Glory to the Filmmaker!
Panned by Variety, praised by the Japan Times, this effort's primary audience is likely to be those who thought Beat Takeshi's performance in Battle Royale was Oscar material. Likened unfavorably to Fellini's 8 1/2 thanks to its self-referential tale of filmmaking hell, Glory to the Filmmaker! plays with narrative, ahem, de(con)struction as Takeshi's film director character finds himself unable to settle on a style. It also has a whiff of the onscreen madness, split personality and violence of Brazil's Jose Mojica Marins ("Coffin Joe"). Confused? Try watching the movie.
Naruto the Movie Vol. 4
Naruto, the name of a boisterous young ninja, started as a manga in 1997. Its success has spawned anime TV series and five films; it has also developed a market in the West. In this entry, Naruto and his companions are charged with protecting a shamaness from monstrous creatures in the Kingdom of Spirits. Her premonitions of Naruto's death, however, require him to leave her side so that he can survive, yet doing so would imperil her and leave the world at the mercy of monsters. Also known as Naruto: Shippuden the Movie, the fifth in the series is set for a summer release in Japan.
Japan is celebrated for its exceptional levels of customer service. But the behavior of a growing number of customers and clients leaves a lot to be desired. The rise of the abusive consumer has prompted authorities in Tokyo to introduce the country’s first ordinance — a locally approved regulation — to protect service industry staff from kasuhara — the Japanese abbreviated form of “customer harassment.” While the Tokyo ordinance, which will go into effect in April, does not carry penalties, experts hope the move will highlight a growing social problem and, perhaps, encourage people to think twice before taking out their frustrations
There is perhaps no better way to soak up the last of Taipei’s balmy evenings than dining al fresco at La Piada with a sundowner Aperol Spritz and a luxuriant plate of charcuterie. La Piada (義式薄餅) is the brainchild of Milano native William Di Nardo. Tucked into an unassuming apartment complex, fairy lights and wining diners lead the way to this charming slice of laid-back Mediterranean deli culture. Taipei is entirely saturated with Italian cuisine, but La Piada offers something otherwise unseen on the island. Piadina Romagnola: a northern Italian street food classic. These handheld flatbreads are stuffed with cold
From a Brooklyn studio that looks like a cross between a ransacked Toys R Us and a serial killer’s lair, the artist David Henry Nobody Jr is planning the first survey of his career. Held by a headless dummy strung by its heels from the ceiling are a set of photographs from the turn of the century of a then 30-year-old Nobody with the former president of the US. The snapshots are all signed by Donald Trump in gold pen (Nobody supplied the pen). They will be a central piece of the New York artist’s upcoming survey in New York. This
In the tourism desert that is most of Changhua County, at least one place stands out as a remarkable exception: one of Taiwan’s earliest Han Chinese settlements, Lukang. Packed with temples and restored buildings showcasing different eras in Taiwan’s settlement history, the downtown area is best explored on foot. As you make your way through winding narrow alleys where even Taiwanese scooters seldom pass, you are sure to come across surprise after surprise. The old Taisugar railway station is a good jumping-off point for a walking tour of downtown Lukang. Though the interior is not open to the public, the exterior
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