Chapter 00087: Using Your Stuff to Do My Business (Seeking First Subscription)
# Using Your Stuff to Do My Business (Seeking First Subscription)
Chapter 87
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 87: Using Your Stuff to Do My Business (Seeking First Subscription)
To clarify further:
For copies sold between 99 and 120, China Film Group buys them at a minimum price of 900,000 yuan and a maximum of 1.08 million yuan.
For copies sold outside this range, whether higher or lower, China Film Group buys them at a fixed price of 990,000 yuan.
For example, if a film sells 200 copies, China Film Group only spends 990,000 yuan and makes a profit.
But if another film sells only 5 copies, China Film Group still has to buy it for 990,000 yuan.
The original intention was to use the profits from the more successful films to subsidize the less successful ones, aiming for balance.
However, domestic films aren’t performing well, and most copies don’t sell, leaving China Film Group to bear the losses.
...
Now, let’s talk about the four major martial arts teams in Hong Kong: the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, the Sammo Hung Stunt Team, the Lau Kar-leung Stunt Team, and the Yuen Clan.
The founder of the Yuen Clan was Yuen Siu-tien, a native of Beijing who studied Peking opera and moved to Hong Kong in 1937. He had seven children, with Yuen Woo-ping being the second eldest.
Yuen Woo-ping was frail and not particularly skilled in martial arts, but he was a quick thinker with a strong grasp of theory.
For example, the Drunken Eight Immortals style in Drunken Master was something he created after studying several martial arts manuals.
Later, many so-called secret Drunken Eight Immortals styles actually originated from this movie, turning things upside down.
In short, Yuen Woo-ping was like Wang Yuyan from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils—a master of theory but not practice.
He started as a martial arts choreographer in 1970 and gained fame with Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master, earning the favor of Golden Harvest and eventually starting his own satellite company, Peace Film.
At this moment, the Yuen Clan brothers were sitting in a cramped office, buzzing with excitement.
“The Sammo Hung Stunt Team has Sammo Hung, the Jackie Chan Stunt Team has Jackie Chan, and the Lau Kar-leung Stunt Team has Lau Kar-leung—they’re all big stars. Look at us, a bunch of odd-looking guys, and we’re starting a company too!”
“Starting a company means big money! We’re going to make it big!”
“Don’t get too excited. Starting a company means making movies, and if one flops, we’re done for.”
“Speaking of which, what should our first project be?”
“We need a hit for our debut. Otherwise, we’ll open today and close tomorrow!”
They chattered away.
They had their strengths—being highly skilled in martial arts choreography—but their weakness was the lack of a star who could carry a film.
They were all behind-the-scenes guys.
Yuen Woo-ping, as the leader, didn’t say much, just smiled and listened to his brothers’ discussions.
Starting a business! That’s the most fulfilling thing for a man.
As they were talking, someone came in and announced, “Someone from Great Wall is here!”
The atmosphere instantly cooled.
Yuen Woo-ping was a bit nervous too and said, “Invite them in!”
Soon, a man entered.
Yuen Woo-ping led him to a private room and said with a hint of resignation, “Sir, I’ve already made my position clear. Why are you here again?”
“I’m here to talk business. Don’t be nervous.”
Nonsense! How could I not be nervous?
You guys are into assassinations and planting bombs—people actually die from that!
Jin Yong had a high status in Hong Kong, right?
Even he was so scared that he fled to Singapore with his entire family.
The entertainment industry has never seen anything like this.
Those so-called tough guys and fierce men are nothing compared to this.
That’s why Hong Kong stars dare not offend either Taiwan or the leftists.
Moreover, many Hong Kong stars came from leftist backgrounds and would even use pseudonyms to help out.
Yuen Woo-ping was no different.
When he was invited to choreograph The Tai Chi Master, he didn’t dare refuse outright.
Instead, he tripled his fee, hoping to scare them off.
But here they were again.
“I’m here for two things. You previously quoted 100,000 Hong Kong dollars, right?”
“Yes.”
“They’ve agreed!”
Yuen Woo-ping’s eyes, already large and earning him the nickname “Big Eyes,” nearly popped out like a goldfish’s. “They agreed?”
“Yes, you set the price. You’re not going to back out now, are you?”
“I…”
Yuen Woo-ping was stunned, realizing he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
He had set the price, and they had accepted.
If he backed out now, how could he ever show his face again? He gritted his teeth and said, “Of course I’ll honor it.”
