Those who missed D.J. Premier last time he was in town get a second chance to hear authentic Hip Hop from one of the finest producer / d.j.s in the business. His Jazz-tinged rhythms grace countless classics from a cross section of Hip Hop’s finest acts. Names such as KRS-One, Nas, Jay Z, Jehru, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., The Notorious B.I.G. and even Christina Aguilera have sought him out for his production talent.

The venue for the show is Dragon I, one of Hong Kong’s top clubs for international d.j.s. to perform. Expect another packed night light on the commercial Hip-Pop of today and heavy on soulful, quality music.

Last night I went half-way around the west side of Hong Kong Island to a development called the Cyberport to check out a film. Launched during the height of Internet-mania, the Cyberport was supposed to be Hong Kong’s Silicon Valley, or at the very least an I.T. hub, but for years it’s struggled to get off the ground. Located on a huge parcel of oceanfront property it very well may pay off, but more for its luxury apartments and the adjacent shopping center.

For a city dweller like me, walking the grounds of the Cyberport is actually scary because the place is so unpopulated compared to the rest of Hong Kong. Anyway, they have a large multiplex there and it’s a good spot if you’re trying to stay incognito or want to get a good seat! In my case, the film’s been out for a while and wasn’t playing near me, so it was one of my closest options!

Exiled, Johnnie To’s new film revisits Macau as a setting. His previous film from 1999, Where A Good Man Goes, starring Lau Ching Wan and Leon Lai Ming was also set in the enclave. This time around he put together the usual posse, Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Lam Suet, Roy Cheung, and Nicky Cheung in addition to Josie Ho.

My initial reaction watching Exiled was the same that I had when I saw Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love. It’s a director revisiting his signature topics, using his special devices perhaps to the point where it’s too straightforward and it becomes a bullet point list of the director’s techniques displayed. What’s sacraficed is the of elegance of storytelling - letting those devices unfold naturally within the film - which is often what made them special to begin with. In places, this film is Johnnie To doing Johnnie To.

In two particular scenes of mass gunplay, however, it’s Johnnie To doing John Woo, which was kind of cool. I’m sure he did this as an homage, though it doesn’t come off quite as suspenseful or as elegant as the older films in its cinematography and action sequencing. (One interesting unifier on this note is the fact that Simon Yam, who guest stars in Exiled, also appeared in Woo’s masterpiece A Bullet In The Head.)

All the performances in the film are strong, although I think Mr.To should leave Nicky Cheung out of the equation next time. He simply isn’t as interesting as the others as a character actor. His face just doesn’t hold as much intrigue or personality as the others. His role in To’s Election series also suffers from his rather flat presence.

Despite the negitives I’ve mentioned above, the film is certainly entertaining as a contemporary quirky action film - which is what it seems intended to be. I believe it may even win Johnnie To a wider audience. But for someone who has seen most of his films it comes off a little self-concious and calculating compared with the mythic storytelling of some of his earlier works.

After checking out the band show on Friday night, I hopped into a taxi and headed up to The Peak, Hong Kong’s most famous scenic spot. The newly renovated Peak Tower was the site for Electronic Art’s event - a launch party for the new EA showroom and store.

CLOT, the multifaceted branding crew were the organizers of the event. EA certainly chose the right partner to handle the party. CLOT has been on a rampage lately, with projects ranging from launching a much sought after shoe with Nike to bringing Kanye West to perform in Hong Kong at the end of the month. The thing I like about CLOT is that they have vision and put their connections to good use. More than that, their events are always fun. It’s a win-win situation, people attending their events go away with a good time and sponsors are happy (well, except for time we were drinking Moet in the beer bong, but that’s another story!)

When I got to the Peak Tower the place was bathed in spot lights with a large marquee set up near the entrance. The building itself is interesting. It’s shaped like a partial elipse.

Over the last year, the place has been completely redone, making room for more new shops, including the EA store. The Peak Tower also houses the terminal for the Peak Tram, a main tourist attraction that takes you straight up the steep hillside. On the large rooftop of the Peak Tower is an observation deck that offers amazing views of the city. I didn’t know it at the time, but the party was located on the newly renovated roof!

