在筆者第一部動畫片《瘦月亮》中，利用了許多個人特別喜好的藝術家及其作品，做為影像創作的一部份，像是畫家梵谷（Vincent Van Gogh）6、孟克（Edvard Munch）7、巴斯奇亞（Jean-Michel Basquiat）8、傑克梅第（Giacometti Alberto）9和童書插畫家莫里士桑塔克(Maurice Sandek)10的畫作，還有世界名著小王子（Le Petit Prince）11、詩人林煥彰和詩人夏宇的文學作品中的意象12。
肺炎禁足，我在netflix看了史匹堡導演制作的二戰紀錄片《Five Come Home》，說的是二戰期間五位好萊塢當紅導演，如何參與拍攝反戰紀錄片的過程。我忽然發現，我過去對於二戰的認識實在是太有限了，說來說去都只是佔領馬來亞半島的三年八個月。特別是對於南太平洋戰爭中的一些慘烈戰役，我甚至連那些島嶼的名字也不甚了了。臨老補點課，對因戰爭而死去的靈魂略表敬意。（16.8.2020）
Dr. Tan Beng Huat: Singapore, Our Natural Source of International Tourists
Few months ago, I had watched a series of documentary on Singapore's nation-building experience in Netflix Channel by the title "A Frame In Time". Many good stories are shared through their heritage of old paintings, photographs & black and white contents from TV archive. One of them, "A Quest For Unity In 1960s " is to explore Singaporeans' desire to learn Bahasa Malaysia in evening classes, attempted to be a Good Malaysian.......
Chua Mia Tee, National Language Class, 1959, Oil on canvas, 112 x 153 cm, Installation view at the National Gallery
As a young kid in Southern Johore then, Singapore to me is just our neighbour town where my aunt stay. Many people of my generation who opted for Singapore citizenship have just retired in recent years with reasonable or even good saving. It's natural for them to be a rich tourist to visit Malaysia, where their relatives stay.
In fact, all these years, Singaporeans make up around one third of our foreign tourists (excluding the excursionists who make daily trips across the JB causeway). After the Covid-19 close down, other than visit their relatives and Genting Highland, their destinations also include many Malaysian places that they have never considered before. Just to name a few, weekend city tour to Sibu, Sarawak, Off Shore Angling trip to Kuching, home-stay in Kuala Selangor......these were in fact my youngest sister's records with her family and family of my brother-in-law's siblings. Our nature and culture is a blessing to them too.
Beside family tour, to my Singaporen nephews and thier peers, our seas are their diving paradise. One of them even become a coral conservationist of our under-sea world with funding from Singaporen government.
Meaning? Before we go back to what we have in 2019 which have witnessed international tourism hit record high of 1.5 billion, of which China's contribution is 10%, our neighboring countries are our hope. Other than Singapore, the number of Vietnamese's outbound tourists to South-East Asia is also going up. Afterall, to Sabah and Sarawak, tourists from Penisular is a ready market yet to be fully tapped. (18.9.2022)
Malaysian movie Mat Kilau has just broke box office records by collected over RM96 million after screening for 40 days. And now another Malaysian movie Don't look into the Demon is going to screen in 250 cinemas throughout North America. Both films capitalize Malaysian folk tales, a cultural creative effort that build itself up by marrying local good contents with sound talents. (Dr Tan Beng Huat, 1.10.2022)
Film Review: Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (2019) - Australia
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
Australian director Serge Ou delivers the goodies in the latest Tribute to the origins of Kung Fu films and the influence of the once great Hong Kong cinema to not just Hollywood, but the rest of the world. In making the the in-depth documentary “Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks”, Ou presents more than a fan-boy service affair, but instead provide valuable insights for novice and long time genre fans alike.
For a good 30 minutes of the documentary, we get impacted by the power and passion of Bruce Lee. Lee is not only a pioneer, but one of the few bold faces to stand up against the powerhouse of Hollywood in the racist 60s and 70s. What made it more impressive is how Bruce became a legend and how Hollywood missed the original chance. There is also equal screening time for cinematic powerhouse Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest and how the former is a set formula that produces classics and fail to adapt and the later modernised the entire Kung Fu genre and evolve as per market needs.
Of course, no documentary is complete with a tribute to Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Master Yuen Woo Ping. These are masters that shaped and modernised Hong Kong Kung Fu genre into America and the world. “Matrix” showed the world how Hong Kong inspired one of the biggest Hollywood blockbuster in the 90s. It’s a shame that the documentary only glimpses past the contribution of Jet Li and Donnie Yen.
All in all, “Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks” is a well edited and produced documentary on a genre beloved by so many and inspired an entire race and generation to other creative channels never seen before. The 90 minutes breezes by in no time as we witness the former greatest of Hong Kong cinema once again and how it is now giving way to the “Ong Bak” and “The Raid” taking over the marital arts mantle. The final segment on Africa seems rushed and padded on to the film, in an otherwise wonderful documentary for long time genre fans to rejoice and new timers to learn about the history of the infectious art. (1.5.2020 https://neofilmshop.com)
They played with the themes in kung fu movies and recreated on stage what might happen in a kung fu film. The main character, Flo-Master (who is a Taekwondo stylist and has studied jiu-jitsu and kickboxing) wants to be like Jackie Chan. He falls asleep while watching a kung fu movie in a theater, and wakes up in his dream. In the dream he is a wanderer. Kung fu movies continued to directly inspire B-Boys in the 90s.
Ken Swift formed his own chapter of Rock Steady in 1996, RSC Seven Grandmasters, based on the Joseph Kuo movie 7 Grandmasters. RSC Seven Grandmasters was a battle clique. Ken Swift, “And that was the elite unit of Rock Steady that was all about win, lose, or draw, battling anybody, going out there to war, and it had the same concept as Seven Grandmasters, going all over the country, doing different styles, fighting and challenging, that’s a little what the movie was about.”
RSC Seven Grandmasters were Ken Swift, Honey Rockwell, Mr. Wiggles, Flo-Master, Gizmo, Orko, and Katsu. Representing in Europe were Bruce Wayne and Tony Zoom. Pending to get in at the time were Remind and Crumbs (SEC) and Wicket (Ren). All the members had to train in the other members’ styles and strong points. Kung Fu and B-Boying have many different styles. Each member of the Seven Grandmasters was an expert in their particular style of B-Boying.
Trac 2 told me that B-Boying has never been about an individual, but partners and crews. B-Boys need others to inspire them to advance their skill level and creativity.
The movie 7 Grandmasters also inspired Ken Swift to create a new move. “In the movie, the brother was on the floor, and he grabbed his hands and he pulled and he slid on his butt, and he kicked this dude, I have a forearm glide that I do, called ‘flowing downstream’ that was inspired by the film.”
On March 24, 2001 Koncrete Jungle’s 1st Wu-Shu and B.Boy/B.Girl Dance Challenge was held. The event was presented by the American Wu-Shu Society and Ken Swift Productions. Wu-Shu is the style of martial art practiced by Jet Li. One of Jet Li’s contemporaries from the Zhejiang Wu-Shu professional team, Hu Jianqiang, performed at the event. Master Hu was in Shaolin Temple and Kids from Shaolin.
There was an informal battle between some of the B-Boys and Wu-Shu athletes on the carpet. They were showing each other their skill in acrobatics, and trying to outdo each other. Also, some of the Wu-Shu athletes jumped into the circle to dance. One of the Wu-Shu athletes, Tsuyoshi Kaseda, entered the B-Boy competition and showed everyone his distinctive style. With events like this one, B-Boys and martial artists can exchange ideas and inspire each other in person.
Kung fu films are enjoying a renaissance on the big screen in America. The Chinese language film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Ang Lee won four Oscars at the Academy Awards and was awarded praise by both critics and fans. B-Boying has made a comeback appearing in numerous videos. Huge martial arts productions are coming to American movie theaters. Lau Kar-leung’s Drunken Monkey is a throwback to the kung fu films of the ’70s. Jet Li and Jackie Chan both have careers in Hollywood. Li’s Cradle to the Grave co-stars DMX. Hip Hop now directly influences an art form it was inspired by. Kung fu films have been with B-Boying from the very beginning, since the street gangs watched the films on 42nd street. Kung fu movies will always be a part of hip hop culture. (Source: https://www.facebook.com)
Ken was amazed that in Japan , American culture had already impressed the Japanese in a big way. He saw 20 Japanese Elvis impersonators where they were previewing the movie. He saw Japanese rock groups including a Japanese Kiss. While the Japanese were emulating American culture,
American youth was appropriating from Asian culture, and showing the result to an Asian audience for the first time. Ken Swift, “We had to really show the influence of kung fu, martial arts, of kung fu movies in a dance piece, when we went to the Akasaka blitz, in Tokyo , and be in front of Asians, that was strange. We were like, ‘Yo, we’re inspired by these people.’ It was strange, we were concerned, we’re like, ‘how are they going to react to this. ’ I don’t know, the audiences are funny, they can be quiet as hell through the whole show and then at the end, just (claps), and you’re like ‘OK, OK’, you thought they hated it. Some of the audiences are very reserved, everybody really enjoyed it.
After Beatstreet B-Boying, or Breakdancing as it was known to the general public, became a nationwide phenomenon. Two West Coast movies were released, Breakin’, and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo that featured popping and locking and some b-boying. These movies were produced by Golan Globus, who made movies like Ninja 3: The Domination and later Bloodsport with Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme has a cameo in Breakin’ as a crowd member on the outside of the circle.
Breakin Movie 1.2 B-Boying’s popularity soared and “how to” books and records were released. The dance was exploited and mass marketed for two years, and became the “in” thing. Then in 1985, almost everyone stopped dancing. B-Boying was burnt out from overexposure. Diehard B-Boys kept dancing,
but to the rest of the country it was considered over. Co-incidentally, around the same time, production on traditional kung fu movies ceased in Hong Kong in favor of modern thrillers and comedies. One of the new films was a Breakdance comedy directed directed by Yuen Wo-ping, Mismatched Couples starring Donnie Yen. You can see the influence American culture had on HK at the time.
The moves that were inspired by HK cinema made their way back into the genre they came from in their American B-Boy form. B-Boying also shows up in Drunken Tai Chi and I Will Finally Knock You Down Dad, two of the last traditional kung fu films produced in the 80′s.
In the early 90s B-Boying and the traditional kung fu film both made a comeback. The movie that brought the kung fu film back was Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China starring Jet Li. The new wave of kung fu films following the success of this film featured different styles of camera angles and editing.
The choreography was enhanced with wirework, which allowed characters to fly. This style was previously seen mostly in swordplay films. Drunken Tai Chi / Once Upon a Time in China
While directors in HK were bringing the kung fu film back, RSC came together with the Rhythm Technicians and Magnificent Force to form Ghettoriginal. This unit produced and performed dance theater about their experiences in B-Boying. One production they performed was Shaolin Temple Hip-Hop that was part of the play Jam on the Groove in 1996.
Shaolin Temple Hip-Hop was a piece that Ghettoriginal put together not to educate people, but as Ken Swift said “It was a bug out skit, lets have fun with our inspiration, one of our favorite inspirations, as B-Boys, that meant so much to us coming up. ”
Besides just imitating the kung fu by fighting each other with a Mantis Fist, Monkey style, or Crane style, the kung fu started to find its way into the dance. B-boy KWON of Swift Kids said, “As far as the martial arts goes, that gave a lot of b-boys ideas as far as doing things on the floor and expanding their ideas for movement and bringing out their character.” B-Boys appropriated visually dynamic movements they saw on the screen, and made them their own. The fight scenes in kung fu films were choreographed following a specific rhythm between the performers. The kung fu actors had to follow each other’s movements like dancers. You can see fight scenes being choreographed like this in Jackie Chan: My Stunts.
It was only natural that B-Boys would be attracted to these movements that were close to what they were doing already. Lil’ Lep explained how the kung fu movies directly effected the dance and his crew, the New York City Breakers. “Kung fu movies were important, because we learned from them. You know Flip (Flip Rock AKA Bobby Potts), he does a lot of flips, and they do a lot of flips in kung fu movies. You know my man Chino (AKA Action), he does a lot of flips too. My thing is my swipes, headspins.”
B-Boys would take certain movements they saw in the kung fu films and work them into the dance. Lep brought his own innovation to the headspin. Instead of doing it from a standstill position, he went into the headspin from footwork. He calls this the pencil headspin. In the movies Drunken Master, Killer Army, and Shaolin Temple there are moves when an actor will spin on his head ½ or a whole rotation. Ras, AKA Ray from Floormaster Dancers ( Brooklyn ) said, “Kung fu played a part in my life. You see the styles they had, they spin on their heads, like b-boying, they had windmills, they were doing the helicopter, which is the swipe. We looked at these things, we used it as dance.
Ray learned Aikido in the marines, and loved the way he could manipulate an opponent’s body weight with the Japanese art. It is hard to say if the influence was always direct, or if it happened because of repeated viewing of similar movements and was appropriated subconsciously..
One thing that Ken, Trac, and Lep all brought up when asked how the films influenced them was routines. The elaborate choreography of Hong Kong martial arts movies inspired the B-Boys to choreograph their own routines with two or more dancers. In kung fu movies and B-Boy routines, creativity and constant practice is what makes the choreography. I asked Lep about the choreography he was involved with in the New York City Breakers. “If we didn’t’t do it right, we would have to do it over and over until we got it right, you know, that’s part of being a professional dancer.”
The B-Boys that started out imitating their heroes on the big screen eventually got to be in movies themselves, performing their own footwork, kicks and flips in films like Flashdance, Wildstyle, and Beatstreet. Beatstreet features the rivalry between RSC and NYCB prominently in the story line. Kuriaki is doing footwork, and Powerful Pexter says, “You’re biters, all you’re homeboys are biters.” Kuriaki responds, “I ain’t never stole no moves from you, your moves ain’t’ worth to be bit, so what’s up with that, punk?” After this exchange of verbal confrontation, the two crews agree to battle each other at the Roxy.
Ken Swift talked about going to Japan to promote Wildstyle on the Wildstyle tour in 1982,”We took Japan by storm, I think they were shook, that movie Wildstyle, was like hard, rugged, rough Bronx. They show burnt buildings, the whole shit, and I think these people were just blown away by this shit that came from those conditions.”
