The Gong Show

Now showing in New York City and Los Angeles is Curse of the Golden Flower. We don't always get to see movies from Asia on the big screen, so when a good one gets major distro, you have to jump on it. (People in other cities get their chance on January 12.)


Helmed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li and Chow Yun-Fat, it's the equivalent of Monsters of Rock in Chinese cinema. The Shakespearean-style story unfolds in a gripping manner, the costumes and sets are shockingly great, and the acting is world class. Chow is badass with his beard and Li is stunning. Trust me, it won't be the same on DVD.


We don't like to divulge too much about upcoming magazine articles here on the GR blog, but I think it's okay to say that we were very amped when the publicists made time for us to meet one of the movie's principals--someone we've never interviewed before. I think the Q&A turned out to be a good read: equally comprehensive and candid.


Something that won't come through in the mag is how we dislodged part of the hotel's fancy chandelier with a backdrop after taking portraits! Eric's resourcefulness saved the day, and probably saved Sony some bucks, too.