Hong Kong, My Love

“School on Fire (學校風雲)” Location: Forever Changing Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:46:00 +0000

Last month, I came across Daniel Thomas' great blog “Hong Kong On Film,” which is all about filming locations, locations and locations of various Hong Kong films. He has a “Help Me!!!” page where he lists screen captures from various films for which he cannot figure out actual locations. Out of curiosity, I tried and managed to find some of the places listed on the page, and the process was so much fun!

One of the films in question was “School on Fire (學校風雲),” a 1988 release directed by Ringo Lam (林嶺東). One of its filming locations I figured out was the junction of Portland Street (砵蘭街) and Prince Edward Road West (太子道西). Wah Lok (華樂) restaurant, where Roy Cheung (張耀揚)’s character Brother Smart (瀟洒哥) frequented, and the nearby brothel where poor Fennie Yuen (袁潔瑩)’s character Chu Yuen-Fong (朱婉芳) was forced to work, were aptly situated on Portland Street, Hong Kong’s infamous red light district. Ringo Lam is well known for his realistic approach to film making, and I suppose it is reflected on this selection of location as well. (On this film, you can see the windows of the brothel are coated with paint. I don’t know if the work was done for the film or an actual brothel was used…could be the latter…)

Anyhow, Google Street Map, the wonderful tool I used (and Daniel uses) to locate the location, shows that the street looks very different in September 2009. Although you can tell it’s the same building, Wah Lok restaurant is replaced by Sun Wah (新華) restaurant, which, according to an online source, has also closed down since.

As I watched my “School On Fire” DVD over and over to figure out this particular location, its image was stuck in my brain cells. During a recent trip to Hong Kong, I was in the neighbourhood, and I had to pay a visit to see what the place looked like in April 2012. Sure enough, Sun Wah restaurant was gone and replaced by a couple of currency exchange shops for mainland tourists, and sadly, the next-door building, where the brothel was housed, has been demolished. Completely gone. This part of Portland Street didn’t look like a red light district anymore; it was full of mainlanders and tour coaches were parked here and there.

I was well aware of Hong Kong’s “scrap and build” tendency (the same applies to many other Asian cities including Tokyo), but to see the empty space (demolished site) with my own eyes was rather shocking. This experience of fixed point observation made me realise the importance of capturing and remembering the forever changing streets of Hong Kong.

Though I visit the city (or a “Special Administrative Region” of China) a couple of times each year and love strolling around its streets, I was never the type to take out time to visit my favourite movies’ filming locations (except that I enjoy a cup of milk tea at the famous China Cafe / 中國冰室 in Mong Kok from time to time). However, I always loved checking out those locations on books and other people’s blogs, and I would like to thank Daniel Thomas for providing me with a new insight into Hong Kong.

“電影現場之旅 (港島篇)” and “電影朝聖 / Film Pilgrimage” are the two books I can also recommend, though both are published only in the Chinese language.

Review: A Simple Life / 桃姐

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:52:00 +0000

Hong Kong, 2011-2012

Director: Ann Hui (許鞍華)

Cast: Andy Lau (劉德華), Deanie Ip (葉德嫻), Amanda Qin Hai-Lu (秦海璐), Wang Fu-Li (王馥荔), Paul Chun (秦沛), Anthony Wong (黃秋生)

“A Simple Life,” which won the 31st Hong Kong Film Awards’ five major categories earlier this month, is based on a true story, of its producer Roger Lee (李恩霖) and his family’s late servant Chung Chun-Tou (鍾春桃). The anecdote itself is not necessarily dramatic but, as the film’s title suggests, quite simple. After the Leong family (Lee’s surname has been changed to Leong in the movie) immigrated to San Francisco, the long-serving family maid Chun-Tou - nicknamed A-Tou (阿桃) or Tou-Je (桃姐), played by Deanie Ip - is left in Hong Kong just to look after the young master Roger (Andy Lau). One day, Tou-Je has a stroke, and after recovery, decides to move into an old people’s home.

The film depicts Roger and his family’s affection and care towards Tou-Je and, at the same time, the reality that the younger and healthier ones have their own lives and cannot be with her all the time. Episodes about other residents and a caretaker at the nursing home are thrown in, to emphasize people’s loneliness and, eventually, death.

Roger, a single man, is flying around for his film producing job and often surrounding himself with co-workers and friends, but without Tou-Je at home, he also seems lonely. One of the images which stuck in my mind is Andy Lau slurping instant noodles on his own (whereas before, he enjoyed his favourite dishes prepared by Tou-Je).

