Lam Fung: The Teen Fashion Never Ends

Here are two more of Patricia Lam's "Teen Fashion" cards that I found at a shop in Mongkok during my recent trip to Hong Kong. As always, Pat looks positively perfect!

Rebecca Pan: My Indie Music

Wow... this is like a dream come true: all of my favorite Hong Kong indie bands covering the hits of HK pop pioneer Rebecca Pan.

The just released My Dream My Way My Indie Music was produced by Rebecca herself and is something that I *highly* recommend to anyone who follows this blog. It comes packaged with an attractively designed, 88-page book that is chock-full of photos of the artists, as well as vintage pics of the lovely Ms. Pan.

Here's the track list, along with two sample songs and links to videos by the musicians featured on the album. And let me just add that even though I'm not a fan of Cantopop king Eason Chan, his cover of "Chinese Blues" totally rocks!

"Nee Nee Wo Wo" (1961) by PixelToy

"Solid Gold Rickshaw" (1967) by Ketchup

"Essence of Love" (1966) by Chet Lam

"Mágica Luna" (1961) by the pancakes


"Bengawan Solo" (1962) by at17

"I've Seen You in My Dreams" (1974) by Rebecca Pan & Chet Lam

"The Protest" (1974) by Gayamyan

"I Wonder Why" (1968) by my little airport

"J'attendrai" (1961) by Rebecca Pan

"Chinese Blues" (1962) by Eason Chan

"My Hong Kong" (1965) by Rebecca Pan & HK Indies


"Siboney Amor" (2009) by Rebecca Pan

* YOU CAN BUY THE ALBUM HERE.

Hold That Pose, Josephine!

If you think holding a smile for the camera is hard, try holding one of the poses in this lobby photo for Ma Yongzhen from Shandong (1965). Yep, that's a teenage Josephine Siao in the background, grappling with martial-arts choreographer Han Yingjie — 28 years before she played Jet Li's kung-fu fighting mom in Fong Sai Yuk!

Lux Soap Keeps My Blog Smooth and Soft

Have you ever wondered how I keep Soft Film so soft? Well, it's no secret. Like Gracie, I use Lux Soap. Are you tired of those unsightly blemishes caused by a bad diet of constipating film criticism? Then lighten up and use a little Lux. Remember: Soft Film is sexy!

* Thanks as always to Oldflames for keeping me well supplied with the good stuff!

Learning Mandarin with Zhou Xuan

Lyrics card for Zhou Xuan's "Song of Four Seasons"

I'm very excited to tell you about Ambuscade from Ten Sides, a new blog that's sure to become a great English-language resource for Mandarin-impaired fans of classic Chinese pop like myself. So far, blogger Remorseful Prober has been focusing mainly on the legendary "Golden Voice", Zhou Xuan. Besides providing biographical information and translated lyrics for some of her songs (such as "Shanghai Nightlife", "Picking Betel Nuts", and "Lover's Knot"), he has also generously made available for download several out-of-print collections of her songs.

To celebrate this wonderful new blog, here is Zhou Xuan singing one of her signature hits, "Song of Four Seasons" from the 1937 film Street Angel. Okay everybody, let's learn Mandarin with Zhou Xuan!

All the Rage: Carrie Koo Mei

Here's a little something to follow up on my recent post about Carrie Koo's career as a painter. This lovely centerfold appeared in Southern Screen No. 81 (November 1964), accompanied by the English text below. Carrie looks exceptionally classy, don't you think?

That Singing Rage: Carrie Ku Mei

Countless moviegoers and song lovers have been thrilled by her sweet voice over the airwaves, on records and in movies.

She is none other than Ku Chia-mi, the Soochow beauty better known by her professional name of Carrie Ku Mei. Her fans will be delighted to learn that this lovely singer has been assigned by Shaw Studio to play the female lead in the forthcoming Eastmancolour / Shawscope musical "The Lark".

Carrie had her first taste of fame in 1955 when she appeared in the Shaw picture "Love and Duty" with Chang Yang and Shih Ying. In it she sang the theme song "Where is Mother?" which made her famous overnight. Other outstanding numbers which Carrie Ku Mei has recorded include "The Lass from Mount Ali" and "Love Without End", two haunting melodies frequently heard throughout Southeast Asia.

Carrie Ku Mei has appeared in such Shaw productions as "Red Chamber Dream", "Comedy of Mismatches" and "Blue and Black". She went to Bangkok to promote her picture "The Fair Sex" and stayed in the Thai capital for four years, returning to Hong Kong in 1961.

This charming songstress has spent most of the last 15 years in southern China, so it's not surprising her Cantonese is as fluent as her Mandarin.

Mai Ling: Tomboy in Pink

I love the reserved, slightly defiant look of Mai Ling on this cover of Screenland. The pink dress and pink plastic flowers can't cover up the motorcycle-riding tomboy. There's a hint of unwillingness on Ah Ling's part to play the expected role of eager young starlet, whether innocent or sexy. Maybe that's why she remained a second string player for most of her career.

