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Movie Reviews: 'Shoot 'Em Up'
7 September 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Bullets certainly do fly in Shoot 'Em Up -- but that's nothing compared with the barrage between the critics over the movie. On the one hand, A.O. Scott in the New York Times calls it "a worthless piece of garbage." He concludes his review by remarking: "You know what I hate? Witless, soulless, heartless movies that mistake noise for bravura and tastelessness for wit." Similarly, Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune writes: "It's not meant to be taken seriously. But films like this are worth taking seriously because they're genuinely cruddy and hollow and, yes, vile." And Ruthe Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle concludes that the movie represents "Hollywood's latest descent into nonsensical mayhem." But Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times calls it "the most audacious, implausible, cheerfully offensive, hyperactive action picture I've seen since, oh, Sin City, which in comparison was a chamber drama." While acknowledging that he sometimes disapproves of a movie for going too far, he nevertheless has "a sneaky regard for a movie that goes much, much farther than merely too far. This one goes so far, if you even want to get that far, you have to start half-way there." Lou Lumenick in the New York Post agrees, calling it, "the season's first guilty pleasure ... a joyously silly, R-rated, John Woo-inflected Looney Tune." And Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News describes it as "deliriously, audaciously entertaining," and remarks, "This is likely the fastest-moving intentionally funny action movie ever made. It's as if the 21 Bond movies and four Die Hards had been distilled to remove their body fat (that is, character development, buildup, rest stops, etc.) and left us with only the killing and the punch lines."

Chow Yun-Fat Returns to Woo's 'Red Cliff'
15 May 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Chow Yun-Fat is back in the cast of the John Woo epic Red Cliff, touted as the most expensive film ever produced in China. (Daily Variety has estimated its budget at $75 million.) Chow had pulled out of the project last month, claiming he had received the script too late for him to prepare the role. However, producer Terence Chang said afterwards that he had been unable to come to terms with Chow because the film's Hollywood insurer opposed 73 clauses that Chow had wanted included in his contract. Reporting on his return to the film, the Associated Press reported that it may have been the result "of negative press ... that he was behaving like a prima donna." It was also reported last month that actor Tony Leung had agreed to take Chow's role. There was no word about whether he would remain in the cast.

Chow Yun-Fat Walks Out of Chinese Epic Movie
17 April 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Producers of an $80-million Chinese historical epic film claim that Chow Yun-Fat, who was to have starred in it, made excessive demands that were rejected by the movie's Hollywood insurer. Chow later announced that he was withdrawing from the film because he had received the script too late for him to prepare adequately for his role. The film, Red Cliff, is to be directed by John Woo. Woo's business partner, Terrence Chang, told Sina.com, a Chinese news website, that Chow had demanded the addition of 73 clauses. "Many exceed industry standards," Chang added. Chow later told the Associated Press that the contractual provisions were based on a "Hollywood-style contract," and remarked, "Maybe everyone hasn't gotten used to Hollywood contracts."

Movie Reviews: 'The Hitcher'
22 January 2007 (StudioBriefing)
The Hitcher was not screened in advance for critics -- for good reason, it would appear. When they finally did take a look at it -- after buying tickets at the box office just like everyone else -- they drubbed it. "The mix of mystical solemnity and chain-reaction slapstick suggests a Road Runner cartoon directed by John Woo," wrote Matt Zoller Seitz in the New York Times. Most critics compare the film with the 1986 original, which also drew some caustic reviews. Peter Howell in the Toronto Star commented, "The movie doesn't make a lick of sense, but then neither did he original." Ty Burr in the Boston Globe wrote: "No one's going to argue that the 1986 psycho-thriller The Hitcher was a pillar of world cinema, but it had a scuzzy originality. The remake, by default, lacks even that. I don't think I've seen a movie with less reason to exist." Kyle Smith in the New York Post said that the best line he heard while watching the movie came from a person in the audience. "When the lovers go to a motel and watch [the Alfred Hitchcock classic] The Birds on TV, a guy yelled, 'Better movie!'"

