Fandemonium

Q: Favourite Scene and Character!

You saw it. So what is your favourite scene and who is your favourite character?!?!

Mine would be..

In part one where Movie Star (Lawrence Chou) is giving money to Willie the Duck (Eric Tsang) as compensation while Willie is watching tv. Willie's lines seem so typical of Eric Tsang's acting.

**spoiler warning for below if you haven't seen the show!**

My favourite character is Fox Boy (Derek Tsang).
In my opinion, I think Fox Boy is the central character to the story but it was never explicitly shown that way. He was the master mind. He eliminated everyone in his way: his Dai Lo (Movie Star - Lawrence Chou), Movie Star's Dai Lo (Willie the Duck - Eric Tsang), and his weakest link - Fat Ass (Michael Adamthwaite)! Maybe Fox Boy had some help from Uncle Three (Greg Chan) but to pull all that off is an amazing feat for a minor player in the gangster game. And you know what? Fox Boy just acts so cool.

So who is yours??

Airing THIS Sunday and Monday on CBC!

Don't you dare miss this CBC Special Presentation. Click here for Canadian schedule info.

Audiences were blown away at both the Vancouver and Toronto screenings. Terry Woo, author of Banana Boys, was heard saying, "I knew it was going to be good. But not this good! See below for all the reviews and fan-response ... need we say more?

All of us UBER-fans want this to get the same attention by CBC as Vanishing Sons (starring Russel Wong, 1994) did -- which also began as a four-part mini-series and followed by 13 TV-episodes (which never got to Canada). DRAGON BOYS IS EVEN BETTER! Superbly written, and stellar acting by an incredible cast!

From Terry Woo, author of Banana Boys:

Totally blew me away... tightly scripted and directed, not an extraneous thread or wasted fragment of dialogue, characters you genuinely cared about. Eric Tsang was supremely entertaining, and great lines for Jean Yoon. Canadian TV at it's best!

Reviews

Ming Pao Article

If you can read the Chinese, check out this scan of an article that was published in one of the widest read Chinese-language papers, the Ming Pao Daily (GIF Image).

The Mean Streets Of Van City: Dragon Boys takes an unflinching look at Asian-based organized crime

"Dragon Boys is the most provocative piece of drama made in B.C. since 1995, when a TV movie called Little Criminals, written by Vancouver's Dennis Foon, made viewers aware of the province's inability to manage very young offenders. Dragon Boys is bound to have a similar impact. It brings to light the challenges of a fully integrated, multicultural society and the problems of policing in that society's insular communities. Written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Ian Weir (Edgemont), the miniseries has the edgy pace of a video game. And while Dragon Boys is entertaining and even gripping, it is uncomfortable to watch at times." Published in the National Post: Saturday, January 06, 2007

Continue reading this article by Alison Cunningham, CanWest News Service, here.
Read the JPEG scan of the newspaper clipping here.

Reviews

Dragonslayer: A conversation with Byron Mann, star of the CBC mini-series Dragon Boys

From CBC.ca - Arts | TV

"The CBC-TV mini-series Dragon Boys opens with an unsettling one-two punch. A Chinese-Canadian teenager comes alive upon spotting a pretty Asian girl in a Vancouver arcade. A white friend says forget it, she's with the Dragon Boys. The first teen dismisses the threat of Asian gangs with a laugh, saying, "Every time two Chinese guys get together, white people think they're a gang." Next scene, a cleaver-bearing Dragon Boy visits a delinquent drug dealer. The armed enforcer has tattooed teardrops under his eyes that tally his every murder; and from the look he gives the dealer, it would appear that he is about to cry again." (Stephan Cole, January 5, 2007)

Continue reading the complete interview by Stephan Cole (CBC.ca) here.

Feedback

David Ing writes about the Toronto Preview of Dragon Boys

Posted on David Ing, at large:

"One of the fringe benefits of living in an urban centre like Toronto is events like this free preview screening of Dragon Boys. Dragon Boys is tv mini-series produced by the CBC, with a story centering on a police officer and drug gangs in Vancouver. It has the distinction of being the first major television production in North America with all Asian Canadian leads." Read the complete blog post here.

Reviews

Fast-paced series gets inside Asian gangs (whatsonwinnipeg.com)

"IF there's one thing that can be said about this country's West Coast TV-production community, it's this: It sure knows how to make a riveting, rip-roaring and really quite unapologetically Canadian cops-and-criminals thriller."

Read the whole artcile by Brad Oswald on whatsonwinnipeg.com here.

Feedback

Response from Toronto Screening, by KWOI

Dear Friends,
Dragon Boys, the two part mini-series is airing this coming Sunday and Monday, Jan 7 and 8 at 8 pm to 10 pm.

