The film "New Shaolin Temple" starring Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Fan Bing Bing has started filming since October. Before they started shooting, director Benny Chan invited Master Wing Chi from Shaolin Lohan School to come over to Hong Kong to coach Andy the "Shaolin Seven Star Boxing". In fact, Andy had already watched the basic steps and movement two months beforehand until master Wing came to Hong Kong. Andy and Master Wing's disciple Xing-yu practiced "Shaolin Seven Star Boxing together. After a few days, Andy has mastered the art and made very good progress.
Andy wanted to have a better understanding of Shaolin kung fu and also wanted to play an active role in his part of the film. He secretly went up to the monastery alone and spent three days meditating there. Andy disclosed that he spent three days chanting and didn't think of anything else, not even using the telephone. He felt much better in spirit after his meditation.
When they started shooting the film, Andy didn't have to adjust his diet. In fact, he used so much energy practicing Kung Fu that he needs more food consumption than normal. As Andy has 45 minutes daily meditation at home, he feels very refreshed afterwards. Master Wing said "Shaolin Seven Boxing" is ideal for Andy's body.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Kim Tae Hee had no soul before acting
KBS TV series "Iris" ended its run last week while viewers were left to wonder why main character Hyun-joon (played by Lee Byung-hun) die. And Choi Seung-hee (Kim Tae-hee) mysteriously remains standing at the center of this story which ended with an open ending. She turned out to be the unexpected twist at the end of the drama which helped her character leave a stronger impression rather than ending up being the typical passive female who yields to her man's wishes. Kim talked to reporters last Friday, the day after the blockbuster spy drama aired its final episode.
Q: You must feel quite different about this drama compared to your past works.
Kim Tae-hee (Kim): Actors usually say they feel mixed emotions of both joy and sadness when they're done with a film or drama. I had felt more relief with my past roles but I think the sadness is greater this time. I think it's because we had been in shoot for a long time and I had been active in laying forth my own ideas for the drama too while monitoring my scenes in the editing room. I was very stressed while working on it but I have a deep affection for it.
Q: How satisfied are you with the ending?
Kim: I wonder how it would've been if the ending had been more clear. My character Seung-hee is mysterious till the very end — contemplating over whether she should assassinate the president or kill Iris' snipers. You can't even tell whether she is telling the truth or not. I do wish the ending provided more explanation to clear things up.
Q: Seung-hee was the one who held the key to the mystery in the latter half of the drama. Did you know she would play such a role when you first went into shoot?
Kim: I didn't but the screenwriter told me to play out my role without taking such issues into consideration. I was told that I should just act out how Seung-hee would be according to the situation mentioned in the script at the time, regardless of what would happen in the future. I was very frustrated while in shoot though because we didn't shoot the scenes in order and I had to do so without being aware of her identity or mentality. But I think my acting would have been more calculated if I had read the entire script beforehand and knew what her identity was.
Q: When exactly did you find out about the ending?
Kim: The script for the last two episodes came out less than a week before they were set to air.
Q: You mentioned you actively projected your ideas while working on this drama. Which scenes in particular?
Kim: First of all, the writer wasn't the type that wants actors to recite each line word for word, but rather matches the actor's personality to his or her character. For example, in the scene where Hyun-joon follows around my character Seung-hee on campus, she was supposed to say, "I hate making small talk over coffee." but it changed to "It's not my thing." And in Hungary, she said "Even if I die, I'd want to with you," but changed it to "I'd even go to hell with you" because I just wasn't feeling it. And in the scene where I fight with terrorists who invaded into the NSS, the director wanted me to take down my opponent swiftly with a mass but I asked that I fight a long bout because I'm an agent and I would have undergone the basic training necessary for it.
10: As eager as you were about doing a good job in this drama, there must be some scenes you wish you did better on.
Kim: So many, taking the smallest details into consideration. I personally am disappointed with the scene where I look at Hyun-joon while he's being tortured in the first episode. It was hard having to deliver my emotions because I wasn't actually looking at him being tortured but looking into the camera. I guess I could have rehearsed with Lee Byung-hun but I felt bad about asking him because he had been having a rough time shooting in the underground bunker for several days. Anyhow, I watched the scene on TV later on and I had this obscure look in my eyes. I had hoped to express more emotion but the director said it was good because my slightly expressionless face made the scene stronger.
