- Title: USA/ AUSTRALIA: JACKIE CHAN'S 'SUPERCOP' IS RE-RELEASED IN THE U.S.
- Date: 3rd August 1995
- Summary: LOS ANGELES (RTV - ACCESS ALL) (RECENT) KHAN SAYING ALL THE ACTION MOVIES ARE BIG HITS IN ASIA AS WELL AND THE EFFECTS ARE INCREDIBLE AND THEN SUDDENLY YOU HAVE AN MOVIE WHERE THE AUDIENCE KNOWS THERE ARE NO BLUE SCREENS, GREEN SCREENS OR DIGITAL EFFECTS AND THEY SEE THE HERO AND HEROINE DOING THE REAL THING (ENGLISH)
- Embargoed: 18th August 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES/ HUNTER VALLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA9UENXJK139TC565DINNVC483Q
- Story Text: International action superstar Jackie Chan has dealt another blow to Hollywood with the re-release of his film "Supercop," co-starring Asia's top female action star, Michelle Khan.
Chan has appeared in over 40 films, including this year's U.S.
box office smash, "Rumble in the Bronx." He's currently shooting his latest movie "A Nice Guy" outside Sydney, but is only just beginning to win his long fight for recognition in the U.S.
As a measure of Chan's popularity, nine of the top 10 all-time highest grossing films in Hong Kong are Jackie Chan vehicles. But until "Rumble in the Bronx," Chan had never broken into the U.S.
market.
Recently, two American film companies, Miramax and New Line Cinema, acquired several of Chan's earlier films for re-release in the United States. "Supercop" is one, being released in the U.S.
through the Miramax subsiderary Dimension Films.
In the U.S. promoting "Supercop", Chan said a good foundation had to be built if you wanted to be a star in America.
"I am like the new boy (in America) and they are just beginning to accept me," he said.
"I think I should spend another year letting the American audience get to know me and then when I get a foundation I will have full confidence to make American movies.
Directed by Stanley Tong, "Supercop" is the story of undercover Hong Kong detective Kevin Chan, played by Jackie Chan, and his mission to put a high-powered drug lord out of commission.
For the first time in any of his film's, Chan is paired up with a woman, his superior Chief of Security Yang.
After going undercover, the pair wind up in some of the most hair-raising stunts ever put on film including a series of explosive battles in and on cars, motorcycles, and on top of amoving train after Chan swings wildly from a helicopter over the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
As usual, both Chan and Khan performed all their stunts, sometimes sustaining serious injuries and broken bones in the process.
Khan said she felt like the film had been made yesterday as she could still feel every bump, scratch and bruise she got in the movie.
"It is an outstanding movie, it is a rollercoaster ride," she said.
Commenting on performing their own stunts, Khan said the big American action movies were a hit but when the audience sees there are no special effects and the hero and heroine do their own stunts, there is a real impact.
On location in New South Wales' Hunter Valley for "A Nice Guy", Chan lives up to his reputation, blending action with comedy.
Hong Kong company Golden Harvest is producing the martial arts offering, but they are playing the story line close to their chests.
"A Nice Guy" will include speeding cars, grenade-tossing mobsters and even a horse-drawn carriage chase. The film's climax will feature a new Jackie Chan stunt.
Speaking on the film set, Chan said he wanted to make "A Nice Guy" in New York but the city wanted to charge 1.5 million U.S.
dollars a week so they decided to go to Australia.
While he is extremely keen to fully break into the American market, Chan said he was not prepared to alter the way he makes movies.
"I still do the Jackie Chan films with lots of action, no violence and comedy. I do want the respect of the American audience but more importantly I want the respect of the people who know movies in the way I respect the likes of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Gene Kelly.
"All these years I have been watching those actors and I have learned a lot but for the last six years there has been nothing to learn from American movies anymore because it is all special effects and computer graphics," he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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