只要一分鐘 (One Minute More) was released in Taipei this past weekend. The movie features Janine Chang and Peter Ho as doggy parents.
I am not a pet guy. I had pets before and I do not have them now. I can barely take care of myself, let alone pets. But and I am fan both Janine Chang and Peter Ho. So I will watch this if I can.
獵豔 (Zoom Hunting) is an 2010 film out of Taiwan. The movie stars Janine Chang (Ning Chang), Chu Chih-ying (Zhu Zhu-Ying), and Wen Sheng-Hao. The supporting cast include Chou Heng-yin (Zhou Heng-Yin) and Michelle Krusiec. The movie is director Cho Li's debut and ventures into suspense thriller territory.
Chang plays Ruyi, a freelance photographer on an hiatus. Ruyi randomly takes pictures of things all around her balancy and accidentally captures an couple across the way getting it on. Ruyi is intrigued and starts to take more pictures and starts to stalk them. Yupe, stalk them. From this, he finds that the man across the way is in relations with someone not his wife! From there, the thriller goes into overdrive as she is torn between keeping quite or telling the wife. Along the way, Ruyi confides in her sister. Ruyi's sister is an writer of erotic thriller a la 50 shades. There's a larger mystery that unfolds.
The movie was pretty good for a movie out of Taiwan. If the movie were made in HK or even the US, it would be a straight to video movie. The acting was ok and the story itself was hard to follow. I found myself having to rewind and go back to plot points that past me by. Which isn't good. However, for Taiwan movie buffs, you'll need to watch this one to see the progression made in Taiwanese cinema since.
神話織女 (天涯織女/衣被天下/Weavers/Clothing The World/A Weaver on the Horizon) is a 2010 drama series out of Zhong Guo. The series stars Janine Chang, Yuan Hong, and Liu Shi Shi. The series runs a long 36 episodes (~43 minutes each). Other supporting cast members include Chang Pei Pei, Edwin Siu, Damian Lau, Tang Yi Fei, and Xu Qi Wen. The series is a fictional account of Huang Dao Po, whom is credited with helping kick start the Chinese textile industry.
The Story
The story begins with the younger Huang who is very poor and does whatever she can for her mom. The foundations of her character are set even at an early age. Huang's mom is sick and knows her days are number. The mom brings Huang to a textile store in the capital. After much suffering, Huang's mom dies and she's eventually accepted into the store as a student worker. The series flashes forward about 8-10 years and the store is having financial troubles due to the economic downturn. The Mongols are hot on the heals of taking over the country and buying expensive clothes is no longer a priority. A competition to enter the imperial palace is given to the top textile stores. Huang enters the store into the competition against her masters will. The gals get through the first 2 stages, but the last stage, they are helped by the master and lose. However, the empress likes them and brings them into the palace. In the palace, the girls along with Huang are faced with politics and succumb to it, eventually getting kicked out. After being kicked out, the girls go through another big trial and get married! The Mongols conquered the country and they make an escape to Yazhou where she learns to use cotton. After a bit of time learning cotton in Yazhou, Huang makes her way back Songjiang and helps to establish the textile industry there.
The Series
Amazing series. I didn't have high hopes for it when I first heard of it. Normally, ancient series for me are only for wuxia. The government politic seriously bore me and I avoid it with a passion. However, this one kept me captivated and on board the whole time. I really only picked it up for Janine Chang. Janine's first foray into ancient grab was awesome. Without Janine's warm smile and positive outlook, I wouldn't have been able to finish the series. And in general, all the main ladies were quite easy on the eyes which made it all the more easy to continue on.
My Thoughts
This may be my favorite ancient series of 2010 (even though I watched it in 2010). Even though it lacked the wuxia's fantasy element that draw me to ancient series, I was captivated and on board for the story to the end. Janine Chang, Liu Shi Shi, and Xu Qi Wen were the main gals and they were a doozy to watch. I didn't dislike anyone of the gals. In most series, if one gal or dood seems off or wrong, the series ends up being a chore. I would say that I spent the first 25 or so episode with my finger off the fast forward. The last 10-11 episodes, I was FFing about 25%.