“A Simple Life” reminded me of Ann Hui’s another film “The Way We Are (天水圍的日與夜)” as both deal with the reality of families, aging and loneliness. Although the subject matter can be sad and depressing, Hui has added some warmth and hope into both movies so that the aftertaste is not too bitter. I love her way of constructing a touching story out of ordinary people’s ordinary lives, and believe that most viewers, no matter where they are from, can relate themselves to these films to some extent. Having aging parents myself, they have made me think about my own life, my family and what I would do, what I should do...

This is the first film I saw Deanie Ip in. On screen, she portrayed a strong yet cute and humble woman. Andy Lau…though his casual costume looked a bit odd for his age (probably that was how Roger Lee dressed in his real life; there is a scene in which his outfit becomes a joke material)…delivered toned-down yet fine acting; in many scenes, he was successful in oozing out sorrow and kindness just with his facial expression and subtle movement.

In addition to Paul Chun and Anthony Wong who fill supporting roles, there are a lot of cameo appearances by familiar faces of the Hong Kong film industry, including Tsui Hark (徐克), Sammo Hung (洪金寶), Andrew Lau (劉偉強), Chapman To (杜汶澤), Jim Chim (詹瑞文) and Gordon Lam (林家棟). It is relieving to know that Hong Kong can still produce a meaningful movie which is not in the police/crime/triad genre.

"Tong Que Tai (銅雀台)" is "The Assassins" in North America

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:52:00 +0000

A few industry media have reported that "Tong Que Tai (銅雀台)," a Chinese film directed by Zhao Lin-Shan (趙林山) and starring Chow Yun-Fat (周潤發), Crystal Liu (劉亦菲), Alec Su (蘇有朋), Hiroshi Tamaki (玉木宏)...and supposedly and hopefully Roy Cheung (張耀揚)...will be released in North America under the name of "The Assassins."

The rights for the territory have been secured by Well Go USA Entertainment, a distributor who in the past released Asian films including "Ip Man (葉問)," "Shaolin (新少林寺)," "1911," "The Stool Pigeon (綫人)," "Let the Bullet Fly (讓子彈飛)" and "Flash Point (導火線)" on DVD/Blu-Ray and/or in theatres across the USA and Canada.

Although Well Go USA is yet to issue an official press release, and the film's English title sounds rather generic, this is great news!

Source:

Film Business Asia, Deadline Hollywood

Roy Cheung (張耀揚): Attending Timmy Hung's Wedding / Papped Again on Street

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 05:20:00 +0000

Sammo Hung (洪金寶)’s son Timmy Hung (洪天明) held a star-studded wedding banquet on 23 March at Hong Kong’s W Hotel. Among the 800 invited guests, including Eric Tsang (曾志偉), Aaron Kwok (郭富城), Teddy Robin (泰迪羅賓), Sam Lee (李璨琛) and Michael Tse (謝天華), was Roy Cheung (張耀揚) who was dressed in a black jacket (with a bow tie) and...blue jeans. (No, I don't think he was in a rush...) The first banquet held two days earlier was attended by Jackie Chan (成龍), Andy Lau (劉德華), Jacky Cheung (張學友), etc.

The photo below was posted on Sina Weibo microblog by his friend Jordan Chan (陳小春). The man on the left is another actor friend, Ken Wong (王合喜). Timmy, Ken and Roy were all at Jordan's wedding back in November 2010.

On the same day, an entertainment tabloid Sudden Daily published a photo of Roy and fellow actor Tommy Wong (黃光亮) smoking cigarettes in front of a Vietnamese restaurant in Kowloon City, Hong Kong, on 13 March. There is also a video footage of this, edited together with Hong Kong government’s ‘quit smoking’ campaign clip with hotline numbers…How considerate of Sudden Daily…

I’m looking forward to Roy’s news regarding his professional works (but not his…er…drinking or smoking on the street), but unfortunately, this is all we can get at the moment. Well, at least he still has some media interest. Let’s put it that way…

And, wow, Tommy Wong! I haven’t seen him for ages. He and Roy collaborated on quite a few films back in the 80’s and the 90’s. (In the above photo, the two actors could look like they are playing cops on a stakeout, but that's just my imagination.) It’s nice to know that they have kept in touch after all the years.

To read all previous news/gossip on Roy Cheung, please click "Press Archive" under LABELS.

