Author Archives: philipbrasor

BIFF Day 5

Posted on October 8, 2013 by philipbrasor

It was unexpectedly a nostalgic day for me at the festival, and bittersweet, as well, though I suppose nostalgia is always bittersweet. The last screening I attended today was Tsai Ming Liang’s “Stray Dogs,” and afterwards the director and his … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

BIFF Day 4

Posted on October 7, 2013 by philipbrasor

Sunday turned out to be Philippine Day for me. As a kind of companion piece to “Ilo Ilo,” there’s “Transit,” a first feature by Hannah Espia about migrant workers in Israel, more specifically the ones who are determined to stay–which … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

BIFF Day 3

Posted on October 6, 2013 by philipbrasor

Supposedly a typhoon is on its way. It’s been windy and overcast since yesterday morning, but strangely warm, too; warm enough for T-shirts. And last night there was a brief squall, but luckily I was inside at the time. Though … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

BIFF Day 2

Posted on October 5, 2013 by philipbrasor

The festival put me in the Seacloud Hotel this year rather than the Grand, where I usually stay. I stayed at the Seacloud once when it first opened and liked its efficiency rooms with a sink, stovetop, and even a … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

BIFF Day 1

Posted on October 4, 2013 by philipbrasor

I arrived in Busan for the film festival earlier than I usually do. Delta has stopped direct flights from Narita to Busan, and their daily round trip arrived at Gimhae Airport in the evening. I booked on Busan Air, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Selector playlist, Sept. 26, 2013

Posted on September 27, 2013 by philipbrasor

Here is the playlist of songs I programmed for the Sept. 26 edition of InterFM’s show, The Selector. Defiance & Doubt: songs I think would sound good on the radio (2) 1. “New Wave,” Against Me! When she recorded this … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

October 2013 albums

Posted on September 26, 2013 by philipbrasor

Here are the album reviews I wrote for the October issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo yesterday. Hesitation Marks -Nine Inch Nails (Polydor/Universal) Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action -Franz Ferdinand (Domino/Hostess) There’s not much to say … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

October 2013 movies

Posted on September 25, 2013 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the October issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo today. Broken City The kind of movie that Sidney Lumet turned into a cottage industry, this crime drama suffers a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Media Mix, Sept. 22, 2013

Posted on September 22, 2013 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is a survey of negative reactions in the media to Tokyo’s winning bid for the 2020 Olympic Games. One of the more interesting pieces of information I came across while researching the column had … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

September 2013 albums

Posted on August 28, 2013 by philipbrasor

Here are the album reviews I wrote for the September issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo on Sunday. The Blessed Unrest -Sara Bareilles (Epic/Sony) English Rain -Gabrielle Aplin (Parlophone/Warner) It’s easy to make the assessment that Sara … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment