Josie Ho's 852 Films Unveils Five New Projects; Signs Acting Deal With Iman Taheri — Filmart
Additionally, the production outfit unveiled Iman Taheri, who becomes their first signed artist. He stars in horror film The Mage, directed by Danny Pang. The film also stars Ho and German Cheung. Taheri is set to appear in the sequel The Mage 2, which will start filming in April this year — as well as in several upcoming films on the company's slate.
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852 Films has worked on Open Grave, starring Shalto Copley, Thomas Kretschmann and Josie Ho, as well as How To Talk To Girls At Parties, directed by John Cameron Mitchell.
Besides launching The Mage 2, 852 Films also unveiled Macao Redux, with Jordan Gertner (The Killer Inside Me) set to direct. The film follows four friends — Z, a magician; Jade, an actress; Marco, a tech wizard; and Hazel, a historian — who embark on an adventure in Macau for 'The Hidden Game' together — an innovative blend of augmented reality and treasure hunting.
The four friends accidentally steal an urn containing the ashes of a legendary ruler from a triad-controlled casino. Mistaken for infiltrators by the triads and suspects in a series of unsolved crimes by the police, they find themselves in a perilous game of cat and mouse as they navigate the streets of Macau and make us of their unique skills — Z's sleight of hand, Jade's dramatic improvisations, Marco's tech tricks, and Hazel's historical insights.
Another project on the 852 Films slate is mystery film The Connoisseurs, produced by Chan and Max Ip. Set in an opulent European mansion, an extravagant gala unfolds, filled with the elite of society. Iman, accompanied by his father, mingles with the guests, while a mafia boss mingles in the crowd and two cloaked figures quietly descend into the mansion.
Iman's father's prized possessions, including a magnificent diamond and two renowned paintings, go missing at the gala. Iman and the guests are thrust into a web of intrigue and betrayal, and scramble to uncover the truth behind the theft.
My Funny Valentine follows a prince, burdened with the responsibility of inheriting his family legacy — but just a week before his wedding, he finds out that his fiancée has been unfaithful. Devastated, the prince decides to escape to Semporna in Sabah, Malaysia, seeking solace and peace. There, he meets two affluent sisters in a luxurious resort.
The younger sister has been entrusted with managing the family resort. One day, the resort hosts a grand festival and the younger daughter, slightly tipsy, boards her family's yacht and sails out, before waking up the next morning and finding the prince onboard. Planning to return to the resort, they are confronted with a problem: the boat has run out of fuel. This serendipitous mishap sets the stage for a love story.
Báthory, with Matthew David Wilder (Your Name Here) set to direct, is based on the story of Hungary's Elizabeth Báthory, who found infamy after bathing in the blood of virgins.
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Eater
5 hours ago
- Eater
Nobody Asked for Pasta in an Omakase, Until Ryokou Came Swinging
Henna Bakshi is the Regional Editor, South at Eater and an award-winning food and wine journalist with a WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) Level 3 degree. She oversees coverage in Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, the Carolinas, and Nashville. Welcome to another installment of Scene Report in Atlanta, a new column in which Eater captures the vibe of a notable Atlanta restaurant at a specific moment in time. Midway through Ryokou's omakase courses, chef Paul Gutting begins plating what looks like an exquisite plate of pasta. No way, pasta at an omakase joint, I thought. It's a mushroom capellini with miso and shaved Australian winter black truffles, folded into just a couple mouthfuls of rich, thin noodles. Gutting explains that chef Leonard Yu, of one-Michelin-starred Omakase Table and owner of Ryokou, worked at Italian restaurants early in his career, including Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. He also explains that Japan has a love affair with Italian cuisine, called Itameshi, and some of the best Italian food is found in the island country. The course is a showstopping ode to this discovery. The woman seated beside me is brought to tears on the first bite. Ryokou is Yu's new and casual iteration of omakase, packed with pasta and rare sake pairings. Here's why it's a scene. The 'zen garden' introductory course with grilled eel, horsehair crab, tuna, and corn and scallops, paired with Born 