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September 7, 2007: News Bites

By APA Staff

Chow goes virtual, Dragon Wars go America, and Survivor goes to the exotic desert island of China. All this and more in the latest edition of News Bites.

Hard Boiled Comes to Life

Doesn't everyone just want to be Chow Yun-fat? Now the dream can be a reality -- virtual reality, that is -- with Stranglehold, a new video game for Xbox 360. A result of a collaboration between Midway Games Inc. and John Woo's Tiger Hill Entertainment, Stranglehold follows the Hard Boiled character Inspector Tequila (a pleasantly animated Chow Yun-fat) through the stylized chaos of dual-wielding and cinematic gunplay. "Honor is his code, Vengeance is his mission. Bloodshed is his only option." Not only can the gamer play in real-time, but there is a "revolutionary" slow-motion Tequila time, which doesn't seem to involve imbibement yet sounds deathly intoxicating nonetheless. The Xbox version came out on Sept 5th, and Stranglehold will be available for PC on September 18th and PlayStation3 on September 25th. The PS3 collector's edition will include a full-length version of the Hard Boiled film. --Ada Tseng

Dragon Wars' North American front

Korea's biggest film of the summer is now the most intriguing co-production to hit American theaters this fall. D-War, which has already become the fifth highest-grossing film in Korean history, is being released in the U.S. as Dragon Wars by Freestyle Releasing. Thing is, the film is set in Los Angeles, contains a Hollywood cast (including Jason Behr and Robert Forster), and is produced by the U.S.-based Younggu Art Movies. So though it's directed by Korean comedian Hyung-rae Shim, it's very much a transnational venture. We'll have to wait to see if Dragon Wars can repeat its extraordinary Korean success when it debuts stateside on Sept. 14, but the gigantic 1,500 screen opening (the biggest ever for a "Korean" film in the U.S.) definitely won't hurt.  --Brian Hu

I Feel Mysterious

For the First Time Ever. A Major American TV Program. Takes you to the Most Mysterious Place on Earth. Where Monks and Pandas are Everywhere. And the natives do the exotic dragon dance. The Chinese fisherman stand so peacefully by the lake. And look, it's the Great Wall of China. This is the true story, of 16 strangers, picked to be flown on a luxurious jetliner into the shadow of the sacred mountain (Jiang Xi), encouraged to do crazy things for money and fame, and have their lives taped -- to find out what happens when people stop being polite, and start... voting each other off. The Modern World Collides with 5000 years of Ancient History. Join Jeff Probst as history is made. Again. CBS' hit show Survivor premieres on September 20th. --Ada Tseng
 

Oscar icon passes away

Legendary actress Miyoshi Umeki, 78, died of cancer on August 28. The Japanese-born actress became the first Asian American performer to win an Oscar when she took an Academy Award for her supporting role in Sayonara (1957). Umeki played a local woman who falls in love with a U.S. serviceman in post-World War II Japan. In later years, the actress played a mail-order bride in the 1958 musical and 1961 film version of Rogers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song as well as a housekeeper in the ABC series, The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969-1972). --Ana La O' 

Warner Bros. and MGM make friends in India

Hollywood major Warner Brothers' first Hindi-language film is the China-set comedy, aptly titled, Made in China, directed by Bollywood maestro Nikhil Advani (Kal Ho Naa Ho, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna). Meanwhile, MGM enters the Indian co-production game with The Other End of the Line, about an Indian call-center operator who falls in love with the American on the other line. The question is, who's outsourcing who here? It's too early to tell, but something tells me that the power hierarchy will be: MGM and Warner Bros. who steer the plane, followed closely by India as the exotic flight attendant, followed by China, who gets to clean up the garbage when everyone's gone home already. Hooray for international co-production!  --Brian Hu

Family Drama

'Tis the season for premieres, but instead of spending time in front of the tube, how about checking out some new Asian American dramas about family drama? First up, Julia Cho premieres her latest play, Durango, on September 19 at the David Henry Hwang Theater. Durango follows a Korean American father and his sons as they confront their inner demons --work, school, sexuality and race -- on an unexpected road trip. If you're still in the mood for more, Ken Narasaki (co-writer of The Mikado Project) premieres Innocent When You Dream on October 6 at the Electric Lodge. In Innocent When You Dream, a Japanese American war veteran returns to lost memories while his third-generation children struggle to unravel his past. The play stars Gilmore Girl vet Emily Kuroda. Durango runs September 19 to October 14. Click here for more information. For more information about Innocent When You Dream, visit here. Innocent When You Dream runs October 6 - October 28. --Ana La O' 

Aishwarya Rai and Yuki Matsuzaki in Pink Panther 2

Bollywood box-office queen Aishwarya Rai has signed on to play "Sophie" in The Pink Panther 2. Rai, Andy Garcia, and Alfred Molina will play detectives and experts aiding inspector Clouseau nab an artifact thief. Steve Martin will reprise his role as Inspector Clouseau from the first installment of the movies, which are inspired by the Peter Sellers' films made in the 1960s and 70s. Other returning cast members include Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer, while John Cleese is set to replace Kevin Kline as Dreyfus. Other notable newcomers include Yuki Matsuzaki, who has appeared in Letters From Iwo Jima, The Last Samurai, and the hit show Heroes. Columbia Pictures/MGM's The Pink Panther 2 is slated for release February 13, 2009. --Catherine Manabat

Date Posted: 9/7/2007