Nov. 30th, 2005 08:42 pm
red trousers
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toastykittenTivo's most recent experiment with downloads came in the form of a short documentary called "Red Trousers", about the lives of Hong Kong stuntmen. We watched it last night, and I had mixed feelings about it. (Not about the download service - that's awesome.) The documentary, when it focused on the stuntmen themselves, and their stories, was really interesting and engaging, and made you want to see more. The short film that was spliced into it, called "Lost Time", was terrible. As soon as I saw the opening scene, I yelled "Matrix rip off!" Later I realized that it was actually a Black Mask rip off. They did several stunts for the movie, which would have been cool if only they had turned the lights on. I will forgive bad plots and bad acting if it has beautiful stunts, but only if I can see it! Sheesh, people. We couldn't see any of the dangerous stunt work that took several takes because for most of the short film, it was pitch black.
Anyway, I also wished they could have interviewed Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan about their stunts, especially for Supercop 3, which features my favorite stunts - Michelle rides a motorcycle onto a moving train, Jackie fights on the movie train, etc. I love Sammo Hung, though, and I loved it when he was bitching about how you "can't touch anyone in America". I know one of the biggest complaints stuntpeople have about working in America is that you generally can't make contact when you shoot fight sequences, which makes it kind of hard to make the shots realistic. Also, you need a permit for everything.
Does anyone remember Martial Law, the terrible TV series that featured Sammo Hung, Arsenio Hall, and Kelly Hu? No? Just me? I used to watch it all the time, and they would feature bloopers in the endings like they do for Jackie Chan movies. I was so disappointed when I saw a guy in a fat suit doing one of Hung's stunts.
The kids at the Beijing opera school made me cry. Dude, can a Chinese person's life ever be about anything besides repaying their parents? I think that's why our parents over here are so disappointed in us - whatever we do, we've never repaid them enough. (Unless we become doctors, lawyers, or engineers. Or marry one.)
There were two movie trailers before the main show started, both featuring the great Anthony Wong or Wong Chau Sang. He's (in)famous for his portrayals of crazy people. My sisters call him the Pervert. I think he's probably one of the best actors in Hong Kong today. The movie I want to see is Initial D, a Hong Kong live-action version of a terribly drawn anime with a one-dimensional plot. It's about drifting, or making your car move sideways in a way it's not supposed to. I don't really get it, but it has cars! Brooding boys!
ETA: I, for once, have no complaints about the subtitles. The translation is pretty decent.
Anyway, I also wished they could have interviewed Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan about their stunts, especially for Supercop 3, which features my favorite stunts - Michelle rides a motorcycle onto a moving train, Jackie fights on the movie train, etc. I love Sammo Hung, though, and I loved it when he was bitching about how you "can't touch anyone in America". I know one of the biggest complaints stuntpeople have about working in America is that you generally can't make contact when you shoot fight sequences, which makes it kind of hard to make the shots realistic. Also, you need a permit for everything.
Does anyone remember Martial Law, the terrible TV series that featured Sammo Hung, Arsenio Hall, and Kelly Hu? No? Just me? I used to watch it all the time, and they would feature bloopers in the endings like they do for Jackie Chan movies. I was so disappointed when I saw a guy in a fat suit doing one of Hung's stunts.
The kids at the Beijing opera school made me cry. Dude, can a Chinese person's life ever be about anything besides repaying their parents? I think that's why our parents over here are so disappointed in us - whatever we do, we've never repaid them enough. (Unless we become doctors, lawyers, or engineers. Or marry one.)
There were two movie trailers before the main show started, both featuring the great Anthony Wong or Wong Chau Sang. He's (in)famous for his portrayals of crazy people. My sisters call him the Pervert. I think he's probably one of the best actors in Hong Kong today. The movie I want to see is Initial D, a Hong Kong live-action version of a terribly drawn anime with a one-dimensional plot. It's about drifting, or making your car move sideways in a way it's not supposed to. I don't really get it, but it has cars! Brooding boys!
ETA: I, for once, have no complaints about the subtitles. The translation is pretty decent.
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