Sammo Hung says future is bleak for Hong Kong movies
HONG KONG: Veteran actordirector Sammo Hung foresees a bleak future for Hong Kong movies.
Similarly, he sees no future for martial arts movies.
Speaking to newsmen on he sidelines of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Sammo said: “Hong Kong films have no hope for the next generation. No one films action movies anymore. It was different back then. There were Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung to give hope to the younger ones. People no longer want to learn martial arts. Without any movies and without any martial arts movies, what’s the point of learning martial arts? After learning martial arts, they will have to sell roast pork buns the next day for a living?”
According to Sammo, audiences these days are more interested in song contests. Instead of nunchakus, people are grabbing microphones. Instead of Bruce Lee’s blood- curdling yells, people are more likely to imitate rappers.
Sammo also reckoned that film production houses are not offering much help.
He complained: “I hope that the Hong Kong film sector can do more to support local films. Hong Kong films were popular 10 or 20 years ago; now other countries have surpassed Hong Kong. It makes my heart ache, but I can’t move, can’t help, and can’t say anything. I don’t attend events because I have a bad temper and may offend someone.”
Continuing in the same vein
Hong Kong films have no hope for the next generation. No one films action movies anymore. It was different back then. There were Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung to give hope to the younger ones. People no longer want to learn martial arts. Sammo Hung, veteran actor and director
of negativity, Sammo said: “I discussed with the Director of the Hong Kong Film Development Council earlier. The government spent a lot of money for the opening ceremony and then nothing. Why not continue to invest in Hong Kong films and develop them to change the future of Hong Kong films? Go think about it and let me know.”
Sammo was letting off steam during a seminar that had attracted a sizeable crowd.
The seminar had started by broadcasting Sammo’s classic works.
As Kung Fu Hustle one of his iconic works, a member of the audience asked if he had personally designed the fight scenes.
Sammo replied, “When the triad came out to fight the group, there was a labourer, a tailor and a person selling fried dough. Remember that scene? I choreographed that scene. There was another scene where there were three masters who decided to leave but they suddenly started fighting on the stairs before bidding farewell. I choreographed that too. I was fired after that.”