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A new book seeks to remedy the lack of English scholarship on China's contribution to the medium.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the west coast premiere of the classic Chinese animated feature Uproar In Heaven on Wednesday October 17th. The screening is part of a city-wide China Onscreen Biennial which will include showings of rare mainland Chinese shorts and feature films at various venues including UCLA, REDCAT, and the UCLA Film and Television Archives. Now known as The Monkey King: Uproar In Heaven, this landmark feature by directors Wan Lai-Ming and Tang Cheng was originally released in two parts – the first in 1961, the second in 1965. I first saw it in New York in the 1970s (I even saved the ad from the newspaper (at left) all these years). It’s an incredible visual feast that is a must-see on the big screen – with crazy-wonderful art direction and animation (see trailer below). It’s based on the Chinese myth of the Monkey King set to a Beijing opera-orchestral soundtrack. The film has been digitally restored and converted to 3D – and will be screened in its original language with English subtitles.

The screening will be at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theatre on Vine Street in Hollywood – and it will sell-out. Tickets go on sale today. Preceding the feature will be a presentation on its digital restoration and 3D conversion by Tom Burton and Pierre Routhier of Technicolor. I highly recommend this film. For more information, check the Academy’s website.