The first time I heard about this film was in 1991.
I was playing the Chinese emperor in a school play. The mum of one of my courtiers had fixed her up with a yellow satin gown. But Mrs. GKS, our English English teacher, had a problem with that because being emperor, I was the only one who could wear the Imperial yellow, ‘like in The Last Emperor!’. So the production team were all debating whether the said courtier would have to wear another gown or what. But it was slightly late to discuss all that because my poor ignorant mum had already jazzed up this glorified red velvet (!) bathrobe thingie with a brocade dragon and what not. Eventually they had to settle for a satin sash in Imperial yellow to hold the emperor and the dragon together inside the red robe.
Had forgotten all about it till I saw the film today :)
I wonder where Mrs GKS watched it. They didn’t release them here then, nor did we have cable yet. Maybe on her annual trip to the UK with her son Alexander? Or at home on the VCR? I wonder what else she had on VHS…wish she’d shown us that film.
My favourite lines? ‘If the emperor does not get spectacles, I will resign.’