'Gold' Muroka Junmai Daiginjo sake. Henna Bakshi The atmosphere Ryokou is a hidden gem in Adair Park. You head inside an industrial building where tall candles light a black hallway, and wood-paneled doors open up into the cozy yet stylish restaurant. The exposed brick wall behind the omakase counter is speckled with ceramic gold and white koi fish. The lights are dim, and the staff is immediately warm and welcoming. The place setting is a glittery gold placemat with chopsticks on the ready. Gutting has his head down, slicing and scorching eel for the first preparation. The 10-seat omakase counter at Ryokou. Brandon Amato Insider tip: Visit the bathroom. It's one of the most luxurious experiences in town: heated toilet seat, beautiful marble sink, matching black toilet paper with the rest of the decor, candlelit, and rolled hand towels. These details are a wonderful respite. The food The two-hour, eight-course omakase ($205) is a trip through different regions of Japan. The newly launched summer menu features the pasta course, in addition to tuna nigiri, grilled fish, and A5 wagyu strip loin. The akami zuke tuna nigiri (the second in the lineup) is a soy sauce marinated cut that is equal parts velvet and salt — a standout. Gutting explains that soy sauce was used as a preservation liquid before refrigeration, and the marination stems from that ritual. Nimono with kinmedai, a traditional Japanese comfort dish served in a flavorful broth. Henna Bakshi Tuna nigiri with chu-toro, akami zuke, and otoro cuts. Henna Bakshi The somen (thin Japanese noodles) in broth with shrimp, clams, and ice plant is another refreshing treat. The tiny ice plant packed a powerful salty punch, and the broth is diluted with ice from Japan. No, really. The chefs flew in ice from Japan for its mineral content — a luxury, though one with a big carbon footprint in shipping. Yu promises it changes the flavor of the broth significantly, though I'd argue ice from Georgia may just be good enough for us Georgia folk. The pacing of the food is punctual, you don't feel rushed, and at the same time, don't feel plastered to your chair for hours on end. The service on both sides of the omakase counter is flawless: anticipating needs when you have to scoot your chair, clearing glasses before the next course arrives, and offering ample, friendly insights into the cuisine and ingredients. The drinks Oh, the drinks. Get the sake pairing. Period. Beverage manager TC McNeill expertly pairs beautiful junmai daiginjos and koshu sakes with the courses. The Boken 'Ringo' Junmai, the award-winning sake you may see more of on Atlanta menus, has vibrant notes of green apple and is paired with the icy somen. It's light-bodied and perfect for those stepping into trying sake. The Boken 'Ringo' Junmai sake has vibrant notes of green apple and is paired with the icy somen. Henna Bakshi The Amabuki 'Pink Lady' Gin No Kurenai Junmai sake is made with ancient black rice, giving the sake a gorgeous purple hue. Henna Bakshi The Amabuki 'Pink Lady' Gin No Kurenai Junmai sake is made with ancient black rice, giving the sake a gorgeous purple hue. It is paired with the nigiri, and its earthy florality plays with the different cuts of fish. 'Lean in closer, because this is a secret drink you must seek out.' — Henna Bakshi, Eater regional editor, South The piece de resistance is the sake paired with dessert. Lean in closer, because this is a secret drink you must seek out. A light panna cotta with strawberries is paired with Kanbara 'Ancient Treasure' Junmai Genshu Koshu — a 12-year-aged sweet sake with notes of dark honey, nuts, figs, and a finish of toasted sesame oil. Uff. It is a layered beauty, and one worth sitting with. The pairing is so right, you could practically pour the sake on the dessert. McNeil shares this caramel-colored sake with a big smile in small o-choko cups. The Kanbara 'Ancient Treasure' Junmai Genshu Koshu is a 12-year-aged sweet sake with notes of dark honey, nuts, figs, and a finish of toasted sesame oil. Henna Bakshi The sweet sake is served in a small cup, called o-choko, alongside a light panna cotta with strawberries. Henna Bakshi Insider tip: The non-alcoholic options are great, too. They include hot teas, and a stunning sparkling jasmine, white, and Darjeeling blend from Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Company. Why go here Ryokou is an express, high-level omakase experience, if you want eight courses in two hours. (If you want more, go to the newly relocated Omakase Table in Buckhead, with 20 courses for $295.) The menu is concise, and tells a story through Italian influences, seasonal ingredients, and Gutting's ideas shine while tipping his hat to Yu. It is a great addition to Adair Park, and an experience worth scouting out. Eater Atlanta All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
