HK celebrities raise HK$35 million for China quake victims

Source : Channel News Asia

HONG KONG: More than 300 celebrities turned up for the "Artistes 414 Fundraising Campaign" show at the Hong Kong Coliseum on Monday, and helped raise HK$35 million (S$6.1 million) for the victims of the recent Yushu earthquake in Qinghai province, China, reported Chinese media.

The two-hour-long charity show was hosted by screen veterans Eric Tsang, Carol Cheng, Sally Wu and Lawrence Cheng.

It is also the first television show in TVB history to be telecast uninterrupted, on all four of its channels, without any commercials or trailers.

A slew of big names such as 'Heveanly Kings' Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai were in attendance.

Action stars Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung also made an appearance, along with singers Charlene Choi and Ronald Cheng, who were not seen together since their high profile divorce.

Host Amigo Choi also turned up for the first time since his assault case involving his ex-girlfriend Elizabete Kwong, to appeal for donations during on show.

"I completely understand how it feels. Life has its ups and downs and it gives people a lot to worry about, but a natural disaster makes everything even worse," said Choi on stage.

The programme did not feature any stunts or acrobatics but instead focused on the celebrities, all dressed in simple white T-shirts with the show's logo, who sang in groups and appealed for donations.

Hong Kong singer Sammi Cheng and Nick Cheung, who have just returned from their humanitarian trip to Yushu were on hand to present videos depicting the situation there.

Video clips of Jackie Chan's friends such as musician Kenny G, singer Lionel Richie and actor Will Smith appealing for donations were also shown during the charity show.

The 7.1 magnitude Yushu earthquake struck the prefecture in northwestern China on April 14 and left an estimated 2,203 dead with another 12,000 injured.

-CNA/ha

Rico Blanco debuts at No.1 in Hong Kong

Rico Blanco's song "Neon Lights" from his album "Your Universe" has debuted at No. 1 in Hong Kong's top radio chart.

Beating no less than giant international artists such as Usher and will.i.am, Lady Gaga and Beyonce, Wonder Girls, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Bieber and Ludacris, “Neon Lights” makes its way to the top within a week from its release in Music Bus Hong Kong.

Although it has been close to a tradition that Warner Music Philippines has broken its artists into the international scene, no Filipino artist has ever topped the Hong Kong Music Bus Airplay Charts until the single "Neon Lights."

More, Blanco just finished a successful promo tour in Singapore, where Class95 FM also celebrated his birthday, playing a special birthday greeting by the biggest radio DJs every hour for 24-hours on Singapore radio that day.

"Your Universe," Rico Blanco’s debut album, is released by Warner Music Philippines.

http://mb.com.ph/articles/254816/rico-blanco-debuts-no1-hong-kong

300 artists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China will participate in tonight’s fundraising event

Sunday, April 25, 2010 Hong Kong


Translation: llwy12@ http://asianfanatics.net

Close to 300 artists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China will be attending the Qinghai Earthquake Artistes Fundraising Event at the HK Coliseum tonight. The list of artists performing tonight includes the recently divorced Charlene Choi and Ronald Cheng – this will be their first appearance on the same stage since their press conference weeks ago. As for the Four Kings, only Leon Lai, Andy Lau, and Jacky Cheung will be in attendance, as Aaron Kwok is currently in Beijing filming and cannot make it back on time. Other artists scheduled to be in attendance include Gillian Chung, Nicholas Tse, Sammi Cheng, Hacken Lee, Eason Chan, Kelly Chen, Gigi Leung, Vivian Chow, Joey Yung, etc. as well as Jackie Chan, who especially changed his schedule in order to attend the event.

As for China and Taiwan, artists Li Yu Chun, Da S, Xiao S, Ariel Lin, Harlem Yu, etc. will be making a special trip to Hong Kong to participate in the event.

In addition, the organizers of the event have asked the audiences who will be attending at the HK Coliseum not to display any name plates of their favorite artists out of respect for the quake victims.

The 5 hour marathon-type event will be held from 6pm to 11pm HK time and the entrance fee will be HKD$100 per person for audiences attending. The hosts of the event will be Dodo Cheng, Eric Tsang, Sally Wu (entertainment news personality), as well as Lawrence Cheng – at the start of the event, they will lead all the artists in singing the themesong for the event, <>.

