I’m beginning to suspect things always come in pairs around here. Yesterday I posted about the upcoming The Yang’s Clan movie about the 7 brothers, which is bound to drip in excess testosterone. The Yang’s Clan folktale actually does not end with the death/amnesia/be-a-monk endings which befell most of the Yangs’ brothers. The 7 wives, a mom, and 2 younger sisters the 7 brothers left behind not only went on living, their story actually bolsters and enhances the Yang’s Clan legend.
By a stroke of coincidence, the upcoming HK/C movie about the women of the Yang’s Clan, called The Ladies of the Yang’s Clan: Military Orders (杨门女将之军令如山), wrapped its principal filming yesterday. Headlined by Cecilia Cheung, the movie brings to the big screen the story of Yang Zhong Bao, the only son of Sixth Brother and his princess wife, who ended up marrying a warrior lady brigand, but then also died in battle due to the machinations of Minister Pan. His new wife, the infamous Mu Gui Ying, thereafter led all 12 of the remaining Yang’s ladies into battle against the Xi Xia tribe and emerged victorious for the Song Dynasty. Holla for girl power!
Cecelia plays Mu Gui Ying, who is famous in her own right as the only Yang’s clan granddaughter-in-law, since her husband was the only grandson left when she married into the family, and also the unifying force which led the Yang’s wives and sisters into battle to serve their nation when there were no more Yang men left to lead. Richie Ren is her husband Yang Zhong Bao.
Legendary Hong Kong screen actress and wuxia leading lady extraordinaire Zheng Pei Pei is returning to the screen as the matriarch of the Yang family – who famously outlived her husband, her sons, and her grandson.
We’ve got Kathy Chow as Fifth Wife, and old school screen diva Liu Xiao Qing as Sixth Wife/Princess Cai
Below is Second Wife and Fourth Wife, respectively
Third Wife on the left, and Eighth Sister on the right
Seventh Wife on the left, Ninth Sister on the right
Mu Gui Ying and Yang Zhong Bao
This movie is scheduled for an end of 2011 release. While I’m more excited about The Yang’s Clan movie with the guys, the girl power in me loves seeing the widows and girl orphans of the Yang’s clan take up the mantle of the family calling and kick some collective enemy behind. The ladies of the Yang’s Clan story has also been made into quite a few dramas over the years.
In this men’s world, there are actually many historical heroines, such as this Yang family of women. It’s pretty awesome. I also was thinking how in Chinese history, it’s a female that created heaven and earth and people, and its mythology full of both male and female gods. And, kung fu is for everyone. I like that. This new movie looks really cool and I will watch it even though there are less eye candies, I think it’ll be worth my time.
Blue Ocean, I like your comment! 😀
I am also looking forward to watch both movie, same storyline from a different point of view, very unique.
much to my disappointment. Although the storyline was always a fabulous one, this how show however let me to felt that it was hastily made and very irregular… in a way, I am quite disappointed hw it was film. The thought came as the film group doesnt seems to have knowledge or ancient history and/or they do not have a good grasp of a war/fighting show. Terrible war scene and fighting scene i would say…. graphic was terrible too…
but undeniable, the storyline of Yang’s clan is always a fabulous one. So please do justice to the warriors by filming a better show PLEASE.
“the matriarch of the Yang family – who famously outlived her husband, her sons, and her grandson.”
Oh my!
I’m much more interested in this one than the Yang boys one. I’m always more interested in the living than the heroic dead in the Yang Clan epic. Bonus, these ladies can all act up storms, as opposed to the boys one, other than Vic (whom I’m still iffy on his acting in a historical, tbh, he’s only floored me onscreen with B&W)…and Adam Cheng, I cringed and shrugged at the casting of the rest. *partypooperme*
Oh twinnie, who cares the frak about the completely inability of most of the guys in the Yang’s Clan movie to actually ACT. As long as they can all die verra verra pretty (and trust me, Louis can die pretty, Wu Zun does every pretty except acting, Ekin broods pretty, etc.), then that is all that matters.
I’m still doing a happiness jig dance that Vic is doing a wuxia movie. $^*%*^*$%&% VIC WITH A SPEAR~ *thud, I dies*
Btw, let’s start a bet – worst actor in the Yang’s Clan movie will be……and I’m not even able to say that Wu Zun wins hands down (which normally I can say in anything he is cast in). Ekin + Wu Zun will be ROLFtastic.
