一个是当红小天后，一个是老天王（Say You Say Me那人）养出的社交名媛
两人同一天在同一家医院做妈，还一个生男一个生女，多巧啊，我看，要不定个娃娃亲得了。
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By Zhang Ming'ai & Keen
On January 10, 2008, fifteen Zhejiang villagers, including Chen Guoliang, received the verdict from the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, notifying them that they had won their lawsuit against the National Development and Reform Commission, the 21st Century Business Herald reported today.
The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court ruled on December 24, 2007, repealing the NDRC's decision to refuse administrative reconsideration of the case. It also ordered the NDRC to reexamine the application for administrative reconsideration put forward by the fifteen Zhejiang villagers.
The Hangzhou Zhijiang National Tourist and Holiday Resort (ZNTHR) planned to construct a new road project called the Lijing Road Project. In order to do this the houses and lands of 15 Wang Sha villagers in Zhuantang County of Hangzhou West Lake area were slated for purchase and destruction.
The two parties differed greatly regarding house area specifications and compensation. Villager Kong Xiangbiao said, "The Administration Commission of the ZNTHR had agreed to compensate us 100,000 yuan for every mu of land in the contract with us. But we villagers only got 30000 yuan for each mu of land." The Wang Sha villagers also doubted the legitimacy of this project.
According to one villager, approved construction on land requiring house demolition and land acquisition has to be confirmed by both parties. This procedure had been omitted in this project. Villagers here had not been consulted at all.
On October 20, 2006, while the two parties were disputing hotly about the legitimacy of the Linjing Road Project, the Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission (ZPDRC) published a list of 16 ZNTHR roads, whose construction had violated rules. The names of these roads were not specified.
Five ministries, including the NDRC and the Ministry of Land and Resources, jointly formulated the Guiding Opinions on Clarifying New Projects, stipulating that with regard to new projects with problems, their existing problems and corresponding solutions must be published in primary local media.
Wangsha villagers who doubted the legitimacy of the Lijing Road Project believed that Lijing Road was one of the unlawful roads. They had to present definitive evidence to the court to prove their premise so they hired the lawyer Yuan Yulai to collect evidence for them.
On October 27, 2006 Yuan Yulai came to the ZPDRC for details of these 16 unlawful roads. The ZPDRC refused to give him access to those details because they were considered confidential. On December 10, 2006 fifteen villagers applied to the NDRC for administrative reconsideration of the Lijing Road case. They legally requested the NDRC to order the ZPDRC to provide materials concerning the 16 roads for consultancy and copy.
The NDRC rejected their application later by saying the villagers didn't provide the materials held by ZPDRC in a timely fashion, proving the necessity of administrative reconsideration. Yuan Yulai responded that the NDRC had not even asked the ZPDRC before making any decision. Later the lawyer tried to sue the NDRC for this but the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court denied the case.
On January 30, fifteen villagers sent their application to the NDRC again, demanding that the NDRC tell ZPDRC to publicize the details of the 16 roads in question. Later on February 1, the NDRC denied the application again by answering that the application had surpassed the legal stipulated time. Yuan Yulai countered that the NDRC misunderstood the application, because they didn't focus on the announcement made on October 20, 2006, but on the ZPDRC – who had never publicized the details regarding the 16 roads.
On February 4, the fifteen villagers sued the NDRC again, asking the NDRC to withdraw their negative decision, and make an administrative reconsideration decision again. This time, the court allowed the case to proceed. On September 24, the court opened and finally ruled in favor of the villagers.
Now it is not known if the NDRC will appeal. But the legal defense, Yuan Yulai, was definitely excited. He stated that he took on this case as a typical example for resolving disputes via administrative procedures and administrative reconsiderations.
