By APA Staff
Takeshi takes it off
Look out ladies and gents. Chisel-faced Takeshi Kaneshiro will show off his chiseled abs as the first Asian model for Emporio Armani Underwear. "[Kaneshiro] is a film and style icon in Asia where his fame transcends cultures both East and West," Giorgio Armani told Vogue (UK). "His sense of effortless style is very contemporary and sophisticated and together with his good look makes him the ideal testimonial for Emporio Armani." The advertising campaign will run in autumn/winter 2008-2009. --Ana La O'
Jay Chou and Sodagreen clean up at the Golden Melody Awards
Together, they put a stranglehold on the awards show, dominating the bulk of the Golden Melody Awards' pop music categories. Between Jay Chou and folk-rock band Sodagreen, little room was left for others on the stage. Jay Chou's single "Blue and White Porcelain" brought him the Best Composer and Best Song awards, which were just two of his eight nominations -- the most in this year's show. Close behind was Sodagreen with six nominations, who defended last year's Best Band title by edging out ahead of all-girl rock band Cheery Boom. Again, with Jay Chou's newest album On the Run garnering mass success, one would think that he would attend the awards show in style and with a wide grin. But this year's best composer instead skipped the festival for his China tour. Nonetheless, the 19th Golden Melody Awards continued in his absence last July 5 at the Taipei Arena. 23 awards were given out, decided by a panel of 33 judges. --Timothy Natividad
Chinese action stars immortalized beyond the silver screen
Legendary martial arts stars Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan have long been immortalized on the silver screen, but soon they will also be commemorated in new museums dedicated to their lives and careers. Located in Hong Kong's Kowloon Tong district, Lee's former home was originally put on sale until public outcries prompted real estate developer Yu Panglin to instead preserve the site as a memorial for the late martial arts icon. After renovations, the new museum complex will feature Lee's restored two-story home, a library, movie house, and martial arts center. Chan's museum, whose location was handpicked by the action star himself, will be located in Shanghai's Putuo district. The museum, whose foundation was laid on July 8, will display props and costumes from his films, as well as other memorabilia. While no opening date has been decided for Lee's museum, Chan's is projected to open in October 2009. --Justin Jimenez
Speed Racer sets record at Japanese premiere
Speed Racer premiered in Japan on June 29 in grand fashion: on the world's biggest screen. The 17.5 meter high, 40 meter wide screen was shipped from Canada all the way to the Tokyo Dome. Speed Racer became the first movie premiere to be held in the Tokyo Dome, which is primarily used for baseball games, concerts, and other marquee events. The 20,000 fans who showed up fell short of the organizer's goal of 35,000, possibly due to the heavy downpour that day. Directors Larry and Andy Wachowski and actors Emile Hirsch and Hiroyuki Sanada were on hand for the festivities. Unfortunately, Rain wasn't there. Perhaps he was scared off by all the precipitation? The movie's race for Japanese box office supremacy began on July 5th when it opened nationwide. --William Hong
Red Cliff premieres and pays tribute
Director John Woo's latest project, based on a portion of the Chinese epic tale Romance of the Three Kingdoms, was finally released on July 10th in Asia. A collaboration between the largest of entertainment groups in Asia, Red Cliff is Woo's first film in Asia since he left Hong Kong for Hollywood over a decade ago. The film boasts an illustrious Chinese cast, including Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Taiwanese supermodel Lin Chiling. Woo scheduled the movie to have its global premiere on July 3 at the Wuhou Memorial Temple in Chengdu, which is in the Sichuan earthquake zone. Wuhou Memorial Temple was chosen to host the premiere because it was built to pay tribute to Zhuge Liang, a legendary military strategist in the Three Kingdoms period who is one of the protagonists in Red Cliff, portrayed by Takeshi Kaneshiro. --Cathryn Chen
Documentary cynicism