CNBC
6 hours ago
- CNBC
LinkedIn launches Mini Sudoku, pushing deeper into casual games that keep users coming back
LinkedIn on Tuesday released a new game for the professional social networking app's 1.2 billion users. It's a miniature version of Sudoku, an old game with a rich history. The new Mini Sudoku is LinkedIn's sixth game. It's scaled down from the traditional 9-by-9 grid and meant to be completed in two or three minutes. "We don't want to have a puzzle on LinkedIn that takes 20 minutes to solve, right?" said Lakshman Somasundaram, a senior director of product at the Microsoft subsidiary, in an interview with CNBC. "We're not games for games' sake." The introduction has the potential to strike a nostalgic chord and spark competition with colleagues, friends and family members for how fast the puzzle can be solved. As with other puzzles in the app, Mini Sudoku gets harder as the days progress through the week. LinkedIn added games last year to increase the fun and give users something new to talk about with one another. Millions of people play LinkedIn's games every day, a spokesperson said. The most popular time is 7 a.m. ET, and Gen Z is the top demographic. Of those who play today, 86% will return tomorrow, and 82% will be playing next week, the spokesperson said. Launched in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft for $27 billion in 2016, LinkedIn remains in growth mode. Revenue increased about 9% to $4.6 billion in the latest quarter and membership reached 1.2 billion. Meta's social networks are more popular, with a combined 3.5 billion daily users and 22% revenue growth. Unlike Meta, LinkedIn gives recruiters tools for finding candidates, and job seekers can apply for openings listed on the site. LinkedIn also now promotes a personalized feed of videos, similar to Google's YouTube, TikTok and Meta's own Facebook and Instagram. LinkedIn's development of the game resulted from an encounter with Japanese publisher Nikoli, which popularized Sudoku. Somasundaram and a band of LinkedIn associate product managers visited Nikoli's Tokyo headquarters late last year and spoke through a translator about puzzles with the publisher's employees. That led to weeks of meetings involving LinkedIn, Nikoli and Thomas Snyder, a three-time World Sudoku Championship winner who has helped LinkedIn with its gaming strategy. The group hoped to make Sudoku more accessible, building several prototypes before landing on the board with six rows and six columns of squares. "It's very easy to just make a Sudoku grid," Snyder said. "It's very hard to make art in the form of Sudoku. And that's what both Nikoli and we do." Snyder is founder and CEO of Grandmaster Puzzles, a publisher of Sudoku books. With a Ph.D. in chemistry, he goes by the nickname Dr. Sudoku and has contributed to the hint feature in LinkedIn's Mini Sudoku and constructed some of the puzzles. With each day's puzzle, there will be a video showing how Snyder solves it. "I think it's got the potential to be the largest of the games, just because it's going to have a lot of brand awareness from moment one," he said. Howard Garns, an architect from Indiana, came up with a game called "Number Place" that required people to fill in a grid with numbers from one to nine. No number can be repeated in a row or column, and all nine numbers must appear just once in each of the nine 3-by-3 grids that make up the puzzle. Number Place debuted in the magazine Dell Pencil Puzzles & Word Games in 1979. It only took off after Nikoli included a spin on the puzzle in the October 1984 issue of Puzzle Communication Nikoli under the name "Suji wa dokushin ni kagiru," which means "The numbers must be single," a Nikoli spokesperson told CNBC in an email. Readers abbreviated the puzzle's name, calling it Sudoku. At first, the publisher employed both the long name and the shorter Sudoku title in Puzzle Communication Nikoli. In 1992 Nikoli started using only the Sudoku name, the spokesperson said. U.S. and European newspapers began publishing Sudoku puzzles in the mid-2000s. Sudoku joined The New York Times' NYT Games app, which boasts 10 million daily users, in 2023. More than 100 media companies have licensed Nikoli's Sudoku puzzles, the spokesperson said. "The daily puzzles will only be available on LinkedIn each day, but we are looking forward to republishing selected puzzles from those in our magazine," the spokesperson wrote.
Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
A place to listen: Chicago listening bars offer audio enthusiasts a different way to enjoy music
There's no shortage of ways to experience music in Chicago. For that, residents are eternally grateful. But for those looking to sit and really listen to an obscure single or underappreciated album — communally, maybe discuss it in real time — there's been a gap. Historically a tradition of record store culture, hosting a dedicated time and place for just celebrating quality audio, or 'listening party' sans live performance is pretty hard to come by these days. Now, audiophilic purists and the avidly curious alike can sit and soak in the sounds at a number of bars built for listening, including the new Charis Listening Bar in Bridgeport, A Listening Space in Washington Park, and CHIRP Radio and Audiotree's co-presented Both Sides Now monthly listening bar activation at Schubas Tavern in Lakeview. Both Charis Listening Bar and A Listening Space draw inspiration from experiences in travel and observation, but remain rooted in traditions of jazz 'kissas,' or cafes that rose to prominence in Japan after World War II as a way for folks to share and listen to imported jazz albums that would otherwise be expensive and hard to come by; infusing global appreciation and the universal language of music with Midwestern charm. While a listening bar isn't a new concept, it's been fairly under-represented in the city. As of late, there've been a number of restaurants adapting the vibe and quality audio expectations of a Japanese jazz 'kissa' — Parachute HiFi in Avondale and Wax Vinyl Bar and Ramen Shop in West Town — but the food still takes center stage. Other popular spaces such as Dorian's in Wicker Park and Mojo's Vinyl Bar and Listening House in suburban Highwood rely on live music and variety events to entertain. For Alex Jandernoa, who opened Charis in February, the ethos behind the bar was instilled in him at a young age by his parents, both massive music fans (a mom who'd sneak into Detroit's Fox Theatre at 16 and a dad who followed The Who's 'Tommy' tour). Jandernoa wanted his space to evoke the memories of traveling with his parents for formative concerts and culinary exchanges, and marry the comforts of home with an impressive audio setup. 'If you look at the first kissa cafes, they weren't these super elaborate, giant, built-out sound systems. They were quality products people could buy for their homes if they were really rich, but they were put in a space more people could access,' Jandernoa says. 'We took that approach and we tried to pay homage to their origins in Japan without appropriating things. When you look at some of the spaces that have existed previous to us, not necessarily in Chicago but around the world, there's a distinction between a club that has a really good sound system and a listening lounge or room where the bar aspect — the rowdiness, the camaraderie and conversation — was taken away to sit in silence.' 'I think we wanted to really be in the middle,' he continues. The one real 'rule'? No standing room to encourage listening. In reverence, Jandernoa and team worked with a local record store, tapping Drew Mitchell of 606 Records in Pilsen to curate the music programming, from stocking the bar with vinyl each month, including a 'satellite store' that's refreshed weekly with new and used albums for purchase, to booking DJ's for Friday nights. Charis' sound system also echoes history, working with Saturday Audio on the North Side to build a system with both vintage warmth and modern quality and efficiency, using Midwestern Klipsch speakers. Sundholm Studio fashioned interiors where sound was the main priority, with custom ceilings, tons of drywall, bass blockers and air-gapped speakers. '[Charis] is an ode to my parents and everything they'd want in a bar,' he adds. 'Something that's cozy [the bar seats 35] and homey and reminds them of a Midwestern bar you can spend the whole night in, but where the cocktails surprise you and you hear a record you don't know but it reminds you of a time period that you love. When you find your music nerds and your foodie, beverage nerds, sometimes you find your people.' For 606 Records owner Mitchell, the cross-pollination of communities feels like an exciting evolution for music fans and is not only a newer way to experience music in the city, but the neighborhoods and micro-communities themselves. 'I'd been to Tokyo and some of the listening bars there and I thought it was a great idea. When [Alex] approached me, it sounded like he wanted to do it right and for the right reasons,' Mitchell remembers. 'You have bars and record stores where you can learn about new music and discuss and debate as independent experiences and now there's a hybrid of the two. And to get back to the bar as a community space — whether you drink or don't drink. Charis has so many N/A options, their mocktails are to die for — and this hybrid bar/record store concept is great. In Bridgeport, you have Lumpen Radio a block away. There are great female DJs. Producer/DJ Vick Lavender is nearby at Bridgeport Records. It's important to know and respect the community.' He continues, 'I went [to Charis] the other night and this record was playing — it wasn't anything other than the music. The sound was so warm. There was something so different where I was looking at everyone at the bar like, 'Are you feeling this?'' Similarly, Theaster Gates, renowned installation artist from Chicago's West Side and founder and executive director of the Rebuild Foundation — a nonprofit that works to repurpose spaces on the South Side to celebrate art, began conceptualizing A Listening Space after spending time in Gugulethu just outside of Cape Town, South Africa. Hearing stories of and visiting 'shebeens' — once-illegal spaces predominantly operated by women (known as Shebeen Queens) where homebrewed alcohol was served without proper licenses; now contemporary, cultural gathering spaces serving a similar purpose to famed juke joints — and listening to records that reflected the diaspora and more. 