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台湾版2分钟预告片
台湾版的预告片才对味，从旁白到背景音乐。大陆版的预告片明显被和谐了，尽管听得到熟悉的石斑鱼的声音（点击观看大陆版）。周星驰是恶搞大师，他连自己都恶搞。还是创意缺失？到现在为止，看出来了，的确是个儿童片。也可能是个比较另类的儿童片，因为感觉很奇怪。但的确是儿童片。也应该在儿童节上映。电影里的特技明显成问题，这就是万宽公司的水平？当然，当年连他的《百变星君》都看下去了，也就不在乎，因为周星星的片子，特技有多好或有多烂并无关系，只要有他。《鲁豫有约》那期节目据说是1月25日播出，我在凤凰台看了点片段，还真有我傻笑的镜头在里面……
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Nielsen SoundScan涵盖了北美大约80%的唱片销售数字。它通过数据侦测的方式，来追踪一张唱片的最终去向，此举不仅可以真正精确统计唱片市场的实际销量，还能分析出唱片销售在个体、时间和地域上的分布与差异，是反映美国唱片工业真实现状的很好参考。此外，该侦测系统也很好地抵制了盗版业的泛滥，维护了唱片公司和艺人们的利益，因为它给予每张唱片一个独一无二的编号，作为在美国境内的身份识别，一旦出现相同的第二个编号，就意味着有人非法拷贝，核查系统很快就可以找到这张被拷贝的唱片是从那里卖出去的，同时在网上核对出购买这张正版唱片的消费者的个人信息。上世纪90年代美国的唱片市场曾经在SoundScan系统的保护下，取得了爆发式的发展，SoundScan也成功取代RIAA成为公告牌杂志销售排行榜的新的数据提供方。（文/ alexscy）
新数据来源：http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22680&start=2275
……给感兴趣的人参考。
表格项：
当前排名
一年前的排名
1991-2007年的总销量（单位：千）
2007年的销量（单位：千）
跟踪的专辑数量
艺人出道时间
艺人的名字
（怎么看这个表？例： 1 1 67,402 1,371 15 1990 GARTH BROOKS
最新的排名：1
去年的排名：1
1991-2007年的总销量：67,402千 = 67,402,000
去年的销量：1,371千 = 1,371,000
跟踪的专辑数量： 15张
艺人出道时间：1990
艺人名字：GARTH BROOKS）
（更新至2008年1月1日）
1 1 67,402 1,371 15 1990 GARTH BROOKS
2 2 55,695 1,994 70 1964 BEATLES
3 3 49,937 331 17 1990 MARIAH CAREY
4 4 49,692 1,297 44 1991 CELINE DION
5 5 48,670 800 23 1984 METALLICA
6 6 39,171 1,301 46 1984 GEORGE STRAIT
7 8 36,413 2,369 12 1994 TIM MCGRAW
8 7 35,266 873 21 1990 ALAN JACKSON
9 9 34,453 1,059 28 1967 PINK FLOYD
10 10 33,531 240 12 1995 SHANIA TWAIN
11 11 33,072 396 23 1984 KENNY G
12 12 32,870 399 9 1999 EMINEM
13 13 32,087 730 23 1981 U2
14 15 31,417 492 25 1992 TUPAC
15 14 30,596 196 13 1997 BACKSTREET BOYS
16 19 29,471 1,399 315 1956 ELVIS PRESLEY
17 16 29,373 347 168 1992 PEARL JAM
18 17 29,215 731 8 1999 BRITNEY SPEARS
19 21 28,746 760 72 1970 ERIC CLAPTON
20 18 28,654 486 37 1973 AEROSMITH
21 20 28,571 512 18 1994 DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
22 31 28,311 3,583 25 1972 EAGLES
23 22 27,978 37 6 1998 N SYNC
24 23 27,972 1,567 43 1987 REBA MCENTIRE
25 24 26,901 754 87 1969 ROD STEWART
26 25 26,359 712 9 1998 DIXIE CHICKS
27 26 25,922 314 4 1997 CREED
28 27 25,838 699 59 1970 ELTON JOHN
29 32 25,686 1,136 24 1977 AC/DC
30 34 25,673 1,548 16 1993 TOBY KEITH
31 30 25,610 799 327 1946 FRANK SINATRA
32 29 25,263 372 33 1983 MADONNA
33 28 25,122 213 15 1989 ENYA
34 37 25,094 1,481 18 1996 JAY-Z
35 33 24,896 537 128 1969 SANTANA
36 35 24,623 616 63 1974 JIMMY BUFFETT
37 36 24,312 428 16 1991 NIRVANA
38 40 23,641 718 13 1987 GUNS N'ROSES
39 39 23,576 598 51 1964 ROLLING STONES
40 38 23,429 383 15 1991 BOYZ II MEN
41 41 22,864 385 22 1994 GREEN DAY
42 46 22,056 1,422 23 1969 LED ZEPPELIN
43 42 21,925 97 26 1983 MICHAEL BOLTON
44 49 21,693 1,814 12 1996 KENNY CHESNEY
45 43 21,584 764 15 1991 BROOKS & DUNN
46 45 21,547 872 21 1987 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
47 47 21,414 1,161 9 1992 R. KELLY
48 44 20,883 107 7 2000 NELLY
49 51 20,848 1,251 37 1984 MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER
50 55 20,598 1,639 19 1992 MARY J. BLIGE
51 50 20,146 278 57 1963 BARBRA STREISAND
52 48 20,041 111 12 1995 ALANIS MORISSETTE
53 52 19,809 576 20 1996 LEANN RIMES
54 74 19,709 2,624 8 2000 LINKIN PARK
