Tag - wide-angle

 
 

WIDE ANGLE

Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jul 14, 2018
My deep dive into 'Akira' only scratched the surface of its legacy
A few months ago, I proposed to the editors at The Japan Times that we do a piece paying tribute to the classic cyberpunk anime film "Akira," which turns 30 years old on July 16. They were enthusiastic and the pitch ballooned (not unlike Tetsuo in the film's final scene) from a single article to an "Akira"-themed...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Jul 5, 2018
The small screen needs the small mercies of 'Terrace House'
Television has long been my connection to home. White Walkers ushering in an apocalyptic winter, Cold War sleeper agents going rogue, robots running amok in an Old West theme park — all of these have but a passing resemblance to my former life in New York. However, beyond mere entertainment, the act...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
May 31, 2018
Rainy season is a great time to binge-watch anime
The anime season that began in April is winding down, meaning that those who prefer to wait and ingest their anime in one flat-out, high-speed burn are starting to look around for series to binge.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
May 23, 2018
Young filmmakers looking to follow in Hirokazu Kore-eda's footsteps have their work cut out for them
Hirokazu Kore-eda joins a list of Japanese master filmmakers after winning the top prize at Cannes. The road he took to get to this point, however, is not an easy one to copy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
May 17, 2018
Udine film festival can teach Japanese directors a few things about international appeal
I've been an adviser to the Udine Far East Film Festival since 2000. The event, held in Udine, Italy, is the largest festival in Europe dedicated to popular cinema from Asia.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Apr 6, 2018
Isao Takahata's gentle spirit enriched the world of Japanese animation
Isao Takahata, who died on Thursday at age 82, was long overshadowed by Studio Ghibli colleague Hayao Miyazaki, even though he was Miyazaki's senior when they both worked together at Toei Animation in the 1960s, as well as a co-founder, together with Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki, of Ghibli in...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Mar 29, 2018
The anime industry readies for another gold rush
If you didn't already know that the anime industry was in the middle of a boom, a quick look around the trade fair AnimeJapan would give you a pretty good indication.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Mar 15, 2018
Netflix's new yakuza flick has Jared Leto on the outs with critics
In his 1999 book "Tokyo Underworld," Robert Whiting told the real-life story of Nick Zappetti, a former American GI in postwar Japan who becomes embroiled in a world of yakuza and corrupt politicians. Subtitled "The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan," it had all the hallmarks...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Feb 22, 2018
Awards season blows through Japan with a conspicuous lack of buzz
It's awards season. Many a film journalist, from those working at the trade papers to those at the major dailies, spend months speculating who'll get Oscar nods and, as we get closer to the March 4 ceremony, who'll win.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jan 25, 2018
2018's anime lineup offers plenty of potential
Over the past few years, the success of several films — including, most notably, Makoto Shinkai's record-setting "Your Name." — have proven that anime directed by someone other than director Hayao Miyazaki can still attract a wider audience.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jan 4, 2018
The tenacious trio set to rule Japanese cinema in 2018
Most of the actors I'm looking forward to seeing on screen in 2018 have only managed to make waves in the Japanese entertainment industry fairly recently, which, of course, just adds to the buzz they're likely to see this year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Dec 7, 2017
Japan gets its own 'Orphan Black' ... with a few twists
Japanese TV tends to draw its inspiration from the bountiful well of manga, but Fuji Television and Tokai Television looked overseas to come up with their version of the hit Canadian series "Orphan Black," which began airing Dec. 2.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Nov 23, 2017
Sun, sand and the silver screen
...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Nov 8, 2017
When you go to a film festival, all you can do is roll the dice and pray for gold
Covering a film festival is what's known in the profession as a crapshoot. No matter how many screenings you manage to clock, you're probably going to miss half of the flicks that end up winning prizes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Nov 2, 2017
Kyoto anime studio's dedication to nurturing talent leads to big-screen magic
Kyoto Animation has had quite a year. With "Free! Special Series: Take Your Marks," the Uji, Kyoto-based anime studio will have released no less than five theatrical films and two television series in the past 13 months.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 26, 2017
Getting close to Ryuichi Sakamoto
Stephen Nomura Schible refrains from saying whether he and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto are friends, or even close, despite having filmed a documentary about him.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 19, 2017
Kyoto's ambience is key to making KIFF special
Film festivals don't take place in isolation: An interesting city makes for a more interesting festival, unless you are the sort of movie nerd who sees six films a day and lives on convenience store sandwiches.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Sep 7, 2017
Mizuko Yamaoka takes a different approach in documentary about people with disabilities
Disability presents different challenges for everyone but wheelchair users share a common dilemma: Their mode of locomotion stands out, while they often struggle with social isolation. That was my takeaway from "The Lost Coin," a 2016 short by Mizuko Yamaoka, a filmmaker who has been using a wheelchair...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 31, 2017
What works for Japanese actresses in the West may not work at home
"The Shack" feels like a sugar-coated salve for wounds sustained from the flurry of recent news events. Directed by Stuart Hazeldine and starring Sam Worthington as a grieving dad, the big surprise in this religious fantasy story is the presence of Japanese actress Sumire Matsubara (who goes by just...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 9, 2017
'Re:Born': 'Tak' Sakaguchi is back for some major action
Movie fight scenes, even ones that are acted by martial arts experts, rarely duplicate what actually transpires on a street or battlefield. After all, they're performed for entertainment, not as actual matters of life or death.

Longform

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