We haven’t heard from this blogger for a long time. His new post reminds us what he’s been depriving us of. A taste:
A number of Western media outlets — including many that should really know better – have speculated that the decision was motivated by “fears of unrest,” pointing to a few people online who have compared the plight of the furries in Avatar to that of Chinese being forcibly evicted from their homes. This is unlikely, if only because SARFT is just not all that clued-in: they approved District 9 last year even though it was obviously all about Kashgar, and it looks like the remaining installments of the Harry Potter series will continue to be screened in China, despite their scathing critique of the national gaokao college entrance examinations.
The real reason for the move is plain old petty protectionism, pure and simple: Confucius, which stars Chow Yun-fat as the eponymous sage, opens on Friday, and the China Film Group wants to make sure that it does at least respectable business over the Chinese New Year holiday, despite the lackluster reviews it got at advance screenings.
And then it gets really funny. Go there now.
Via ESWN.
1
By ecodelta
I wonder what Confucius would do, go to see the movie about him or the Avatar.
January 28, 2010 @ 12:24 am | Comment
2
By Chi
Here’s a pretty well made youtube video regarding current World of Warcraft situation in China, it has a lot puns and background inforamtion,for example, the internet addiction treatment centre, the WOW shutdown in China, the businese between Blizzard, Netease and 9City, also how ordinary Chinese WOW players felt about Green Dam, Youtube, Twitter etc…strangely it almost brought tears in my eyes, lol, i have to admit I am a WOW player too, and I really feel for those players in China.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emVhTjBYchs (better part starts from 1:30)
January 28, 2010 @ 4:02 am | Comment
3
By Chi
ahh, found amuch more detailed background inforamtion about above video on DigiCha
http://digicha.com/?p=125%20Hat%20tip%20digicha.com
January 28, 2010 @ 4:30 am | Comment
4
By Resident Poet
This man Cohen, what is he smoking?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/opinion/29iht-edcohen.html
January 29, 2010 @ 10:41 pm | Comment
5
By TenSaiNYer
you know, thought there was an article from ESWN that only the 2D avatar screens are being pulled for Confucious. IMAX and 3d screens will be still showing
which would make sense, who’s watching the 2D version anyways?
January 30, 2010 @ 6:37 am | Comment
6
By ecodelta
How many 3D versus 2D theaters are available? If too few theaters can show 3D, it is an effective blocking anyway.
Besides, what about people who want ti see the movie without experiencing a headache?
January 30, 2010 @ 3:33 pm | Comment
7
By pug_ster
Resident Poet,
The last superpower Great Britain went away because of its substantial debt as the result of WWII. The US is on the same path with its runaway spending plan and no way to pay back. It is only time before US will collapse under its weight of debt unless they do something drastic and fast. When that day happens, I would not be surprised that US will be retreating its troops around the world, Korea’s DMZ, Okinawa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, and New Ginea.
January 31, 2010 @ 10:57 am | Comment
8
By Mike Goldthorpe
Pugsy
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/opinion/29iht-edcohen.html?scp=4&sq=cohen&st=cse
I think the demise of the British Empire probably started about 50 years earlier. The Boer War was a bit of a drain and WWI wiped out pretty much all males that could have made a difference.
As it was, it was a fairly quick exit as it was politically, popularly and monetarily expedient to dismantle the empire. Much cheaper not having one than having one…as China might work out one day 🙂
January 31, 2010 @ 3:13 pm | Comment
9
By ecodelta
Interesting behaviour comparison
British Empire-Mahatma Ghandi
Chinese Empire- Dalai Lama
January 31, 2010 @ 5:48 pm | Comment
10
By ecodelta
@mike
Why meddle in difficult problems when we gave the US to do the dirty job for us?
And we can complain all the way how they solve it.
What is even better, is that we can take the high moral ground, while the US get their hands dirty with the task.
And if they solve it, we will be among the first to profit.
That is what we do in the EU most of the time. 😉
January 31, 2010 @ 6:08 pm | Comment
11
By Mike Goldthorpe
Eco
😀
Mind you, can also do it the NZ way – “No, we are not sending troops to war. However, if they wish to fight with British uniforms….” 😉
February 1, 2010 @ 4:12 am | Comment
12
By Not_a_Sinophile
Why does anyone bother to go pay the exorbitant prices (by Chinese standards) in a Chinese movie theater? DVD versions of films (albeit of varying quality levels) are usually available for a fraction of the price of one ticket at the time of theatrical release (and often weeks before!). The posturing about what is shown in Chinese theaters is another PR ploy.
February 1, 2010 @ 6:34 am | Comment
13
By Mike Goldthorpe
N_a_S
Seems quite a few do, judging by the money coming in from ticket sales.
We have literally hundreds of Chinese DVDs. Some are great. Most are average. Quite a few are really crap. A lot are in the wrong language (anyone want War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise in Russian?). But for 6.50 RMB a pop, who’s complaining 😉
And you’ll no doubt have read about this
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/01/25/avatar-inspires-new-name-for-a-chinese-mountain/
February 1, 2010 @ 10:12 am | Comment
14
By ecodelta
“anyone want War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise in Russian?”
конечно!
(if cheap enough…)
February 1, 2010 @ 2:08 pm | Comment
15
By Peter Lavelle
Dear Richard,
My name is Peter Lavelle and I host a tri-weekly panel discussion program on RT (Russia Today television). On Thursday the program’s topic is China-US relations and we would like to have you as a guest in a Beijing studio.
If you are interested, please drop me a line at
plavelle@rttv.ru
best regards,
Peter Lavelle
RT television
Moscow, Russia
February 3, 2010 @ 8:32 pm | Comment
16
By Steve Marshall
@ecodelta said, “I wonder what Confucius would do, go to see the movie about him or the Avatar.”
LOL Nice and snarky, just the way I like it. 🙂
April 15, 2011 @ 5:33 pm | Comment