55 57 19,690 667 44 1978 PRINCE
56 66 19,503 1,691 240 1958 JOHNNY CASH
57 53 19,304 127 12 1982 JANET JACKSON
58 54 19,264 94 10 1998 LIMP BIZKIT
59 56 19,083 165 8 1994 USHER
60 64 19,073 996 9 1999 KID ROCK
61 59 19,041 509 33 1972 MICHAEL JACKSON
62 58 18,965 412 8 1994 FAITH HILL
63 60 18,901 370 24 1993 SNOOP DOGGY DOGG
64 61 18,827 370 13 1986 BEASTIE BOYS
65 62 18,613 394 37 1981 LUTHER VANDROSS
66 67 18,508 757 49 1973 QUEEN
67 63 18,318 185 27 1983 REM
68 69 18,294 756 18 1969 BOB SEGER
69 79 18,209 1,464 24 1975 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
70 65 18,196 269 26 1989 VINCE GILL
71 72 18,125 899 79 1963 BOB DYLAN
72 81 18,120 1,838 22 1984 BON JOVI
73 68 17,949 335 20 1989 SARAH MCLACHLAN
74 70 17,909 453 17 1978 VAN HALEN
75 77 17,784 982 20 1995 KORN
76 71 17,778 389 51 1980 ALABAMA
77 73 17,481 294 32 1974 BILLY JOEL
78 76 17,376 563 228 1975 BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS
79 -- 17,374 4,835 4 2001 JOSH GROBAN
80 75 17,230 179 9 1994 OUTKAST
81 78 16,828 82 36 1990 YANNI
82 80 16,719 135 10 1998 DESTINY'S CHILD
83 90 16,672 1,211 24 1997 ANDREA BOCELLI
84 85 16,623 736 60 1973 LYNYRD SKYNYRD
85 82 16,459 239 7 1997 DMX
86 -- 16,365 3,129 5 2000 RASCAL FLATTS
87 83 16,364 264 10 1985 SADE
88 -- 16,356 1,952 3 2002 NORAH JONES
89 87 16,245 554 67 1967 VAN MORRISON
90 92 16,220 805 11 1994 BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY
91 86 16,188 307 77 1968 FLEETWOOD MAC
92 -- 16,185 2,169 8 2000 NICKELBACK
93 84 16,121 191 14 1994 SHERYL CROW
94 89 16,051 546 14 1991 SMASHING PUMPKINS
95 96 15,990 833 36 1970 JAMES TAYLOR
96 97 15,791 729 23 1981 OZZY OSBOURNE
97 88 15,759 141 9 1994 OFFSPRING
98 94 15,712 459 14 1980 DEF LEPPARD
99 98 15,534 533 7 1999 CHRISTINA AGUILERA
100 91 15,459 41 7 1992 TLC
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Celine Dion高亢而不含杂质的嗓音，一直深深打动着我，甚至让我一度抛弃了Mariah Carey和Whitney Houston。人人都在谈论《铁达牛号》的主题曲如何成就她的事业，错了，远在此之前，Celine就已经是超级巨星了，《我心永恒》，不过一次锦上添花。
但是，当一个人抵达了这样的高度，正常的下滑也就无可避免。更何况，Celine或许在她的领域能做到最好，却无法改变整个音乐工业在新时代挑战下的命运。于是，唱片愈发卖得少了，批评声也多了；同时，她的精力，也分了一部分给她的孩子，2002年，她签下了在拉斯维加斯恺撒宫里驻唱的五年合同。
我一向把这个事情往坏的方面看，因为我觉得它牵扯了Celine在创造性、嗓音和选曲等方面的精力，因此一直无法在新世纪里交代出一份满意的答卷。《A New Day Has Come》后，我就基本没再买过她的专辑了。当然，恺撒宫的驻唱，在另一方面，被证明是成功的。毕竟这种驻唱，不是小酒吧里的那种。这是绝对的成功。717场演出，基本场场爆满，总共赚了四亿美元，300万歌迷到场观看，某位据说还翻来覆去看了100多遍（真TMD有钱，我爱资本主义）。
2007年12月11日，在她终幕演出的四天前，她发行了双碟装的现场DVD。第一张是精致的演出现场，加上致敬歌迷的花絮；第二张则是两个讲述幕后故事的记录片（分别为120分钟和53分钟）。这套碟，已收到手中。看过了，我还是叹服。
可以说，这是任何一个热爱音乐的人的必藏品。通过它，你才能知道拉斯维加斯现场是多么的不可思议。首先，你将听到的是所有最美最经典的旋律配合着最动人的声音在回响；其次，你会目瞪口呆地看见这个砸了两亿美金修起来的可以容纳4100人的“圆形剧场”有多么的豪华高级庞大且舞台效果惊人：尤其是那个北美最大的室内LED屏幕，令人叹为观止，亦在营造现场气氛方面，起到了不可替代的关键作用——看，闪电！看，火焰！看，繁星！看，风云！看，夜色！看，耀月！……光在电视上看碟，你都感觉不在现实，完全卷入，若入仙境，更别提那些身在现场的人们！我嫉妒他们！
诚然，DVD里收录的Celine演出并非完美：有她唱不上高音的时候，有舞蹈纷乱无章的时候，Celine的现场煽动力自然也不及以前的Freddie Mercury之流，而她也不可能如小甜甜那样扭来扭去跳舞（即便她也尝试了）；同时，由于是Franco Dragone创意又执导，所以从舞者到杂耍，都有浓烈的太阳马戏团痕迹……不过很多时候，你都不能说这是缺点。正是这些元素，才组合成了这台上演了五年坚持了五年而不衰的独特大show。是的，这不是演唱会，这是一个真正的show。Celine只是其中最主要的一份子罢了。如是，这个show，发散着傲人的光辉和永恒的魅力，高科技与古典情怀，典范结合，从中，将旧时歌舞团、百老汇和当代流行演唱会中最勃发的生机拈取出来，呈现。在这一点上，就足以让所有当代现场表演者去观摩和参考。