After the death of Bruce Lee in 1973, Hong Kong produced kung fu films that tended to be formulaic until Lau Kar-leung began directing in 1975. He showcased authentic kung fu techniques with films like Challenge of the Masters, Executioners of Shaolin, and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (AKA Master Killer)
While Lau Kar-leung was directing his debut film Spiritual Boxer, Hong Kong street gangs in New York City were giving way to a more positive counterpart known as crews. Many of the gangs’ former members turned to dancing and block parties as an outlet for their energy.
The most instrumental person in this change was former gang member turned DJ, Afrika Bambatta.
Instead of fighting each other in the street, the B-Boy crews like Starchild La Rock and Rock Steady Crew battled each other with their dance, known as b-boying, breaking, or rocking. Like rival Clans seen in kung fu movies, B-Boys would test each other to see whose style was the best. On the jade screen it was Snake Fist vs. Eagle Claw or Shaolin vs. Wu Tang. On the streets it was the Disco kids vs. Starchild La Rock or Rock Steady Crew vs. the Floormasters. With competition heating up, the next generation of B-Boys took inspiration from different sources to up the ante. According to Trac 2, Latinos added their own flavor to top-rocking, and footwork. He said in 1978 the foundation for modern B-Boy power moves were laid down.
Around the same time in 1978, filmmakers in Hong Kong were revitalizing the kung fu film with sub-genres like kung fu comedy. These movies accentuated more acrobatic movement in their choreography, influenced by the actors and directors training in Peking Opera. Yuen Wo-ping, Jackie Chan, and Sammo Hung all graduated from sifu Yu Jim-yuen’s Peking Opera school and went on to make some of the late seventies’ most dynamic films like Snake In the Eagles Shadow and Knockabout.
Going to see kung fu movies on 42nd St. became a ritual for the youth of New York City.
B-Boys especially took to the films, with their physically dynamic choreography, which was closer to dance than actual combat. Bruce Lee in real life was a Latin dancer. He was the Hong Kong Crown Colony Cha-Cha champion in 1958. In his movies, he does a form of footwork that is very similar to top rocking.
While serious filmgoers denounced kung fu films, the B-Boys took to the films as their own. Ken Swift explains, “42nd St. was like ‘wow!’, these are subtitled, they’re putting these English voices over, these movies aren’t even made in the States, that’s even more like ’wow!,’ you feel like you’re really a part of something.”
The DJ’s, MC’s, B-Boy’s, and graffiti artists would go to see these films together, and it was a participatory experience. They would get so hyped up during the film that they would argue and fight with each other during the film.
After watching the movie, the B-Boys would leave the theater hyped off the energy they saw on the screen from movies like Mad Monkey Kung Fu, Mystery of Chess Boxing, Crippled Masters and many more. Trac 2 and his brother Danny said that kung fu movies are a fever you catch. After seeing martial arts on the screen, they wanted to try it themselves.
Some early B-Boys studied martial arts. Trac 2 took Shotokan Karate for two years. He said that a lot of the early B-Boys studied karate.
Bust most of them just imitated the movements they saw without any formal training. As Ken Swift states,
“Realistically, [we] leave the theater and just want to kick the shit out of people. I mean we would walk uptown and sometimes just kick somebody… You know, we would do a demo on somebody, and start doing exactly what we saw in the movie, not knowing what we were doing, but just imitating it to the max.”
The Impact of Kung Fu Movies on BreakdancingBy Eric Pellerin
Back in the mid-to-late 1970s, the earliest power moves of Breaking were created by B-Boy masters living in New York City. One of the biggest influences on the creation of moves like the “headspin” and the “windmill” was the Hong Kong kung fu movie. B-boys watched the amazing physical abilities of their favorite kung fu actors in films by Shaw Brothers, Seasonal Films, and Golden Harvest Studios. They imitated and expanded upon the ritualized combat they saw in these films, adding new moves to their dance.
These films were seen in the US, but only in a limited number of theaters in major cities.
In the book Kung Fu: Cinema of Vengeance (1974), Verina Glaser said, “The basis for the success of the kung fu films in the States was the same ghetto audience that carried the wave of ‘black’ Hollywood action films a year or so previously.” In New York City, the two places to see kung fu movies were 42nd Street and Chinatown. Kung fu movies placed the majority of importance on the action, and less time on character development and production values seen in Hollywood films.
There was a big parallel between Hong Kong and NYC. Hong Kong and New York were both densely populated, with a large divide between the rich and the poor. Both cities had high crime rates and tough ghettos. These films were made as escapist fantasies for the people of Hong Kong, and they ended up serving the same purpose for the inner city youth in the United States.
Ken Swift said “Every kung fu movie was like styles, people got they ass whipped, and they went back and got revenge, and it was cool, and that was like something maybe we saw this as kids in the hood, as something we dealt with every day in our lives, you know what I’m saying, dealing with the way we had to live, in school and at home.”
The year was 1971 and America got its first taste of the exciting and dance-like choreography of Hong Kong martial arts films with the Shaw Brothers production King Boxer (AKA Five Fingers of Death) starring Lo Lieh. At this time, Hip-Hop as we know it did not exist. Street gangs like the Black Spades and the Savage Skulls fought each other in the streets of the Bronx for control of turf. Eventually, the pre-rumble dance of these gangs would be incorporated into the Hip-Hop dance known as Up-Rocking.
Trac 2 of Starchild la Rock, a legendary b-boy crew from the seventies, related a story about the gang origins of Up-Rocking. He said that the night before a rumble, the gang leaders had a dance off with each other, one on one. This let everyone in the area know who was going to be involved in the real deal the next day, and anyone else should stay out of the way.