Spike Lee Directs Harrowing AIDS Film
3 May 2005 (WENN)
Spike Lee has joined the list of directors making short films for a new UNICEF project after agreeing to turn a harrowing script written by his siblings into a movie. The movie mogul joins John Woo, and Ridley Scott among the directors featured in All the Invisible Children - a collective effort featuring films about troubled children. Lee's film, written by Joie Lee and Cinque Lee, surrounds the daughter of drug addicts, who is born HIV-positive. Spike Lee says, "This is my first involvement with UNICEF and I want to do more."

Jackie Chan Displays Handprints in Avenue of Stars
7 April 2004 (WENN)
Jackie Chan and John Woo's handprints will go on display at Hong Kong's new Avenue of Stars - as a tribute to the island's top two entertainers. The handprints of Rumble In The Bronx star Chan and Paycheck film director Woo will be displayed at the Avenue of Stars, modeled after Hollywood's Walk of Fame, when it opens later this month. The harbor-front tourist attraction will feature handprints of about 70 Hong Kong film stars, including Tomorrow Never Dies star Michelle Yeoh and actor- singer Andy Lau. The tourism board executive director Clara Chong hopes the broad appeal of Hong Kong movies will make the $5 million display a major tourist attraction.

Movie Reviews: 'S.W.A.T.'
8 August 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Moviegoers assuming that S.W.A.T., starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell and LL Cool J and based on the 1970's TV cop series, is going to be a special-effects car-chase-and-crashes thriller are likely to be disappointed, several critics observe. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times, who awards the film three stars, comments: "This isn't a John Woo movie, or Bad Boys II, or any of the other countless movies with wall-to-wall action and cardboard characters. It isn't exactly real life, either ... but the movie's ambition is essentially to be the same kind of police movie they used to make before special effects upstaged human beings." That's not exactly adulation, but neither are most of the other reviews -- from critics who find about as much to like as dislike about the film. Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post sums things up this way: "The movie ... is pretty entertaining as it adroitly manipulates cliché, archetype, trope and plenty of machine guns over the streets and byways of L.A., all synchronized to heavy banging rock-and-roll guaranteed to melt your IQ to a puddle in an hour. The stars ... are attractive. When it's not nonsensical or stuck explaining the plot, the dialogue is fast and funny. The frequent gunfights are initially pretty thrilling." Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News bestows these words of praise upon it: "It's certainly fresher popcorn than most of the sequels that have come and gone [this summer]." Chris Vognar in the Dallas Morning News puts it another way: "S.W.A.T. is silly and predictable, and it hurls more cheese at you than an explosion at the Velveeta factory. But it's also a fun way to kill two hours." Other critics are not so willing to dismiss the film as a trivial summertime pursuit. "Those who love police overkill, guns, jingoistic race-baiting, guns, macho smugness, and guns will be well served," writes Ty Burr in the Boston Globe.And Stephen Cole in the Toronto Globe and Mail appears to have seen a different film from the one that Ebert reviewed. Cole comments: "Lots of buildings and cars explode, but there isn't a spark between any of the characters." And Glenn Whipp in the Los Angeles Daily News does not share Ebert's fondness for the film's constraint, writing: "That it makes no sense is the least of its sins. That it's meandering and dull will probably matter more to action junkies looking for one more adrenalin rush before the summer silliness ends."

