KK lives in Hong Kong, who loves music, homes & architectures, movie trailers and all things . My life in this city project a lot of things - it's all about the taxis, the billboards, the sidewalks, the cinemas, the zebra lines, the lights, the cars, the sounds, the people, the skyscrapers and the shopping malls. more »

12 Nov

Hong Kong turned Gotham City

The other day while having our quarterly meeting at the 30th floor of our office building, I saw this huge plane flying into Victoria Harbour and I said, “Oh look, there’s a big plane coming over us, OMG”. Everybody was shocked and a bit panicky, they thought I was only joking. But when they turned their heads, the plane was gone. In few seconds, it came out again. “Look, it’s true, there’s a big plane flying over the harbour”, said one of the girls. We all got hysterical wondering what was really going on?

We all assumed it was just an aircraft drill or something so we ignored it and continued with the meeting. Few minutes later, the plane appeared once again and this time, all of us ran towards the window, crashed our face into the thick window glass to see what was happening. The aircraft was flying low, too close as if it was coming towards us. We hadn’t got a clue whatsoever until the plane had flown away and disappeared in the aerie. It was weird.

Early yesterday night, I found a letter in my bulky mailbox stating that there’s an aerial filming of “Batman – The Dark Knight” around Hong Kong, to introduce Hong Kong and feature the spectacular view of the city skyline.

According to the letter, it was also advised that all residents needs to turn on all the lights between 7pm to 11pm during the filming five times during the day and dusk”. “The Dark Knight” starring Christian Bale as the Batman, will feature mostly the buildings that illuminates the city’s tall skyscrapers in the harbour. The movie’s producers has warned all residents living along the waterfront that a helicopter and transport plane would be swooping down low during the filming. Sound level is similar to the buses running on road more obviously outside the peak traffic hours and night time.

So it’s true, Batman welcomed on his first journey to Hong Kong. How spectacular. Sources said, that Christian Bale, the actor in the movie, was scripted to jump out of the back of a plane and into the harbour water and then climbing up some bamboo, or something similar, onto a pier. I assumed it was the same plane we saw earlier at the 30th floor during our meeting. And it actually was. But where did Batman go? I didn’t see he was ‘flying’ with the black batsuit on out there? Did he jumped or what?

Batman - The Dark Knight
The shooting on the top of Hong Kong’s tallest building later Friday must be quite a good experience, “Batman” Christian Bale said at a packed press conference with over 100 local and overseas journalists Friday morning. – Source: China View.

Considering Hong Kong is known to many as the City of Lights and not that I live near the waterfront, turning the lights on for a week during the filming for about five hours everyday is not so environmental friendly. I wonder why there were people affected and not happy with the filming of the new movie in the city.

”We welcome the filming of Batman in Hong Kong, but why do we need to keep the lights on to make the backdrop? It seems like film-making is coming before environmental protection,” Gabrielle Ho, a project manager at conservation group Green Sense, told The Associated Press.

Back on the street early Friday morning at Central District in Mid-Levels, hundreds of movie fans and passers-by flocked around the Asia’s longest escalator in Cochraine Street at 10:30am to watch the filming and take pictures of Morgan Freeman and Hong Kong Actor Edison Chen. It created chaos to the city’s lunch-hour period.

But despite of, some people think that the filming of Batman movie will give Hong Kong the impression that this is afterall, a World Class city.

“The Dark Knight” is the latest of a long line of foreign movies that have chosen Hong Kong’s unique cityscape as a location, including “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” (2007), “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (2005), “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” (2003), James Bond movie “Die Another Day” ( 2002) and “Rush Hour” (2001).

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22 Comments

  1. 1 11/12/2007 at 6:10 pm
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    wow batman in hongkong! iwonder what will this movie’s storyline now that the dark knight is out of gotham.

    iRonnie’s last blog post…. Something To Be Thankful For

  2. 2 11/12/2007 at 6:28 pm
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    k, the next time the plane swoops in, try to catch the camera as it pans, tapos wave. so that when the movie comes out, we can all see you and there’ll be a trivia about the movie saying,

    “did you know that in the movie, ‘batman the dark knight’, there was a crazy man waving at the camera as it panned wide capturing the tall HK buildings…”

    hehehe

  3. 3 11/13/2007 at 9:43 am
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    any kind of aircraft flying unusually low is scary…

    but that is so cool that “Batman” is being shot in HK. are you an extra?

  4. 4 11/13/2007 at 2:34 pm
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    Ron, the Wiki got the answers for you. I only care about the new batsuit design and the sophisticated technology the bicycle (batcycle) for this new movie. Besides, the casts are BIG, a new version of a “Joker” played by Heath Ledger is something people should see. I like real actors portraying villains in a comic-inspired movie like this. Think, Danny deVito.

  5. 5 11/13/2007 at 2:43 pm
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    Ris, actually locals love comic-inspired movies. There were about a hundreds of extras joined last friday. It’s been the talk of the town but no one really really think it’s a BIG thing.