All of Hong Kong’s major media outlets will be broadcasting the event live and major TV stations such as TVB and ATV have committed to broadcasting the event live without any commercials or editing. When asked about the financial effects of not airing commercials, both TVB and ATV indicated that the loss is in the 6 and 7-figures, but their sponsors have been supportive due to the nature of the event.

K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces


Takeshi Kaneshiro's K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces

Holy Steampunk, Sherlock Holmes! Screen idol Takeshi Kaneshiro is back and this time hes showing his respect for Lupin, Raffles and all the great thieves and masked penny dreadful heroes of the turn-of-the-century in this massive steampunk blow-out directed by Shimako Sato, one of the few female directors in the big budget end of the Japanese film industry.

Its 1949 and World War II never happened. Nikola Tesla has just won a Nobel Prize rather than dying in obscurity and the Japanese Empire is an undying aristocracy where the rich sip tea out of bone china, while the poor die in the gutters. K-20, the Fiend with Twenty Faces, steals from the rich and gives to himself. But now, on the eve of the marriage between society princess, Yoko Hashiba, and chief of police, Kogoro Akechi, the fiend frames simple circus acrobat Hekichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) for his crimes and the poor sap is arrested and sentenced to death. But he escapes at the last minute and assumes the guise of K-20 in order to clear his good name.

Starting with a falling chandelier from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and continuing with the Tunguska Explosion, Tesla coils, gyrocopters and all manner of pulp touchstones, this flick is constantly zooming, panning, gliding and skidding to a stop, suffused with old fashioned showmanship and skill. For sheer entertainment value its like all the Saturday morning matinees you never saw wrapped up in one film and given a big budget gloss. But more than the skill and style, the actors are a delight. The young princess, Hashiba (Takako Matsu) describes herself as just a modest girl from a good family, but really shes a two-fisted adventurer in waiting, hemmed in by good breeding but secretly yearning to sock a baddie in the jaw and fly a helicopter into the sunset. Takeshi Kaneshiro is charm itself, and its a pleasure to spend two hours in his company. By the time the last zeppelin has cleared the screen youll want to know where you can buy a ticket and stand in line to wait for the sequel. [D-Man2010]

source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156395/synopsis

Trailer here



Mike He takes up family responsibilities, denies avoiding military duty

original source: Epoch Times
translated by minchong92 @ http://asianfanatics.net

After filming [Future Cops] last year and his father’s retirement, Mike He admitted: “My shoulders feel heavy [when supporting my family].” Although he will soon take up a new drama, Mike He still has to face the military draft. He commented that at the moment, he is able to juggle both studies and his career – he isn’t afraid of joining the military either.

Today, Mike He made an appearance for a makeup brand event. His “Prince Charming” style caused for many fans to call out nonstop. Mike joked that when he was small, he used to play with his mother’s makeup set. And then he scared himself when he accidentally applied too much to make his face all white.

After filming two movies in the first half of 2010, Mike He will soon collaborate with Janine Chang in [Xin Fu Zui Qing Tian/Happiness – The Sunniest Day]. Recently, the cast went to Nantou, Taiwan to observe the settings. When they passed by a tea field, they met the boss who enthusiastically presented Mike with teabags. Mike happily brought the gifts home to his parents. The drama will start filming at the end of April in Nantou.

After debuting 6 years ago, Mike He has always deposited his earnings into his parents’ bank accounts. He even bought a house and car for his family. Last year, his father decided to retire. As the eldest son, Mike He admitted: “My shoulders do feel heavy. Not only am I supporting the family, I’m also preparing myself to take no vacation this year.”

While supporting his family with one shoulder, Mike He also has to confront another issue – fulfilling his military duty. After studying for 6 years and still not graduating, it is as if he is avoiding the draft by prolonging his graduation date. Actually, this also includes Ethan Ruan, Bobby Dou etc.. They all seem to fear that their fans will change hearts once they go to the military. When Mike He was asked about his military duty, he acknowledged that many of his relatives are military men so he does not fear joining. Also, if he doesn’t join, his relatives will laugh at him. Mike also added that he juggles school with his career by taking two easy classes every two days of the week.

K-pop boy band SS501 may visit Manila in July

Another K-pop idol group may visit the Philippines soon.

Fangirlasia is currently negotiating to bring K-pop boy band SS501 to the Philippines for a fan meeting in July.

Triple S Philippines, the local fan club of SS501, has started accepting reservations from members for VIP seats that would cost P5,000 each.

Fangirlasia has also opened an event page on Facebook to know how many fans will be attending the event.

