Tag Archives: Harlem Yu

Register for The Voice of China auditions (the real one, not the fake ones)

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Bye bye, Harlem. We won't miss your sleeveless tees. Oh, those sleeveless tees...

Bye bye, Harlem. We won’t miss your sleeveless tees. Oh, those sleeveless tees…

There have been reports of fake Voice of China auditions taking place in parts of Northeast China, where hopeful singers were charged a fee to perform before a panel of equally fake “producers.” The scam was apparently incredibly realistic, with official Voice of China and sponsorship logos adorning the set and promotional materials, and even a replica of the iconic “V” hand statue. The real producers of the show issued a reminder that Voice of China auditions are always free to enter.

Already registered for The Voice of China 2014 auditions? No? Well, why not?
Online registrations for the upcoming Voice of China season opened earlier this month. If your excuse for not signing up is that you were too busy waiting for the I Am A Singer finale, but were so disappointed by its execution that you lost faith in reality singing contests altogether… then you’re excused. For everyone else, get your applications in. More details below.

The third season of the top-rated singing show is scouring for new mentors after the departure of Harlem Yu. Hong Kong megastar Andy Lau reportedly declined the RMB30 million (US$4.8 million) offer to fill the swivel chair, citing scheduling conflicts with filming Huayi Brothers’ next movie, Lost and Lonely 失孤. Wang Leehom, with concerts, film promotions and an album release later this year, also turned down the role. Rumours now suggest Taiwanese industry veteran Jonathan Lee is in talks to replace Harlem.

Need motivation to audition for The Voice? Yao Beina, second-season contestant and “Let It Go” singer, commands appearance fees in the seven-figures (RMB1,000,000 = US$160,000). And she didn’t even make it into the finals, so how about that. If you want to be the next her, here’s what you have to do: Continue reading →

Celebrity microblogger, Liang Huan, ranks Chinese singers

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Almost 20 years since her passing, is Teresa Teng still the best Chinese singer?

Last week, Liang Huan 梁欢, who is probably a man, compiled a list of Chinese singers on her his Weibo, allocating points in increments of five, alongside some brutally honest criticism (e.g., Jolin Tsai: “dance moves accompanied by bad vocals”). Since then, her his post has been retweeted—or the Weibo equivalent—tens of thousands of times. Some fans, notably those of Han Geng, have derided the low scores of their idols.

How do your favourites stack up? Continue reading →

Starry Starry Night introduces fantasy into reality

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starry starry night

Fantasy and reality come together in Starry Starry Night

Like a fairytale book came to life, Starry Starry Night (星空) is a rare Greater Chinese film that stars two young leads in a fantastical adventure that is nevertheless sensitive to human emotions. Directed by Lin Shu-yu (林書宇), based on the picture book of the same name, Starry Starry Night is a coproduction between Huayi Brothers and Atom Cinema.

“To Lin’s credit, the film is a seemingly effortless balance between the real and the imagined. Folded paper animals come to life, and a train flies into Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night. With these fantastical visions and Jake Pollock’s exuberant cinematography, Lin adeptly takes audiences on an adventure of childhood innocence and imagination.”

“Xu Jiao (徐嬌) plays 13-year-old Mei, the only child in a family that is on the way toward disintegration as the parents grow increasingly apart from each other. Distressed at home and unable to connect with schoolmates, Mei finds comfort in her doting grandfather (Kenneth Tsang, 曾江), who carves her wooden animals that keep her company when she feels alone.
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Jay (Eric Lin, 林暉閔), a transfer student, catches Mei’s attention with his quietness and artistic inclination. Friendship buds and then flourishes between the two lonely souls, but the newly found happiness comes to an abrupt halt when Mei’s grandfather passes away and her parents announce their divorce. Distraught, the two friends decide to run away from their troubles.

Lin is a versatile director, capable of both soberly observing hormone-raging teens in Winds of September and producing a tender portrait of female sensitivity that vividly captures the warmth and melancholy so tangibly evoked in Jimmy Liao’s illustrated world.

The adult cast members — including Guey Lun-mei (桂綸鎂), Rene Liu (劉若英) and Harlem Yu (庾澄慶) — give solid performances, but the film’s true stars are undoubtedly Xu, who made her first big-screen appearance in Stephen Chow’s (周星馳) 2008 CJ7 (長江七號), and Lin, a first-time actor with a natural talent. Together, the two make a convincing young couple having their first taste of love.”

source: taipeitimes