What is New! July 1998
[31 .07.1998] A
Better Tomorrow video clip in MPEG.
[31 .07.1998] John
Woo film clips on RealVideo.
[31 .07.1998] Bullet
in the Head & Once a Thief DVDs.
[19 .07.1998] Face/Off
censored in UK.
[19 .07.1998] Nike
commercial by John Woo.
[19 .07.1998] A
Lion Rock Productions snail-mail address!
[19 .07.1998] Once
a Thief: The Director's Cut at Movie Channel
[19 .07.1998] The
Long version of The Killer at Fan-Asia Film Festival
Bullet in the Head & Once a Thief
DVDs
Finally Media Asia / Mega Star Bullet in the Head and Once a Thief DVDs are
released in Hong Kong. Bullet is one of the first dual layer DVDs released in
Hong Kong. Also Once Upon a Time in China 1-3 DVDs are produced using this
same feature, allowing longer running time on one side. Also Centre Stage and
Till We Meet Again were released at the same time with
The Long version of The Killer
Fant-Asia Film Fesival
At Fant-Asia, Woo fans can check-out a longer version of The Killer, a dark,
operatic melodrama that is arguably the defining moment for modern Hong Kong
cinema. This long version of Killer has been released in Taiwan only and this
may be your only change to see it on big screen. Woo's last Hong Kong gangster
film, Hard-Boiled, which also stars Chow Yun-Fat, has already screened. The
Killer screenings are July 19 at 4:40 p.m. and again Aug. 4 at 7 p.m.
SUNDAY 19 JULY 16:40 - THE KILLER
TUESDAY 04 AUGUST 19.00 - THE KILLER
Check out Fant-Asia web site
Once a Thief: The Director's Cut on air
Once a Thief: The Director's Cut was aired July 18th on The Movie Channel
on cable with 12 added action scenes. This John Woo's salvaged two-hour pilot
film "Once a Thief," originally seen on Fox in 1996. Besides "Once
a Thief: The Director's Cut," at 7:05 p.m., TMC was followed at 9 with
"Once a Thief: Family Business." If you missed them, what a pity.
But The Movie Channel will air still another episode, "John Woo's Once a
Thief: Brother Against Brother," Aug. 22.
Read article of New
York TV Now! (mostNEWYORK/Daily News)
The Movie Channel presents the director's cut of the disappointing 1996 Fox
pilot "John Woo's Once a Thief," at 7:05 p.m. Following at 9:05 p.m.,
is the thriller "John Woo's Once a Thief: Family Business," which
isn't even directed by John Woo.
A Lion Rock Productions snail-mail address!
As reported in Bullet in the Head
John Woo and Terence Chang has a new production company: A Lion Rock
Productions. Now Bullet in the Head (and Jeff
"Koganuts" Koga who is behind the site) has found the snail-mail
address for it. And here it is...
Lion Rock Productions
10202 W. Washington Blvd.
David Lean Bldg., Ste. 430
Culver City, CA 90232
So apparently, WCG Entertainment, which was based in Century City on the
20th Century Fox Studios lot, is no longer, and Lion Rock Productions is now
based in Culver City on the Sony Studios lot.
Face/Off censored in UK
I was just reported that Face/Off was censored in Britain. The scene where
Castor Troy (played by Travolta) asks Archers' daughter 'Do you have
protection?' and then gives her a 'butterfly knife'. In Britain people really
have some protection from their laws and BBFC who is deciding what people are
allowed to see in movies. Weapons like butterfly knife and stiletto are
illegal in Britain, of course you can't show them in movies neither. But if
killing people is illegal too how on Earth they can accept films where some
people get killed?
1997 US film by John Woo Cut by 7s for both cinema and video release.
Certificate 18, video running time 133:07s Archer (John Travolta) asks his
daughter whether she has protection and demonstrates a butterfly knife by
whirling it around. This demonstration does not pass the censor as the
butterfly knife is on ther list of no-no's The girl eventually gets to use the
butterfly knife by stabbing Archer, but we don't get to see the knife.
I am planning to make a RealVideo clip of this scene but of course viewing it
is not allowed for people in Britain.
Many other films have had the same fate in Britain. Also all Bruce Lee films
were cut for the same reason. And now Ringo Lam's ultra violent actioner Full
Contact (starring Chow Yun-fat) is finally released in Britain, but
of course it was cut. Maybe one minute shorter than Hong Kong version, but
included some alternate material. You should know Hong kong release was also
cut. Totally complete uncut version was released in Japan and Taiwan. I think
Japanese LD without English subtitles is available. But Taiwanese LD with
English subtitles is extremely rare. Full Contact running time: Japan LD
98.45; Hong Kong LD: 95.52 (both NTSC).
Gorehound
No.29 (2/98) (Gorehound is Finnish fanzine published by Dark
Fantasy society
John Woo's Nike Commercial
John Woo's Nike commercial, featuring the Brazilian soccer team, has been
airing during the 1998 World Cup. Nike's Brasilian National Team site has a
page for the commercial with scene-by-scene
description of it.
This site also has the commercial on Quicktime
movie (full version, 1 min 30 sec. 3.4MB)
RealVideo
of short version, 30 seconds, 348KB is available from Daniel Wang's John
Woo + Tsui Hark site.
According to Bullet in the Web it took
Woo about two weeks (eleven days?) to shoot this commercial. Apparently, while
the budget was very high (about $1 million) for a commercial, after the
executives at Nike saw the initial footage from the shoot, they were so
pleased that the budget was doubled to $2 million.
Red on White - What is New! June '98