“We would like to remind everyone that this event is just a survey. We are still under negotiation. Date, time, and venue are tentative,” it said.

Since boy band SHINee visited the country in November last year, other K-pop groups followed suit.

This year, bands that have already held shows in the country are 4Minute, FT Island, U-Kiss and Super Junior.

Fangirlasia and Spin Manila brought boy band FT Island to the Philippines last March for the Manila 2010 Showcase held at the Philippine International Convention Center.

SS501 is a five-member boy band managed by DSP Entertainment that was launched in 2005. It is composed of leader Kim Hyun Joong, Kim Kyu Jong, Heo Young Saeng, Park Jung Min and Kim Hyung Joon.

Last year, SS501 held their first Asia Tour Persona that kicked off in Seoul and visited Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

Kim Hyun Joong, in particular, starred in the last year’s hit Korean drama series “Boys over Flowers,” which also became a top-rated program in the Philippines.

Last year, SS501 received the Bonsang and Hallyu awards in the Seoul Music Awards. The group also won the Best OST (official soundtrack) Award in the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) for “Because I’m Stupid,” which was used in “Boys over Flowers.” It also won the Top Buzz International Group in the Yahoo Buzz Award.

SS501 will be coming back to the K-pop music scene with a new album in May.

http://mb.com.ph/articles/253403/kpop-boy-band-ss501-may-visit-manila-july

Sharon Cuneta, Vilma Santos and KC Concepcion to Star in a Mother’s Day Movie?

If plans push through, a powerhouse team-up starring the Megastar Sharon Cuneta, the Mega-daughter KC Concepcion and the Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos is in the works.

According to reports, the said project has a working title “Mothers and a Daughter” and it will be produced by Star Cinema. As the title suggests, the movie could be about a daughter with two persons claiming to be her mother.

The movie should be perfect for Mother’s Day this May but since Vilma Santos is seeking re-election for governor of Batangas, they can only start filming after the elections.

Sharon said on the Buzz Sunday afternoon that she’s really excited in doing a movie with Vilma Santos. She confirmed that it’s in Ate Vi’s contract that she will do a movie with her and it’s also indicated in her contract that she will do a movie with the Star for all Seasons.

“Kahit yaya lang ni Ate Vi ang magiging role ko tatanggapin ko”, Sharon said.

Sharonians and Vilmanians are surely hoping that this ambitious project will become a reality this year as this will be one of the most exciting team up in the history of Philippine cinema.

Meanwhile, the wheels are turning with KC’s other film project with Star Cinema co-starring her with Jericho Rosales. The movie has now a working title “Daddy’s Girl” and it will also star KC’s real dad Gabby Concepcion. The movie will be Star Cinema’s offering for Fathers’ Day this year.

http://www.starmometer.com/2010/01/03/sharon-cuneta-vilma-santos-and-kc-concepcion-to-star-in-a-mothers-day-movie/

Super Junior member expresses desire to star in Pinoy teleserye

Having seen the mob that welcomed his group right at NAIA and the thousands of screaming fans who trooped to the Big Dome to watch them perform, the acknowledged most popular member of bigtime Korean act Super Junior must have found the prospect of appearing in a Philippine teleserye as a next best move.

Both the media and the boy band's supporters present during a presscon at EDSA Plaza Hotel last Saturday reacted in cheerful agreement.

“I wish to do a TV drama in the Philippines,” said Donghae who is arguably the most famous among the 13-member flagship group of the current K-pop (Korean pop) fever.

From the moment one of the boys uttered, “We’re very excited to come here for the first time,” every word that tumbled out of the light-skinned Asian stars was anticipated as it passed through the interpreter's tongue.

One of the boys amused the starstruck crowd by speaking in straight English. “We just pray to God before we go to the stage,” he said when asked what’s that one thing they do before a performance.

Super Junior delivered their “Super Show 2” concert that same night, making it extra special since the Philippines is the last leg in their 15-show “Asia Concert Tour Live.”

“Thanks for all the support and we hope to visit again,” added Donghae.

The first K-pop group to have a gold record in the Philippines, Super Junior released the “Super Show 2 Live Album” last February. Their music video for the song “Sorry, Sorry” simultaneously topped different charts on leading music channel MYX.