Movie Reviews: 'Bulletproof Monk'
16 April 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Chow Yun-Fat is receiving fine reviews for Bulletproof Monk. The movie itself is not. "Chow Yun-Fat deserves so much better than Bulletproof Monk, there ought to be a law. Rarely has so charismatic a performer been wasted on such mindlessly inept drivel," writes Chris Kaltenbach in the Baltimore Sun. Jami Bernard's review in the New York Daily News is headed "Latest Monk Quest Is Just Kung Phooey." She observes that martial-arts movie director John Woo is the producer of this film and speculates that if he "had been at the helm instead of behind the scenes, this never would have happened." Stephen Hunter's review in the Washington Post is headed "Kung Fu Hooey." He observes: "The fighting sequences are all computer-assisted. They're not young Jackie Chan exhibitions of blinding speed, grace, courage and stamina; rather, they're some kid sitting at a computer terminal, hitting keys that cause gravity and physics and logic to take a nap while Chow corkscrews through the air 17 times, does a double back flip and kicks somebody's teeth out. Hey, Jackie Chan could do that for real." But Bruce Westbrook in the Houston Chronicle finds much to like about the movie and concludes: "Just as you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, you can't make a modern action flick without cracking some bones. Monk may be imperfect, but that's the way the fortune cookie crumbles."

Actor Leslie Cheung Commits Suicide
1 April 2003 (WENN)
Leslie Cheung, the acclaimed Cantonese actor best known for his work in Farewell My Concubine and Happy Together, committed suicide in Hong Kong by jumping from the Mandarin Oriental hotel; he was 46. Hong Kong police issued a terse statement on Tuesday, saying only that "The man was certified dead at hospital. His name is Cheung 'X' Wing and was aged 46. He left a suicide letter." An anonymous police source confirmed that it was indeed the actor, and the news was picked up by local television and radio, with a statement ultimately posted on Cheung's web site, www.lesliecheung.com. Born in Hong Kong, Cheung attended college in England before returning to his home country in 1976, where he entered an Asian music contest and won second place. A singing career and roles in teen films followed, but his career hit high speed with John Woo's A Better Tomorrow (1986), co-starring Chow Yun-Fat. Cheung's most acclaimed performance came in 1993's Farewell My Concubine, in which he starred as an opera singer involved in a love triangle set against the backdrop of 20th-century Chinese history; the film, directed by Chen Kaige, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and received two Oscar nominations, including Best Foreign Language Film. Cheung also starred in Wong Kar-Wai's award-winning Happy Together (1997) opposite Tony Leung, and had recently garnered acclaim for 2002's Inner Senses. The contents of Cheung's suicide letter have not been revealed. --Prepared by IMDb staff

Billion-Dollar Studio Planned for Japan
21 January 2003 (StudioBriefing)
An international group has completed a study calling for the creation of a $1-billion studio complex, post-production facility and film school in Tokyo Bay by 2008, Screen International reported on its website today (Tuesday). According to the British trade publication, the American director David Fincher (Fight Club, Panic Room), American Film Institute COO James Hindman, Hong Kong director John Woo, and Japanese director Masaru Takahashi are among those spearheading the studio project.

Is Canadian Production Pulling Out of Last Year's Slump?
16 January 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Although production spending in British Columbia passed $1 billion for the first time in 2000 and reached $1.2 billion the following year, it is estimated to have fallen more than 20 percent in 2002 to below $1 billion, the Toronto Globe & Mail reported today (Thursday), citing local film industry sources. However, Tom Adair, executive director of the B.C. Council of Film Unions, told the newspaper that local crews will be going "like gangbusters" in the months ahead, when John Woo's Paycheck, starring Ben Affleck, I, Robot, with Will Smith, and Chronicles of Riddick with Vin Diesel all begin shooting in Vancouver. Canadian film officials anticipate that more U.S. producers will be heading north following a recent deal between the Alliance of Motion Picture & TV Producers and the IATSE union that will mean significantly higher wage costs for Hollywood-produced films.

Diageo Makes End Run Around Anheuser-Busch
8 January 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Although Anheuser-Busch has shelled out an estimated $22 million to be the sole beer advertiser during the Super Bowl, many viewers of the game are also going to see ads for Smirnoff Ice Triple Black, a malt-based product recently introduced by Diageo PLC, the world's largest liquor company. Today's (Wednesday) Wall Street Journal reported that Diageo has purchased three 30-second slots from local stations in 64 U.S. markets for their new drink, to run before, during, and after the game.