I don't know. A documentary that doubles as national advertising? The BBC will start showing Beijing: Biography of an Imperial Capital this month, as a part of its "China: Stories from a Middle Kingdom" series, marking the countdown to the Olympic Games and giving the western world a little taste China's past. It is the BBC's second co-production with a Chinese broadcaster (Beijing Television), and flaunts CGI reproductions, hi-def video, and an 18-month production period. It doesn't seem to be explicitly biased by contemporary issues however, as most of this season is a compilation of previous U.K. documentaries that originally premiered as shorts on shows like BBC World News. But that doesn't refute the likelihood that the BBC sees this as a business move into China. As Christine Leo-McKerrow, BBC Worldwide Channnels senior VP stated, "[the season] marks a significant milestone for our channels business in the (Asia) region and since the launch of BBC Knowledge one year ago." Always fun to know the reasons behind the existence of things we watch. --Ian Shaikh
Designer Qui Hao makes his (Wool)mark
On July 3, Shanghai-based designer Qui Hao won the inaugural 2008 Woolmark Prize for up-and-coming fashion designers. His collection featured a notable white mini dress with rings of Merino wool, inspired by a series of cave photos by Wang Gang, according to Women's Wear Daily. Sponsored by AWI (Australian Wool Innovation) and leading global textile fiber company, Woolmark, the Woolmark Prize includes industry support and Woolmark mentoring up to a value of €100,000. This year's competitors reigned from diverse nations, including Japan, Britain, Germany, and France, and were selected by a panel of fashion industry experts from across the globe. Hao plans to use his prize money to move to Paris, where his limited edition designs will soon be sold at iconic high fashion department store, Collette. --Ana La O'
Warner Floods In
Warner Bros.’ first animation film for India is in the works. As the animation industry in India is relatively uncolonized, this film will likely be the first of many foreign co-productions to come. Produced locally, the film will be directed by Jyotin Goel and produced under Goel Screencraft. Back in April, President of Turner Broadcasting Asia Pacific, Steve Marcopoto, said: "India will become the biggest market in the region this year, surpassing Japan, and we are committed to growing our presence," and this film is the first manifestation of that effort. Jyotin Goel, known for his T.V. show Antariksh and films like Zahreelay and Inam Dus Hazar, said that this film will be "a story of love and adventure, full of color, music, drama and comedy.... It is a journey into the lives of birds as they soar over dense jungles and teeming cities, giving them a point of view of the world that is hilariously different from ours." I don't know if I'll ever get over Hitchcock, personally. --Ian Shaikh
Fantasia Festival in Montreal features Hong Kong cinema's golden years
Sprinkled within the mass exhibition show known as the Fantasia Festival will be 50 posters reflecting the golden age of Hong Kong cinema. This gallery will feature amongst its 50 posters, images from films by Ringo Lam, John Woo, Hark Tsui, and Wong Kar-wai -- just a few of the most popular names during Hong Kong's latest golden age. But before you fling your wallets, plastic cards, and cash at these posters, you'll first have to speak to Colin Geddes. Geddes, who has aided in the planning of the Toronto International Film Festival and is an independent distributor of genre films, will be lending the posters from his personal collection. It might be cheaper just to rent Lam's Maximum Risk. --Timothy Natividad
Go go Mighty TCIC!
The Japanese government is making a difference in its entertainment/art industry as it opens the Tokyo Contents Innovation Center (TCIC) on August 1st. This really doesn't come as a surprise, as the manga and anime markets have been in a slow decline since the late 1990s, and cover a hefty slice of Japans exports -- which is part of the reason that the U.S. has seen such a rise in anime popularity. Companies have been trying hard to make up their losses. But, whether this decline is the inspiration behind the new TCIC is unknown. Supporting those starting out in anime, videogames, manga, and other arts, the TCIC will lease its offices to both companies and individual artists while also providing resources for business and networking support. It will be located in the hub of the manga production industry, the center of Tokyo's Nakano Ward, and will have 25 offices and three conference rooms. Up until now the government's support has consisted only of expositions (i.e. the Tokyo International Anime Fair), and this is the first facility it has built. --Ian Shaikh