It takes more than just beauty and talent to become a superstar. Besides simple luck, it helps to have connections and the shrewdness to use them. Take for example "Little Darling" Kitty Ting Hao, whose relationship with MP&GI general manager Robert Chung enabled her to climb the studio ladder. Knowing that, it's a little hard to stomach her innocent country girl act in the following clip from Beauty Parade (1961). Call me biased, but I'd much rather see more of Mai Ling, one of the "mean girls" in the film.



* Thanks to Oldflames for the cover!

Wilson Shieh: Maggie Cheung's Fitting Room

Here's another cool thing that I missed during my recent trip to Hong Kong: these wonderful drawings by Wilson Shieh, one of my favorite contemporary artists, which may have been shown at Osage Gallery in an exhibition of his latest work that ended just three days before my arrival.

I can't remember how I discovered Wilson Shieh, but ever since, I've been a big fan of his witty and whimsical work. Earlier this year in March he had an exhibit at Osage entitled Chow Yun Fat's Fitting Room, which playfully deconstructed the actor's star image.

In the two pieces above, he's applied the same sort of treatment to Maggie Cheung. What I like about Wilson Shieh's art is that it can hold as much or as little meaning as you want. You can ponder the calculated manufacturing of the star system or take simple delight in the paper doll-inspired depictions. The irony of Wilson's work is always gentle, tempered by a genuine affection for his subjects.

Further Viewing

• Assorted Works (2008-2009, Osage Gallery)


• Assorted Works (2009, Singapore Tyler Print Insitute)


• Ladyland (2007, Grotto Fine Art)


• Assorted Works (2005, Crown Point Press)


• Nanyang, Ocean of the South (2005, Grotto Fine Art)


• An Alternative Antiquity (2002, Grotto Fine Art)


• Assorted Works (1996-2004, Hong Kong Art Archive)

Julie Wu: Postcard Perfect

Wow... take a look at Julie Wu Ching-hung, the grand dame of Taiwan Mandarin cinema. Here she is posing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in September 1959, when she represented Taiwan for the second year in a row at the San Francisco Pacific Festival.

A great big thanks to Oldflames for the lovely photo! Stay tuned for more about Julie and the Pacific Festival...

Soft Film Video Jukebox: Mavis Fan & 100%

Whenever I go to Hong Kong, I always miss something cool that's happening either the week before or after my visit. This trip was no exception. Just days before my arrival there was a two-day music festival featuring two of my favorite Taiwanese singers, Mavis Fan and Cheer Chen. Damn! :'(

Oh well... at least I was able to console myself with Mavis's new CD, Innocent, her first full-length album in nearly five years. As always, Mavis has a cool new look and sound. Here's "Zhu Ren" ("Master"), one of my favorite songs off the album.

Koo Mei: More than a Lark

Nicknamed "Little Lark", Carrie Koo Mei is one of the great Chinese songstresses of the 1950s and 60s — and is still fondly remembered today for singing the title song of that classic tearjerker Love Without End (1961) — but did you know that she is also a remarkable painter?

When I was in Hong Kong I had the rare opportunity to see an exhibition of her amazing work at the University Museum and Art Gallery. Believe it or not, Carrie has been painting since 1963, back when she was still singing and acting at Shaw Brothers. Her teachers included Chao Shao-an, master of the Lingnan School of Painting; Hu Nien-tsu; and Lui Shou-kwan, founder of the Zen-inspired New Ink Movement.

After learning from some of the best Chinese ink painters of the 20th century, Koo Mei charted her own course and developed a unique style that combines the realism of the Lingnan School with the free form of the New Ink Movement. The title of the exhibition, "The Cloud and Mist Weaver", perfectly describes the effortless and ephemeral beauty of Koo Mei's paintings. As Yeung Chun-tong, the director of the University Museum and Art Gallery, writes in his introduction to the exhibit:

Landscape painting offers a medium for Koo Mei to seek her personal ideal. All her compositions, be they depictions of actual mountains and rivers or of imagined scenery, reflect the beauty of nature as she sees it in her heart. Without deliberately painting abstract pictures, nor transforming majestic mountains and flowing streams into mere brush strokes and symbols, she simply expresses her emotions in the free-form clouds, haze, mist and fog, transporting her audience to the highest heaven, unrestricted by form, shape and colour.

Indeed, as I looked at the landscapes delicately woven by Koo Mei, I was transported from the hustle and bustle of one of the world's densest cities to a place of blissful solitude.

Here are two paintings from the show that I scanned from the exhibition brochure.


A Morning Rehearsal by Koo Mei


Cool Lighting by Koo Mei

If you'd like to see more of Koo Mei's paintings, you can visit her online gallery at the Hong Kong Art Archive.

P.S.: Did you notice Carrie's Spiderman shirt in the photo above?!

eBay Bargain of the Week: Shagadelic Lily

I figured one of you might be interested in getting this very cool, vintage Lily Ho photo that is selling on eBay for only 6 bucks (plus shipping). Act now, Lily fans!

