- Amy Johnston stars in the new action film Lady Bloodfight, which was filmed in Hong Kong and Macau. She portrays a female martial arts expert embroiled in a winner-takes-all tournament. - Johnston avoided the casinos of Macau to visit the historic Lou Kau Mansion, preserved from the 1880s. The mansion's East-West style is a metaphor for Johnston's culturally diverse role. - Lady Bloodfight features martial artists from around the world and was filmed using new camera technologies. It could be Johnston's breakout role, having come a long way from her hometown of 20,000 people in Gillette, Wyoming.

1. k
Lady
Photography EARL WAN
Shot on location at the Lou Kau
Mansion, Macau
With new action movie
Lady Bloodfight, actress
Amy Johnston has a
thrilling lead role under
her black belt, writes
Scott Murphy
黑帶格鬥高手Amy
Johnston在全新動作片
《Lady Bloodfight》中
領銜演出，大顯矯捷身
手。Scott Murphy報導。

2. my johnston
didn’t get to visit Macau as much as she would have
liked while filming Lady Bloodfight in Hong Kong,
even though the petite, blonde, blue-eyed actress
had heard much about the city while working in Los
Angeles. “People told me that it was the Vegas of Asia,”
the 25-year-old says breezily as our taxi scoots past
Hotel Lisboa Macau. Then, as we pull up to a cobbled
sidestreet where a busy throng buys up rose gelato and
pork buns, her smile grows wider. “I did come here,
though. I had noodles on this street when I came here
during one of my rare days off. It was great.”
Today, Johnston is avoiding the glitz and glamour
of Macau’s casinos to experience history at the Lou
Kau Mansion, a traditional, lovingly renovated Chinese
courtyard house built in 1889 for a local tycoon. “I
didn’t know places like this existed in Macau,” she says,
taking in the wooden ceilings and mother-of-pearl
window glazing. “It’s great that they’ve preserved it.”
The mansion—an East-meets-West construction—
is an apt metaphor for Johnston’s leading role
in Lady Bloodfight, which is due to be released
internationally this year, and is populated by female
martial-arts specialists from around the world,
including practitioners from the US, Australia and
Hong Kong. “It was shot in a very visual style and is
extremely dynamic, using new camera technologies,”
says Uri Schwarz, one of the film’s co-producers and
co-director of last year’s Hong Kong-set crime thriller
Stories Forlorn.
Filmed at a variety of Hong Kong locations, Lady
Bloodfight sees Johnston’s character Jane leaving
her American past behind to become embroiled in a
winner-takes-all martial-arts tournament called the
Kumite. Jane’s father had left the family home at a
young age to take part in a similar tournament, and
never came back, and her mother, who regularly hit the
bottle, has gone missing. The scene is set for a young
woman to find herself, make her mark and solve the
mysteries of her youth.
“When I came to Hong Kong, I did feel quite similar
to Jane in the sense that I came from a completely
different world,” says Johnston. “I didn’t know anybody
in Hong Kong, but a lot of people have been around me
to make me feel comfortable.”
