(Aug 20): Frustrated stock investors in China are finding dark humour from a crude, low-budget film that has become a box office hit.

Niu Lai, which translates as Here Comes the Bull, is an 86-minute animation about a newborn calf that follows a skylark into an abstract dream sequence. In it, the calf, Niu Lai, encounters a mysterious cobra, befriends a young leopard, and fights against a pack of wolves. He learns life lessons from his mother who sacrifices herself so her son has a chance to escape the predators. When Niu Lai wakes up, he finds the strength to stand up and live a full life. 

The film grossed just 7,700 yuan (US$1,142 or RM4,625) in the first 10 days after its release on Aug 5. But online discussions of how…