During the time that street gangs in the Bronx were at their peak, kung fu movies became enormously popular in America. After Five Fingers of Death, the films of Bruce Lee were released to great success. The popularity of Lee and his films created a demand for kung fu movies in the United States. Bruce Lee was the most popular kung fu star in the world, and Golden Harvest became the second major studio in Hong Kong. Along with the Shaw Bros. they produced the vast majority of martial arts films made in the British colony.
TV Plus
Jan 16, 2021
TV Plus
經濟放緩，越来越懷舊
為一份深情，詮釋一個時代
陳明發·我看星爺的賀歲片《美人魚》
對不起。人家看賀歲片，看得喜氣洋洋；我卻在大笑之後，想起許多事。這樣，或許更對得起周星馳。
先講好事。《美人魚》讓人看見中國電影的希望。
這些年，中國富得不得了，財神爺們要砸多少錢去拍部戲，都不成問題。
有趣的是，我們在海外戲院看得見的所謂“大戲”，例如王晶2016年的賀歲片《賭城風雲 III》，或前些年的《天機：富春山居圖》、《西遊記之大鬧天宮》，或更早的《滿城盡是黃金甲》、《夜宴》等等，那些金錢堆積起來的東西，老實說，你會覺得好看嗎？
這些戲在中國不管賣得多好，走到世界，大概沒有幾個人——至少從所謂影響民眾最直接的電影來看——會覺得中國文化有何了不起。這麼一來，要談中華軟實力、中華影響力，未免說得早了些。
當然也有一些很誠懇的好電影，例如《無人區》、《後會無期》，但因為沒有“大場面”、“高科技”，就只算是清新小品，而無法走到海外的大銀幕。
星爺的《美人魚》卻簡單、靈巧得多。投資再多，也無需砸在一大堆擦不出火花的國際巨星陣容上，王對王，后對后，搞得像是在拍一部另類的“建國大業”。
最擾亂觀眾視線、觀賞樂趣的是，不懂是不是因為投資者特別多、“製片人”多得需要組織聯委會，那些不懂從哪里鑽出來的“嫩模”、“新秀”，出場人數多得像頒獎典禮的禮賓小姐，或球場的啦啦隊，鬧得導演忙著這邊那邊安排她們出境就夠了，像是舞台的催場。最明顯的是王晶的“賭城風雲 III”。
這麼愛看靚妹，不如去“純粹交友”、“失婚女性”社媒網站好了。
《美人魚》陣容簡單、故事簡單，戲院裡的90分鐘，就讓這些男女演員去深入詮釋劇情，飆演技，吸引觀眾的注意力與共鳴感好了。
看電影，與新春組團到日本百貨市場掃貨、焚燒人民幣，到底不一樣；大家一面觀賞、一面暢笑，間中也有那麼一刻想起一些情懷，忽地就勾起深深的感觸，那就是在文創產品的娛樂體驗之餘，開始接觸到美學元素了。
別說星爺只懂得鬧無厘頭。他這回繼續玩他在《少林足球》玩過的低下層小人物美學。
這樣，我就要說一說《美人魚》讓我想起，這世界今天不是很好的一面；你大概也就能明白，這部賀歲片為何在中國賣得滿堂紅。
影迷們也許只關注自己錢包，不太了解經濟學這麼麻煩的事。
中國經濟開始放緩了。花無百日紅，大陸改革開放三十餘年，從往昔GDP雙位數成長（所以你們看見中國崛起、很有錢了），跌到單位數成長，去年更首次跌破7%。
中國當然還是很有錢；可是，習慣了過去30餘年的大吃大喝大用大揮霍，習慣了《美人魚》電影插曲所唱的“無敵最寂寞”（想起1980年代的鄭少秋的電視連續劇《一劍定江山》），心中能沒有失落感、不確定感嗎？
在失落中，不確定中，什麼最重要？
星爺於是大玩1983年電視連續劇《射雕英雄傳》的主題曲《世間始終妳好》。（可還記得羅文、甄妮合唱的一代人的共同記憶？）
1980年代，VHS已經普及，不少“萬元戶”、“十萬戶”、“百萬戶”家中已經有攝錄機，“美好的香港”、“大有作為的香港”，是多少人的憧憬；今日的嘆息？
本片女主角的那一句，“如果世界上沒有一點一滴乾淨的水，沒有一口新鮮的空氣，錢又有什麼用？” 標識著工業中國是放慢了，大家要思考怎樣進入環保（包括心靈、生活方式）的新時代。
每一次的經濟轉變，特別是蕭條時，工作放緩，看戲變成離開煩惱最好的體驗。也總有那些觸及心靈深處的電影，留下不朽的聲音；還記得嗎？——
1970年代石油危機，有一部《愛情故事》說："Love means never having to say you're sorry”。
1980年代經濟危機，有一部《Back to Future》；我們如果能回到過去，改變我們最心愛的人的命途，那該多好？
1997年代東亞金融風暴，有一部《Titanic》，“You Jump， I Jump”。
2008 美國次貸引起的全球經濟危機，有一部《海角七號》，“留下来，或且我跟妳走。”
2016是不是好年？懷舊的同時，沒有權力迷惘；想想自己心愛的人，想想我們居住的環境，我們肯定還能做點什麼。
如果人們願意像《美人魚》的男女主角，甘於淡泊；有何不可完成的呢？(13.2.2016)
Jan 16, 2021
TV Plus
陳明發《文創不是關鍵領域？》
當家的要大家乖乖的守宅，在家幹什麽？總要一些消遣對不對；但總不能每時每刻捧手機看那些垃圾内容。政府既然要振興疫後的經濟，可是又要優先忙抗疫，更要忙着和政敵角力，何不鼓勵那些文創人挺身出来给意見，分憂一下？至少，聯同他们一起創造更適合此時一般民眾學習與文娱的内容，不僅减輕，而且掌握接下来轉型的心態、技能與市場資訊。
Jan 17, 2021
TV Plus
陳明發·故事的衝突時刻
在榮獲2013年金馬獎四大巨獎的新加坡電影《爸媽不在家》，平鋪直敘的故事來到了一個相對激烈的情景：因為不堪同學小胖嘲笑家中菲傭週日在外給人理髮賺外快，小男孩家樂敲破了小胖的頭。
故事發展到此進入一個大矛盾：校長要開除家樂，一時間又聯絡不上他的爸爸媽媽，電話打到家中菲傭接，菲傭急急忙忙趕去求校長別開除他。
當媽媽來到學校接出家樂，卻似乎妒忌孩子和傭人的關係親密而說了一句：
妳只是傭人，我才是他的媽媽！
最後，校長選擇了當眾鞭刑體罰家樂，讓他有機會繼續求學。
將被學校開除，二人結果在學校廁所打了起來，小胖三幕劇的手法從介紹人物與他們之間的關係開始，然後發生衝突，最後到解決衝突便結束了。
在岸西導演，湯唯、張學友主演的愛情小品《月滿軒尼西》中，湯唯心中有一個小混混戀人，因為和人毆鬥而坐牢；張學友則有一位早已他嫁而他放不下的女友，因為和男友離了婚讓他覺得還有希望。
兩人不久發現，他們其實還蠻談得來，特別是在有關偵探小說的話題上，交流特別融洽。張學友還把他買的一些偵探小說借給湯唯看。
雙方家人以為他們來電了，便開始討論請酒席、給聘禮等細節。
直到有一次，張學友的母親發現湯唯和出獄後的安志傑在一起，誤會湯唯是蓄意欺騙，並說湯唯舅父舅母家有意騙她送出店裡售賣的一部抽風機當人情。
湯唯也誤會了張學友只是為了接近她而和她討論偵探小說。
湯唯氣得買了一部新的抽風機送回去張母的店。
故事發生到這裡進入了衝突點，再發展下去便要設法解決這衝突了。 (12.1. 2014)
Jan 29, 2021
TV Plus
《美麗心靈》
2001年底推出的電影大片《美麗心靈》，正是以納什傳奇般跌宕起伏的大半生經歷作為題材，從而在還未上映前便已先聲奪人地吸引了全球的關注。在這個平凡得不再有英雄行跡的世俗化消費主義年代裏，還有什麽比瘋狂的偉人或偉人的瘋狂更能激起神經上刺激性的沖擊呢? 最終，這部既不包含動作、暴力、科幻，也幾乎沒有性愛成分的人物傳記劇情片竟能在奧斯卡上勇奪最佳影片、最佳導演、最佳女配角、最佳改編劇本等多項大獎，令我開始思索：這份能夠贏得巨大市場成功的瘋狂，到底是何種意義上的瘋狂?（吳冠軍：解讀納什：是瘋狂，還是美麗心靈）
Jan 30, 2021
TV Plus
陳明發：中國導演會說故事嗎？
看了馮小剛的《唐山大地震》，像是在深圳化六星級餐館的價錢，吃到的卻是溝油煮的貨色。
馮導打劫了海內外華人對2008年川震的同情心。
不是有能力賺錢的導演，就是無所不能的導演；《臥虎藏龍》捧了奧斯卡大獎，馮導也來一部《夜宴》。可海外沒人認為那是武俠片。
海外華人自小讀武俠小說、看武俠片長大，對如此一部《夜宴》感到口蹬目呆，這算什麽？
這回搞“災難片”《唐山大地震》，賺海內外華族對四川的同情就算了，卻壞了人們對國內電影的期望。
海外華人在三十餘年前就看過了西方所制作的《火燒摩天樓》、《大白鯊》、《大地震》、《747》等精彩的災難片。
而馮導還逗留在樣板戲的年頭。有錢了，懂得這兒那兒插廣告掙錢，有能力耍科技，也還是樣板戲。最多算是高級一點的樣板戲。就像深圳的山寨手機，包黃金、鑲鑽石，也還是路攤貨。
尤其是那位不知從那兒鑽出來的臨時“加拿大”演員，更是莫名其妙。放個加拿大人，中國就真的環球化了嗎？中國女人不嫁外國人就沒出路了嗎？馮小剛除了搞笑，例如《非誠勿擾》、《大腕》那類小品，還有能力駕馭大型敘事嗎？
拼命給演員滴眼藥水催淚水的拍片手法，1930年代就已經在中國發展得很成熟了，到2010還玩這等級的手法，除了符合再循環的環保要求，“向歷史致敬”，只讓人覺得“不長進”。
天災不算，還加上養母的癌症，單親媽媽帶著私生女，新時代媳婦硬是要順從家婆等等情節，這家人看上來好像倒霉透了，偏偏遇上大發展的好年頭，生活也沒任何特別的掙扎，還趕上開“寶馬”的大勢。
童年壓在瓦礫石堆裏，好像也沒有什麽震後的陰影；年幼失去一條手臂，也沒有任何的心理壓力；除了一年給死去者燒壹次紙寶，唸一回“記得回家的路”之類的臺詞，孤獨的媽媽也沒有任何的身心掙扎。
唐山遠赴川震現場賑災是偉大的行動，居然也沒有太多的困難；兩姐弟也很容易的就碰上了。怎麼一切都是順利得就像是看漫畫那樣？
愛馮導者當然美言說，馮導懂得克制自己；是真的克制自己，還是就是少了那份大敘事，刻劃內心戲的能耐？到結束時，似乎挽不回的失敗，把剩下的眼藥水全給張靜初兩母女灌完，一大串呼天搶地的“對不起、對不起”！！！像足了黑白時代的香港粵語殘片。
有錢就能玩科技搞出來的“大場面”，不等於“大敘事”，也不等於表現了民族在大災難前的偉大情操、深刻反省。投資家，放過馮導吧，他是拍喜劇小品的人才，擅長拍讓人開懷大笑的片子，不是覺得很可笑的電影。
《夜宴》已讓大家笑夠了，《唐山大地震》只好啼笑皆非。海外對於馮小剛導演的《唐山大地震》的部分討論，都繞在“戲賺錢了，馮導已經完成任務。”
這可能正是我們所面對的問題，什麽事情都以金錢的觀念來解決。在討論下去，有人便會說：“都是你們看不得人有錢。”
其實，根據馮導的操作，戲拍不拍，他都已經賺錢了，單是那些廣告與贊助費，都叫投資家樂翻了。在娛樂圈，叫投資家樂翻的方式很多，道德不道德的都有。
可是，把唐山與四川兩大民族的災難，過度簡單化變成黑色笑話，就很值得有心人思考了；我們還能期待一個“文化大國”的誕生嗎？沒法子說好故事的民族，沒法子把自己的經典和世界分享，也沒法子讓人看出我們民族的真正情操。（30.10.2010）
Feb 13, 2021
TV Plus
石黑一雄·仿效媒軆
順帶一提，我在卡堤基這些學長姊身上注意到一點，這點儘管是對他們加以仔細研究的露絲也都沒有發覺，許多人的行為舉止都是從電視模仿來的。第一次是我觀察蘇西和葛雷格這對情侶的時候，注意到的，他們大概是全校年紀最大的學生，自然也就成為這裡公認的“當家”。每當葛雷格開始高談闊論普魯斯特或其他作家時，蘇西便出現某種特別的舉動：她先對著我們其他人微微笑，轉動眼珠子，誇張的嘴型發出旁人剛好能夠聽見的聲音說：“我的老天。”以前在海爾森，看電視的限制很多，卡堤基也是一樣，雖然沒有人出面阻止學生整天收看電視，但是沒有人對電視有多大興趣。
但是，農舍裡擺了一臺舊電視，黑穀倉也有一臺，我偶爾便會打開看看。因此我才發現原來這套“我的老天”的把戲來自美國連續劇，其中有一集，不管誰說了什麼或做了什麼，觀眾總是笑個不停。裡面有個肥胖的女人住在幾位主角隔壁，她的舉止和蘇西一模一樣，只要她先生大放厥詞，觀眾便等著她轉動眼珠說：“我的老天。”引發一陣哄堂大笑。當我發現這點，便開始注意所有學長情侶從電視節目學來的種種玩意：包括他們的手勢、一起坐在沙發的姿勢，甚至是吵架、奪門而出的方式。（《别讓我走》第7章）
（石黑一雄原著改编《別讓我走》電影劇照）
Feb 28, 2021
TV Plus
陳明發《跟文化符號去旅遊》
日本著名推理小說家東野圭吾的作品《麒麟之翼》，在2012年分別拍成了電影及連續劇。故事繞著主角加賀名探在東京五街道的東京橋一帶查案的曲折過程而展開。日本橋是大和民族的一個文化符號，代表著“日本的起點”。舊東京（江戶）的主要五條公路，都是從這裏開始輻射出去其他縣市，成了今天日本道路網絡的起點，0KM/元標所在。日本橋原指橫跨這個東京市中心的橋川上的大橋，今天也泛指這一帶的地區，屬於全東京的黃金地帶。自1603年以來，日本橋已經重建了18次。現有的第19代大橋建於1911年，在1999年被列為國家文化遺產。日本橋的中央石柱上裝置了展翅的麒麟雕像，像徵了日本在原點上展翅待飛。除了《麒麟之翼》，東野圭吾還有多部小說以日本橋為背景，包括《紅色手指》（2006）、《新參者》（2009，部分劇情改编進電視版《麒麟之翼》）和《當祈禱落幕時》（2013年）。這點可以想象，因爲中央警察署就在這地區，而且，這裏雖然是東京繁華的金融區與商業區之一，它還保留了不少不少古跡與舊街老店。在小說、電影的與電視連續劇大賣之後，故事了提到的景點也成了旅人必走與光顧的名勝，一面體會加賀名探查案的過程，走訪和式雜貨店、煎餅店“草加屋"、七福神神社、和紙的店鋪“小津和紙”等等。（25.3.2021）
Mar 26, 2021
TV Plus
陳明發·影像一帶一路：記憶·尋索·再現
常在課堂上隨興提問：“怎樣的企業故事片才是好片？”
許多人都推薦了鄰國泰國制作的那部潘婷洗髮水微電影。催人淚水，卻很真實。這麼說吧，好的微電影不僅僅需要攝錄機與勞力，它還是"用心拍的"。泰國拍得出這麼好的商業短片，該給馬來西亞一個很大的啟示。
建議可從舉辦微電影比賽開始，邀請全馬數十家大專院校的藝術系學生，以及對短片藝術有興趣的社會人士，發揮他們的影像概念、才華與想象力，給受推薦的個人、企業、地方、事物...........拍攝短片。
《影像一帶一路：記憶·尋索·再現》征紀錄片企劃～～一、主辦單位；二、徵件目的：紀錄一帶一路沿線國家有形無形人文影像、城鄉性格風貌，提供後續研究者研究之素材，並深化各國民眾親近一帶一路、珍惜一帶一路的內在情感；三、徵件主題：“記憶·尋索·再現”，共分...........等3類，紀錄並重現一帶一路沿線國家、地區的特色、傳統技藝的發展歷史與滄桑；深具在地風俗與紀念意義的民俗節慶，同時廣徵尋找一帶一路其他符合本賽事主題且值得紀錄保存之影像專題。四、影片長度：8分鐘為限。五、收件日期：即日起至月日止。六、製作獎金：最高可得製作費。七、相關網站；八、聯絡方式：）（June 17, 2015 草擬）
Mar 28, 2021
TV Plus
陳明發《親情·鄉思·族譽·國名》
中國電影《我和我的家鄉》是一部集錦喜劇片，由《北京好人》、《天上掉下個UFO》、《最後一課》、《回鄉之路》與《神筆馬亮》五個單元合成。
影片在2020年10月1日國慶上映，向中國全面建成小康社會、打贏脫貧攻堅戰的成果獻禮。
片子在2020年5月開機，採用與前作《我和我的祖國》相同的製作模式，由張藝謀擔任總監製，寧浩擔任總導演，張一白擔任總策劃，寧浩、徐崢、陳思誠、閆非及彭大魔、鄧超及俞白眉聯合導演。
影片通過五個故事單元，講述了發生在中國東西南北中五大地域的家鄉故事。
該系列續作、建黨百年獻禮影片《我和我的父輩》預計於2021年國慶檔上映。
2020-10-13《人民日報》評議《我和我的家鄉》說：“真情描繪小康生活美好畫卷，熱情謳歌脫貧攻堅偉大成就，是思想性、藝術性俱佳的文藝精品，取得了口碑和票房雙贏，實現了社會效益和經濟效益雙豐收，成為又一部現象級電影作品。影片的成功為主旋律創作帶來諸多啟示：
一、是愛國主義永遠是電影創作的主旋律，
二、是人民是電影創作永恆的原動力，
三是在以小見大中不斷創新藝術表達，影片才能贏得觀眾的共鳴與共情。”
