scene from Vulgaria

 

scene from Vulgaria

Hollywood blockbusters The Dark Knight Rises and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted are two of the most anticipated summer flicks from overseas, while The Silent War, directed by notable Hong Kong directors specializing in the genre, Alan Mak and Flix Chong, is also enthusiastically hyped.

One film that's quickly gaining a different type of attention is Vulgaria, directed by Hong Kong native Pang Ho-cheung. The film topped Hong Kong's box office a week after its premiere in Hong Kong on August 9.

Pang, making a name for himself with films like You Shoot, I Shoot (2001) and Dream Home (2010), is known for his comedies. His latest work continues his trademark features, adding more comical sex scenes and dirty language.

Though R-rated and labeled as a "vulgar" movie, the film made over HK $20 million ($2.58 million) since its premiere, according to Pang's Sina Weibo on August 26.

Satirical jokes

Vulgaria tells the plight of a man in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

 To fight for a name in the movie circle, veteran movie executive producer To Wai-cheung (Chapman To) remakes an erotic film.

Producer To uses aging porn star Susan Shaw (Susan Shaw) and Popping Candy (Dada Chan) as Shaw's body double. But troubles pile on as To begins the process: The director wants to change the script, an actor quits, a condom sponsor leaves, and the investor burns the finished product.

Over 70 percent of the lines contain Cantonese dialect and dirty sex jokes. 

Along with Chapman To and Susan Shaw, local favorites Ronald Cheng, Fiona Sit and Miriam Yeung also star in the film.

Before screening in Hong Kong, Vulgaria screened to audience at Taipei Film Festival last month, and plans on hitting the US and Canada in September.

In an interview with Hong Kong TV program Big Boys Club last week, leading actor Chapman To expressed that since movies like Vulgaria are too crude to pass certain censors, the film currently cannot be screened in the Chinese mainland.

Crude controversy

Pang's latest film has supporters praising its humor while some critics find nothing funny about it.

Fanny Suen, a Hong Kong native and patron of the film, wrote on her Sina Weibo after watching the movie: "Vulgaria is really funny. He (Pang) uses comedy to show how hard filmmakers have to work. It's worth watching."

Reeve Wong, a film critic in Hong Kong, gave the film three out of 10 stars. He told the Global Times in an e-mail that the film left a deep impression, not because of its quality, but because of its vulgar shallowness.

As for the film beating out all blockbusters, Wong said audiences in Hong Kong have watched enough Hollywood films, and it's not surprising for a local film to surpass Hollywood. Wong doubts Vulgaria's performance overseas.

"Those who do not understand Cantonese will not understand the movie, or at least be confused [by some parts]," he wrote.

Some questioned whether Pang had enough time to fully prepare for the film, as the shooting process was rushed.

Pang responded on his Sina Weibo that this was a rare chance for him to be free and crazy.

His company gave him only three weeks to prepare a 12-day shoot, but told him not to consider the fiscal return.

"If I did not accept, I would be insane," he posted.

In the interview with Big Boys Club, Pang said that despite Vulgaria's content, he does not advocate the use of vulgar language.

"Because [people use] foul language in daily life, I thought of how to present that reality," he said, adding that people will use expletives in conversation if they are among familiar friends.