Thursday March 22, 2007
A period drama, with lots of martial arts action thrown in, is Malaysian film director C.L. Hor’s latest project.
Thanks to the wonders of technology, these days a martial arts film doesn’t necessarily require an actor to know how to fight. With a little CGI (computer- generated imagery), many wires and a good action choreographer, even the most stiff-jointed actor can fight like Bruce Lee.Nevertheless, it is a proven fact that the best kung fu flicks ever made usually star actors who know how to wield the sword, or break a villain’s neck with a single punch. Think Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China, Jackie Chan in Drunken Master, or Tony Jaa in Ong Bak. The presence of these real-life martial arts exponents in these movies played a huge part in turning otherwise ordinary action flicks into legendary kung fu classics.
Bearing that in mind, Malaysian film director C.L. Hor can count himself lucky that when he starts filming Malaysia’s first-ever martial arts flick – Kinta 1881 – he will be able to boast not just one, but seven true-blue martial arts exponents. The stars include former world wushu champion Robin Ho, in the leading role; national wushu champions Michael Chin, Kuan Fei Jun and Shawn Lee; as well as world champion tai chi exponent David Bao from China.
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Set for action: C.L. Hor will soon start filming Kinta 1881, Malaysia’s first-ever martial arts flick. |
To ensure that the action sequences can match the fighting ability of his actors, Hor has enlisted experienced Hong Kong stunt choreographer Chin Ka Lok. Chin is a former member of Hong Kong stunt and kung fu maestro Sammo Hung’s team. Chin used to stand in as a stunt double for international action superstar Jackie Chan, and has appeared in movies like Full Throttle, My Kung Fu Sweetheart, as well as Chan’s ThunderboltDrunken Master II. and
As an action choreographer, Chin has garnered nominations in the best action choreography categories at the 2005 Golden Horse and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his work on the triad drama, One Nite in Mongkok.
According to Hor, Chin has met all the actors and seen what they can do; and is very impressed.“Even the film distributors in China and Hong Kong were very impressed with the ability of the actors when they saw the trailer. They were amazed that we have so many talented martial arts exponents,” Hor says. “Our wushu athletes are among the best in the world – they are recognised, and some are world champions. I feel really proud as a Malaysian to be associated with them. This inspired me to try and fit them into a movie. Who knows? We may be able to push them into becoming bigger stars, like Jet Li and Jackie Chan.”
As for that small detail of their being relative newcomers in the world of filmmaking, Hor feels it’s not an issue at all. In fact, he enjoys working with new actors, because he reckons it is easier to mould them and give them a chance to shine.
“We are really lucky to have discovered this bunch of guys who are real performers cum athletes; and if no one gives them the chance (to act), then there is nowhere they can go.
“These guys have been training and training since they were kids, just to represent the country. But after they retire, what can they do? They can’t just rely on coaching alone. This is an area I would like to develop, to show them that besides being just a wushu coach, you can also apply your skills in other industries like filmmaking.”
As for their acting skills, he reckons that can be trained.
“We’ve taken into consideration their acting skills, and I believe that after they are trained by professionals, they can really go somewhere.”
Hor is also looking to add a bit of local martial arts flavour by having some scenes with silat exponents as well. “I am planning a scene where the main cast have to live in a kampung and are inspired by some silat exponent, and eventually apply silat into their own way of fighting.”
Even without the added logistical headache of setting up the action scenes, making Kinta 1881The 3rd Generation. And they haven’t even started filming yet! is turning out to be five times harder than his previous movie,
“This is a very ambitious film, because we chose to set it in the 1880s. We had to do a lot of research and make creative set designs to recreate the era. But I’m glad to say that the movie will be quite believable in terms of historical facts, as well as designs of the costumes and sets.” Hor adds that while it would have been far simpler to make a modern action flick, the point of Kinta 1881 was extraordinary.
“The scope of this movie reflects the Chinese society in Malaysia, just like The 3rd Generation in which I talked about how the local Chinese have evolved from generation to generation,” he says.
With the new movie, Hor wants to go further. “I want to show people outside Malaysia the roots of the Malaysian-Chinese.
“The main story is about how the Chinese came here, how they moved on and continued living in this country after 1881. This is also one important part of Malaysian history. The martial arts and action is merely there to increase the entertainment value of the movie.”
As the title suggests, the movie will be set in the Kinta Valley in the 1880s, when tin ore was discovered in the area, and Chinese immigrants flooded the valley in hopes of making their fortune.
Several locations, including Kampar and Gua Tempurung, have been earmarked for shooting.
“The main location is at the original and first-ever tin mine in Kampar, which is still operational,” says Hor.
“During 1883 and 1884, Malaysia was the largest producer of tin in the world, and most of it came from the Kinta Valley.
“The beauty of the Kampar and Taiping areas is these areas still have operational tin dredges. For those of us who had never seen one, it was fantastic to see how they actually mine the tin at these dredges,” he says, adding that not many people actually know what tin mining is like, and people outside Malaysia don’t even know what tin ore is.
“Some of my friends in Hong Kong thought that the movie is about a type of rice! (The term for tin is sek mai in Cantonese, which literally means tin rice.) Even the stunt director was planning fights set in rice mills!
“That’s another thing we want to introduce to the world – that Malaysia produces tin ore, and it is a very important part of our history.”
Filming of Kinta 1881 is set to begin in April, and its tentative release date is November this year. It is the first film to be made under the newly-formed film production company absolutelyblack – a collaboration between Hor’s Blackbox Pictures and event management company CMG Absolute Entertainment.