Such people include producer Bey Logan, who
has enjoyed a long love affair with martial-arts films,
雖然Amy Johnston這位小巧的金發藍
眼美女演員在洛杉磯工作時聽說過很多關於
澳門的故事，可是當她在香港拍攝《Lady
Bloodfight》期間，卻未能如願好好地逛逛
澳門。當我們的出租車飛快地掠過澳門葡京
酒店時，這位25歲的演員歡快地說：“聽說
澳門是亞洲的拉斯維加斯。”之后，車子在
鋪滿鵝卵石的小路上停了下來，前面買冰激
淋和叉燒包的人排成了一條長龍。Johnston
笑得更燦爛了：“我來過這裡，在這條路上
吃過面條，棒極了！不過可惜時間有限，來
去匆匆。”
這天的行程，Johnston沒有選擇澳門流
光溢彩的娛樂場所，而是去了歷史悠久的盧
家大屋體驗澳門舊情懷。盧家大屋建於1889
年，是當地商業巨賈的舊宅，中式傳統的建
筑裝飾風格極具歷史價值。她邊欣賞著木制
頂梁和晶瑩如母貝的窗櫺邊說：“我不知道
澳門還有這樣保存完好的建筑。”
這棟古建筑中西合璧，與Johnston飾演
的女主角如出一轍。《Lady Bloodfight》將
於今年全球上映，目前已經廣受來自美國、
澳大利亞和香港等國際女子格斗迷的關注。
影片的制片人之一，也是去年於香港拍
攝的犯罪驚悚片《Stories Forlorn》的聯
合製片人及導演Uri Schwarz說道：“這部
影片使用了全新的拍攝技巧，極富視覺沖擊
力。”
影片在香港幾處不同的地方取景，講述
美國女孩Jane背井離鄉，歷盡艱難，最終
成為女子格斗對打錦標賽中不可一世的冷艷
拳手。Jane的父親年輕時便離家加入了格斗
賽，一去不返，母親也在心灰意冷中離家出
走。影片展現了年輕的Jane如何在迷惘的青
春中找尋並重塑自我的過程。
Johnston說：“我剛來香港的時候，對
Jane這個角色有著強烈的認同感，因為我們
都是來自另一個完全不同的世界。在香港我
一個人也不認識，但周圍有很多人幫我度過
了難關。”
制片人近彼岸就是Johnston說的很多
人中的一位。自從與成龍合作完成了《飛
龍再生》和香港流行組合Twins參演的《千
機變》之后，他就徹底愛上了功夫電影。近
彼岸參與制作的《臥虎藏龍續集》將在今
年上映，這部萬眾期待的電影甫殺青，他
便立即著手啟動了《Lady Bloodfight》項
目。Schwarz說道：“近彼岸想拍一部還原
武術真面目的電影”，並說他的劇本有著邵
氏兄弟電影和上世紀70、80年代的經典港產
動作片的影子。
在執導了李連杰的《龍之吻》和南韓
女星全智賢出演的《小夜刀》之后，法國
導演克裡斯．納汗自然成為了掌舵《Lady
This page:
floral kimono
robe dress by
Leonard
Paris; brass
bracelet and
ring by Tom
Ford
Opening pages:
embellished and
embroidered
net dress and
underwear,
both by Dolce &
Gabbana
此頁：Leonard
Paris花卉圖案
和服式裙子；湯
姆．福特銅手鐲
及戒指。前頁：
杜嘉班納刺繡網
裙及內衣

3. having worked on Jackie Chan’s The Medallion,
and on The Twins Effect, which starred the Hong
Kong pop duo. Logan worked on Lady Bloodfight
immediately after the much-anticipated sequel to
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which is also due
for release this year.
“[Logan] wanted to make a fight movie that
brought the real martial arts back to what it used to
be,” says Schwarz, adding that Logan’s script was in
part influenced by the famed Shaw Brothers films and
other classic Hong Kong martial arts movies of the
70’s and 80’s.
Having guided Chinese star Jet Li in Kiss of the
Dragon, and South Korea’s Gianna Jun in Blood: The
Last Vampire, French director Chris Nahon was a
natural to helm Lady Bloodfight. When Nahon called
in his compatriot and director of photography Michel
Abramowicz, best known for his work on the Liam
Neeson hit Taken, an enviable visual template was set.
“Some of my most favourite moments on set were
when it was just Chris and me on the crowded streets of
Hong Kong,” says Johnston. “He’d be yelling instructions
at me and we’d be exploring the city together. I know
that’s all going to look great on screen.”
Johnston believes Lady Bloodfight could be the
biggest break of her career. It’s a long way from Gillette,
Wyoming, where she grew up. “My town was about
20,000 people. Everybody knew each other and Wal-
Mart was the big place to go,” she says. “It was very
outdoorsy, though, with a lot of hiking, snowboarding
and being resourceful. Those are my roots.”
Back in Gillette, Johnston’s father, five-time world-
champion kickboxer David Johnston, got her started
early in the art of defending herself. She was already
hitting punch bags as a toddler, and that progressed to
regular martial-arts classes. Eventually, tournaments
and awards came Johnston’s way. At the age of 13, she
starred in the film Karate Kids Workout and dreamt
of making her mark in the field. “It’s such a passion,”
Johnston says. “I grew up watching a lot of kung fu
films by actors like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Michelle
Yeoh, and I knew right away that I wanted to be
involved with something like that.”
