SHANGHAI – A restaurant in Putuo District has been closed after more than 30 people involved in shooting an epic Chinese movie had to be treated for injuries after a food fight turned violent.

Jet Li and Jackie Chan are just two of many major stars who will feature in “Jian Guo Da Ye”, a film celebrating the upcoming 60th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Neither is believed to have been on set when the food fight incident occurred.

A Metro Police spokesperson said it had shut the restaurant at 1510 Meichuan Road after 30 staff and extras on the movie had suffered injuries. The film production company will be held responsible for footing the cleaning bill that included the cost of scraping mashed dumplings off the ceiling.

The food fight left ceiling tiles damaged and could cost the company as much as RMB 7,000 to pay for overtime, maintenance and repairs, said Ji Meirong, the restaurant’s owner

“It wasn’t just one or two guys spitting melon seeds,” Ji said. “There were mashed dumplings  sticking to the ceiling.”

Security cameras captured the fracas that broke out about halfway through the one-hour lunch  break Wednesday at the restaurant.

The film company suspended between six and 20 actors, extras and crew members for two or three days for launching the day’s menu of spicy chicken feet, pork dumplings and braised noodles into the air.

As many as 50 persons might have been involved. The film’s producer, Zhu Lizhi said at least two crew members will be fired.

Cleaning costs will be taken from the crew’s extracurricular activity fund.

The restaurant, which specializes in Sichuan cuisine, is said to be considering similar measures.

“We’ll impose punishment after the investigation is complete,” said the owner, who wished to remain anonymous, adding that the fight was likely just a case of heightened emotions. “After all, this film is all about celebrating.”

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HONG KONG – Recent comments from action star Jackie Chan that he’s not sure if a free society is a good thing for China and that he’s starting to think “we Chinese need to be controlled,” have inspired several action movie veterans to publicly denounce perceived societal deficiencies.

“I’m not sure if it’s good to have freedom or not,” Chan said. “I’m really confused now. If you’re too free, you’re like the way Hong Kong is now. It’s very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic.”

Chan added: “I’m gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we’re not being controlled, we’ll just do what we want.”

Speaking at the AFCEA Homeland Security Conference at the Ronald Regan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Sunday, actor Steven Seagal took up Chan’s theme. “The American Mafia has spiraled out of control,” he said. “The mob is involved in every aspect of filmmaking. In Hollywood there is widespread complicity with organized crime. The FBI is also involved. We need more help from trustworthy organizations in Washington like Homeland Security.”

Last year, after six years of legal sniping, Seagal and his former business partner, Julius R. Nasso, ended bitter court battle that had spawned allegations of contract breach and Mafia extortion. Seagal also believes false allegations by FBI agents in 2002 ruined his career.

Meanwhile, Jean-Claude Van Damme weighed in on Thailand at a press conference in Bangkok promoting his latest movie, The Eagle Path. When a young female reporter asked his opinion on the recent protests, he said, “First it was red shirts, then yellow shirts. What’s next? No shirts? Hey, you Thais are completely out of control. Would you like to see my naked butt?”

Chuck Norris, 69, also entered the public arena. At a rally in Dallas, he announced his candidacy for the presidency of Texas and called for the state’s succession from the Union. “ Norris said, “If this country starts to spiral out of control and Mexico melts down or whatever, if it really starts to spiral out of control, before America allows a country to become a totalitarian country, Americans won’t stand for it. There will be parts of the country that will rise up.”

Norris’ comments drew applause from a predominantly hard-ass audience of business leaders in the southern state.

A spokesperson for Jackie Chan defended the celebrities right to their opinions. “These guys are macho,” she said, “talk can’t take the place of action, but they’re getting old. After all the fights they’ve been in it’s amazing they can lift a fork.”

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BEIJING — CHINA’S broadcast watchdog has banned Websites from showing popular unlicensed U.S TV shows as part of its efforts to tighten control over online audio and video content, most of which breaches the rights of copyright holders. They must be replaced by less popular unlicensed shows from list approved by the government.

The new policy, published on the Website of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television on Monday, puts an end to Netizens freely uploading, viewing and sharing the best television shows on domestic video-sharing Websites such as Tudou.com and Youku.com.

According to the policy, unlicensed television dramas, sitcoms, and mini-series are now banned from domestic Websites unless they are on the list.

Most of the popular TV dramas from the United States are unlicensed, according to an employee, surnamed Peng, from Openend.com, one of China’s biggest online television Web portals.

She said only qualified companies or TV stations entitled to distribute TV shows could obtain a license to do so. Websites will not be granted licenses except for 10 authorized programs, she said.

Most of the American dramas online were uploaded by Netizens and never authorized.

Domestic video sharing Websites have become a shortcut for local audiences to access the popular drama shows, such as “Prison Break,” at almost the same time as viewers in the US.

Yang Beiliu, chief executive officer of Tudou.com, said any video clips involved in copyright disputes would be removed from Tudou.com immediately and replaced with titles from the
authorized list that includes:

1. Woops! (1992) starring Fred Applegate (Jack Connors), Lane Davies (Curtis Thorpe), Cleavant Derricks (Dr. Frederick Ross), Meagen Fay (Alice McConnell), Marita Geraghty (Suzanne Skillman), Evan Handler (Mark Braddock) and David Lascher (Kiefer). Kids accidentally set off a nuclear missile and the Russians counterattack results in the world population reduced to six people left to live on a farm: the narrator, an ex-school teacher, a feminist, a stock broker, a homeless person and a pathologist.