*whimpering in a low weakly voice, and playing with my fingers*
I do really care about the acting… Yang Clan story is not child’s play, I’ll feel bad loling at ROLFtastic at the hamming and bloodyawfulcringeworthy’acting’galore at such a heart mincing epic. I barely made it through the Young Yang Clan with it’s idoldramatizing, and HuGe, Eddie…and our Loverboy can all act in differing capabilities in my book.
And…we forever have the TVB epic anni and those r more my boys to get my hormones flaring up storms. *playing more with my fingers*
It’s just me, prettiness bores me on screen when it’s not attached to any acting bone. I can stare and droolz at a Vic pic for a wk easy, but I’m bored to sleep watching an ep of his Oishii Kankei (and u know I adore the Jdorama) or Mars…you can’t imagine the epic utter shock that I find him can act and I stayed awake throughout BW. I’ll say it out, I’m VERY skeptical if Vic will do anything for me with a real wood/steel spear being his all tender, soft and emo self. If he’s playing with his real soft ‘spear’ and it turns hard, wake me up.
I hate Ekin, I’ve always found him unattractive even at his peak in the HK gangster movies golden age, there I’ve said it.
Raymond Lam turns me a lesbian. As a fellow HKer, I’m disowned in the straightHKonger sistahood of not finding him remotely attractive/good looking and a terrific actor(yeah terrific, if specialty is hamming) yet every single breathing HK female I know, even my grandmama loves him to bits and being filial I sat thro many Raymond Lam dramas as quality time with her. *MYBLOODYEYESANDBRAIN*
I don’t care for Deng Chao, and u could already tell Louis Koo does nth to make me bat an eyelash in interest. And who else oh…FSF… I have nth nice to say so I’ll shut it.
*shrug*
@mookie
Wait. Wait. You’re not going to watch the movie about the Yang boys? Are you serious?!? Do you really care if they can’t act? LOL I’m watching it if only to see Zai Zai do fight scenes and wear pretty, pretty clothes. *iz shallow*
@ockoala
$^*%*^*$%&% VIC WITH A SPEAR~ *thud, I dies*
That was exactly my reaction! *high-fives*
That said, the movie about the Yang’s clan wives looks good. Yay
Being all ladies ourselves, as awesome as the Yang men are, their wives PWN them in terms of fortitude and resilience.
It’s actually harder being the survivor and dealing with the loss of all the guys in the family.
And later when the ladies went off to war, they totally kicked the enemy’s ass six ways to Sunday, and no one died I seem to recollect.
Anyways, my verdict is that the men = hot sexy eye candy, ladies = amazonian warrior princesses.
I do, Sere. I’m very nails on seat with Action to begin with and the thought of sitting thro 2 hrs of nth but Vic being pretty swinging a spear. I predict I’ll fall asleep is all.
Oh, I totally forget about any mentioning of WuZun. Obviously I hate pretty pieces of wood. He’s an equivalent to me bedding an impotent bodybuilder on a horny ONS, what’s the use, gals?!
Being all ladies ourselves, as awesome as the Yang men are, their wives PWN them in terms of fortitude and resilience.
Preach it, sister!
Anyways, my verdict is that the men = hot sexy eye candy, ladies = amazonian warrior princesses.
And of course amazonian warrior princesses -even nowadays’s warrior princesses- can and should take advantage of the eye candy offered to them, methinks. Nothing wrong with that, no? 😉
But…but…men! In historic garb! Swinging swords! Being all stoic and pretty and prone to bromance!
Don’t mind me, apparently I’m still twelve
Ok I kinda liked Vic in B&W but my worry is how is he gonna pull the stunts in Martial Arts, ahihihi he looks a little wobbly and soft….this epic excites me and almost got my butt of my seat…these women are spectacular and yes MARTIAL ARTS RUNS THICK THROUGH MY VEINS I BREATHE AND LIVE FOR IT, I SO LOVE STRONG WOMEN!!!! WAHHHHHH !!!!! 2nd I stand to disagree how Wu Zun will win hands down on bad acting, if this flick is packed with pretty boys and bad actors it will definitely be hard to spot the difference, actually I kinda pictured it as “Where’s Wally” type of film…when there are too many stars in the sky it’s so freakin bright that all you get are bad yellow eye spots that lingers for a few minutes in your head. 3rd if it’s an action flick I doubt heavy drama will be the center of story….hehehe this guys are so manly all they have to do is drink blood and walla that’s acting ahihihi 😉 I’m really curios how this epic will flow….
@ mookie
you’re not the only one who doesn’t find Raymond Lam attractive!! (in fact i’ve heard none of my female friends who find him attractive… he’s more like a joke to us…) well one of my friends gave a fairer comment – she said Raymond is more tolerable if he focuses on singing than acting (but I’m attractive to neither of those aspects…)
you’re not alone here!
Speaking of Amazons, they have this saying “When Men fight it’s barbaric, when Women fight it’s ART” YES TRULY I LOVE BEING A WOMAN YAY!!!! :-0 😉
@ockoala,
Twinnie, I’ll say this and palipalipalipali run to my naughty unpopular corner.
Vic is the only piece of emo sexy eye candy…but the rest, if they r all lying naked in my bed I won’t do them. Not that I have the time to, they’ll be doing it to each other and yet I may still be bored to watch coz their acting performances have always left me a lot to desire.
*RUNNNNNNNNNNNNN*
Moooooooooookie! You make me all giddy with your “they’ll be doing it to each other” and then you kill my joy with the next sentence. LOL You know what? Imma stay here, steal the scenario you came up with and think about it for an hour or two, if that’s okay with you?
Sere, take the other dudes and give me more space for an hr or 2 or 10, I’ll thank you later, just leave the emo sexy eye candy ZZ @ my bed, Winwinwinwinwin!!
I’m picking up your slack on the mindless lulzing and enjoyment factor this movie will sure to bring. I’m fine with the block-of-wood take on Yang’s clan, since there are other versions that try to be more realistic. Or not, I think every version has been pretty blocks-of-wood (for the most part) takes on it. 😀
Mookie honey you have a, how do I say it a “rated R” imagination have you forgotten this is GP zone, ages 12 to 14 mindset among the audience….yup one more word on poor Zun and I’m out killing with my daggers ROLF 😉 ahihihi While I’m at it I’ll be heating some popcorn as well while blood stains my hands LMAO 😉
Just read your post of Yang Clan’s movie..and read this, I have mental image Zun as Richie Ren’s father, how strange is that!
Am not too keen about Zun as sixth bro, and now Richie Ren? let’s say he’s not my fav actor.
Are they going to schedule the 2 movies back to back??? I hope they will stop at the part where the brothers save the dad….I DON’T WANT TO SEE ALL MY PRETTY BOYS DIE!! Actually the story of the Yang is a big sad love story…The men and their wivies and sisters….All widows and no more male offspring to carry on the family name…It is such a waste of such noble genes. I will support both movies…If not for all the eye-candies but also the Noble of the YANGs…I can’t stand Cecilia and Richie thou 🙁
The likelihood of me watching either of these movies is slim, darn language barrier and all, but I swear the woman playing the Ninth Sister looks a lot like Nam Sang-mi. o.o
Maybe someone will sub it?
I take it this Yang family story is true history. What really bothers me & wish the truth be told, why did all the guys died??? …and the women all survived in wars??? It’s really perplexing and turns one to think that there really is “predestination”. It’s so sad a history if it’s true. Maybe the movie will clear this question a bit.
Totally off the subject, I am watching my first Thailand drama “Love Never Dies (Vampire)” on Viki. It’s pretty fun and the actors are amazingly beautiful/handsome.
I really like Cecelia Cheung – never saw her give a bad performance no matter how wacky the film and I’m very happy that she is back to making films.
Okay now I get it Vic S. and Wu Z. are under the same company….makes sense 😉 Hmmm hope he’ll be in good hands I guess…. 😀
I had the laugh of my life with all your comments. But, I’m pretty sure my VIC will do justice to an Ancient Warrior. You gonna see the TOUGH side of him. Ha, ha, ha!!! I’ll have the last laugh!!! LOL!!!