Mavis Fan Hiu Huen all stated that this film was the most difficult.  Several beauties all became "wind eating beauties".  Zhou Xun said, "The shoot took place under below freezing temperature.  Even my hands and the sand under my feet were frozen.  My head and ears ached.  Sand storms also kept appearing at the location.  As soon as cameras rolled, the wind making equipment blew.  I couldn't even open my eyes."  Chen Kun and Lee Yuchun in the film had the most fight scenes and every time they wielded their weapon they ate sand.  Although they suffered "abuses" at the hands of Tsui Hark, everyone still appreciated him.  Chen Kun said, "this time I played both the good guy and the bad guy at the same time, I felt like I had a personality split.  I also had to fight with Big Brother Lee Nin Kit.  Although it was tough the director very patiently displayed the actors' potential.  We truly both loved and hated him."

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The Alan Mak Siu Fai and Felix Chong Man Keung directed, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Zhou Xun, Mavis Fan Hiu Huen and Wang Xuebing starred WIND SEEKER (TING FUNG JEH) yesterday held a wrap press conference in Shanghai.

Leung Chiu Wai in the film played someone with extrasensory power.  Due to a childhood accident he lost his sight but gained exceptional hearing, which came in handy during the intelligence unit 701's tough rescue mission.

Wai Jai said that this film was the most difficult and the most challenging in his career.  With his mesmerizing eyes Leung Chiu Wai in the film played the blind Bing.  Leung Chiu Wai joked that playing "Blind Bing" was quite a challenge but unfortunately when he shot the scene in the poster he had food poisoning.  As soon as he reached the set he began to vomit.  After six times the director asked him, "Can you still work?"  It was quite an abuse.

Although he played blind before in movies like SOUNDS OF COLOR (DEI HA TEET).  Leung Chiu Wai was truly not used to it this time.  He said, "Especially when this film was a collaboration with Zhou Xun.  In an earlier film I had to watch her performance to react, but this time I was blind and my character couldn't see her.  Perhaps I should say, I had to pretend I couldn't see, which was very tough.  I was used to express my emotions with my eyes, but this time I had to think of other ways to express the character's emotions like body language and camera assistance.  I wasn't used to that.  In addition, I had action scenes as soon as the movie started and I was being chased.  During the shot I wasn't sure whether my performance worked.  At the time I just joined the team.  I thought when I walked I didn't walk like someone blind.  At the time I thought my mood was quite confused.  I always thought my body language performance was very weak."

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The Tsui Hark directed first 3D Chinese wuxia film FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP) was based on the 1992 film NEW DRAGON GATE INN (SUN LUNG MOON HAT JANG) and starred Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit), Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Chris Lee Yuchun and Mavis Fan Hiu Huen.  The cast aside from Kit Jai did not have any martial art background.  With the 3D production, the difficulties could be imagined.  No wonder Chen Kun described this film as the toughest in his ten year film career.

Chen Kun and Fan Hiu Huen earlier met reporters together.  When talking about the film, Chen Kun admitted, "This was the toughest film in my ten year career.  The weather was the coldest, the condition was the worst, the director was the most demonic, the character was the hardest to play.  With the 3D effects, action had to be complete and couldn't be edited.  (Would you make the sequel?)  If it would be made then I would, after all my relationship with Old Master is great."  Fan Hiu Huen said that although the film was shot under horrible weather, everyone was very united and very close.  They even formed the Dragon Gate Alumni Association.

Since the shoot was so tough, was he injured?  Chen Kun said, "Anyone who wasn't injured seemed to not have been a part of this film.  Thus everyone more or less was injured.  I fell from a horse."  Fan Hiu Huen was not injured.  She said, "I played a very fragile woman and didn't need to fight too much."  However due to the desert shoot, sandstorm occurred nearby.  With the cement and corn starch used to create the effect, her eyes, skins and airways all suffered.  She said, "Everyday when I got back and washed my face it was like sanding paste.  Everyday I needed facial therapy.  When delivering my lines I would keep eating sand, but the director did not yell cut and demanded for the performance to continue.  The performance went from sound to silence."

Chen Kun in the film had fight scenes with everyone, the most memorable of which of course was the fight with "Kung Fu Emperor" Kit Jai because Kit Jai fought the best.  With a kung fu new comer like him, even if Kit Jai was better he still had frequent bad takes.  Chen Kun said, "Although Brother Kit was the Kung Fu Emperor, I took 30 takes and he still kept my company."  Later he apologized to Brother Kit.  Speaking of the romantic scenes in the film, Fan Hiu Huen advertised, "The romantic scenes are very exciting, with real and fake ones and everyone has a motive.  it's not just relationships between men and women, but a little same sex relationship.  Because women in the martial art world would often wear a male disguise, ambiguous identities were very normal."  Chen Kun said that everyone's face was filled with frost in the severe weather.  Their faces were so frozen that they could not move.  Thus emotional scenes were particularly painful.