CORRECTION: In Tuesday's edition we incorrectly stated that John Woo was the director of Bulletproof Monk. Woo is a producer of the film, which was directed by Paul Hunter.

Pirated John Woo Film Travels From U.S. to Asia
7 January 2003 (StudioBriefing)
Pirated copies of MGM's Bulletproof Monk, starring Chow Yun-Fat and directed by John Woo, are being sold in Hong Kong and Malaysia more than four months before their theatrical release, the Hollywood Reporter reported today (Tuesday), saying that its information from independent sources had been confirmed by MGM marketing chief Peter Adee. The trade paper said that it appeared that the film was recorded during a test screening in the U.S. In some scenes, the shadows of heads in front of the camera can be seen. A Hong Kong industry insider told the trade paper that the release of the film on the black market shows that piracy is not just an Asian problem. "A lot of the supply comes from the U.S.," he said.

Movie Reviews: Windtalkers
14 June 2002 (StudioBriefing)
John Woo's Windtalkers, starring Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Christian Slater, and Roger Willie, is being blasted by many critics. Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News is only one of many critics who comments on the surfeit of violent scenes in the movie: "War is hell, yes, but a war produced by John Woo is a spectacle, a shoot-to-thrill fireworks show of percussion and flesh." Joe Morgenstern calls the movie an "extravagant folly, a potentially fascinating story harnessed to John Woo's unbridled passion for chaos, carnage, stupendous explosions, voluptuous flames and hideous dismemberment or decapitation." Rex Reed writes in the New York Observer: "It's like the first 25 minutes of Saving Private Ryan stretched over two hours. I liked it a lot, but the weak and the skittish are hereby warned." The violence, according to many critics, overwhelms the theme of the movie -- how Navajos were able to communicate in a kind of code language during WWII. And Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, who gives the film a positive review in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution concludes: "Windtalkers will probably disappoint anyone looking for an in-depth look at the code talkers; and it could turn off those unwilling to work with its retro dialogue and characters. Still, it's difficult to resist Woo's explosive artistry and Cage's reluctant hero. For anyone in the mood for an unusual kind of war movie, Windtalkers is talking your language."

Cage: Windtalkers Teaches Heroism
6 June 2002 (WENN)
Nicolas Cage enjoyed making his new film Windtalkers and learned a little bit about history at the same time. Leaving Las Vegas star Cage says when he read the script for the new flick he knew little about the Navajo Indian Code Talkers who created the Marines' unbreakable code used in World War II's Pacific front. Speaking on Tuesday at a Senate reception marking the film's premiere, Cage said, "I wish I had learned more about it in high school, but they didn't put it in the history books. I have great respect for the Navajo Code Talkers and their heroic acts." Cage, co-star Adam Beach and director John Woo joined several surviving Code Talkers--including four who developed the code--and about a dozen senators at the reception. The Code Talkers created a code based on the Navajo language. It was used in World War II's fiercest battles, including Iwo Jima, and was never cracked. Cage said he hopes the film brings Code Talkers the attention and respect they deserve.

Woo Pleads To Directors "Stop The Violence"
14 March 2002 (WENN)
Famed director John Woo has pleaded with Hollywood directors to cut down on violence in movies, after last year's terrorist attacks on America. The Chinese movie-maker, who has helmed some incredibly violent films, believes September 11th has changed the American film industry. Woo says, "It's made us feel that when it comes to violent movies there should be some control. We should have some changes. We should instead make movies with encouraging stories, stories that give people hope and promote mutual understanding." Despite his protests, Woo's latest movie Windtalkers, starring Nicolas Cage, is a World War II flick with extensive battle action.

