KILLING US GENTLY WITH HIS SONGS. A Fond Farewell, DANNY CHAN 陈百强. (ReVISITED)

   

“SOMETIMES the STRONGEST among us are the ONES who SMILE through SILENT PAIN, cry behind closed doors, and FIGHT battles nobody knows about.”

This is a tribute to someone I knew, the late DANNY CHAN.

HE sang.

And the entire canto pop world clamored for more.

This is a tribute to DANNY CHAN, HONG KONG pop singer and composer extraordinaire.

DANNY died in 1993, after 13 months in comatose.

It had been widely reported then that DANNY suffered from a depression of sorts, and was hurting badly from psychological loneliness and a sagging career in the later part of his life.

He became a recluse, was manic-depressive and resorted to drugs and alcohol.

As a result, he was found unconscious in his residence one fateful day in 1992, apparently from an accidental overdose.

Whether this one is fact or fiction, the mystery died withDANNY.

Time has really flown as DANNY CHAN had been long gone for 15 long years.

These days, whenever his evergreen hit MY TEARS FLOW FOR YOU is being aired over the radio, memories of DANNY would come flooding back.

A sense of DEJA VU.  Merci.

It’s like some weird kind of resurgence, just like the lyrics from ROBERTA FLACK‘s famous song:

“I  heard him sing a good song,

I heard he had a style,

And so I came to see him,

And listened for a while,

There he was this young boy,

A stranger to my eyes …

Strumming my pain with his fingers,

Singing my life with his words …. “

Killing me softly with his songs….”

I still recall vivid memories of the early 1980s, when I approached DANNY CHAN, then a fledgling singer and a host of other Hong Kong artistes for a charity performance courtesy of the LIONS SOCIETY OF SINGAPORE.

Whilst the Hong Kong artistes are contented to twin-sharing rooms, DANNY peremptorily insisted on a single room just for himself.

Whenever he had a mood swing, which he often did, he would give the P.R. conferences a miss and went swimming in the hotel pool instead.

At that time, I found him to be as self-centered as he was perplexing, and I had to cajole him for at least an one-to-one interview with MICHAEL CHIANG (currenlty editorial consultant with the Singapore MediaCorp 8 Days Magazine), then a journalist, at the Mandarin Singapore’s poolside.

DANNY even requested that I treat him to a VERSACEfashion show staged at the Mandarin Hotel and he wanted to meet DICK LEE because he heard that from grapevine that they both resembled each other.

Frankly, DANNY was relatively unknown in 1981. But on that night of the charity performance at the now defunct SINGAPORE NATIONAL THEATRE, I was startled by his powerful vocals when he belted out his hitMY TEARS FLOW FOR YOU.

Now it’s as though time has really stood still.

DANNY CHAN‘s soulful evergreens will always remain as a heritage with his fans, invoking a deep sense of loss in many of us, of  a great talent that has passed on.

Were I really friends with DANNY?  I am clueless.

Eons ago, when DANNY was still around and whenever I was in Hong Kong for project meetings, we would make a point to meet for afternoon teas. Our usual tete-a tete rendezvous was at the Chatterbox Coffee Shop at theMANDARIN HOTEL.

DANNY was the effervescent good looker who loved to mingle with the socialites and the fashionistas and it was not uncommon for our chats to be interrupted by a beautiful “someone” who would just come hither with a “wooo…how are you and what have you been doing lately? That’s a nice really striking shirt you are wearing…and…”

Hug, more hugs, smooches …

Boleh tahan, tak?

DANNY loved to be complimented as a hip haute trendsetter, for his fine dressing.

His pretty boy features made him look good in anything he threw on, including those slick jackets of his – be it worn-in leather, black blazer or safari style.  His looks are always stylish, never less.

He was a veteran of style, be it funky, edgy or flamboyant.

The biggest problem with DANNY CHAN was his moods.

On some days when I ran straight into him at theREGENT Hong Kong, he would “feign” the I-don’t-know-you routine and breezed pass me without even a simple hello.

Ignorance was bliss then.

Then when I sought to give him back a dose of his own discipline, as I was rushing back to my hotel on NATHAN ROAD, he would cross over to say “hello” to me with a curt “Hi, so you are in town? Let’s have tea tomorrow at the old place, OK?”

It was really exasperating to play the “mind-set” with this man.

I remembered fervently that DANNY had a penchant for the LONDON scene and he always wanted to make an annual “pilgrimage” there .  I did not know his reasons and I never asked.

But I had an intense dislike for his then manager, an obnoxious albeit pretentious man called K.K. TAM.

K.K. TAM was rude and arrogant, and extremely tactless in his dealings.

