| Shutter In this American remake of a Thai horror opus directed by a Japanese, a young American couple in Japan seem to run down a woman with their car, resulting in something travel insurance doesn’t cover: a peeved poltergeist delivering omens and wreaking vengeance via the photographs and cameras of the photographer husband. From the director of Infection, which was much better — and more original — by most accounts. Fangoria magazine called this retread “the precise moment when the Asian-horror-remake trend ... officially disappeared up its own asshole.” |  |
| Late Bloomers A scandalized reaction awaits when Martha, a sprightly old lady, finally fulfills her dream of opening a store selling the latest lines of lingerie. The problem is that she lives in a conservative part of Switzerland and her son is the local priest, which doesn’t help matters. This is a comedy from 2006 that milks the potential outrageousness of elderly people who refuse to fit stereotypes. Originally meant for TV, Late Bloomers eventually served as Switzerland’s nomination for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. |  |
| Cherry Blossoms Here’s a more serious treatment of old age. After his wife dies, an elderly German man continues their planned trip to Japan to visit his son and discovers a new world while making the acquaintance of a young practitioner of Butoh dancing. Mount Fuji figures prominently in this film for unusual symbolic and narrative reasons. From veteran German writer-director Doris Dorrie, probably best known for her comedy Men… from 1985. |  |
| Bread Superman 2008 This is the 19th and latest in Japan’s Anpanman series of animated features for kids featuring a cheerful hero with a bun for a head filled with bean paste. In this outing, Anpanman rescues a timid but talented young creature named Purun in a forest and escorts her home, only to find that his regular foe from Germ World is menacing the whole town. Original title: Go! Anpanman: Purun of Bubbles, this was made last year, notwithstanding the title. As usual, a Bread Superman short will screen with the feature. It’s called Go! Anpanman: Horaman and Hora-Horako. |  |
| Necromancer Belatedly attempting to cash in on decent box office for the similarly themed but far more graphic Art of the Devil 3, a rival Taiwanese distributor has given us this Thai fantasy thriller from 2005 featuring a rogue cop who dabbles in black magic, only to be caught and jailed. Upon his escape, he is pursued by a younger policeman who must match his skills in necromancy to survive. The film opened last week at the Caesar grindhouse in Ximending and the Scholar theater complex, but won’t likely be around for too long, no matter what hex they put on the audience. |  |
Seven hundred job applications. One interview. Marco Mascaro arrived in Taiwan last year with a PhD in engineering physics and years of experience at a European research center. He thought his Gold Card would guarantee him a foothold in Taiwan’s job market. “It’s marketed as if Taiwan really needs you,” the 33-year-old Italian says. “The reality is that companies here don’t really need us.” The Employment Gold Card was designed to fix Taiwan’s labor shortage by offering foreign professionals a combined resident visa and open work permit valid for three years. But for many, like Mascaro, the welcome mat ends at the door. A
The Western media once again enthusiastically forwarded Beijing’s talking points on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment two weeks ago that an attack by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Taiwan was an existential threat to Japan and would trigger Japanese military intervention in defense of Taiwan. The predictable reach for clickbait meant that a string of teachable moments was lost, “like tears in the rain.” Again. The Economist led the way, assigning the blame to the victim. “Takaichi Sanae was bound to rile China sooner rather than later,” the magazine asserted. It then explained: “Japan’s new prime minister is
NOV. 24 to NOV. 30 It wasn’t famine, disaster or war that drove the people of Soansai to flee their homeland, but a blanket-stealing demon. At least that’s how Poan Yu-pie (潘有秘), a resident of the Indigenous settlement of Kipatauw in what is today Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), told it to Japanese anthropologist Kanori Ino in 1897. Unable to sleep out of fear, the villagers built a raft large enough to fit everyone and set sail. They drifted for days before arriving at what is now Shenao Port (深奧) on Taiwan’s north coast,
Divadlo feels like your warm neighborhood slice of home — even if you’ve only ever spent a few days in Prague, like myself. A projector is screening retro animations by Czech director Karel Zeman, the shelves are lined with books and vinyl, and the owner will sit with you to share stories over a glass of pear brandy. The food is also fantastic, not just a new cultural experience but filled with nostalgia, recipes from home and laden with soul-warming carbs, perfect as the weather turns chilly. A Prague native, Kaio Picha has been in Taipei for 13 years and
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