It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a film for Asia Media, but after seeing Makoto Shinkai’s “Kimi no Na Wa.” (君の名は。), also known by its Western title, “your name.”, I felt compelled to return to spread the word about what could go down as one of the greatest animated…
Full Article MOVIE REVIEW: JAPAN’S ANIMATED ‘YOUR NAME’
ROBERT DYLAN FIELDS WRITES- Many of us in our early teenage years have to cope with self-doubt and struggle with our sense of self-worth. We may sometimes feel isolated from our peers and have difficulty bonding with other people. For some, this struggle can be much more severe, leading many…
Full Article MOVIE REVIEW: When Marnie Was There
ROBERT DYLAN FIELDS WRITES – When most people hear the word “animation,” the first thing that comes to mind are often animated works from figures such as Walt Disney. A lot of the time, however, they do not step back and consider what the word animation really means. The word “animation”…
Full Article DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
Last year marked a milestone for the history of animation, as the legendary Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away) of Studio Ghibli retired from filmmaking after the release of his final film, The Wind Rises. However, this year marks yet another milestone as master animator and Ghibli co-founder…
Full Article MOVIE REVIEW: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
ROBERT DYLAN FIELDS WRITES- Since its partial takeover of Iraq and Syria in the summer of 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, better known as ISIS, has committed various acts of barbarism, including a series of live beheadings of international hostages. Most recent were the deaths of two…
Full Article JAPAN: A Call to Arms and a Call to Honor
DYLAN FIELDS WRITES – For many years, Japan has been engaged in various territorial disputes such as the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands conflict with China, or the Takeshima/Dokdo Islands feud with South Korea. One such quarrel, which many non-Japanese are unaware of, is the ongoing Kuril Islands dispute between Japan and…
Full Article MOVIE REVIEW: Giovanni’s Island
DYLAN FIELDS WRITES – L.A. EigaFest 2014 hit the town last month, bringing fans of Japanese cinema from East to West to Hollywood’s main drag. A mash-up of the Japanese word for film, eiga, and ‘festival,’ the annual gathering, now in its fourth year, showcases Japanese and Japanese-influenced films for American…
Full Article LOS ANGELES: EigaFest Gives Hollywood a Taste of JapanMataichiro “Mata” Yamamoto & Ryuhei Kitamura After his directorial debut with his cult hit action/horror flick Versus, Ryuhei Kitamura received both domestic and international fame among filmmakers. He went on to make a number of exciting films including his first Hollywood movie, Clive Barker’s The Midnight Meat Train, starring Bradley…
Full Article LOS ANGELES: Up Close and Personal with the Biggies of L.A. EigaFest 2014
DYLAN FIELDS WRITES – This weekend the Japan Film Society hosts the 4th annual Los Angeles EigaFest, showcasing contemporary Japanese cinema in the US. A portmanteau of the Japanese word for film (eiga) and ‘festival,’ the name signifies its objectives to “showcase Japanese and Japanese-influenced films that appeal to the…
Full Article LOS ANGELES: Hollywood Gearing-up for LA EigaFestROBERT DYLAN FIELDS WRITES – One of the most pressing issues being debated in Japan today is the need to beef up the country’s military presence. Since the end of World War II, Japan has officially gone without an Army (a pacifist constitution being a condition of peace with the Allied…
Full Article MOVIE REVIEW: Miyazaki’s Final Work Soars Above the Rest
ROBERT DYLAN FIELDS WRITES – Globalization is a heated issue in China. Even as the country has synced with the rest of the world economically — lifting millions out of poverty in the process — some Chinese fear too much integration threatens the very foundation Chinese culture. As a populace…
Full Article MOVIE REVIEW: The Redeeming Value of a ‘Touch of Sin’