ScreenAnarchy Talks To Bey Logan

Bey Logan is a name every fan of Hong Kong film should know. A noted film critic who has worked tirelessly to promote martial arts film in the west, Logan has also been busy as a screen writer, producer and occassional actor. And so it came as a major surprise when word got out that Logan had been hired by The Weinstein Company. What on earth is a noted proponent of Hong Kong film doing working for the Brothers Weinstein, men generally hated by the Asian film fan community for their history of shelving and / or mangling their Asian titles?

Well, I had the chance to contact Logan recently and he graciously agreed to answer a handful of questions via email as we were both on the road at the time, which pretty much ruled out voice contact. Logan is sitting on a major announcement for Cannes so there is a certain amount of corporate speak at play - I've heard chunks of what will be included via other sources and, while I'm not going to spill it if they're not prepared to do so themselves yet, I will say that a quick look at a person's resume is generally all you need to know about why someone else would want to hire them - but he is nicely candid on a number of topics.

First of all, thanks so much for taking the time to do this. I know you’re a busy guy and we all appreciate you talking to us.

There’s no avoiding this one, so we may as well dive right in. To say that the Weinsteins are not well thought of in Asian film fan circles is a major, major understatement. So when word got out that you’d signed on with TWC the debate immediately began as to whether this was a sign that they were changing their ways or if you’d somehow completely lost your mind. Can you give some of the history behind this? How did they get you to sign on?

I don't think I've quite lost my mind yet, though, if I had, I guess maybe I wouldn't have noticed... When the Weinstein Company was formed, I was very happy to be in contention to head up their Asian office. I felt that, over my years in Hong Kong, I'd built up the necessary skills and experiences to give it a shot. I was, of course, aware that the Asian Internet fan base had, ahem, mixed feelings about the company, and I think that's a shame, because I've never met anyone more passionate about Asian cinema than Harvey Weinstein. I believe that, with the new company, we have a chance to reinvent our brand in a more positive light, as far as the Asian fan community is concerned. That's something we're totally committed to.

What is your role specifically with the Weinsteins? Are you now working for them exclusively or are you still free to work with Hong Kong Legends, your own productions, etc?

I'm full time with TWC, and totally enjoying the challenge!

I’ve heard rumblings from a few quarters that there’s a major announcement coming regarding TWC’s plans for their Asian properties. Are you able to talk about those at all yet or are they still under wraps? If you can’t talk specifics can you at least comment on whether there’s talk to at least include uncut, uncropped versions of their films in their DVD releases? (a simple move that would immediately put a serious dent in the parallel import trade)

There will be a major announcement soon, probably at Cannes. Obviously, DVD is the format in which most Asian action titles find their audience in the west, and we have specific plans to satisfy this huge and growing fan base. We're also dedicating a lot of energy to bringing the prime Asian action titles to the big screen.

Can you explain some of what happened behind the scenes with The Promise? I don’t think I can think of another instance of a company buying a film, investing in a new cut, promoting it at festivals, and then giving the rights back. What happened?

Its a lot less byzantine than people might want to believe. It came down to a genuine difference of opinion as to the best method to distribute and market this film in the US. There was an amicable parting of the ways, and everyone moved on. Sorry I can't give you a better conspiracy theory!

What Asian titles does The Weinstein Company currently hold rights to?

We have an extensive catalogue of Asian library titles, which will be a key element in terms of our new plans to distribute this kind of product in the west. In terms of recent acquisitions, I'm very excited about Dragon Tiger Gate and Ong Bak 2, which are and will be, respectively, right on the cutting edge of Asian martial arts action cinema.

Have they carried over the rights for any of the old titles purchased and unreleased by Miramax? Specifically, is there any hope of an uncut, original language release of Fist of Legend and will Tears of the Black Tiger ever see the light of day?

The short answer is yes, but, if I listed chapter and verse of our proposed released schedule now, we wouldn't have anything to announce later. Trust me, we're going to be working with and for the fans to bring them what they want, and deserve!

And, enough of the Weinstein stuff …

On a pure curiosity level I have to ask about the experience of working with Steven Seagal on Dragon Squad. How did the two of you end up working together? Did the timing of Dragon Squad overlap with his whole mob / extortion ordeal? [note: Seagal was the target of an attempted mob shakedown that received a fair amount of play in the press here. Details are here.]

Steven was introduced to me by a wonderful man named Jimmy Moy, who is sadly no longer with us. Jimmy was originally from Chicago, and he and Steven formed a company in Thailand with the aim of making films in Asia. They came to provide their experience and connections as producers on Dragon Squad, and we had a wonderful working relationship with them. I know nothing whatsoever about any of the other issues you mention. Steven was a gentleman with us, and that was my experience!

You’ve been lucky enough to work directly with some truly legendary people, is there any one of them or any one moments that stands out? Any moments where you looked at yourself and wondered just how exactly you got there?

Yes. So many. Going toe-to-toe with Donnie (Yen) in Circus Kids. I figured that was as close as I'd come to facing my idol Bruce Lee! I remember him saying "If only your body was as fast as your brain" and I said "If only your brain was as fast as your body..." I remember being at the live show for the Hong Kong Handover, under the stage, watching Donnie and Jet Li side by side, warming up for their respective demos. In the background, I saw Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and the rest of their old classmates walking to the stage door, as a Chinese drum beat above and around us. I remember standing in a green field in Ireland, next to Jackie Chan, another idol of mine, throwing a ball for a dog to chase. Just now, I went to Rome for the premiere of M:I3, and sat next to my mate Maggie Q's mum, and saw the smile on her face every time her daughter came onto the screen...

While Hong Kong appears to be coming back to life a little these days it’s had some hard times lately. When I got to meet Wilson Yip, Sammo Hung and Wu Jing after SPL played in Toronto last year I asked them about the lack of young stars in the martial arts world and who would fill that gap. Wu Jing practically leapt out of his chair saying he wanted to be the next one, but who else is out there? From your perspective who are the next generation talents behind and in front of the camera? Can Hong Kong ever really recover from the talent drain that followed the return to Chinese control?

I think there are a few names to watch for. Andy On is tremendously gifted, as an actor and an athlete, but he's been very unlucky in the film's he's been given. Cheng Pei-pei's daughter, Eugenia Yuan, is a very talented actress, and needs to find an action vehicle to lift her to the next level. There are a bunch of other people out there, but maybe I shouldn't mention them in case another company signs them up first!

Same question, specifically when it comes to choreography. Donnie Yen is the only choreographer of note I can think of under fifty and Yuen Woo Ping isn’t getting any younger. Is action choreography becoming a lost art?

I hope not. I think you're going to see the guys who have been following Yuen Woo-ping and Sammo Hung and Donnie coming in their own. Also, I think these old dragons still have some fire left in them!