What's New is a recurring column that looks at the new films, music, books and DVD releases in and/or about Chinese mainland
Film: Bastille Day
Idris Elba (The Wire, Luther) stars as a CIA agent tirelessly untangling the truth of a seemingly open and shut terrorist attack that takes place on the eve of Bastille Day in Paris. Richard Madden (Game of Thrones, Cinderella) stars as an American conman who is seemingly responsible after he steals a handbag that contains a teddy bar, which he disposes without knowing that it actually contains explosives. Despite being on opposite ends of the law, the two must work together to track the real perpetrators - a shadowy and powerful group within the French Interior Ministry. Opens nationwide on September 20.
Film: Storks
This animated comedy brings to life the myth that storks deliver babies with a twist. In Storks, the titular birds now only make deliveries for the Internet giant Cornerstore.com. However, its top delivery man (Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg) accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine creating an adorable, but unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to keep the secret from his boss (Frasier’s Kelsey Grammar), he must recruit the one human on Stork Mountain for their first ever baby drop, reconnecting with the stork’s glorious past and true life mission. The film has scored a coveted same-day global release, opening nationwide on September 23.
Books: Liu Cixin - Death’s End
The first Chinese writer to claim the coveted Hugo Prize, Liu Cixin enjoys wide popularity as China’s premier science fiction writer. His award-winning and massively selling Three Body Problem trilogy comes to an end with the English translation of Death’s End. For more, check out our book review of Death’s End. Available on Amazon from September 20.
Music: Future Orients - Eat or Die
Known for cultivating their vision of thoughtful Chinese indie art-rock, Maybe Mars presents their latest signing. A staple in Beijing’s live scene, Future Orients (formerly The Eat) impresses on their debut. Much like labelmates Hiperson and Carsick Cars, they teamed with P.K. 14 frontman Yang Haisong who produced the disc. Over nine songs, the quartet shows off an icy sound echoing influences like Foals, Radiohead and Neu! A national tour kicks off next month that stops off at Guangzhou's SD Livehouse on Sep 21, Shanghai's Yuyintang on Nov 12 before concluding in their hometown at School on Nov 19. The album will be officially released on September 23 and will be available at Maybe Mars' Bandcamp.
Music: Ran Groove, Vol. 2
Since starting out last year with the goal of being the Maybe Mars of Beijing’s electronic scene, Ran Music has grown to become a major force. After releasing the excellent Soulspeak and Ttechmak collaboration, Love in the Land of Robots, last month, they’ve unleashed the second in their Ran Groove compilation series. Roster pillars J.R.G. and Animal Pop are joined by Chinese techno veterans Mickey Zhang and Elvis T, as well as new crop of producers like Xiamen’s Knopha and Heilektromen for an eclectic but funky disc that ranges from deep house to industrial techno. Available at Ran Music’s Bandcamp.
For past What's New columns, click here.
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