Gushing about Lisa Lu (the Empress Dowager), etc.

As you'll be able to tell from my article on her,
it was a genuine thrill to meet and interview
this acting legend

There's no two ways about it: Working on this latest issue of bc magazine, I experienced both major highs and lows. The negatives came in large part by way of my having -- partly because of illness, partly because of my having gone on holiday to Japan -- just a week to produce the writings that I was responsible for doing and a series of factors having contributed to that week being the longest, most energy-sapping work week I've had since moving to Hong Kong.

On the other side of the coin, the positives, came from my two interview subjects proving to not only be leading representatives of their field but also amazingly nice and fun to talk to. And when one of them is Lisa Lu, whose film credits include The Arch, The 14 Amazons, The Empress Dowager, The Last Emperor, and The Joy Luck Club... :)))))))

Anyways, without further ado -- bar to point out that this may well be the first time in its close to 14 year history that the magazine's put an 81-year-old woman on its cover... ;b

i) Lisa Lu and the Empress Dowager Ci Xi -- the legendary actress plays the imperial personage once again, this time in the fourth revival of a Hong Kong Repertory Theatre classic;

ii) Red, White and... Lilac! -- The Hong Kong Ballet's Artistic Director, John Meehan, talks about the company's upcoming Tricolor;

iii) This issue's Editor's Diary;

iv) A review of The Incredible Hulk;

v) A review of Lawrence Lau (aka Lawrence Ah Mon) and Scud's City Without Baseball; and

vi) A review of Shaolin Girl.

And while the following weren't written by yours truly, I do think that they'll also be of interest -- especially to Hong Kong movie fans :) :-

a) My helpful friend Michael Wells' review of Johnnie To's Sparrow; and

b) My colleague Rachel Mok's article on Silver Ko, whose singing credits include Election I's end song.