The voices were in general dubbed over. Since I knew the voices of some of them, it seemed weird at first, but eventually I got use to it.
獵豔 (Zoom Hunting) is set for release on April 9th in Taipei. The movie stars Janine Chang as a Photographer.
From the trailer, looks like she takes pictures of a couple and something strange or violent happens. Looks like there's a lot of skin too to draw in the crowds.
The movie looks like it'll be good and I am looking forward to it.
I picked up the Black and White OST a few weeks back. If you've read my review, you'll know that Black and White is now among my favorite dramas. The soundtrack to this awesome series isn't so shabby either. It has 8 songs on this 21 track soundtrack. Throughout the series, the music helped set the tone and mood for many scenes.
If you're a fan of the series, you'll want to pick this up and re-live the scenes in your head as the music rocks out.
痞子英雄 (Black and White) is a Taiwanese Police Drama starring Vic Zhou, Mark Chao, Ivy Chen and Janine Chang.
The series runs 24 episodes. During its initial 12 week broadcast run in Taiwan, April to June 2009, two episodes were broadcast each week. Because of this, you'll notice a "previously on" for all the odd numbered Actions (episodes) and a "preview" for all the even numbered Actions. The episodes were typically 45-50 minutes long. I've been looking forward to this series since April, had a first thoughts post, and found it was airing here in Los Angeles on LA 18.
The main drivers of this series were also behind Mars and The Hospital (白色巨塔). You'll notice quite a few familiar faces from all those series. If you wanted to go even further back, you'll notice Meteor Garden folks in bit roles in Black And White as well.
If you've seen Mars and The Hospital, you'll know that they represented the highest production value for Taiwanese Dramas during their year of release. In this case, I haven't seen any drama out of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China that can match the production value of Black And White for 2009. I don't watch Korean and Japanese dramas, so I cannot compare. In any case, the production value is very high. The story is intense and characters pop up left and right and you need a chart to make sense of it all.
Black And White is a series about 2 cops. Vic Zhou plays the "Black" cop named Chen. Mark Chao plays the "White" cop name Wu.
Chen's nick name is "Pi Zi/痞子", which I think translates to "rascal". Pi Zi can also mean riffraff or ruffian. But the way I see it from the series, Chen is more of a rascal.
Wu's name is "Ying Xiong/英雄", which literally translates to "hero". You'll noice Wu's car has "HERO" engraved on it.
You put their names together and you get the Chinese name of the series, 痞子英雄. As for the English translation, it's the contrasting cop styles of the two. Chen is willing to bend the rules to get to a goal and doesn't ask if its right or wrong. Thus, you give Chen the "black" label. Wu on the other hand, is a hard nosed cop who plays it strictly by the rules. On Wu ends, there's only black and white. Wu has chosen to stand completely on the white side and everyone better get out of his way.
My brief review is going to be only high level and superficial. I will try not to spoil anything for you.
First Quarter (Episodes 1-6) Introduces all the main characters. Which include all the supporting staff of the 2 Kaohsiung police divisions. The 2 divisions are separated into North and South. Our main protagonist are officers in the South division in the detectives department. The support staff include the department head, the division head, forensics department, and hi-tech department.
During these first few episodes, you get a glimpse of the "character" of Chen and Wu. And the female interest are introduced. Janine Chang as Lan Xi Ying is part of the forensics department and is super close friends with Wu. Ivy Chen plays Chen Lin, the daughter of the head of the biggest triad in the area, San Lian Hui. Ivy Chen is a rocket in a bottle type character.
It's also during this time that you'll see that they play Chen to the womanizer side and introduce the Pi Zi for which he is nicknamed. Wu's a cop that wants to bust any and everyone willing to break the law.
The main arc resolves around the pursuit of the people responsible for "Dreamer". Dreamer is a hallucinogen that makes you very very happy.
