What's New is a recurring column that looks at the new films, music, books and DVD releases in and/or about Chinese mainland
New Film: Captain America - Civil War
There’s trouble in the Marvelverse when a government act regulating superhuman activity splits the Avengers into two camps. Leading the opposition force is Captain America (Chris Evans), while Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) spearheads the faction in support. As superheroes like Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), War Machine (Don Cheadle), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Ant Man (Paul Rudd) and others choose sides, the mysterious Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) rises to threaten the world. With so much star power (Oscar winners Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow will also appear) and so many possibilities for fights between the good guys, Captain America promises to be a cinematic spectacle. Opens nationwide on May 6.
New Film: Wish I Was Here
A decade after his hipster generation defining directorial debut Garden State, Zach Braff returns with this comedic-drama. This time, he stars as a 35-year-old father of two who due to unfortunate circumstances, he must begin to home school. Of course, this sets him off on an adventures of self-discovery. Partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign, the film manages to prominently involve Comic-Con. While it debuted at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, it hits Mainland cinemas nationwide on May 6.
New Music: Alpine Decline - Life's A Gasp
On their seventh disc, Los Angeles transplants Alpine Decline have crafted a love/hate letter to their adopted Beijing home. Life’s a Gasp replaces the group’s previous obsession with disintegrating tape delay with modular synthesis experiments. P.K. 14 frontman Yang Haisong joins the duo as bassist with an upcoming national tour planned. Available on Maybe Mars' Bandcamp.
New Books: Jin Yuncheng - A Nest of Nine Boxes
Best known for flooring the country’s literati with his award-winning Shanghainese 2014 novel Flowers, Jin Yuncheng receives his first English translation. Released by Simon & Schuster, A Nest of Nine Boxes is a collection of bruising short stories full of haunted characters grappling with the significance of life in a changing China. Available from May 3 on Amazon.
New TV Show: Into the Badlands
Journey to the West has been endlessly mined for recent Mainland hits. American broadcasters AMC (Mad Men, Breaking Bad) gets in the act with Into the Badlands. Daniel Wu stars as an honorable, yet lethal fighter who travels a dangerous land in search of answers to his past. Begins streaming on May 3 at Le.com.
New Live Stream: TEDxShanghai
35 speakers and performers takes over the Shanghai Tower (to be officially opened later this year) to deliver a series of inspirational talks. With a theme of Balance, this edition explores a range of dualitities from digital and handmade to science and art. While space is already filled up, TEDxShanghai will be streamed live on LeTV on May 7 from 9am-7pm.
For past What's New columns, click here.
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