容得下「雙星報喜」的胸襟

許氏兄弟的「雙星報喜」於1970年代在香港無線電視播出，當時我讀小學，每週必看「雙星報喜」，每集都笑到碌地！當年雖無正式收視統計，但「雙星報喜」的收視率肯定高居首位。除了生鬼詼諧的表情動作，許氏採用的橋段和意念亦非常前衛，反映香港市民的生活態度，譏諷普羅大眾的無知和醜態，同時也諷刺港英時代的管治文化。

其中令我印象深刻的一齣趣劇，講述一名劫匪入宅行劫的經過，家傭坐在沙發上「印印腳」，懶理主人被捆綁起來， 還繼續陰陰嘴笑著看電視。這樣的場面已經令觀眾捧腹大笑，傭人還協助賊人劫走主人的財物。主人非常憤怒，待賊人離開後，質問家傭為何不幫他對付劫匪，傭人回應：「我打你呢份工幾錢呀！老闆！唔通搵命搏咩！」這句話幽默地說明了勞資關係的永恆定律，老闆對伙計諸多要求，要做到「加零一」，但從伙計的角度看，值得嗎？

上世紀70至80年代，餛吞麵檔在香港非常流行。很多顧客習慣將筷子和湯匙拿到爐灶旁的熱水中「淥」一下，心理上覺得更衛生。這樣的自私行為在當年被視為理所當然。許氏以這個題材製作了一齣經典趣劇。劇中一位顧客嘗了一口麵後，覺得味道難以入口，於是和麵檔老闆理論。老闆卻回答道：「係咁咖啦！鬼叫你哋個個攞我啲上湯來洗筷子咩！」https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dtveOg4RSc

許氏也善於諷刺時弊，甚至嘲笑（側面投訴）政府的管治。印象最深刻的趣劇是關於一班酒樓伙計和老闆談判，要求提高工資，伙計的不合作態度，迤迤然在酒樓捉弄顧客，情節十分搞笑。老闆請了一位外籍人士來代表他跟一眾伙計談判。伙計們以各種理由要求工資上調 100，雞同鴨講，這位老外只說「So what! No! No!」直到伙計們說 50 也可接受，坐在旁邊的老闆點點頭，示意老外可以收工了。其後，伙計們問老闆，聘請外籍法律專家的費用也應該不菲，為何不乾脆多加他們的工資呢？老闆笑說：「唔係！乜嘢法律專家呀？個鬼佬喺巴西執波之嘛！」然後，老闆說要處理另一單更困難的勞資糾紛，他的工廠有幾百名工人在罷工，說請了一位更高級別的外籍顧問，伙計追問是什麼高級別顧問，老闆答說：「他是在英國掃街的！」許氏的橋段極有深度，直指港英的管治歧視和一般市民的「怕鬼」心態，隨便在英國找一個清道夫，來到香港也可以高高在上，雖有點兒誇張，某程度也確實反映了港英時代的現實。許氏的創作反映了當時極為自由的社會環境，港英政府亦從未作出干預，或向電視台施壓，要求停止播放一些嘲笑政府的內容。 反觀現在的香港，有了國安法後，恐怕已容不下「雙星報喜」了！https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMqbpJD3JIU

2023年4月27日

說毒舌真話的港產片

港產片「毒舌大狀」上畫短短8天，香港票房已收超過5千萬，幾乎可以肯定該片將破香港有史以來的票房紀錄。「毒舌大狀」的空前成功，除了借助賀歲檔期的優勢和子華神的個人魅力，以及一眾演員的超水準演出之外，令香港人難以抵擋的相信是劇中強大的感染力和極具時代性的對白。

從故事結構而言，可以簡單直接的形容為「審死官」的現代版，故事描述大狀林涼水（黃子華飾）如何良心發現，然後拼命為無辜的曾潔兒（王丹妮飾）辯護，最後為她沉冤得雪。橋段都不外乎是大狀巧破冤案，在法庭上以滔滔雄辯，教訓那些恃勢凌人的權貴，結局大快人心的標準公式。劇中的董大狀（黃敏德飾）為權貴服務，一臉鄙視的表情在法庭上諷刺林涼水：「Let me tell you my favourite quote, “We would like to believe we are all equal, but the truth is we are not, and we never will be.” The jury may not know about the law, but I thought you’ve been to law school, haven’t you, Mr. Lam?」，林涼水的機智回應「你黐到埋去人哋嗰度，你就覺得自己同人哋同一個 level 呀？ May I quote from your favourite quote? “You would like to believe you are their equals, but the truth is you are not, and never will be.”」令在場的觀眾拍案叫絕！在賀歲檔期上映，新年流流，大家看得開開心心，也許是票房收入可觀的原因之一。但在8天內破5千萬又豈僅是讓觀眾看得開心那麼簡單！

主控官金遠山（謝君豪飾）在庭上憤斥權貴浪費法庭時間，林涼水在結案陳詞中反問今天的法庭是否還代表正義和公道？ 看到這裡，不少港人不禁聯想起這兩年以來，多少人被起訴、被判刑，法庭代表的是真正的公義？還是維護當權者的利益？以前立法必須經過諮詢、辯論、磋商，有正反意見，現在被完善了的議會內只有紅色的五光十色！片中至震撼的莫過於林涼水的一句「everything is wrong 」，所謂公開的法庭竟然不見傳媒蹤影，要說的香港人「明就明」了！難怪這部港產片可以創出如此驕人成績！

2023年1月28日

HBO GO owes all Hong Kong subscribers an explanation

HBO GO owes all Hong Kong subscribers a formal notice for speeding up the playback rate of all movies and TV series. In response to my complaint, HBO GO's local operator (PCCW) acknowledged the distorted playback of all sources currently on HBO GO Hong Kong, and blamed the different video formats played in the Asian region, but did not seem to be willing to inform its subscribers that they have been paying to see distorted contents.

