| |
|
|
| |
| Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:35:00 | By: pangchunquan ] |
| Jackie Chan was born in 1954 on Victoria Peak, Hong Kong, as Chan Kong Sang (meaning "born in Hong Kong") to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, refugees from the Chinese Civil War. He was nicknamed Pao Pao (Chinese: 炮炮, literally meaning "Cannonball") because he was always rolling around as an infant.[1] Since his parents worked for the French ambassador to Hong Kong, Chan spent his formative years within the grounds of the ambassador's residence in the Victoria Peak district.[2]
Chan attended the Nah-Hwa Primary School on Hong Kong Island, where he failed his first year, after which his parents withdrew him from the school. In 1960, his father emigrated to Canberra, Australia to work as head cook for the American embassy, and Chan was sent to the Chinese Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School run by Master Yu Jim Yuen.[2][3]
Chan trained rigorously for the next decade, excelling in martial arts and acrobatics.[4] He eventually joined the Seven Little Fortunes, a performance group made up of the school's best students, gaining the stage name Yuen Lo in homage to his master. Chan became close friends with fellow group members Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, the three of them later to be known as the Three Brothers or Three Dragons.[5]
At the age of 8, he appeared with some of his fellow "Little Fortunes", in the film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar (1962), with Li Li Hua playing his mother. Chan appeared with Li again the following year, in The Love Eterne (1963) and had a small role in King Hu's 1966 film, Come Drink with Me. After an appearance as an extra in another King Hu film, A Touch of Zen, Chan began his adult career in the film industry. At the age of 17, he worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon under the stage name Chen Yuen Long.[6] He received his first starring role later that year, in Little Tiger of Canton, which had a limited release in Hong Kong in 1973.[7]
Following the commercial failures in his early ventures into films and trouble finding stunt work, Chan joined his parents in Canberra in 1976, where he briefly attended Dickson College and worked as a construction worker.[8] A fellow builder named Jack took Chan under his wing, earning Chan the nickname of "Little Jack" which was later shortened to "Jackie" and the name Jackie Chan stuck with him ever since.[9] In addition, Chan changed his Chinese name to Fong Si Lung, since his father's original surname was Fong.[9] |
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:38:29 | By: pangchunquan ] |
 In 1976, Jackie Chan received a telegram from Willie Chan, a film producer in the Hong Kong film industry who had been impressed with Jackie's stuntwork. Willie Chan offered him an acting role in a film directed by Lo Wei, who planned to model him after Bruce Lee with the film New Fist of Fury. His stage name was changed to Sing Lung (Chinese: 成龍, literally "become the dragon") to emphasise his similarity to Bruce Lee, whose stage name was Lei Siu Lung (Chinese: 李小龍, meaning "Little Dragon"). The film was unsuccessful because Chan was not accustomed to Lee's martial arts style. Despite the film's failure, Lo Wei continued producing films with similar themes, resulting in little improvement at the box office.[10]
Chan's first major breakthrough was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, shot while he was loaned to Seasonal Film Corporation under a two-picture deal.[11] Under director Yuen Woo Ping, Chan was allowed complete freedom over his stunt work. The film established the comedic kung fu genre, and proved to be a breath of fresh air for the Hong Kong audience.[12] Chan then starred in Drunken Master, which finally propelled him to mainstream success.[13]
Upon Chan's return to Lo Wei's studio, Lo tried to replicate the comedic approach of Drunken Master, producing Half a Loaf of Kung Fu and Spiritual Kung Fu.[9] He also gave Chan the opportunity to co-direct Fearless Hyena with Kenneth Tsang. When Willie Chan left the company, he advised Jackie to decide for himself whether to or not to stay with Lo Wei. During the shooting of Fearless Hyena Part II, Chan broke his contract and joined Golden Harvest, prompting Lo to blackmail Chan with triads, blaming Willie for his star's departure. The dispute was resolved with the help of fellow actor and director Jimmy Wang Yu, allowing Chan to stay with Golden Harvest
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:39:21 | By: pangchunquan ] |
Willie Chan had become Jackie's personal manager and firm friend, and has remained so for over 30 years. He was instrumental in launching Chan's international career, beginning with his first forays into the American film industry in the 1980s. His first Hollywood film was Battle Creek Brawl in 1980. Chan then played a minor role in the 1981 film The Cannonball Run, which grossed US$100 million worldwide. Despite being largely ignored by audiences in favour of established American actors like Burt Reynolds, Chan was impressed by the outtakes shown at the closing credits, inspiring him to include the same device in his future films. After the commercial failure of The Protector in 1985, Chan temporarily abandoned his attempts to break into the US market, returning his focus to Hong Kong films.[10]