London Film Festival Announces Line-Up
20 September 2001 (StudioBriefing)
An impressive list of potential U.S. blockbusters has been announced for the 45th London Film Festival, scheduled for Nov. 7-22. They include Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc., Novocaine, starring Steve Martin, and the John Woo-directed Windtalkers, starring Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater. The festival's opener will be Robert Altman's Gosford Park, the first film the director has ever shot in Britain, whose cast includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Ryan Phillippe, Alan Bates and Stephen Fry. Among other offerings, the festival will feature gala screenings of the British film Last Orders with Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Tom Courtenay, David Hemmings and Ray Winstone; and Jean-Luc Godard's Eloge de l'amour.

Woo Gets Some Turtles
22 June 2001 (WENN)
Director John Woo is planning to resurrect the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a computer-animated film. The ultra-hot action director promises to return the turtles to their "darker, edgier comic book roots" in the as-yet untitled movie, which is likely to cost up to $56 million. A cartoon series of the turtles was a big hit during the late 80s and early 90s, during which period several live action films were also made.

John Woo To Play Shell Game
21 June 2001 (StudioBriefing)
John Woo is planning to create a computer-animated feature based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who were already the subject of three previous live-action features for New Line in the early '90s. In an interview with Britain's Guardian newspaper, Woo, who produced numerous Hong Kong martial arts movies before coming to Hollywood to make films like Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II, said, "I've always loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. ... It's one of the greatest action-adventure properties ever." Turtles co-creator Peter Laird told the publication that he expected Woo's movie to return the Turtles to "their darker, edgier comic-book roots."

Christian Slater To Become A Daddy Again
4 April 2001 (WENN)
Christian Slater and his wife Ryan Haddon are expecting their second child in September. The actor and his spouse of three years already have a son, Jaden, who is two this month . Slater is currently filming director John Woo's World War II drama Windtalkers.

Harrison Ford To Work With John Woo
21 March 2001 (WENN)
Harrison Ford and action-packed director John Woo are getting set to join forces on an as-yet-untitled new movie. Warner Bros. is paying top scriptwriter Andrew Marlowe $750, 000 for the project, which will be directed by Woo. Marlowe himself talked the Indiana Jones star through the story - which Ford loved and has agreed to do on the condition that the script meets his approval.

Nicolas Cage And Christian Slater Go To Boot Camp
2 February 2001 (WENN)
Director John Woo sent Hollywood hunks Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater to Boot Camp to make sure they're tough enough to make convincing soldiers in his war film Windtalkers (2001). Woo, who drafted in real American army soldiers to appear in the film, sent Cage and Slater on a gruelling few weeks of army training to make sure they were up to scratch for the role. And Woo, who also insisted the stars do most of their own stunts, was very impressed with the duo's ability. Woo says, "Nic and Christian and everybody, they'd just go for it." And far from being angry at the director for putting them through the ordeal, Slater and Cage actually relished the experience, which they believe gave them a valuable insight into the realities of war. Slater says, "To actually get to be a part of these battles was amazing. Literally, you just felt like you were in the war."

HBO Wondering Whether "Aloha" Means Hello Or Goodbye
25 August 2000 (StudioBriefing)
HBO's plans to film the pilot for Lessons Learned, an hourlong Vietnam-era dramatic series, in Hawaii in October may face a shortage of technicians, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported Wednesday. The newspaper said that Local 655 of IATSE, the film technicians union, will have all available crew working on Baywatch Hawaii, the John Woo movie Windtalkers, and Jurassic Park III in October. HBO Pictures had received a shooting permit last July to use state property in Maunawili, Oahu for the production but had delayed the start of filming while it scouted other, less expensive locations in Australia and elsewhere, the newspaper said.

M:I-2 Could Bring Cruise A Record Bonanza
31 May 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Tom Cruise is likely to earn a record amount personally if Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) continues to demonstrate the formidable box-office attraction it displayed over the weekend, analysts indicated Tuesday. They pointed out that in addition to the $20 million he received as an actor and producer of the film, he is also due to receive a record-breaking 12 percent of the film's worldwide gross, plus an additional $30 million from his share of merchandising and video sales. "Because it's a sequel, his bargaining power was massively increased, " Screen International writer Adam Minns told today's (Wednesday) London Express The British trade-paper writer added: "The really big money is increasingly coming from the deals which include ... back-end points." Meanwhile, today's South China Morning Post reported that Cruise is due to arrive in Hong Kong this morning in his $27-million Gulfstream G4 jet to hold a news conference with Hong Kong director John Woo (who directed M:I-2) at the Peninsula Hotel.

