John Woo Interview from Screen Machine
Magazine
Screen Machine Magazine: A mag on Asian cinema & cultures, the new
issue (fourth) is coming out in a week. It will be a special interview issue
and featured there will interviews with Kirk Wong, Cha Chuen-Yee (dir. of Once
upon a Time in Triad Society 1/2), Christopher Doyle (Wong Kar-Wai dir. of
photo.), Takeshi Kaneshiro, Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto, Michael Hui and
much (much) more... Ask for more info from reptila@total.net
3rd Fant-Asian Film Festival in
Montreal and Toronto.
The third FANT-ASIA film festival in Montreal and Toronto, (July 10 to
August 9, 1998) It is dedicated to fantasy cinema with a big emphasis given to
Asian films, especially Hong Kong films. 'It is going to be the third one this
year and it is dedicated to fantasy cinema with a big emphasis given to Asian
films (and especially Hong Kong films). We show every year about 75 films and
invite prestigious guests from all over the world. This year we might have
John Woo coming as one of our guests to present the longest version in
existence of THE KILLER. There has been no 100% confirmation yet but when some
of us met him in Los Angeles recently he told us he will be coming, so I guess
it kind of look good. We tried also to convince him to come and introduce the
pilot for his TV series with Dolph Lundgren (which they will make appenrently
as a feature for theatrical distribution for Europe) but he refused because he
doesn't seem to like the finished product very much.'
The third FANT-ASIA film festival
in Montreal and Toronto, (July 10 to August 9, 1998)
Big Hit Trailer
Now you can download a trailer for this forthcoming thriller. John Woo and
Terence Chang are workins as Executive Producers. Release: April 24, 1998.
AVI
Video ... Quicktime
MOV
From Official
Big hit Web Site
Possible Woo project: Mission Impossible 2
Joh Woo was one canditate to direct this sequel to Brian de Palma's action
pack Mission: Impossible. Film is based on tv serie with same name, and many
other features has been done before it. Tom Cruise is again plying Ethan Hunt
with Ving Rhames as Luther Stickwell. Brian de Palma won't be directing this
and neithes is Oliver Stone. MI2 will be filmed in Colorado Springs, Colorado,
USA
Cast: Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt); Ving Rhames (Luther Stickwell)
David Marconi, Michael Tolkin (Screenwriters).
Genre: Action/Adventure.
Studio: Paramount Pictures.
Production Company: Cruise-Wagner Productions.
According to Variety (Feb 26/98) Tom Cruise would like to make MI2 with John
Woo, but it seems that maybe it won't happen. David Fincher (Se7en, The Game);
Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, The Mask of Zorro); Mimi Leder (,b>The
Peacemaker, Deep Impact); and Stephen Hopkins are sme of potential names for
directors chair.
Some rumours from Rumours
and Unofficial Notes
Possible Woo project: The Devil's Soldier
John Woo explains, "Tom and I have been talking about filming a huge
epic in China called The Devil's Soldier. It's based on a true story of a 19th
century adventurer who had a love affair with China and a Chinese girl. The
Chinese have even built a temple in this man's honor. It would be my most
ambitious film ever and one of the biggest films ever shot in China. It would
be like a Chinese 'Lawrence of Arabia' but it all depends on Tom's commitments.
That could mean waiting several years before we could hope to shoot."
From Variety Feb 26/98.
King's Ransom
Woo describes "King's Ransom" as a "Thomas Crown Affair or a
Hot Rock. It's a fast, comic heist story. My dream casting would be to get
Brad Pitt to star with Chow and turn them into a new Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid."
Task Force and other VCDs
John Woo has a cameo on Task Force (1997 HK). Now it has been
released on VCD. Also many other John Woo films is available on VCD.
Directed by John Woo
VCD126 26.95 A Better Tomorrow, (^¶¯¥»¦â)
VCD128 26.95 A Better Tomorrow 2, (^¶¯¥»¦â¢º)
VCD218 23.95 Bullet in the Head, (³ã¦åµóÀY)
VCD941 29.99 Killer, (³ã¦åÂù¶¯)
VCD1327 23.95 Once a Thief, (Áa¾î¥|®ü)
VCD1435 22.95 Princess Chang Ping, (ªá¤k«Ò)
Other Woo related films
VCD1383 21.00 Peace Hotel, (©M¥¶º©±)
VCD1654 21.00 Somebody Up There Likes Me, (®öº©·¼É)
VCD1858 21.00 True Colours, (^¶¯¥¿¶Ç)
VCD323 21.00 Contract, (½æ¨«´)
VCD670 22.50 Games Gamblers Play (°°¨Âù¬P)
VCD3115 21.00 Task Force (¼ö¦å³Ì±j)
All list info including list#, prices and Chinese(Big5) titles are from http://www.moviesales.com/
All these VCDs can be purchased from Amae
Enterprises. All prices (in Canadian dollars!) were correct 30.03. when
this update was made. However prices can be changed without any futher
notification. Please check the correct prices from Amae Enterprises.
Phantom of the Opera put on hold
From The Calgary Sun
(Feb 3/98) Woo also told the Calgary Sun that his planned film version of 'Phantom
of the Opera' with John Travolta has been put on hold indefinitely.