In a nutshell, HBO GO plays all contents faster in Hong Kong and with slightly but noticeably higher pitch when compared to the original sources. To find out what you are actually watching, just compare any episode of any TV series with corresponding parts in a trailer available on YouTube, and you will clearly notice everything (dialog, music, ...) is more rapidly played and sound is shifted up by roughly a semi-tone on HBO GO. You can imagine when a piece of music is played faster and at a higher pitch, it is not the same music intended by its composer! Likewise, a dialog said more rapidly does not convey the same impression the director has intended. But if your only source is HBO GO, you won't even know that you are being cheated!

So, Hong Kong subscribers are not getting the correct products that the content creators have carefully designed and produced for their viewers. At least, the subscribers should be told and be allowed to decide whether they wish to pay for distorted contents.

PCCW sent a friendly customer service to help me unsubscribe the service, but neither wanted to address the issue nor intended to inform its subscribers about this serious technical deficiency.

May 15, 2022

《麥路人》

不少香港人對露宿者的印象都不外乎是一群無依無靠和「窮到窿」的不幸人口， 沒深究他們背後的故事。如果你也是這樣想，「麥路人」這齣電影將改變你對露宿者的態度，更令你反思人生的無常， 以及人與人之間莫名其妙的關係。

劇中最早出場的年輕人，首先說明世上沒有不勞而獲， 不長進、不努力，就絕對不會有回報。這也許是大家廣為接受的真理，但反過來問，付出了努力就必能得到回報嗎？* 劇中的媽媽帶著女兒於麥記借宿，雖然已盡了一切努力，卻不獲半點回報，甚至厄運接二連三的降臨在她身上。所謂「種瓜得瓜」恐怕只是人們一廂情願以為好心必有好報的虛假邏輯，世事又豈能盡如人意！ 婆媳關係素以糾紛居多，何以媳婦自願替婆婆還債？稍有常識的導演都不應該犯如此低級錯誤，劇中展現媳婦對婆婆的反常無私奉獻顯然是導演刻意安排，令觀眾反思人際關係的多元性，不可一概而論。

郭富城的遭遇卻反映人生的無常，錯過了機會，抱憾終身，一直未能放下心中的包袱，到了生命盡頭仍未敢與母親相見。萬梓良拒絕接受妻子離去的事實，極端的内咎改變了他本來仍可快樂過活的人生軌跡，是郭富城的影子角色，兩人的命運同是被「心債」重重的壓著，無法解脫。郭富城喚醒了萬梓良，自己卻執迷不悟。而張達明這位最佳配角，在鏡頭下展現的潦倒和滄桑，卻說明世事無絕對這個道理，他面對絕境，走投無路，最後諷刺地在獄中如願以償，倒可算是兩餐溫飽。

楊千嬅在戲裡多次唱出梅艷芳的首本名曲「心債」的首段，「重重心中癡債，原是欠下你一世，無限無盡愛在我心底」。想到生命的反覆無常和生活的咄咄逼人，殘酷的現實不讓你付出的努力獲得報答，心裡湧起了莫名的感慨，為何「明明用盡了努力，明明事事都不計，為什麼萬般癡心，都等如枉費」！也許命運就是如此！

2020年9月30日

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*按邏輯學來說，「沒有A就沒有B」不等於「有A就有B」。

Dramatic Moment in "The Crown" Season 2

In the Netflix series The Crown season 2*, one whole episode is devoted to the true story of Lord Altrincham who helped the British monarchy survive by publishing his thoughts on Queen Elizabeth II and openly criticising her and her courtiers of being outdated and irrelevant. Sixty years have passed and the story represented one of the most dramatic moments that influenced the centuries old institution. The monarchy still survives, and the British majority seem to be proud of the coexistence of, and are well aware of the distinction between, the executive who actually administers the country and the Queen who serves only a titular role.

For audience here in Hong Kong, the most dramatic scene in the episode was probably when the Queen candidly arranged herself to meet with Lord Altrincham and to listen to his critical and relentless views against herself. Given it was 60 years ago, the Queen's status was supreme, and she had all the reasons (and power) to ignore any unlikable comments or even to mute them off completely! But the Queen eventually accepted all the "stops" and "starts" proposed by Lord Altrimcham, and created a whole new era in the history of the British monarchy. This story, well documented in the British news archive, demonstrated the magical power of the Queen's willingness to listen to comments, however critical and unwelcome, in winning the hearts of people. Moreover, most of us here would be tempted to compare what would happen to Lord Altrimcham if he were in China or Hong Kong now! Would he be loyal or stupid enough to publish his open comments against the nation's leader even if the comments were for the good of his nation? If he would, his only fate would be to spend the rest of his life behind bars. The reality is that no Lord Altrincham would ever exist in China, and neither would his journal or any media that don't dance to the leader's tune. The root cause, as we can clearly see, is the lack of an effective mutual control and an open accountable system that are necessary for a nation to advance in a world that increasingly shares the values of freedom and democracy.

July 31, 2020

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*The Crown Season 2 – Netflix