A Chinese Blockbuster in the Making

Invariably when an foreign movie director wants a serious budget to develop a bigger vision, eyes usually turn towards the Hollywood machine and movies geared towards a western, if global, audience.

So it was with John Woo.

His stylized Hong Kong gangster flicks including A Better Tomorrow and the cult classic, The Killer, drew fans the world over. So it wasn't long before the sheen of blockbuster appeal pulled him across the Pacific for a while. It has been hit or miss for him, but his unique style has given him longevity in an industry known for throwing out the latest trendy director for another.

Now it's payback time for the Chinese director.

I had been hearing rumblings for a while about a new John Woo flick, set in China, but I had little idea of the epic he is undertaking. The most expensive motion picture ever made in Asia -- Red Cliff will sprawl a romanticized era in Chinese history known as the Three Kingdoms over two movies to be released later this year throughout Asia. While a U.S. release is expected, we may get a single condensed version, instead.

Here's an early peek at one of this year's most anticipated releases worldwide. It's a reminder that while Hollywood still controls the blockbuster market, there's a whole different world out there waiting for their stories to be told as well:

Bird's nests and animated exteriors in a sports palace world

With millions upon millions of dollars spent on shiny new sports palaces here in the States, it amazes me how few are truly iconic. They are little more than expensive excuses for corporate boxes in an era of diminished design expectations.

Not so in Barcelona or Beijing.

Spanish soccer club, FC Barcelona recently announced bold plans for a major stadium renovation "meant to become an international architectural reference point for the 21st century." A bold claim backed up by cutting edge lighting and materials intended to create an iconic building adaptable to the needs of rabid soccer fans on one day, and other civic events the next day. The new Camp Nou Stadium is meant to become a landmark in a city already full of them.

Similarly, the Chinese have pulled out all the stops with their bird's nest design for the new National Stadium being built for next year's 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Throwing out the rules on how stadiums should be built, an inhabitat review explains "the structure itself is composed of a grid-like formation that serves as both structure and facade, integrating the stairs, walls, and roof into one cohesive system. Instead of form being dictated by function, [the] design effectively removes the distinction, making function and form one in the same."

Somehow both of these make Invesco Field here in Denver look very minor league. Don't get me wrong, I do get the value stadiums provide for cities like Denver. Their impact in developing a sense of community spirit goes well beyond the tax revenues they generate.

But, if you're already spending hundreds of millions of dollars, can't you at least make them look pretty?

What happens in Macau stays in Macau?

I have fond memories of working in Macau.

A year before the Portuguese handed over their Pearl River Delta colony back to the Chinese, it was still a sleepy, dense little city overshadowed by the flash and sizzle of Hong Kong next door. There were plenty of cute alleys full of old antiques, an odd mix of Portuguese and Chinese traditions, and a general discord between the tacky, supposedly crime-ridden, casinos and basically everything else.

The seeds, however, were already being planted for a drastic reinvention. Fast forward to today: With the Chinese government's smart decision to break up the old gambling monopoly it is quickly en route to becoming Las Vegas' biggest rival. Seedy old casinos are giving way to big brand new palaces from the exact same people that have made Nevada a global destination.

The New York Times has a great snapshot into the new Macau here.

I'm not sure I would recognize it.

One of these days I'll wander back to see if any of the old Macau is still there.