CHARLOTTE TRUONG WRITES — Vietnam in general and Saigon in particular have controlled the pandemic very well, so entertainment services during the day and at night were soon allowed to resume operations. The service sector, though, is facing a period of extreme challenges, which is how to maintain, as well as…
Full Article SAIGON: WESTERN TOURISTS WELCOME…PLEASE!!
FASSA SAR WRITES — Korean filmmakers and actors put pressure on President Park Geun-hye to release the names of 9,473 film artists – including film-makers, actors and studio executives – that have allegedly been put on a secret list that would deny them government financial and logistical support for their…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: LEADING FILM ARTISTS BLACKLISTED FOR TELLING THE TRUTH
VERONICA BANEZ WRITES – Lightbox, Neon, Netflix, Quickflix, Sky TV. These are only a few of the many streaming movie and television services that are provided in New Zealand. James Croot and Blayne Slabbert, writers for the website Stuff.com, really put into perspective the wide range of differences between all…
Full Article NEW ZEALAND: The Rise of Convenient Entertainment
ANNIE LUNDGREN WRITES – “Marco Polo” is Netflix’s newest warfare-meets-orgy saga. Despite failing with critics, the historical melodrama was greenlit for a second season in January. Since Netflix does not release ratings data, it is safe to assume that the show is doing well among viewers. Marco Polo showcases Asian…
Full Article TELEVISION REVIEW: Orgies + War = Marco Polo
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – To thwart digital pirates, the Australian government has put forward a plan to keep websites from hosting copyrighted material. Aussie creative types and the media say ‘Bravo’. The Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance (MEAA), a union representing artists, film makers, journalists and other creators, say they…
Full Article AUSTRALIA: Ahoy! Internet piracy to ‘walk the plank’BRIAN CANAVE WRITES — The English-language newspaper The China Post recently criticized local news media in Taiwan. At Asia Media, we couldn’t agree more with what it had to say. In a recent editorial, the Post laments over local coverage of the second Taipei International Comics & Animation Festival. Their complaint centers…
Full Article TAIWAN: News Media is a Bit too Starry EyedRYAN LIPPERT WRITES – In today’s world, connections are everything. Knowing the right people can get you job offers and admission into prestigious schools. Or it can get you a prison sentence in North Korea. Forty performers were arrested and imprisoned in North Korea just for knowing Jang Son Thaek,…
Full Article NORTH KOREA: It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You KnowRYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Stories about celebrity love lives are often more speculation than fact. But in South Korea, this may be changing thanks to Dispatch, a web site that’s made its name telling the truth. Though just two years old, Dispatch has already gained a reputation for both breaking…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: Looking Past the GossipWho knew that Do-Re-Mi could spell Do-Re-Banned? Two Vietnamese singers in the US have been banned from performing in Vietnam, accused of opposing the mother country with slanderous lyrics. Thanh Tuyen and Tuan Vu, along with a handful of others, were charged with slander for their performances on the latest…
Full Article VIETNAM: The Overseas Slander MusicalThe recent blowup of the Innocence of Islam and the detrimental effects that the provocative video (or is it a mere trailer?) is forcing many to question the power of technology. However, a new program in India may redeem hope that technology, the media, and entertainment can also be a…
Full Article INDIA: A Techno Solution forTouchy India/Pakistan?“Illicit” and “smuggled” are two words that could easily describe goods making their way into North Korea. Many products, such as low-cost TVs, DVD players, and other equipment, are being smuggled into North Korea from China. A recent, excellent U.S. State Department-commissioned study, “A Quiet Opening: North Koreans in a Changing Media Environment,” reveals…
Full Article NORTH KOREA: Media Helping Them to Get New Messages