Author Archives: philipbrasor

Media watch: Asahi focuses on the reality of Okinawan women’s lives

Posted on August 29, 2022 by philipbrasor

Asahi Shimbun’s regular Koron feature typically asks three experts to contribute short essays on a designated theme. On Aug. 24, the column’s topic was the status of Okinawan women on the 50th anniversary of the prefecture’s reversion to Japanese control … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Opinions about state funeral show the limitations of public surveys

Posted on August 28, 2022 by philipbrasor

Polling and public surveys suck up a lot of media oxygen, especially with regards to political issues. Earlier this year, the justice ministry questioned the public on the separate married names matter. Over the years the portion of respondents in … Continue reading →

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Review: DC League of Super-Pets

Posted on August 27, 2022 by philipbrasor

Having pretty much fallen out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe out of sheer exhaustion, not to mention general apathy, I likely would find any future MCU installment totally incomprehensible, since much of its appeal (not to mention economic justification) seems … Continue reading →

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Review: Swan Song

Posted on August 26, 2022 by philipbrasor

Udo Kier’s indisputable status as a living screen legend is not based on his skills as an actor, his charisma, or his looks, but rather on his ubiquity. Since he first started acting in the late 60s in Europe (born … Continue reading →

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Review: Zola

Posted on August 25, 2022 by philipbrasor

Characterizing Zola, which is based on a viral 148-tweet Twitter thread that appeared several years ago, as a comedy makes sense only if you have a cautious attitude toward social media. The whole story chronicled in Janicza Bravo’s cinematic adaptation … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Olympic legacy update

Posted on August 23, 2022 by philipbrasor

One of the supposed benefits of holding the Olympics is the “legacy” it provides for the future. As is almost always the case with the Games, these benefits tend to be understood in economic terms—use of specially built Olympic facilities … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Olympic sponsorship deals an open secret

Posted on August 20, 2022 by philipbrasor

As we pointed out in this space a few weeks ago, the investigation into possible bribes paid to Tokyo Olympics official Haruyuki Takahashi, which led to his arrest last week, might not have happened if Shinzo Abe were still alive, … Continue reading →

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Review: Saint Frances

Posted on August 19, 2022 by philipbrasor

Not to sound like a broken record, but here’s another Amerindie sub-genre: Rudderless twenty- or thirty-something bonds with young child who is not their issue and learns about life in the process. Alex Thompson’s Saint Frances, written by Kelly O’Sullivan, … Continue reading →

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Review: Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road

Posted on August 11, 2022 by philipbrasor

Over the past several decades there’s been an illogical inversion with regard to movies about famous musicians from the so-called Golden Age of Pop. We’ve mostly gotten cookie cutter biopics which were then followed by dedicated artist documentaries. By rights, … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Fuel reprocessing scheme put off for the 26th time

Posted on August 5, 2022 by philipbrasor

The media tends to frame the controversy over restarting Japan’s nuclear power plants as one that pits nuclear power advocates in the government and the energy industry against organizations that are opposed to nuclear energy under any circumstances. However, the … Continue reading →

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