Then came what Johnston calls “the ramen years,”
when she left Gillette for Los Angeles with big dreams
of stardom. Times were extremely tough and her diet
consisted of little more than the low-cost staple. “I
wanted to get into the acting industry and stunt work,
Johnston believes Lady Bloodfight could be the biggest break of her career. It’s a
long way from Gillette, Wyoming, where she grew up. “My town was about 20,000
people. Everybody knew each other and Wal-Mart was the big place to go.”
Johnston相信《Lady Bloodfight》會是她職業生涯的重大突破，從家鄉
懷俄明州吉列鎮一路走來，個中艱辛讓她感慨萬千：“那是個
隻有20,000人的小鎮，大家都互相認識，沃爾瑪就是最大型的消遣場所。”
Bloodfight》的不二人選。當納汗又招募了
利亞姆．尼森《颶風營救》系列的攝影指導
Michel Abramowicz加盟之后，令本片的觀
賞指數大大飆升。Johnston回憶道：“電影
拍攝時最讓人難忘的瞬間是克裡斯和我站在
香港熙熙攘攘的大街上，他朝我喊著發號施
令，我們就這樣一起流連於街頭巷尾。我知
道，這一定是一部令人難忘的電影。”
Johnston相信，《Lady Bloodfight》
會是她職業生涯的重大突破。從她長大的地
方懷俄明州吉列鎮一路走來，個中艱辛讓她
感慨萬千：“那是個隻有20,000人的小鎮，
大家都互相認識，沃爾瑪就是最大型的消遣
場所。但那裡空間遼闊，山巒起伏，礦產豐
富，也是滑雪勝地。這些都是流淌在我血液
裡的印記。”
在吉列鎮，Johnston的父親—五次加冕
自由搏擊冠軍的David Johnston，自幼便教
她防身術。在她剛會走路后不久就開始學打
沙袋，到后來逐步學習常規的武術課。直到
最終，沿著父親的腳步打入錦標賽，各種獎
項便如期而至。
13歲時，她主演了電影《Karate Kids
Workout》，夢想在武打電影闖出一片天
地。對此Johnston說：“這完全是出於內心
的激情。我從小就看李小龍、成龍和楊紫瓊
的武打片，幾乎已經認定了這就是我將來要
做的事。”
接下來的幾年被Johnston稱為“拉面年
代”，她離開了吉列鎮前往洛杉磯尋求演員
夢。日子過得異常困苦，她只能經常以廉宜
的拉面果腹。“我想進入武打圈從事特技表
演，但我誰也不認識。”
那個時期要突圍而出真是難上加難，但
是Johnston認為那也是不可多得的人生經
歷。她開始慢慢了解這個行業的運作規律，
在諸如Black Label Society等搖滾樂隊的音
樂錄像中表演搖滾范兒，在DVD電影《德古
拉重生》中當特技演員，甚至還出演了低成
本的恐怖片《恐影檔案》。
不過很快，這位如今黑帶三段的女演員
終於得到垂青，這得歸功於洛杉磯一家影視
公司制作的一系列網絡短劇。“我們開始制
作一些網絡動作短劇，和一些流行動漫改編
的視頻，我有幸參與了部分工作。”
Johnston在鏡頭外低調而自信，但隨
著攝影機開啟的那一瞬間，她的溫文舉止迅
即化成了流星般密集的拳頭和咄咄逼人的
狠勁，就如在那些視頻中，以及她后來於
2013年擔任配角的《摧毀》的演出。正是
Gold sequin
beaded lace and
tulle evening gown
by Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren金色
珠片蕾絲薄紗晚裝

4. Styling:JoleneLin;Hair:Marco@marcochan.proforDVInternational;Make-up:
ElawWong@TheLookStudiousingSulwhasoo;HairAssistant:Wilson
actually,” she says. “But I didn’t know anybody.”