The co-producer of the Super Junior concert, MYX is also airing a special titled “Asia MYX: Super Junior Special” today, April 19, Monday, at 8 p.m. The feature showcases exclusive footage from the Super Junior press conference and the group’s sold out three-hour show, along with an interview conducted by VJ Iya Villania. Repeat airings are scheduled on April 21 (9:30 a.m.), April 22 (4 p.m.), and April 25 (12 m.n. and 11 a.m.).

http://mb.com.ph/articles/253293/super-junior-member-expresses-desire-star-pinoy-teleserye

Depp defends 'Pirates Of The Caribbean'

Johnny Depp has defended the longevity of movie franchise Pirates Of The Caribbean.

The actor, who plays Captain Jack Sparrow in the film series, is preparing to begin filming the fourth instalment On Stranger Tides.

Female First quotes him as saying: "I can't wait to get back in costume. Some people will say, 'Depp sold out by doing the sequels'.

"But it was never an issue for me. I love Captain Jack so much I'd do Pirates 7 if they asked."

The star recently found success with Tim Burton's remake of Alice In Wonderland.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a213730/depp-defends-pirates-of-the-caribbean.html

'Date Night' beats 'Titans' at US BO

'Date Night' beats 'Titans' at US BO has debuted at the top of the US box office with $27.1 million over the weekend.

The comedy, starring Tina Fey and Steve Carrell, has knocked last week's top earner Clash Of The Titans to the number two spot with $26.8 million.

How To Train Your Dragon remains in the number three position with $25.3 million, followed by Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? and Miley Cyrus's The Last Song.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid slips to number nine with $4.1 million, while Letters To God debuts in tenth place with $1.2 million.

The US box office top ten in full:

1. (-) Date Night - $27,100,000
2. (1) Clash Of The Titans - $26,875,000
3. (3) How To Train Your Dragon - $25,350,000
4. (2) Why Did I Get Married Too? - $11,000,000
5. (4) The Last Song - $10,000,000
6. (5) Alice In Wonderland - $5,600,000
7. (6) Hot Tub Time Machine - $5,430,000
8. (7) The Bounty Hunter - $4,300,000
9. (8) Diary Of A Wimpy Kid - $4,100,000
10. (-) Letters To God - $1,250,000

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a213758/date-night-beats-titans-at-us-bo.html

'Harry Potter' attraction to open in June

Universal Orlando Resort has announced that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ride will open on June 18.

According to Entertainment Weekly, visitors will be able to see Hollywood-quality sets in the main centre Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

"As you venture through Hogwarts castle, you meet Harry, Ron, and Hermione who convince you to skip a planned lecture and follow them. Upon taking their advice, you travel by Floo powder, and begin the adventure as you soar over Hogwarts, narrowly escape a dragon attack, have a close encounter with the Whomping Willow, get pulled into a Quidditch match and more," said the theme park's press release.

The attraction is said to be the first ever combination of advanced robotic ride system technology, allowing guests to spend more time with their favourite characters at the centre of the adventure.

The ride is scheduled to last one hour, during which fans will explore Dumbledore's office, the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Gryffindor common room and the Room of Requirement.


http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a210692/harry-potter-attraction-to-open-in-june.html

Jolie pregnancy denied

A spokesman for Angelina Jolie has denied rumours the actress is expecting her seventh child.

A spokesman for Angelina Jolie has denied rumours the actress is expecting her seventh child.Angelina Jolie is not pregnant, her spokesman has told People magazine. While the actress is filming her new film, The Tourist, in Venice with Johnny Depp, American gossips sites have reported the actress is pregnant with her, and partner Brad Pitt's, seventh child. However, a representative for Jolie has ended the gossip, simply calling the speculation, "totally false".

http://www.handbag.com/celebrity/Jolie-pregnancy-denied/v1?cmpid=CAM_HB30

Calling All Biking Enthusiasts

Bandar Seri Begawan - The most anticipated cycling challenge is back!! Set to raise funds for SMARTER Brunei, the HSBC Cycling Challenge themed `Cycle for SMARTER' will see cyclists taking on a 108km challenge from HSBC Kuala Belait to the Autism Spectrum Disorder Centre in Sengkurong.

SMARTER Brunei is a non-profit, non-government organisation dedicated to the education of both autistic children and individuals. HSBC has been a proud supporter of SMARTER Brunei for many years.

To allow for wider participation and at the same time increase autism awareness, the organiser has also included a short 8km Community Challenge this year, which begins from HSBC Jerudong and finishes at the Autism Spectrum Disorder Centre in Sengkurong. This challenge is also open to children.

