哈哈哈 新年喜戲 (Hahaha Happy New Year) movie premiere on 19th January 2025 - Philip Keung 姜皓文, Sam Lee 李璨琛, Vincent Lam 林盛斌 , Bom Lam 林伟 and Anna Kam

Barely a few hours after attending “OMG! Mom’s Big News”, I’m back at the same venue again!  With the back-to-back marketing campaigns for several Malaysian CNY movies, it’s been a busy week before bidding farewell to the Dragon and welcoming the slithery zodiac, Snake.  It’s no surprise that “pseudo Penangite”, Philip Keung, has also jumped into the foray of producing his own CNY feature film.  Philip does have special connections to Malaysia since his grandmother is a Malaysian Chinese.  Helmed by homeboy, Goh Pei Chiek, this is the first time Philip doubles as the producer (in addition to being the main actor). Oh ! Before I forget, Philip also sings the theme song, too ! Back in Malaysia after a 10 year absence, lead actress, Jessica Hsuan is here again to shoot the heartwarming lunar comedy-cum-thriller.  The cast is made up of many Hong Kong artistes, namely,  Dada Chan, Vincent Lam Wai, Bob Lam and Sam Lee. Too bad Jessica is unable to participate in the press junket and promotional tour.  The original screenplay/story is from none other than Philip’s spouse, Anna Kam.  During the premiere, Anna assures the audience that they will definitely be astonished by the finale plot twist. Vincent acts as the baddie and Sam Lee is the detective investigating the crime.  As for Bob, his role is pretty unique as it is based on a real life Chay Koay Teow seller in Tanjung Tokong Penang, known as Ah Soon.  FYI - Philip is a regular customer at Ah Soon’s Char Koay Teow stall, evident in his social media posts over the years.  With the movie being Anna’s brainchild, it is not surprising that she has added some real life local elements to the plot.  Bob is no stranger to Malaysia either, having shot “Good Wealth 2020”.  A few lucky fans were invited to play games (folding paper planes) with the casts. Bob added spark to the event with his witty and sharp responses. Philip also performed the title track (lyrics are quite cheesy…haha) during the event, while the other celebrities handed free goodies to the excited/unruly crowd.  Husband and wife team is clearly goes all out this time, urging fans to actively share this movie in social media.  Nationwide release is on the first day of the Lunar New Year  (29^th January) and interestingly, it will be shown in Hong Kong cinemas as well. 

OMG! Mom"s Big News (OMG 阿妈有喜) movie premiere and promotion (19th January 2025)- Anita Yuen 袁咏仪 and Chan ...

The battle for the local CNY movies box office throne is definitely picking up momentum, with non-stop roadshows and movie premieres throughout Malaysia with local and HK celebrities appearances. Most of the lunar themed movies will hit the theaters on 29^th January (first day of CNY).  I think Malaysia produces the most CNY flicks (churning out even more CNY productions that Hong Kong) in Asia.  CNY songs is another big trend , especially now that every Tom, Dick and Harry influencers/youtubers want a slice of the lucrative pie. 

 “OMG! Mom’s Big News” leading man is popular 988’s veteran deejay, Chan Fung, who also serves as the executive producer.  The other main draw is Anita Yuen. I bet a huge chunk of the movie’s budget is being allocated to Anita’s remuneration. I’m sure an actress of her caliber commands a hefty paycheck. In fact, I am quite impressed that they managed to “lure” Anita to shoot a movie in Malaysia (which happens to be Anita’s maiden local production). A check in Wikipedia shows that her last movie was back in 2019.  Of late, she is active in Mainland’s variety programs and commercials.  So, it’s good to see her gracing the silver screen again after a long hiatus.  Other cast includes local talents such as singer,  Juztin Lan, Miko Wong and Tong Bing Yu (also one of the producers). The movie is directed by former actor, Ernest Chong (no wonder he looks familiar).  The movie was set in motion when Chan Fong and Ernest were casually chatting about this topic one day and had a eureka moment about turning it into a movie.  Ex-Mediacorp star, Tong Bing Yu (who has recently established her own production company) suggested to cast Anita Yuen as the protagonist.   

 Filming commenced last July.  Anita had a blast trying local food, like durian, asam laksa and  bak kut teh. Anita mentioned she is drawn to the script and poignant storyline, which resonates with her age and life experience.  The plot is about an ageing couple on the verge of retirement, caught in a limbo after finding out the 53-year-old wife is suddenly pregnant. The film delves into the challenges and rollercoaster emotions faced by the family members when dealing with the unexpected pregnancy. It also touched on the humorous, moving and heart wrenching moments, while preparing for the baby’s arrival. Juztin and Miko play the role of Anita and Chan Fung’s grown offsprings, while Tong took on the character as Chan Fung’s sister. As expected, Juztin was tasked with singing the theme song and performed the track 最佳一伙 during the meet and greet event.

Anita further divulged that it was certainly a pleasant experience and is happy to be a part of the crew.  Certain scenes actually reminded her of her own pregnancy 18 years ago. Anita gets all sappy when she admitted she wasn’t a very filial daughter during her younger days but her mom still provided unwavering care, concern and love. She only comprehends her mom’s sacrifices after entering motherhood and is regretful for not being more understanding then. Anita was also worried about Miko’s command of the Cantonese dialect but was full of praises when Miko came fully prepared when reciting her Cantonese dialogue. Miko even outweighs Justin in this aspect, who specializes in Canto songs.  The massive adulation showered upon Anita in Penang is a testament of her popularity at our shores. Out of all the 2025 local CNY productions, I find “OMG”’s narrative more appealing.  Then again, knowing Malaysians’ preference for nonsensical 38 ( yes, “38” and not “mo lei tau”) humour, I think “Money Games” stands a good chance of hitting the jackpot.