Harry H. Kuoshu is Herring Endowed Chair in Asian Studies and Film Studies at Furman University, USA, where he teaches courses on Chinese film, literature, culture and language. In addition to scholarly articles, he is the author of Lightness of Being in China (1999), Celluloid China (2002), and Metro Movies: Cinematic Urbanism in Post-Mao China (2011).

List of Illustrations

Preface

1. Introduction: Crazy Stone Phenomenon and Chinese Neo-Noir Comedies

1. Black Carnival: The Stone Phenomenon

2. Dog and King: To Configure Craziness

4. Modernity: Modernism, Postmodernism and Post-socialism

5. Laughter: Carnival Revelry and Darkness

2. Prelude: Rehumanization Craziness and Traditional Noir

1. "Modernist" Craziness

3. Desperation: Self-chasing and Existential Modernism

4. Obsession: Activating Cultural Psychoanalysis

3. Discourses: Crazy Stone Dropped in a "Postmodern" Pond

1. Postmodernism

2. Grassroots

4. Egao (Mischievous parody) and Shanzhai (Copycatting)

4. Films: Because of Crazy Stone

1. Lost & Found: Darkness for Sale

2. Stone Hitting on Swords: A "Postmodern" Masquerade

i. The Second Best: To Uncrown National Heroes

ii. Almost Perfect: A Doomed Search

iii. A Simple Noodle Story: Bright-color, Neo-noir Profanity

3. Happy: Idealism, Formalism and Bitter Laughter

5. Crazy Stupid Thieves: Connections with Hong Kong

5. Dual Retrievals of Cinematic Craziness: A Coda