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Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on October 10, 2022 at 9:30am

Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks–Netflix film tracks the pop culture reach of Hong Kong kung fu movies

Review by C.J. Bunce

From Hong Kong to the U.S. and Australia to Uganda, Australian director Serge Ou and writer Grady Hendrix track the scope of the Hong Kong kung fu movie industry and its pop culture influence on the world in the documentary Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks, now streaming this month on Netflix. Splicing interviews with kung fu legends of the past with new discussions with martial artists and actors influenced by them, Ou offers up a surprisingly rich look at how and why kung fu movies gained an international following that continues to this day via Jackie Chan comedies, the Matrix movies (with a sequel due in theaters next year), and new television series like Wu Assassins and Iron Fist.

Beneath what is in essence an overview of the genre is a smart mixture of social and cultural commentary on a global phenomenon centered on an artform mixing athleticism, dance, and grace. Kung fu made its way to American audiences with Tom Laughlin in Billy Jack, and into millions of homes via the Kung Fu series. This was paralleled by Bruce Lee movies and lesser films (they call them Bruce-sploitation) from China and U.S. studios, direct-to-video crotch-kicking and “squirrel-grabbing” action on VHS tapes in video stores, heroines leading the way as a sub-genre, eventually moving to black and inner city audiences embracing the culture, starting with martial artist and actor Jim Kelly (who co-starred with Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon), re-emerging later as an influence on hip hop music. The genre got even bigger boosts with Jackie Chan heavy-stunt comedies, followed by The Matrix and the Academy Awards arrival of the genre with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Chinese co-productions with other nations, and actors of Chinese background in the mainstream outside of Asia would eventually come along.

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on October 10, 2022 at 9:30am

Viewers meet (or revisit) early kung fu icons Cheng Pei-Pei and Sammo Hung in new interviews, along with Billy Banks, who would turn the genre into his own fortune via the creation of the Tae Bo workout, early American female kung fu star Cynthia Rothrock, martial artist Richard Norton, plus from the 21st century shows, Iron Fist actor Jessica Henwick, Wu Assassins actor JuJu Chan, Doctor Strange actor Scott Adkins, and Marvel stuntwoman and choreographer Amy Johnston, among others. It’s all interspersed with great action sequences and other clips from more than 100 films. A theme underscoring much of kung fu movie history is a distinct lack of safety standards, with more than one participant in the documentary stressing that Hong Kong kung fu movies couldn’t be made anywhere else for that reason.

A key focus is not surprisingly Bruce Lee, taking America by storm as Kato in the Green Hornet series, his rejection by Shaw Brothers back in China, and then getting skipped over for David Carradine in his series Kung Fu, before gaining legend status only posthumously. While Chinese culture and movies in particular are still only beginning to make their way to Western audiences, kung fu films from Hong Kong began in the 1960s with a man named Runje Shaw whose studio turned from essentially soap opera productions into a lucrative action movie powerhouse, making Shaw one of the wealthiest men in China. Viewers will find the spread of kung fu had an impact on surprising areas of culture.

The film highlights benchmarks in the genre: Come Drink With Me (1966), One-Armed Swordsman (1967), The Big Boss (1971), Five Fingers of Death (1972), Fist of Fury (1972), Enter the Dragon (1973), Police Story (1985), China O’Brien (1990), Rumble in the Bronx (1996), The Matrix (1999), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003), and The Raid (2011). You’ll see early film footage with Michelle Yeoh, but oddly enough megastar Jet Li and his films from the 1980s through the 2000s get overlooked. The major downside of the documentary is in its third act, stretching kung fu movies to include poorly filmed YouTube videos. It also doesn’t enter into any discussion of wuxia and film in China outside of Hong Kong, it has few native Chinese interviewees, and provides only a brief flash of an image of director Quentin Tarantino, who is so widely noted as being heavily influenced by the genre. Also, there’s no mention of the culture impact to American kids of the “kung fu grip.”