    “Environmentalists criticized the filmmakers’ request to tenants of the waterfront skyscrapers to keep their lights on all night for beautiful cinematography, calling it a waste of energy.” I just cringe at this stupidity sometimes. Cmon everynight there’s a show here called “Symphony of Lights” at the harbour so I think that’s wasteful. Did you know sa Disneyland, they also banned the nightly “Fireworks” show where all the characters gathered around Cinderella’s Castle because it was expensive and not very environmental? Kids were disappointed.

    Honestly, di pa ako nakakita ng “shooting” up close and personal with the Hollywood actors.

  6. 6 11/13/2007 at 2:48 pm
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    Rho, it’s the c130 Hercules aircraft used in the Military, so it was BIG and scary. If you’re out there watching a big kite flying around skyscrapers, you can’t seem to think about the horrible attacks on 9/11. So bizarre.

    Even Jackie Chan didn’t get the “extra” part, sad to say. :)

  7. 7 11/14/2007 at 12:48 am
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    impressive! andito sa amin si celine dion, while gurgling e kinanta nya ang isang famous song nya, ahahah. she’s a real sport!

    kengkay’s last blog post..Good News at Bad News

  8. 8 11/14/2007 at 5:24 am
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    Oh my Gulay! Christian Bale was there??!!!!

    My friends wants to get married to him! hahahahha. such a hottie.

    ang cool naman! Batman was being filmed over there! did you try to take photos?

    duke’s last blog post..PPP

  9. 9
    masel
    11/14/2007 at 6:36 am
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    oh i want to see hong kong again kahit sa movie lang. it reminds me of the good old days…hey btw, can you send me your address through my yahoo email? i plan to send a christmas card [not balikbayan box, if i win the lotto maybe..]

  10. 10 11/14/2007 at 12:23 pm
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    And then…… me sings: “Near, far, wherever you are… I believe that…..”. Hahaha.

  11. 11 11/14/2007 at 12:26 pm
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    No Duke, I’m a hypocrite so kunyari sabi ko, “paki ko kung may Batman?” Pero on a second thought, I was sort of excited naman knowing they shoot in HK, parang “huy alam mo ba, nag shooting ang Batman dito pero di ko nakita, galing diba?”.

    I saw a PLANE! NO, A BIRD! IT’s A PLANE! And whatever, so I think that’s good enough.

  12. 12 11/14/2007 at 12:31 pm
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    Masel, sawa na ako sa Xmas card. Perahin mo na lang, hahaha. Salamat my dear, email ko na lang. Teka, I want a Xmas card na may personalized “music” pag binuksan. Seriously. Also, maglakip ka naman ng Autumn Leaves.

    Salamat Ate.

  13. 13 11/14/2007 at 3:37 pm
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    K, I would have run away from the window if I see a plane or whatever flying towards where I am…kakaiba kayo ng tapang ha ha!

    I want to see Morgan Freeman! one of my fav actors.

  14. 14 11/14/2007 at 4:03 pm
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    What a hassle! but this is good for HK tourism!keylan kaya may mag shot na ganyan kalaking project sa atin?

    cheh’s last blog post..Steinheim Castle

  15. 15 11/15/2007 at 8:17 am
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    Wow K that is so neat, I’ll make sure to see this movie, would be scary to witness the airplanes flying low, and not knowing what was going on.

    Ginger’s last blog post..What Is Your Favorite Desert?

  16. 16 11/15/2007 at 1:28 pm
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    At least Batman (or who is playing his role, for that matter) won’t need a breath mask. Because he already has one! :P Strange, I thought they would shoot for the film in America, as per usual.

    Virgilius Sade’s last blog post..End of Days: REINCARNATION CYCLE

  17. 17 11/17/2007 at 3:10 am
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    i can’t blame them for shooting in HK. the skyline there is so spectacular! :)

    Meeya’s last blog post..Hick Kicks and Scripps

  18. 18 11/17/2007 at 3:41 pm
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    Batman in HK, that’s cool! Did you see the Batwing?

    range’s last blog post..Strange African Fruit

  19. 19 11/18/2007 at 7:24 pm
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    Range, there’s so much going around here and it’s sad to think that I’d spent blogging more than enjoying life “outside”. I’ve seen that huge plane flying around the harbour – looks surreal!

  20. 20 11/18/2007 at 7:27 pm
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    Thess, what if, rigth? I’m sure we’re all dead the minute it’d hit us. Buti na lang shooting yun.

  21. 21 11/18/2007 at 7:34 pm
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    Cheh, stiffed nga yung pagka “welcome” but it went well except for the last minute change of scenes where Batman was asked to jump off the plane. Do you know that the name Hong Kong was taken from the word “Fragant Harbour”? It was embarassing indeed to find out that the harbour itself is polluted. Kaya di na lang tumalon si Christian Bale (natakot si Batman sa contaminated water).

  22. 22 11/18/2007 at 7:40 pm
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    Ginger, I heard that it’s going to be another blockbuster.

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