Second Quarter (Episodes 7-12) Things start to get interesting here. Chen's background is further explored and the female love interest start to complicate work and everyday life. A special person to one of our heroes is introduced.
Third Quarter (Episodes 13-18) Another special person to one of our heroes is introduced. Sonia Sui as Lei Mu Sha is it and she lights up the screen. The series takes a very dark tone at this point.
As if the first 3 quarters didn't turn your head, these last episodes introduces as much as it resolves issues.
If you want the epitome of Taiwan's high production value on TV in 2009, look no further than Black And White. It was a wild ride and i was glad to be on it for the roughly 2.5 weeks it took me to finish it.
I am definitely looking forward to the movie now. Set for release in the summer of 2010. Let's go Taiwan, let's support these type of endeavors.
痞子英雄 (Black and White) is a 2009 Taiwanese Police Drama starring Vic Zhou, Mark Chao, Ivy Chen and Janine Chang.
It will start to air at 7pm here in Los Angeles on LA 18 (KSCI) starting Thursday, August 6th. My best guess is that it will NOT have English subtitles.
I finished the series recently and wanted to sit on it for a few days before I wrote up a review. I had a first thoughts post a few weeks back. I'll have my final thoughts posted in a couple of days.
In my opinion, Black and White is the most hyped series out of Taiwan this year. So much hype that they broadcast the whole series on a daily basis the week after the last episode was aired.
The series seemed to show up in a lot of English blogs during its 12 week run from April to June. The hype carried it to a movie deal. They will follow up the series with a movie next summer.
痞子英雄 (Black and White) is a Taiwanese Police Drama starring Vic Zhou, Mark Chao, Ivy Chen and Janine Chang.
I am half way through the series and must say that it is awesome. Overall, the production value is very high in comparison to the other stuff I see around. Can it match the production value of TV shows in the US? No, but that's not the point. You gotta take it for what it is. Taiwan and China are not up to par with say a CSI or Lost, but it will get there eventually. I think its a matter of $$ that the industry can get.
Ok, back to the series. The story has a similar feel to The Hospital in terms of internal politics. You can't have it black and white. There are way too may grey areas. Mark walks the white line. Vic walks the black line per se. You'll have to see the politics to fully understand.
For the female leads, I've been quite disappointed. They are both strong characters, but do not really impact the story that much. I really hope the second half is better for them.
I noticed that there are many many people in power that are influenced by many other factors. There's a sense of mystery that looms over it all. Vic's character has a background revealed. But Mark's does not. The mystery has a 24 type feel to it.
Hey, I am half way through and its a been a wild ride. It's lived up to and exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend it. Looking forward to the movie as well.
白色巨塔 (The Hospital) is a 2006 drama out of Taiwan. The 3 main stars are Jerry Yan, Janine Chang, and Leon Dai. Among the many supporting cast members are Linda Liao, Ryan Tang, Cheryl Yang, Saya, Pally Jian, and Josephine Hsu. The series has 39 episodes.
I watched this drama 1.5 times. First in 2006 when it made it to DVD here in Los Angeles. Than again on and off during 2008. I put on the first 25 or so episodes while washing dishes. So, for me, the best parts came in the first 25 episodes. The series has an extremely high production value including a star studded cast. Emotions were high and drama was at the center. The first episode had me liking Jerry Yan's Yi Hua right away. I was stricken by Janine Chang and Linda Liao. I have a vague remembrance of the drama on TV here in LA. I can't remember if it was LA18 or a cable channel.
The drama is about life in "The Hospital". Apparently, there are a lot of politics and an hierarchy to adhere to. Yi Hua is a prodigy of sorts. The youngest to ascend to his position in the hospital. Yi Hua is good natured and keeps his patients number one. However, the top position in the Hospital is going to open us soon as the person there is retiring. Politics and jostling of positions starts. Yi Hua seems to be at the center of lots of the politics. All the while, Yi Hua is trying to get back into the life of Janine Chang's character, Guan Xin. Yi Hua and Guan Xin were a couple in college. But when Yi Hua went to the army, Guan Xin went to another man. Ever since, Guan Xin has rejected Yi Hua. However, for Yi Hua, Guan Xin is still the love of his life. A president's daughter is admitted. 2 sides, surgery and internal medicine duke it out for the honor of treating the president's daughter.