After walking into the building, I took several escalators up to the rooftop. On the way up, I passed by the new EA store which was intriguing. Occupying two floors, it has an atrium-like wall of lights and around thirty gaming stations where visitors can sit and try out the latest EA titles. The place is divided into sub-sections which makes it more exciting to walk around and explore.

The renovated rooftop was much better than before. The entire roof is now accessible, as opposed to only half under the old design. Installed around the lengthy space are high-powered binoculars allowing tourists to focus in on the buildings below. For the night, the rooftop was also sprinkled with XBox 360’s outfitted with EA games. The space was divided into two sections, a VIP area and a normal side. Although a little hazy out, the view from the roof was spectacular. Click these thumbnails to see a bigger view.

The night’s decorations weren’t limited to the immediate grounds. Residents of The Peak, Hong Kong’s wealthiest address (and one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the world) were in for a shock as they returned home from dinner to find a huge logo of the branding group CLOT projected onto their mountainside! Actually, the light alternated between the EA logo and the CLOT symbol. One word: impressive!

Hong Kong’s famous D.J. Tommy was the first act of the night, spinning from an elevated platform just above a huge screen showing clips from different EA games. Later in the night N.Y.’s Just Blaze, one of the top producers in Hip Hop music would take over the decks. This would make Just Blaze’s third appearance in Hong Kong in the last year. He’s been here previously for the CLOT anniversary party and for a Diesel event as well.

The party was packed by eleven. Bottles of Moet and Hennessy were everywhere. It was a tough night to not indulge!

Towards the end of the night I went downstairs for a closer look at the EA shop. There were groups of people hanging out playing the games.

The police put an end to music on the rooftop, so the party eventually moved downstairs to the EA store. During the transition I had a chance to talk with Just Blaze about the old days of N.Y. Hip Hop radio - and he actually burned me a CD of a long lost show! I hope I can repay his generosity some day.

The Electronic Arts event was yet another in a string of memorable parties by CLOT. Despite all the planning, the CLOT events wouldn’t be a success without this guy, codename: Cobra, he even smiled for the photo!

Friday night was a busy one. At 8:30 I went to EDGE to check out an underground band show. My friend J.T.’s new group, Kissing On the Dance Floor was first on the bill. Since there are barely any band shows, or even live music events in Central, I figured I should check it out. Plus the entry fee was a very reasonable $40 HKD for five local bands.

There are several reasons why live music doesn’t work here. First of all, Hong Kong people often live in small apartments. Have you ever heard someone learning to play an instrument next door? It’ll drive you crazy. Secondly, the music industry here is limping along without much revenue derived from actual music sales. Third, there’s little radio play here of band music, particularly of foreign bands. And lastly, venues would rather pay one d.j. then have to pay all the members of a band.

That’s why nearly all bands here have automatic underground status. Live music itself is underground.

I didn’t have time to catch all five bands. I was most curious to see my friend’s band, Kissing On The Dance Floor anyway. They came on around nine, and the place was surprisingly packed.

Starting a gig so early is risky on a Friday night. Many people are still having dinner at this time. Sort of like Cinderella, I found out that the five bands had the place until midnight, afterwards the venue reverted back to a commercial Hip Hop and R&B club.

Kissing On The Dancefloor sounded like New Order to me. Their set was a great way to start off the show. The music was melodic and uptempo. The band consisted of four members: two on guitar, one drummer and one bass player.

Hong Kong audiences, not known for their enthusiasm, were actually into the music and applauded after each song.

As the next band came on, I made my way through the now capacity crowd. Looks like Rock music isn’t dead here afterall!

It’s been a month or two since I watched The Departed, the Hollywood remake of the Hong Kong film, Infernal Affairs. I can’t help wondering what it would’ve been like to have just seen The Departed, without knowledge of its predecessor.

I went into the film unbiased. I’m a Scorcese fan, and I’ve enjoyed many of his crime films in particular.

My first reaction - I didn’t like the fact that The Departed was set in Boston. The urban vibe of Infernal Affairs was lost. There didn’t seem to be much of a neighborhood feel that you have when films are set in New York.

It was also strange that the film was based on a bunch of Irish gangsters rather than Italians. Why the twist? Because Matt Damon can’t do an accent apart from the Boston brogue?