尽管演出的前半段都是或轻或重的浪漫歌谣，我们耳熟能详，如《The Power of Love》、《To Love You More》、《Because You Loved Me》等；但后半段才是最好看的，劲歌多起来，热度也高起来，当唱到《River Deep Mountain High》那里，你会觉得整场演出终于达到了最high点。碟片里和你深有同感的观众们，纷纷站起来鼓掌数分钟之久……我们或许知道，但或许又没有意识到，最美丽的瞬间就在此曲之后——那首“老掉牙”的《My Heart Will Go On》。
《My Heart Will Go On》曾被唱得大街小巷无人不晓，这个现象可算是那一年的《老鼠爱大米》。但是，它倒不至于那么低档和廉价。James Horner的谱曲已经给它赋予了经典的内核，Celine的演绎则让它不朽——永远永远的隽永而凄美。LED屏幕上，是大大的月，是点点的星；小丑在仰望、在微笑；小提琴手在伞下拉起了扯人心扉的前奏；一个身着纱织长裙的姑娘，在咏叹调里，如天使一般出现在夜空，又带着期许的眼神飘然而去；长笛吹响，Celine端庄在一束白光之中，在人造的梦幻夜境中演唱……我的眼眶，这时非常不争气地湿润了……
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（新闻）（专题）（图片）（恐怖图片）
（视频）（凤凰直播）（凤凰相关视频）（凤凰咨讯台直播）
（中文视频） （分析）（英文论坛综合）
基地组织说（据说）：“我们终结了美国最宝贵的资产。”
小布什说：“谋杀成性的极端分子的怯懦袭击。”
安全顾问：“遇刺前先被袭击者枪击中脖子和胸部。”
丈夫：“我们崩溃了，完全的震惊。”
反对党官员：“她是烈士。”
穆沙拉夫：“哀悼三天。”
前总统谢里夫：“巴基斯坦历史上最悲哀的一天。”
某位CNN网友：“贝布托是一个腐败的总理，穆沙拉夫倒是这个国家迄今发生过的最好的事。对她暗杀是可耻的，可能引发抗议和暴力，但说她是巴基斯坦唯一的希望则是荒谬可笑的。”
我：“谴责暴行，对她不哀悼。”
最重要的是：股票跌了，油价涨了。
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今天听他做报告。（此人的介绍： http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/wjb/zzjg/zcyjs/default.htm）
我最想知道的是南海、越南、钓鱼岛等问题上咱们该如何应对越来越猛烈的挑战和挑衅。会后和他聊了一句，回答说：保持不变，搁置争议。
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那天，我是为了看看昆西·琼斯《你行我也行》的MV是否在网上已有下载，才到处去搜索的。结果想找的没找着，倒是闯进了唱这首歌的年轻歌手刘金的的博客里，更看到她提起Ray Charles大爷的《A Song For You》，颇为惊讶和触动。没想到刘金是这么soulful的一位。有前途。
这首《A Song for You》诞生于1970年，最初是由Leon Russell创作和表演的。词曲里边，满是哀怨，满是痛苦，满是凄凉。感觉就是绝望中的最后挽留或道别，唱完这首歌的人我怀疑都要去自杀了……真的真的很适合殉情前唱，同时可以录下来，死前寄给你的ex-，作为一个陌生男人的来信。
《A Song for You》是Russell最著名的歌曲之一，有多个翻唱版本，比如Donny Hathaway、The Temptations、Natalie Cole、Michael Bublé、Whitney Houston等小牌大牌头牌都唱过。不过就我个人喜好而言，最欣赏的还是Carpenters版本。
《A Song for You》貌似简单，却决不好唱。这是咱经过实践而得出来的切身感受——因为我每次去卡拉OK房，都必选这首来K，可是哪怕那天超常发挥，把其它歌都唱得勉强过关，唯有这首，却次次都让我心凉：不是索然无味就是跟不上趟。
已经在天堂的Ray Charles曾在1993年录过一个版本，收在《My World》专辑上。这也是我第二最喜欢的版本。该版本还很争气地给老爷子再挣了一座“格莱美最佳R&B男歌手”奖。MV中，Ray唱得满脸是笑，丝毫不见悲伤和凄绝，反而令人感觉幸福得想哭。这是饱经世事后的逍遥、从容和淡定吗？是给绝望的人们开导和指路吗？尽管他几乎一生都看不见阳光，但他心里却满溢是阳光吧。
然而好戏还在后头：2003年4月9日，在纽约灯塔戏院里举行的Willie Nelson七十岁生日致敬晚会上，Ray Charles弹着钢琴，和原作者Leon Russell、Nelson合唱《A Song for You》。这一幕多么珍贵，终成经典，连Nelson最后都感动得泪光闪闪。
需要重温一下了，我想。遂前往YouTube……也正是在那年那月那日那时，才发现YouTube被突然封杀，上不去了。愁煞我也。但我下定决心要找到的东西就一定要找到。于是接下来这几天里，我辗转反侧通过各种方法和搜索，终于从其它站点挖到了这两段录象。为了对得起我这几天执着的劳动，我决定把它们转手上传到我的土豆网帐户里，并专门写一篇如上所述的文章来纪念我又一次努力去老音乐里雕刻时光。
录影如下：
Ray Charles《A Song for You》的音乐录影
Ray Charles与Leon Russell、Willie Nelson的经典合唱
A Song for You
I've been so many places in my life and time
I've sung a lot of songs, I've made some bad rhyme
I've acted out my life in stages
With ten thousand people watching
But we're alone now and I'm singin' this song for you
I know your image of me is what I hope to be, baby
I've treated you unkindly but girl can't you see
There's no one more important to me
So darling can't you please see through me
'cause we're alone now and I'm singin' my song for you
You taught me precious secrets of the truth, withholdin' nothin'
You came out in front and I was hiding
But now I'm so much better so if my words don't come together
Listen to the melody cause my love's in there hiding
I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I love you for my life, 'cause you're a friend of mine
And when my life is over, remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singin' my song for you
I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I've loved you for my life, yes, you're a friend of mine