The film comes from Veronica Fury, the producer of the documentary about Cannon Films, Electric Boogaloo (previously reviewed here). It has slick, in-your-face design imagery consistent with the genre and is overall informative and entertaining, bound to teach anyone something they didn’t know about Hong Kong and its pop culture creation. It includes the obligatory talking heads, but they don’t get in the way of what is best about the film. No doubt it has opinions that will create conversations among diehard kung fu movie enthusiasts, but for everyone else it’s an easy and fun two hours.

The documentary Iron Fists and Kung Fu Fists is streaming now on Netflix. (December 13, 2019 https://borg.com)

Click for More: https://iconada.tv/photo/link002

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on October 1, 2022 at 4:48pm

#Showbiz: 'Don't Look At The Demon' first Malaysian movie to enter American market, premiere in 250 North American cinemas By Aref Omar

KUALA LUMPUR: Local horror movie Don't Look At The Demon will be screened in over 20 countries including Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Mongolia, Cambodia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Poland.

Helmed by Malaysian film director and producer Brando Lee, the movie is expected to be screened in more than 250 cinemas in North America alone.

"With the global release of Don't Look At The Demon I hope to inspire local producers to reach for the stars and keep pushing forward to represent Malaysia on an international scale," said Lee during a press conference after a screening of the movie at Dadi Cinemas in Pavilion KL, here tonight.

He added: "The release of this film is not just my success but it is the success of all of us in Malaysia.

"I am extremely proud to set this benchmark and bring pride to our country.

"The film will forever be an emblem to remind Malaysia that no goal is too big if you set your minds to it."

Don't Look At The Demon follows the exploits of a group of American paranormal TV investigators and an emotionally damaged spiritual medium who travel to Fraser's Hill in Malaysia to investigate supernatural occurrences in a house built in the early 1970s.

But as the dark secrets of the house come to light, they must deal with possessions and a malevolent entity that may have a connection to the medium's own mysterious past.

The 93-minute movie, which features traditional Asian folklore from an American perspective, stars artistes from Hollywood, Thailand and Vietnam including Fiona Dourif, Harris Dickinson, Randy Wayne, Jordan Belfi, Malin Crepin, William Miller, Phan Nhu Thao and Konglar Kanchanahoti.

The event was also attended by Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin and some of the cast members, including Swedish actress Crepin.

"This film provides an opportunity for people from other countries to learn and understand the cultures, traditions and tourist attractions in Malaysia, which in turn could contribute to the improvement of the tourism sector, " said Zahidi.

"Now that we have entered the American market, we can strive to reach new heights by aiming to obtain awards such as the Oscars, Emmys and so forth, in the near future."

Produced by Barnstorm Entertainment and Bliss Pictures, Don't Look At The Demon is set to premiere in cinemas nationwide on Oct 6. (September 29, 2022 NST)

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on October 1, 2022 at 11:30am

Sofia Jane: Want Malaysian film industry to reach South Korean heights?
Higher-ups first need to care about art

Sofia Jane challenges the Malaysian authorities to put more care into arts such as the film industry. — Picture by Choo Choy May

By Zarrah Morden

Sunday, 14 Aug 2022 7:00 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — There have been many changes to the local film industry over the years, but not all of them have been good or welcome, said award-winning Malaysian actor Datin Sofia Jane.

She recalled the glory days of the National Film Development Corporation or Finas, when the premiere of films at its grounds brought not just industry players but also enthusiasts such as film students or even laymen with a passionate interest in local films.

"We need to be brave and we need to fail and be brave and fail again. Look at South Korea and how long it took them to actually be where they are today,” she told Malay Mail in a recent interview.

She said that elevating the Malaysian film industry to become an international success is doable, but the endeavour would require everybody to care about it — including the relevant ministries.

"You always end up with good intentions but there's only so much you can do because you don't have the last say in whether things can get done or not,” she said.

Sofia joined veteran actor and producer Datuk Rosyam Nor who told a forum on Thursday that the local industry can emulate the South Korean creative industry to become the country's major earner and increase its renown.

The forum had focused on Syamsul Yusof's historical blockbuster Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan which has grossed nearly RM100 million so far.

South Korea fell under the global spotlight after Bong Joon-ho's 2019 black comedy thriller Parasite achieved international critical and commercial acclaim, winning both the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Picture.