Roy Cheung (張耀揚): Drinking (and Driving) in LKF Caught by Paparazzi

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 06:13:00 +0000

Roy Cheung (張耀揚) was photographed on the night of 9 March 2012, around 11 p.m. local time in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong Island. The media reports say that within 15 minutes he drank two cans of beer on the street, while chatting with two male and one female friends. (Two of them, including the woman, were Western-looking.) Once his two male friends left, Roy pulled out his mobile phone and asked the female friend's phone number. After that, he seemed to realise that he was being photographed, tossed a beer can into a bin, and drove away in his BMW.

The reports pointed out his drink-driving, calling his behavior "self-contradictory," as Roy had commented on the danger of drink-driving when he was asked about his friend Remus Choi's car accident and arrest last year.

I have some mixed feelings about this:

Drink-driving should not be tolerated...
But, I don't know if his blood alcohol level was exceeding the limit prescribed in Hong Kong...
I feel sorry for him (or any celebrity for that matter) for being photographed his private moments...
But, this was right out on a public street...(Is drinking cans of beer on a street common in Hong Kong?)

Source:

Sharp Daily, Apple Daily

There is also a video report by Apple Daily HK... here, if you are interested.

"Prison on Fire (監獄風雲)" New Digitally Remastered DVD

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:11:00 +0000

On 13 April 2012, Paramount Pictures in Japan will release a digitally remastered DVD of "Prison on Fire (監獄風雲)" and "Prison on Fire II (監獄風雲II 逃犯)". Its retail price, JPY 1,500 each, is much lower than versions that have been previously available in the country. (It'll be even cheaper if you buy them from Amazon Japan.) The DVDs will feature the original Cantonese language with Japanese subtitles.

"Prison on Fire" is a 1987 classic directed by Ringo Lam (林嶺東) and starring Chow Yun-Fat (周潤發), Tony Leung Ka-Fai (梁家輝) and Roy Cheung (張耀揚). Unlike Blu-ray, DVD versions of this film have not been widely available or affordable in the Asian market for the last few years...it' a welcome release!

Other Hong Kong classics, including "Hard Boiled (辣手神探)," "God of Gamblers (賭神)," "The Diary of a Big Man (大丈夫日記)," all featuring Chow Yun-Fat, and "Rouge (胭脂扣)" with Leslie Cheung (張國榮) and Anita Mui (梅艷芳), will be re-released on the same day.

Already available in the same series of Paramount Japan's budget DVD catalogue are: "City on Fire (龍虎風雲)," another 80's classic by Director Lam, and "Triads The Inside Story (我在黑社會的日子)." Chow Yun-Fat and Roy Cheung have starred in both movies.

There is a drawback for the latter product, though...while Hong Kong's Joy Sales version features Yun-Fat and Roy on one of its double-sided covers, the Paramount Japan's package has only Yun-Fat and Shing Fui-On (成奎安) on the cover...Hmmm...Design-wise, I like the simple black/white one better, but I wish they have kept Roy there!

For the complete catalogue, visit Paramount Japan's Hong Kong movie products page.

Review: Life Without Principle / 奪命金

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 13:24:00 +0000

Hong Kong, 2011

Director: Johnnie To (杜琪峰)

Cast: Lau Ching-Wan (劉青雲), Richie Jen (任賢齊), Denise Ho (何韻詩), Myolie Wu (胡杏兒), Cheung Siu-Fai (張兆輝), Stephanie Che (車婉婉), Terence Yin (尹子維)

Johnnie To’s 2011 release, “Life Without Principle,” is about people’s greed and obsession with money. The story develops around the three key characters - Police inspector Cheung (Richie Jen), Teresa, a bank’s sales clerk (Denise Ho) and Panther, a low-rank triad member (Lau Ching-Wan) - whose lives are indirectly connected.

Cheung, devoted to his work, is pressured by his wife (Myolie Wu) who wants to buy a particular apartment urgently, before other bidders get their hands on it. Teresa, with her performance score being at the bottom of the sales team, is in distress as she may lose her job if she doesn’t talk her customers into buying a high-risk, high-return investment package. Panther, simple-minded and loyal, finds himself in situations where he has to operate various “fund-raising” activities to save his friends and colleagues.

Their respective lives go through changes with a murder of a loan shark (who is a customer of Teresa, the robbery target for Panther, and eventually the victim of a murder investigated by Cheung) and, later, a stock market crash caused by the Euro crisis. (Actually, the changes in Cheung’s life can be attributed more to other incidents described in sub plots.)