`Cycle for SMARTER' has received endorsements from both local and international celebrities including Wu Chun, Putri Norizah Ibnor Riza, Fakhrul Razi and DJ Izan, all of whom will in various ways throw their support behind the challenge as well as SMARTER.

To ensure the public is aware of safety and stand the best chance of completing the challenge, the organiser will be holding training sessions every Sunday at the National Stadium. Interested parties are welcome to join the training.

The registration fees for the 108km and 8km community challenge are $20 and $10 respectively. Interested parties can register at any HSBC branch, Triple Star Enterprise or Fitness Zone. Registration closes June 2. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/2010041419534/Local-News/calling-all-biking-enthusiasts.html

Edison Chen still a favourite with youths

Source: XIN MSN

Perhaps time does heal wounds. Two years since his online sex photos frenzy, Hong Kong actor-singer Edison Chen’s popularity with college kids shows no signs of waning, or at least recovered since the 2008 scandal crashed his career to a halt.

Currently based in Los Angeles, the 29-year-old recently guested on Taiwanese variety Da Xue Sheng Le Mei, a talkshow catering to university students in the country, where the warm reception proved his seemingly unperturbed status as an idol to youths, regardless of gender.

The female undergrads in the audience switched from their usual lacklustre get-ups to mini skirts. When host Matilda Tao invited one of them to sing the classic ballad ‘Listen to the Sea’ at Edison, she blushed so much she couldn’t continue after two lines.

The male collegians, on the other hand, were in awe of the man and crowned him “fashion god”. Some revealed they own clothes from the Chinese-Canadian star’s fashion label, which prompted Edison to invite the students present to the opening of his new Taiwan store.

And he kept his word. His manager later asked for the namelist of all the undergrads who were at the recording from the show’s producer.

Sources said Edison wasn’t as uptight as his previous public appearances since the 2008 incident, believed to be due to a studio being closed to the media. His management had requested for reporters to be barred.

Lee Min Ho : ‘I Want Favorable Evaluation for Splendid Acting’

Actor Lee Min Ho, who came back to dramas after a one-year break following the KBS TV drama “Boys Over Flowers,” revealed his ambition of obtaining a "favorable evaluation for splendid acting" on his new MBC TV drama “Personal Taste,” which will broadcast its first episode on March 31.

In the production presentation of “Personal Taste” held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on March 25, Lee said, “I have distressed myself about how to play the character in the drama. I feel pressure because I want to be praised for good acting by viewers.”

The drama “Personal Taste” tells exhilarating stories about two characters. An easygoing woman, Park Gae In (Sohn Ye Jin), wants to have a gay male friend, and a charismatic man, Jeon Jin Ho (Lee Min Ho) is mistaken by her to be a gay man. These two create entertaining stories while they are living together.

Lee explained the character he plays: “He is a competent architect and when it comes to work, he always aims for perfection, so much so as to be regarded as a cold-hearted person. He does not want to be interrupted nor to interrupt others.“

Jeon Jin Ho is similar to Goo Jun Pyo, which is the character he played in his previous drama “Boys Over Flowers,” in that he is also a charismatic character. Lee Min Ho continued, “It is true that the two characters have similarities, but I do not care too much to differentiate this character with that of Goo Jun Pyo. I have rather concentrated on making a character who is very much faithful to the script. If I have to compare the character to Goo Jun Pyo, Jeon Jin Ho is a mature and thoughtful person and has a pride in his work as a professional.”

Asked about his one year break, he answered, “I had a tight schedule at home and abroad after the drama ‘Boys Over Flowers,’ so I actually took a break only for three months. During the break, I had seriously agonized about how to make a comeback to dramas, and with what kind of image. In the end, I decided to play a pleasant character in a drama, since I am still young, and chose ‘Personal Taste’ as my next drama.”

Lee Min Ho entered stardom with “Boys Over Flowers,” so it is natural that he feels stress about the viewer ratings for “Personal Taste” which has to compete with other outstanding dramas such as “Cinderella’s Stepsister (KBS)” and “Prosecutor Princess (SBS)”, which will air its first episode on the same day.

Lee Min Ho commented about the viewer ratings: “Honestly, I cannot afford to care about other competitors because I am only concentrating on playing my role in the drama. But, it would be great if the ratings came to around 18 percent for the first episode. Then, if the viewer ratings increased by one percent for each episode, the ratings for the final episode would be around 34 percent, since our drama has a total of 16 episodes for the series.”

KBS Global