（資料參考/引述《維基百科》）
2020年，全球正困頓於冠病疫情中，至今尚未脱困。
反觀中國雖從農曆新年前即全國封鎖禁足，唯數月後逐步重新開放，最後全民脫下口罩，標誌抗疫成功。
《我和我的家鄉》在人們久離娛樂後的關鍵時刻上映，又遇上國慶黃金檔期，賣座是肯定的。最重要的是，電影富含“親情·鄉思·族譽·國名”的感性元素；放在全人類抗疫的背景前，這份情愫顯得特別的“文化自信”。（2.4.2021）
Apr 2, 2021
TV Plus
富文鄉中心小學
《我和我的家鄉》的《最後一課》單元裏有一所外表看起來流光溢彩的小學（下圖），它就是浙江省會杭州淳安縣的“中國最美鄉村學校”——富文鄉中心小學，已成了遊客打卡聖地。
淳安曾有不少小規模鄉村小學因生源實在太少，陸續被撤除、合並到中心小
學。這也正是《最後一課》裏，范老師給孩子們上“最後一課”的故事背景……
夢幻般的校園背後，是一場鄉村教育的顛覆性變革。
2015年，杭州市教育局由蔣莉牽頭，曾在淳安、建德、桐廬三縣開展了為期一年的農村小學校發展情況調研。
16年2月，淳安縣富文中心小學被列為綜合改革項目首所試點學校。專家、學者、設計師實地察看調研，對接農村教育需求。
17年11月，整體改建項目正式啟動。第一步是重構學習空間、活動空間和生活空間，要打造一個更讓孩子們喜歡、更適合孩子們成長的校園。
18年10月15日，淳安縣教育局與21世紀教育研究院正式簽約，要以用五年時間，進行一場顛覆性的教育改革，下放自主設計辦學路徑權、工作時間權、自主分配辦學資源權等，以迅速提升辦學質量，走出中國農村學校“小而美”的新路徑，為鄉村振興注入持久動力。
改革步伐之大超過想象
主要執行者校長姜蔚穎用更直觀的行動解讀了“辦學自主權”：學校不再參與縣裏聯考，而選擇制定更適合鄉村學生“生活教育”的考核指標。
除了自由運動和閱讀，學校不再設定固定的上課時間，每個班2名老師包班，負責上語、數、英、科所有課程。課堂長度完全由老師根據上課內容和孩子的接受程度而定。
與其他學校相比，富文的學生每天多了三種課：自主閱讀，自由活動與自由運動各一小時。
教師業績考核不再以成績為主要指標。與孩子談心30分鐘，與家長談心30分鐘，與崇文或長江實驗小學的老師一起研討一個問題孩子，都將獲得一個“考核分”。
“我們要改變的是體制和機制，讓老師願意改變、願意自我學習、願意為孩子付出。”姜蔚穎說。
改革已初見成效
有了實效。根據學校對畢業生學習情況跟蹤的結果，目前每年從學校畢業的孩子考入縣省一級重點中學的人數保持在60人左右；學校拿下了縣中小學生科技節獎項20餘個，縣中小學生藝術節獎項8個，其中一個節目被選送至杭州市中小學生藝術節，獲二等獎；定期收集的《學生心理狀況量表》反映，孩子們為交到親密的朋友而欣喜，對自己的學習生活充滿了希望……
“增加10%以上本地生源”是5年目標之一，除提前實現，還吸引了全國學生前來就讀。
小歡喜是富文鄉小學生源版圖上最南邊的一個，來自深圳。媽媽鄭女士帶著外公外婆一起搬到了富文村租房子生活，她陪讀，老人則到安靜的鄉村養老。“這裏是我想象中教育的樣子，讓孩子葆有天性。小孩嘛，慢慢養。”
舉家來富文租房陪讀的外地生源家庭達到了9戶，杭州市區的、寧夏的、黑龍江的、上海的等等。
“下半年學生人數已經有近130人。”姜蔚穎說，“如果沒有改革，這個數字可能已經降到100人以下了。”
更有意思的是，學校還成了鄉裏的一塊招牌。不斷有家長和遊客慕名前來“中國最美鄉村學校”打卡。
據富文鄉統計，學校改建完成以來，省內外來校參觀考察的有236批次5182人，來校研學的有17批次1070人，假期自主參觀人數累計已達18377人。由此帶動的是，近千人次到周邊住宿、用餐、采摘、遊覽，周邊旅遊經濟因為“網紅”學校得以一振。（部分綜合自杭州日報）
Apr 4, 2021
TV Plus
德勒兹·時間影像 ：運動影像
哲學家德勒茲提過，時間影像常常通過紛亂的記憶和錯誤的辨認來呈現，這也是為什麽許多戰後的歐洲電影常注入幻想、夢境、催眠、瘋狂等元素。
電影《我想結束這一切》（I'm Thinking of Ending Things， Netflix，2020）中有許多令觀眾困惑的詭譎畫面，像是不斷變換名字的女主角，或是拜訪父母時，驚悚地發現傑克父母瞬間從60幾歲變成瀕死的失智老人，而下一幕又突然年輕了幾十來歲。
跟隨劇情發展，觀眾漸漸發覺傑克的女友其實是他對過去的懊悔和對未來人生的欲望一體的實現。他與父母的關係也透過不同時段的狀態在腦中如影隨形，直到生命的最後一刻。
《我想結束這一切》中我最喜愛的畫面，也是時間影像的呈現，莫過於片尾字幕的場景：終於天亮的雪景中，高中大門前停著一輛被白雪覆蓋的車。
正是透過那不中斷、連續許久的長鏡頭，使人感到特別震撼，如同德勒茲形容電影《上海小姐》所描述，觀眾已“深陷他人的過往，且被過往所挾持、鉗制住了”。（2021-03-04來源: 正宗的黃小逗）
Apr 23, 2021
TV Plus
陳明發《異變者》（HOMUNCULUS）
恐怖片不一定與魔鬼、妖怪或幽靈有關。那種公式化的詭異音樂、陰影與氛圍，在你完全毫無心理準備的情況下突然來個措手不及的驚嚇，總叫人失聲高喊，毛骨悚然。而日本導演清水崇2021年的新戲《異變者》，說是“恐怖片”，玩的卻是超越限度挑動常人的官能反應。這樣的鏡頭其實也只有兩幕，但已足以讓膽怯者發惡夢。那就是一位見習醫生給一位街頭流浪，用鑽子在額頭活生生開個洞，看得人頭皮發麻，寒毛豎上來，結果對那接下來的滿臉鮮血反而沒感覺了。從一般人相信是第三只眼所在的天門蓋，鑽穿腦殼進去刺激腦神經，說是能激發腦子尚未發揮作用的90%潛能，有了看穿人心掙扎的特異功能。此外，就沒甚麽驚嚇的事，而是揭示幾個配角童年陰影的心理劇了。結果發現大家其實都是好人；發現了真我而不再受心理困擾的黑幫大佬于是改邪歸正；和家裏鬧別扭而出來援交的女生也重良了；男二見習醫生找到了本身扭曲的愧疚感的根源；而原來已放棄人生目標的男一，不僅走出來了失憶狀態，也再次找到真愛。恐怖片，甚至也不再玩“心魔”元素。（27.4.2021）
Apr 27, 2021
TV Plus
美國開放？李安的電影《斷背山》的故事
現在社會的多元化我們要特別關注是宗教、道德在美國主流社會中的作用是非常重要的，有一個最新的佐證可以證明這一點，剛剛評完的奧斯卡金像獎，大家可
能都關注同性戀的話題，中國的學者們對這類的話題可能非常高興，包括我們的社會學界或者法學界老是扮演著激進的角色認為這是必然的，將來同性戀的問題可能能夠合法化。
我在美國洛杉機（編註：美國西海岸加利福尼亞州南部的都市，人口近四百萬）進行了三個禮拜的考察，我就發現洛杉機是一個非常有趣的多元化現象，曾經美國的法學家和社會學家都有一個課題叫做洛衫機現象，為什麼這是一個復雜的現象呢？
因為在這個州中非白人血統的人數已經占總人口比例的百分之八十五以上，它是一個多種族的地區，他們州的議會曾經通過了一個法案，就是認為同性戀婚姻可以合法化，而且州的兩院在通過這個法律之後，多數人認為這個法律可能生效，但就有很多人上街遊行了，但是也有人認為這個法律通過是必然的，於是就有些同性戀者到州政府進行登記了。
但是後來的州長行使權利，最後的時刻否定了這個法案，結果就導致了一個非常尷尬的局面。第一批登記過的人只好合法的存在了，以後的同性戀者就不予登記了。經過後來的民意調查證明，大家特別支持州長否定了這個法案。
他們說，美國整個社會真正的脊梁骨並不是法律，而是基督教，美國是基督教立國。他的基督教立國所主張的主流道德認為是美國的後脊梁骨，如果這個後脊梁骨斷了，美國所有的機制就癱瘓了，如果在個別的法案中出現了偏移，所以現在美國對這種非常主流的傾向非常警惕。
大家知道，在李安的《斷背山》本來獲得多項提名的情況下，洛衫機有六萬人上街遊行反對《斷背山》獲得最佳影片獎，最後在不得以的情況下，恰好是反映洛衫機多種族狀況的一個影片《撞車》獲得了最佳影片獎。實際上這樣一種特殊的社會現象對美國的法學家、社會界都有著重要的影響
所以，這些年來我還特別注意了一下，恰好是法律界的人信教的人比例是偏低的，最高的比例是在自然科學家中，其他的社會人士比例不等。像這樣一些特別有意思的問題在我們目前對法律的研究中可能都是值得關注的。（范 愉《新法律現實主義及其啟示》，2009-07-15 来源：中国民商法律网）
May 16, 2021
TV Plus
陳明發《娛樂與覺知之間的隙縫—Netflix流媒體的哲學想像》
我從Netflix看見了正在發生、形塑的未來。采用已故Peter Drucker提過的詞匯“The New Reality”（新現實）也無妨：
1 娛樂在轉變中
2 影視的生態在轉變中
3 敘事藝術在轉變中
4 敘事轉向的結果，思維方式在轉變
5 思維轉變？若真是如此，新現實是什麼？
令人深思的是，由於以上的種種轉變，非正規的社會教育也在轉變中。雖然是“非正規”，它肯定會沖擊眼前的“正軌”體系。
從我過去一年多所接觸到Netflix內容，我得到這樣的一個初步見解。特別是最近看了泰國的Netflix的《Girl from Nowhere》（禁忌女孩），好玩的是，我在這個面向中學生的系列裏，看見了後現代主義；特別是看見福柯。也看到這位歷史學家/哲學家的身後，站著一位社會學家：布爾迪厄。
別問疫情幾時會過去，我覺得也沒幾個人能明確給我們答案。但只要我們細細地想，以後的世界其實已經在逐漸形成。它不只是新常態；它是個新現實。（2.6.2021 臉書）
Jun 2, 2021
TV Plus
想像動畫的特殊風格
在動畫人才不斷湧現之際，能擁有個人創作風格與方法是最難能可貴的。“追求一種特殊的風格，一直是動畫製作所面臨的一種最重大課題，片子的主題想闡述什麼都是可以慢慢研究的，但最重要的是有沒有一個風格、一個視覺的意像在腦筋裡面，沒有這樣的意像就很難進入到創作的途徑裡面。視覺風格是很抽象的，當然可以找很多已有的例子套用，只是效果往往是事倍功半， 假設可以尋求風格裡面有所突破的一種形式出來，或許就是成功的關鍵。”（余為政，民 92）（詩的動畫—以“詩想”過程導入手繪實驗動畫創作與探討，康台生 鄭宜芳，2007，台灣師範大學）
Aug 16, 2021
TV Plus
創作的靈感：繪畫和現代詩
在筆者第一部動畫片《瘦月亮》中，利用了許多個人特別喜好的藝術家及其作品，做為影像創作的一部份，像是畫家梵谷（Vincent Van Gogh）6、孟克（Edvard Munch）7、巴斯奇亞（Jean-Michel Basquiat）8、傑克梅第（Giacometti Alberto）9和童書插畫家莫里士桑塔克(Maurice Sandek)10的畫作，還有世界名著小王子（Le Petit Prince）11、詩人林煥彰和詩人夏宇的文學作品中的意象12。
這些繪畫、文學和現代詩，成了筆者部分創作的靈感來源，然而這種自我向外緣和其他藝術摸索的途徑，卻也逐漸形成筆者後來創作的模式。但遺憾的是，卻未曾真正深入瞭解動畫領域的內容和詩的內在特質。
爾後，筆者看到關於資深動畫家余為政的一段文字，他提到動畫雖然是電影的一種類型，但是卻擁有自己獨特的影像語言，不受媒材和前人風格所限制。動畫目前給社會大眾的印象偏向卡通形象，這主要是因為卡通普及程度高，因此動畫要與藝術接軌需要創作者的努力，才能展現深度和藝術價值，而動畫介於繪畫和電影之間，卻也帶著詩的意象。這席話讓筆者想繼續尋找動畫、繪畫和詩之間的可能性，藉著理論研究和實務操作深入探討。
另外，筆者嘗試將文學的詩融入影像視覺的動畫，那份躍躍欲試的企圖心。一直以來，筆者在讀詩時，總能在字裡行間找到許多驚喜，詩人們豐富的聯想施予文字魔法，先是在筆者心裡變出一幅幅畫面.
詩句所串連建構的意象世界不受時空所限，也不願與現實相照，像極了一部投映在心底的動畫，詩人筆下的擬人和比擬修辭幻化作扭曲、變形的演員和場景；超現實的意象聯想正是動畫裡經常出現的視覺效果。筆者相信動畫家若擁有一顆柔軟細膩的詩心能豐厚動畫內涵，驚奇的聯想創意也會使畫面更別有風味。
6 梵谷（1853 - 1890）是荷蘭畫家，被譽為現代藝術三大先驅之一。
7 孟克（1863-1944）是挪威的表現主義畫家和版畫製作者。
8 巴斯奇亞（1960-1988）是紐約現代藝術家，畫作具有即興街頭塗鴉的風格，卻在 27 歲因吸毒過量而死。
9 傑克梅第（1901-1966）是瑞士畫家、雕塑家和製圖師。
10 莫里士桑塔克有「童書界的畢卡索」與「美國最具有影響力的繪本大師」。
11 作者是法國作家聖修伯尼（Antoine de Saint-Exupéry）（1900-1944）
12 由林煥彰（民 70）所編的《兒童詩選讀》和夏宇（民 80）的《腹語術》
（詩的動畫—以“詩想”過程導入手繪實驗動畫創作與探討，康臺生 鄭宜芳，2007，臺灣師範大學）
延續閱讀 》
韻文化：氣韻、神韻
IN SEARCH OF MY SENSES 追隨感官 1.7
意大利都靈聖卡羅廣場
埃及古詩：尼羅河頌
人體彩繪粉紅系列 01
Aug 18, 2021
TV Plus
詩性研究方法
比起一般的商業主流動畫（如迪士尼和日本電視卡通），筆者更加讚嘆非主流動畫（實驗動畫）在藝術和創意上的表現，從動畫家強烈的風格、出奇不意的轉場、躍動的色彩、奇幻的造型和多種類型的劇情等等角度，短短秒數運轉間，卻能蘊含深刻的人生哲理；或有些是以大膽富有實驗性質的視覺感，配上節奏鮮明的音樂，表現作者獨樹一幟的觀點。在筆者眼中，這些實驗動畫短片帶有更多自由奔放的藝術性、強烈表現自我的企圖心和人類真摯原始的情感。
因本研究欲探討的主題跨越動畫（電影）、繪畫與詩三種藝術領域，在個人能力侷限之下，採用「文獻資料分析法」，收集超越歷史時間與空間限制的各式資料，作出客觀並有系統的整理。文獻從三個主軸：「實驗動畫與電影」、「實驗動畫與繪畫」和「詩、詩與視覺的互文經驗」進行資料收集，資料形式有：文字文獻、圖像文獻（包括影像、圖片、影音資料）和數據文件；資料類型有： 大眾傳播資料（報章雜誌、書籍、網路）、專業論著（論文、學術性文章）。經由文獻資料分析的結果導入創作過程裡，並配合理論以實務來完成創作。（詩的動畫—以“詩想”過程導入手繪實驗動畫創作與探討，康臺生 鄭宜芳，2007，臺灣師範大學）
延續閱讀 》愛墾欄目
Aug 21, 2021
TV Plus
旅遊衛視前景
電視行業只有兩千多億的市場，而且在萎縮，旅遊行業3萬多億的市場，每年都是高速增長，所以我當然不會抱著兩千多億市場去做，放著3萬多億的市場不去開發！對傳統媒體來說，目前最值錢的是內容和團隊。在技術方面，旅遊衛視雖然不算專業，但是在內容的生產和製作方面是可以的，而且我覺得在這方面我們可能比做技術的人理解得更深刻和透徹。著新媒體的發展，尤其這兩年自媒體的發展，每個人都可以作為一個主角來發出自己的聲音，作為傳統媒體的我們，到底優勢是什麼？未來在哪里？全國最牛的衛視就是湖南衛視，現營收一百個億出頭。位居第二名的衛視營收在七八十個億，再往下，前幾名能夠超過20個億的不超過5家。大部分衛視的營收都是20億往下，而全國有34家上星衛視，剩下24家，全部都是10億以下，這個行業未來的發展出路到底在哪兒呢？最近互聯網女皇瑪麗·米克爾發布的《2016互聯網趨勢》報告稱：2015年中國在線廣告的增速首次超過了電視廣告，中國在線廣告花費在整體廣告花費中所占的比重達到了42%。 （傳統旅遊媒體可能突圍嗎？旅遊衛視 (小旅) 2016-06-07）（愛懇註：可對照2021年最新數據，此文提供一個思考的方向）
Nov 4, 2021
TV Plus
這里便引來另一個很“專業”的問題：你懂得什麼叫“改編”嗎？比較友善的網友還建議我去看看好一些“改編”自歷史的不朽名片，惡補一下。
我感謝這些專業友人的關照。我當然明白劇作人絕對有特權為娛樂、催淚、惹笑、溫馨、懸疑、轉折………..，還有可說不可說的商業考量、金主期望等等等等理由，發揮他們的“改編”才華，添枝加葉生花翩蝶，移前挪後提高降低加溫調冷………。
但怎麼改、怎麼編，總還有 “忠於真相”、“忠於原著”、“忠於歷史”......這點要求吧？
荊軻刺秦是歷史，要怎麼個獻圖怎麼個露匕才夠酷，或悲涼、或千鈞一髮、或易水瀟瀟猶在鬢邊…………..，編劇，sky is your limit，由得你的想像力去飆。可是，總不成為了考慮到荊軻死了有人不買賬，導演有義務讓更大部分觀眾興奮流淚，票房有最穩當的保證，而說荊軻刺秦的結局是贏得了最後的勝利，衣錦還鄉，鄉人夾道迎接，在女主角帶領下大唱團結歌........。在The End出現以前，還打了一行字幕：重歸史記，光耀中華。
這不是尊重、善用文化資源者所為，這叫惡搞；越有資金、技術與likability，越有影響力，對文化建設的禍害就越大。
明明是A進的球，有人要他變成B（允許我用代號好了，免得人家說“就是你們小氣、“種族主義”、“雞蛋裡挑骨頭有居心”…………），這明明白白就是：不忠於歷史、不尊重歷史、濫用並污染文化資源；與從那年代活過來的馬來西亞民眾的集體記憶有衝突，對那些在1980年代還是小孩或根本遠遠沒出世的新一代，會誤解真實歷史就是這模樣。新一代今天在戲院裡流的淚水越多越鹹，他們將來的“集體記憶”離歷史真相就越遠。別說將來了，我週前在報上就看見一位年輕媒體人歉意十足地說：“哎呀，要不是周導的新戲，我到今天還不知道我們曾有位國家足球隊長叫周國強！！”
針對這現象，那些火熱的粉絲們又似乎顯得特別理性：你們白痴啊，文盲啊，瞎了還是遲進場，沒看見電影一開始的“純屬虛構”聲明……..。看到啊；香煙盒上印的爛肺圖文夠恐怖吧？大家沒看見嗎？請問吸煙的人數有減少過嗎？別告訴我你在張揚電影人地位超然的同時，又告訴我電影好像是沒什麼影響力，純屬娛樂爽過就是，好像所有的文化傳播理論與實踐都是騙人的。
這部電影提倡“和諧”，其宣傳大軍卻一會兒“歷史改編”，一會兒“純屬虛構”，自己的腦袋好像都分裂了，怎麼對症下藥談“和諧”？
他們連當年隊長蘇進安的Tauke、馬來亞之虎等文化符號都順手牽羊拿來用了，還說是“虛構”？根據導演的說辭，這只是一種“巧合”，好像他從來沒聽過、沒見過蘇進安。明明是喝歷史的奶水成長，借歷史的光、民眾集體記憶的舞台變得萬眾矚目，到頭來卻說自己是從石頭里崩出來的，餐風飲露長大，白手起家；明明佔了人家便宜，還說“我從來沒有點過妳”。
我們可以像一些天真爛漫的小朋友那樣做委屈狀：“不就是一部電影嗎？看電影哪有這麼沉重？”我要說，看電影不沉重，相反地，很享受；可是，看完電影走出戲院流乾眼淚，而對我們“曾有的輝煌”歷史、民眾的集體記憶真相，怎麼受到這樣方便、輕忽的對待，連個簡單的真相都在“要團結，不要種族化”、“歷史不是一切”的呼聲中被公然虛構掉、取消掉，居然覺得沒一回子事，不知道你們怎麼想，這對我可是一件嚴重的事。（2016年2月4日 臉書）
Nov 5, 2021
TV Plus
《Ola Bola》真的只是一粒球的問題嗎？
看戲不沉重；意識錯亂才嚴重
本土電影Olah Bola引起一些議論。在今天的市場，有議論行情就會升溫，不管正面宣傳與逆向宣傳都同樣有效。所以，我不確定“有人要杯葛”這部戲的說法是怎樣沸沸騰騰起來的。我相信觀眾也習慣了這種手法，最好的例子是曾有人的戲不賣得，就冒出了“內政部要禁映了”、“要抓人了”的新聞。
我
所好奇的是，一般民眾（也可能包括混在路人甲中的專業和非專業電影粉絲），面對電影所引起的這麼一個議題有何反應。特別是在喝了心靈雞湯後的一片亢奮、“樂觀”氛圍中，人們怎麼看待——對，看待；不是看戲——電影所推崇的“愛國意識”、“團結和諧”；從1980年回到2016年，看看電影與現實、cakap dan bikin sama tak sama。
先來談現象一：你懂得電影嗎仙家，說三道四博出位啊？電影又不是紀錄片；怎樣改編歷史是編劇的特權。
既然都這麼說了，說這話的人應該更專業一點才是：紀錄片和劇情片其實同是電影，紀錄片和劇情片性質不一樣，而Chiu導拍的是一部劇情片。我看了不少討論的帖子，似乎沒人提到過要Astro的賀歲片，是一部時間、空間、人物、地點和敘事細節點點滴滴都是貼緊歷史檔案的紀錄片。
老實說，Astro什麼事都是慣例歡喜來作伴（熱鬧有餘，深度不可期），或“抱抱看”（抱著固定立場看世界），要它把馬來西亞昔日光華整理、詮釋成高素質的紀錄片，還真的過於抬舉了。
那為何有人一再質問人家懂不懂電影呢？這是體制內訴諸權威的固定反應；越心虛就質問得越大聲，像夜裡孤獨走在野地的人，不斷裝腔作勢咳嗽給自己壯膽。
既然Ola Bola是劇情片，就以劇情片的本質來探討它，這樣做也不應該被當著是阻人發財的“陰謀”吧？
先講劇情片最重要的是什麼？若是模仿那些激情滿分、就事論事能力有待評估的粉絲們口氣，他（她）們會這樣回你：傻的、痴的、瞎的、殘的也懂得啦，是故事！
好了，那Chiu導的故事何來？六年來，不管《大日子》小日子、《天天好天》還是壞天，《一路有你》沒有你都支持Chiu導的觀眾，肯定不是傻的、痴的、瞎的（瞎了怎麼看戲?）；相反地，他們很清楚其故事來自馬來西亞民眾對1970、1980年代馬來西亞國足隊的集體記憶。
從周導說要拍這部片子開始，他的宣傳謀略就處心積慮在把馬來西亞民眾的注意力、尊重度，從當年的球場英雄身上拉到他的新戲上。用普通人的話來說就是博取球星們的blessing。這祝福為何重要？它催生歷史聯繫、文化符號的認同。
這像政治人物去小販中心拉票，就說“我爸爸是小販，我是小販之女”，去某某會館就說“我祖母的外公是某某籍貫，我身上有某某籍貫的血統”…….，這些“認祖”、“認親”的動作，無疑是在盤算怎樣讓這些小販、某某籍貫人士給她抬轎子、變票源。
劇作組和當年的球壇風雲人物近距離接觸，做口述歷史訪談，跟當事者第一手直接拿東西，而那東西叫“馬來西亞人曾有的集體記憶、歷史認同”，也就是平常人說的“故事”、“料”；這是明的做法，暗的是，他們在做著向歷史“借冠套袍”的動作，往自己作品打光添彩、擦脂抹粉，吸引市場（包括投資者、媒體）的眼球。
這些都是正常作業，有機會大家都這麼做。值得關注的是，他們所有的言論與動作都在明示或暗示著，他們是在“改編歷史”、“重現馬來西亞曾有的輝煌”，這名堂使到這部片讓人格外期待，畢竟那是一個激動人心的年代。
巧妙的是，那份激動、那份歷史認同一直保溫著的那個馬來西亞民眾集體記憶，那一大筆珍貴的likability ，卻在不知不覺之中似乎合情合理也合法地，從歷史的公共場域的共同資產，被搬運、挖掘而轉換成電影公司的私有資產。
集體記憶是一個社會的文化資源，有形資源如森林被非法砍伐大家看得到；文化資源被挪用卻不是那麼容易計算得失。當然，Chui導的故事資源也不是不勞而獲、順手可得。他的劇作組要根據這些資源創作也好、改編也好，耗時傷神去把它變成腳本，變成可以電影語言呈獻出來東西。
Nov 5, 2021
TV Plus
美猴王國際化:標新立異還是原汁原味
北京儒意欣欣影業投資有限公司和好萊塢六大電影公司之一的派拉蒙影業宣佈聯合拍攝3D魔幻電影《敢問路在何方》。在銀幕上已經是技術為先的今天，把中國家喻戶曉的名人孫悟空插上技術的翅膀，讓他又一次飛向大銀幕，這隻猴究竟算是只中國猴還是變了血統的美國猴？
《敢問路在何方》是著名詞作家閆肅為電視連續劇《西遊記》寫的主題曲的歌詞，當時紅遍大江南北，甚至整個亞洲，現今成為有著美國血統的3D電影《敢問路在何方》片名。印象中美國人總是標新立異，一意孤行，我行我素，可如今，美國電影人原封不動搬了拿來用，不管你有多少含義，什麽立場，務實的美國人只是為我所用而已，他們看重的是孫悟空強大的市場價值。
《西遊記》是中國幾千年文化沈澱的國粹級寶貝，中國人已然全面展示了這部著作的魅力，美國人講美國精神，那是獨占鰲頭。但是要講中國國粹，可能還真不夠底蘊。說他們是關公面前耍大刀——找死，也許絕不是虛言。可美國人就「敢問路在何方」，美國電影就敢拿雞蛋往石頭上碰。美國人敢攬這瓷器活，憑的是哪個金剛鑽？
在美國人眼裏，《西遊記》是一個非常魔幻的中國故事，孫悟空是一個聞名世界的戰士。把孫悟空搬上銀幕，再用上《變形金剛》、《美國隊長3》和《終結者6》的特效技術，一定會把這部中國國粹級別的經典之作推向新的高度。美國電影人的金剛鉆，實則就是他們的3D電影技術。電影任何一次的革命變革，都是技術革命帶來的，從無聲電影到有聲電影，從小銀幕到寬銀幕，而今3D技術又為觀眾展示了全新的身臨其境的視聽感受，美國人玩的是電影新技術，從電影發展的角度講，美國人攥著先進的電影技術在關公面前耍大刀又何如？在技術為先的今天，有了技術，雞蛋變成了金剛「蛋」，金剛「蛋」碰石頭，或許能碰出燦爛的火花。
美國人拎著技術繼續拿來主義。他們來摻和中國的文化國粹《西遊記》，《敢問路在何方》很有掛羊頭賣狗肉之嫌。不管六小齡童還是不是這個美猴王，也不論中國演員是不是影片核心，還是一如既往的在裏面打醬油，如果美國人用西方思想詮釋他們心中的中國國粹《西遊記》，並且一定會塑造美國英雄般的孫悟空，那麽《敢問路在何方》一定是一部掛羊頭賣狗肉糟蹋中國文化的電影。將中國的經典和好萊塢的技術合體，之前有過先例，但無論在票房還是口碑上，特別是對中國傳統文化的再現，都沒有達到讓人滿意的效果。這次和好萊塢「霸主」派拉蒙合作，會不會出現同樣的問題呢？在尊重中國傳統文化的基礎之上，堅持中國的文學經典，用好萊塢成熟的工業體系、敘事結構和特效去呈現中國故事。體現新的高科技，在動作技術和視覺技術上進行一系列的創新，這樣打造出來的孫悟空才是一部真正有著中國經典名分的國際美猴王。
美國電影在全世界市場上一家獨大。美國電影在中國大地上掙中國人的錢，因此美國人掛的羊頭也許是金的，賣的狗肉是合金鋼的，美國3D版孫悟空，雖然穿上美國的技術外衣，但是中國的孫悟空應該永遠是中國人熟悉並熱愛的孫悟空，他身上散發的是中國人的精神。可以肯定，美國猴和中國猴不一樣，但是這只中美混血的國際猴必須保持原汁原味，才值得我們期待，才會在世界電影市場上得到認可。因為這只中國美猴王的名氣實在太大了。（陳 濱《美猴王國際化:標新立異還是原汁原味》2015年05月14日 來源：北京晚報）
Nov 8, 2021
TV Plus
Netflix 2021日本電影《淺草小子》主題曲
與你相見在仲見世的那間
只有煮菜的鯨肉店
我們談論夢想；汽酒
泡沫裏消失的約定
在燈火暗去的淺草
只有一個被爐的 公寓
第一次買了同樣的西裝
做了同樣的蝴蝶結領帶
卻沒錢買同樣的鞋
這一直被我們當做笑料
什麽時候走紅我們期待著
在只有兩個觀眾的劇場裏
把托付著夢想的一百元硬幣
投出去 一本正經地祈禱
你臉上浮現孩童般的
純真 我再次被你吸引
獨自去探訪你的公寓
相碰的酒杯間懷念從前
我們也有那樣的時代啊
你抖著肩膀笑起來
不要說我們已拋棄夢想
我們本是沒有其他人可以依靠的兩個人
不要說 我們已拋棄夢想
我們本是沒有別的路可走的兩個人
隨一首老歌去旅行·日本潮來笠
Jan 5, 2022
TV Plus
（續上）其次，「打卡」有利於增強自我控制力。打卡行為本身是一種超級自控的顯現。自我控製力是指當抽象的遠期目標與具體的近期動機發生直接沖突時，人們可以將抽象的遠期目標放置於具體的近期動機之上的能力，即可以為了遠期目標的實現而放棄近期動機的誘惑。也就是說，它能夠幫助人們克服近期短暫的欲望和干擾，實現長期的目標。比如，拒絕懶惰，每日背單詞; 拒絕高熱量食物，堅持素食主義;等等。心理學家發現，自控與成就具有較大的關系。擁有較高成就的人更容易養成良好的健康行為，甚至可以與沖動購物、網絡上癮、藥物成癮、暴飲暴食等絕緣。擁有自控能力是人類的標誌性美德，能夠自控的個體會擁有更多的幸福感、進行更好的自我管理、展現更強大的自信心。可以說，自控能夠讓人們抵抗及時享樂的誘惑，讓短期行為趨向於長期目標的實現。
最後，「打卡」有利於在比較中提升自我。日常生活中會經常遇到類似情況：一些人在朋友圈中不停地「打卡」，有人背單詞、有人做運動、有人學知識……周圍的人跟比賽似的不停地向外界炫耀自己的努力、刻苦、敬業。此時，一些人會不由自主地產生與他們進行比較的心理，進而認為自己的生活枯燥、無趣。然後在與他人比較的漩渦中開始「打卡」。事實上，每個人都需要更好的自己和更好的人生。與那些擁有更好生活或者更好條件的人進行比較，是典型的向上比較。但需要註意的是，這種比較不能過量亦不能盲目。
「打卡」有時也會走向「異化」，成為一種虛假的努力
「打卡」有時也是一種免費廣告。人們對於某款APP的了解很可能來自於他人在朋友圈中的「打卡」展示。哪裏有用戶，哪裏就有營銷。平臺龐大的用戶量，讓各類企業和營銷機構欲罷不能。越來越多的人披著心靈雞湯的外衣，告訴你要堅持某件事情、培養某個習慣、追尋某種夢想，然後深植營銷套路。比如，要想使用或者獲得某些APP的優惠方案，就必須要在朋友圈中不斷「打卡」。對於這一現象，微信安全中心於2019年5月發布《關於利誘分享朋友圈打卡的處理公告》，明確指出，某些公眾號、APP軟件等主體通過以返學費、送實物等方式，利誘微信用戶分享其鏈接到朋友圈打卡，嚴重影響朋友圈用戶體驗，違反了《微信外部鏈接內容管理規範》。
事實上，人們的需求不是單線的，而是並行的。人們有短期需求也有長期需求(一般而言，長期需求是學業成功和事業進步，短期需求是暫時享樂和珍惜當下)，長期需求的實現需要強大的意誌力。而在意誌力很難維系的情況下，打卡文化便應運而生，激勵著人們面對長期需求、暫別當下享受。人們之所以缺乏自控能力，是因為其大腦中總會有及時行樂的念頭。它會影響人們的決策，從而導致非理性行為的出現。當然，出發點很好的打卡行為有時也會成為一種假努力。比如，有人把記錄步數的手表戴在招財貓上，看著每天的記錄成就感滿滿;有人每天在朋友圈中展示自己的英語學習記錄，想讓身邊的人知道自己有多努力……此間種種，內心想法不一而足，但總體來說無非都是一些無傷大雅的小得意、小聰明而已。當然，也有人把打卡「異化」了，即本來打卡或者不打卡(堅持或者放棄，展示或者不一定要展示)是主體自我決定的行為，但「登門檻效應」(即一個人一旦接受了他人的一個微不足道的要求，為了避免認知上的不協調，或想給他人以前後一致的印象，就有可能接受更大的要求)讓這種自我決定變得「被決定」，即一旦開始了，就不得不堅持。馬克思說「異化」是人的受難，對於一些群體而言，定期打卡也成為一種「受難」，本來是充滿意義的自我享受，卻在無形中變成了精神和肉體的多重折磨。
拋開廉價的堅持，找到真正有意義的儀式感，對人們至關重要
第一，找到有價值的生命意義感。生命意義感是構成幸福的重要元素，人們都在追求生命意義感。生命意義感不僅由意義和目的構成，還必須滿足常規性的要求。有心理學家發現，生命中的常規性行為能夠帶來意義和幸福。常規性行為是連續動作的自動集合，比如有人每天要喝咖啡，有人每天要晨跑，有人每天要讀報，等等。常規性行為與舒適的感覺、自我的信心緊密相關。常規性行為以重復模式排列反復出現在人們的日常生活中，會讓人們重復性地獲得某種刺激(這種刺激隨著重復性的增加而固化)，進而產生一定的生命意義感。每天的打卡行為可以說是常規性行為，會讓人們在潛意識裏覺得自己具有持續性、更為自律，進而對自我未來發展充滿積極想象。常規性行為是人們完成長期目標的重要途徑。從這個意義上看，拋開廉價的堅持、找到真正有意義的儀式感，對人們至關重要。「儀式感就是使某一天與其他日子不同，使某一時刻與其他時刻不同。」生活的意義在於賦予，當人們賦予某些常規性行為和習慣以特殊的意義和不平凡的感受時，生命就充滿了意義感和小確幸，而這些其實都來自於內心真正的滿足，無需表面意義的假堅持和假努力。儀式感讓人們感受到存在的真切，漫長的生活需要熱枕而燦爛、精致而豐盛，但只有真正發自內心的儀式感，才能讓平凡的生活具有不平凡的意義。
第二，真正的努力無需證明。人是社會性的動物，沒有面具的生活是不可想像的。但無論一個人的演技多麽精湛，都不能失去自我。首先，我們不需要讓自己的努力活在別人的視野中。若喜歡閱讀，就可以盡情地徜徉書海，無需向世界證明自身的文藝範兒; 若喜歡運動，就可以努力地雕塑身材，無需刻意展示步數和體脂率; 若喜歡英語，就可以盡情地吸收語言文化，沒有必要一定要證明給誰看……真正的滿足來自於自己的內心，真正的勤奮不是別人眼中的形式。努力是為了自己，並非是為了表演給別人看。其次，假努力比真懶惰更可怕。假努力讓一切看起來都很美好，但實際上獲得的進步和成績卻如漫天飛舞的泡泡，缺乏真實性。虛假的美好會導致「溫水煮青蛙」現象，即人們看不到自己未來的成長空間，沈浸在臆想出來的假努力中，從而喪失真努力的時間和機會。總之，故作的姿態總會露出馬腳，真正的努力無需證明，與其讓打卡行為成為假努力的作秀，不如腳踏實地做一些真正有意義的事情。
第三，發揮內心強大的驅動力。行為的改變是由一連串內容組成的連續過程，是一個整體，並不是獨立性事件。改變不會一蹴而就，需要一步步地推進。內在的驅動力讓人們朝著預定的方向前行，給人們帶來真正的、持久的價值感與成就感。因此，比起天賦和能力，動機才是人們堅持的最大推手。通過朋友圈發佈的信息獲得承認和欣賞，通過與日俱增的打卡記錄促使自身行為的改變，確實會產生一定的成就感，但這種成就感往往難以持久。只有那些發自內心的、鼓勵人們積極行為的內在動力，才能持久地帶來真正的價值感與成就感。
第四，加強深度學習，提升工作能力。人們需要的是加強深度學習和提升工作能力，日漸增多的打卡行為不但會消磨人們的時間，也會使人們喪失專注力和思考力。在網絡時代，人們不排斥碎片化的學習以及簡單的運動，因為網絡每時每刻都會滋生新鮮事物，但也需要沁入沈思、專注思考。卡爾·紐波特的深度學習概念一度引發人們的思考，即如何在信息碎片化時代重新思考和審視以往習以為常的工作和生活習慣，從而找到漸行漸遠的自控力、專注力，更好地進行精力管理、時間管理。真正的深度學習可以激活人們的大腦，最大限度地激發認知能力。深度工作、深度學習、深度技能等都是將人們從網絡壟斷異化中解救出來的良藥。摒棄網絡中那些膚淺的行為方式，找到符合內心的精神皈依，才是生活的最終要義（2020-07-21 人民論壇網，見（文化頻道）
Jan 26, 2022
TV Plus
管健《打卡文化的是與非》
隨著移動互聯網技術的迅猛發展，中國即時通信用戶規模不斷擴大。當前，即時通信不僅是聊天的工具，也成為集交流、資訊、娛樂、搜索、電子商務等為一體的綜合化信息平臺。好像突然有一天，人們的距離被拉近了，他人生活的點點滴滴都盡在掌握。
美國傳播學家喬舒亞·梅羅維茨曾經提出「媒介情景理論」，認為新媒介可以導向新情境、引發新行為。也就是說，在現代社會，媒介的變化必然導致社會環境的變化，而社會環境的變化又必然引發人類行為的變化。在這些變化中，最為顯著和典型的便是網絡通信媒介對人們生活方式的重大影響。網絡通信媒介可以說是一種新的情境，它要求參與其中的行動者重新詮釋自己的行為，並且將內在腳本付諸實踐，建構一套自己或他人的全新社交行為體系。「打卡」便是如此，其充滿了儀式感和效能感，能夠使人們從大跌眼鏡到淡然處之，從嘖嘖稱頌到索然無味。
在一定程度上，打卡文化有助於形成正向自我強化，產生積極效能
關於行為保持的理論認為，人保持某種行為的原因在於從結果中獲得了積極反饋。當收到積極反饋時，人的大腦「獎賞區」會發送肯定信號，進而形成正向的自我強化，使人們表現得更好，更願意堅持。無論是來自於自我的積極反饋，還是來自於人際的積極反饋，都可以在大腦「獎賞區」激活行為驅動力，從而使人們展現強大的行為動機。從某種意義上來說，每天必簽的打卡記錄就是一種正向而積極的反饋，能夠不斷鼓勵人們堅持某種行為。
「打卡」能夠使人們致力於做更好的自己。一方面，能夠督促習慣的養成。心理學相關研究顯示，重復某種行為會在大腦中留下記憶印痕，進而形成習慣。比如，學習駕駛需要在有意識的層面反復練習，由此在潛意識中留下印痕，成為習慣性動作。
社會心理學家凱爾曼指出，習慣的形成包含三個階段：
第一個階段是順從，需要開始新行為、接納新觀念，外顯行為與內在意識保持一致;
第二個階段是認同，需要主動接受新理念，形成新習慣;
第三個階段是內化，需要將習慣變成必須，徹底接納、養成習慣。
與此類似，通過「打卡」，人們能夠重塑新習慣，形成全新的自我。可以說，堅持「打卡」能夠幫助人們更加自律，利用碎片化的時間進行不斷的學習。
另一方面，能夠適當打破舒適區，體驗更好的自己。舒適區雖然能讓人們感到舒適，但也容易導致不思進取以及故步自封。因此，只有適當打破舒適區，才能獲得進步。比如，可以嘗試多讀一些書籍，多做一些健身運動。當人們接受了一項具有挑戰性的任務，通過努力獲得成功後，便會產生積極的自我效能感。「打卡」會讓人們產生積極的效能感，而擁有積極的效能感會讓人們更具韌性、更加自信。
「打卡」緣於人際需求。首先，「打卡」有利於形成積極的印象管理。印象管理是社交生活的題中之義，人們都傾向於在他人面前展現更好的自己。而展現自身積極的一面，曬生活中的「積極點」，會讓人們覺得自己更優秀，自己的人生更與眾不同。當他人通過朋友圈看到自己的自律、不懈和努力，投來的一定是欽佩和贊賞的目光，這無疑是一種人際獎賞。戈夫曼在《日常生活中的自我呈現》一書中指出，每個人都有自己的「前臺」和「後臺」，「後臺」屬於自己和親近的人，是人們最真實和最不裝飾的一面。
「前臺」是展現給世界的一面，人們需要在前臺展示優雅、顯現勇敢、彰顯強大。「前臺」要求表演的是理想化和社會化的自我，而「後臺」是與表演場所隔離的、觀眾不能進入的，是人們暫時放下理想化面具的地方。在虛擬的網絡世界中，朋友圈就是「前臺」。一些人渴望在他人面前展現自身努力上進的一面，進而在虛擬的環境中虛構一個安享生活和不斷進步的自己。因此，「打卡」不啻為一種表演符號，人們通過這一行為展現自律和自控。符號化表演的目的是贏得觀眾的認可。事實上，每個表演者都有自己的劇本期望，期待別人更好地認知自己，因而會精心地裝扮表演場景，打造社會生活的舞臺結構，參與腳本的寫作和完成。(下續)
Jan 26, 2022
TV Plus
針對《陳明發：無間何來道》一文的臉書討論
為什麼會這樣?改編自香港電影《無間道》的美國片《雙面刑警》，在2007年奧斯金像獎榮獲最佳導演、最佳影片等四項大獎，而劉偉強導演拍《無間道》，就只有炎黃子孫拍掌；同樣的原創故事到了好萊塢，卻成了不僅熱賣全球，還頻頻得獎的作品？
這話，曾在網上引起這樣的討論～～
甲：“語言當然是主要原因,國際語言vs方言。技術也是一大原因,即使照本宣科,美國的電影技術遠遠超過香港。奧斯卡其實也不算什麼,美國片拿奧斯卡跟香港片拿金像獎其實有什麼差。當然，語言、技術是重要原因。”
乙：是啊，奧斯卡其實也不算什麼；中國人也常說，拿諾貝爾獎不能說明什麼？你拿獎又怎樣？沒中國市場你一樣死啊；中國片爛又怎樣，人家就是賣錢。
甲：不是自欺欺人的負氣話, 其實奧斯卡不算一個真正的國際電影獎。威尼斯, 坎城等才是指標。懂些電影史就知道。相對於國際流通的好萊塢片, 中國市場不見得很大,它只是佔據了華語電影的一大塊。但是賣不賣座拿中國市場來算, 是不公平的, 只要你知道中國的電影市場是如何分配的。因此, 其實即使是華語片, 很多電影也沒有以進入中國市場為主要目標。甚至很多電影根本沒有想過能"賣埠。
乙：對，我看很多中國電影，其實是給中國人本身看就夠了，也沒打算賣海外，去坎城之類更是遙遠。反正人家看不懂，是人家損失；這戲本來就沒打算拍給中國以外的人看。
乙：講《雙面刑警》勝在語言與技術，在坎城、威尼斯得獎的片子，如王家衛、蔡明亮，早年的胡金銓和張藝謀的作品，也不需要講英文，也不需要好萊塢那一級的技術啊？
甲：片種不同, 能夠在國際影展得獎的東方片子,只有(類)藝術片, 但是能夠得獎的西方片子卻未必。而且, 這些得獎電影真的國際賣座的有多少? 馬來西亞的電影院最實際了, 從什麼時候開始, 連王家衛都排不上影院了? 無間道, 走的不是這一路子(所以在馬來西亞會上映)。
乙：看來，我們只好在商業片、藝術片之間擺盪；而且就放眼在馬來西亞這樣的市場。《無間，何來道》一文所講的東西，也就是怎樣把我們的文化產品“賣”到“第一市場”，還有一段很遙遠的道路呢。
甲：如果你是電影創作人, 你的格局決定你的作品可以去到哪裡。如果你是一個為電影心急的人,盯住現實(商機), 然後看哪裡有縫隙讓夢想(藝術)入侵。如果是一個為了藝術商機而焦慮的人, 我們還是先期待有好作品,再思考如何將它們送上殿堂,交給市場。
乙：盯住現實(商機),然後看哪裡有縫隙讓夢想(藝術)入侵？有這可能嗎？
甲：可能的。分享一個我知道的事, 台灣一群年輕人, 因為在網上看了某一泰國片LoveofSiam, 大為感動, 卻知道台灣是不可能引進這電影的, 所以集資買了版權, 另一方面向電影院尋求可能的檔期。最後, 電影在少數的幾間影院上了, 連續上了8周還是10周(或者更多, 我忘了), 還請來了演員和導演到西門町電影街辦簽名會。
乙：很有趣的個案。台灣人有理念，照先生看，馬來西亞人有那水平嗎？
甲：理想、熱情,馬來西亞人不會少,之事可能需要多一點時間召集多一點人而已!哈哈~
那重點是什麼？沒人把“軟實力”、“普世價值”的理念帶進來看待中華文創。（原載 August 11, 2013 愛墾網）
Mar 6, 2022
TV Plus
陳明發《香港武侠片》
看武俠片嗎？記不記得2008京奧開幕儀式，李寧騰空燃亮聖火？對，是香港片壇武術指導程小東設計的。武俠片這回事，在中國大概是步入二十一世紀，張藝謀拍攝《英雄》以後才出現的話題。海外華人觀賞新派武打電影，卻快要半個世紀了。京奧淩空踏雲的點火場面，叫全球對華族的想象力側目相看。其實，二三十年前，香港影圈一代大師張徹就講過，中國電影要靠獨具的民族特色走向環球，甚至獲得國際大獎，恐怕就只有武俠片。歡迎來交流，給中華文化創意產業走全球找路子。
張徹1970年代中拍的《刺馬》，曾為狄龍贏得臺灣金馬獎影帝。三十年後，陳可辛2007年根據《刺馬》原型重拍的《投名狀》，則為李連傑贏得香港金像獎影帝。看看《投名狀》中的劉德華，再對照《刺馬》中的陳觀泰，這一類型的血性男兒，一方面放縱地迷信自我，一方面又耿直、愚昧的盯緊「義薄雲天」之類的教條，最終都成了「險惡江湖」的祭品，令人感嘆再三。
張徹1975年拍攝《洪拳小子》，首開戇直調皮的「小子」原型。這是張徹公認的代表作之一。杜琪峰是一代大師了，他1993年拍的《赤腳小子》，是張徹1975的《洪拳小子》新版本，聲明是向張徹致敬的作品。另一位大師徐克也在1995年拍了一部《刀》，是張徹1967年的《獨臂刀》舊戲新拍。杜琪峰和徐克都聲明，他們重拍張徹的電影，是向他老人家致敬。身為亞洲最佳導演，張徹有那些藝術生命風格，值得我們研發中華文化創意產業者慢慢琢磨的？從馬來西亞真誠來向您請教，就在我的新浪博客網上恭候。
陳明發答透徹：大陸普遍看過的「武俠片」，大概是《無極》、《英雄》、《十面埋伏》、《滿城盡帶黃金甲》與《夜宴》等。一開拍就說明是要「進入環球市場」，讓人感覺得是拍給外國人看的，賣排場、賣聲勢，忘了電影本身。他們被評「取悅他人」，可以理解。但是，從海外觀眾來說，過去五十年，香港、臺灣拍攝的武俠片， 早已形成一門電影學有深論、有定案的文化資產。深刻的故事情節，是有普世性的，能永恒打動全體人類。武俠、現代、都市、古代、推理。。。，只是藝術表現形 式。張徹、胡金銓那一代導演的戲，用武俠、動作，說著中國人傳統的的感情、正義、人性、人際關係等倫理。雖是古代的戲，人在里頭的掙扎，現代人也能共鳴、 會感動，因為它還是在說我們的命運。（2008年11月6日 中國新浪網）
Mar 18, 2022
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陳明發各行各業說故事的人
你正講中了我的心事，讓我覺得此道不孤。因為不孤，所以可能不枯。中華民族並不缺乏獨一無二，舉世無可取代的故事。悲哀在于海外的我們能把中華故事說好的人不多，電影、寫作如此；旅遊導覽、開店銷售、藝術創作都是如此。我創辦《愛墾網》就是希望打造各行各業「說故事的人」。您到我新浪博客的《文學與文化思考》系列，有些文字，請多交流！
武侠片的「真功夫」的確是真功夫。源自中華武藝傳統，結合上「俠」的核心，更顯示出中華民族獨有的人生境界。每回讀《史記》，就知道俠義曾是我們民族光輝的一面。從文化創意產業的觀點來看，觀賞過電影後，不僅僅可以發展出好萊塢那一套的衍生產品，例如公子、電視劇、海報等紀念品而已，還可以立體的辦些武術夏日營，向全世界的中國孩子和洋孩子營銷。既健身、防身，又欣賞我們的古文化精粹。這是我認為全球大海嘯沒頂而來，中華文化可以向世界發功的理由之一。
《葉問》、《赤壁》肯定會在馬來西亞上映。《狂野大雪地》這樣的作品，恐怕與我們無緣了。其實馬來西亞有東南亞最大的三維戲院，由澳大利亞技術支援。三維電影卻不是天天都有，因為製作有限。我在國內和一些搞動漫的年輕朋友聊過好幾次回，人才有、技術也不差，難得的是也有人願意投資，就是沒法子推向國際。渠道問題，這是中華創意人要開拓的地方之一。（2008年11月6日 中國新浪網）
Mar 19, 2022
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二戰紀錄片《Five Come Home》
肺炎禁足，我在netflix看了史匹堡導演制作的二戰紀錄片《Five Come Home》，說的是二戰期間五位好萊塢當紅導演，如何參與拍攝反戰紀錄片的過程。我忽然發現，我過去對於二戰的認識實在是太有限了，說來說去都只是佔領馬來亞半島的三年八個月。特別是對於南太平洋戰爭中的一些慘烈戰役，我甚至連那些島嶼的名字也不甚了了。臨老補點課，對因戰爭而死去的靈魂略表敬意。（16.8.2020）
Mar 20, 2022
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美籍大馬女編導演陳風錐《幽幽大河》獲最佳恐怖片獎
美籍大馬女導演兼編劇陳風錐（Jules East），在多倫多國際女性節電影獎（The Toronto International Women Festival），以一部《幽幽大河》（River of Ghosts）贏得“最佳恐怖片”，結合東西方靈異氛圍，呈獻新穎的驚悚電影。
現年43歲的陳風錐從小喜歡電影及創作劇本，這部電影由她編劇及導演，並從全球7982部參與作品中獲得晉級最後35部電影，贏得“最佳恐怖片”。
陳風錐通過臉書接受本報訪問時說，很高興能在這個重要的國際電影節平臺贏得獎項，雖然這部電影更像是驚悚及劇情片，電影是在加利福尼亞州一個海濱小鎮門多西諾拍攝。
故事情節講述一個男人的妻子失蹤，雖然鎮上對他持懷疑態度，但他私下正處理一種叫做“軀體體驗”的情況，並在鎮上尋找一位新的神秘醫生幫助。
她說，目前已完成另一部電影，正在安排在新加坡參與影展，希望有一天她的電影有機會在亞洲和大馬上映，與本地觀眾會面。
在這之前，陳風錐先後在2014年以《Lucidus》贏得好萊塢劇本大獎，以及2016年以《Into the Sand》再次拿下好萊塢劇本大獎。（29.7.2022 星洲日報）
Jul 30, 2022
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陳明發·東西交融～文化敘事提供的選項：大馬有文化人才，畢業于八打靈公教中学的美籍女編導陳風錐立足好萊塢，剛剛贏得多倫多影展大獎。她對本地媒體透露，其作品在北美重要影展中贏得“最佳恐怖片”，原因是它結合東西方靈異氛圍，呈獻了新穎的驚悚體驗。
陳風錐的電影美學說明了，在文化敘事裏，東西方不但可以不衝突，而且還可能找到融合的契機。
我們願意借助文化敘事途徑來促進彼此的了解嗎？
人類目前的處境是：選擇文化交融，或：軍火交易，然後交戰。
我們需要新的方法，重新認識本身的命運。文化敘事提供了一項有效的選項。
Jul 30, 2022
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陳明發《法律詩性》
美國名導馬丁斯科塞斯（Martin Scorcese，1942——，Taxi Driver等電影導演），在2022完成了Netflix 紀錄片《Rolling Thunder Revue：鮑勃·迪倫的故事》。在片中，為被誤判謀殺案而坐了20年牢的Rubin "Hurricane" Carter所唱的歌曲，在法律、詩性與反思之間建立起聯系，讓人想起「法律詩性」的問題，對冷冰冰的法律，我們是否可能借詩性智慧做出省思？（15.08.2022）
Aug 15, 2022
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Dr. Tan Beng Huat: Singapore, Our Natural Source of International Tourists
Chua Mia Tee, National Language Class, 1959, Oil on canvas, 112 x 153 cm, Installation view at the National Gallery
Few months ago, I had watched a series of documentary on Singapore's nation-building experience in Netflix Channel by the title "A Frame In Time". Many good stories are shared through their heritage of old paintings, photographs & black and white contents from TV archive. One of them, "A Quest For Unity In 1960s " is to explore Singaporeans' desire to learn Bahasa Malaysia in evening classes, attempted to be a Good Malaysian.......
As a young kid in Southern Johore then, Singapore to me is just our neighbour town where my aunt stay. Many people of my generation who opted for Singapore citizenship have just retired in recent years with reasonable or even good saving. It's natural for them to be a rich tourist to visit Malaysia, where their relatives stay.
In fact, all these years, Singaporeans make up around one third of our foreign tourists (excluding the excursionists who make daily trips across the JB causeway). After the Covid-19 close down, other than visit their relatives and Genting Highland, their destinations also include many Malaysian places that they have never considered before. Just to name a few, weekend city tour to Sibu, Sarawak, Off Shore Angling trip to Kuching, home-stay in Kuala Selangor......these were in fact my youngest sister's records with her family and family of my brother-in-law's siblings. Our nature and culture is a blessing to them too.
Beside family tour, to my Singaporen nephews and thier peers, our seas are their diving paradise. One of them even become a coral conservationist of our under-sea world with funding from Singaporen government.
Meaning? Before we go back to what we have in 2019 which have witnessed international tourism hit record high of 1.5 billion, of which China's contribution is 10%, our neighboring countries are our hope. Other than Singapore, the number of Vietnamese's outbound tourists to South-East Asia is also going up. Afterall, to Sabah and Sarawak, tourists from Penisular is a ready market yet to be fully tapped. (18.9.2022)
Sep 19, 2022
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The Growing Market of Malaysian Movies
Malaysian movie Mat Kilau has just broke box office records by collected over RM96 million after screening for 40 days. And now another Malaysian movie Don't look into the Demon is going to screen in 250 cinemas throughout North America. Both films capitalize Malaysian folk tales, a cultural creative effort that build itself up by marrying local good contents with sound talents. (Dr Tan Beng Huat, 1.10.2022)
Oct 1, 2022
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Film Review: Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (2019) - Australia
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
Australian director Serge Ou delivers the goodies in the latest Tribute to the origins of Kung Fu films and the influence of the once great Hong Kong cinema to not just Hollywood, but the rest of the world. In making the the in-depth documentary “Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks”, Ou presents more than a fan-boy service affair, but instead provide valuable insights for novice and long time genre fans alike.
For a good 30 minutes of the documentary, we get impacted by the power and passion of Bruce Lee. Lee is not only a pioneer, but one of the few bold faces to stand up against the powerhouse of Hollywood in the racist 60s and 70s. What made it more impressive is how Bruce became a legend and how Hollywood missed the original chance. There is also equal screening time for cinematic powerhouse Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest and how the former is a set formula that produces classics and fail to adapt and the later modernised the entire Kung Fu genre and evolve as per market needs.
Of course, no documentary is complete with a tribute to Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Master Yuen Woo Ping. These are masters that shaped and modernised Hong Kong Kung Fu genre into America and the world. “Matrix” showed the world how Hong Kong inspired one of the biggest Hollywood blockbuster in the 90s. It’s a shame that the documentary only glimpses past the contribution of Jet Li and Donnie Yen.
All in all, “Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks” is a well edited and produced documentary on a genre beloved by so many and inspired an entire race and generation to other creative channels never seen before. The 90 minutes breezes by in no time as we witness the former greatest of Hong Kong cinema once again and how it is now giving way to the “Ong Bak” and “The Raid” taking over the marital arts mantle. The final segment on Africa seems rushed and padded on to the film, in an otherwise wonderful documentary for long time genre fans to rejoice and new timers to learn about the history of the infectious art. (1.5.2020 https://neofilmshop.com)
Oct 10, 2022
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They played with the themes in kung fu movies and recreated on stage what might happen in a kung fu film. The main character, Flo-Master (who is a Taekwondo stylist and has studied jiu-jitsu and kickboxing) wants to be like Jackie Chan. He falls asleep while watching a kung fu movie in a theater, and wakes up in his dream. In the dream he is a wanderer. Kung fu movies continued to directly inspire B-Boys in the 90s.
Ken Swift formed his own chapter of Rock Steady in 1996, RSC Seven Grandmasters, based on the Joseph Kuo movie 7 Grandmasters. RSC Seven Grandmasters was a battle clique. Ken Swift, “And that was the elite unit of Rock Steady that was all about win, lose, or draw, battling anybody, going out there to war, and it had the same concept as Seven Grandmasters, going all over the country, doing different styles, fighting and challenging, that’s a little what the movie was about.”
RSC Seven Grandmasters were Ken Swift, Honey Rockwell, Mr. Wiggles, Flo-Master, Gizmo, Orko, and Katsu. Representing in Europe were Bruce Wayne and Tony Zoom. Pending to get in at the time were Remind and Crumbs (SEC) and Wicket (Ren). All the members had to train in the other members’ styles and strong points. Kung Fu and B-Boying have many different styles. Each member of the Seven Grandmasters was an expert in their particular style of B-Boying.
