Action-packed adventure in House of Fury
By MICHAEL CHEANG
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Actor and director Stephen Fung. |
After all, when your second feature film is a big budget Hong Kong film bankrolled by the “tai kor” (big brother) of Hong Kong cinema – Jackie Chan – you can’t help but think that this is surely a sign of better things to come.
Fung’s first film, Enter the Phoenix, paid tribute to ’80s Hong Kong gangster films. This time around, he draws inspiration from Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan martial arts movies to bring us a film about a family skilled in martial arts, brought up by a single father (Anthony Wong).
Besides Wong, Fung himself stars in the movie together with Daniel Wu (who also appeared in Enter the Phoenix), and pop duo Twins (comprising Gillian Chung and Charlene Choi).
The action scenes are directed by one of the most sought-after masters of action choreography – Yuen Wo Ping (of The Matrix and Kill Bill fame).
Speaking in Cantonese during a recent phone interview, Fung talked about working with the cast, making the movie and the pressures of directing and starring in House of Fury.
Jackie Chan is the producer for this movie. Was he also directly involved in the filming?
This time around, Jackie did not participate directly. He just gave me this big budget and a free hand to do everything else! I am very glad that he actually trusts me to make a big production, and thinks I’m capable of handling such a big project. I just hope that the movie turns out well, and I live up to his expectations.
This is your the second film you have directed, after Enter the Phoenix. Do you prefer acting or directing?
I prefer being a director a little more, but I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I don’t want to act anymore. If any director wants me in his film, I would be happy to act. I feel that making movies with other directors will help with my own development as a director.
Was this movie harder to make than Enter the Phoenix?
It was harder, because we took more time to shoot this movie, and there was a lot of action here. I also had to take care of a lot of more things this time around, and there were a few parts that were especially difficult, especially when filming with little children and animals.
Why did you decide to use kungfu as the main focus of the film?
I did that because since I was a kid, I loved kung fu movies and TV series. I always wanted to film a movie that focuses on kung fu. With House of Fury, I wanted a movie that stressed on family values but is set with a kung fu background, and a lot of action.
Did you suffer any injuries during shooting?
I sustained a few injuries, but they were all the usual injuries that occur in action movies. However, my nose was nearly broken in one scene, when someone accidentally hit me with a staff.
Did you feel any pressure while working with Yuen Wo Ping?
In the beginning, I did feel a bit of pressure. But after the first two days, I realised that he is a very humble person, and does not take advantage of his reputation by making everyone listen to him alone. He would still cooperate with the rest of the crew, and has a very professional attitude when filming.
Anthony Wong very experienced, so was it hard as a young director to work with him?
An actor has to complement the director’s vision, but I would still respect what he says about his own character. Age has nothing to do with it, but when Wong is acting, I feel very confident in his ability to play the role.
Daniel Wu acted in your first movie. Why did you ask him to come back for this movie?
The first reason for that is that I thought he is suitable for the role. The second, he is a good friend of mine, and I admire his attitude towards making movies. He is very serious about films, and I hope to continue working with him.
Would you ask Wu to appear in your future movies as well?
Well, if the role is right for him, then I would. My next movie is about brotherly friendships. It’s still in early stages of writing the script. Depending on how the script turns out, Daniel would be one of my top choices.
Why did you cast Gillian Chung (of pop duo Twins) in the movie?
I cast Gillian in the role because I needed someone who would be convincing playing my little sister. Also, I cast her because she is one of the few young actresses around who can fight well. In this movie, you will see that she does fight very well.
This movie is also very different from her previous action flicks, which tend to be heavily edited. There are a lot more long and continuous fight scenes, and it is more exciting to watch.
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