2. Webster (1983-1989) starring Emmanuel Lewis (Webster Long), Alex Karras (George Papadapolis) and Susan Clark (Katherine Calder). A post-retirement football player and his wife have their lives shaken up when they take in the orphaned son of a former teammate.

3. Babes (1990 – 1991) starring Wendie Jo Sperber (Charlene Gilbert), Susan Peretz (Darlene Gilbert) and Lesley Boone (Marlene Gilbert). Babes revolved around three overweight sisters, – who all lived together in a tiny New York City apartment – and their relationships and careers.

4. The Ropers (1979-1980) starring Norman Fell (Stanley Roper), Audra Lindley (Helen Roper), Jeffrey Tambor (Jeffrey P. Brookes III), Patty McCormack (Anne Brookes) and Evan Cohen (David Brookes). Three’s Company landlords Stanley and Helen Roper leave the apartment complex and move into a new one.

5. Small Wonder (1985-1989) starring Dick Christie (Ted Lawson), Marla Pennington (Joan Lawson), Jerry Supiran (Jamie Lawson), Emily Schulman (Harriet Brindle) and Tiffany Brissette (Vicki the Robot). Dad creates a robot, Vicki, but the family keeps it secret from the rest of the world (including nosy neighbors), pretending she is really part of the family.

6. Perfect Strangers (1986-1993) starring Bronson Pinchot (Balki Bartokomous), Mark Linn-Baker (Larry Appleton), Melanie Wilson (Jennifer Lyons), Rebeca Arthur (Mary Anne Spencer) and Belita Moreno (Lydia Markham). Balki Bartokomous, a sheepherder from small Mediterranean island Mypos, moves in with his American cousin.

7. Homeboys in Outer Space (1996-1997) starring Flex Alexander (Tyberius Walker), Darryl M. Bell (Morris Clay), Rhona Bennett (Loquatia), Kevin Michael Richardson (Vashti) and Paulette Braxton (Amma). Button-down type Morris Clay and fun-loving type Tyberius Walker fly about in a winged car starship called the Space Hoopty. The on-board computer, Loquatia, has a crush on Morris. The homeboys travel on adventures that include Ty’s brother-in-law Vashti and bounty hunter Amma.

8. Shasta McNasty (1999-2000) starring Carmine Giovinazzo (Scott), Jake Busey (Dennis) and Dale Godboldo (Randy). The show follows three slackers – Scott, Dennis and Randy – and their band Shasta.

9. George (1993) starring LaCrystal Cooke (Vanessa), George Foreman (George Foster), Pablo Irlando (Mauricio Butler), Tony T. Johnson (‘Bubba’ Foster) and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Maggie Foster). About an ex-boxer who works with troubled kids.

10. Cavemen (2007-2008) starring Bill English (Joel), Nick Kroll (Nick), Sam Huntington (Andy) and Kaitlin Doubleday (Kate). Inspired by a Geico insurance ad campaign, the sitcom follows cavemen Joel, Nick and Andy in their experiences with modern day life and how they fit in as Neanderthals.

Tudou encourages original video clips, Yang added.

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HONG KONG – The 85-year-old mother of late Canto-pop diva Anita Mui has been stopped from taking HKD 800,000 (USD 102,000) from her daughter’s estate to finance an adventure trip.

This Thursday Tam Mei-kam told judge Andrew Cheung she felt bored and stressed from last year’s unsuccessful attempt to gain control of her late daughter’s estate and needed to take along nurses, maids and family on the trip to Belize.

The trip was to include scuba diving, sea kayaking, rafting, saltwater fishing, whitewater kayaking, windsurfing, caving and surfing.

“I keep staring at the ceiling and daydreaming about Belize,” said Tam. “I’ve been in training for a month. I would have had the time of my life. The people, the sights, and the physical intensity would have made for a phenomenal vacation. It will be some time before I recover from this setback.”

Rejecting her application, Cheung said Tam’s demand was unreasonable and advised her to save money from the 120,000-Hong-Kong-dollar monthly maintenance she already received from the estate.

Valued at about 100 million Hong Kong dollars, Mui’s estate included 3.9 million Hong Kong dollars in cash which is used to pay her mother’s monthly allowance.

Last year, Tam waged an unsuccessful bid to gain control of Mui’s entire fortune after a judge upheld a will Mui signed shortly before she died of cervical cancer in December 2003 at the age of 40.

Fearing that if she left the estate to her mother it would be squandered, Mui left the bulk of it in a trust.

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HONG KONG – A steady stream of indistinguishable, uniformly beautiful actresses brought excitement and joy to millions of Hong Kong Chinese Sunday by donning similarly glamorous dresses that hugged their identical figures and marching past television cameras at consistent intervals. CSM Media Research ratings revealed more than half the country was transfixed by the procession of straight hair, white teeth, and vapid over-the-shoulder glances by each of the 100 percent transposable starlets. “It’s amazing to be here,” said any one of the striking females to an army of perky, unmemorable entertainment reporters. “Thank you! I can barely breathe in it. You look beautiful, too. I love your earrings.” At the conclusion of the hour-long parade, the homogeneous beauties were handed gold statuettes to honor their near-exact roles in impossible-to-tell-apart motion pictures.

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