Author Archives: philipbrasor

Review: Ad Astra

Posted on September 21, 2019 by philipbrasor

The points of narrative and thematic convergence between James Gray’s last film, the old-school world explorer epic, The Lost City of Z, and his latest film, the old-school sci-fi potboiler, Ad Astra, are too numerous to ignore, but the main … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Media Mix, Sept. 15, 2019

Posted on September 15, 2019 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about an Environmental Ministry scheme to cull cats on Amami Oshima in order to gain UNESCO certification of the island as a natural World Heritage Site. As explained in the column, the ministry has essentially … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: A Private War

Posted on September 13, 2019 by philipbrasor

The person played by Rosamund Pike in this harrowing biopic is supposed to be American war correspondent Marie Colvin, who died in 2012 covering the civil war in Syria. However, early on there’s a sense that Matthew Heineman’s film intends … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Daniel Johnston 1961-2019

Posted on September 12, 2019 by philipbrasor

I did a telephone interview with Daniel Johnston for the Japan Times in 2003 to publicize his first-ever Japan concerts. The interview is still online and you can read it here.

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Review: Free Solo

Posted on September 8, 2019 by philipbrasor

Though Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi’s and Jimmy Chin’s Oscar-winning documentary is ostensibly about world-famous rock climber Alex Honnold, it’s really about how we define heroes nowadays, especially in the context of movies. Honnold in many ways embodies the classic traits of … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Leave a comment

Review: Ash Is Purest White

Posted on September 7, 2019 by philipbrasor

Though it’s tempting to call his latest film a return to form, Jia Zhangke’s output since his last critically acknowledged masterpiece, Still Life (2006), mainly shows an artist grappling with his place in his own world, meaning China. For the … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Us

Posted on September 5, 2019 by philipbrasor

Jordan Peele’s Get Out was so on point about its sociopolitical subtext that many critics gave it a pass on its plotting, which, especially toward the end, became stiff and formulaic. It’s clear that Peele has a talent for horror … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Media Mix, Sept. 1, 2019

Posted on September 1, 2019 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, about the recent interest in road rage incidents. The topic aligns with my own pet peeve about Japanese drivers and their feeling of entitlement when it comes to carless people with whom they share roads. … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged | 8 Comments

Review: Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Posted on August 30, 2019 by philipbrasor

Technically speaking, Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature is a historical movie, and he’s said it follows in that genre concept the same as his other so-called “revisionist” movies, Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds, did. The main and vital difference is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Media Mix, Aug. 25, 2019

Posted on August 25, 2019 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the marriage announcement of Shinjiro Koizumi and Christel Takigawa. Shinjiro’s situation is not that unusual in Japanese politics. There are many dynastic lines in government, both national and local, as there are in many … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged | Leave a comment