'By the time I got to visiting Japan and the kissas, you noticed there were similar loops. Black GI's were going to Japan and sharing their music and the Japanese became enamored with Black American jazz and you'd see the rise of these listening spaces,' Gates recalls. 'That tradition of gathering to sit and listen is sort of lost. Everybody talks about the fact that their parents and aunties and uncles in the '70s and '80s had bars in their basements and you may have gone out to a tavern or something like this, but by and large, people kicked it at home,' he continues. 'You couldn't really afford to go out, you'd play spades and host at home. There's nothing like hearing Marvin Gaye up close and intimate in a place where it doesn't feel like the primary goal is for you to spend money, the goal is for you to be together with music and people.' Replacing the beloved Currency Exchange Cafe for this year, A Listening Space is seen as an opportunity for the love of music to shape the 'resonance and presence' of a space that's uncoupled from commerce, according to Gates. Opened in January, it specifically showcases the catalogue of Dinh Nguyen, French Vietnamese renaissance man turned DJ Natty Hô turned chef, while offering complimentary Horii Shichimeien tea, courtesy of the on-staff 'TeaJ' (or DJ serving tea). With over 14,000 records, CDs, cassettes and other audio ephemera, much is focused on music of the Caribbean, particularly from the islands of Réunion (where Dinh had spent much time) and Mauritius, as he collected for more than 20 years, as well as jazz, classical, funk and experimental genres. Spending time in Arles, France, in 2023 for an exhibition of his own vinyl collection at the Luma Foundation, a visit with friend and executive chef Armand Arnal of La Chassagnette led Gates to Dinh's family, who were looking to rehouse his meticulously stored albums after his death in 2022. Upon purchase, he promised Nguyen's widow Danielle and daughter Millie that he'd steward it into the public sphere. The end of the cafe provided the chance. After minimal refurbishing, what was originally a business became a living, potent archive. Gates, and frequent community collaborator Nigel Ridgeway of Miyagi Records, say it has become part of the neighborhood's cultural livelihood. 'As a business owner, it's important to have that ethos of surviving and thriving together,' says Ridgeway, who opened Miyagi with business partner Marco Jacobo under the Rebuild Foundation's Creative Entrepreneurship Program. 'As a fan, it's important to have a third space. Every album in that collection was new to me. Caribbean, Afro-Latin diaspora — he gets very deep. It was big for me personally. It's a constant learning experience. A lot of culture has been stripped from the South Side over time, so to have places to embrace and enjoy it is incredibly important. Everyone who comes into the shop has a different level of experience with records, with collecting, with listening, with whatever their set-up is back home. The main reason we send everyone over there is to show look, this is the high bar of what listening to a record can be and why we listen to it on vinyl, why it's something to enjoy. Going over there, it's always new.' A place to simply listen can also be a lower barrier to connection for folks easily overstimulated or anxiety-riddled by going to live events alone. Coming out of the COVID-19 lockdown years, Jenna Chapman, booking and promotions coordinator for CHIRP Radio, said she felt less confident interacting with strangers at large group events like concerts or buzzing third spaces like bars. This was the impetus for the monthly listening bar activation Both Sides Now in Schubas' upstairs lounge. 'I figured there might be an appeal to an event with a clear shared interest involved, where it was socially acceptable to come alone and not be forced to talk to people. I know I missed the feeling of being at a bar or cafe, but in the early days, especially, I didn't always feel up to trying to remember 'how to people' or going out just to go out. Both Sides Now creates that environment while taking some of the social pressure off.' Folks can expect a 'menu' of four LPs selected by CHIRP DJs. There's even a WhatsApp group where those who want to can join an open forum for music discussion at the event to avoid talking over the music onsite. Turnout has steadily increased since the series soft-launched in November 2023, particularly after a Chicago-based Reddit thread for vinyl enthusiasts took off in 2024. Chapman and Dan Apodaca, Schubas and Audiotree's talent buyer, argue that the appeal for music folks is in the album format as an art itself. In the age of streaming, it feels increasingly rare for albums to be put together with intention (sequenced, consumed as a complete body of work) as opposed to an assortment of tracks that can just as easily stand alone or together. 'The structure of Both Sides Now helps remind folks that there can be additional meaning to be found in music when it's approached that way,' she says. Still, for many, the choice to go out is the choice to see and be seen. Can listening truly be just as thrilling as being swallowed by the crowds? 'We, in modern life, exist in a perpetual state of sensory overload. That can be exhausting,' Apodaca reminds. 'It's really nice to be able to go someplace comfortable, specifically not look at any of your notifications, and just chill. Give your brain some quiet, art-processing time playing whole albums. Especially those albums by artists who, for various reasons, you can't go see live. I think that can be very therapeutic and very helpful. But a world like this where listening bars and traditional live events definitely happily coexists. One doesn't replace the other.'
