Monster of the Day #1446

Gamera977

‘Yeah, the network guys told us to wear this silly glasses while they filmed the episode in 3D. They said it something they called ‘virtual reality.’ I call it a bunch of silly yuppies with too much time on their hands’

Gamera977

Um way off topic here but I watched the three Chris Lee Fu Manchu movies TCM ran last night. Seemed odd to me that in the first one, ‘Face of Fu Manchu’ I think all the major male Chinese characters were played by white actors in make-up. But the major female Chinese characters were all played by Asian actresses.

Then the later movies did have Asian actors in all the Chinese roles other than Lee as Fu. Which I can understand having a big name actor as the star. Still would have been cool to seen him played by someone like James Hong.

bgbear_rnh

I wonder if the seem more menacing, monstrous, psychopathic played by someone less Asian like Lee. I recall that Dr. No seemed creepier by not looking “right”.

Rock Baker

Looks like Howard Morris and Carl Reiner doing a skit some 20 years after Cid’s show.

Eric Hinkle

I watched the first two then had to hit the sack. They were great movies, though I could have done without Manciewicz/whatever his name is doing the whole apology before each one because these movies weren’t *gasp* Politically Correct. Is there really anyone who might not understand that 50 year old Fu Manchu movies might have some dodgy stuff by modern standards?

Feels even odder given that they normally run films from the B&W era that use other stereotypes in even nastier fashion and no one drops to their knees and begs forgiveness for showing them.

bgbear_rnh

I think you may be onto something regarding color being the difference. Something that belongs to the “modern world”. It is also possible the owners of the films are a little embarrassed and asked for the “Whoopi apology”.

Gamera977

In the novel No was half-Chinese. I don’t remember if he was in the movie or not. But you’re right, the guy in the make-up did hit some sort of ‘uncanny valley’ there.
After watching it recently I was a little surprised to find out that Miss Taro was supposed to be Chinese as well. Played by a Zena Marshall her Chinese make-up was so bad I always thought she was supposed to be white despite dressing and living in a Asian themed style. After being taken prisoner by No Bond and Honeychild end up being showed around their quarters by an attractive Asian lady, I think she’s Sister Lilly as listed in the IMDB, I don’t feel like dragging the movie out to double check. I had to wonder why they didn’t just cast her as Miss Taro.

Gamera977

BTW to elaborate it just seemed odd to see the lovely Tsai Chin as Fu’s daughter Lin Tang surrounded by a bunch of white guys in ‘Asian’ make-up!

Gamera977

I usually hit mute when Makowitz (sp?) hits the screen. Yeah the whole ‘warning’ was… well what the hell???

BTW you didn’t miss much Eric, ‘Vengeance’ was pretty dull. To misquote a Sicilian/Klingon proverb-‘Revenge is a dish best served half-assed…’

Eric Hinkle

The “Whoopi apology”?

Eric Hinkle

It reminds me of way too many people who read ‘old’ SF or fantasy (as in, was written before ‘Harry Potter’) will go into connipitions over attitudes that were taken for granted at the time of writing. Regardless of whether or not the author even approved of them.

It’s not always the stuff you normally expect people to get enraged over either. I believe I read how the Baen editors will edit out references to smoking in books from the 60’s and earlier.

Ken_Begg

She appears on the Warner Bros cartoon DVD sets lecturing people to make sure that they feel bad when watching old cartoons from the ’40s.

Gamera977

Oh, for crying out loud…. If you’re going to do it have a professor of black history. But Whoopi friggin’ Goldberg? The only group she represents are tiresome, dull, unfunny, comedians.

And editing out references to smoking Eric? Ack, Baen is about the only SF publishing house I buy from reguarly anymore. Another reason I don’t like E-books, I’m not crazy about the idea that anyone can alter my books after I’ve bought them.

Eric Hinkle

Every time I see her or get stuck listening to her I feel bad. Was she ever entertaining?

BTW, Mister Begg, somewhat related to ‘rewriting past literature’, a friend of mine recently attended a panel on cosmic horror at a DC area con where it was stated by some panel members that Lovecraft needs to be ‘re-written’ to highlight the ‘obvious’ feminist aspects of his work.

Yes, they were serious.

Eric Hinkle

BTW, Gamera977, somewhat related to ‘rewriting past literature’, a friend of mine recently attended a panel on cosmic horror at a DC area con where it was stated by some panel members that Lovecraft needs to be
‘re-written’ to highlight the ‘obvious’ feminist aspects of his work.

Yes, they were serious.

bgbear_rnh

Raymond Chandler wrote some not to nice descriptions Blacks, Asians, and homosexuals in his novels, but if you read between the lines you get the feeling he was actually sympathetic.

Gamera977

Read an article back in the ’80s where a woman insisted that Mr. Spock represented feminist ideals. I don’t get any of it either.

zombiewhacker

Whoopi Goldberg… the same woman who convinced her then-boyfriend Ted Danson to dress up in black face and perform a racist stand-up routine which SHE wrote?

I’ll keep my Speedy Gonzales just the way he is, thank you very much.

zombiewhacker

Tsai Chin — what a wasted talent. Can you believe that in the Casino Royale remake with Craig she didn’t get a single line of dialogue?

Eric Hinkle

I made a mistake — these people I mentioned want to re-write HPL to make it ‘properly feminist’. In that case, what’s to stop anyone from re-writing any classic literature to insert the “correct” values into it?

Flangepart

E-yeah…wonder how they’d like it if someone ‘re-retroed’ some of their work to ADD smoking, sexism and Non-liberal thinking?

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