Back in Hong Kong, Chan's films began to reach a larger audience in East Asia, with early successes in the lucrative Japanese market including The Young Master (1980) and Dragon Lord (1982). Chan produced a number of action comedy films with his opera school friends Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. The three co-starred together for the first time in 1983 in Project A, which won the Best Action Design Award at the third annual Hong Kong Film Awards.[15] Over the following two years, the "Three Brothers" appeared in Wheels on Meals and the original Lucky Stars trilogy.[16][17] In 1985, Chan made the first Police Story film, a US-influenced action comedy in which Chan performed his own stunts. It was named the "Best Movie" at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards.[18] In 1987, Chan played "Asian Hawk", an Indiana Jones-esque character, in the film Armour of God. The film was Chan's biggest domestic box office success to date, grossing over HK $35 million.
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:39:59 | By: pangchunquan ] |
In 1988 Chan starred alongside Hung and Yuen for the last time to date, in the film Dragons Forever. Hung co-directed with Corey Yuen, and the villain in the film was Yuen Wah, both of whom were fellow graduates of the China Drama Academy.
In the late 1980s and early 90s, Chan starred in a number of successful sequels beginning with Police Story 2, which won the award for Best Action Choreography at the 1989 Hong Kong Film Awards. This was followed by Armour of God II: Operation Condor, and Police Story 3, for which Chan won the Best Actor Award at the 1993 Golden Horse Film Festival. In 1994, Chan reprised his role as Wong Fei Hung in Drunken Master II, which was listed in Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies.[20] Another sequel, Police Story 4: First Strike, brought more awards and domestic box office success for Chan, but did not fare as well in foreign markets.[21] Jackie Chan rekindled his Hollywood ambitions in the 1990s, but refused early offers to play villains in Hollywood films to avoid being typecast in future roles. For example, Sylvester Stallone offered him the role of Simon Phoenix, a criminal in the futuristic film Demolition Man. Chan declined and the role was taken by Wesley Snipes.[22]
Chan finally succeeded in establishing a foothold in the North American market in 1995 with a worldwide release of Rumble in the Bronx, attaining a cult following in the United States that was rare for Hong Kong movie stars.[23] The success of Rumble in the Bronx led to a 1996 release of Police Story 3 in the United States under the title Supercop, which grossed a total of US $16,270,600[24]. Jackie then co-starred with Chris Tucker in the 1998 buddy cop action comedy Rush Hour,[25] grossing US$130 million in the United States alone.
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:40:20 | By: pangchunquan ] |
In 1998, Chan released his final film for Golden Harvest, Who Am I?. After leaving Golden Harvest in 1999, he produced Gorgeous, a romantic comedy that focused on personal relationships.[26] Chan then helped create a PlayStation game in 2000 called Jackie Chan Stuntmaster, to which he lent his voice and performed the motion capture.[27] Starting that year, Chan voiced a fictionalised version of himself in the animated series Jackie Chan Adventures, which ran until 2005.[28]
Despite further success with Shanghai Noon in 2000, Rush Hour 2 in 2001 and Shanghai Knights in 2003, Chan became frustrated with Hollywood over the limited range of roles and lack of control over the film-making process.[29] In response to Golden Harvest's withdrawal from the film industry in 2003, Chan started his own film production company, JCE Movies Limited (Jackie Chan Emperor Movies Limited) in association with Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG).[14] His films have since featured an increasing number of dramatic scenes while continuing to succeed at the box office; examples include New Police Story (2004), The Myth (2005) and Rob-B-Hood (2006).[30][31][32]
Chan's most recent release was Rush Hour 3 in August 2007, which performed well at the U.S. box office, grossing over US$100 million.[33] However, it performed poorly in Hong Kong, grossing only HK$3.5 million during its opening weekend.[34] The filming of The Forbidden Kingdom, Chan's first onscreen collaboration with fellow Chinese actor Jet Li, was completed on August 24, 2007 and the film was released in April 2008.[35][36] Chan will voice the character of "Master Monkey", in the DreamWorks Animation film, Kung Fu Panda, scheduled for a May 2008 release, alongside stars such as Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie. [37] In addition, he has signed up to assist Anthony Szeto in an advisory capacity for the writer-director's upcoming film Wushu, which is currently in pre-production. The film will star Sammo Hung and Wang Wenjie as father and son.[38] In November 2007, Chan will begin filming Shinjuku Incident with director Derek Yee, which sees Chan take on the role of a Chinese immigrant in Japan.[39] According to his blog, Chan wishes to direct a film after completing Shinjuku Incident, something he has not done for a number of years.[40] The film is expected to be the third in the Armour of God series, and has a working title of Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac.