Thursday March 8, 2007
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Chin: He will finalise the location and the set-up, as well as plan the movie’s action sequences. |
Set in pre-Merdeka Perak, when gang wars were common among rival tin mining colonies, the film is directed by C.L. Hor (The Third Generation) and stars former world wushu champion Ho Robin with three other national wushu exponents including Michael Chin, Kuan Fei and Shawn Lee; and world champion taichi exponent David Bao from China.
Chin, who began working as a stuntman at the age of 16, is a former member of Hong Kong stunt and kungfu maestro Sammo Hung's team, and used to stand-in as a stunt double for international action superstar Jackie Chan.
He has previously acted in movies like Full Throttle, My Kung Fu Sweetheart as well as Chan’s Thunderbolt and Drunken Master II.
As an action choreographer, Chin has garnered nominations in the best action
choreography categories at the 2005 Golden Horse and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his work on the triad drama One Nite in Mongkok.
According to Hor, Chin has already met all the actors and will soon be in Malaysia to finalise the location and the set-up, as well as plan the action sequences.
“We spent half a year researching and scouting for the right choreographer, and we are happy to get Chin on board,” he said.
Filming of Kinta 1881 is set to begin next month, with November as the tentative release date.
It is the first film to be made under the newly-formed film production company absolutelyblack, a collaboration between Hor’s Blackbox Pictures and event management company CMG Absolute Entertainment.
May 15, 2007
IPOH: The famous Kek Look Tong cave temple here, a serene site, is now a hive of activity. Its scenic limestone caverns and unique formations is perfect for the shooting of Malaysia’s first martial arts flick – Kinta 1881.
After a week of filming in Kampar and Papan, the crew got busy on the first day of shooting here yesterday.
The film's director, C.L. Hor, a Malaysian, said filming was on schedule.
“We thought “This is the perfect place because of its beauty,” Hor told reporters at the site.
Set in the Kinta Valley, the movie depicts the clash between Chinese immigrants struggling to earn a living in tin mines and gangsters aligned to the mine owners.
The film will have spectacular fight scenes, under the direction of celebrated Hong Kong stunt choreographer Chin Ka Lok and director of photography Jacky Tang.
The crew, producers and most of the cast are Malaysians. The cast includes former world wushu champion Robin Ho, national wushu champions Shawn Lee, Michael Chin and Kuan Fei Jun, and world champion tai chi exponent David Bao from China.
Filming is expected to go on until June, with the film's release slated for November.
May 4, 2007
KAMPAR: Malaysia’s first martial arts flick – Kinta 1881 – got off to a good start with the shooting of its first scene at the history-rich road of Jalan Tokong here. 
With over a hundred curious residents watching from the sidelines, filmmakers shot the scene at the closed-off street decorated as a 19th century market.
Dressed in lace gowns and flanked by “bodyguards”, Hong Kong television actress Anita Kuan Yi Tung, 23, and Australian actress Laura New, 21, stood out as they strolled among the extras.
The movie, directed by Malaysian film director C.L. Hor, is set in the Kinta Valley during a time when Chinese immigrants were struggling to earn a living in its rich tin mines.
Kinta 1881 promises to have spectacular fights under the direction of celebrated Hong Kong stunt choreographer Chin Ka Lok and director of photography Jacky Tang Hon Pong.
“It’s essentially a story about justice set during the boom of the tin mining industry in the 1880s.
“It will be Malaysian’s first martial arts film with the kind of production values, budget and stunt coordination you would expect from Hong Kong,” said Hor after a prayer ceremony just before shooting here yesterday.
The film crew, producers and most of the cast, however, were all from Malaysia, he added.
Gangster fights in Kinta Valley
by Sharifah Arfah, New Straits Times 22 Jan 2007
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Perak’s kongsi communities in 19th-century Malaysia seem to have all the ingredients for Malaysia’s first kung-fu movie, says a local film director. SHARIFAH ARFAH speaks to C.L. Hor about his newest venture.
SPURRED by the interest in Asian films overseas, film director C.L. Hor is coming up with his second feature film, Kinta 1881.
The film, set in 1881, will be the first Malaysian kung-fu flick.
It chronicles the life in kongsis amid the pre-Merdeka tin-mining era in Kinta Valley. The film will be produced by Blackbox Pictures Sdn Bhd at an initial cost of RM3.8 million.
The cast includes Malaysian wushu exponents, as well as international ones. Among them are national wushu champions Robin Ho, Michael Chin, Shawn Lee and Kuan Fei Jun, as well as world tai-chi expert David Bao from China.
Hor, who ventured into filmmaking after nearly six years of creative videomaking in Hong Kong, feels that the motion picture is the best way to drive a vision.
His first film, The 3rd Generation, was praised for its ornate settings and costumes.
It won the most promising actress award (Carmen Soo) and best costume designer award (Eric Choong) at the 19th Malaysian Film Festival last year. It was also screened at film festivals in Shanghai and Hawaii.
Hor said Kinta 1881 intends to tap the diversity and richness of Malaysia’s historical values, and hopefully, will be screened at film festivals overseas.
“I have met film practitioners from Hong Kong, who feel that Malaysia’s richness is yet to be fully portrayed. This is something we can take advantage of,” he said.
Hor said making movies with commercial storylines, like ghost stories, has its merits in terms of satisfying a mass audience and maximising box-office pickings.
“But I’d rather not go down that way. Although Kinta 1881 is a martial arts movie, it won’t have comic-driven kung-fu movements. Instead, it will feature serious gangster fights,” he said.
The martial arts choreography will be conducted by a Hong Kong martial arts expert who has done a lot of work for various Hong Kong films.
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