“Life Without Principle” may be satirising money-obsessed Hong Kong society, but it does not try to teach you any particular lessons. There are no definite winners or losers among the key characters, and there is no happy ending. Life is a journey, a process, and it will go on with occasional wins and losses for everyone...

Because most scenes are filmed indoors, without guns, explosions or much action, this movie does not look like a grand-scale production. I, however, was never bored as the drama for Cheung, Teresa and Panther unfolded rather calmly, with an air of suspense kept towards the ending. For example, there is an oddly long scene which depicts the bank’s warning procedures when a housewife tries to purchase a high-risk investment product. This would later create an “I-told-you-so” effect, and viewers can wait for the inevitable market crash to happen.

Johnnie To is a versatile director who has produced films in different genres. Lau Ching-Wan and Richie Jen, regulars on To’s films, delivered reliable performances once again in “Life Without Principle,” but the casting of pop singer Denise Ho and TVB actress Myolie Wu was a surprise. While I wouldn’t mind if Myolie stayed in the television, Denise Ho showed a promising capability as a screen actress, by expressing an ordinary sales woman’s repressed agony with forced smiles and subtle glances.

In minor roles, both Stephanie Che and Terence Yin displayed their matured images well, and Milkyway Image fans can smile to themselves as a lot of smaller roles are filled by familiar faces including Law Wing-Cheong (羅永昌), Chiu “Ponytail” Chi-Shing (趙志誠) and Cheung Wing-Cheung (張榮祥).

Though “Life Without Principle” will not be Johnnie To’s classic masterpiece, and its open ending could cause some indigestion on the viewer’s part, the movie is of a certain standard, and overall, I found it entertaining enough.

-----------------------
Note for Roy Cheung (張耀揚) Fans: I've located and added a photo of him attending Subway Taipa Branch's opening in June 2011. You can find it here.

Roy Cheung (張耀揚): Press Archive - January/February 2012

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:59:00 +0000

So far, I have compiled Hong Kong actor Roy Cheung (張耀揚)'s press/online news archives from the year 2010 onwards in this blog. Before I move onto actual movie/TV drama reviews, I will share a couple of "Roy updates" from the months of January and February 2012 with you.

18 January 2012: Attending Magnum Club Grand Opening Party in Hong Kong's Central (Source: hkclubbing.com, lifestyleasia.com)

On the above night, Roy attended the grand opening of Magnum Club, a posh night club located on Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. Here, he is pictured with the club's General Manager, Mr Wong. Other celebrity guests included "Laughing-Gor" Michael Tse (謝天華), Vincent Kok (谷德昭), Almen Wong (黃佩霞) and EO2. (There were many more young actors and models on the guest list, but unfortunately, I am not so familiar with them!)

Read more to find out what he was up to in February 2012.

1 - 5 February 2012: In Inner Mongolia (内蒙古自治区), China - including Guest Appearance (Singing) at 89 Bar (89酒吧) in Baotou (包頭) and a Visit to Hohhot (呼和浩特) with Stephen Ho (何啟南)

Either on 2 or 3 February (I couldn't confirm the exact date), Roy made yet another singing stint on stage, at 89 Bar in Baotou, Inner Mongolia. A witness has reported that this time he sang Taiwanese singer-songwriter Wu Bai (伍佰)'s "如果這都不算愛" (Literal Translation: If This Is Not Love), also recorded by Jacky Cheung (張學友). He is certainly expanding his song repertory.

On 4 and 5 February at least, he was believed to be staying in nearby Hohhot City, where he participated in a charity concert back in April 2011. Roy's friend, TV actor Stephen Ho posted the below photo of the two together on his Weibo (微博), but the purpose of their stay was unclear.

I think it's either Roy is very fond of Inner Mongolia or he has some personal connections there. (There was also a message post by a local resident that Roy visited Baotou back in August 2010, though I cannot confirm this.)

A few more photos from his recent Inner Mongolia trip can be found on this webpage.

Roy Cheung (張耀揚)'s Previous Press Archives:
Archive for 2010 can be found here.
Archive for January - July 2011 is here.
Archive for August - December 2011 is here.

Roy Cheung (張耀揚): Press Archive 2011 - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Today's post is a collection of my favourite Hong Kong actor Roy Cheung (張耀揚)'s press clippings from the period August - December 2011. (In fact, they are only from October, November and December 2011.)

As mentioned previously, Roy was believed to be filming his first screen comeback in three years, "Tong Que Tai (銅雀台)," in Beijing from September 2011.

