Talking Entertainment: Feng Xiaogang's Latest Defeats Critics With Wicked Opening
This week in entertainment, Feng Xiaogang’s new film Personal Tailor had a record opening, earning over $51 million in its first four days at the theater. The Hollywood Reporter stated that despite investor dislike and bad reports from the critics, the opening smashed all previous 2D releases, according to box office data from Entgroup. The film is screening in cinemas around Beijing.
The new film (check out the trailer above) follows a group of actors who start a company for helping people live out their fantasies. I am not sure how far they went with this idea, but investors were not impressed by the satirical elements of the film, that amongst other things pokes fun at corrupt government officials. In the days prior to its release, many funds were selling their shares in Huayi Brothers, the production company that banked the film. I bet they are biting their fists now, or maybe just wishing they had a better sense of humor.
In other news China Heavyweight has become the most widely screened documentary in Chinese history. The film, about a boxer from Sichuan is now screening in over 200 theaters nationwide including Beijing. It debuted at the 2012 Sundance film festival and earned the Taiwan Golden Horse award for best documentary in 2013.
The production company Eyesteel Films that helped to create China Heavyweight, is also responsible for documentaries including Chang's Up The Yangtze and Last Train Home by Fan Lixin.
Don’t forget to check out the National Art Museum, and their retrospective of Zhang Leping’s Sanmao comics. Bejing Today describes It as the Chinese equivalent to Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts,” with a fair share of revelatory comedy and moderate satire. The pieces were selected from 243 original strips donated to the museum in 1983. Get there quick, because the exhibit ends on January 4.
Here are some more arts and entertainment events this week:
