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A Different Brilliance—The D & B Story

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A Different Brilliance—The D & B Story 1. Yes, Madam (1985): Michelle Yeoh 2. Love Unto Wastes (1986): (left) Elaine Jin; (right) Tony Leung Chiu-wai 3. An Autumn’s Tale (1987): (left) Chow Yun-fat; (right) Cherie Chung 4. Where’s Officer Tuba? (1986): Sammo Hung 5. Hong Kong 1941 (1984): (from left) Alex Man, Cecilia Yip, Chow Yun-fat 6. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World (1987): (front row from left) Loletta Lee, Elsie Chan, Pauline Kwan, Lydia Sum, Bill Tung; (back row) John Chiang 7. The Return of Pom Pom (1984): (left) John Sham; (right) Richard Ng 8. Heart to Hearts (1988): (from left) Dodo Cheng, George Lam, Vivian Chow Pic. 1-8 © 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited All Rights Reserved Contents 4 Foreword Kwok Ching-ling, Wong Ha-pak 〈Chapter I〉 Production • Cinema Circuits 10 D & B’s Development: From Production Company to Theatrical Distribution Po Fung Circuit 19 Retrospective on the Big Three: Dickson Poon and the Rise-and-Fall Story of the Wong Ha-pak D & B Cinema Circuit 29 An Unconventional Filmmaker—John Sham Eric Tsang Siu-wang 36 My Days at D & B Shu Kei In-Depth Portraits 46 John Sham Diversification Strategies of a Resolute Producer 54 Stephen Shin Targeting the Middle-Class Audience Demographic 61 Linda Kuk An Administrative Producer Who Embodies Both Strength and Gentleness 67 Norman Chan A Production Controller Who Changes the Game 73 Terence Chang Bringing Hong Kong Films to the International Stage 78 Otto Leong Cinema Circuit Management: Flexibility Is the Way to Go 〈Chapter II〉 Creative Minds 86 D & B: The Creative Trajectory of a Trailblazer Thomas Shin 92 From Yes, Madam to Magnificent Warriors Joyce Yang —Michelle Yeoh and Her In the Line of Duty Series 99 A Hong Kong Modern in the 1980s Trilogy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World Yau Ching 109 The Middle-Class Story in Hong Kong Cinema Mary Wong Shuk-han —Creativity and Conservatism of D & B Films 2 Dialogues on Films 117 Mabel Cheung On Directing An Autumn’s Tale 123 Kam Kwok-leung On Wonder Women and Carry on Dancing 129 Gordon Chan On Writing and Directing Heart to Hearts 135 Yank Wong The Art Direction of The Lunatics and Several Others In-Depth Portraits 143 Michelle Yeoh A Heroine On and Off Screen 148 John Chan Koon-chung Pursuing Innovation Is a Mindset 154 Chan Kiu-ying My Unfulfilling but Unregretful Screenwriting Journey 160 Ip Kwong-kim A Screenwriter Who Transcends Genres and Expectations 〈Chapter III〉 D & B• Pre- and Post-1980s 168 An A for D & B for its Cs: Middle-Class Sensibilities in the Studio’s Early Years Sam Ho 181 Entertainment and Creativity—A Look at the Development of Film Music in Angela Law Tsin-fung 1980s Hong Kong Through D & B Films 189 ‘Hong Kong 1941’: Cinematic Memories of an Occupied City and Regional Politics Kenny Ng Appendices 204 The D & B Chronology 210 The D & B Filmography 217 The D & B Cinema Circuit Filmography 221 Acknowledgements 3 Foreword Kwok Ching-ling, Wong Ha-pak n its some twenty years of history, the Hong Kong Film Archive has held a number of themed retrospectives I on film companies, including the Mandarin film-focused MP & GI/Cathay, Shaws, Great Wall and Feng Huang; as well as Cantonese film studios such as Kong Ngee, Union Film, and Sun Luen. We also covered Golden Harvest, an indisputable leader of the industry since the 1970s until its closure; and Cinema City, which rose to prominence in the early 1980s. D & B, the subject of our retrospective this time, was established in 1984. Against the backdrop of commercialism of Hong Kong cinema, it’s a company which espoused the philosophy of creativity-first and ‘walking on two legs’.1 Mainstream audiences who watched the Chinese New Year blockbusters from Golden Harvest, Cinema City2, and D & B from the 1980s may not have noticed some of the smaller, more unique offerings from D & B. As we review D & B more than three decades after its establishment, we are in an excellent position to clearly evaluate the company’s strategies in balancing commercialism and creativity, their successes and their failures. I With the rapid growth of Hong Kong films in the 1980s, Hong Kong cinema shed off its traditional labels of ‘Cantonese films’ and ‘Mandarin films’, and the once-mighty studio-made period films gave way to modern, contemporary dramas, as audiences welcomed the aesthetics of realism and authenticity. A new generation of filmmakers joined the fold, whilst the older generation also sought to break down their traditional structures and limitations. Even more extraordinary was the willingness of both generations to exchange ideas and collaborate.3 D & B, which ascended quickly in the mid-1980s, can be said to be an example of, or even a leader of, that era of new and innovative