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: Hacksaw Ridge
In late breaking news, China has expanded its foreign film quota for the year and Mel Gibson’s World War II epic Hacksaw Ridge has secured a coveted December 8 release. Andrew Garfield stars as Desmond Doss, a pacifist medic who became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor after saving 75 soldiers without a weapon. The film received a 10-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Opens nationwide on December 8.
Film: Sully
Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood follows his 2014 mega-hit American Sniper with a biographical look at Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Tom Hanks stars as the titular pilot who became a national hero following his emergency landing of a passenger jet on the Hudson River, where all 155 passengers and crew survived. Despite the rapturous praise that followed the incident, Sully depicts the pilot’s subsequent struggle with PTSD and his battle against the National Transportation Safety Board’s attempt to discredit him. Opens nationwide on December 9.
Film: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
After wooing Shanghai this summer with a massive art retrospective, director Tim Burton is set to charm the country with his latest film. Praised as a return to the inventive gothic form of past favorites like Sweeney Todd, Burton brings to life Ransom Riggs’ 2011 best-selling young adult novel. Eva Green stars as the titular Miss Peregrine, who can manipulate time and transform into a peregrine falcon. She must assist the 16-year-old Jacob (Asa Butterfield) as he discovers this mysterious world and protect it from the shape-shifting Samuel L Jackson. For more, check out our feature on The World of Tim Burton. In theaters now.
Film: Allied
Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard star as assassins who fall in love while on assignment in this World War II romantic drama. However, their romance is threatened when one suspects the other of being a double agent. In theaters now.
Music: The Machinery of Other Skeletons - Hatred For Man
In Shanghai's eclectic metal scene, this death metal group has already proven to be among the scene's most adventurous with their first trio of EPs accompanied by remix compilations featuring contributions from some of the city's top electronic minds. On Hatred For Man, they're spotlighting their crushing grooves in the first of another series of three EPs. Available at The Machinery of Other Skeletons' Bandcamp.
TV: CSI - Cyber
After years of dominance, the CSI series of shows finally came to an end this year with the second and final season of CSI: Cyber. Patricia Arquette and Ted Danson star as FBI agents tasked with investgating cyber crimes bringing the same detailed investigation breakdowns to that division that its original program brought to forensics. While its ratings may have suffered from general CSI fatigue, its final season is coming to QQ Video for subscribers. Streamable at QQ Video from December 7.
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.'
0 User Comments