Member DiP Posted June 11, 2021 Member Share Posted June 11, 2021 (edited) Hong Kong cinema is officially dead https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hong-kong-censorship-1234966661/?fbclid=IwAR1mr8OFdpL0a0at5Kyre-aQiDYJeE2FvweQtp34573-3YwpAG4U61fEpiQ https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202106/11/P2021061100239.htm?fontSize=1&fbclid=IwAR2ooJgv28guKXjZ-Cnt8s0Gw5xRDyf4OcOn48IJnvg-lzyTo_fM5vLysBU Edited June 11, 2021 by DiP 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted June 12, 2021 Member Share Posted June 12, 2021 Depressing as hell. I've read this on several dozen tweets and it is officially dead. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Iron_Leopard Posted June 12, 2021 Member Share Posted June 12, 2021 Hasn't the HK film industry been dead for at least a decade now? If anything this will just make sure it never returns. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted June 12, 2021 Author Member Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) The concern here is the freedom of expression by HK filmmakers. That wasn't a problem nearly 25 years ago when Hong Kong cinema was declining. With Hong Kong's newly adopted National Security (influenced by China's National Security Law) involved, this will jeopardize the way movies are made in Hong Kong, which belongs to China now anyways. No more will there by themes, elements nor political incorrectness that Hong Kong used to get away with easily in the past. Everything will be strictly controlled and evaluated for the sake of pleasing Mainland China. Edited June 12, 2021 by DiP 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted June 12, 2021 Author Member Share Posted June 12, 2021 This begs the question... How will this affect new movies that haven't been released yet? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DiP Posted June 12, 2021 Author Member Share Posted June 12, 2021 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted June 12, 2021 Member Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) My biggest worry is what will happen to existing films? Will old CAT III films be considered harmful to national reputation and hence placed under sales ban? How about all the mainstream action, drama and comedy films that have (unintentionally) captured free, democracy style Hong Kong and filmmaking? The thousands of mainstream Hong Kong films that would be illegal in mainland because they don't fully embrace mainland political values? All the gangster films where Chow Yun Fat is not arrested at the end of the film despite having killed so many people, will those be considered as "promoting anti-social activity" and hence banned under the national security law? Will China try to erase parts of Hong Kong film history (perhaps literally burn film negatives) to hide evidence of the kind of Hong Kong that, according their their likely new narrative, supposedly never existed? Edited June 12, 2021 by Takuma 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cognoscente Posted June 12, 2021 Member Share Posted June 12, 2021 Perhaps this will force HK filmmakers to go to the West again. As for the movies that were already released, the fans who own the movies will be keepers of the flame. What's China going to do next? Enforce a widespread YouTube ban? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DarthKato Posted June 14, 2021 Member Share Posted June 14, 2021 I can see this causing a lot of their filmmakers to head west. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted June 14, 2021 Member Share Posted June 14, 2021 I can also see this as important to get media versions of HK films. I can see a big push from China to censor existing editions on streaming platforms. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cognoscente Posted June 16, 2021 Member Share Posted June 16, 2021 I'm reminded of that episode of Futurama where Star Trek is illegal. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted August 24, 2021 Moderator Share Posted August 24, 2021 On 6/12/2021 at 1:06 PM, Takuma said: My biggest worry is what will happen to existing films? Will old CAT III films be considered harmful to national reputation and hence placed under sales ban? How about all the mainstream action, drama and comedy films that have (unintentionally) captured free, democracy style Hong Kong and filmmaking? The thousands of mainstream Hong Kong films that would be illegal in mainland because they don't fully embrace mainland political values? All the gangster films where Chow Yun Fat is not arrested at the end of the film despite having killed so many people, will those be considered as "promoting anti-social activity" and hence banned under the national security law? Will China try to erase parts of Hong Kong film history (perhaps literally burn film negatives) to hide evidence of the kind of Hong Kong that, according their their likely new narrative, supposedly never existed? It’s started - https://hongkongfp.com/2021/08/24/new-censorship-law-will-empower-hong-kongs-no-2-official-to-retroactively-ban-movies/?fbclid=IwAR07H-uPRtm8AK5jp7xq8pAah7njJCp-eGHO96KaD50wrXgAcniaTy9ixPI 1 1 1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gaijin84 Posted August 24, 2021 Member Share Posted August 24, 2021 (edited) I don't know if they'd go back and ban old films, but stranger things have happened. Start tracking down your favorite movies