trends. The D & B team was young, upon its establishment, the three bosses—Dickson Poon, Sammo Hung and John Sham—were all just around thirty years of age. Hung, who’d started working in the film industry at a very young age, had by then already achieved ‘big brother’ status. Having said that, he found great chemistry with Sham, and the two were keen to stretch their wings and collaborate. The ‘two-legged’ strategy of D & B was: on the one hand, put emphasis on commercial genre pictures and add international appeal, such as shooting on location overseas, introducing foreign actors, and enhancing the visual effects (including action choreography). Take Royal Warriors (1986) as an example. Boasting an impressive cast of Michelle Yeoh, Michael Wong and Japanese star Sanada Hiroyuki (aka Henry Sanada), the film also incorporates high-octane action and explosion sequences, framing its story as an ‘international’ one. It yielded good results in the overseas markets of the time. Likewise, Magnificent Warriors (1987), with its large-scale sets and nostalgic tone (modelled after popular, contemporary Western blockbusters such as Raiders of the Lost Ark [1981] and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [1984]), also exemplified the studio’s epic ambitions. Easy Money (1987), produced during D & B’s middle years, was shot on multiple locations in Europe, and was marketed as an overseas shoot to highlight the scale and quality of its production. In the film, Michelle Yeoh races across snowy slopes, paraglides, and steers a mount into a forest; and the end credits detail the professional trainers hired, highlighting the professionalism and competence of the action and stunt team. Later, films like 1 The full names of the film companies are: Motion Picture & General Investment Co. Ltd. (MP & GI), which later reorganised as Cathay Organisation Hong Kong Ltd, Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) Ltd, The Great Wall Movie Enterprises Ltd, Feng Huang Motion Picture Co, Kong Ngee Motion Picture Production Company, The Union Film Enterprise Ltd, Sun Luen Film Company, Golden Harvest (HK) Limited, Cinema City Company Limited and D & B Films Co., Ltd. 2 It is worth noting that D & B was established in 1984, the same year that Tsui Hark and Nansun Shi, once two of Cinema City’s ‘Gang of Seven’, broke out and established their own production company, Film Workshop Co. Ltd. 3 For the collaboration between the two generations of filmmakers, see the interviews with Norman Chan and Terence Chang on how this disparate group did or did not work together. Regarding the content of their oral history interviews, see ‘Norman Chan’ of this book, interviewed by Janice Chow, et al., collated by Janice Chow, pp 67-72; ‘Terence Chang’, interviewed by Cindy Chan, Wong Ha- pak, et al., collated by Cheung Po-ching and Doris Chiu, pp 73-77. 4 Black Cat (1991) and Black Cat II: Assassination of President Yeltsin (1992) were not only shot in North America, but also in more exotic locations such as Russia, incorporating many hi-tech sequences. The sequel even brings to life political figures from contemporary international relations, exemplifying D & B’s experimental approach towards ‘internationalising’. During this period, D & B was also producing light, contemporary comedies that chose to record audio on-set, enhancing the synchronicity of sound and images and creating a stronger sense of realism. All these developments signalled the D & B production teams’ bold attempts at producing more modernised images and adopting more professional techniques. Against the two monopolies of the film industry, Golden Harvest and Cinema City, D & B faced an uphill struggle trying to squeeze in at third-place. This tied in with its ‘second leg’, which chimed well with the stable of ‘alternative’ auteur-directors at D & B. Such alternative works often sought to highlight the status of Hong Kong, focus on contemporary social issues and raise local awareness. The first D & B-branded film, Hong Kong 1941 (1984) (D & B’s first production, The Return of Pom Pom (1984), was very much a sequel to a film from another studio), was a work that historicised Hong Kong’s past and at the same time responded to the contemporary situation, as the city faced yet another pivotal moment in its history. Other modern dramas also broached different social issues in their unique ways, such as minority groups (Silent Love [1986], The Lunatics [1986]), the psychology of modern urbanites (Love Unto Wastes [1986]). As the studio entered its later years, production of such niche works had indeed been reduced. Yet it is still possible to find works that explore violence towards women (Vengeance is Mine [1988]) and drugs (Will of Iron [1991]). Unfortunately they lack depth in their exploration of the issues and their critical and box office results were middling.
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