“King of Peking” is the second Chinese-language feature film directed by Sam Voutas, following his 2010 debut “Red Light Revolution.” In his newest drama, Big Wong and Little Wong are a father-and-son traveling projectionist crew and extremely close, but their ties also illustrate the risks of doing business with family.
After learning that his ex-wife is demanding spousal support, fearing he might lose custody of Little Wong, Big Wong picks up a second job as a janitor at a movie theater in Bejing. Barely making ends meet, Big Wong comes up with an alternative plan to sell bootleg versions of films from the basement of the theater under the business title King of Peking. Although his business may be lucrative, Big Wong begins to notice the distrust Little Wong has developed towards his father’s business venture.
Read More: A Film Projectionist Pirates Movies in ‘King of Peking’
Australian-born, Voutas grew...
After learning that his ex-wife is demanding spousal support, fearing he might lose custody of Little Wong, Big Wong picks up a second job as a janitor at a movie theater in Bejing. Barely making ends meet, Big Wong comes up with an alternative plan to sell bootleg versions of films from the basement of the theater under the business title King of Peking. Although his business may be lucrative, Big Wong begins to notice the distrust Little Wong has developed towards his father’s business venture.
Read More: A Film Projectionist Pirates Movies in ‘King of Peking’
Australian-born, Voutas grew...
- 4/13/2017
- by Kerry Levielle
- Indiewire
It was back in 2010 that we first came across writer-director Sam Voutas in these pages. An Australian living in China, Sam was poised to release his debut feature at the time - a Mandarin language comedy about a man starting a sex toy shop in Mainland China titled Red Light Revolution - and we knew instantly that we'd found our kind of filmmaker. Well, Voutas is back now with a second China-set comedy - one that reunites most of the cast and crew from his debut - and will soon be making his world premiere at Tribeca with King Of Peking. Here's how they describe it: Big Wong and Little Wong are a close knit father-son duo. Together, they travel around as a mobile...
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- 3/21/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress -- at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. King of Peking Tweetable Logline: Rather than get mad when our last movie was bootlegged, we went out to make a movie about bootlegging. Elevator Pitch: Inspired by a true story about fake movies, this is a feature film made by a group of friends whose last movie was widely pirated in Beijing. Set in 1998, "King of Peking" follows a traveling film projectionist who, with the advent of DVD, starts a small pirated movie business from home in order to keep custody of his son. Production Team: Sam Voutas (Writer / Director): An Australian, Sam was raised in Beijing. His films and documentaries have screened on TV...
- 4/15/2015
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
The 4th annual Terracotta Far East Film Festival is set to run April 12th -15th and will once again be hosted by PrinceCharles Cinema in the heart of London’s Chinatown.
With a stunning line-up of films hand-picked from the best of the region, encompassing diverse genres from comedy to drama to horror and everything in between, the festival will continue to hold exclusive Q&As, masterclasses and fabulous parties.
Each year the festival strives to improve on last year and to discover new talent: last year, the programme included a little known indie-comedy from China, Red Light Revolution, which ended winning the festival Audience Award.
This year, there will be a focus on Taiwan, given the strength of output in recent years. Most cineastes will be familiar with the works of Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Ang Lee already and Terracotta Festival are delighted to host the...
With a stunning line-up of films hand-picked from the best of the region, encompassing diverse genres from comedy to drama to horror and everything in between, the festival will continue to hold exclusive Q&As, masterclasses and fabulous parties.
Each year the festival strives to improve on last year and to discover new talent: last year, the programme included a little known indie-comedy from China, Red Light Revolution, which ended winning the festival Audience Award.
This year, there will be a focus on Taiwan, given the strength of output in recent years. Most cineastes will be familiar with the works of Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Ang Lee already and Terracotta Festival are delighted to host the...
- 4/4/2012
- by Tiger33
- AsianMoviePulse
Another week, another Monday. So it’s time for the rundown of DVDs and Blu-rays hitting stores online and offline this week. It’s another packed week, with plenty of movies waiting to take you money, so let us breakdown the new releases and highlight what you should – and shouldn’t – be buying from today, February 13th 2012.
Pick Of The Week
Inkubus (DVD)
A gruesome beheading calls Detective Caretti (Joey Fatone) back to Woodhaven police station, where the skeleton crew find themselves in for a long and deadly night as the demon Inkubus (Robert Englund – A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddie Vs Jason) returns. With a murderous legacy dating back to the middle-ages, Inkubus is bent on destroying the one man who almost captured him thirteen years ago, Detective Gil Diamante (William Forsythe – Halloween). Back to settle the score, Inkubus calmly walks into the station, holding the severed head, ready...
Pick Of The Week
Inkubus (DVD)
A gruesome beheading calls Detective Caretti (Joey Fatone) back to Woodhaven police station, where the skeleton crew find themselves in for a long and deadly night as the demon Inkubus (Robert Englund – A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddie Vs Jason) returns. With a murderous legacy dating back to the middle-ages, Inkubus is bent on destroying the one man who almost captured him thirteen years ago, Detective Gil Diamante (William Forsythe – Halloween). Back to settle the score, Inkubus calmly walks into the station, holding the severed head, ready...
- 2/13/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Director: Sam Voutas. Review: Adam Wing. Lets start with some interesting facts, shall we? In 1996 there was only one sex shop in Beijing, by 2010 there were over 2000. 70% of the world’s sex toys are made in China and 1.3 trillion condoms are made there every year. Here’s the fun part though, so I hope you’ve been paying attention. How many films have been made about Beijing sex shops? That’s right folks, just the one. Welcome to Red Light Revolution, a new film by Sam Voutas. With the movie failing to secure a release date in China, the U.K is officially the first territory in the world to see it. Which might seem a little strange, as Voutas himself has stated, “In my neighbourhood alone, there are three adult stores within a block of me. Business, it seems, is booming.” In the real world perhaps, but not on the big screen.
- 1/30/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
Billed, quite accurately, as ‘China’s first sex shop comedy’, “Red Light Revolution” marks the directorial debut of Australian born Sam Voutas, who also scripted as well as playing a small role as a Western porn baron. Long time Beijing resident Voutas, who mainly plies his trade as an actor, appearing in the likes of Lu Chan’s superb “City of Life and Death”, spent years bringing the film to the screen, working with local crews and actors. As well as proving extremelly popular via online video websites in China, the film has been enjoying considerable success on the international festival circuit over the last few years, from winning Best Unproduced Screenplay at Australia’s 2008 Inside Film Awards to more recently picking up the Audience Award at the 2011 Terracotta Film Festival in London. Terracotta have since picked up the film for distribution in the UK, with a nationwide cinema campaign...
- 1/27/2012
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
China's answer to YouTube is bringing cinema – including 250 Hollywood films – to the country's 400m online viewers, and bypassing the censors at the same time
Hollywood has long been eyeing the moneymaking potential of China. Earlier this month 20th Century Fox found a route in to the world's third largest film market, forging a landmark deal with Youku – the Chinese YouTube – to stream 250 films to China's 400m online video viewers.
In a country where what's shown on screen is guarded by the government, online video websites such as Youku and Tudou are revolutionising the way people view film and television. In 2010, the number of Chinese watching video online was 284 million. By the end of 2012 the figure could pass 445m, according to Cmm Intelligence, a Beijing-based market research firm.
"After so many years of economic growth, China is ready for similar growth in entertainment," says Jean Shao, a Youku spokesperson. Though Youku offers a YouTube-style user-generated platform,...
Hollywood has long been eyeing the moneymaking potential of China. Earlier this month 20th Century Fox found a route in to the world's third largest film market, forging a landmark deal with Youku – the Chinese YouTube – to stream 250 films to China's 400m online video viewers.
In a country where what's shown on screen is guarded by the government, online video websites such as Youku and Tudou are revolutionising the way people view film and television. In 2010, the number of Chinese watching video online was 284 million. By the end of 2012 the figure could pass 445m, according to Cmm Intelligence, a Beijing-based market research firm.
"After so many years of economic growth, China is ready for similar growth in entertainment," says Jean Shao, a Youku spokesperson. Though Youku offers a YouTube-style user-generated platform,...
- 1/24/2012
- by Nicola Davison
- The Guardian - Film News
War Horse (12A)
(Steven Spielberg, 2011, Us) Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch. 146 mins
You can see why the hit boy-and-his-horse book/play appealed to Spielberg, in a sort of Et-meets-Saving Private Ryan way. It brings out the best and worst of him. There's some brazen old-school tear-jerking and rosy rural farming hardship, but there's also the first world war, thank God. Epic action frequently comes to the rescue, in what becomes a stirring, gruelling steeplechase across wartime Europe, towards an ending that's pure Hollywood.
Shame (18)
(Steve McQueen, 2011, UK) Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale. 101 mins
McQueen's follow-up to Hunger tackles an equally risky topic (sex addiction) with a similarly sparse and frank approach, though this is arguably more conventional. Fassbender is magnetic as usual, playing a terminally horny Manhattan man whose lone-wolf existence is disrupted by the arrival of his needy sister.
(Steven Spielberg, 2011, Us) Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch. 146 mins
You can see why the hit boy-and-his-horse book/play appealed to Spielberg, in a sort of Et-meets-Saving Private Ryan way. It brings out the best and worst of him. There's some brazen old-school tear-jerking and rosy rural farming hardship, but there's also the first world war, thank God. Epic action frequently comes to the rescue, in what becomes a stirring, gruelling steeplechase across wartime Europe, towards an ending that's pure Hollywood.
Shame (18)
(Steve McQueen, 2011, UK) Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale. 101 mins
McQueen's follow-up to Hunger tackles an equally risky topic (sex addiction) with a similarly sparse and frank approach, though this is arguably more conventional. Fassbender is magnetic as usual, playing a terminally horny Manhattan man whose lone-wolf existence is disrupted by the arrival of his needy sister.