29 October 2011: Singing on stage at the 6th Basketball Strait Cup's Award Ceremony Dinner (第六屆海峽盃籃球賽頒獎禮晚宴) in Macau
25 November 2011: Singing (again!) on stage at KaKa Bar (卡卡酒吧)'s First Anniversary in Yixing (宜興), Wuxi (無錫), Jiangsu Province (江蘇省), China
26 November 2011: Guest Appearance at a Beauty Salon's 22nd Anniversary Event, with Christy Chung (鐘麗緹) in Shenyang (瀋陽), Liaoning Province (遼寧省), China
27 November 2011: Guest Appearance at a UNICEF Charity Dinner (美麗童行2011主題慈善晚宴) in Beijing, China
14 December 2011: Guest Appearance in Opening Ceremony of Dairy Queen Taipa Branch, Macau, with Jimmy Wong (黃家諾)

You can find more details of each event below.

29 October 2011: Singing on stage at the 6th Basketball Strait Cup's Award Ceremony Dinner (第六屆海峽盃籃球賽頒獎禮晚宴) in Macau (Source: YouTube, Eastweek)

I have read Francis Ng (吳鎮宇)'s interview in which he revealed that during the nine-months filming period of "Exiled (放・逐)," the cast members including Francis, Anthony Wong (黃秋生), Lam Suet (林雪) and Roy frequented karaoke bars in Macau, but I have never dreamed that I would actually get to see a footage of Roy singing karaoke. Well, here it is!

On the YouTube link, you can see Roy singing Taiwanese singer Chang Chen-Yue (張震嶽)'s hit tune "愛我別走" (Literal Translation: Love Me, Don't Go). As of today, the footage has been viewed over 53,000 times.

I think Roy's singing is pretty good. He has a powerful voice and can keep a long note. From the way he speaks, I hadn't imagine this...it was a pleasant surprise.

25 November 2011: Singing (again!) on stage at KaKa Bar (卡卡酒吧)'s First Anniversary in Yixing (宜興), Wuxi (無錫), Jiangsu Province (江蘇省), China

This event was not covered by the press, but movie/photo reports have been posted online by the audience. This time, Roy sang three songs: Ekin Cheng (鄭伊健)'s "友情歲月," Jacky Cheung (張學友)'s "我應該" and, once again, Chang Chen-Yue (張震嶽)'s "愛我別走." Then he gave away signed photos to the audience. Maybe Roy is considering a side career as a singer?! One thing to note here is that he looks considerably slim in these footage/photos, especially compared with the ones from the year before (2010) and early 2011.

You can Google 张耀扬卡卡酒吧 to see the actual footage on Chinese sites.

26 November 2011: Guest Appearance at a Beauty Salon's 22nd Anniversary Event, with Christy Chung (鐘麗緹) in Shenyang (瀋陽), Liaoning Province (遼寧省), China

Only a day after his stint in Jiangsu Province (江蘇省), he was spotted appearing in a local beauty salon ("梦郎美容")'s anniversary event in Liaoning Province (遼寧省) with Canadian-born actress Christy Chung (鐘麗緹). There's a fair distance between these two provinces.

Photos of this event have been posted by the audience and the hairdressers who worked backstage. (More photos, together with the ones taken the day before at KaKa Bar in Yixing, can be found here.) It is not clear what he did on the catwalk, but judging from the photos above, he may have sung his favourite tunes again!

Christy and Roy were together in the Wong Jing (王晶)-produced 2005 horror flick "Set Up (凶男寡女)." (In the film, Roy was trying to kill Christy, of course.) She looks younger and fresher than I remember, and Roy looks definitely slimmer and healthier than before.

27 November 2011: Guest Appearance at a UNICEF Charity Dinner (美麗童行2011主題慈善晚宴) in Beijing, China (Source: ifeng.com)

Three cities in three days! On 27 November 2011, Roy attended a charity dinner co-hosted by The United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF) in Beijing. Other guests included actors Huang Xiao-ming (黃曉明), Lin Chi-ling (林志玲) and Annie Wu (吳辰君), who is pictured with Roy above.

Roy's rare interview footage (in Mandarin, not subtitle) is available via the link. The interview's transcript is here. He said that he felt it was necessary for show biz people to support charity projects such as this one, and he appreciated the preciousness of others' support as he had people to help him when he was down with a spinal disc hernia recently. When asked about his plans for 2012, Roy mentioned a movie being prepared (most likely "Tong Que Tai (銅雀台)") and a possibility of a TV drama. He confessed that because of the language and cultural differences, working in mainland China requires a lot of effort on his part, but hoped to develop his career there.

14 December 2011: Guest Appearance in Opening Ceremony of Dairy Queen Taipa Branch, Macau, with Jimmy Wong (黃家諾) (Source: Macao Daily)

As mentioned in the last post, Roy was at the opening of Subway sandwich chain's Taipa Branch in Macau on 22 June 2011. Six months later, he returned to Taipa, this time to attend the opening of a Dairy Queen on the island. He brought along his long-time actor/model friend, Jimmy Wong, too. What's the deal with Roy and Taipa Island's fast food outlets? I am not sure, but it checked out that both Subway and Dairy Queen franchise stores in Macau are operated by the same company.

My other question would be: How tall is the gentleman who is standing between Roy and Jimmy? (I believe both Roy and Jimmy are around 180cm/6 ft tall...)

Anyhow, to wrap up Roy's 2011, besides filming one movie in Beijing, he did a lot of off-screen works in mainland China and Macau. And from the summer 2011 onwards, he looked slimmer and healthier with a tan. I look forward to seeing him more on screen in the coming years.

Roy Cheung (張耀揚)'s Previous Press Archives:
Press clippings from 2010 can be found here.
Press clippings from January - July 2011 are here.

Roy Cheung (張耀揚): Press Archive 2011 - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:40:00 +0000

To continue from my previous post, which collected Roy Cheung (張耀揚)'s press clippings from the year 2010, here are the ones from January - July 2011. He was still not engaged in acting during these months, but participated in several functions and events (mostly in mainland China) as a celebrity, and also was spotted on the streets of Hong Kong a couple of times.

18 January 2011: Guest Appearance at Apple KTV's Anniversary Event in Zhenjian (鎮江), Jiangsu Province (江蘇省), China
2 April 2011: Guest Appearance in a Charity Concert at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Auditorium, Hohhot (呼和浩特), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区), China
30 April 2011: Shopping in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay
22 June 2011: Guest Appearance in Opening Ceremony of Subway Taipa Branch, Macau
14 July 2011: Bumping into Conroy Chan (陳子聰) and Josie Ho (何超儀) in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay

Read more for the details of each event.

18 January 2011: Guest Appearance at Apple KTV's Anniversary Event in Zhenjian (鎮江), Jiangsu Province (江蘇省), China (Source: 镇江综合性门戸网站金山网)

Roy and Hong Kong actor/singer Kenny Ho (何家勁) were invited to Apple KTV (a high-end karaoke bar and restaurant)'s anniversary event in Zhenjian City. In an interview with the local press, Roy jokingly said, "If I don't play villains, who will?" but also made it clear that he was just an ordinary person in real life. He then confessed that he would "like to be in a film about Genghis Khan and hope to meet a good director, though everything depends on fate."

2 April 2011: Guest Appearance in a Charity Concert at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Auditorium, Hohhot (呼和浩特), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region ( 内蒙古自治区), China (Source: duuchin.com)

I don't know what exactly he did here, but Roy is pictured on stage with 黑駿馬組合 (Literal Translation: Black Sturdy Horses Group), a local band who hosted this charity gig held in the capital of Inner Mongolia. Over 2,000 people attended. Maybe it was his love for Genghis Khan that led Roy to Inner Mongolia?

30 April 2011: Shopping in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay (Source: HK Headline)

Roy was "papped" in and around a Watson's drug store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, where he purchased some toiletry products. This itself is hardly a news piece, but the publisher put it together with a report on Remus Choi (蔡一傑)'s car crash incident which happened the next morning...even though these two stories are not interrelated whatsoever. Huh...

22 June 2011: Guest Appearance in Opening Ceremony of Subway Taipa Branch, Macau (Source: Macao Daily, Shimin Daily/Jornal Do Cidadao)

(I have added the photo on 4 March 2011.)

Roy was a guest at the opening ceremony of a Subway (global sandwich chain) branch on Taipa Island, Macau. The ceremony included a traditional Chinese lion dance.

14 July 2011: Bumping into Conroy Chan (陳子聰) and Josie Ho (何超儀) in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay (Source: Next Media)

Roy was spotted in the busy Causeway Bay shopping district once again. (That's the "turf" for which his character Crow was fighting, against Ekin Cheng's Chan Ho-Nam in "Young and Dangerous 3", by the way.) This time, Roy was with a male friend, and bumped into Mr and Mrs Conroy Chan who were on their way to City's Super supermarket in the Times Square shopping mall. The three entertainers chatted for a few minutes, while Roy's friend kept some distance.