The Blog Formerly Known as HKMDB Daily News

I just want to make sure you all know about the recent transformation of HKMDB Daily News into Roast Pork Sliced From A Rusty Cleaver. Now it's easier than ever to keep abreast of the latest Chinese movie news and gossip. Go on... take a bite. You know you want some!

Shopping for Vintage Hong Kong Pop

Hong Kong is without a doubt a "Shoppers' Paradise". Even someone like me, an obscurely specialized bottom feeder in the chain of consumers, can satisfy their materialist cravings. Check out these cool CD reissues of three classic LPs from Hong Kong's Diamond Records label. Established in 1960, Diamond was known for producing albums that mixed Mandarin versions of English songs, English versions of Mandarin songs, and ‘bilingual’ songs featuring both English and Mandarin lyrics. Like hot coke with ginger, the Diamond sound is a reflection of the unique East-West mix that makes Hong Kong such a fascinating place.

For more information about the pop music scene of Hong Kong during the 1960s, I encourage you to peruse the following fantastic websites: QUESTING Bandstand and Hong Kong Pop: English Style. And click on the links below for more information about the singers or to buy the CDs, which are a steal at $7.99!




"Take Good Care of Him" by Kong Ling and The Fabulous Echoes
Buy the CD




"Tower of Gold" by Rebecca Pan
Buy the CD

Wong Kar-wai fans will recognize Rebecca Pan from her roles in Days of Being Wild and In the Mood for Love.




"Green Island Serenade" by Carrie Koo
Buy the CD

Click here for lyrics and the controversy behind the authorship and meaning of this song.

Looking for Joy in Macau

Macau — the Las Vegas of the Far East

I must confess that after visiting Macau for the first time four years ago, I didn't plan on every returning. I don't gamble. I'm not much for glamor and glitz. And I'm often unimpressed by the obligatory tourist attractions. So when Glenn told me that he wanted to go to Macau, I wasn't really jumping at the bit. But I thought I'd give it another chance and try to make my way off the beaten track this time around.

We started our day — like all good tourists — at the Largo do Senado, the UNESCO-designated "Historic Centre of Macau" that features such traditional shops as Bath and Body Works, Bosinni, MANGO, McDonalds, and Starbucks. Feeling a little peckish, we ventured into a nearby cha chan teng for a bite to eat. It wasn't as cool as Hong Kong's Mido Cafe, but it fed my fried-egg sandwich fix. I also ordered hot Coke with ginger, something I've been wanting to try for a long time. Unfortunately, because of a communication snafu I ended up with the cold — and consequently less gingery — version, but I'll get it right the next time!

Refreshed, Glenn and I set out under the blazing sun in search of some antique shops that I'd read about. After wandering around a bit, we found a tantalizing (but closed) shop that beckoned with promises of rare movie treasures.


I never found out what riches lay waiting in this antique shop near the Ruins of St. Paul's

We then made our way back towards the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, which still managed to impress me in spite of the crowds and the heat. The ruins are emblematic of the old world atmosphere that makes Macau such a picturesque place for both visitors and filmmakers.


The Ruins of St. Paul's in the Shaw Brothers film I, Murderer (1961)


After watching Isabella (2006), you'll definitely want to visit Macau

After ascending the steps of St. Paul's, we journeyed into the less touristy part of town, looking for the "El Dorado" of our visit: the Cinema Alegria, known in Chinese as the Wing Lok Cinema. Built in 1952, it is allegedly Macau's oldest surviving movie theater.


The Art Deco–influenced front of the Cinema Alegria

According to the Macau Government Tourist office, the Cinema Alegria "existed on a staple of classic patriotic films in the early days", which I take to mean leftist films. Check out this tantalizing snippet of history I found via Google Books.

On March 1 [1955?] a party of Portuguese policemen and troops surrounded Wing Lok Theater, which was showing a Chinese film, "United for Tomorrow", and forcibly stopped the showing of the film. The Portuguese policemen and troops brutally beat up employees of the theater and some of the audience. Three persons were arrested.

Wow... things sure have changed since then. Nowadays, in this post-colonial, post-communist era, the Cinema Alegria screens movies like Kungfu Cyborg: Metallic Attraction and On His Majesty's Secret Service.


Art for the Masses: On His Majesty's Secret Service (2009)

The theater was renovated a few years ago. And while I could bemoan the fact that the original balcony was converted into a second screening room, I must admit that the new sound system rocks and the venue still retains its old-school charm — not to mention these cool hand-marked tickets!



Old-school tickets with row and seat hand-marked

Spending four hours inside the Cinema Alegria was a memorable experience for a movie fan like myself and definitely one of the highlights of my trip. As I sat in my seat waiting for the films to start, I daydreamed about the flickering ghosts of moving pictures long vanished and felt grateful that places like this still exist.

Back from Hong Kong

In spite of record heat and coming down with a cold, I had a fantastic time in Hong Kong: good company, good food, good movies, good shopping. On the down side, my camera stopped working three days into my trip, but I managed to take a few photos before then. (If you're interested, I also have three sets from my 2008 visit.)

Stay tuned in the coming week for some movie-related posts about my recent trip!