Boss Yu Dong, Zhou Xun

Tsui Hark, Shi Nansun

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The world's first 3D wu xia film FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP 3D) two nights ago held its premiere in Macau.  Director Tsui Hark and the cast including Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit), Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Chris Lee Yuchun, and Kwai Lun-Mei walked the red carpet together.  Lead actors Lee Nin Kit and Chen Kun both wore black suits.  Lee Nin Kit had a pair of sunglasses and was full of star power.  Lead actresses Zhou Xun and Lee Yuchun appeared in blue and red, but they could not rival guest Candy Yu On On's fire.

With a lot of performance experience Lee Yuchun and Chen Kun fought over the new comer title.  Lee Yuchun said that she was the newest among the cast, but Chen Kun said that he was a 3D film new comer.  Lee Yuchun pointed out that working with a group of experienced actors was stressful for her, but fortunately she learned a lot during the process.  She thought while making a movie her body had to handle a lot, which was very different from singing.  In the film she had to wield a 30 catty Guan Blade.  After every training her arms would be very tired.  Later she even discovered that she had "little mice" in her arms.  In the film Lee Yuchun fought with Mavis Fan Hiu Huen for Chen Kun, finally Lee Yuchun ended up with him.  Would Yuchun fight for someone she likes in real life?  She said that she has always been more passive.  This time she played the character in the film.

How many points would Chen Kun give Lee Yuchun?  Chen Kun praised this new comer for being a pleasant surprise for everyone.  However he joked that once he and the crew watched Yuchun sing on television and thought that she looked very handsome when she sang.  They could not help but sent her praises via text messages.  When Yuchun returned to the set he thought she was completely different.  Chen Kun also said that he already saw FLYING in the Beijing premiere and described it as "shocking".

Kwai Lun-Mei this time in the film played a tough character.  Some said that she originally wanted to play Fan Hiu Huen's gentler character.  Kwai Lun_Mei denied that and said that she wanted to try different characters.  She joked that perhaps the director saw STOOL PIGEON (SIN YUN) and thought that she could play tough too.  In the film she had many action scenes, which were the greatest challenges in her career because she had to wield many large weapons.  Did she want to shake off that pristine image with this film?  She said that it was not deliberate, as she took roles naturally.

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Chen Kun, Kwai Lun-Mei, Mavis Fan Hiu Huen earlier posed for a magazine cover to promote FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP).  The trio during the interview all said that director Tsui Hark gave their image an 180 degree turn.  Chen Kun went from a gentleman to a villain.  Always a nice girl, Kwai Lun-Mei turned into a sassy and wild minority tribeswoman.  With her outstanding personality, Fan Hiu Huen became a tender woman.

Claiming to rarely make fight scenes, Chen Kun spent 9 months for the most basic physical, boxing and martial art training.  As the sassy princess Kwai Lun-Mei at first did not know where to start.  "Until when costume designer Mr. Yee Chung Man darkened my face, drew tattoos on it, put a wig and a costume on me.  Then all the foreign territory woman's dominance, exotic wildness all came out.  I still remember after my first fight scene I imagined myself to be a wild wolf or a leopard on the prowl."

The tender character seemed to be quite distant from Fan Hiu Huen's personality.  She said, "The director said that woman is like water, with a very wide range of space for imagination.  Haha!  Luckily during the shoot under the leadership of the director and other co-stars I gradually entered into the character's world!"

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The 3D wuxia epic FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP) yesterday held a press conference in Beijing.  Five actors Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit), Chen Kun, Chris Lee Yuchun, Kwai Lun-Mei, and Mavis Fan Hiu Huen reunited for the first time after the film wrapped at the end of last year.  They discussed the relationships between the characters in the film.  Rarely having on screen romances, Lee Nin Kit this time caught the eyes of Zhou Xun and Fan Hiu Huen and had ambiguous relationships.  Zhou Xun described her character's feeling for Lee Nin Kit with "deeply buried true love", while Fan Hiu Huen stated that she "respects and admires" Lee Nin Kit.

Director Tsui Hark joked that he owed Lee Yuchun a relationship.  This time in the film Lee Yuchun had a tangling relationship with Chen Kun, but Kwai Lun-Mei fell in love at first sight of him.  In one scene Lee Yuchun and Kwai Lun-Mei fought out of jealousy for Chen Kun.

The event's bright spot was Bona film industry group chief Yu Dong and Lee Nin Kit's joint appearance.  With the upcoming holidays, Yu Dong announced that the film promotion had "three no" principles: no fighting back, no back talking and no ticket price increase to ensure the public audience's viewing rights.  Yu Dong even revealed that Lee Nin Kit recently received the United Nations' Pyramide con Mami award.  Lee Nin Kit thanked everyone for supporting and caring about him.