And wow, he was lucky in the 80s to have 3 extremely popular talents under his artiste management belt.

They were DANNY CHAN, LESLIE CHEUNG and PAUL CHEONG.

As FATE would have it, all these three artistes succumbed to suicides, under mysterious circumstances.

It’s something still baffling to this day.

But nonetheless true.

As I have said, life moves in strange circles.

It’s either you believe this one or not.

“THE CALL” Movie Review. Be Warned that it’s One Hell of a Horrific Ride.

“THE CALL”  PRESS PREVIEW

Nail biting suspense, anyone?

Here’s another tour de force this week, specially crafted for true blue fans of pulse-pounding thrillers.

 This one should not disappoint.

 Film director BRAD ANDERSON blazes the trail with “THE CALL”, his latest pulsating suspense offering.

 It’s everything a scary feature should be, utterly gripping and brutally shocking, a la Alfred Hitchcock stylized whodunit.

 This diabolical tale of twisted suspense and macabre payback will have you taken for a precarious drive, gasping and guessing all the way, as to whether the victim is going to survive or die.

 HALLE BERRY and ABIGAIL BRESLIN dominate in this gritty tale that begins with a screamish 911 plea for help from a frightened teenage girl who’s been trapped in the trunk of a moving car.

 HALLE BERRY stars as Jordan, a 911 call operator who’s in a deadly race against the time, to trace the victim: a girl who has been kidnapped by a serial killer.

 Jordan soon realizes that the kidnapper is the same man who had killed another young woman whose emergency call she had answered six months before, a girl whose ultimate death Jordan still feels responsible for.

 Excellent performances from an all star cast.

HALLE BERRY as Jordan and ABIGAIL BRESLIN  (Casey) pitch in pushing-to-the- edge acting admirably. Even MICHAEL EKLUND who plays Michael, the psychotic predator with a glazed look makes it seems so real.

There’s nothing new in bits here and cliches there, as you’d have seen these highlighted in other features.

But all things being equal, it is the film director’s execution that’s two thumbs up.

“THE CALL” is a high voltage thriller, clever, gripping and intense with shocking gravity.

But you have to gear up your suspension-of-disbelief mode when you witness Jordan, unarmed and so alone, entering a creepy cabin and later a derelict basement to check out the rogue.

Wanna take this ride?

It may be a ride of pure terror, but go for it, as you are guaranteed a jolly horrific time.

“DEAD MAN DOWN” Movie Review. Vengeful Intents in this Neo Noir Thriller.

“DEAD MAN DOWN” PRESS PREVIEW

Along the seedy streets of New York by night, spins a dark tale of murderous intents.

A professional hitman is on his deadly prowl to follow shooting instructions.

A desolate woman, her face badly scarred from a horrific accident, is adjusting to a life of emotional torment.

Both share the same agenda: justifiable payback to the bad ones who had done them wrong.

This is a neo-noir revenge thriller helmed by renowned Danish director NIELS ARDEN OPLEV in his American debut set in metropolitan New York.

COLIN FARRELL plays Victor, an unhappy albeit sullen enforcer who’s working his way up his boss Alphonse’s (TERRENCE HOWARD) crime empire. Everything is not what it seems as  he is quietly plotting revenge against this crime lord  for the deaths of his wife and young daughter years earlier.

Unfortunately, his clandestine activities are espied by Beatrice (NOOMI RAPACE), the mysterious woman living across his apartment. As a bargain to keep her mouth shut, Beatrice insists that Victor performs a killing for her : to get rid of the drunken driver who had ruined her life and had been acquitted scot-free by the law.

Film director OPLEV’s treatment boasts a fine dash of European flavor, using taut and well framed shots. It is smart, entertaining and gripping.

All of which is a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood film, where diversity means pairing the hero with a black buddy.

At the end of the press screening, a fellow reviewer remarked:

“Thank God that the movie is not directed by an American director.”

I asked why?

“Because it is a refreshing change from the predictable American movie and I enjoyed this one immensely.”

The bottom line:

“DEAD MAN DOWN” is a take-off on the classic film noir that has action galore, suspense and maybe a doomed love story.

The movie poses an adrenaline tease, so go watch it armed with a suspension of disbelief.

You will be assured of the thrill of a pulsating ride.

Right.

“OZ the GREAT and POWERFUL” Movie Review. Effects laden, nevertheless Visually Stunning.

“OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL”

PRESS PREVIEW

There should be more than just a brimful of goodness in “OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL” given the worldwide media coverage.

As a peppy “feel good” movie, it’s positioned way-right-on-top, laced with an assortment of creative wonderment to entice you into its aesthetic world of awesome animation.