And when my life is over, remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singin' my song for you, yes
We were alone and I was singin' this song for you, baby
We were alone and I was singin' my song,
Singin' my song, singin' my song, singin' my song
Singin' my song
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The relationship between French and Chinese cinema has traditionally seen French audiences responding very warmly to Chinese movies. Wong-Kar Wai's In The Mood For Love and 2046 made lasting impressions both at the box office and in people's minds. Similarly, Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer made younger generations of French film-going audiences reminisce back to their childhood when Japanese soccer anime, Captain Tsubasa, was all the rage.
On a four-day tour across China to present his new movie Arthur and the Minimoys to mainland audiences, Luc Besson, director of Leon and The Fifth Element, met his fans yesterday after his movie's first public showing in Beijing.
The film absorbed over four years of Besson's life and cost an estimated 65 million Euros to make, the highest in French film-making history. At a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday, Luc Besson said, "There are too many bad things shown on TV nowadays: like theft, pollution and racial discrimination. As a grown-up, I feel ashamed about what we often let our kids watch. I want to say sorry to them through this movie."
The Arthur, mixing animation with real actors, tells of young Arthur, a 10-year old boy living with his grandmother in a country home. His parents being much away most of the time and with his grandfather having recently disappeared, Arthur buries himself in fantastical tales, including one about the Minimoys, minuscule beings with an empire based in his grandparents' garden.
It is not long before adventure calls for Arthur, moved by his grandmother being threatened with eviction, should she not be able to pay off the venal property developer who has bought the house from the bank.
The first part of the tale bears no great originality as compared to other similar fables but Arthur's vitality, portrayed by a wonderfully vibrant Freddie Highmore, holds the interest. The grandmother's troubled and weepy soul remains unfortunately under-developed while Arthur's caricatured parents seem to leap out of the mind of Roald Dahl.
His journey into the Minimoys' world and his transformation into one of their own smacks of a modern Wizard of Oz in the film's leap from real action to animation and of Alice in Wonderland. The Minimoys themselves quickly appear very much as can be guessed from their appearance. Cute, lovable and kind, they are also hardy and living under the constant threat of Maltazard and his mosquito-riding horde.
The Minimoys' princess Selenia, both brave and beautiful (there's a shock), her younger brother and Arthur soon volunteer to stop Maltazard's plan to conquer the Minimoys' kingdom by flooding it. Setting off into the wild, the trio face a number of obstacles and it is in their progress and the relationships they develop that the film's true charm emerges.
