Not exactly what one would expect, and a little context may help on this one. Earlier this year the news broke that after producing the spectacle of the Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Chinese auteur Zhang Yimou was already shooting a loose remake of The Coen Brothers’ debut film, Blood Simple. The film is now titled San qiang pai an jing qi (English Title, Amazing Tales: Three Guns) . And it is set in the middle of the desert in a noodle shop. It is also a period piece with fancy armour and swords (Yimou has been doing this for some time now, peaking in production design with Curse of the Golden Flower. But the kicker here, and why the trailer looks so baffling, is that one half of the film would be a comedy, the second a thriller. So expect some massive tonal shift at some point. The Coens have always balanced thriller and comedy, but they tend to do so from scene to scene, Yimou seems to be taking a different approach by splitting the film into two ‘parts.’ Either way, the signature Yimou spectacle touches are all there to keep your eyes warm and fuzzy.

I remain intrigued, even if the trailer (via Twitch and Sina) is a bit ungainly. It’s tucked under the seat. Sorry no subtitles at this point.