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:40:41 | By: pangchunquan ] |
Jackie Chan performs most of his own stunts, which are choreographed by the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. Since the team's establishment in 1983, Chan has used it in all his subsequent films to make choreographing easier, given his understanding of each member's abilities.[42] Chan and his team undertake many of the stunts performed by other characters in his films, shooting the scenes such that their faces are obscured.[43]
The dangerous nature of his stunts makes it difficult for Chan to get insurance, especially in the United States, where his stunt work is contractually limited.[43] Chan holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Stunts By A Living Actor", which emphasises "no insurance company will underwrite Chan's productions, in which he performs all his own stunts".[44] In addition, he holds an unrecognised record for the most number of takes for a single shot in a film, having shot over 2900 retakes for a complex scene involving a badminton game in Dragon Lord.[45]
Chan has been injured numerous times attempting stunts; many of them have been shown as outtakes or bloopers during the closing credits of his films. He came closest to death filming Armour of God, when he fell from a tree and fractured his skull, resulting in a permanent hole in his head. Over the years, Chan has dislocated his pelvis and broken his fingers, toes, nose, both cheekbones, hips, sternum, neck and ribs on numerous occasions.
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:41:01 | By: pangchunquan ] |
Jackie Chan created his screen persona as a response to Bruce Lee, and the numerous imitators who appeared before and after Lee's death. In contrast to Lee's characters, who were typically stern, morally upright heroes, Chan plays well-meaning, slightly foolish regular guys (often at the mercy of their friends, girlfriends or families) who always triumph in the end despite the odds.[9] Despite the success of the Rush Hour series, Chan has stated that he is not a fan of it since he neither appreciates the action scenes in the movie, nor understands American humour.[48]
In recent years, the aging Chan grew tired of being typecast as an action hero, prompting him to act with more emotion in his latest films.[49] In New Police Story, he portrayed a character suffering from alcoholism and mourning his murdered colleagues.[50] To further shed the image of Mr. Nice Guy, Chan played an anti-hero for the first time in Rob-B-Hood starring as Thongs, a burglar with gambling problems
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:41:31 | By: pangchunquan ] |
Jackie Chan has received worldwide recognition for his acting, having won several awards including an Innovator Award from the American Choreography Awards and a lifetime achievement award from the Taurus World Stunt Awards.[52] He has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars.[53] Despite considerable box office success in Hollywood, Chan's American films have been criticised with respect to the action choreography. Reviewers of Rush Hour 2, The Tuxedo, and Shanghai Knights criticised the toning down of Chan's fighting scenes, citing less intensity compared to his earlier films.[54][55][56] The comedic value of his films is questioned, some critics stated it can be childish at times.[57]
Chan is a cultural icon, having been referenced in Ash's song "Kung Fu" as well as in "Jackie Chan" by Frank Chickens, and television shows Celebrity Deathmatch and Family Guy. He has been the inspiration for manga such as Dragon Ball,[58] the character Lei Wulong in Tekken and the fighting-type Pokémon Hitmonchan.[59][60][61] In addition, Jackie Chan has a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors. As a result, Mitsubishi cars can be found in the most recent Jackie Chan films. Furthermore, Mitsubishi honoured Chan by launching Evolution, a limited series of cars which he personally customised.[62][63][64]
A number of video games have featured Jackie Chan. Before Stuntmaster, Chan already had a game of his own, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu, released in 1990 for the PC-Engine and NES. In 1995, Chan was featured in the arcade fighting game Jackie Chan The Kung-Fu Master. In addition, a series of Japanese Jackie Chan games were released on the MSX by Pony, based on several of his films (Project A, Project A 2, Police Story, The Protector and Wheels On Meals).[65]