Since Pixar dynamited the animation film industry, it seems to have become compulsory for every animated movie to appeal both to children and adults. While Besson proves deft at handling a younger audience by bombarding them with well-chosen themes, and a good mix of humor and action, it is in his attempt to reach out to the parents that the film becomes clunky. Its frequent and evident references to Star Wars, Saturday Night Fever and Sword in the Stone are not discreet pastiches, available only to the keenest eye, but used to bludgeon viewers into letting off a forced smile.
Besson revealed that he had never worked on an animated film before but it is regrettable that for a film that took over four years and 1.7 million hours of labor to complete, more attention was not paid to the pacing. For a children's movie, even one laden with serious themes, Arthur and the Minimoys alienates its audience through choppy editing with gratuitous and unnecessary scenes haphazardly thrown together.
It was John Lasseter, Pixar's grand master, who once said that due to the cost-prohibitive nature of an animated movie, the story needed to be injected with something special that would truly capture the interest of the audience without only relying on animated technical prowess. In this, Arthur and the Minimoys meets with mixed success.
Its story, although by no means an original one, bears enough freshness and life that it does not get boring. The characters, although stereotypical, often have an additional and surprising dimension and the rapid plot contains a few surprises. In one action scene, Selenia, the doughty warrior princess who quickly becomes Arthur's love interest, is at one point disrobed in a scene breathtaking for its risqué audacity.
Chinese parents may be concerned about the relationship between Selenia and Arthur -- which will be viewed as forbidden puppy love by traditional Chinese parents, if their children are close to Arthur's.
Ultimately, Arthur and the Minimoys, though possessing all the right elements for a good family film, fails in its composition. It relies too heavily on the presence of the animation for inspiration, something which Pixar and Dreamworks proved to be no longer enough. It may have been Besson's to include references to other tales to provide a point of identification for audiences but misjudges their use and allows them to dominate over the film's rare innovations.
Speaking of his film's appeal to Chinese audiences, Besson said: "It's a film for children which carries a message of love. I hope Chinese parents will show this film to their kids, because it will do them a lot of good."
The film will officially hit Chinese screens nationwide on January 19, 2007. But Besson confessed on Tuesday that he didn't care too much about Chinese box office revenue. "It is my first movie openly shown in China. I'm happy and proud that my movie has become one of the only 20 movies China imports every year." He said he would have loved to enter the Chinese movie market many years ago, but he regretted that a Chinese movie policy limiting foreign movie imports kept him out for a long time. He said he understood it since the Chinese government is trying to protect the country’s home-made movies.
Responding to media reports that Arthur is just another Hollywood product and many bad reviews, Luc Besson disagrees. He pointed out that Arthur had topped box office takings in many European countries, receiving "positive" reviews from film critics, but revealed it has failed in the United States, although American pop star Madonna lends her voice. "Hollywood believes in American values, but this movie appreciates the general value of human beings, that is, to learn to share, to respect people and nature. Arthur is pure French, its whole soul belongs to Europe." He revealed he will probably do sequels due to the box office success in Europe.
The director expressed his affection for Chinese movies, such as Lu Chuan's Tibetan antelope movie Ke Ke Xi Li Mountain Patrol when he gave a lecture at the Beijing Film Academy on Monday. One week earlier, Luc Besson had purchased the French distribution rights to last year's Chinese box office hit comedy Crazy Stone.
However, during the presentation at Beijing's UME movie theatre yesterday, Besson's audiences bitterly let him down. As the credits rolled, Besson was introduced to an applauding full house. Jovial and funny, Besson seemed to earnestly relish engaging in a debate with his Chinese fans.
Unfortunately, a negative impression of the members of the public attending the premiere was difficult to quell when instead of the interesting questions he awaited, Besson was subjected to a barrage of pointless and often insulting comments. One lady argued with the French director about exactly how many times he had visited the Chinese mainland while another man arrogantly inquired as to why Besson had not seen fit to hire major Chinese stars to provide the voices for the Mandarin dub. The puzzled Besson tried to maneuver his way past these oddities before asking to judge a quiz on the movie and being gently shuffled off stage by the Chinese host, clearly feeling her moment in the spotlight becoming an embarrassment.
(China.org.cn by Chris Dalby and Zhang Rui, January 18, 2007)
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Jiang Fangzhou, born in 1989, published her first novel Rainbow Rider last year. In an interview, she rejected the label of "post-1980s writers," which she saw as a "scandalous" name.
The "post-1980s writers" is a specific phrase in China describing the group of literature rookies born in the 1980s and who have written some real gems in recent years. However, this group of writers has come under attack by critics and older writers due to their overnight fame and fortune. Of course any hint of jealousy would be vehemently denied, and replaced with accusations of producing low-quality books to make a quick buck. The situation is also worsened by the presence on the market of several copycats.