Tom Cruise's Need For Speed
24 May 2000 (WENN)
Tom Cruise's need for speed was the inspiration behind the action sequences in new movie Mission: Impossible 2 (2000). Director John Woo says the hyped-up star's high energy personality lent itself to the high speed motorcycle and car chase sequences. He explains, "He has a lot of great energy and he likes to do some crazy things. He likes speed and he likes fast. He talks fast and walks fast and he likes challenges... That gave me the idea to design some crazy action for him like the motorcycle chase." The Top Gun (1986) star also does some fancy footwork in the fighting scenes which were inspired by his love of Bruce Lee movies. The Face/Off (1997) director was surprised at Cruise's natural ability, saying, "There were quite a few shots that needed him to jump and flip in the air and kick the guys. He did it all in one shot and he did it all by himself. I never knew he was good at gymnastics. He did all of his stunts."

Cruise Performed Impossible Stunts
18 May 2000 (StudioBriefing)
Tom Cruise insisted on performing dangerous stunts himself in Mission: Impossible 2, including an opening sequence in which he scales a cliff with his bare hands and hangs from a rock ledge by his fingertips, Entertainment Weekly reported in its online edition today (Thursday). Director John Woo told the magazine: "I was really mad that he wanted to do it, but I tried to stop him and I couldn't. I was so scared I was sweating. I couldn't even watch the monitor when we shot it." But costar John Polson remarked: "the opening sequence just wouldn't have been the same if he hadn't done it himself. ... No amount of special effects can make you feel like that, because you can tell that it's really just him."

Tom Cruise Ain't No Sissy
15 May 2000 (WENN)
Hollywood actor Tom Cruise insisted on performing his own high-risk action stunts for Mission: Impossible 2 (2000). The superfit star persuaded producer Terence Chang to allow him to carry out the death defying stunts including dangling off a Utah cliff. Chang says, "Tom can jump up and kick someone in the face and then flip backwards. You would be amazed." Cruise, who exercises every morning, says, "It's all in a days work for me now. I work hard, but I love to work hard. It isn't a matter of me trying to stay on the top of movies. It is what I do and I am excited to get up and start working." And director John Woo, who looked after Cruise's son CONOR while the star was filming, says, "When we were watching Tom do stunts. I just made sure I told Conor not to ever try and do the things his daddy was doing."

Woo To Direct Cruise In Next Mission Impossible
17 September 1998 (StudioBriefing)
Tom Cruise has revealed that he has tapped Hong Kong director John Woo (Face/Off (1997)) to helm his forthcoming Mission Impossible (1996) sequel. Cruise told syndicated columnist Cindy Perlman that the film will go into production in Australia next summer and that he is excited about working with Woo. "Even I want to see that movie, " he remarked.

Critics Wowed By Woo
27 June 1997 (StudioBriefing)
With director John Woo's Face/Off (1997), starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, opening to wide critical acclaim, audiences and reviewers may wind up being in sync for the first time this season. Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan says that the film represents Woo's "cinema of violent delirium so breathtaking it plays like visual poetry." And although he gives high marks to the stars' performances, Turan concludes, "It's John Woo ... who is the real star." Waxing less eloquent, Toronto Star critic Judy Gerstel calls the film "a classy blast, a bodacious ballet that's as good as summer popcorn movies get. ... Face/Off isn't just the one to see. It's the one to see again and again." One of the few negative reviews of the film comes from Steven Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer who writes that "Woo played better when his actors were talking Chinese" and "for all its fiery explosions, Face/Off just kind of implodes.