: You had said you put in the most effort for your role this time and hoped it would be a turning point. Do you think it has been?
Kim: I had been very frustrated in the past because it seemed like acting came so easily for everyone else and I was the only one walking through an endless maze. But after having worked on "Iris" for ten months and receiving a lot of advice from my senior actors, I think part of the frustration has disappeared and I feel a bit more comfortable acting now.
Q: Does that mean you think you've gained confidence?
Kim: Maybe a little. I'm also glad that people are finally saying 'Kim Tae-hee has a hit drama too'. (laugh)
Q: So it's good that the show ended up doing well but you must've been very stressed before it went on air. You were the lead actress for the most-anticipated TV series during the second half of the year.
Kim: It really was enormous (stress). I wasn't able to get a complete grasp of my character's emotions because we started by shooting the scene where Seung-hee goes on a trip to Japan with Hyun-joon (played by Lee Byung-hun) and then went straight to Hungary without shooting anything in between. I was only handed a script to look at so it wasn't easy trying to create a link between the two. Hence I wasn't confident about it and was very stressed. That's when the director gave me the task of practicing do to pantomime. He said it would help with my acting. He told me to practice in various ways on my own, then try it with other actors. I also shot video of myself doing it and would monitor it afterwards. It really helped a lot and I was able to adjust to my role after returning to Korea from Hungary.
Q: It felt like you were trying to break through the controversy over your acting skills... a certain obstinacy or intensity. What we're curious to know is whether you are actually enjoying your job.
Kim: I had been weighed down with a sense of responsibility and pressure in the past because I somehow entered the field of acting but was not living up to expectations so I became very disappointed and frustrated in myself. I'm sure everyone probably does better job at and enjoy doing more of what they are good at. But I think one thing has changed because of "Iris". My acting hasn't turned around 180 degrees but my thoughts — thinking that I had a disadvantageous personality for an actor — has changed a bit and I were able to discover moments when I found potential within myself as an actor.
Q: Do you think you've become more emotionally abundant?
Kim: Of course. I'm growing older too. I've really felt that I'm becoming more of a person through acting. I was almost lifeless before. (laugh)
Q: Then could we take it that your life has become more abundant and enjoyable due to acting?
Kim: My life has become more abundant. But is hasn't become fun yet. (laugh) In the past I had been quite optimistic and never looked back on what I've done but I now feel emotions such as depression which in turn has helped me feel greater happiness. One can only feel happiness from the smallest things by experiencing sorrow.
Asiae
Jimmy Lin’s baby offered S$250,000 milk endorsement
At just three months old, the baby boy of Taiwanese star Jimmy Lin is already a splitting image of his good-looking celebrity father.
The round doe-eyes and chubby cheeks also, naturally, attracted the attention of several infant product companies for endorsement deals after Jimmy released photos of his son’s first-month birthday. One milk powder company had apparently offered a S$250,000 contract with father and son.
The baby’s mother, model Chen Ruoyi, who is currently resting in America, also made her first public appearance a few days ago when she attended one of her friends’ weddings. She appeared unfazed by her weight gain, and the happy couple openly joked about the subject, with her husband Jimmy jesting, "Women tend to be very unhappy after hearing such things [weight gain]."
As Jimmy is busy rehearsing and preparing with his concert performances in China, he has been communicating with his son via video conferences for the past month.
Mediacorp TV
Eason Chan sang underwater for hours
Eason Chan was doing his new music video "No Man's Land" under water the other day. The director suggested to Eason that he should try to sing under the water. Eason agreed straight away. It was a cold day, only 12 degree in celsius. Eason was under the water for four hours. He had a few pictures taken under water but he found the biggest challenge was to sing in water. Every time when he opened his mouth to sing, water got inside his mouth. He had to get the water out as well as trying to sing. However, he made it for one minute singing in the water. He told reporter he had to sing as well as having to express emotion. In the water, he couldn't see clearly, but he just relied on his feelings.