Han Han (up left), Teddy Carey (up right), An Yiru (down left), and Guo Jingming (down right)
Guo Jingming stands out as a good example. He was accused last year of plagiarizing other's work and of copyright infringement. Even after being ordered to disburse 200,000 yuan in damages, Guo's persistent refusal to apologize and to admit guilt drew further public outcry. Far from being overwhelmed, the 24-year-old has been publishing his Top Novel, a fiction monthly magazine, since last November.
One of the post-80s' generation was also embroiled in 2006's "Copygate" scandal. The situation came into the media spotlight when a Beijing newspaper ran the news on January 4. An Yiru, a young girl who published three bestselling books analyzing ancient Chinese poetry last year, stood accused of plagiarizing from a teacher in Shandong Province, who had been posting essays about Chinese old literature on various BBS and blogs.
Han Han, arguably the most famous young writer in China with millions of books, also refused to be branded as a post-1980s writer. As another renowned young writer Zhang Yueran once said, it is ludicrous to classify writers according to the year of their birth.
In 2004, close to 1,000 "post-1980s writers" published their works, nearly 100 of whom met with popular success. In 2006, the number shrunk dramatically with no more than 10 still at the top.
What factors led to this downturn?
Last year, Nanjing Daily researched the subject, its findings concluding that 90 percent of the published post-80s writers have stopped writing altogether. About 70 percent are reduced to aiding publishers to "piece together" books or are employed as ghost writers, earning 1,000-2,000 yuan a month. An official from the Hunan Literature and Arts Publishing House admitted that without any market support, they would indubitably be turned away by publishers.
The vicious circle is therefore completed since without publisher backing, Chinese readers will dismiss these young writers, even those who once drew critical acclaim and public success. The Seventh Congress of Chinese Writers was held in November 2006, without a single post-80s writer on the name list.
"I don't care about things like these official writers' congresses or associations; I don't care if these old men accept me. Their formalism doesn't concern me. I just use my words to record my life, and find those who understand me," Teddy Carey, a 24-year-old writer, told China.org.cn. He published his first book, Pretty Boys, in November 2005 and should release his second after the Spring Festival.
"Any literary creation will have its readers," he added, expressing his desire to persevere in his writing career in the future.
His attitude may just reflect that of his generation, unlike any other China has experienced. Fashionable, care-free, always seeking to challenge authority figures and traditions, this iconoclastic generation sounds familiar to those the West has tackled for over three decades. But in China, a set of values perceived as a lack of social responsibility by elders come into sharp relief when they are hailed in literature, an art-form usually the realm of venerable and experienced sages.
Han Han is another typical figure. When he discovered that famous writer and literature critic Bai Ye had penned some unfriendly comments about him and his generation in a blog post last February, he struck back. Han Han's series of harsh articles derided classical Chinese literature circles "as meaningless and corrupted", adding that older writers and critics are standing in the way of younger ones. The debate continued while other famed figures from the worlds of literature, movies and music as well as thousands of netizens joined the fray, in itself becoming a national cultural phenomenon.
Finally, Bai Ye shut down his blog for good. Han Han won, and was acclaimed as a hero for daring to stand up to the old, the powerful and the traditional. Ironically, Han Han has moved away from the forum literary. Aside from becoming a semi-professional car racer, he has tried his hand at singing and part-time blogging.
However, the blame should also lie with publisher who speculated in the business and hype, toying with the livelihoods of young writers, building up expectations when few real prodigies were to be found.
Zhi An, literature critic and deputy chief editor of New Star Press expressed his pessimism for the future of the publication industry to New Century Weekly on January 9. "Now, the market-oriented industry only cares about the short-term hype, not the long-term effect. Publishers fawn over readers by catering to general interests, but the overall quality of books is declining. It took one year to prepare, edit, print and publish a book before, but now, many books are ready in one or two months. It is stupid."
He had to admit that post-80s "youth novels" containing too much trendy sentiment and similar themes remained best sellers on the book charts. Other bestsellers include those receiving props from the Internet through blogs, and on TV programs.
"Among the 200,000 books published every year, only one to five percent could be said to be good. Readers have to use their own judgment to find the right ones," Zhi An said, and expressed his sadness once again.
Zhang Yueran is the first post-80s writer to indulge in a spot of self-reflection. On her blog, she wrote: "Before I understood all those things, I was made a 'star writer'. All my previous works were led by various powers down a road of flaunts and uproars. Many fellows of mine are scheming, they don't care about consequences and look for made-up honors. It is always so easy for us to ignore or forgive or even indulge our faults, as if running towards an evil Utopia. Did any one of us really realize that this road would never lead us to true literature and our initial dreams? ... We are commercial instruments exploited by various people to make money; we are entertainment tools used and played by media and critics... Finally, we inevitably go to a state of suicide: make up more meaningless honors for ourselves and play various games which have nothing to do with literature..."
But An Yiru, though rocked in scandal, continued to defend post-80s writers when she accepted an interview for New Century Weekly's latest issue in 2007. "The media don't say good things on post-80s, but generally speaking, I feel they have not done anything outrageous. What they write may not be classic, but these books do attract younger kids to read, which is better than smoking, drinking and hanging around bars."
Where does the future lie for post-80s writers, in both East and West? Some say they are still growing. If not, they will soon be replaced by the new crop of "post-90s" writers who have already shown their prowess. For example, a 13-year-old Chengdu boy, Tang Chao, published a long novel last year, becoming the youngest member of Sichuan Writers' Association.
From a Western perspective, the phrase "post-80s writers" carries little meaning. Unlike China, artistic and literary praise and achievement have never been compartmentalized and judged by generation but only measured by talent and impact. Although respect and credit is given where due to older writers who have consistently been at the leading edge of literary accomplishment, the presence of young writers, representing the ideals and styles of newer generations, is seen as an integral part of the publishing tapestry.
The above examples of the alienation of younger writers would strike Western readers as peculiar and destructive. Although it is understandable to try and maintain the quality of overall literary creation by weeding out novels of lesser skill, the over-reliance on older writers and their macho harassment of any seemingly threatening their place could prevent and discourage the rise of a new generation in an industry always needing fresh blood.
An old English saying, "from the mouth of babes," signifying the truth that is often spoken by children not yet exposed to the world of lies created by adults takes on particular relevance in this light. No suggestion is being made that young children should be published for their own sake but allowing fresher viewpoints and opinions, which can only truly be expressed by younger people, is essential for any nation's literary heritage to avoid dwindling into irrelevant obscurity.
On both sides of the Atlantic, youthful writers like Zadie Smith and Christopher Paolini have been making headlines for different reasons.
Christopher Paolini
Paolini, 23, is currently writing the third book of his Inheritance trilogy, the first book of which, Eragon, has already been made into an eponymous movie, starring Edward Speelers and Jeremy Irons. Paolini published Eragon at the age of 19 and while such success is inspiring, coming from one so young, critics and readers alike have not spared the rod when chastising his work. Although his fantastical novels have met with success among children, the industry at large has not been so receptive.
Although both of Paolini's books, Eragon and its sequel Eldest have topped the New York Times Bestsellers' List, accusations have flown concerning his work's highly derivative nature. Early on in the movie version's development, Elizabeth Gabler, president of Fox 2000, a division of 20th Century Fox, said of Eragon: "We found the core relationship between a boy and a dragon who share a telepathic connection a strong concept for a movie." Worthy praise for a movie executive trying to stir up interest in their newest film. However, she went on to admit Paolini's use of Tolkien fantasy elements such as a world populated by elves and dwarves, both created in Lord of the Rings. Paolini also drew heavy inspiration from the plot of Star Wars in building the story, with a young boy dreaming of becoming a mystical Dragon Rider while seeking to avenge his murdered uncle.
In contrast, across the pond in Britain, Zadie Smith is picking up award after award. Despite her birth in 1975, she is firmly considered part of the younger generation in Britain, exemplifying the absence of any generational groups ranked by decades.
Born from Jamaican and English ancestry, she represents a facet of a revitalized, multiethnic Britain, and the acclaim she has received from all circles cements her position as one of the most important British writers today.
Her debut novel, White Teeth, gathers a cast of colorful and emotionally complex characters, exploring the issues of religion, ethnicity and social status that resonate throughout modern British society. Exploring issues of what is commonly called "post-colonialism", Smith succeeds in truly mastering the art of putting across affairs of colossal complexity in simple and powerful tones.
To claims that White Teeth carried heavy influences from Smith's experiences, she was quoted in the Guardian as responding: "White Teeth is not really based on personal family experience. When you come from a mixed-race family, it makes you think a bit harder about inheritance and what's passed on from generation to generation. But as for racial tensions -- I'm sure my parents had the usual trouble getting hotel rooms and so on, but I don't talk to them much about that part of their lives. A lot of it is guesswork or comes from reading accounts of immigrants coming here. I suppose the trick of the novel, if there is one, is to transpose the kind of friendships we have now to a generation which was less likely to be friends in that way."
Zadie Smith
When comparing the fate of young Chinese writers to the success oft met by their British and American counterparts, some fundamental differences must be outlined. The sheer numbers of novels published annually in China make it extremely difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. Thus, post-80s writers with a modicum of talent must either work doubly hard to push their own promotion or be lucky in finding an agent or publishing house that believes in them enough to do the groundwork. In contrast, in Western countries, the sheer obstacle course that the average unknown novelist must undergo to acquire an agent and put his manuscript on the desk of someone who matters tends to weed out the less-talented creations.
The best summary for the plight of a young writer may have been given by Jules Renard when he wrote: "Literature is an occupation in which you have to keep proving your talent to people who have none."
(China.org.cn by Zhang Rui and Chris Dalby, January 15, 2007)
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