Tuesday's Film Roundup
Film News
Red Cliff has made RMB 360 million at the Chinese box office since opening in early July this year. This makes it not only the most expensive Chinese film ever made but also the highest grossing film in the history of Chinese cinema. By passing the magical 360 million mark, Red Cliff has removed Titanic from the top of the list. The success of the film also helped cinemas across the country achieve their best month on record, with RMB 486 million worth of tickets sold in July.
Last week we wrote about recent reports suggesting that Tang Wei has obtained Hong Kong citizenship and that Gong Li might already be a citizen of Singapore. Kaiju Shakedown has all the details.
In Other Film News
The 11th International Pyongyang Film Festival gets underway tomorrow.
Films Around Town
Screening Times for Films in Beijing – Tuesday Sep 16
(All times and prices have been taken from today’s Beijing News or this website – it would be a good idea to call and confirm details) If you can read Chinese, this is by far the best site to consult.
Flood (水啸雾都 Shuixiao Wudou)
Flood is a disaster film set in the UK. Estranged meteorologoist father Leonard (Courtnay) and Marine Engineer son (Carlyle) are caught up in a weather related disaster as spring tides meet a freak North Sea superstorm. Read some rather ordinary reviews here and here or take a peek at the trailer at the official site. Best to check with cinema on which language the film will be in as a lot of cinemas are screening the film in a version that has been dubbed into Chinese.
CBD
Wanda International Cinema
16:50 17:50 19:10 20:10 21:30 22:30
Xidan
New Capital Cinema
17:35 18:30 19:45 20:35 21:50
Sanlitun
Village Mega Box
16:10 20:50
Ziguang Cinema
16:20 17:40 18:30 19:50 20:40
Haidian
UME International Cineplex
16:00 17:20 18:10 19:10 19:25 20:20 21:30 22:30 23:20
Stellar International Cineplex
17:50 18:55 20:00 22:10
Wangjing
Stellar International Cineplex
16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00
Wangfujing
Star City
17:15 19:30 21:35
Xindong'an Cinema
16:10 17:05 18:15 19:10 20:20 21:15 22:20
Dongsishitiao
East Gate Cinema
16:40 18:30 19:20 20:20 21:10 22:10
Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex
16:30 17:40 18:40 19:50 20:50 22:00
Zhongguancun
Mega Box
16:00 18:10 22:25
Jinyi International Cinemas
17:55 19:55 21:55
Dongsi
Changhong Cinema
16:30 17:00 18:30 19:00 20:30 21:00
Xinjiekou
Show Max Cinema
17:40 19:50 22:00 00:00 00:10
Yayuncun
Sun Cinema
15:50 16:50 17:40 18:40 19:30 20:30 21:20 22:20
East Fourth Ring Road
Espace France Cinema
16:30 17:30 18:30
19:30 20:30 21:30 22:30
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (木乃伊3 Munaiyi san)
Jet Li stars as Mummy Qin Shihuang, alongside Michelle Yeoh and Brendan Fraser in this third installment of the popular franchise. The release of the film in Mainland China was delayed but reviews from elsewhere have been uniformly bad. Early Chinese reviews suggest that viewers catch the version that’s been dubbed into Mandarin, it’s supposed to be a little better than the original. You can view the Trailer here.
CBD
Wanda International Cinema
15:00 15:40 16:00 16:20 17:20 18:00 18:20 18:40 19:40 20:20 20:40 21:00 22:00
Xidan
New Capital Cinema
15:20 15:45 16:10 16:40 17:05 17:30 17:55 18:20 18:50 19:15 19:40 20:05 20:30 21:00 21:25 21:55
Sanlitun
Village Mega Box
15:10 16:00 16:50 17:40 18:30 19:30 20:10 21:00
Ziguang Cinema
15:10 15:50 16:30 17:20 18:00 18:40 19:30 20:10 20:50
Haidian
15:20 16:50 17:30 18:10 19:40 20:20 21:05 21:50
Wudaokou Workers' Club Cinema
15:55 17:05 18:35 19:15 20:45 21:25
Wangjing
15:00 15:30 16:15 17:30 18:15 19:00 19:40 20:15 21:00 21:40 22:20
Dongsishitiao
East Gate Cinema
15:20 16:20 18:10 19:00 20:00 20:50 21:50 22:40
Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex
15:00 16:00 16:30 18:10 18:40 20:20 20:50 22:30
Zhongguancun
Mega Box
15:10 15:35 15:50 16:35 16:50 17:30 17:55 18:10 18:55 19:10 19:50 20:15 20:30 21:15 21:30 22:10 22:50
Jinyi International Cinemas
15:30 16:20 16:40 17:10 18:50 19:50 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:05
Dongsi
Changhong Cinema
15:10 16:00 17:10 18:00 19:10 20:00 21:10
Xinjiekou
Show Max Cinema
15:55 16:20 17:00 18:00 19:10 20:05 21:15 22:10 00:10
Yayuncun
Sun Cinema
15:30 16:30 18:20 19:10 20:10 21:00 22:00
East Fourth Ring Road
Espace France Cinema
15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00
The Incredible Hulk (无敌浩克 Wudihao Ke)
Louis Leterrier has taken the reins as director of the famous Marvel comic book figure, with Edward Norton playing the mutant scientist on a quest to escape his alter-ego. Where Ang Lee failed – a too-complicated plot weaved with a confusing Freudian backdrop – The Incredible Hulk succeeds: Comical preferences for stretchy pants and pseudo-sex scenes alongside fast-paced chase sequences with adrenaline-pumping transformations prove to be surefire ways to please a summer crowd. Unlike Speed Racer, The Hulk has been getting some pretty good reviews. You can take a look at the trailer here.