Catching a break proved difficult, but Johnston calls
that period in her life a “learning experience” when
she discovered how the industry works, appeared in
music videos by rock acts such as Black Label Society,
did stunts on straight-to-video flicks like Dracula
Reborn, and even took the lead in low-budget outing
Zombie Killers. Soon, the now third-degree black
belt started getting noticed, largely thanks to a series
of internet shorts she worked on with an LA-based
production company. “We started making online
videos: short fight videos and fan-based, comic-style
videos,” she says. “I got some work for that, actually.”
In those videos, as well as in the 2013 film Raze,
in which Johnston had a supporting role, her quietly
confident off-camera demeanour is replaced, once
the red light is switched on, by a flurry of lightning-
fast hand movements and determined ferocity. It’s
likely such appearances landed her the gig as Scarlett
Johansson’s stunt double on 2014’s Captain America:
The Winter Soldier (“A good experience,” Johnston
recalls. “You’re really taken care of on a big-budget
set like that.”). And then, the Lady Bloodfight team
came calling.
Johnston first arrived for training in Hong Kong
for a couple months late last year. Her tutor was
none other than well-known director and action
choreographer Hung Yan-yan, renowned for his work
in the Once Upon A Time In China movie series,
as well as for his choreography on Van Damme and
Steven Seagal vehicles. “I got my butt kicked for that
entire time and went home sore,” Johnston says, but
such preparation was essential to the long days of
filming ahead, which culminated in a series of intense
clashes, filmed in a container terminal, against a cast
of female fighting machines.
Word on the set is that Lady Bloodfight uses drones
and a series of new camera techniques that have rarely,
if ever, been seen before. On-set observers also note
that Johnston is utterly captivating in the film. “She’s
definitely the real deal,” says one. “When you see her
on screen, she’s so quick and definitely believable. She’s
got the talent to go far.”
As Johnston’s hair is teased and her wardrobe is
readied in preparation for the photographs seen on
these pages, she smiles at the compliment, but she’s
also reluctant to reveal more specifics about Lady
Bloodfight, preferring instead to let her first major role
do the talking when it’s released. “I hope this film brings
strength to women and empowerment, and that it opens
more doors for female action films,” the actress says.
“And yes, I’ll be glad to come back here for more.”
這種出色的表現，為她贏得了在2014年《美
國隊長2：寒冬戰士》裡作為斯嘉麗．約翰
遜動作替身的機會。（后來Johnston憶述：
“那次經歷很難忘，在那樣一部大制作電影
裡大家都對我很照顧。”）之后，《Lady
Bloodfight》團隊找到了她。
去年下半年，Johnston來到香港接受了
為期幾個月的訓練。她的教練正是以《黃飛
鴻》系列而聞名於世的導演兼武術指導熊欣
欣，他同時也是尚格．雲頓和斯蒂文．西格
爾飛車特技的動作指導。
Johnston說她每天都練到骨頭散架，全
身酸痛，但這種訓練對日后長時間的高強度
拍攝來說是必不可少的。影片的高潮是在貨
運碼頭拍攝的一連串打鬥，她與各路巾幗高
手激烈作戰，精彩絕倫。
據說《Lady Bloodfight》使用了無人機
和很多首次採用的全新拍攝技巧。片場也有
人對Johnston的表現大加贊賞，其中一名人
員說：“她是玩真格鬥的。她在螢幕上表現
得來勢凶猛，出手不凡。她非常有潛力，將
來的成就必定不同凡響。”
在Johnston按照本期專訪的拍攝需求
而准備造型時，她微笑地接受了那些恭維。
不過她還是不願意透露有關這部影片更多的
細節，而寧願待到影片上映時讓她第一個主
演的角色來詮釋這一切。這位年青動作演員
說：“我希望這部影片能給女性帶來力量和
肯定，將女性動作片推廣出去，讓觀眾有更
多機會認識這種電影。當然，我期待著將來
重回這裡拍攝更多電影。”
“I grew up watching a lot of
kung fu films by actors like
Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and
Michelle Yeoh, and I knew
right away that I wanted to
be involved with something
like that”
Black sheer embroidered
gown, matching underwear
and embellished boots, all by
Dolce & Gabbana
杜嘉班納黑紗刺繡晚裝、內衣
及長統靴
“我從小就看李小龍、成龍
和楊紫瓊的武打片，幾乎
已經認定了這就是我將來
要做的事。”