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Ismail Merchant (1936-2005). Courtesy of centerstage.net/stumped/photoarchive/220.jpg
June 9: News Bites
Justin Lin gets racy, Ismail Merchant dead at 68, the Arthur Ch'ien controversy heats up, Bai Ling speaks and more in this edition of News Bites.
They call me Ismail...
Abbott and Costello? Beavis and Butthead? Shaq and Kobe? Some of our most celebrated dynamic duos, to be sure. But when it comes to period dramas and 19th Century digs, few partnerships are held in higher esteem than Merchant and Ivory. That may no longer be the case -- the Indian-born Ismail Merchant passed away recently, due to what many presume to be residual effects from the surgery conducted to cure his abdominal ulcers. The 68-year-old Merchant, along with Ivory, was responsible for hoity-toity fare such as The Remains of the Day, Howards End and A Room With A View, not to mention the careers of several prominent English men and women. (Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, to name a few.)
Just-in time
Although his boxing drama Annapolis is still at the tail end of the post-production phase, Justin Lin is not one to rest on his laurels. Ergo: The Fast and the Furious 3. The third installment reputedly takes place in Tokyo, where fast cars and fast money figure to run rampant once again. The Fast and the Furious 3 is the most recent film to be helmed by the too fast, too furious Taiwanese filmmaker -- in addition to Annapolis, an American remake of Chan Wook-Park's Oldboy and a film entitled Strangers are also on deck.
I'm Mad and I'm not gonna take it anymore...
Dropping an f-bomb can be a regrettable occurrence, but rarely does it ever result in being fired from your job. Unfortunately for CBS local affiliate news reporter Arthur Ch'ien, it did -- and members of the media and citizens alike are in an uproar about it. The incident stemmed from Ch'ien being heckled by pranksters outside of a subway station where Ch'ein was hosting a live broadcast. Upon completing the report, Ch'ien -- who mistakenly thought he was off-camera at this point -- whirled to face the offenders, leaking out a lone "F-word" in his rebuttal, when perhaps a "could you refrain, kind sirs" or "please" might've sufficed. He was subsequently fired by CBS, who is well-known for their staunch allegiance to FCC policies. However, there has since been a wave of support for Ch'ien, most notably from the press itself (The Columbia Journalism Review, Newsday, and the New York Times are three such publications) and a website called "The Ch'ien Revolution" has been launched in the process. Will he be reinstated? Only time will tell.
The Sammy Lee story
A new children's book (that's right, with illustrations too) documents the trials and tribulations behind Sammy Lee's road to Olympic gold. For those of you who don't know who Sammy Lee is (me included), he became the first Asian-American to win an Olympic gold medal, at the 1948 Games in London, at the ripe age of 16. The book, written by Asian-American author Paula Yoo, is entitled Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story. The "Sixteen Years" refers, of course, to Sammy's age when he competed. The "Sixteen seconds" refers to the duration of Sammy's final platform dive, and the gold medal which was awarded to him briefly thereafter.
Reflections of Women’s Sexuality at the 3rd Women’s Arts Festival
The 3rd Women’s Arts Festival will take place in Asia for the first time from June 16 to July 3. Hosted by the Feminist Artist Network at the Seongkok Art Museum under the title ``Fantastic Asia- New Relations Within the Invisible Borders,’’ the festival brings together female artists from seven Asian countries who will present works dealing with issues of sexuality and the female body. The effects of social powers, social customs, traditions and conventions on Asian women’s sexuality are documented through 30 artworks including photographs, video works, installation works and paintings. Issues that are typically shunned in conservative societies, such as sexuality, are prevalent throughout the works, which include subtopics such as bisexuality, homosexual desires and sexual fantasies. The participating artists span seven Asian countries: China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Korea. The opening ceremony on June 16 will include a performance by feminist dancer Park Shin-ae, as well as a “floor talk” for the audience and artists to exchange opinions.
China Film Box Office Rankings
The annual China Film Box Office Rankings was published yesterday in Beijing with the films, House of Flying Daggers, Kung Fu Hustle, and A World without Thief ranking in the top three. Organized by the China Filmmaker Association, the event attracted the attendance of China film tycoon Wang Zhongjun, the president of Huayi Brothers Company, as well as director Huang Jianxin. Participants also exchanged their suggestions and expectations for the development of Chinese films.
Review of House of Flying Daggers
Bai Ling Inconspicuous in Episode III
Avid Star Wars fans may have undoubtedly seen George Lucas’ most recent release Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith more than once. Many, however, failed to notice the role of Chinese actress Bai Ling as Senator Bana Breemu, a tattooed, scantily clad character who reportedly puts the mind of Padme (Natalie Portman) at rest. According to Larry Carroll’s MTV article, the actress admits that she was filmed significantly more than what the film showed. She insists, however, that the scenes were cut for artistic reasons, though rumors have arisen linking recent conflicts between her and Lucas to Bai Ling’s collaboration with Playboy. In this month’s issue of the magazine, the actress, described as “Star Wars’ Sexy Alien” is shown seductively posing with a lightsaber. Bai Ling said that she was initially conflicted by the magazine’s apparent exploitation of her “Star Wars” notoriety but she thought that “good opportunities come to you for a certain reason, so, in a longer time and bigger picture, maybe it’s good.” Despite her and Lucas’ differences over the past few weeks, the actress would love to reunite with the director.
"I would like to be in it, because I just feel like he's a genius, whatever he does, it's like he reduces the universe in his films. He's just got ...a quality...I feel like one person's dream can change the world, can bring people together, to experience something artistic and beautiful” (Carroll, 2005).
Read our interview with Bai Ling for more delectable sound bytes
Date Posted: 6/9/2005