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In order to make China's first 3D wu xia film FLYING SWORDS OF THE DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP), director Tsui Hark arranged for the cast Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Kwai Lun-Mei, Mavis Fan Hiu Huen, Chris Lee Yuchun and others to take over half a year of martial art training.  Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit) and action director Corey Yuen Kwai worked together to create an uniuqe "Flying Sword Fighting Force".

Zhou Xun recalled the days of the shoot and was impressed with herself.  "Without those eight movies of martial art training, I think I really couldn't fight."  Yet speaking of the multiple layers of costumes, Zhou Xun revealed something embarrassing.  "Usually the crew helped me with my costume, but for one scene Master (Tsui Hark) asked me to remove layer after layer of clothing without any care then put them back on again.  I was in trouble, how would I remember the order?  I could only ask the wardrobe team to teach me how to remove that multiple layer costume.  I still had to remember my lines!  It was very awkward."  During the entire special training, Fan Hiu Huen admitted that she benefited a lot; even thanked to director Tsui Hark's arrangement she returned to someone who was healthy both inside and outside.  She seriously said, "I basically am someone who des zero exercise, and I don't sleep until the morning.  Yet after over half a year of special training my entire life habit was structured anew.  Now I am used to early to bed and early to rise, and I fell in love with exercising.  Even my friends can't believe how healthy I am and everyone jokes that I finally re-evaluated myself and live anew, ha ha......"

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The Tsui Hark directed, Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit), Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Kwai Lun-Mei, Chris Lee Yuchun, Mavis Fan Hiu Huen starred 3D wuxia film FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP) will be released this Christmas.  For the first wuxia film Zhou Xun and Chen Kun suffered during the shoot.  Even the king of kung fu Lee Nin Kit succumbed to the 3D wuxia film special effects and complained that it was the most memorable martial art action experience in his career.

Lee Nin Kit said, "With previous film productions, people who have acted for years like us only had to stab in the general direction of the camera once and it's OK.  For 3D productions, the target is a small circle.  As long as it's a little off, the effect has no way to appear.  In the past the scene would only take one stab, now it has to take a dozen or so times because the difficulty has increased."

Zhou Xun also suffered.  Not only did she have to handle highly difficult stunts but also suffered from the weather; from the coldest October she froze until January.  Over the four months she could only wear flimsy costumes.  On the screen she was a mighty heroine, off the screen she was an ailing beauty who was the only one who knew her pain.  Chen Kun in the film had many fights, one of which required him to dive from 30 feet above.  At the same time for camera accuracy, Chen Kun dove over 30 times for one shot.

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Tsui Hark's first 3D wu xia film FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP)'s three actresses Mavis Fan Hiu Huen, Kwai Lun-Mei and Chris Lee Yuchun's costume stills were unveiled.

Fan Hiu Huen, Kwai Lun-Mei and Lee Yuchun were interested in each other's roles.  Before the shoot they fought over them.  Kwai Lun-Mei liked Fan Hiu Huen's character and offered to play the role for Tsui Hark,
but Tsui Hark turned her down right away.

When Fan Hiu Huen recalled when she just came in contact with this character, she was "helpless".  She said, "He told me my character was a woman who was like water.  Heavens!  In show business which actor
is like water so I can study a little?"  In the poster Fan Hiu Huen looked frail and weak, someone people would feel sorry for.

In another poster, Kwai Lun-Mei's foreign tribe princess was wild, sassy and sexy all in one.  Kwai Lun-mei's costume cost 100,000 yuan.  The red dress had an armor and gem sequence, her make up and hairstyle also maintained the "complex" specialty with her 70 wrist long braids and the antique silver hair accessories.  She also had "veil like" tattoos on her cheeks.

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The Tsui Hark directed FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP) will be released in Christmas but the costumes of key actors like Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit), Zhou Xun, Chris Lee Yuchun, Kwai Lun-Mei have already been unveiled.  Chen Kun's "the prettiest and the most vicious" Yu Huatian finally showed his true face.  In his flowing white costume he looked rather elegant.

Chen Kun played the villain Yu Huatian in rather extravagant costumes.  The simple looking white costume was made with Thai silk and hidden embroidery.  Chen Kun also had the most costumes among the cast, the most extravagant of which exceeded any female character's.  In addition he not only had many costumes but also luck with the ladies.  Basically every woman in the film including Zhou Xun, Lee Yuchun, Kwai Lun-Mei, Mavis Fan Hiu Huen and Zhang Xinyu all had connections to him.  Chen Kun joked, "During the shoot because of the numerous pretty costumes the female leads often ganged up on me and thought I had enough for a solo fashion show."  Reportedly this white scholar look mainly was used in the desert battle with Lee Nin Kit.  Because the shoot took place in the chilly winter, the costume material was excessive high class and light, under the category 7 northern wind in the desert and the wind machine, Chen Kun was shivering.

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