Woo: "It's ( a very attractive project, but John and I have too
many commitments to announce a start date. The script also needs to be far
more visual than it is in its current state. (While making Broken Arrow na
Face/Off Travolta) was always singing. I think it's so wrong that he hasn't
sung on film in such a long time.
John Woo Video releases
John Woo Video Box Sets #1 & #2 are now available from Tai
Seng Video for $90 U.S. Films are original Cantonese versions with english
subtitles.
 |
Set #1:
A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow 2
Just Heroes.
|
 |
Set #2:
Bullet In The Head
Once A Thief
Hand of Death (aka Countdown In Kung Fu).
|
LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY VHS: New low price! $19.98 Laserdisc: $39.99
VHS Dubbed or dubbed
LD Subtitled/Dubbed
BULLET IN THE HEAD
VHS $39.99
LD lbx 1:58 $69.95
HARD BOILED
VHS $19.99
HEROES SHED NO TEARS
LD lbx dubbed/subtitled 1:33 $39.95
ONCE A THIEF
LD lbx subtitled 1:47 $69.95
LD lbx subtitled 1:26 $69.95
DVD lbx subtitled 1:26 $49.95
Hong Kong Face-Off
VHS NTSC 83 minutes
Eastern Heroes / Arena Release
English Dubbed / Full Screen
This is one of those retitled films just what Arena Video keeps on doing. Now
I've seen this video and it must be John Woo's directorial debut The Young
Dragons aka. Farewell Buddy. Originally it was banned in Hong Kong because
of too violence. After that Golden Harvest bought this indepentally produced
film and it was re-cut, edited and rescored before it was released. Now it is
a typical Hong Kong martial arts film, or could I say it reminds me many
modern Hollywood action films. There is no decent plot (if there is any plot)
but it is a collection of fighting scenes. Nothing much more but when a
fighting is over actors just run into the next one. Story tells about young
but very good martial arts fighter. He gets a mission when a gang terrorises a
whole town and its citizens. Finally he finds out that the leader of the gang
responsible for his fathers death. So he fights and kill many, so many members
of this gang. This gives us enough fighting while we are waiting for the final
fight where our hero could get his revenge.
Although it is dubbed and fullscreen version, this is the only release what
I know to be available.
April 4th. Update! Subtitled version of The Young Dragons can be
found from Video Search of Miami. They also
have many other rare Woo films. Look from their online catalog or get the
printed version.
John Woo's Last Word
By Chris Petrikin and Dan Cox
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - "Face/Off" director John Woo will produce
"The Last Word," a period action-adventure set in the declining days
of the wild West.
Woo is not currently attached to direct the TriStar Pictures project,
although it will most likely be developed with him in mind, sources said
Wednesday. His business partner Terence Chang will also produce. The picture
revolves around a former lawman who has parlayed his years spent in the saddle
fightinmg gun-toting outlaws into a career as a pulp fiction novelist. He is
thrust back into action after hearing of a robbery that has a familiar smell
to it, and ends up hunting his old nemesis, a legendary outlaw who also has
been called to action for one last job.
TriStar bought the script in a high-six-figure deal from Trey Callaway and
feature newcomer Gary Glasberg. Callaway recently struck a deal to write the
sequel to the horror hit "I Know What You Did Last Summer."
Reuters/Variety ^REUTERS@
From Yahoo News
Announced John Woo DVDs
Hong Kong DVDs
The following titles have also been announced for release by Media Asia.
All will likely have removable subtitles and be letterboxed. They've also been
announced as having new Dolby Digital 5.1 sound remixes and remastered
pictures, plus extra features. A Better Tomorrow 1-3 are supposed to street in
late March in Hong Kong. Tai Seng will be importing them in May. Other should
come later.
A Better Tomorrow 1-3, The Killer, Once A Thief, Bullet In The Head.
Tai Seng DVDs [update 4.4.]
Tai Seng will release them in US. Release date for A Better Tomorrow 1-3
(and Chinese Ghost Story 1-3) DVDs is May 26. All movies will be presented in
widescreen with Dolby Digital (but it can be mono digital) soundtracks in
Cantonese and Mandarin, as well as English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean
subtitles.
Criterion DVDs [update 4.4.]
More info from DVD Review and Taiseng
Video
The Killer DVD from Voyager co should be now available. Features audio
commentary director John Woo and producer Terence Chang and deleted scenes.
Movie Information
Title: KILLER, THE Special DVD Features
Retail Price: 39.98 Standard Format: NO
Rating: UNRATED Widescreen Format: YES
Length(MINS): 110 Language: CHINESE
Aspect Ratio: 1.85.1 Sub Titles: ENGLISH
Sound: DIGITAL MONO Interactive Menus: YES
Actors: Chow Yun-fat Production Notes: YES
Danny Lee Scene Access: YES
Sally Yeh 16:9 Compatible: NO
Chu Kong THX: NO
Kenneth Tsang
Director: John Woo
Studio: Voyager co
Year: 1989
Extra Material:
Film-to-tape transfer approved by John Woo
Commentary by John Woo and Terence Chang
Five deleted scenes
The theatrical trailer
Removable English subtitles.
Their Hard Boiled is announced to be released in May 1998. These DVDs should
have same extras as Criterian Laser Discs. The Killer did not include all
extra from CAV version of The Killer LD. Hopefully they put it on DVD of Hard
Boiled.
Red on White - What is New! March '98