As a film, the surrealistic splendor is stylized with dazzling effects that will take your breath away, armed with fun characters and their boisterous banter, everything is set to bedazzle and tickle the mind.

That said, this is essentially wholesome family entertainment galore, and that’s what it’s meant to be, staying close to the familiar old school Disney doctrine that the good will always triumph over evil in eventuality.

“OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL” is crafted as an adventure fantasy directed by SAM RAIMI (The Spiderman Trilogy). He drums up a colorful extravaganza utilizing the brilliance of exotic blues, dazzling red and sparkling emeralds among others.

This 2013 film stays in top form to L.FRANK BAUM’s novel “The Wizard of Oz” and is actually a prequel to the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz”.

The glittering star ensemble comprising of JAMES FRANCO, MILA KUNIS, MICHELLE WILLIAMS and RACHEL WEISZ are all up for the challenge, competing tooth and nail for screen time, oozing charm and charisma.

Welcome aboard a wondrous journey of visual delights – on the ground, as in the Dark Forest, and in the air, when they travel via large transparent bubbles.

The colorful plot:

Oscar Diggs (James Franco) plays a conman, a compulsive womanising magician who has been swept up from a Kansas plain when a tornado hits and transported to  the merry Land of Oz.

Here, he encounters three beautiful albeit disdainful witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams).

Oscar becomes entangled in unexpected problems that are confronted by the citizens of Oz who had long awaited for a savior to rescue them from their lot.

Believing that Oscar would be their leader, they are buoyant with renewed hope, but Oscar who has always aspired to be a great and powerful man, will first have to redeem his wayward ways.

You are treated to flying moneys and flying baboons and what have you.  But don’t go making comparisons on past works over this present one.

Mesmerizing. Poignant.

“OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL” displays a refreshing take in arty surrealism.

The film director has certainly created a marvel.

Don’t miss it.

This THING called ANGST. When you’re FEELING HOT, stay COOL. (ReVisited).

(I absolutely LOVE this Article that I had written some 3 years ago, in 2009. It harbored a special personal significance in my heart then. Still, I have decided to trudge down memory lane again with this one. Enjoy!)

This THING called LIFE.

Into our LIVES, some rain must fall, right?

One cannot expect rays of sunshine all the time.

Forget about the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.

No, Sir.

In the business world, FAILURE is a “four letter” word.

It can sap and drain your CONFIDENCE.

Isn’t it global recession now?

Mass unemployment, credit crunches, missed opportunities – the lot.

You’d cringe when big fat accounts zoom out of the window like birds fluttering away quickly for better weather.

LIFE IS NEVER EASY, NOR FAIR.

You might not be able to observe the mechanics of your own cycle, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

REALITY DOESN’T GO AWAY WHEN YOU STOP BELIEVING IN IT.

Human follies, uncharted lives, false friends, they will all exist in our daily struggles.

It ain’t summer all year round.

And winter comes with the frost bites.

Ahhh … this thing called ANGST.

When you are feeling HOT, stay COOL.

SMILE. LOVE YOURSELF. SMILE AGAIN.

Because if you do not love yourself, then it is impossible to love others.

Everyone needs some self-respect.

REALITY bites, ahh …

This bite can scorch really deep and hurting.

SHARON K, a fellow blogger provides some useful tips on how to weather this storm:

STAY POSITIVE, ALWAYS

Have you ever
Stopped to think
When tearing hair
And on the brink

Of wanting out
Of things to come
That all those things
Aren’t even done

They haven’t happened
Yet you act
As if they’re here…
You just react

React to what?
It’s in your mind
You liken it
To what’s behind

Yet when it comes
You find you sail
Right through it all
Without a wail

Why did you waste
That energy?
Maybe next time
You will just “be”.

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, FORGET THE PAST

Life isn’t as we all expect
It doesn’t go that way
We have to make the most of it
And take it day by day

Have no regrets about the past

And do not live in fear

Of what might come, and never does
Just put your focus here

Here in this moment, that’s the place
To make the most of life
Whatever comes, just turn it ’round
Create some joy from strife

I know you have that strength in you
I’ve seen it there before
Just draw on that to see you through
Don’t look back anymore.

SO WHEN YOU ARE FEELING HOT, STAY COOL, CHUM.

That is, if you wanna stay in one cool piece.

Are you blessed with a lyrical soul?

Can you thrive under the BEST and WORST conditions?

Look around you and count your blessings.

There are people who are born without limbs.

There are those who are blind.

Yet they are alive and breathing.

SMILE. THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU.

And tomorrow can always be better.

SO TREAD GENTLY.

PLAY IT SAFE.

WALK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF WISDOM.