Tuesday Film Roundup: Next, Diving in Mongolia and EFF

European Film Festival
Many of the European embassies in Beijing have come together to present China’s first Annual European Union Film Festival. The schedule consists of films from over 20 countries and includes popular films like Once from Ireland, La Môme (My Life in Rose) from France and The Last King of Scotland from the UK. For a complete schedule click here. The screenings will take place in four locations: the French Cultural Centre, Instituto Cervantes, Italian Institute of Culture and the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. Each film will be screened in its original language, with English and Chinese subtitles. Free. ID required at certain locations.

Documentary Screening Tonight: Hovsgol Nuur - Diving in the Land of Chinggis Khan
Catch the China premiere of a documentary made during a diving expedition to Mongolia’s Lake Hovsgol last year. Expedition leader Steven Schwankert will present the film - we interviewed him just before he set off on his adventure last year. A native of New Jersey, Schwankert founded SinoScuba, Beijing's first professional dive operator, in 2003. Since then he has led the exploration of a submerged Ming Dynasty city in a lake in eastern China, and this summer dived an underwater section of the Great Wall. He is currently finishing a book about a groundbreaking underwater discovery made off the Chinese coast, due out next year from Hong Kong University Press. For more details, click here or view this Facebook page.
You can view the trailer below. 7.30pm. International School of Beijing (8149 2345)

Films Around Town

Screening Times for Films in Beijing – Tuesday Dec 2

(All times and prices have been taken from today’s Beijing News or this website – it would be a good idea to call and confirm details) If you can read Chinese, this is by far the best site to consult.

Next
Implausible Nicolas Cage vehicle that's been out on DVD for an age. Reviews here and trailer here.

CBD
Wanda International Cinema

18:00 19:40 20:10 21:50 22:20

Xidan
New Capital Cinema

17:45 18:55 19:40 20:50 21:35

Sanlitun
Village Mega Box

19:30 21:25

Haidian
UME International Cineplex

19:10 21:00 21:25 22:50

Stellar International Cineplex

18:20 20:15 22:10

Wangjing
Stellar International Cineplex

19:50

Xindong'an Cinema

17:40 19:40 21:30

Dongsishitiao
East Gate Cinema

19:10 20:50 22:30

Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex

19:05 20:55 22:45

Zhongguancun
Mega Box

17:35 19:40 21:45

Dongsi
Changhong Cinema

19:15 21:00

East Fourth Ring Road
Espace France Cinema

19:10 20:15 20:55 22:40

Hell Boy 2: The Golden Army
Take a look at the surprisingly positive reviews here and trailer here.

CBD
Wanda International Cinema

16:50 19:30 21:55

Xidan
New Capital Cinema

15:55 17:05 18:10 19:20 20:25 21:35

Haidian
UME International Cineplex

21:00

Stellar International Cineplex

17:30 19:50 22:05

Wudaokou Workers' Club Cinema

Wangjing
Stellar International Cineplex

18:15 22:55

Wangfujing
Star City

17:10 19:20 21:35

Xindong'an Cinema

16:50 17:50 19:00 20:00 21:20 22:10

Dongsishitiao
East Gate Cinema

16:50 22:30

Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex

16:15 18:30 20:45

Jinyi International Cinemas

16:35 20:45

Dongsi
Changhong Cinema

19:00 21:10

Yayuncun
Sun Cinema

17:40 21:30

East Fourth Ring Road
Espace France Cinema



21:55

Babylon AD

When even the director of a film admits that he's "very unhappy with the film," and that he "never had a chance to do one scene the way it was written or the way I wanted it to be. The script wasn't respected. Bad producers, bad partners, it was a terrible experience" it's not surprising that what emerges is an incomprehensible and unwatchable film. Its chances at the box office will probably not be helped by the fact that it's been available on DVD in the capital for weeks. You can take a look at some of the terrible reviews of the French-US co production here. View the trailer here.

