Author Archives: philipbrasor

Media Mix, Jan. 29, 2012

Posted on January 29, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here is this week’s Media Mix, which is about two recent Fuji TV documentaries. The subject of one of them, Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Seiko Noda, has been discussed in this column before, and more than once. Noda is a … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Jan. 8, 2012

Posted on January 8, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about the ever-increasing incidence of celebrity marriages precipitated by unplanned pregnancies. These “dekichatta” unions have become so common that whenever a famous person announces he or she is getting married a spokesperson usually … Continue reading →

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January 2012 albums

Posted on January 3, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the album reviews I wrote for the Jan. 2012 issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo at the end of last year. Take Care -Drake (Cash Money/Universal) Talk That Talk -Rihanna (Def Jam/Universal) For some reason … Continue reading →

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January 2012 movies

Posted on January 2, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the Jan. issue of EL Magazine. They cover films that were released in Tokyo between late Dec. and mid-Jan. Animal Kingdom The title of Australian director David Michod’s debut feature suggests an … Continue reading →

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Best albums 2011

Posted on December 26, 2011 by philipbrasor

During a year when my opportunities to hear live music decreased considerably, I would like to think I actually listened to more music. Having shifted my daily constitutionals from the morning to the evening in order to take advantage of … Continue reading →

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Best movies 2011

Posted on December 23, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here are my ten-best-plus movies of the year, which I wrote for the Jan. issue of EL Magazine. All were released in Japan during the 2011 calendar year. Though I saw fewer movies than I did in 2010, I believe … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Dec. 18, 2011

Posted on December 18, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about the arrest of gold medalist Masato Uchishiba for allegedly raping a member of the university judo team he coached. Though the column references comments by journalist Yukari Yamada on the problem of … Continue reading →

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Mission accomplishable: Tom Cruise draws a crowd

Posted on December 4, 2011 by philipbrasor

Who’s the biggest movie star today? If you say Tom Cruise or Will Smith, it’s not because they’re the biggest box office draws, but rather because they act like movie stars, and that’s because they love being movie stars. It’s … Continue reading →

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December 2011 movies

Posted on November 29, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the Dec. issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo on Nov. 25. The movies open in Japan between late Nov. and mid-Dec. The Adventures of Tintin Herge’s boyish Belgian reporter-adventurer … Continue reading →

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December 2011 albums

Posted on November 28, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here are the albums I reviewed for the Dec. issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo last week. Crazy Clown Time -David Lynch (Sunday Best/Beat) The Less You Know, the Better -DJ Shadow (Island/Universal) If you came of … Continue reading →

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