In response, the Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah had in 2020 tasked Finas with a roadmap — dubbed “Project Oscar” or "Road to Oscars" — for local films to win in the much-coveted Academy Awards in 20 to 30 years.

Last year, Finas submitted Muzammer Rahman's black-and-white drama Prebet Sapu starring Amerul Affendi and Lim Mei Fen for the Best International Feature Film category.

Despite the effort, director and writer Badrul Hisham Ismail said he finds it bizarre that in the country, the film industry falls under the purview of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, rather than the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on October 1, 2022 at 11:30am

"In terms of how the authorities see it, films aren't even arts and culture but [a form of] communication," he said, referring to how films are expected to present some sort of narrative or message on behalf of the authorities.

Badrul also pointed to how there is a dearth of independent cinemas here to cater to a different audience rather than the ones served by local giants GSC and TGV.

"One thing any filmmaker should understand is that there are different kinds of audiences for different kinds of films. There will be films that can have a huge audience, but there will also be films that will only cater to a small group and require a smaller setting and smaller independent distributions.

"But those things are lacking here because we only have big cinemas. We only have multiplexes; we don't have independent cinemas," he commented, saying that a film with a smaller budget cannot afford to get distributed nationwide on GSC or TGV.

He said that this is why Malaysian independent filmmakers gravitate to streaming platforms, as it is a place where they knew they did not have to compete with larger films for an audience.

Sofia Jane's film 'Maryam Dari Pagi Ke Malam' is directed by Badrul Hisham Ismail (right) and produced by Anomalous Films' Eddy Abdullah (middle). — Picture by Choo Choy May
Sofia Jane's film 'Maryam Dari Pagi Ke Malam' is directed by Badrul Hisham Ismail (right) and produced by Anomalous Films' Eddy Abdullah (middle). — Picture by Choo Choy May

While acknowledging that streaming platforms such as Netflix has opened doors for films from abroad to compete against locally-produced content, Sofia said she views it as a challenge for local filmmakers to up their storytelling game.

"I always ask, if I can watch those kinds of films, why can't I watch locally produced films exactly like that?" she said, adding that there are young Malaysians who want to watch these kinds of films, but locally produced films lack the ability to attract moviegoers.

Sofia will appear next in Maryam Dari Pagi Ke Malam, directed by Badrul.

In Maryam, Sofia plays a gallery owner in her 50s from a noble Malay family who wishes to marry Damien, her younger partner from Sierra Leone, but faces opposition from her father (Omar Abdullah).

Producers Anomalous Films and Rhu Graha said the 90-minute film will playfully dissect the tensions, contradictions, and irony that surround polite society in Malaysia.

Currently in post-production, it also stars other renowned names in the industry such as Roslan Madun, Azman Hassan, Pekin Ibrahim and Bella Rahim in supporting roles.

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on September 19, 2022 at 5:40pm

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)

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on September 18, 2022 at 3:41pm

〈翻新敘事〉 /陳明發

一青年的短片入圍歐洲一重要影展，我有機會先睹為快。美國公司此前簽了他另一部短片的故事改編權，我聆聽過其想法。兩部片的素材與背景看似不同，其實講的都是倫理危機——科技倫理；家庭倫理。前者讓我想起石黑一雄的《我想活下去》；後者則近乎東野圭吾的《麒麟之翼》。母題可以古老，說故事的方式卻可能一代代翻新。除了勉勵，我沒說什麼，有些事新世代本身發覺了更牢靠。我倒是向他請教了不少關於串流行業的事，這領域的成熟，敘事人會有更大的發展空間。（12.7.2022）

延續閱讀：

《請别掛斷》

Malaysian short film 'Please Hold The Line' to compete at Venice F...

陈策鼎臉書

在全球激烈競爭中勝出的十二部微電影作品中，《請别掛斷》是唯一的一部中文片。不僅讓馬來西亞製作在多年後再次入圍威尼斯影展，這回也讓落選的海峽三地中文微影壇側目。馬來西亞中文創意産業還是有機會的。

雖是短片，導演卻是給百分百的專業作品投足了資本。他在訪談稿裏透露了，其資金來自導演上一部短片的原創故事，被好萊塢相中簽下改編權發展成長片的定金。故事真的有價，這對文創人應該是個福音。

收到一些關心策鼎的朋友詢問，為何在Youtube看不見這部片子。藉這裏向大家報告一下，這部《請別掛斷》要到9月正式在全球三大藝術電影盛會之一的意大利威尼斯影展（另一個是法國康城）首映後，才知道它接下來會怎樣和觀眾見面。

對策鼎的電影有興趣，歡迎上Youtube看他25歲時贏得馬來西亞最高規格的寶馬汽車短片競賽大獎的作品HAWA。看年輕人如何用影像探討，在一個“生病”的社會裏，看不見膚色差異的孩子，如何麵對“無助”的存在。～～

有心的朋友會發現策鼎的電影，都從不同的素材去探討倫理問題。很多好故事，還是得由年輕人來說給同年齡層的一代聆聽才是。

青年的三弟是一位特效師，其公司最近在趕一部中國大片的後期製作，每一天都加班多四個小時。昨天週日還得上班，不過下午就下班了。他說特地一個人去看了一場戲，還去了一家他小時候常去的書店，回家後特別開心地說：書店還在，那個他過去常常坐在一旁看書的角落也沒改變。

那角落的一邊是外國翻譯文學書架，他沒提他每次背靠的歷史部書架。書店很大，以前爸爸媽媽去辦事，他就“躲”在這整間書店最少人光顧的角落，看他從其他書架找來的新書。

許多人所不知道的，不少好萊塢、中國與韓國的影視作品都在馬來西亞進行後期製作。他就在其中的一家公司擔任特效師。

新一代比我們強的地方，是他們和國際團隊一道工作的機會更多，視野自然也不一樣。這是很讓中國人羨慕的地方。 由於網絡工藝的發達，給串流影視頻道如Netflix、Disney、蘋果、Amazon等創造了全球性的“在線戲院”、“在線電視臺”，對新內容的需要非常巨大。無形中，也給全世界各個角落的影視文創人製造了龐大市場。

愛墾網在2009年辦的巴生創意節曾推薦兩位年輕導演胡明進 Woo Ming Jin和楊毅恆 Edmund Yeo。两人2022年合作的新片《Stone Turtle》也入圍了瑞士Locarno影展最佳影片。令人欣慰。

Edmund楊毅恆2021年的新片moonlight shadow 在日本上映反應不錯後，還獲得臺灣泰國及韓國的片商引進個別國家上映，所以投資的日本公司感到非常高興，已在籌備新的作品的拍攝。

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on September 15, 2022 at 9:02pm

Murut’s 1930 New York journey going global

KOTA KINABALU: The story of Saudin bin Labutau from Kg Ambual in Keningau who became the first Malaysian – and for that matter from this part of the world – to visit New York in the 1930s and return to Sabah to tell his adventure will be known to the world soon.

Peninsula-based RYE Productions Sdn Bhd, noted for producing television dramas and concerts, has made a documentary on the exploits of the partially blind Murut. It would be shown on History Channel after the official launch in Sabah on Oct. 28 at UMS by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor.

The documentary combines actual footages, dramatised re-enactments of Saudin’s life, including interviews with family members about their grandfather, who is well documented in the 1939 international classic by Agnes Keith, “Land Below The Wind”.

                   James briefing Hajiji about Saudin while Noreini (left) and Noorhayati look on

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on September 15, 2022 at 9:02pm

Agnes devoted an entire chapter in her book to Saudin, also dubbed “the Murut Marco Polo” after his return from New York. It was she who recommended him to pioneer Hollywood silent era wildlife documentary makers Martin and Osa Johnson, when they completed shooting the movie “Borneo” after spending one and a half years on the Kinabatangan in 1935.The Johnsons wanted someone who could look after Abai, one of the largest orang utans ever captured alive in Kg Abai, during the ship’s journey to New York Zoo, along with few more orang utans, gibbons and proboscis monkeys.

The ship left Sandakan for the month-long journey calling at Singapore, Port Klang, Mumbai, Colombo, Capetown, Morocco, and several other ports along the way, before crossing the Atlantic to New York.

Saudin pointing to skyscrapers coming up in New York in 1938. during a talk organised by Martin to New York’s elite, Saudin remarked in Malay that he was surprised to see New Yorkers lived in concrete cages while in the Borneo rainforest, only wild animals lived in cages. – Pic courtesy of the Saudin household.

It was noticed that only Saudin had the special ability to calm Abai, which won him the ticket to travel to the Big Apple at a time when New York ala Wall Street was the “happening capital” of the world. This is what lends the documentary the title “Saudin: The Orang Utan Whisperer”.The documentary is a powerful story of not just the bond that developed between man and animal but also of Saudin’s internal conflicts and observations, especially of adjusting to the shock of being suddenly plucked out of the Borneo rainforest and transplanted into the concrete jungle of New York.

Among the establishments that supported the documentary is the Safari Museum in Kansas, USA, where the iconic work of the Johnsons is stored and Finas.The documentary also received the support of the State Government and Hajiji praised the producers for their extensive research and resolve to put Sabah on the world map through the documentary.

Abai the largest orang utan ever captured alive, who died in New York’s Central Zoo.

Those who were present at the briefing for the Chief Minister at the State Administration Building on Wednesday included producers Noreini Abdul Rahman, Noorhayati Abdul Rahman, Director Muhd Zaili Sulan, Norsina James Julius, a granddaughter of Saudin and James Sarda, Chief Editor of the Daily Express, who has done research on Saudin, Agnes Keith and the Johnsons. — EDITOR（Source: https://sabahbarunews.com）

Comment by 誰還記得北婆羅州？ on September 13, 2022 at 2:53pm

RM30 million to promote more local content on international stage

ByVeena Babulal - November 20, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will set aside an allocation of RM30 million for the National Animation Platform to put more local content on the international stage.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz said the fund under the investment loan matching scheme would be operated by MyCreative Ventures.

This was based on the successes of Upin and Ipin, Agent Ali and BoBoiBoy that were not just household names in Malaysia, but famous across Southeast Asia.

He said agencies such as FINAS (National Film Development Corporation Malaysia), Cendana Malaysia (Cultural Economy Development Agency) and MyCreative Ventures were set to intensify various measures to revive the activities within the pandemic hit creative industry.
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"Under Budget 2022, a total of RM188 million is provided to continue initiatives such as the Digital Content Fund, Digital Multimedia Content project, Film Incentive and the Perkasa Modal Insan programme.

"Next year, the government will also provide the Riuh Keluarga Malaysia programme an investment loan matching fund amounting to RM20 million. The move is expected to provide 5,000 new job opportunities," he said at the opening of the Pemulihan: Pembaharuan (Recovery: Renewal) at Publika Shopping Gallery here today.

Tengku Zafrul said the creative economy supported 4 to 10 per cent of the productive workforce in developed countries. However, in Malaysia it contributed to lower than 2 per cent of the national Gross Domestic Product.

The minister said a large portion of workforce and participants in the creative economy were casual or gig workers.

"I truly understand some of them are badly affected by this pandemic – given the limited safety net within this segment of economy. Hence, last year under the Penjana initiative, the government allocated RM225 million via MyCreative Ventures Group that includes Cendana — to boost the resilience of the creative economy through a combination of soft loans, grants and living assistance," he said.

For cash grants towards creative and cultural workers alone, the government allocated RM10 million to Cendana which is intended to assist the livelihoods of people within the industry.

"This has been 100 per cent approved. As at today, we have distributed RM5.54 million of the funds to 554 creative industry workers. A sum of RM8 million was further allocated to Cendana under Pemulih and this has been 82 per cent approved," said Tengku Zafrul.

This year, he said the government expanded social protection coverage under Socso by including contributions for the self-employed and informal workers.

"This initiative will continue with a matching contribution of 80 per cent by the government and extended to cover nine new categories of self-employed which most importantly, will also include artists. This initiative is expected to benefit more than 810,000 self-employed workers nationwide," he added.

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