Wow. That's drama for you. High drama. Intense moments. Yelling, crying, amazing scenery shots. Great music. Its got it all. If you wanted the epitome of Taiwanese Drama production in 2006, look no further than "The Hospital".
A sidenote on the OST. I picked it up via YesAsia and it doesn't contain the Jerry Yan version. Sucks.
This is among my favorite series and I think I'll be watching parts of it every 3-5 years. Writing up this review has me interested in it again.
蜂蜜幸運草 (Honey And Clover) is a 2008 drama out of Taiwan. It stars Eddie Peng, Joe Cheng, Janine Chang, Lego Le, Ito Chiaki, Tarcy Su, David Chen, and Chang Han. The drama is based off a Japanese manga. The Japanese manga has also been made into a movie and drama in Japan.
Running at 14 episodes, the drama was quick and delirious as well. The character development was heavy for a few characters and light for the supporting cast. This drama is also directed by Robin Lee. Robin Lee also direct 2 other movies, The Shoe Fairy and My DNA Says I Love You.
The drama is about a group of art students at a Taipei University. The University seems to have many different forms of "art" that you can study. 3 of the 5 main characters are just starting their Senior year. For Sen Tian, he's been a senior for a few years now. No graduating because he doesn't turn in his senior project. Ya Go and Shen Sian are a "couple" and Chu Bun is the junior.
It was a pretty interesting drama. I didn't have a clue where it was going. But I was happy to be on that ride. I thought back to my college days a lot while watching this series.
I think that Robin Lee added her eclectic artsy feel to the drama that I've not seen in other Taiwanese dramas. It was both refreshing and a change of pace.
Silk (詭絲) is 2006 film out of Taiwan starring Chen Chang with a supporting cast of 大S (Barbie Hsu), Wilson Chen, Karena Lam, and Janine Chang.
Chen Chang plays a cop with extraordinary vision. So good, he can see the feathers of the birds flying above him as well an expert lip reader and a sharp shooter. A cop with an extreme temper to go with it. Chen Chang gets re-assigned to a special paranormal division for all the previously mentioned skillz, but mostly for his keen eyesight. The time has trapped a ghost with a special technology called the Menger Sponge. The plot thickens as the guy that put this team together is a little tipsy and doesn't play by the rules. Rules fly out the window and the triller horror begins.
When I first heard about this movie back in 2007, I thought it was a Japanese movie. I didn't find much more back in the day, but when I saw it via Netflix in 2008, I realized it was a Taiwan movie. With the supporting cast a who's who of the "it" actors and actresses, I was pleasantly surprised.
The action, suspense, solving of the mystery, and the resolution all left me satisfied. Before I started the film, I thought it was going to be a movie like Ringu or The Ring or ghost with hair that covers the face, etc. type movie. Boy was I wrong. It was a mystery and the subplots revolving around the main plot made it all the more intriguing.
夢遊夏威夷 (Holiday Dreaming) is a 2004 Taiwan film about 2 guys looking for a AWOL solider. The English title is a little weird for me as it is more like "Dream of Hawaii". During a scene in the movie, they reference the line.
I think it was a good film. There's all sorts of "weird" supporting characters that get their few minutes in. From the 2 kitchen cooks, to the bala girl, to the gangsters, and to the shop owner. All are presented eccentrically.
The recent Taiwan films I've watched recently all have a similar feel to them. They go at a slower pace, focus on many characters' unique attribute, highlight the landscape, and seek discovery. Holiday Dreaming had all those elements.
Part of the story takes place on the eastern coast of Taiwan. I couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful and tropical it all was.
