Film premiere: 6th Floor Rear Flat 2!

Tuesday night I headed out to Megabox in Kowloon Bay for the premiere of 6th Floor Rear Flat 2. The film is a sequel to the sleeper hit directed by Barbara Wong in 2003. What was the turnout like in far-away Kowloon Bay?

Heavy!

Arriving at Megabox there was a large crowd waiving signs and yelling to greet the stars of the film.

The movie features young actors and singers in all of the lead roles. The only major adult character is an elderly woman who plays the pivotal character of “Suzy,” a catalyst within the film.

Just entering the cinema I ran into nearly twenty different friends. I had no clue that the movie would be this much of a draw. Though the first film was well received, it takes A LOT for Hong Kong people to travel all the way to Kowloon Bay to watch a local movie, especially on a week night.

The movie’s cast definitely contributed to the attendance, and was likely calculated to effect the box office as well. The film includes a broad spectrum of talent from several different corners of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry. Local Canto-rap group FAMA occupied two of the main characters as did the duo I Love You Boyz.

The story-line centers around a group of teens who share an apartment and a scheme to earn money together.

Director Barbara Wong is to be credited with piecing together such a wide spectrum of talent and making it work. The performances were natural and the movie was cast well. Rumor has it that some roles were filled directly from Alive Not Dead, which, among other things, provides networking opportunities for the entertainment industry.

The movie was made with local audiences particularly in mind. The dialog featured many play-on-word gags in Cantonese, and some of the subject matter, particularly the scatological humor was very Hong Kong!

It was refreshing to see a film with a little compassion, especially one geared towards a young audience. The drama worked without being over done. After the film a friend of mine told me that she cried! Another commented how much she loved the character of the feisty old lady.

Leaving Megabox I headed out to the after-party at Beijing Club in Central. M.C. Goldmountain, who made an appearance in the film, (and also got on stage with Wyclef the night before!) got the crowd moving with his own freestyles and raps over popular Hip-Pop instrumentals.

The film was shot mostly in Hong Kong’s Soho neighborhood. The actual flat is located at 65-65A Peel Street at the intersection with Elgin Street. Several months ago I happened to walk by while they were filming on the rooftop at night. The whole neighborhood was lit up!