CBD
Wanda International Cinema
15:10 19:30
Sanlitun
Village Mega Box
18:35
Ziguang Cinema
16:00 18:10 20:20
Haidian
17:00 19:10 21:20
Wangjing
15:10 17:10 19:15 21:20
Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex
16:20 18:30 20:40 22:50
Zhongguancun
Mega Box
16:55 19:10 21:30
Jinyi International Cinemas
15:20 16:20 17:30 18:30 19:40 20:40 22:50
Yayuncun
Sun Cinema
17:20
Mee-Shee: The Water Giant (深湖巨兽 Shenhu Jushou)
Based on a traditional folklore from Canada but shot in New Zealand, this film from 2005 treads the same path or rather plumbs the same depths as Loch Ness and The Water Dragon: Legend of the Deep. The film got some good reviews but didn’t do too well at box offices around the world.
You can take a look at the trailer here. In English with Chinese subtitles.
CBD
Wanda International Cinema
16:20 18:20 20:20 22:20
Xidan
New Capital Cinema
16:50 18:45 20:35
Sanlitun
Village Mega Box
19:10
Ziguang Cinema
17:30 19:20 21:10
Haidian
UME International Cineplex
17:05 19:00 20:50 22:40
Stellar International Cineplex
17:25 19:20 21:15
Wudaokou Workers' Club Cinema
16:45 20:00
Wangjing
Stellar International Cineplex
17:40 19:30 21:10
Wangfujing
Star City
16:10
Xindong'an Cinema
17:00 18:40 20:25 22:10
Dongsishitiao
East Gate Cinema
19:30
Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex
17:05 18:55 20:45 22:35
Zhongguancun
Mega Box
20:20
Jinyi International Cinemas
15:50 17:35 19:25 21:10 23:00
Dongsi
Changhong Cinema
17:25 21:20
Xinjiekou
Show Max Cinema
18:30 20:20 22:20 00:1
Yayuncun
Sun Cinema
18:00 21:40
East Fourth Ring Road
Espace France Cinema
16:10 17:00 18:50 19:30 20:40 21:25 22:35
The Challenge (终极挑战 Zhongji Tiaozhan)
We have no idea what this German martial arts film from 2005 is doing on Beijing's cinema screens, but from all accounts it’s not worth watching. You can take a look at the trailer here. Best to check with cinema on which language the film will be in as a lot of cinemas are screening the film in a version that has been dubbed into Chinese.
East Fourth Ring Road
Espace France Cinema
17:00, 19:00, 21:00
Sanlitun
Ziguang Cinema
17:10, 19:10, 21:00
Dongsi
Changhong Cinema
17:50, 19:40, 21:25
Haidian
UME International Cineplex
18:15, 20:10, 22:05, 23:20
Sparrow (Wen Qiao 文雀)
The second of Johnnie To's films to make it onto the big screen this year, Sparrow debuted at the Berlin Film Festival in February. It seems as if the censors have cut a few scenes from this film about pickpockets in Hong Kong but what remains is a homage to the island city. A few different takes on the film can be found at Variety, Love HK Film and here.You can watch the trailer for Sparrow here.
CBD
Wanda International Cinema
17:20 21:40
Sanlitun
Village Mega Box
17:10 21:30
Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex
17:10 18:50 20:30
Zhongguancun
Mega Box
15:55 22:00
Espace France Cinema
18:00
Speed Racer
The latest project from the Wachowski brothers is a live-action version of Japanese anime series Speed Racer. The result is heavy on action and visuals, and weak on storytelling. Read some rather disappointing reviews here and take a look at the trailer here. Despite the poor reviews the film's Chinese box office takings might be helped by the presence of Korean heart throb Rain's presence in the cast. View trailer here.
