Wong Kar-wai

[black&huge]

I gotta say the dealbreaker for me with the WKW set last year on top of the packaging design and the Lucas-ing of most of the films was that My Blueberry Nights wasn't included. Which is fine because that means it can rightfully get its own spine or Kino can maybe just do it.

Anywho it's downright weird the career direction WKW is taking lately.

[Michael Kerpan]

Anywho it's downright weird the career direction WKW is taking lately.

Hasn't his decision making been "downright weird" for a long, long time?

[pianocrash]

For some reason I thought you at least liked his earlier stuff with Leung (Chungking/In The Mood), Domino

I liked several of his films, it's the man himself who's driving me crazy

[domino harvey]

If that was real it would actually make me like him more

[yoloswegmaster]

Jet Tone Films posted this in regards to a Ashes of Time collection. New Blu-ray set or theatrical tours for both versions of the film?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I'm going to set my expectations low so I'll either be elated or indifferent instead of outright disappointed. So I'm guessing it's a Blu-ray of the Redux in some ludicrous deluxe packaging, like the Happy Together DVD that came with a reproduction of the waterfall lamp and a pair of boxer shorts.

[mhofmann]

Not even a Blu-ray or film release at all... just some posters and leaflets. Partially of the 1994 release, to add insult to injury.

[hearthesilence]

Ugh. If you're going to release a "gift box," at least make sure it's a decent gift.

[mhofmann]

Ugh. If you're going to release a "gift box," at least make sure it's a decent gift.

You mean add the Mei Ah DVD into the box?

[shiftyeyes]

As a big fan of Ashes of Time, I got really excited for a moment. Figured there must've been a a reason they didn't include it in that box set. But then I remembered the WKW gift shop.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

What has happened to Wong Kar-Wai? Part of the merch drop for Ashes of Time is scented candles. Insane.

[Adam X]

“No man ever lies in the same bath twice”.

[Matt]

I think this poor man probably doesn't get any money from his films. Is he on Cameo yet?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

There are actually rumors that Wong is having money problems. Neither of his recent attempts at mainstream blockbusters (See You Tomorrow and Europe Raiders) earned back their costs; the latter lost at least $20 million, and the company that co-produced it is fighting multiple lawsuits over missed payments. The only other Jet Tone movie released in the last few years is Jinpa, which is great but not the sort of thing that was ever going to be a cash cow (it made about $1.5 million in China). Nobody really seems to know what the hell is going on with Blossoms Shanghai, or for that matter One for the Road, which premiered at Sundance but hasn't received any release dates or even additional festival screenings. And it's not just an NFT and a cheesy webstore either—Sotheby's is also auctioning off a gold tiara created for Ashes of Time (I don't believe it appeared in the actual film, but it eventually showed up on Charlie Yeung in The Lovers), Leslie Cheung's jacket from Happy Together, and a set of props from In the Mood for Love, including the "2046" doorplate.

[shiftyeyes]

A bit late, but that gold tiara mentioned above in that auction does appear in Ashes of Time. It's worn by Maggie Cheung in very brief flashbacks during the "every time it rains, I think of her" moment and again during the wedding night sequence (but only in the 1994 version).

Has anyone seen "One-Tenth of a Millimeter Apart"? I was dying to see it, and noticed some reviews on Letterboxd. Apparently started streaming in China. I was able to see it and the format of the special is a bit silly and it only runs about 27 minutes, but it's a treasure trove for WKW fans. There's a decent chunk which shows some deleted/alternate footage from Ashes of Time, Happy Together, and a scene from an earlier iteration of In the Mood for Love.

Ashes of Time in particular has been a movie obsession of mine for the past year and seeing the tantalizing shots of restored footage from the 1994 version and some lost and alternate footage really blows my mind. I really hope they can re-restore the original version and present it alongside the Redux cut in the future. I'd even take a presentation similar to the alternate version of Days of Being Wild on the Criterion set.

[barbarella satyricon]

...

[jguitar]

Speaking of rumors that WKW is having money problems, I saw this deluxe LP set over at Light in the Attic. I love the music of Wong's films, and I've been known to splash out for some desirable vinyl in the past, but $800 is a little steep for me.

[therewillbeblus]

He could just let some label release his films the way they were and more people will buy them. Nobody’s line is “if your release isn’t doused in the revisionist weeds, I’m not buying it” so he’s just losing $ from traditionalists. A Man Who Stepped in the Same River Twice could even be his Halloween costume - everybody wins

[yoloswegmaster]

More info on Blossoms Shanghai

There will be a total of 30 episodes that are 50 minutes each. First 4 episodes will premiere on December 27 and then 2 episodes released a day.

[feihong]

25 hours of Dynasty, set in Shanghai. I have to say the charisma of the actors in these trailers is lacking. Have years of re-litigating Wong's legacy put me in bad stead to enjoy his latest? I still want this to have the stamp of WKW artistry, but that quality seems very frail insurance these days.

Also, watching a millionaire have his love affairs and walk around in slow motion in designer coats feels very tone-deaf for the current moment.I don't anticipate appreciating this series much.

[Matt]

I’m guessing this is less like Twin Peaks: The Return where Lynch directed every episode and more like Boardwalk Empire or Luck where Scorsese and Mann, respectively, directed the first episode and acted as executive producer, setting the overall tone and look of the series but not having much day-to-day involvement thereafter. Given Wong’s past history with production schedules and deadlines, there is no way he directed 25 hours of television in only 3 years.

[feihong]

I don't know the fine points of it, but I've seen Chinese TV shows often credited to a single director for the whole episode run. I imagine it generally means that the director is farming out a lot of scene direction to other people on the production, but my impression is that the credited directors are generally more involved than just directing a pilot. And he did shoot My Blueberry Nights pretty quickly. Seven weeks, I think? That movie was crap, and this series looks like crap so far, so maybe he was putting in the time? I do think Wong is capable of shooting 25 hours of material––so much of what he shoots for features gets rejected or re-conceptualized and re-filmed, and it's been my impression that's what takes a lot of the time in these protracted shooting schedules.

[Cde.]

I have to think that Wong is more involved than some are predicting, because taking three years to produce a single 25 hour season is insane and as far as I know unprecedented in TV production. Who else but Wong?

[Mr Sausage]

I have to think that Wong is more involved than some are predicting, because taking three years to produce a single 25 hour season is insane and as far as I know unprecedented in TV production. Who else but Wong?

Covid might've had something to do with that.

[Never Cursed]

I have to think that Wong is more involved than some are predicting, because taking three years to produce a single 25 hour season is insane and as far as I know unprecedented in TV production. Who else but Wong?

Covid might've had something to do with that.

Apparently they started shooting in September of 2020 and thus dodged the first wave of lockdowns, though who knows how much filming they did in 2022 since it was all filmed in Shanghai