Roy Cheung (張耀揚): Press Archive 2010

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:28:00 +0000

Roy Cheung (張耀揚) had vanished (temporarily) from the movie/TV world after the shooting of a mainland TV drama series "Luo Gu Xiang (鑼鼓巷)" which went on air in 2009. (He later explained that, right after the hectic shooting, he had suffered from a spinal disc herniation. He was bedridden for about a year in/around 2009, with little contact with the outside world...)

In 2010, Roy resurfaced in the entertainment press, being caught off-screen on quite a few occasions. Though I want this blog to be more focused on his professional works but not his private life...I am a fan after all...and therefore have made his "press clippings" as below.

February 2010: Hanging Out in Hong Kong's Central with Male Friends
April 2010: Guest Appearance at Toni & Guy Hair Salon Opening Event with Jordan Chan (陳小春), in Wuhan (武漢), Hubei Province (湖北省), China
May 2010: Having a Good Time with Stephen Ho (何啟南) and Ladies at a Mainland Club
June 2010: Having Afternoon Tea in Hong Kong's Central with Female Friends
July 2010: Attending Daniel Wu (吳彥祖) and Lisa S's Wedding Party at The Jockey Club in Hong Kong's Happy Valley
August 2010: Meeting Remus Choi (蔡一傑) and Stephen Ho (何啟南) in a cafe in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui
October 2010: Attending Grasshopper (草蜢)'s 25th Anniversary Concert in Hong Kong's Hung Hom Coliseum
November 2010: Attending Jordan Chan (陳小春) and Cherrie Ying (應采兒)'s Wedding Party at Hong Kong Disneyland
November 2010: Attending Johnnie To (杜琪峰)'s Honorary Degree Award Ceremony at Hong Kong Lingnan University

Here are more details, my comments and source links.

February 2010: Hanging Out in Hong Kong's Central with Male Friends (Source: Oriental Daily)

Not a lot to add here...the original article in Chinese says that Roy often hangs out in an all-male group...I don't see anything wrong with that!

April 2010: Guest Appearance at Toni & Guy Hair Salon Opening Event with Jordan Chan (陳小春), in Wuhan (武漢), Hubei Province (湖北省), China (Source:Sina)

(I have added this news piece on 29 February 2012.)

Roy and Jordan were the guests at the British hair salon Toni & Guy's opening event in Wuhan, China. The event featured a catwalk fashion show and both actors' stage appearance involving champagne and crystals. Obviously, Roy's hair looked more "styled" than ever. More photos from this event can be found here.

May 2010: Having a Good Time with Stephen Ho (何啟南) and Ladies at a Mainland Club (Source: HK Headline)

The exact date/month of this event is unknown, but private photos "sent by a reader" were published in May 2010. Roy and his friend, TVB actor Stephen Ho, were pictured with several ladies (club companions?) at a night club in China. The article says that Roy "has a fierce look, but underneath, he has a cute character" as he was seen making V-signs in the photos. (I will not post them here, but you can see them via the above link.)

June 2010: Having Afternoon Tea in Hong Kong's Central with Female Friends (Source: Oriental Daily)

This is the famous/infamous Cafe Landmark where a lot of Hong Kong celebrities get "papped."

July 2010: Attending Daniel Wu (吳彥祖) and Lisa S's Wedding Party at The Jockey Club in Hong Kong's Happy Valley (Source: Sina)

I was slightly surprised to find this report as I did not recall Roy and Daniel being in a same film. However, back in 2008, Roy appeared with Daniel, Lisa, Terence Yin (尹子維) and Andrew Lin (連凱) at the opening press conference for RACKS MDB Shanghai, a pool bar for which Daniel and Lisa were major investors. (Some reports said that Terence, Andrew and Roy were also investors.)

In 2007, Roy also appeared in a music video "Respect Tou Pok Guy (RTPK)" by 24 Herbs (廿四味), a Hong Kong Hip Hop group whose members include Conroy Chan (陳子聰). Conroy, Daniel, Terence and Andrew together formed a spoof boy band Alive for the film "The Heavenly Kings (四大天王)" in 2006. So, Roy is connected with all of these four guys. The only apparent link I can think of between Roy and the boys is Josie Ho (何超儀), Conroy's wife who has starred with Roy in three films: "Slow Fade (無問旅程)" (1999), "Exiled (放・逐)" (2006) and "The Drummer (戰・鼓)" (2007).

