1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 413: The Knife Cuts Down the Tree
"I walk alone in the cold rain, my ambition is not yet fulfilled but I will not give up. I will endure, endure, endure, and decide to endure..."

Jiahe Cinemas, Kowloon Bay Metropole Theatre.

Accompanied by the theme song of "Police Stories", the sequel of this series officially opened. Chen Jiaju, played by Chen Shilong, moved swiftly on the screen and was persuaded by Dong Biao and the director to take on the task. The fusion of comedy and action received a warm response, especially the action scene on the double-decker bus at the beginning, which caused exclamations from the audience.

In the 1500-seat theater,
Jiahe director Zou Wenhuai, Ho Kwan-chang and Cai Dusheng chose a super seat and quietly observed the reactions of the audience around them.

Ordinary movies wouldn't make the three tycoons so concerned, but the two movies at the end of the year have huge investments, so they have to be alert.

"Police Stories 2700" had a budget of 4000 million, and "Project A " had an investment of over million.

It is equivalent to losing half of Jiahe’s cash flow.

However, big investments also have their own reasons. With Chen Shilon's reputation, the two sequels have not yet been released overseas, but film producers in Japan and Taiwan have already offered money to Jiahe and shared the production costs.

"I'll go to Sun Po tonight to watch that Hollywood blockbuster. Chen Rongmei and Jiang Zhiqiang have been promoting it very vigorously in the newspapers, but I don't know how good it is."

Zou Wenhuai took in the cheers of the audience around him. Judging from his experience, the sequel would have good box office growth. Hong Kong is a touchstone for Hong Kong films, and only if it receives applause here can it be marketed in the East Asian market.

"I have watched the play when I was on a business trip to North America. It is indeed well-made, with many grand scenes, and there are parts worth learning from."

When Cai Dusheng heard him mention the film RoboCop, he briefly introduced it and then frowned, saying, "Hollywood has been upgrading its technology very fast in the past two years. With a lot of money and people, its influence on the East Asian film market has become increasingly profound."

This is also the reason why local film companies have always been reluctant to introduce Hollywood blockbusters.

It has nothing to do with the noble invasion of Chinese and Western cultures.

It's just that everyone is trying to cheat investors' money and please the audience at the same time, but in the end a huge monster came like a deus ex machina and raised the audience's appreciation level. How can investors be willing to spend money in the future, and how can the audience buy tickets to enter the venue?
What the New Treasure Cinema Alliance is doing is to speed up the process of bringing this Hollywood star to Hong Kong.

"So we need to make more big productions like A-Long every year to withstand the pressure of imported films and make the local box office look better."

Zou Wenhuai pondered, "This year, Formosa lifted its restrictions on foreign films. Some film producers have already contacted me and offered to invest in Jiahe's filming. Also, a South Korean film producer called me and said that they are also negotiating with the United States about films. It is possible that in the future, foreign films will be able to be imported without restriction without the approval and review of the South Korean government."

Upon hearing this, Cai Dusheng and He Guanchang, who were standing by, both raised their eyebrows and looked at Brother Wen beside them.

It is a well-known fact in the film industry that martial law has been lifted in Formosa and film producers are tentatively entering the market. The company's two sequels at the end of the year have not yet been released in Formosa, but the company has already received US$500 million in copyright fees from the Formosa film producers based on the three words "Chen Shilon".

But this was the first time they heard that South Korea and the United States were negotiating to open the market for imported films.

In fact, the US-South Korea negotiations are essentially about American films wanting to enter South Korea, and South Korea also needs to import films to maintain stability.

Ever since the Jeon Mou-hwan regime cracked down on trade unions, South Korean intelligence agencies have suppressed local films to an unprecedented level. Film companies headed by the Seoul Film Group have been closed one after another, local theaters dare not show local films, and a few or ten imported films each year are no longer enough to appease the people. Instead, local banned films such as "The Eve of the Strike", "Dream Country" and "We Will Never Lose You" are widely circulated in the underground market.

So the United States and South Korea rushed to it in both directions, intending to quell the unrest by importing films without restrictions.

He Guanchang pondered and said, "If that's the case, in addition to Japan and Taiwan, South Korea's hot money will also flow into the Hong Kong film market."

Cai Dusheng nodded and said, "When the Americans eat meat, they always leave some soup for us. Hong Kong films have a large audience in South Korea. Once they are liberalized, they will definitely become the fourth largest foreign market."

Zou Wenhuai said in a low voice, "I just don't know when this negotiation will be finalized. Before that, we still have to withstand the pressure of New Treasures to import films. Otherwise, before the hot money from South Korea comes in, the Hong Kong film market will be like Italy and other countries, which have been smashed into pieces by Hollywood blockbusters. Who will be willing to invest in us?"

At a time when Hollywood blockbusters were everywhere, the film markets in most Western countries had been penetrated and riddled with holes, and local films had no chance of recovering.

Fortunately, East Asia is still in the early stages of infiltration. In the past, Japanese films withstood the pressure, and now there are Hong Kong films.

Several major foreign markets including Formosa, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are still willing to provide financial support. Zou Wenhuai and others also see clearly that Hollywood is unstoppable, and they can only absorb as much hot money flowing in from foreign markets as possible before the film market is completely swallowed up by Hollywood blockbusters.

He Guanchang sighed softly: "This way, there will be one more South Korean film producer who needs to be pleased. In the future, Hong Kong's film industry will be led by the foreign market."

Cai Dusheng rubbed his face with both hands and said, "It's a general trend. It's good to be led by it. The salaries of stars, directors, art directors, and martial arts directors are rising sharply. The production costs are getting higher and higher. The cost of this "Police Stories 2" is nearly 30 million. Without the overseas market, it has to sell more than 80 million in Hong Kong to barely cover the cost... 80 million, Jiahe's movies in a year may not sell that much."

On the screen, the plot of the movie has entered the middle stage. The door of the serious crime squad has been blown up, and the senior police officers are furious.

Zou Wenhuai was silent for a while, then suddenly spoke again, saying calmly, "Liang Feng is dead."

Cai Dusheng and He Guanchang's expressions froze, and they nodded in unison to indicate that they had received the news.

"Well, I heard that he died in Canada. Before he died, he wanted to transport his ashes back to Taiwan. I'll go and pay my respects to him then."

"He wanted to be loyal to Taiwan all his life, but he died in a foreign country just after taking the seat of legislator. You never know what will happen in this world~"

The Hong Kong and Kowloon Film and Drama Free Association, which was once a powerful organization in Hong Kong, officially announced its dissolution this year. Liang Feng, the managing director of Jiahe, also died in the same year.

Starting this year, Hong Kong film companies no longer have to hire core members of the Freedom Federation to guide their work at high salaries, and they can also save a lot of donations.

In contrast, film producers from Taiwan began to actively offer money to Hong Kong film companies to make movies.

Zou Wenhuai continued, "Travel between Formosa and the mainland is open, and I heard that President Tong is also preparing to immigrate."

He Guanchang smiled and said, "She must be in her seventies, right? Why bother with all this?"

Cai Dusheng teased, "As a traitor, she must feel guilty for working for the Japanese devils. She is probably most worried about the two places making peace and pushing her out to settle old scores, so she is in a hurry to escape."

President Tong Yuejuan, who was once feared by Hong Kong filmmakers, has now fallen from power and has become a topic of conversation.

"It seems that Zhai Yuan really has foresight, or he is the reincarnation of a jinx."

Cai Dusheng continued, and seeing the surprise of the two people around him, he immediately smiled and explained: "The Freedom Party has been entrenched in Hong Kong for so many years, how come they all scatter like monkeys within two years of his entry?"

Zou Wenhuai and He Guanchang both smiled and shook their heads.

He Guanchang changed the subject: "1024 only released a comedy with a budget of several million during the Christmas season, and it used a new actor as the lead. I heard that Jinxun has been busy with comics and records recently. Does that mean he can't spare the energy to make a movie?"

Cai Dusheng said: "Speaking of which, he helped with the filming of "Police Stories 2" and "Project A 2". If it is really because of this reason that he has no time to make his own movies, I have to praise him for being selfless."

"Either way he has 'Hiroshima Monster' as a backup."

Zou Wenhuai narrowed his eyes and shook his head, saying, "It's a pity that this Christmas season, the only competition left is between us and Sun Treasures..."

…………

Although Guan Zhilin poked her fingers to attract Zhai Yuan's attention to her.

But to be honest, Guan Zhilin's Qi Meng is indeed not as good as Zhang Min in our impression.

Although her eyes are round and big, and she has a small cherry mouth, she lacks the charm of Zhang Min's peach blossom eyes and flaming red lips. Of course, this is just Zhai Yuan's opinion.

As a group of preconceived audiences who had seen "God of Gamblers" in 1987, as soon as Rosamund Kwan appeared on the stage, the whispers in the theater quieted down, and then many male compatriots' eyes lit up with a faint green light.

"I'm sorry, please help me, comrade. I will repay you in the future."

On the screen, Stephen Chow was being chased by a group of people. He jumped into a convertible sports car and sped along the streets of Hong Kong at night.

Under the soothing and ambiguous melody, the hostess of the sports car slowly turned around, revealing a pretty face with heavy makeup.

This is the first time that Rosamund Kwan has tried a sexy role, even though she had already had a seductive scene with a thin shirt and wet body in "Summer Lucky Stars", and she was almost humiliated by the villain in "Once Upon a Time in China" with her shoulders half exposed.

But overall the character's weak and pure personality is still maintained.

Until this time she appeared in "God of Gamblers", she broke through her acting style again. In addition to heavier makeup and big wavy hair, she also made her debut in a deep V sleeveless long dress.

Qi Meng's clothes in the original film were not so revealing.
However, Zhang Min has a unique figure. Even if she wears a tight dress, it is enough to show off her curvy figure.

Guan Zhilin obviously does not have this kind of talent in terms of body shape, so she can only try to move towards maturity and sexiness.

Qi Meng looked back and raised the corner of her mouth, and said to Zhou Xingxing in the remade young woman dubbing style: "Then you should sit tight."

In the audience,

"No way, this is Guan Zhilin? My Thirteenth Aunt is obviously very pure!"

"It's the same as the promotional poster outside. It's really a bold breakthrough. I just don't know when she will be willing to shoot a Category III movie."

"I never realized before that Rosamund Kwan is so attractive."

The deep V dress reveals the deep and tender cleavage on her chest. She applied foundation specially when shooting, which makes her look even whiter and more eye-catching in the camera.

Zhai Yuan subconsciously turned his head and looked at Guan Zhilin beside him, his eyes circling around her chest.

The goods are not what they seem!

Guan Zhilin shyly lifted her collar and slapped Zhai Yuan's shoulder in a reproachful manner, saying, "I asked you to watch my performance, what are you looking at~"

Since the filming of "Once Upon a Time in China", Zhai Yuan has had little contact with Miss Guan.

When we met again this time, I found that the other party's flirting level had reached a higher level.

Just like those girls I met when I was in school, they usually talked and laughed, and made small physical gestures constantly. Once you take the initiative to say that you want to take it a step further, the other party will innocently say that you are just a friend and you don’t want to confirm the relationship yet~
If you believe it, you will fall into the dog-licking trap...

Zhai Yuan looked at Miss Guan's reluctant expression and thought to himself that it was no wonder that Liu Dehua was so upset when he met a woman like her.

Fortunately, the Zhai family motto is: don't take the initiative, don't refuse, and don't take responsibility. The first three words prevent this situation from happening.

Zhai Yuan retracted his gaze and said seriously: "Actually, I don't know much about acting, but I can recommend you a book called "The Self-cultivation of Actors". In addition, my Chunqiu Performing Arts Academy will open soon. If you are willing to come and study, I will give you a 20% discount."

Rosamund Kwan raised her eyebrows. A worthy match?
…………

On December 12th, the three major Christmas movies had been released for a full week, and the box office data were released one after another.

Zou Wenhuai fell into presbyopia.

On Christmas Eve, "Police Stories 129" won the box office championship with 116 million, followed by the aggressive "Robocop" with million on the same day. The two movies can be said to be the champions.

"God of Gamblers" ranked third, but its performance was surprisingly good, with a single-day box office of 93.

Then things went wrong.

The next day, Christmas, "Robocop" showed its power and single-handedly defeated "Police Stories 135" and "God of Gamblers", earning million in a single day.

"Police Stories 123" grossed million in a single day.

"God of Gamblers" bucked the trend and its box office soared, finally stopping at 118 million.

The third, fourth, and fifth days...

A week has passed since today, and the single-day box office of both Chinese and Western blockbuster movies has shown a downward trend.

The box office of "God of Gamblers" is still rising!
In seven days, the box office has approached 27 million Hong Kong dollars. Starting from the fourth day on the th, it has topped the single-day box office champion for three consecutive days, surpassing the two blockbusters.

During this period, movies such as "One Dance to Allure the City", "Big Foot Eight", "New Zombie Chasing Girls" and "The Lustful Young Master and the Pretty Girl" were released on the Christmas schedule.

However, under the siphoning of "God of Gamblers", the box office went down all the way, and on average it was withdrawn after no more than three days of release, and the single-day box office rarely exceeded 100,000 Hong Kong dollars.

“Is it really that sharp?”

Zou Wenhuai, Ho Kwan-chang and Cai Dusheng took advantage of the night and walked into a theater in Fanling at 1024.

The three watched the entire movie in silence amid the audience's laughter.

"Is it funny? The protagonist is neither handsome nor good at fighting, he's like a clown."

"I don't think it's as funny as the new Ma Shi-tseng movie, and it's not as good as Robocop in terms of special effects. You can win money by shuffling the cards? This script is too simple."

"It seems that young people like this fast pace. The Xin Ma Shi Zeng style is outdated. Maybe we are getting old too."

The three tycoons of Jiahe drove back to the company.

Several security guards at the door set up a card table under the street light and were playing poker with great interest.

Zou Wenhuai noticed that they had an extra movement in their hands when playing cards, which was rubbing the cards back and forth in the palm of their hands, which was obviously imitating the movement of Stephen Chow in "God of Gamblers".

A movie changes the daily habits of its audience.

"He's such a jinx! He used a production budget of 700 million to make a new type of film. It's like a knife cutting down a big tree!"

Zou Wenhuai sighed, then seemed to be relieved, smiled and shook his head: "Well, this time "Police Story 2" is not as good as "Robocop", Zhai Yuan's "God of Gamblers" came out to save the market, and the Hong Kong film industry will not be finished so soon. I hope he can keep up the good work, so that everyone can still make money..."

(End of this chapter)