now and get copies, the future looks potentially bleak. Edited August 24, 2021 by Gaijin84 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member CharlieParker Posted August 25, 2021 Member Share Posted August 25, 2021 I think the more interesting thing to look out for are the late 1980s/early 90s flicks where the mainland really isn't represented in a good light. Anyone else remember the bad dude in Long Arm of the Law 3 with Andy Lau? He's the most brutal sadistic villain there is... and he's supposed to represent PR China. Likewise, mainlanders were often portrayed as being very stupid - this was the stereotype. Personally, I always found it hilarious (and still do!) but I don't think the Chinese censors will share my amusement. If we're talking HK films which show the mainland in a negative light - then there's going to be a whole load of films which end up on the banned list. However, if there is any kind of silver lining here - it's the fact that what the Communist part of China says and what it actually does really are two separate things. HK films (intact and uncensored) have been pressed and sold in the millions by bootleggers in mainland China and they've been circulating for at least 2-3 decades amongst the population. While the official line will be "they're banned" the reality will (probably) be no change whatsoever for everyday Chinese people. Essentially, it's all a lot of hot air and not much more. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted August 26, 2021 Member Share Posted August 26, 2021 On 6/14/2021 at 4:51 AM, DarthKato said: I can see this causing a lot of their filmmakers to head west. No, they head to China as has been proven for the last 10-15 years. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ZenkaigerBat Posted August 26, 2021 Member Share Posted August 26, 2021 On 8/24/2021 at 7:17 AM, One Armed Boxer said: It’s started - https://hongkongfp.com/2021/08/24/new-censorship-law-will-empower-hong-kongs-no-2-official-to-retroactively-ban-movies/?fbclid=IwAR07H-uPRtm8AK5jp7xq8pAah7njJCp-eGHO96KaD50wrXgAcniaTy9ixPI 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member actionfan93 Posted August 27, 2021 Member Share Posted August 27, 2021 I wonder if this majorly affects fortune star and future releases from Eureka and 88 films girls with guns are supposed to be coming next year but I wonder if this puts them and others in jeopardy of being canceled 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted September 29, 2021 Member Share Posted September 29, 2021 (edited) I almost think that this thread, along with the one I made about Vicky Zhao Wei, should be consolidated into a single thread about the CCP being douchebags with the entertainment industry. They're now cracking down on children's shows, including Peppa, My Little Pony, and Ultraman Tyga. They're also forcing film students to take morality classes and informing them that they aren't artists, but art workers in service of the CCP. And considering that the PRC can't make a kung fu movie or wuxia film to save their own lives, the Jade Screen (collectively speaking) may be doomed (moreso than it is now). Edited September 29, 2021 by DrNgor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member tdb Posted September 29, 2021 Member Share Posted September 29, 2021 Maybe Taiwan will step up. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted September 30, 2021 Member Share Posted September 30, 2021 12 hours ago, tdb said: Maybe Taiwan will step up. I brought up that in the LoveHKFilm group on FB and one guy, who has apparently worked in the Taiwanese film industry, said that the local culture has more or less moved away from martial arts films. Nobody there really cares anymore, and those who do watch wuxia series from the PRC. The film culture is mainly focused on romantic comedies now. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted September 30, 2021 Member Share Posted September 30, 2021 @DrNgor Apparently Jet Li, Nicholas Tse and others might be next. The latter according to several news sources renouncing his canadian citizenship. Which by all means is just bonkers! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DrNgor Posted September 30, 2021 Member Share Posted September 30, 2021 4 minutes ago, laagi said: @DrNgor Apparently Jet Li, Nicholas Tse and others might be next. The rumors were that the group of people to be cracked down on were the dual-citizenship celebrities. It's either renounce or stop making movies and TV series in China. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted September 30, 2021 Member Share Posted September 30, 2021 3 minutes ago, DrNgor said: The rumors were that the group of people to be cracked down on were the dual-citizenship celebrities. It's either renounce or stop making movies and TV series in China. Nationalism at its "finest", although I really don't feel like calling it that! Trying to understand how some of these actors might feel but bowing down to this kind of practice can hardly be the solution. Not to mention it might backfire in the long run hard on them outside of China. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted October 28, 2021 Moderator Share Posted October 28, 2021 This makes it official - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59047633 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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