Monthly Archives: March 2019

Media Mix, March 31, 2019

Posted on March 31, 2019 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the effort to increase the number of female candidates in this month’s prefectural and municipal elections. By all accounts, the effort has been unsuccessful, and the column explains various reasons as reported in the … Continue reading →

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Review: Dumbo

Posted on March 30, 2019 by philipbrasor

At this writing, the new CGI live-action Dumbo is being slated as a likely box office smash, thus justifying Disney’s faith in director Tim Burton as the kind of edgy filmmaker they can trust with their family fare. Inherent in … Continue reading →

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Review: The LEGO Movie 2

Posted on March 29, 2019 by philipbrasor

The big reveal at the end of the first LEGO Movie was one of the most brilliant in the history of animated films, since it capped a fairly hilarious mock-dystopian story with a credibly affecting framing device that not only … Continue reading →

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Review: Shock and Awe

Posted on March 28, 2019 by philipbrasor

In the wake of the recent Mueller report and the disappointment felt by those who hoped it would hasten the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, Rob Reiner’s earnest paean to the old-fashioned virtues of hard-hitting newspaper journalism may, in fact, … Continue reading →

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Review: On the Basis of Sex

Posted on March 23, 2019 by philipbrasor

Given her current role in keeping the U.S. Constitution on an even keel during these politically stormy times, it’s not surprising that there are two feature-length films about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and by most lights the Oscar-nominated … Continue reading →

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Review: BlacKkKlansman

Posted on March 21, 2019 by philipbrasor

Spike Lee’s most obvious touchpoint as a major film director is his obsession with the African-American experience, which he translates to the screen in the most uncompromising terms. For that reason, he often oversteps his subjects when it comes to … Continue reading →

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Review: Mary Queen of Scots

Posted on March 15, 2019 by philipbrasor

The rapid rise and fall of Mary Stuart has been filmed a number of times before, so director Josie Rourke needs a damn good reason to stick our noses in the tragedy once again. Her revisionist take, turning the rivalry … Continue reading →

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Review: Woman at War

Posted on March 10, 2019 by philipbrasor

It’s interesting that Jodie Foster is thinking about doing a Hollywood remake of this extraordinary Icelandic fantasy, because it seems so resistant to the kind of pat familiarities that Hollywood trades in these days. The hook is understandably appealing: Unassuming … Continue reading →

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Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Posted on March 8, 2019 by philipbrasor

As we prepare ourselves for another spring-summer of superhero schlock, it’s best not to make too much of a distinction between Marvel and DC. Obviously, the former trumps the latter in most departments, but the late Stan Lee’s runaway train … Continue reading →

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Review: The Mule

Posted on March 7, 2019 by philipbrasor

For reasons that are easier to understand than explain, Clint Eastwood is probably considered the most important American director by the Japanese film cognoscenti. Even his minor works, the ones that obviously play to the rafters, get listed on annual … Continue reading →

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