Working closely with the Asian Community, Writer/Exec Producer Ian Weir did a great job keeping it real, working with material outside his own culture. It stars some of my TO friends Jean Yoon and Simon Wong. Simon's character was especially real for me personally as I had started a youth gang upon my early arrival in TO. We even called ourselves "Nine Dragons" as there were initially nine of us from the same hood in Kowloon (translates 9 Dragons). I started the gang as a means of survival. I was constantly getting beat up after school by trailer trash bullies. The same trailer trash that were portray in Dragon Boys. My gang involvement strained my relationship with my dad who's Baldwin St. eatery was struggling with extortion threats from the triad at the time. Watching the preview on Tuesday night was like having my childhood flash me by.

Continue reading "Response from Toronto Screening, by KWOI"

Feedback

Comments from Toronto Preview Screening

The best part of the screening was when the crowd cheered at one of the end-scenes!

I am highly impressed with the casting and plot of the story. I'm not a big TV fan but for me to sit there and watch 2 episodes back to back without feeling fidgety, it's a MUST see! I've told all of my friends and colleagues.

More to come ...

Vancouver Premier Screening of Dragon Boys - PICS

Thank you, CAC! See set of photos on Flickr here. 21 photos by Angela Ling, Annie Li and Kathy Lo.

Dragon Boys "Shoot for the Truth"

Great article in the Jan 4th issue of Georgia Straight (Vancouver), by Craig Takeuchi.

"Two Chinese seniors are bludgeoned to death in a violent suburban home invasion; a Caucasian drug dealer is hacked up by an Asian gang; a Chinese Canadian teenager goes missing under suspicious circumstances. Are these news headlines? A Hollywood movie? While they could be either, these scenarios are from a new CBC TV miniseries called Dragon Boys (www.dragonboys.ca/). The two-part drama about Asian organized crime in the Lower Mainland, which airs Sunday and Monday (January 7 and 8 at 8 p.m.), follows multiple story lines and covers everything from Triads to seedy massage parlours and employs multilingual dialogue (English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Khmer, the language of Cambodia)."

Read the whole article here.

CBC breaks new ground with Dragon Boys (Driven Magazine)

From Driven Magazine: Features

Armed with one of Canada's most accomplished directors guiding a star-laden cast, the CBC mini-series Dragon Boys thrusts Asian gangs into the national spotlight.

The two-part, four-hour thriller gives viewers a rare glimpse into Vancouver's organized crime world and shines a light on the struggles of Asian immigrants trying to forge lives in Canada.

Such a seminal project couldn't be trusted to just anyone. With eight Gemini Awards to his credit (as well as having directed Paris, France – known as one of the 50 most erotic films of all time), few Canadian directors have the pedigree of Jerry Ciccoritti (Trudeau, Lives of the Saints). As the son of immigrant parents, he also brought an intimate understanding of the motivation behind the characters in Dragon Boys."

Continue reading the article by George Zicarelli in Driven Magazine.

"Mini-Series Delves into Asian Organised Crime" - Canadian Press

Interview by Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press.
Published in 24 Hours Toronto and The Province:

"Byron Mann, the star of the CBC miniseries "Dragon Boys," said he knew there was something extraordinary in the making as soon as he read the script that delved into the dark underworld of Asian organized crime in Vancouver."

Read the complete article here.

Feedback

BOYS ON FILM, by Jen Sookfong Lee

As you may already know, Jen Sookfong Lee is about to become one of the most celebrated newly published Canadian authors -- with her first novel, The End of East coming out in March (Knopf Canada), and the second in the works ... we were all really curious to know what she thought. Jen posted her response to the film on her blog.

"... easily the best-acted and best-written television movie I've seen in years." More here.

Continue reading "BOYS ON FILM, by Jen Sookfong Lee"

News

Blink Magazine pres. Toronto Premier Screening of Dragon Boys

Not to be outdone by the uber-fans in Vancouver, Toronto-based Asian Canadian lifestyle magazine will be presenting the Toronto Premier of Dragon Boys.

DRAGON BOYS PREMIER
TUESDAY - January 2, 2007
The Fairview Library Theatre - 35 Fairview Mall Drive
click here for map
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (2 parts, 90 min. each)
Q&A (9:30 PM) with Simon Wong, Jean Yoon and Jerry Ciccoritti to follow.

Presented by blink magzine in association with CBC Television, NAAAP Toronto and the Toronto Public Libraries. For more information, contact Lisa dragonboystickets@blinktoronto.com or call

Feedback

Overwhemling Response from Vancouver Screening

Wish you could have been there! The preview screening of the complete two-part series was amazing. One of the best Q&A sessions ever -- it just couldn't end. And then all the talent and MCs were mobbed by the crowd after the screening. Photos are coming. The feedback from some of Vancouver's most influential Asian Canadians has begun to come in:

A mind-blowing suspense thriller that keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat. A white-knuckled roller coaster ride driven by this fantastic all-Asian cast. Byron Mann thrills, Lawrence Chou chills, and Eric Tsang is, well, classic Eric Tsang. CBC has a hit on its hands!