Jackie Chan is a successful singer in Hong Kong and Asia, having begun producing records professionally in the 1980s. He often sings the theme songs of his films, playing them during the closing credits.[50][66] In 2004, Chan launched his own line of clothing, which bears a Chinese dragon logo and the English word "Jackie".[67]
Chan has always wanted to be a role model to children, remaining popular with them due to his good-natured acting style. He has refused to play villains and has never used the word *** in his films.[68] Chan's greatest regret in life is not having received proper education,[69] inspiring him to fund educational institutions around the world. He funded the construction of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the Australian National University[70] and the establishment of schools in poor regions of china
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:41:56 | By: pangchunquan ] |
| Chan is a spokesperson for the Government of Hong Kong, appearing in public service announcements. In a Clean Hong Kong commercial, he urged the people of Hong Kong to be more considerate with regards to littering, a problem that has been widespread for decades.[72] Furthermore, in an advertisement promoting nationalism, he gave a short explanation of the March of the Volunteers, the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.[73] When Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005, Chan participated in the opening ceremony.[74] In the United States, Chan appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in a government advert to combat copyright infringement and made another public service announcement with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to encourage people, especially Asians, to join the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. |
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:42:09 | By: pangchunquan ] |
Philanthropy
Chan is a keen philanthropist and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, having worked tirelessly to champion charitable works and causes. He has campaigned for conservation, against animal abuse and has promoted disaster relief efforts for floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.[3][77][78] In June 2006, he announced the donation of half his assets to charity upon his death, citing his admiration of the effort made by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates to help those in need.[79]
On 10th March 2008, Chan was guest of honour for the launch, by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University in Canberra.
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:42:37 | By: pangchunquan ] |
In 1982, Jackie Chan married Lin Feng-Jiao, a Taiwanese actress. The two had a son the same year, singer and actor Jaycee Chan.[29]
"In a 1999 scandal, he all but acknowledged paternity of a daughter with 1990 Miss Asia Pageant winner Elaine Ng," although paparazzi had also linked Jackie to "everyone from the late Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng to sultry pop star and actress Anita Mui."[80]
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:43:51 | By: pangchunquan ] |
Charity biography
Jackie founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation in 1988 to help young people in a variety of worthy causes, including medical services, aid to victims of natural disaster or illness, scholarships and youth activities.
Jackie is currently a UNICEF and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador.
Upon hearing about the 2007 Yunnan earthquake, Jackie immediately began making phone calls to find out what supplies were needed and how he could help.
In 2006, Chan:
Made a considerable donation to the Civil Aviation Institute in Guanghan, China to fund programs for student pilots and airline staff
Filmed a Public Service Announcement to warn children about the dangers of Avian Flu
Visited the Yunan Province of China for the opening ceremony of Angels With Wings (a campaign which helps poor children attend school by supplying them with books, clothing, and other necessities)
Hosted a series of concerts to raise money for disabled children and the elderly
Visited several facilities for the elderly
Visited an Operation Smile hospital
Sang at charity concerts to benefit local children’s charities
Donated warm coats to The Salvation Army in Hong Kong to aid the elderly
Founded the Jackie Chan Civil Aviation Foundation, a charity which provides program funding for flight personnel (pilots, flight attendants, and other crew) and their trainers
Spent four days on Dragon’s Heart Charity Mission travelling to remote and poverty stricken areas of the Guizhou Province of China.
He was also made an honorary principal of a college and given the title of Cultural Ambassador by the Chinese government.
