[Weekly Update] International co-productions

You may have noticed our Patreon page has changed. It's now more similar to YouTube layout. On one hand, it's less convenient to read updates, as you have to click on individual posts, rather than simply scrolling down. On the other hand, collections and past posts, including videos and scripts, should be much easier to find now.

The old view is still accessible by clicking "Posts" on the top right of the page on PC.

Let me know your experience with this new layout, and let me know how we can improve it!

CHANNEL UPDATE

Patreon Error Delays Video Preview
Our next video, which is part 1 of the Japanese films set in China series, is essentially finished. But for some reason, Patreon's benefit tracker is not working properly, missing a bunch of Patreon supporters. I'll wait another day to see if it fixes itself. Either way, the video preview will be shared on Discord on Monday.

Video After
We'll finish the series with part 2 of the Japanese made Chinese film series, in which we'll cover some Kung Fu movies made by Japan or with Japanese involvement, namely Sister Street Fighter, and Zatoichi Meets One Arm Swordsman.
We'll also talk about Chinese movies that features Japanese martial artists in roles that aren't villains, including Hapkido, and Heroes of the East.
As you can tell, the video is snowballing again. I do this way too often.

Godzilla Minus One
As I continue to prepare for my trip next month, I'll have to make sure the videos are concise and self-contain. So, I dusted off my old script and is now working on expanding it from a short 7 minute review into a 13 minute full discussion, because I I don't know how to follow my own rules. Anyway, this will likely be our first video in October, followed by Kwaidan for Halloween. This channel is getting pretty Japanese centric lately. But don't worry, we'll come back to Chinese cinema towards the end of the year.

MEDIA TALK

Do you miss films that are international co-productions? Working on our next two videos has made me so aware of their existence... or the lack there of.

For reasons I'm not entirely sure myself, I have a longing for that kind of movies, even though the first thing that comes to mind is always stupid movies like The Great Wall. I guess I'm just disheartened by how disconnected each country is from each other these days, when I remember in the 90s, foreign locations and stars were much more prevalent in Hollywood, or Hong Kong, or Japan.

If we were to face reality, however, co-productions really were never that mainstream and entertaining. Classics like The Last Emperor is a great example. A joint production between the UK, Italy, France, and China, it is a cultural gem and a cinematic masterpiece, but also not the kind of movie the general public would sit down and watch for fun, especially not these days. Such is the baggage of an international collaboration: It can't just be a mindless business venture, it has to be a cultural product.

But there was a time when cultural product was mainstream entertainment. The Last Woman of Shang (1964) was a magnificent example, in which the film was co-directed by a Hong Kong and a S.Korean director, and filmed with a Japanese cinematographer.

The 1967 film The Goddess of Mercy is even stranger, because the lead actress of the Hong Kong edit is not the same as its Korean edit. Essentially, every time there's a scene with the female lead in it, they had to film it twice. It shows the length the film industries were willing to go to collaborate with each other.

There are many more Korean and Hong Kong co-productions like these. Sadly these films are hard to find, otherwise I'd love to make a video on the topic.

But the most ridiculous, but also the most fascinating type of co-production is the culture clash. I'm talking about Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman, and The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. Its Samurai meets Wuxia. It's Vampire meets Kung Fu. It's King Kong vs. Godzilla. It's the kind of lowbrow grassroots collaboration that may be truly mainstream. And it's rather sad that so many people are too uptight to enjoy these silly concepts.

We'll talk more about Zatoichi in another video coming up.

For now, I just want to lament the lack of film industries willing to be wrestlers and put on a show together. China certainly isn't willing to compromise of a lowbrow smackdown. The tense political atmosphere does not allow China to be the heel of the game.

But in an ideal world, like children's playing, we all take turn to be the heel. Taking turn is the beauty of this, because there are more than a single game. It fosters long term friendliness, and that is something the world really needs.

Anyway, that is a short but strange little rant for the week. It seems as I'm writing this update, my brain fog just rolls in and interrupts all of my thoughts. In any case, a new video should be out this Friday. I'll see you then!