Trac 2 told me that B-Boying has never been about an individual, but partners and crews. B-Boys need others to inspire them to advance their skill level and creativity.
The movie 7 Grandmasters also inspired Ken Swift to create a new move. “In the movie, the brother was on the floor, and he grabbed his hands and he pulled and he slid on his butt, and he kicked this dude, I have a forearm glide that I do, called ‘flowing downstream’ that was inspired by the film.”
On March 24, 2001 Koncrete Jungle’s 1st Wu-Shu and B.Boy/B.Girl Dance Challenge was held. The event was presented by the American Wu-Shu Society and Ken Swift Productions. Wu-Shu is the style of martial art practiced by Jet Li. One of Jet Li’s contemporaries from the Zhejiang Wu-Shu professional team, Hu Jianqiang, performed at the event. Master Hu was in Shaolin Temple and Kids from Shaolin.
There was an informal battle between some of the B-Boys and Wu-Shu athletes on the carpet. They were showing each other their skill in acrobatics, and trying to outdo each other. Also, some of the Wu-Shu athletes jumped into the circle to dance. One of the Wu-Shu athletes, Tsuyoshi Kaseda, entered the B-Boy competition and showed everyone his distinctive style. With events like this one, B-Boys and martial artists can exchange ideas and inspire each other in person.
Kung fu films are enjoying a renaissance on the big screen in America. The Chinese language film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Ang Lee won four Oscars at the Academy Awards and was awarded praise by both critics and fans. B-Boying has made a comeback appearing in numerous videos. Huge martial arts productions are coming to American movie theaters. Lau Kar-leung’s Drunken Monkey is a throwback to the kung fu films of the ’70s. Jet Li and Jackie Chan both have careers in Hollywood. Li’s Cradle to the Grave co-stars DMX. Hip Hop now directly influences an art form it was inspired by. Kung fu films have been with B-Boying from the very beginning, since the street gangs watched the films on 42nd street. Kung fu movies will always be a part of hip hop culture. (Source: https://www.facebook.com)
Oct 10, 2022
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Ken was amazed that in Japan , American culture had already impressed the Japanese in a big way. He saw 20 Japanese Elvis impersonators where they were previewing the movie. He saw Japanese rock groups including a Japanese Kiss. While the Japanese were emulating American culture,
American youth was appropriating from Asian culture, and showing the result to an Asian audience for the first time. Ken Swift, “We had to really show the influence of kung fu, martial arts, of kung fu movies in a dance piece, when we went to the Akasaka blitz, in Tokyo , and be in front of Asians, that was strange. We were like, ‘Yo, we’re inspired by these people.’ It was strange, we were concerned, we’re like, ‘how are they going to react to this. ’ I don’t know, the audiences are funny, they can be quiet as hell through the whole show and then at the end, just (claps), and you’re like ‘OK, OK’, you thought they hated it. Some of the audiences are very reserved, everybody really enjoyed it.
After Beatstreet B-Boying, or Breakdancing as it was known to the general public, became a nationwide phenomenon. Two West Coast movies were released, Breakin’, and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo that featured popping and locking and some b-boying. These movies were produced by Golan Globus, who made movies like Ninja 3: The Domination and later Bloodsport with Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme has a cameo in Breakin’ as a crowd member on the outside of the circle.
Breakin Movie 1.2 B-Boying’s popularity soared and “how to” books and records were released. The dance was exploited and mass marketed for two years, and became the “in” thing. Then in 1985, almost everyone stopped dancing. B-Boying was burnt out from overexposure. Diehard B-Boys kept dancing,
but to the rest of the country it was considered over. Co-incidentally, around the same time, production on traditional kung fu movies ceased in Hong Kong in favor of modern thrillers and comedies. One of the new films was a Breakdance comedy directed directed by Yuen Wo-ping, Mismatched Couples starring Donnie Yen. You can see the influence American culture had on HK at the time.
The moves that were inspired by HK cinema made their way back into the genre they came from in their American B-Boy form. B-Boying also shows up in Drunken Tai Chi and I Will Finally Knock You Down Dad, two of the last traditional kung fu films produced in the 80′s.
In the early 90s B-Boying and the traditional kung fu film both made a comeback. The movie that brought the kung fu film back was Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China starring Jet Li. The new wave of kung fu films following the success of this film featured different styles of camera angles and editing.
The choreography was enhanced with wirework, which allowed characters to fly. This style was previously seen mostly in swordplay films. Drunken Tai Chi / Once Upon a Time in China
While directors in HK were bringing the kung fu film back, RSC came together with the Rhythm Technicians and Magnificent Force to form Ghettoriginal. This unit produced and performed dance theater about their experiences in B-Boying. One production they performed was Shaolin Temple Hip-Hop that was part of the play Jam on the Groove in 1996.
Shaolin Temple Hip-Hop was a piece that Ghettoriginal put together not to educate people, but as Ken Swift said “It was a bug out skit, lets have fun with our inspiration, one of our favorite inspirations, as B-Boys, that meant so much to us coming up. ”
Oct 10, 2022
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Besides just imitating the kung fu by fighting each other with a Mantis Fist, Monkey style, or Crane style, the kung fu started to find its way into the dance. B-boy KWON of Swift Kids said, “As far as the martial arts goes, that gave a lot of b-boys ideas as far as doing things on the floor and expanding their ideas for movement and bringing out their character.” B-Boys appropriated visually dynamic movements they saw on the screen, and made them their own. The fight scenes in kung fu films were choreographed following a specific rhythm between the performers. The kung fu actors had to follow each other’s movements like dancers. You can see fight scenes being choreographed like this in Jackie Chan: My Stunts.
It was only natural that B-Boys would be attracted to these movements that were close to what they were doing already. Lil’ Lep explained how the kung fu movies directly effected the dance and his crew, the New York City Breakers. “Kung fu movies were important, because we learned from them. You know Flip (Flip Rock AKA Bobby Potts), he does a lot of flips, and they do a lot of flips in kung fu movies. You know my man Chino (AKA Action), he does a lot of flips too. My thing is my swipes, headspins.”
B-Boys would take certain movements they saw in the kung fu films and work them into the dance. Lep brought his own innovation to the headspin. Instead of doing it from a standstill position, he went into the headspin from footwork. He calls this the pencil headspin. In the movies Drunken Master, Killer Army, and Shaolin Temple there are moves when an actor will spin on his head ½ or a whole rotation. Ras, AKA Ray from Floormaster Dancers ( Brooklyn ) said, “Kung fu played a part in my life. You see the styles they had, they spin on their heads, like b-boying, they had windmills, they were doing the helicopter, which is the swipe. We looked at these things, we used it as dance.
Ray learned Aikido in the marines, and loved the way he could manipulate an opponent’s body weight with the Japanese art. It is hard to say if the influence was always direct, or if it happened because of repeated viewing of similar movements and was appropriated subconsciously..
One thing that Ken, Trac, and Lep all brought up when asked how the films influenced them was routines. The elaborate choreography of Hong Kong martial arts movies inspired the B-Boys to choreograph their own routines with two or more dancers. In kung fu movies and B-Boy routines, creativity and constant practice is what makes the choreography. I asked Lep about the choreography he was involved with in the New York City Breakers. “If we didn’t’t do it right, we would have to do it over and over until we got it right, you know, that’s part of being a professional dancer.”
The B-Boys that started out imitating their heroes on the big screen eventually got to be in movies themselves, performing their own footwork, kicks and flips in films like Flashdance, Wildstyle, and Beatstreet. Beatstreet features the rivalry between RSC and NYCB prominently in the story line. Kuriaki is doing footwork, and Powerful Pexter says, “You’re biters, all you’re homeboys are biters.” Kuriaki responds, “I ain’t never stole no moves from you, your moves ain’t’ worth to be bit, so what’s up with that, punk?” After this exchange of verbal confrontation, the two crews agree to battle each other at the Roxy.
Ken Swift talked about going to Japan to promote Wildstyle on the Wildstyle tour in 1982,”We took Japan by storm, I think they were shook, that movie Wildstyle, was like hard, rugged, rough Bronx. They show burnt buildings, the whole shit, and I think these people were just blown away by this shit that came from those conditions.”
Oct 10, 2022
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After the death of Bruce Lee in 1973, Hong Kong produced kung fu films that tended to be formulaic until Lau Kar-leung began directing in 1975. He showcased authentic kung fu techniques with films like Challenge of the Masters, Executioners of Shaolin, and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (AKA Master Killer)
While Lau Kar-leung was directing his debut film Spiritual Boxer, Hong Kong street gangs in New York City were giving way to a more positive counterpart known as crews. Many of the gangs’ former members turned to dancing and block parties as an outlet for their energy.
The most instrumental person in this change was former gang member turned DJ, Afrika Bambatta.
Instead of fighting each other in the street, the B-Boy crews like Starchild La Rock and Rock Steady Crew battled each other with their dance, known as b-boying, breaking, or rocking. Like rival Clans seen in kung fu movies, B-Boys would test each other to see whose style was the best. On the jade screen it was Snake Fist vs. Eagle Claw or Shaolin vs. Wu Tang. On the streets it was the Disco kids vs. Starchild La Rock or Rock Steady Crew vs. the Floormasters. With competition heating up, the next generation of B-Boys took inspiration from different sources to up the ante. According to Trac 2, Latinos added their own flavor to top-rocking, and footwork. He said in 1978 the foundation for modern B-Boy power moves were laid down.
Around the same time in 1978, filmmakers in Hong Kong were revitalizing the kung fu film with sub-genres like kung fu comedy. These movies accentuated more acrobatic movement in their choreography, influenced by the actors and directors training in Peking Opera. Yuen Wo-ping, Jackie Chan, and Sammo Hung all graduated from sifu Yu Jim-yuen’s Peking Opera school and went on to make some of the late seventies’ most dynamic films like Snake In the Eagles Shadow and Knockabout.
Going to see kung fu movies on 42nd St. became a ritual for the youth of New York City.
B-Boys especially took to the films, with their physically dynamic choreography, which was closer to dance than actual combat. Bruce Lee in real life was a Latin dancer. He was the Hong Kong Crown Colony Cha-Cha champion in 1958. In his movies, he does a form of footwork that is very similar to top rocking.
While serious filmgoers denounced kung fu films, the B-Boys took to the films as their own. Ken Swift explains, “42nd St. was like ‘wow!’, these are subtitled, they’re putting these English voices over, these movies aren’t even made in the States, that’s even more like ’wow!,’ you feel like you’re really a part of something.”
The DJ’s, MC’s, B-Boy’s, and graffiti artists would go to see these films together, and it was a participatory experience. They would get so hyped up during the film that they would argue and fight with each other during the film.
After watching the movie, the B-Boys would leave the theater hyped off the energy they saw on the screen from movies like Mad Monkey Kung Fu, Mystery of Chess Boxing, Crippled Masters and many more. Trac 2 and his brother Danny said that kung fu movies are a fever you catch. After seeing martial arts on the screen, they wanted to try it themselves.
Some early B-Boys studied martial arts. Trac 2 took Shotokan Karate for two years. He said that a lot of the early B-Boys studied karate.
Bust most of them just imitated the movements they saw without any formal training. As Ken Swift states,
“Realistically, [we] leave the theater and just want to kick the shit out of people. I mean we would walk uptown and sometimes just kick somebody… You know, we would do a demo on somebody, and start doing exactly what we saw in the movie, not knowing what we were doing, but just imitating it to the max.”
Oct 10, 2022
TV Plus
The Impact of Kung Fu Movies on BreakdancingBy Eric Pellerin
Back in the mid-to-late 1970s, the earliest power moves of Breaking were created by B-Boy masters living in New York City. One of the biggest influences on the creation of moves like the “headspin” and the “windmill” was the Hong Kong kung fu movie. B-boys watched the amazing physical abilities of their favorite kung fu actors in films by Shaw Brothers, Seasonal Films, and Golden Harvest Studios. They imitated and expanded upon the ritualized combat they saw in these films, adding new moves to their dance.
These films were seen in the US, but only in a limited number of theaters in major cities.
In the book Kung Fu: Cinema of Vengeance (1974), Verina Glaser said, “The basis for the success of the kung fu films in the States was the same ghetto audience that carried the wave of ‘black’ Hollywood action films a year or so previously.” In New York City, the two places to see kung fu movies were 42nd Street and Chinatown. Kung fu movies placed the majority of importance on the action, and less time on character development and production values seen in Hollywood films.
There was a big parallel between Hong Kong and NYC. Hong Kong and New York were both densely populated, with a large divide between the rich and the poor. Both cities had high crime rates and tough ghettos. These films were made as escapist fantasies for the people of Hong Kong, and they ended up serving the same purpose for the inner city youth in the United States.
Ken Swift said “Every kung fu movie was like styles, people got they ass whipped, and they went back and got revenge, and it was cool, and that was like something maybe we saw this as kids in the hood, as something we dealt with every day in our lives, you know what I’m saying, dealing with the way we had to live, in school and at home.”
The year was 1971 and America got its first taste of the exciting and dance-like choreography of Hong Kong martial arts films with the Shaw Brothers production King Boxer (AKA Five Fingers of Death) starring Lo Lieh. At this time, Hip-Hop as we know it did not exist. Street gangs like the Black Spades and the Savage Skulls fought each other in the streets of the Bronx for control of turf. Eventually, the pre-rumble dance of these gangs would be incorporated into the Hip-Hop dance known as Up-Rocking.
Trac 2 of Starchild la Rock, a legendary b-boy crew from the seventies, related a story about the gang origins of Up-Rocking. He said that the night before a rumble, the gang leaders had a dance off with each other, one on one. This let everyone in the area know who was going to be involved in the real deal the next day, and anyone else should stay out of the way.
During the time that street gangs in the Bronx were at their peak, kung fu movies became enormously popular in America. After Five Fingers of Death, the films of Bruce Lee were released to great success. The popularity of Lee and his films created a demand for kung fu movies in the United States. Bruce Lee was the most popular kung fu star in the world, and Golden Harvest became the second major studio in Hong Kong. Along with the Shaw Bros. they produced the vast majority of martial arts films made in the British colony.
Oct 10, 2022