Jackie’s 2005 charity activities include:
Crossing Borders Fund Raising Show and check presentation
Presentation of a check for Children’s Welfare, Korea
We Are The World recording for tsunami relief
Donation to benefit Asian Moon Bears
MTV Asia Aid (tsunami aid)
Official Patron of Action In Mental Health
Forces of Nature Benefit Concert, Malaysia
Donation of his personal stamp collection to benefit China Children’s Day Charity, and participated in the charity’s concert
Visits to Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam as UNICEF Ambassador, and a visit to Urumqi where he provided a medical team for exams
Xinjiang Charity Event, auction and movie screening
Presented a HK$1 million to UNICEF from Mr. Eddie Ho
Recorded “It’s A Wonder” with Agnes Chan
Dragon’s Heart Charity Events
Walk With Pride, Breast Cancer Research Fundraiser
Jackie Chan Charity Weekend (Concert, Charity Cup Rally, Fundraising Banquet)
UNICEF’s Change For Good Program
Care for Elderly Charitable Ticket Fundraiser
Fundraiser for Hong Kong’s San Kwong Theater to help support classic art of Cantonese Opera
SGX Bull Run for Charity
UNICEF’s World Children’s Day Campaign
Dragon’s Heart Charity Missions in Jilin and Xinjiang
Giving Warmth to the Elderly
Jackie Chan 2005 Scholarships
In 2004, Jackie donated
1,000 sweaters for seniors
HK$500,000 to UNICEF tsunami relief
300 coats to seniors
12 million yuan, with Albert Yueng, to establish the China Social Work Association, Jackie Chan and Albert Yeung Community Charity Fund
2 million yuan to the China Children and Teenagers Fund
Jackie also signed items for charity auctions to benefit HK Children’s Cancer Center Yam Pak Charity Fund, attended the Around the World in 80 Days Charity screening in Hawaii, and had a private charity dinner to help recover remains of the war dead.
|
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-4-24 10:46:19 | By: pangchunquan ] |
Chan Kong-sang was born on Victoria Peak in Hong Kong in 1954, the son of two servants to the French ambassador. He spent his toddler years within the confines of the embassy where they lived. Despite the rigid discipline of his father, the young Chan showed a great dislike for academic study, preferring instead his lessons in kung fu and the ingestion of large quantities of food (his father was the cook at the embassy). After only one year at school, it was clear Chan was struggling, and so his parents took the decision to withdraw him from school and look for another solution.
The Academy
The search for a way to educate Chan became more important when his father was offered a job in Australia. Benefits of the move were clear, they would obtain Australian citizenship, and earn more money (enough to save rather than merely survive on). However, Chan and his mother would have to stay behind initially, and without the discipline of his father Chan might slip into delinquency. His father's friends eventually suggested a course of action which would provide support, education and discipline for the boy.
Chan was sent to Master Yu's China Drama Academy on Kowloon Island. In return for being taught the skills of dramatic performance (which included music, gymnastics and martial arts) and being given food and housing, Chan would be expected to remain under Master Yu's tutelage for a period of ten years. At first he found it difficult to fit in with the rigid hierarchy imposed upon himself and his fellow students, but gradually he began to demonstrate competence in every area of study. Chan was frequently in confrontation with the elder students who had disciplinary power over the younger children - an echo of his days back home when he used kung fu against the local bullies, and a glimpse of his future personality.
Once the students of the Academy were sufficiently practised in their given profession they began putting on performances of classic Chinese operas in a theatre at a local amusement park. These provided the money to keep the Academy running, along with providing students as extras in film productions. Chan took leading parts in the Academy productions, receiving praise from audiences and earning the respect of his Master. It was here, in the spotlight, that Chan realised he wanted to be a star.
As time passed and Chan neared the end of his ten year contract, it became clear that working in traditional Chinese opera was becoming an increasingly difficult way to make money. The entertainment business in Hong Kong was now centred around the film studios, where Chan's elders graduated to after their stay at the Academy. They rose to every conceivable position in the industry, from acting talent to behind-the-scenes production roles. When it was Chan's turn to leave Master Yu behind, there was only one viable choice for someone with his mix of acting and martial arts skills; he became a stuntman.
