Tag - films

 
 

FILMS

The documentary short “Now and Then" traces how the Beatles honored John Lennon after his death by crafting a tune he wrote into the “last Beatles song.”
CULTURE / Film
May 30, 2024
Eight standout films to catch at this year's Short Shorts Film Festival
The event will screen roughly 270 films that range from dramas about current social issues to animations that push the limits of the imagination.
Director Hirobumi Watanabe (second from left) stars alongside his brother Yuji (far right), who has served as composer on all of his films, in his new feature “Techno Brothers,” which follows a sibling trio on the road to Tokyo to find success in the music business.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 21, 2023
Foolish Piggies Films keeps humor at its heart
Indie director Hirobumi Watanabe looks back on 10 years of making distinctive, micro-budget films with his brother and seeking out new challenges on and off screen.
Members of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild take part in a picket line outside Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California, on Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2023
AI shines a spotlight on Hollywood hypocrisy
Studios haven’t informed or paid background actors properly for being digitally scanned, yet they want the same courtesy from AI companies.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 14, 2023
A few small tips for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia
Our film critic provides his recommendations for Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, which is currently unspooling at cinemas across Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 8, 2021
Over 100 years of the Olympic spirit captured on screen
Film coverage of the modern Olympics, starting from 1912, shows that national pride and stunning athleticism have always been an integral part of the games.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 12, 2020
Shock 'Parasite' Oscar cements South Korea's status as a cultural powerhouse
South Korea's status as a cultural juggernaut just got a serious shot of international credibility.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 13, 2019
'Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker' sees return of Emperor Palpatine
The ninth film in the original "Star Wars" saga will be called "The Rise of Skywalker," and will feature the return of the evil Emperor Palpatine to threaten the young heroine Rey and the Resistance, Walt Disney Co. revealed Friday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 6, 2019
Hello Kitty headed for Hollywood after years of talks on film rights
One of Japan's most beloved cat cartoon characters is headed for Hollywood.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 4, 2018
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia's mini party is worth a little look
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, which selects a qualifying short film for the Academy Awards every year, will present its Autumn Screening from Oct. 5 to 12 at two locations in Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 1, 2018
'Flavors of Youth': A China-focused anthology falls flat
So-called anthology films, made up of multiple shorts based around the same theme, are a staple of the anime industry and are generally created to a) give young directors a chance, b) show off what studios are capable of, or c) keep a director or studio in the public consciousness between full-length...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 31, 2018
Four female directors extol the virtues of short films in presenting new points of view
The red carpet at any film festival is known for star power and fashion, but when 82 women walked arm in arm down the red carpet at Cannes last month, it became a place for politics, too.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Mar 24, 2018
Ben Tarquin wants everyone dancing in the streets
Making street dance and multimedia the voices of today's youth
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 31, 2018
'Blank 13': Dark dysfunctional-family drama offers no easy answers
A father steps back into his family's lives, after a gap of 13 years, to tell them he is dying of cancer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Oct 14, 2017
'A Hundred Years of Japanese Film': Donald Richie gives us the long shot
Donald Richie didn't just open a window on Japanese cinema — the renowned film critic broke down a wall and put in a cultural door.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 23, 2017
A 'gamble' on a woman-centered blockbuster pays off in 'Wonder Woman'
Director Patty Jenkins has been the talk of Tinseltown lately as the woman behind "Wonder Woman," a Warner Bros./DC Comics blockbuster that has already broken a few records at the box office. It's a triumphant comeback for a director whose last big film was the 2003 film "Monster," which won lead star...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Jul 29, 2017
Documentary on former hoop star Neumann's life provides a cautionary tale
Hoop aficionados from Harlem to Hokkaido can appreciate the details of a good global basketball odyssey.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jan 4, 2017
'Tampopo' has blown back to our screens
Released in 1985, Juzo Itami's "Tampopo" was famously a flop in Japan, but a hit abroad, especially in the United States, where it became the second-highest-earning Japanese film ever. This "noodle Western" about a rough-hewn truck driver (Tsutomu Yamazaki) who helps a spunky widow (Nobuko Miyamoto)...

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?