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: Arrival
Best known for his acclaimed crime thrillers Prisoners and Sicario, rising French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve's first foray into sci-fi may be his most highest praised film yet. Academy Award winner Amy Adams gives a powerhouse performance as a linguist recruited by the military after 12 extraterrestrial spaceships appear across Earth. Opens nationwide on January 20.
TV: Sherlock, Season 4
BBC's modernization of Sherlock Holmes has been hugely popular in China leading to an unprecedented cinema release of last year's Christmas TV special and a sadly banned subgenre of fan fiction. Its three-episode fourth season came to an end this week and while the last episode is still available only to VIP subscribers (which should end by the week), the rest of the season (and all the past seasons) are accessible to all exclusively on Youku.
Music: Nine Treasures - Wisdom Eyes
For years among the stampeding horde mixing traditional Mongolian sounds with metal, Beijing quintet Nine Treasures separates themselves from the pack on their impressive third full-length. Hardened by numerous national tours, Wisdom Eyes capture a more mature group content with finetuning its anthems by focusing on hard rock grooves and their most emotive ballads to date. Available at Nine Treasure’s Bandcamp.
Books: Peter Gordon and Juan Jose Morales - The Silver Way
In the latest edition in Penguin’s China Specials series of mini-books, experts Peter Gordon and Juan Jose Morales explores the trading route between Spanish America and China that ushered in a new era of globalism. The Silver Way touches on the Ruta de la Pluta, a passage established in the 16th century crucial to the birth of globalisation that is often underexplored academically. Available at book stores across China.
For past What's New columns, click here.
Have a tip about a new release? Get in touch at arts@urbanatomy.com with the subject 'What's New.'
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