Action in the Movies
Chan had performed a few stunt roles during his days as a student, but now he had to find enough work to support himself (his mother had also moved to Australia during his time at the Academy). Luckily for him, cinema production in Hong Kong exploded in the early 1970s, thanks in no small part to the emergence of Bruce Lee as a superstar. Suddenly action and martial arts films were in huge demand in Asia, and that meant no shortage of work for the stuntmen. In this environment, Chan worked quickly at building a reputation for attempting seemingly impossible, and usually very dangerous, stunts. He even worked with Lee on two of his films. Unfortunately, this brief period of success was tragically cut short. When Bruce Lee met his untimely death, it signalled the end of the lucrative years for the studios, and many people lost their jobs, including Chan.
Unable to make money in Hong Kong, Chan travelled to Australia and lived with his parents, working on construction sites to make ends meet. One of his workmates was a fellow named Jack, who took Chan under his wing. The pair were jokingly referred to as Big Jack and Little Jack on site. Over time, Little Jack became Jackie, the name which finally stuck and became known worldwide.
Even through this period, Jackie did not give up on the dream of stardom, and he kept in regular touch with contacts in the film industry back home. One of these contacts was Willie Chan, a manager working for one of the most famous directors in the business, Lo Wei. They were looking for a young actor to mould into a star. When Jackie was offered the job, he hesitated. The money was nowhere near what he had been making previously, but the lure proved too great and he agreed to a ten-year contract with the company.
Initial efforts did poorly at the box office, mainly because of Lo Wei's refusal to open up to new ideas. Instead, he attempted to recreate the Bruce Lee era, resulting in films completely lacking in originality.
Just as it was looking like Jackie's dreams were coming to an end, Willie found a temporary solution in a loan deal to a rival studio, Seasonal Films. Infused with more creative freedom than he had ever before experienced, Jackie scored his first big hits - Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, and Drunken Master. The rise was meteoric, from relative obscurity to household name in three months. But the solution was only temporary, and he did not relish his return to Lo Wei's studio. Even when Wei relented and let Jackie direct Fearless Hyena, the amount of control he exhibited over wages and creative output became too much. Finally matters came to a head, and Willie announced he had secured a deal for Jackie to join Golden Harvest Productions, without Lo Wei's consent. Increasingly desperate to remain in the film industry, Lo Wei turned to the Triads to force Jackie to stay with him. Fortunately, negotiations took place before the situation could become more serious (although Jackie was forced into brief exile in America by the experience), and Golden Harvest bought out Lo Wei's contract.
The switch to Golden Harvest, for whom Chan had worked for years earlier as a simple stuntman, gave him full creative freedom and even directorial duties in some cases. That first benefit gave rise to Jackie's trademark, 'the superstunt', an enormous one-take scene involving large amounts of destruction and danger. An example of this comes from Police Story 2, where Jackie rides along on the top of a double-decker bus, dives off the roof into the air and sails through a second-floor plate glass window. This is the kind of spectacular moment which sells movie tickets, and Jackie has provided over two decades' worth of them.
The Pacific Divide
Jackie's star status in Asia has been unquestionable ever since those first films in the late 1970s. Translating that success into global stardom has proved much more difficult. In particular, the American market was very unreceptive, due to a combination of bad marketing and bad casting. His first US feature film, Battle Creek Brawl saw him portraying a vengeful loner, a routine which had already been done before by countless actors and was not suited to Jackie's comedic talent. His next American film, Cannonball Run, was a hit, but it was an ensemble piece and did not give a good idea of audience reaction to Chan himself.
A further complication was the restriction to Chan's style of working, enforced mainly by the studios fearful of legal action if their investment were ever to injure himself on set. The lack of actual contact during action scenes removed the intensity which was his hallmark, which added to the frustration.
This initial flirtation with the USA market soured his opinion and he resolved to stay away, reasoning that the Asian market was bigger anyway. However, he did not give up completely on breaking into other markets, and he raised the international appeal of his films by including actors from many other countries.
It was not until 1994 that Jackie finally decided to try the States again, when Rumble in the Bronx was released. When it made almost $10 million on its opening weekend and became the first Hong Kong film to make it to number one at the US box office, he had finally cracked it. Every film Jackie has made since has seen a successful American release, making him a true global phenomenon.
