Author Archives: philipbrasor

Review: New Normal

Posted on August 15, 2024 by philipbrasor

The framing story of Jung Bum-shik’s omnibus slasher flick is difficult to parse at first. The various stories spool out in Seoul over a four-day period in May after it snows unseasonally, and for some reason an element of “chaos” … Continue reading →

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Review: Sages-femmes (Midwives)

Posted on August 14, 2024 by philipbrasor

“Labor” in all meanings of the word is the subject of this medical movie. Ostensibly centered on the horrifically hectic first weeks of two new midwives at a public hospital in the French city of Toulouse, Léa Fehner’s film, which … Continue reading →

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Review: Tótem

Posted on August 9, 2024 by philipbrasor

Though the Mexican director Lila Avilés has a way of withholding information that gives her domestic drama a touch of mystery, she reveals her thematic hand very early on. The protagonist of Tótem, seven-year-old Sol (Naíma Sentíes), is driving with … Continue reading →

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Review: Exterior Night

Posted on August 8, 2024 by philipbrasor

Though Marco Bellocchio’s second film about the kidnap/murder of former prime minister Aldo Moro by radical leftists in 1978 was obviously intended as a six-part TV series, it premiered at Cannes and was featured at other international film festivals before … Continue reading →

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Fuji Rock Festival 1998

Posted on August 4, 2024 by philipbrasor

I wrote an overview for the Japan Times of the history of the Fuji Rock Festival to commemorate its 25th anniversary at the Naeba ski resort. In it I mentioned the second edition of the festival, which was held in … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Japan’s selective history on display again with new UNESCO World Heritage site

Posted on August 2, 2024 by philipbrasor

On July 27, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee agreed to register the Sado Island Gold Mines off the coast of Niigata Prefecture as a World Heritage Site, the 26th for Japan. Sado was at one time the largest gold mine … Continue reading →

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Fuji Rock ’24: July 28, second half

Posted on July 29, 2024 by philipbrasor

Further on from my train of thought in the previous post, I saw Ali, a guitar band from Indonesia at the Field of Heaven in the late afternoon. Apropos that stage, their music is spacey and ethnic, a kind of … Continue reading →

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Fuji Rock ’24: July 28, first half

Posted on July 28, 2024 by philipbrasor

They keep saying this is the 25th anniversary of FRF’s move to Naeba, which is technically true, but I prefer to think 2024 is the 26th year the festival has been in Naeba. Yeah, a trivial distinction, but just saying. … Continue reading →

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Fuji Rock ’24: July 27, second half

Posted on July 28, 2024 by philipbrasor

Another crucial time is between 3 and 5 in the afternoon, since that’s when the audience starts flagging. The general energy level drops precipitously, and you tend to see a lot of people nodding out on the ground in weird … Continue reading →

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Fuji Rock ’24: July 27, first half

Posted on July 27, 2024 by philipbrasor

Saturday morning is an important time for the festival. A good portion of the people who attend arrive either late Friday night or early Saturday morning, so it’s vital they get into the swing of things as soon as possible. … Continue reading →

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