Photos from the Vancouver screenings here. (Thank You, Byron Mann's Unofficial Fansite!)

Continue reading "Overwhemling Response from Vancouver Screening"

Byron Mann - The Cop

Byron - You da' man!

Many of us martial arts junkies have been watching Byron Mann kicking ass on TV and in movies for a long time! From Streetfighter, The Corruptor, Invincible and the occassional appearance on Dark Angel. See the most complete filmography from his unofficial fansite here.

Byron's character in Dragon Boys - Officer Tommy Jiang - gives a solid takedown to some of the stereotypes that have had Asian men by the balls for decades. You'll have to see for yourself, but we can say that he doesn't turn red from either a little alcohol or a lap dance.

Question for BM: How much input did you have in tweaking the portrayal of your character?

More
Ask Byron Mann a Question here.
Byron Mann's Unofficial Fansite
Interview in our favorite magazine of all time ... YOLK

Clips

Dragon Boys Pics

If we told you how we got these pics, we'd have to ... well, you know. Some great pics of Fox Boy (Derek Tsang, left) and Movie Star (Lawrence Chou, right). He's totally the character we all love to hate. See photos here.

Tzi Ma

Tzi Ma's Response

Q: How was the role of Henry Wah different for you, playing the husband of your real-life partner?

Tzi: It was fantastic. I normally don't like to talk or reveal my motivations about my work 'cause you lose the magic of giving the audience's imagination the chance to fully participate and transport themselves to another place and time.

Continue reading "Tzi Ma's Response"

Fandemonium

Dragon Boys - LEGO Series

You wish! And so do we. Imagine the possibilities if LEGO were to release a Dragon Boys limited series, in the same way they changed the LEGO-universe with Star Wars Lego.

Continue reading "Dragon Boys - LEGO Series"

News

Miss Chinese Vancouver to Host Premier

Not only has this premier growing in anticipation ... Miss Chinese Vancouver 2005 Crystal Li will co-MC the upcoming Vancouver premier of Dragon Boys, alongside our fav' Sex in Vancouver star, Zen Shane Lim. Bring your cameras! As many of you know the 2006 Miss Chinese Vancouver Pageant is only a week away. Co-Produced by Fairchild TV, Radio and Plum Magazine - this is one of Vancouver's most eminent yearly events. Almost as big as Chinese New Year ... maybe even bigger! Crystal Li so happened to be returning to Vancouver for the holidays, visiting from Taiwan where she's been busy modelling. By the way, we at Schema think lucky contestant #8 Samantha Lam is going win!

More:
Asia Pacific Post Coverage here
Crystal Li wins 2005 crown here

News

Vancouver Premier Screening of Dragon Boys - SOLD OUT!

We've just heard from the CAC that their Vancouver screening is SOLD OUT! Well done, CAC! Looking forward to great screening. Yah, we know ... CAC President Annie Li's "Christmas Wish", Lawrence Chou, can't be there. But Annie, I know he'd be impressed with how well you put this all together. For all of you in Toronto ... stay tuned. There's rumours that something is in the works.

News

CAC pres. Vancouver Premier Screening of Dragon Boys

As news of Dragon Boys' Official Selection in the 2007 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival has begun to spread, the Canadianized Asian Club (CAC), an SFU student-run organisation, is making sure Vancouver audiences are the first to see their home grown mini-series on the big screen.

The private screening takes place in the beautifully refurbished RIO Theatre on Broadway, a historical site for imported Chinese cinema (back in the day). "First openend in 1938, the RIO theatre returns as a landmark theatre in the heart of Vancouver's Commercial Drive." The CAC is also using this as an opportunity to collect donations for the Food Bank (those keeners!).

DRAGON BOYS PREMIER
SUNDAY - December 17
The RIO on Broadway - 1660 E. Broadway (Commercial & Broadway)
Doors 11:15 AM | 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM (2 parts, 90 min. each)
Q&A with Byron Mann, Simon Wong and Tzi Ma (TBC) to follow

Presented by the CAC, in association with CBC Television and NAAAP Vancouver. For more information, contact Annie Li dragonboysticket@gmail.com

Byron Mann - The Cop

Q: What was your fav' scene?

Clips

Behind the scenes ...

There's always a story behind the story.
Here's some behind the scenes "back-story" to the making of this ground-breaking mini-series. Features some sneak peeks with Asia's hottest talent: Eric Tsang, Byron Mann, Steph Song and Tzi Ma!

Clips

Dragon Boys - The Trailer

Tell us what YOU think! Leave your comments below, or on YouTube

Clips

Schema Archives: Behind the Scenes with Movie Television