“Good! The second thing is, we’re preparing a project and would like to invite you to be the martial arts choreographer. We’ve never done this kind of film before, but we think it’s interesting. I’ve brought some materials. Could you take a look and see if it’s doable?”
The man pulled out some papers and handed them over.
“The Miracle Fighters?”
Yuen Woo-ping took the papers, and his eyes lit up at the title.
He saw some sketches—the first one was of a jar man, eerie, novel, terrifying, yet strangely cute.
Reading the descriptions, his heart skipped a beat.
He quickly flipped to the second and third pages—a mural that flowed like water, a flying roasted chicken, the mystical art of folding paper into blades…
Hong Kong martial arts films can be roughly divided into three stages:
The Shaw Brothers era, which focused on realistic, slow-motion fights, almost like doing calisthenics.
The transitional era, where the most noticeable change was the increase in speed and more elaborate fight choreography.
The Tsui Hark era, where characters could fly through the air, and the films became more fantastical and artistic.
From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, it was the transitional era.
Jackie Chan had already found his path, and Sammo Hung could carry a film at the box office.
During this time, a new subgenre emerged: supernatural martial arts films!
Combining ghosts, zombies, Taoist priests, and other folk legends with martial arts, the pioneering work was Encounter of the Spooky Kind, released at the end of the year.
But that hadn’t happened yet!
Yuen Woo-ping had a keen eye for films and immediately recognized the value of what he was holding.
The first thing that stood out was its novelty—audiences had never seen anything like it, which meant it had a high chance of being a box office hit.
“So, can you design the fights for this style?”
“Yes!”
Yuen Woo-ping paused, then couldn’t help but ask, “If I may, can your company actually make this kind of film?”
“We’ve already announced in the papers that mainland China is undergoing reform and opening up, with a liberation of thought. We in the film industry are at the forefront. Our company hasn’t been doing well in recent years, but now we’re ready to make a comeback. Of course, I can’t guarantee anything. You know how movies are. It might happen, or it might fall through. If it does get made, we’d like your help. I understand your concerns—you can use a pseudonym. As a martial arts choreographer, you’re behind the scenes, so there aren’t as many restrictions.”
Don’t let it fall through!
Yuen Woo-ping was anxious.
This was such a great concept, and it was perfect for the Yuen Clan.
If they could make it their debut film, it would surely be a hit.
“Alright, I won’t keep you. When The Tai Chi Master starts filming in Beijing, I’ll let you know to come north.”
The man left.
But he left a seed in Yuen Woo-ping’s mind, itching and nagging at him.
He didn’t think the leftists could make this kind of film—it was feudal superstition, something they had never done before.
If they didn’t make it, it would be such a waste.
He thought about it over and over, discussing it with his brothers.
A few days later.
The man came back with news: The Miracle Fighters hadn’t been approved and was rejected internally.
Yuen Woo-ping couldn’t wait any longer.
He secretly met with the man and said, “Sir, since your company isn’t making it, could you transfer the rights to me? I’ll buy it at market price, and I’ll remember this favor… Oh, and for The Tai Chi Master, I’m willing to go north at a discounted rate.”
...
The Miracle Fighters was released in 1982, directed by Yuen Woo-ping and produced by Peace Film.
The film was fantastic, and years later, a remake was made with Yuen Woo-ping and Tsui Hark collaborating, starring Zhou Dongyu, Ni Ni, and Wu Bai.
It was a terrible film.
When the news reached Chen Qi, he was delighted.
This wasn’t copying—it was using your stuff to do my business.
He wanted domestic films to go global, which meant dealing with Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, 1% of people had real principles, like Xu Xiaoming and Liza Wang, who leaned toward the mainland.
There was also a strange case like Fung Chui-fan, known for the Lucky Stars series.
He disliked both the mainland and Hong Kong, identifying as a “Cantonese from the Republic of China.” When he later found out that Taiwan planned to dismantle Chiang Kai-shek’s tomb, he actually led a group to guard it, ready to fight.
Whether he was mentally unstable or not, at least he had principles.
The remaining 99% had no principles—only the market.
Chen Qi was interacting with Hong Kong from thousands of miles away.
He would definitely bring over people like Xu Xiaoming, Liza Wang, Tony Leung, and Bruce Leung—the so-called “leftist filmmakers.” At the same time, he’d also bring in those who weren’t so hostile, like Yuen Woo-ping, who would be useful in the future.
(End of Chapter)