Eason has a concert in March next year. The company had planned to put on extra performances to 12 to break the 2008 record. Eason is now worried that there won't be enough tickets for his family and friends. He is asking the company for more tickets for his friends and family.
Fashion4us News
Lin Chi Ling’s luggage pried opened at Malaysian airport
Taiwanese beauty Lin Chiling lost a Longines watch and other accessories worth a total of 200,000 Taiwan dollars (S$10,000) after her luggage was pried open while she was in Malaysia.
The actress flew in from China aboard a China Airlines flight and arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at around 10pm local time on Monday. She was in the Malaysian capital to promote her latest film "The Treasure Hunter" in which she stars with Taiwanese singer Jay Chou.
Luggage for business class passengers are usually processed and go through customs ahead of baggage of other passengers. However, Lin's luggage only appeared with her entourage's eight other pieces of luggage almost one hour after her flight touched down.
Lin did not notice anything wrong with her luggage until she got to her hotel room, where she discovered the locks on her luggage had been pried open and damaged. She immediately informed a representative of the local film distributor and got them to contact the customs office.
Lin expressed through her manager that she was a little unhappy about her loss, lamenting that "there were no problems the day before in Beijing but how did (her items) vanish in Malaysia?"
"Chiling has always been very careful. We had no problems even after travelling to so many places yet this time her luggage was the only one out of our nine pieces of luggage that was stolen from," said her manager.
The 35-year-old model-turned-actress who made her movie debut in John Woo's 2008 historical epic "Red Cliff", plays Lan Ting, the love interest of Jay Chou's character Qiao Fei in "The Treasure Hunter".
The pair are in Singapore on December 22 to promote the film about a group of adventurers who race against time to protect an ancient treasure from an international crime syndicate.
Channel News Asia
Shin Min-Ah spotted at Chanel show in China
Korean actress Shin Min-ah attended Chanel's fashion show in China by invitation of the brand's creative director Karl Lagerfeld, according to fashion magazine W Korea.
W Korea ran a special feature on the actress, who showed up at the "2010 Chanel Paris-Shanghai Collection" held in Shanghai's Huangpu Park on December 3.
Shin, clad in a Chanel dress, represented Korea among a handful of international celebrities attending the fashion show, including French singer and Johnny Depp's partner Vanessa Paradis.
The 25-year-old actress has appeared in numerous Korean television dramas and films, including "A Love To Kill" (KBS, 2005) alongside Asian superstar Rain and movies "A Bittersweet Life", "Sad Movie" and "The Beast and the Beauty".
The fashion spread featuring Shin at the Chanel show was published in the January issue of W magazine, currently available in bookstores.
Asiae
Editted 88news.net
Arron Yan met despite suffering ear infection
When one of your fans apparently blew S$700 on a mobile phone handset just to get her own hands on tickets to your exclusive event, you just gotta show up no matter at what cost, even if an ear infection is troubling you.
That’s what Aaron Yan, one quarter of Taiwanese boy band, Fahrenheit, did at their music showcase last week at St James Power Station, and jointly organized by Sony Ericsson and M1. Tickets to the exclusive event were only available by purchasing a handset by the phone maker. Obviously that didn’t deterred fangirls who willingly splurged for an opportunity to cozy up with their idols.
The four lads made their appearance at 8.30pm and crooned their popular radio hits such as ‘New Home’ and ‘Ai Dao’ because they knew that local fans adored them.
It was revealed that while the band was busy with their concert preparations in Hangzhou, Aaron’s ear became infected (Meniere’s Disease) due to the change in climate and sudden temperature drop.
The 24-year-old was still on intravenous therapy when they landed in Singapore last Tuesday. He did not attend a radio interview, but being the professional that he was, decided to attend the fan-meeting session afterwards to not disappoint them.
During the fan session, the boys looked back on their activities of 2009, and poignantly said, "Holding a concert world tour this year makes it feel particularly meaningful. We are thankful to the local fans for being really concerned about our activities although we have not been visiting Singapore."
The quartet then pinky-promised fans that they’ll return and visit Singapore again next year.
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