Sinema Weekly Digest: 23 – 28 May 20217 min read
Reading Time: 6 minutesThe Sinema Weekly Digest presents a weekly roundup of Asian film news and the latest trailers, releases and events to check out over the weekend!
Top Stories
The Projector Pauses All Physical Operations From 31 May to 13 June
Local independent theatre The Projector will suspend physical operations from 31 May to 13 June. In a Facebook post, the theatre shared that the decision was made for long-term business sustainability, citing current regulations and low job support grants or rental relief as sources of strain.
This weekend will be your last chance to catch a film at The Projector before the hiatus! While physical screenings take a pause, check out the theatre’s streaming platform The Projector Plus and its curation of critically-acclaimed films, all available to enjoy from the comfort of home.
‘F9’ Takes Over China Box Office With US$137 Million Gross
The hotly anticipated next entry to the Fast and Furious franchise grossed US$137 million on its opening weekend in China, making F9 the biggest opening weekend for a Hollywood film since the start of the pandemic. This comes despite the mediocre critical reception from Chinese netizens, scoring a 5.6 out of ten rating on review site Douban.
Read more about the news here.
Following a handful of delays, F9 is now slated to race to theatres here on 24 June 2021. In the meantime, learn more about the love-hate relationship between Hollywood and China, and why the Fast and Furious franchise continues to be immensely popular in the Middle Kingdom in our analysis here.
Tamil Nadu Govt Seeks Ban on Amazon Prime Series ‘The Family Man 2’
The Tamil Nadu government on 24 May sought an immediate halt or ban on the release of Manoj Bajpayee’s upcoming series The Family Man 2 set to release on Amazon Prime on 4 June, citing a ‘highly objectionable’ portrayal of the Eelam Tamil.
Tamil Nadu Information Technology Minister T. Mano Thangaraj, in his letter to the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar, said that the series not only hurt the feelings of the Tamil Eelam, it will also affect the people of Tamil Nadu.
Read the full article here.
Events, Festivals and Happenings
Singapore Mental Health Film Festival 2021
This weekend will be your last chance to catch the lineup of films presented by the Singapore Mental Health Film Festival 2021, streaming exclusively till 30 May on https://watch.smhff.com/. Check out our review of drama Sorry We Missed You, a wake-up call for many of us who have numbed ourselves to the stress and pain of keeping up with an increasingly fast-paced society.
The Bride Always Knocks Twice – Killer Secrets
Theatre institution The Theatre Practice will be presenting a murder mystery unlike any other with The Bride Always Knocks Twice — Killer Secrets.
Seven women from different eras have gathered in a mysterious house outside time and space. All seems well until one of them is found murdered. It is up to participants to find out who did it.
The Bride Always Knocks Twice — Killer Secrets will unfold in four parts from 31 May to 6 June 2021. Chapter 1 will be an online performance revisiting the night of the murder, followed by a live online interrogation of two suspects in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 brings participants through a virtual presentation of the crime scene. The week-long experience caps off in Chapter 4 with the killer’s unmasking held online.
Grab your tickets to the experience now at https://brideknockstwice.com/. Find out how the genre-defying production was brought to life in Sinema.SG’s interview with the all-star team.
Singapore Film Society’s Kopi & Movie #5: Mystery Movie Watch Party
Singapore Film Society’s watch parties are back with another edition happening this Sunday, 30 May, at 3 pm! The chosen film, as voted on the society’s Telegram group, will be revealed later today. Head over to the Facebook event page to find out more.
New Trailers
Teaser for Upcoming Animated Adaptation of Filipino Comic ‘Trese’
Based on the award-winning Filipino comic of the same name, Trese follows the adventures of the titular detective in modern-day Manila as she investigates criminal cases surrounding the supernatural. The animated series will premiere on Netflix on June 11, 2021.
First Look: Korean Box Office Hit ‘Waiting For Rain’ Forecasted For Local Theatres June 2021
Korean box office hit Waiting for Rain, starring Kang Ha-Neul and Chun Woo-Hee, will be arriving in local theatres this June. The heartfelt romantic drama revolves around two youths who sought solace and comfort in each other’s words due to an unexpected letter, sparking an endearing friendship. A far-fetched promise was made where they were to meet on a rainy December 31.
First Trailer for Edgar Wright’s Next Feature ‘Last Night in Soho’
Director Edgar Wright, better known for his eccentric comedies, will look to terrify audiences with his upcoming psychological thriller Last Night in Soho. Starring Thomasin Mckenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy, the film follows Eloise, an innocent, up-and-coming fashionista in the modern day, haunted by the actions of her singer-idol Sandy in the 1960s.
First Look: High Octane Shoot-Em-Up ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ Slated for Release July 2021
Starring Karen Gillan, Lena Headey, Carla Gugino and a ton of gunfights, the action-thriller pits three generations of assassins against an endless army of henchmen.
New Releases to Check Out On Streaming
Singapore International Festival of Arts: Singular Screens All Access
Curated by the Asian Film Archive, Singular Screens celebrates diverse and independent visions. If you missed out on the physical screenings of the lineup during the festival period, you can catch the selections through SIFA On Demand streaming from 31 May to 12 June.
From the exciting lineup, the Sinema team recommends Light of a Burning Moth and N.P.
National Youth Film Awards (NYFA) Nominees and Award Winners on Viddsee
Get a glimpse of the best films from Singapore’s youth filmmakers on Viddsee, which currently hosts a selection of past NYFA nominated and winning films.
Local Hit ‘The Diam Diam Era’ Now Available on Netflix
The third part of local director Jack Neo’s Long Long Time Ago series brings audiences down memory lane to 1980s Singapore, detailing the rapid societal changes of the era. Stream the film now on Netflix.
The fourth instalment will be available on the streaming platform on 8 August.
Check out our review of The Diam Diam Era here.
Opening in Theatres This Week
In lieu of the increase of community cases, Sinema.SG would like to remind readers to stay safe and observe social distancing measures if they decide to head to the theatres over the weekend.
‘Cruella’ Tracks The Twisted Beginnings of An Iconic Disney Villain
Emma Stone stars as a young, pre-Dalmatian-murderer Cruella De Vil, determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world of 1970s London.
Banner image credit: The Projector