The film had little magic or suspense compared to other Scorcese films and the original from which it was based. It just wasn’t brought to a boil the way Infernal Affairs gradually turned up the heat.

One particularly faulty part of the film dealt with the Chinese government attempting to buy stolen technology. It was a clumsy addition to the plot that came off badly. Audiences in the cinema here in Hong Kong were laughing in their seats. The poorly chosen actor spoke Cantonese, rather than Mandarin - the official language of the PRC, plus he was utterly unconvincing in his small role.

With Hollywood borrowing more and more from Asia in recent years it’s sad to see that attention to detail still remains the exception rather than the rule.

Despite the dream team of acting and directing talent, The Departed failed to equal the foreboding intensity of Infernal Affairs.

Closed for renovations for about a year, the harbor-front observation deck in Tsim Sha Tsui recently reopened. The structure is a one-story high elevated walkway located directly in front of the Cultural Center. It offers unobstructed views of Hong Kong Island’s breathtaking skyline directly across the harbor.

I happened to be early to meet a friend for dinner, so after disembarking from the Star Ferry I walked one block to the observation deck. It was exactly eight o’clock, time for the daily “Symphony of Lights” show. I hung back and watched as the tourists jockeyed for position to photograph the spectacle. The display consists of thirty-three different buildings flashing their lights in time to music with narration. Several of the buildings have elaborate colored lights, spotlights and lasers, which makes it more interesting. The real stars however are the buildings themselves, so any time of day the observation deck is a worth a visit.

Part of a continuing trend, Gucci is the latest brand to open a new mega-flagship store in Central. Located on the corner of Queens Road and Ice House Street, it’s directly across from A Bathing Ape and down the block from both Harvey Nichols and Joyce (a famous local couture importer.) It’s also an easy stroll from the Louis Vuitton flagship store that grounds the opposite corner of The Landmark shopping center.

This Tuesday was the celebratory launch event for the new Gucci shop. It’s been a busy week for high-end brands with a Tod’s event and also a Vivienne Westwood fashion show on Thursday. Friday I’m looking forward to an event organized by CLOT for Electronic Arts, the game company. Famed Hip Hop producer Just Blaze will be d.j.ing!

Halloween seems to be getting bigger and bigger each year in Hong Kong. Because it fell on a Tuesday this year, the bars and clubs celebrated all weekend long with people dressing in costume.

Volar, one of the top clubs in Hong Kong went all out on decorations this year. They had a prom theme ala the classic Stephen King horror film Carrie.

Not even the d.j. booth was spared - check out the severed head and hand!

Despite all the special promotions, the center of the Halloween festivities is Lan Kwai Fong - the main nightlife area in Central on the night of the 31st. On Tuesday night, tens of thousands of people paraded the streets with their costumes or cameras.

The turnout is so large that the police have developed a strategy to keep the gathering orderly and controlable. To get to Lan Kwai Fong, (which has a collection of dozens of bars,) the police make partygoers snake around the area for nearly ten blocks before entering.

In the weeks before Halloween, Pottinger Street, an old, cobble-stone street in Central overflows with different costumes and props for sale. (Click the image below for a bigger view.)

Just a block away, a brand new Toys R Us just opened, providing another venue for Halloween purchases. This is the first Toys R Us store in Central. Their other branches nearby are located in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay.

Yet another interesting event brought about by Edison and the CLOT crew - Kanye West is coming to Hong Kong to perform with the Hong Kong Orchestra at the end of the month, November 28th. (Edison is going to open up for him.)

I’ve heard recordings of Kanye’s concert performance with live instruments, and it’s something not to be missed. With an orchestra behind him, Kanye’s musicianship really comes through on a higher level. It’s a quality that most people in Hip Hop these days couldn’t even attempt to match.

The venue is a brand new outdoor spot called ‘The Hong Kong Drive-In’ on West Kowloon, a recently developed area of reclaimed land located just west of Tsim Sha Tsui.

This is a must-see event for music lovers in Hong Kong!

I was going to the JP cinema, my favorite place to catch movies, when I saw this huge wrap-around ad by Carhartt. The billboards featured interesting illustrations of people wearing Carhartt clothes. The placement was at a crowded intersection in the heart of Causeway Bay, one of the busiest and trendiest of all the shopping areas in Hong Kong.