- 1/14/2012
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
The selling point of Sam Voutas’ “Red Light Revolution” is that it’s China’s first and only sex shop comedy, which, I guess, is something to be proud of. After all, every culture needs a sex shop comedy in order to truly be considered civilized. All kidding aside, the film actually looks pretty amusing, despite the fact that the premise sounds a little sophomoric. If the movie has as much heart as the trailer suggests, I think it could be something special. Check out this synopsis: Unemployed Beijinger, Shunzi, fresh from being fired from his cab company and still wounded by news of his wife running away for another man, decides to risk it all and follow his friend, and opens a sex store, much to the disappointment of his parents. At first battling with blow up dolls, and getting to grips with some of the vibrating merchandise, he...
- 1/9/2012
- by Todd Rigney
- Beyond Hollywood
Sex! Yeah that woke you up. Terracotta Distribution have announced the UK theatrical release of “China’s first Sex Shop Comedy,” Sam Voutas’s Red Light Revolution on Jan 20th. Following its big opening (no one said we were immune to innuendo!) in London, Red Light can been seen selected key cities to coincide with Chinese New Year then hits DVD on 13th February 2012. Synopsis: Unemployed Beijinger, Shunzi, fresh from being fired from his cab company and still wounded by news of his wife running away for another man, decides to risk it all and follow his friend, and opens a sex store, much to the disappointment of his parents. At first battling with blow up dolls, and getting to grips with some of the vibrating merchandise, he soon realises that not only has he become a victim of a high pressured sales operation (with a gangster like supplier), but...
- 1/7/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
UK Release Date: 20th January 2012
Opening in London & selected key cities to coincide with Chinese New Year.
‘ Red Light Revolution ’ is the story of a laid off cab driver who opens an adult-toy store to make ends meet.
Director Sam Voutas references ‘ The Full Monty ’ in terms of the economic backdrop and the financial toils of the every day man -
“Our film aims to strike a universal chord in terms of the struggles to get by with one’s head held high in tough economic times”.
This movie is based on fact. Beijing possibly has more sex shops per square kilometre than anywhere on Earth; why shouldn’t there be movies about this?
Sam Voutas says:
“Red Light Revolution offers, I hope, an entertaining wake-up call. China is traditional, yes—but it’s also a nation that is embracing capitalism like it’s going out of style, overhauling virtually every industry and activity.
Opening in London & selected key cities to coincide with Chinese New Year.
‘ Red Light Revolution ’ is the story of a laid off cab driver who opens an adult-toy store to make ends meet.
Director Sam Voutas references ‘ The Full Monty ’ in terms of the economic backdrop and the financial toils of the every day man -
“Our film aims to strike a universal chord in terms of the struggles to get by with one’s head held high in tough economic times”.
This movie is based on fact. Beijing possibly has more sex shops per square kilometre than anywhere on Earth; why shouldn’t there be movies about this?
Sam Voutas says:
“Red Light Revolution offers, I hope, an entertaining wake-up call. China is traditional, yes—but it’s also a nation that is embracing capitalism like it’s going out of style, overhauling virtually every industry and activity.
- 1/6/2012
- by Tiger33
- AsianMoviePulse
Sam Voutas' independent Chinese sex shop comedy Red Light Revolution has one of its first distribution deals, and this one is in the UK. The venerable Terracotta Distribution, home of Ik-Yang June's Breathless and Johnnie To's Sparrow among others, has taken up the challenge of bringing Red Light Revolution to UK screens. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Terracotta founder Joey Leung said, ""We want to show the U.K. that there's more to Asian film than just guns and ghosts," a noble cause.Red Light Revolution recently screened at The Terracotta Far East Film Festival, one of the UK's premiere showcases for new Asian films, where it won the audience award just weeks ago. The director likens the film to something along the lines of The Full...
- 6/30/2011
- Screen Anarchy
The 34th São Paulo International Film Festival (site), which opened on Friday and runs through November 4, is partnering with Mubi to make a dozen shorts and over 50 features it's screening available online — for free — to viewers in Brazil.
A sampling of the highlights would include Red Light Revolution (the site has a trailer), written and directed by Sam Voutas (who appeared in Lu Chuan's City of Life and Death) and flying in the face of expectations many might have of Chinese cinema — it's a comedy about opening a sex shop in a conservative Beijing neighborhood.
Back in January, John Anderson wrote in Variety that "William S Burroughs has been overripe for the kind of substantive, stylistically simpatico docu treatment he gets from helmer Yony Leyser, whose William S Burroughs: A Man Within does real justice to the Beat writer, gun nut and literary icon."
Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas's Jean Gentil,...
A sampling of the highlights would include Red Light Revolution (the site has a trailer), written and directed by Sam Voutas (who appeared in Lu Chuan's City of Life and Death) and flying in the face of expectations many might have of Chinese cinema — it's a comedy about opening a sex shop in a conservative Beijing neighborhood.
Back in January, John Anderson wrote in Variety that "William S Burroughs has been overripe for the kind of substantive, stylistically simpatico docu treatment he gets from helmer Yony Leyser, whose William S Burroughs: A Man Within does real justice to the Beat writer, gun nut and literary icon."
Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas's Jean Gentil,...
- 10/25/2010
- MUBI
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