Hazards of the Job
Success for a stuntman comes at a price, perhaps the ultimate price if luck is against him. Jackie has certainly had a severe physical toll exacted on him. Almost every part of his body has suffered some form of injury, whether it be simple cuts and bruises or dislocations and fractures.
The worst incident came during the filming of Armour of God in Yugoslavia. The stunt itself was relatively simple, by Jackie's standards, a leap from the top of a 15 foot wall into a tree. However, he missed his landing and fell to the ground, hitting his head on a boulder below the tree. The blow resulted in a skull fracture so severe a bone fragment lodged itself in his brain, causing a life-threatening haemorrhage. He survived because the nearest hospital happened to have the country's best brain surgeon on the staff. The accident left Jackie hard of hearing in one ear and a hole in his skull remains.
To give the audience some idea of just how dangerous the whole process is, Jackie began adding footage of stunts which went wrong to the end credits of his films, interspersed with shots of the setting-up of the superstunts and more comedic out-takes. He was inspired to include this footage after seeing the finished Cannonball Run, and the tradition has continued to this day.
Filmography
The Internet Movie Database gives a full account of Jackie Chan's screen career.
Recommended Jackie Chan Films
The Police Story series
Drunken Master
The Young Master
Thunderbolt
Dragons Forever
City Hunter
Project A
Project A 2
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin |
|
| |
| Re:Jackie Chan |
|
[ 2008-5-8 13:38:07 | By: - -(游客) ] |
 “爸爸很爱干净，甚至到了有洁癖的地步。”
“他曾恐吓妈妈说，若发现我剪了短发就跟她离婚！”
“每次爸爸回来，加上睡觉的时间都不够8个小时。”……
《千机变II》终于露出了“庐山真面目”，男主角房祖名作为成龙的儿子初次“触电”而备受瞩目。
自出生以来，他就跟母亲过着“隐形人”的生活，公开场合也不被允许叫成龙一声“爸爸”。6年前，在成龙契爷何冠昌去世的讣告上，他和母亲林凤娇的身份终于得到公开承认。今时今日，已21岁的房祖名终于可以和父亲并肩合照，在媒体面前开诚布公地谈父子关系，并以“龙子”的身份正式进军娱乐圈，歌影双线发展。
上图：成龙的名气让“龙子”房祖备受压力
“我真的不喜欢功夫”
