By Lee Shu Hui

LIANG PO PO ESCAPES FROM
OLD FOLKS' HOME

CHANNEL 8'S FUNNY DAME MAKES A COMEBACK IN A MOVIE STARRING JACK NEO AND PRODUCED BY ERIC KHOO AND RAINTREE PICTURES

SHE is back.

Channel 8's well-loved 85-year-old grandmother character brought to life by Singapore's funnyman Jack Neo is making a comeback.

But this time, the old dame who had charmed television viewers with her trade mark "ooh-ooh-ooh" will make her reappearance on the big screen.

Liang Po Po-The Movie will be the first homegrown film to be released simultaneously at cinemas in Singapore, Malaysia and Hongkong around next February during the Chinese New Year period.

It is the maiden movie of Raintree Pictures, a subsidiary of Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS).

Jointly produced by Raintree Pictures and local movie- maker Eric Khoo's Zhao Wei Films, the $800,000 comedy will be directed by TCS Production 8 producer Teng Bee Lian.

It will be in Mandarin with English, Malay and different Chinese dialects sprinkled throughout the dialogue. Shooting is expected to start next month.

Neo will reprise the leading role. He is also one of the three executive producers, the other two being Eric Khoo and Mr Daniel Yun, and will be penning the script with input from the other two.

At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon at the Regent Hotel to elaborate on the script, Mr Yun, Raintree Picture's chief executive officer, described the Liang Po Po character as the " Mr Bean of the East".

He said he hoped that the comic character can "travel beyond Singapore's shores and serve as a showcase of local talents".

Neo will be joined by his sidekicks from Channel 8's Comedy Tonight programme, where Liang Po Po character first appeared.

Comic duo Henry Thia, 46, and Mark Lee, 30, will play a pair of brothers while Patricia Mok, 26, will take on her " favourite" role as an Ah Lian.

John Cheng Yeow Lam, 37, who left a deep impression on movie-goers as the loan-shark in Neo's recent movie Money No Enough, will once again act as the baddie. This time, the head of a triad.

Regional artistes will also be casting in supporting roles but their names have not been finalised.

The movie will revolve around the exploits of Liang Po Po as she unwittingly falls victim to Lam's triad.

Elaborating, Neo, 38, said: " Liang Po Po thinks she is getting old. Hoping to do her bit for the society while she is still able to, she escapes from an old folks' home. She then goes around to make friends and do good. But in the end, her kindness is being made used of."

Khoo, who directed the gloomily-themed films 12 Storeys and Mee Pok Man, dismissed suggestions that he would be uncomfortable with comedy.

"I'm quite an ardent fan of comedy. But I know my limitations at directing them. That's why I'm only the executive producer this time. I just want to have a good time watching Jack act," he said.

"I was reading the script the other day and I almost had an asthma attack. The jokes were so hilarious, I kept wheezing."

Neo was quick to point out that Liang Po Po-The Movie would be different from the TV version.

Although the film will milk laughs through slapstick antics and wisecracks, more effort would be devoted to developing the characters.

As he put it: " You would get to see the downsides of Liang Po Po as well. Her spirit will shine through. " The character has a soul in the movie."

But he revealed that he had some work to do before he could start playing the character.

"I have put on weight lately," he said, pointing to his chubby cheeks." And because Liang Po Po is supposed to have a thin and pointed face, and not a round fleshy one like mine now, I will have to go on a diet. I will probably have to shed 5 to 7 kg."

Caption 1: Making reappearance as Liang Po Po will be Jack Neo (right) with producer Eric Khoo. Caption 2: The lovable old dame will be making her debut in a movie.