The City Never Sleeps

This entry came a bit too late, but my motto is: it's better to be late than never.

OK, finally it's been a long time Singapore cinemas sees crowd for Mandarin films. Thanks to his latest musical production 881, Royston Tan has not only put himself into the spotlight of Singaporeans, but also makes the following artists famous:

Mindee Ong, Yeo Yann Yann, Liu Ling Ling, Wang Lei, Karen Lim and Mingzhu Sisters.

In case you have no idea who these people are, Mindee and Yann Yann are drama play actresses before leaping over to the big screen. As for the rest, the older folks will know them by famous getai and Hokkien pop and oldies singer during the Seventh Month. And not forgetting the late getai singer Chen Jin Lang, who passed away on the 1st day of Seventh Month due to cancer last year.

If that's not all, i've got a small little present from Malaysia to Singapore on Merdeka Day.

881 has been renamed 881: The Papaya Sisters in Malaysia.

And a fierce battle begins next week in Malaysia cinemas:

Round 1: Royston Tan VS Quentin Tarantino VS Timur Bekmambetov

Round 2: The Papaya Sisters + Durian Sisters VS A psychopatic driver VS Forces of Light and Dark

Round 3: Singapore VS Texas VS Moscow

Round 4: Getai VS Fastcars and Highways VS Rolling Ferris Wheel

Don't get what i mean?

Round 5: 881 VS Grindhouse: Death Proof VS Daywatch.

Mediacorp Raintree Pictures is enjoying the sweet papaya that they grow and harvested. It was so sweet, that they have plans to sell the papayas at Taiwan, by letting 881 going for 14 nominations for Golden Horse Award 2007.

OMG...

Talking about Golden Horse Award, it is unlikely that Royston will bring home Best Director Award, for he will have to compete with big names such as Ang Lee.

And talking about Ang Lee, let's talk about his new movie, Lust, Caution.

The romantic war thriller based on Eileen Chang's short story was slapped with an NC-17 rating by Motion Pictures Association of America for 'sexuality explicit scenes'.

I've always trusted Ang Lee for bringing high quality productions to the audience. That's why Lust, Caution is one of the two Chinese films i am expecting after 881. His Brokeback Mountain is a masterpiece, where he crafted the forbidden love between 2 cowboys so well, that i am expecting something better. Thus, after seeing Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Joan Chen, Wang LeeHom and new comer Tang Wei being placed in the namelist for leading cast, and the efforts to look for shophouses built during the British Colonial period in Perak and Penang, i told myself: giving Lust Caution a miss is letting me and Mr Lee down.

And it was unfortunate that many people will be disappointed, for they are barred from watchign the 156min drama on the big screen due to the strict NC-17 rating in US, and the small release in theatres which makes Focus Features, the production company, unable to see the dollar sign spinning for Lust.

To be released on Mid Autumn Festival week in Taiwan, Malaysia and US, Lust will open in cinemas in Singapore on 4th Oct.

Warning: Be Cautious of the rating in Singapore for Lust. Doubt it will equally enjoy the sweet success of home grown papayas.