房祖名原名叫陈祖明，今年5月正式更名，改随父亲成龙族谱姓房。当年，事业正处巅峰状态的林凤娇甘心退居幕后做成龙背后的女人，1982年出生的房祖名也随着母亲过着隐居的生活。
很多人都管房祖名叫“龙子”，他一脸真诚和无奈地说：“不要这样叫，我会吐血的。叫我祖名就好了。”他说在性格上受妈妈的影响比较深，妈妈对他说最大的敌人是自己，应该多交朋友。那爸爸的影响呢，房祖名承认在拍戏上肯定有，他喜欢爸爸在香港时拍的电影，但他最爱的是音乐。
样子可以遗传，兴趣却不能。祖名坦言：“我4岁便会闻歌起舞。我也学boxing（拳击），可以自卫就够了。爸爸希望我学功夫，但我对他说：‘不如你跟我学唱歌，如果你能作曲填词，我便跟你学功夫。’我真的不喜欢功夫，虽然中国功夫很特别，但有李小龙、成龙去宣扬就够了，不用我来做。”
“爸爸的名气好像放大镜”
在房祖名的眼里，父亲算不上是个英雄。“我只是尊重他、欣赏他。但离英雄可能还差些吧。”
有个大名鼎鼎的父亲，做儿子的难免有点压力，担心败坏了父亲的名声。他说：“爸爸的名气对我来说，就好像放大镜，如果我表现出色，便荣誉纷至；若是我做得有一点不好，也更容易遭人指责。”而一出道便能担纲影片男主角，荣誉与压力并存的生活也让他倍感艰辛。
不过，能有一个做天王巨星的爸爸，房祖名也感到自豪。每当谈及与父亲相处的琐事，祖名旋即变得神采飞扬，“有个万人瞩目的老爸，他的时间是属于大家的，即使一年里只能分给家人几天时间相聚，我也已经很开心，很多人可能见不到他几秒呢。”
“妈妈是卧底”
那么每次见面，父子间如何联络感情，答案是让人忍俊不禁的：“小时候，每次见面，我都没有什么话和他说，只听他不停地数落我。如果一年见两次，他就会48小时不停地对我训话，讲人生大道理。”
可是，如此忙碌的父亲，哪里会知晓儿子这么多的琐事？祖名笑着解释道：“他都是从妈妈那里听来的，他教训我的时候总是说‘听阿妈讲你……’妈妈其实就是卧底！”
至于当年有没有因爸爸不敢公开承认与他的关系而感不快，他也很明事理地表示：“当时真的有影迷因为爸爸而受伤，我也明白，所以只需要爸爸陪我们很短时间就行了。”祖名虽不像正常孩子般能得到足够的父爱，但却十分尊敬爸爸，坦言欣赏他敬业乐业，工作认真力求完美，且对所有人一视同仁。至于要说爸爸的缺点，祖名也不忌讳：“爸爸很爱干净，甚至到了有洁癖的地步。而且太霸道专制，例如他要我必须留长头发，并要求妈妈监督我，还曾恐吓妈妈说，若发现我剪了短发就跟她离婚！”
“找老婆就要找妈妈那种”
尽管成龙脾气很大，但在房祖名眼里，有一个人更加高深莫测，就是妈妈林凤娇。她对爸爸的电影作品有着绝对的权威发言权，每次爸爸都会主动找妈妈商量，戏应该怎么改，角色应该怎么演，而妈妈的主意往往是左右全局一锤定音的。所以在祖名看来，爸爸的成功至少有一半是妈妈的功劳。
自从房祖名踏进娱乐圈，妈妈林凤娇几乎扮演了经纪人的角色，事业上、生活上处处照顾。“其实，如果爸爸多了时间在家里，妈妈一定不习惯。爸爸不在的日子，我和母亲已习惯了20年，他要是在家里呆太久会生病的！妈妈曾笑爸爸说，她计算过，每次爸爸回来，加上睡觉的时间都不够8个小时！退休对他来说是一种痛苦，还要整天对着我这个讨厌鬼。只要爸爸开心，妈妈就会开心。身边好多阿姨都对我说，以后找老婆就要找我妈妈那种。我也很想找一个跟妈妈一样的，但我知道很难找，因为这种女人已经绝种！”
“不会留意香港八卦新闻”
即使一年只能相聚几次，但血浓于水，一家人的感情相当好，房祖名形容“我们一家人，始终是一个很强的三角，像金字塔一样五千年不变。”
想起父亲偶尔做过的让自己感动的事，祖名像个孩子一样笑起来，“19岁那年，爸爸带我和妈妈去东京旅行，这次旅行我等了19年，终于可以和爸爸一起出去度假，非常开心。而不久前，爸爸还送了一张信用卡给我，这代表他认为我终于长大了”。
当有记者试图问到房祖名有关爸爸的绯闻时，祖名即收起笑脸，并向记者致歉称不会回答。“我们一直都生活在美国，不会留意香港的八卦新闻。”“很对不起，请原谅我有些问题不会回答，因我不想令妈妈担心，若我回答了她会不开心的”。
翻看房祖名的资料，在“最喜爱的礼物”一栏填的是“钱买不到的”，那么，有个有钱爸爸、做惯“阔少爷”的他，财富观是怎样的呢？他说“用钱买到的礼物，很难看出是真心还是假意。小时候在用钱方面，妈妈管得很严。现在我有钱了，自己无论买什么，都会再三问自己是否真的需要，这个习惯是何冠昌先生教我的。”
现在祖名的理想跟成龙一样，就是自己创一番事业。“我和爸爸都希望，别人说道：‘这个不就是房祖名的老爸吗!’爸爸还希望我能超越他，我知道很难，但我会尽力去做。所有的成功人士，都是梦想家，能成功与否也不是太重要，最重要的是尽力!”
|
|
| |
|