Oh, and...Andrew and Roy were also pictured together back in 2004 at another press conference (for an RTHK production "執法群英II"), and they were both in "Infernal Affairs II (無間道 II)"...though I can't remember if they had a scene together...Anyway, it's a small world...Need I say more?

August 2010: Meeting Remus Choi (蔡一傑) and Stephen Ho (何啟南) in a cafe in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui　(Source: Oriental Sunday via The Liberty Times)

Roy and Grasshopper's Remus Choi have been friends for ages and ages. Every three years or so, the media circulates a story that they are lovers, even though both Roy and Remus keep denying it. Please, Hong Kong media people, leave them alone and come up with something new!

October 2010: Attending Grasshopper (草蜢)'s 25th Anniversary Concert in Hong Kong's Hung Hom Coliseum (Source: Apple Daily)

Well, this is not the best photo of Roy...He was caught off guard...and he looks rather bulky here.

November 2010: Attending Jordan Chan (陳小春) and Cherrie Ying (應采兒)'s Wedding Party at Hong Kong Disneyland (Source: ON.CC)

What a lovely couple and what a lovely wedding! It's also amazing to witness (in photos) a reunion of "Young and Dangerous (古惑仔)" series cast after all these years...and how generous of Jordan to invite Roy, his arch-enemy in those films. (I know they are good buddies in real life.) One has to wonder, though, why Roy is the only groom's mate who is not wearing the cute uniform. Then again, I cannot imagine him in that uniform.

November 2010: Attending Johnnie To (杜琪峰)'s Honorary Degree Award Ceremony at Hong Kong Lingnan University (Source: Takungpao)

My favourite film director, Johnnie To The Master, received an honorary degree from Hong Kong's Lingnan University in November 2010. Check out the crowd who gathered at its award ceremony...it's Hong Kong's all-star cast...sans...er...Francis Ng (吳鎮宇).

Roy has stated that the two people he would like to thank for helping his career as an actor are the directors Ringo Lam (who "discovered" Roy back in the 80's) and Johnnie To. I am glad that Mr To and Roy are still in touch, at least as of 2010.

To wrap up, the year 2010 seemed to be a fairly good one for Roy, sharing some happy and celebratory moments with his friends and colleagues.

Before I start reviewing his works, I intend to do similar posts for 2011.

Roy Cheung (張耀揚) in "Tong Que Tai (銅雀台)"

noreply@blogger.com (阿佳(A-KAI)) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:26:00 +0000

I just decided to open a blog to express my special love for Hong Kong and Chinese films and dramas...Here it is!

My very first blog post has to be dedicated to Mr Roy Cheung Yiu-Yeung (張耀揚), the Hong Kong actor whom I admire the most. He is a well-known veteran who has been on the scene since the mid-80's, but according to his recent media interviews, he had suffered from a spinal disc herniation and was not able to work properly for almost three years.

Now it seems he has fully recovered...and I was happy to see Roy in random online media reports last year, which covered his appearances in charity functions, store openings, etc., both in Hong Kong and mainland China. (I will probably post the links to these reports later.)

His comeback film will be "Tong Que Tai (銅雀台)" (Literal Translation: Bronze Sparrow Terrace), a mega-budget mainland production featuring actors from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and mainland China. The film is apparently a fictional story set in the period of The Three Kingdoms (三國), and the leading role Cao Cao (曹操/155-220) is played by Chow Yun-Fat (周潤發). According to some (unofficial) media reports, Roy plays Cao Zhang (曹彰), Cao Cao's son who had excellent military skills.

The filming in Beijing took place from September 2011 to early January 2012. Although Chinese media reports on "confirmed film casts" do not always turn out to be correct, and Roy did not appear in the press conference held in November, I believe that he is actually in this motion picture because there was a photo of him and the director Zhao Lin-Shan (趙林山) posted on the latter's Sina Weibo (新浪微博) in August last year (above). Roy's own Weibo, which stopped after only four postings in August and September, also stated that he was in Beijing for a movie shoot.

"Tong Que Tai (銅雀台)" is set for the end of 2012 release in mainland China. As a Japanese actor Hiroshi Tamaki (玉木宏) is also in the film, I hope it will be shown in the cinemas here in Japan!

Source:
Cast List on Ladyband.com
Article on Sina