CBD
Wanda International Cinema

18:00 20:00

Xidan
New Capital Cinema

16:55 18:40 20:30

Sanlitun
Village Mega Box

20:10 22:10

Stellar International Cineplex

18:15 21:00

Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex

17:45 19:30 21:15

Zhongguancun
Mega Box

19:50 21:50





007: Quantum of Solace

The high-octane adventures of Bond (Daniel Craig) continue. This new mission sees the martini-gulping international man of mystery teaming up with old friends to navigate a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit. Early reviews have been good, but not great. See trailer here.

CBD
Wanda International Cinema

18:30 20:50

Xidan
New Capital Cinema

18:10 18:55 19:35 20:20 21:05 21:45

Sanlitun
Village Mega Box

20:00 22:20

Haidian
UME International Cineplex

17:40 19:45 21:50

Stellar International Cineplex

18:20 20:25 22:35

Wudaokou Workers' Club Cinema

Wangfujing
Star City

18:10 20:10 22:10

Xindong'an Cinema

18:10 19:10 21:10

Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex

17:40 19:40 21:40

Zhongguancun
Mega Box

19:45 20:05

Jinyi International Cinemas

19:05 21:00 23:00

Dongsi
Changhong Cinema

21:00

Yayuncun
Sun Cinema

18:30 22:20

East Fourth Ring Road
Espace France Cinema



18:05 20:00


Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D Brendan Fraser stars in this remake of the Sci-fi classic. Read reviews here and view trailer here.

CBD
Wanda International Cinema

22:00

Haidian
UME International Cineplex

16:30 20:00 21:45

Shuangjing
UME International Cineplex

15:00 16:45





Other Films Showing the Week

Underdog Knight (硬汉 Yinghan)
Liu Ye (Lan Yu, The Promise and Curse of the Golden Flower), heart throb of bad girls throughout the mainland and beyond, is back with his portrayal of the "underdog knight." This paranoid vigilante uses an out-dated red-tasseled spear to rid Hong Kong of bad guys and protect innocent civilians. View the trailer here.

Fit Lover (爱情左右 Aiqing Zuodeng Youxing)
Fans of eye candy might want to catch Chinese director Zhang Jianya's latest film as according to Xinhua, the film stars "twelve of the country's best looking actors." A young lady dates 12 gorgeous men before finding her true love.

Beast Stalker (证人Zhengren)
Director Dante Lam offers up a by-the-numbers HK action flick starring Nicholas Tse and Zhang Jingchu. Details and trailer at official site.

Desires of the Heart (Taohuayun 桃花运)
Our favorite Chinese actor, Ge You, dons a wig for this first hesui pian of the season. He plays the man at the center of a comedy of passionate encounters in present-day Beijing. The film also stars Fan Bingbing as an ugly girl, Mei Ting and Guo Tao.

New Guards under the Neon Lights (霓虹灯下新哨兵 Ni Hong Deng Xia Xin Shao Bing)
The film’s title is a play on a revolutionary film and cartoon (it was later made it a TV series too) from the 60’s called Guards under the Neon Light- 霓虹灯下的哨兵. Set in Shanghai, the movie follows the bittersweet life of 3 young guards from different family backgrounds as they serve as armed police in the big city.

Upcoming

Dec 5
Forever Enthralled (梅兰芳 Mei Lanfang) A biographical account of iconic Peking Opera star Mei Lanfang directed by Chen Kaige and starring Beijing-born singer Leon Lai. Ziyi Zhang stars as Mei’s lover Meng Xiaodong. More info available here. You can look at the "trailer" - it's really just a selection of still images taken from the film set to a Peking Opera sound track - here.

Dec 22
If You Are the One (Feicheng Wurao 非诚勿扰)
Feng Xiaogang's return to the new year comedy tradition that brought him early fame. The talented and popular Ge You is along for the ride too.

Links and Sources
Australasia Scuba Diver:
Free: Special Screening of Diving Mongolia (image)