Author Archives: philipbrasor

BIFF2020: Press Conference

Posted on September 14, 2020 by philipbrasor

Last week, the organizers of the 25th annual Busan International Film Festival announced somewhat abruptly that the festival, originally scheduled to take place Oct. 7-16, would be postponed for two weeks and would instead begin on Oct. 21. It has … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Sept. 13, 2020

Posted on September 13, 2020 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix column, which is about Japan’s response to the Green Recovery movement. As pointed out near the end, the Japanese media will cover environmental issues but rarely links that coverage to Japanese business practices since anything … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Sept. 6, 2020

Posted on September 6, 2020 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about TV Asahi’s recent departure from the Japan Federation of Commercial Broadcast Workers Unions. In the column, I distinguish the federation, known as Minpororen, from MIC Union, an umbrella union that represents workers in the … Continue reading →

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Review: Forbidden Dream

Posted on September 3, 2020 by philipbrasor

Given the enormous output of the South Korean film industry, even during its occasionally fallow times, it’s not surprising that certain genres and subjects get covered to death. One is the storied Joseon Dynasty, when a good deal of what … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Aug. 30, 2020

Posted on August 30, 2020 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about the popular TBS drama series, Hanzawa Naoki 2. As pointed out in the column, the dramatic elements of the production are purposely exaggerated, especially the acting, which is at least partially based … Continue reading →

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Review: In Syria

Posted on August 22, 2020 by philipbrasor

Narrative films that take as their subject current affairs face a dilemma in terms of execution. How much of the story will be irrelevant or even incorrect in years to come? What sort of viewpoint should the direction take, or … Continue reading →

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Review: Booksmart

Posted on August 21, 2020 by philipbrasor

This American teen comedy, focusing almost exclusively on the girls’ experience, is blessed with one of the best titles of recent memory. “Booksmart” implies a brain full of stuff derived from reading materials and outside sources rather than from experience. … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Aug. 16, 2020

Posted on August 16, 2020 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about recent cases of child molestation by school teachers and childcare professionals. As pointed out in the column, the crime of sexual abuse generally becomes more difficult to prove and prosecute when the victim is … Continue reading →

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Review: The Divine Fury

Posted on August 14, 2020 by philipbrasor

Though Korean movies still find wider distribution in Japan than do movies from other countries outside of the U.S., some Korean movies have an easier time of it than others. The fact that this occult actioner features Park Seo-jun, who … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Aug. 2, 2020

Posted on August 2, 2020 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the fall of the Japanese apparel industry as a result of the coronavirus crisis. As I mentioned, the industry was already failing even before the pandemic. The Big Three—Renown, Onward, and Sanyo Shokai—were struggling … Continue reading →

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