Cinematheque: Under the Sun of Satan (and other film news)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE MOVIES

• State of play: Based on a BBC TV series, Kevin Macdonald´s latest fictional thriller stars Russell Crowe as a Washington Globe journalist who begins investigating the death of people close to his former boss, promising congressman Stephen Collins. Trouble ensues. In Mandarin or English depending on the cinema.
• Up: Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old, has always dreamed of visiting the South American wilderness. One day, he attaches his house to a super-cluster of hydrogen balloons and sets off his adventure with an 8-year-old boy. Brought to you by the creative team behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Cars. In Mandarin or English depending on the cinema.
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra: The elite Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity (read: G.I. Joe) takes on Cobra, an evil organization led by a nefarious arms dealer. The film follows the rise of Cobra and the G.I. Joe, so those new to the series will have an easy time following along. In Mandarin or English depending on the cinema.
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Decepticon forces return to Earth on a mission to take Sam Witwicky prisoner, after the young hero learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past.
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs: When Sid's attempt to adopt three dinosaur eggs gets him abducted by their real mother to an underground lost world, his friends attempt to rescue him.

CHINESE LANGUAGE MOVIES

• Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg: China's latest sci-fi slash kungfu comedy, helmed by Hong Kong director Jeffery Lau, is a local version of Transformers. Wonder what a male Chinese robot (just pretend) will look like in year 2046? Here is your chance. Sent to live with a family in Ningbo, robot K-1 falls in love with local girl Su Mei. Watch the forbidden love unfold.
• Naughty Boy Ma Xiaotiao / Tao Qi Bao Ma Xiao Tiao (Mandarin): Story of a boy called Ma Xiaotiao, who can jump sky high, especially when he is very mad.
• Laughing Gor: Fans of Hong Kong action flicks rejoin your favorite double agent in TVB's latest film production. Michael Tse resumes his character as Laughing, the spy who works with both police and HK's biggest gangster (Anthony Wong). When Laughing finds himself in love with Karen (Fala Chen), the sister of his arch-rival, things get complicated. In Mandarin or Cantonese depending on the cinema.
• Sophies Revenge: This rom-com, directed by ambitious U.S.-educated director Jin Yimeng, marks Zhang Ziyi's debut as a producer. The movie follows Sophie (Zhang Ziyi) and Jeff (Jisub So) as an engaged couple that rides an emotional rollercoaster right before the wedding. Mandarin only
• Tracing Shadow: A martial arts adventure set at the end of the Ming Dynasty. The country is in turmoil and the Manchurians are poised to advance upon Beijing. Kung-fu masters, royal guards and local bandits are fighting ruthlessly for a mysterious treasure map hidden inside the Ming palace.
• On His Majesty's Secret Service (Dai noi muk taam 009): The Emperor appoints 12 secret royal guards in accordance with the Chinese zodiac. Among the best guards are Zero Tiger and Zero Pig. However, only Zero Dog is not interested in learning martial arts but prefers to spend more time on science and technology. One day the chief eunuch, Cao Yan Chui plans to overthrow the Emperor by killing a minister and want to have one of his godsons to marry the Emperor´s daughter. Together Ngor Nam, Zero Dog and Hei Mong decide to stop Yan Chui. Can they save the Emperor´s life and bring Yan Chui to justice?
• The Magic Aster (马兰花): A nostalgic story and an all-star cast are the attractions of the Chinese animation film "The Magic Aster." The fantasy film, about a magic aster flower which helps the kind-hearted protagonist, is adapted from a popular 1950s stage play of the same name.
• McDull Kung Fu (麦兜武当）: This Hong Kong cartoon film tells the story about Mai Dou, a little piglet who leaves Hong Kong and go to Wudang Mountain to learn martial arts.
• Overheard (且听枫韵): The film stars Lau Ching-Wan, Louis Koo and Daniel Wu as a trio of police officers conducting surveillance on a listed company.
• One night in supermarket (夜店): A one-thing-leads-to-another comedy of misadventure entirely set in the pic's title location. It's the wee hours at Wang Wang Supermarket, where nerdy stockroom boy Li Junwei is on duty with - and only has eyes for - Tang Xiaolian. But the quiet soon lapses into chaos when balding, pop-eyed He Sanshui comes in with two doofus heavies and demands to speak to the mart's boss lady, Wang Sufen.
• Perfect Bride (完美新娘): Perfect Bride is China’s answer to the hugely popular Bridget Jones Diary comedies, with 29-year-old ‘plain Jane’ saleswoman Du Leisi taking the lead role. Like Jones, Du is embroiled in an apparently lifelong struggle with her weight, her boss and the battle to find a suitable mate. Also like Jones, Du finds no end of ways to publicly and privately humiliate herself, with predictably humorous results.

OTHER LANGUAGE MOVIES

• Nobita to Midori no Kyojin Den, (Nobita and the Green Giant Legend): Nobita finds a fossilized dinosaur egg by accident, and with the help of Doraemon's tools, they hatched the egg and began raising the dinosaur. Knowing that they can't keep the dinosaur forever, Nobita was forced to send it back to prehistoric times where a group of hunters from the future threatens to endanger the dinosaurs. Determined to save the dinosaurs from the claws of the hunters, Doraemon and the gang returns to the past and sets out in a prehistoric adventure.