ChaoYang
Ziguang Cinema
16:40 19:40
East Fourth Ring Road
Espace France Cinema
18:00
The Deserted InnThe Deserted Inn (荒村客栈 Huangcun Kezhan) is a Chinese horror flick that's been screening for the last couple of weeks. It managed to earn RMB 5 million on it's opening day and is continuing to prove popular with local audiences. No English subtitles. Take a peek at the trailer here.
Xidan
New Capital Cinema
19:50 21:45
Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex
22:20
Zhongguancun
Mega Box
15:30 21:30
Shiquan Jiuemei (十全九美 )
If Crazy Stone was the surprise film of 2007, Shiquan Jiuemei is the dark horse of 2008. The Chinese comedy about a prince in China's Ming Dynasty who attempts to learn carpentry, pulled in over RMB 10 million at the box office in it's first ten days after opening on August 1. You can take a look at the trailer here and listen to the original supergirl Li Yuchun sing the theme song here.
Xidan
New Capital Cinema
16:05 18:00 19:50 21:50
Sanlitun
Ziguang Cinema
17:00 20:30
Haidian
UME International Cineplex
15:30
16:15
Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex
18:30 20:25 22:20
Zhongguancun
Mega Box
17:45
Kungfu Panda
Despite what appear to be rather self-serving attempts by Zhao Bandi to persuade Chinese people to boycott the film, it's still proved very popular, becoming the first animated film to take over RMB 100 million at the Chinese box office. Reviews have also been good - most settling for the "it's all good fun" kind of appraisal. Aficionados of Chinese traditional painting have also enjoyed some of the in jokes and one review in a Beijing newspaper compared the films melding of East and West to one of KFC's "Lao Beijing" Chicken wraps. You can view the trailer here and visit the official site here (Chinese version here). The complete copy of the film is available here. The Beijing correspondent of the Guardian has also produced this audio report on the popularity of the film in Beijing.
Sanlitun
Village Mega Box
15:00 19:15
Ziguang Cinema
18:50
Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex
16:15 18:05
Upcoming Films
Sep 18
The Equation of Love & Death (李米的猜想 Li Mi de Caixiang)
Limi marks the beginning of Zhou Xun’s invasion of China’s cinema screens. Zhou plays a traumatized taxi driver whose life has become devoted to searching for her missing boyfriend. Written and directed by Cao Baoping, veteran rocker Dou Wei worked on the soundtrack for the movie which is set in Yunnan. Look for the gorgeous Zhou in The Painted Skin (Huapi) and Not All Women are Bad (Nuren Buhuai) later in the year. Take a look at the trailer here.
Sep 26
Painted Skin (画皮 Hua pi)
Painted Skin is Chinese thriller that centers on a vampire-like woman who eats the skins and hearts of her lovers. Starring both Zhou Xun and Zhao Wei, the film looks ridiculous but should attract plenty of viewers. Take a look at the trailer (with English subtitles) here.
Sep 29
Asterix and the Olympics
Asterix, Obelix, and their friends have entered the famous Olympic games in Ancient Olympia. They are determined to taste victory, but the Gauls face formidable competition from both Greeks and Romans. See trailer here.
Oct ？
Batman
Still no exact date on the domestic release of the new Batman movie The Dark Knight which has been breaking box office records around the world. At this stage it looks like it's set to appear in October but there is no guarantee that this won't change. Take a look at some reviews at Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic and the trailer here.
Oct 9
Wanted
Wanted marks James McAvoy's third appearance on the Chinese big screen this year. Unlike his earlier roles in Atonement and The Chronicles of Narnia, McAvoy plays the stereotypical apathetic young man who's stuck in a dead-end job but is offered an escape when he's introduced into the exciting world of assassins by a beautiful and dangerous woman called Fox (Angelina Jolie). It all sounds as if it's based on a comic book, that's because - as with a lot of blockbusters these days - it is. The film received positivie reviews when it was released in the States back in July, you can view some here. Take a look at the trailer here.
Nov 5
007: Quantum of Solace
The high-octane adventures of Bond (Daniel Craig) continue. This new mission sees the martini-sipping international man of mystery teaming up with old friends to navigate a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit. See trailer here.
Dec 12
Mei Lanfang
A biographical account of iconic Peking Opera star Mei Lanfang directed by Chen Kaige and starring Beijing-born singer Leon Lai. Ziyi Zhang stars as Mei’s lover Meng Xiaodong. More info available here. You can look at the "trailer" - it's really just a selection of still images taken from the film and set to a Peking Opera sound track - here.