A Month of Kurosawa: Stray Dog (1949)

A Month of Kurosawa: Stray Dog (1949)

Posted inFilms
To celebrate the upcoming release of my book, Akira Kurosawa: A Viewer's Guide, due out Dec. 15 from Rowman & Littlefield -- preorder here! -- I'll be doing capsule reviews all month covering every single Kurosawa film and posting (very) brief excerpts. These will be short impressions and recommendations, nothing more. For a full, detailed analysis of each, grab the book! Stray Dog (1949) "Masterpiece" is probably a word that gets thrown around a little too easily, especially when discussing movies, but it's hard not to use the word when discussing 1949's Stray Dog, a gritty crime noir by Akira…
A Month of Kurosawa: The Quiet Duel (1949)

A Month of Kurosawa: The Quiet Duel (1949)

Posted inFilms
To celebrate the upcoming release of my book, Akira Kurosawa: A Viewer's Guide, due out Dec. 15 from Rowman & Littlefield -- preorder here! -- I'll be doing capsule reviews all month covering every single Kurosawa film and posting (very) brief excerpts. These will be short impressions and recommendations, nothing more. For a full, detailed analysis of each, grab the book! The Quiet Duel (1949) Toshiro Mifune as a doctor stricken with a sexually-transmitted disease? Sure, why not! Kurosawa's 1949 drama about a doctor dealing with a terrible secret doesn't get much attention. It might be easy to blame the…
Listen to This: Bettie Serveert, “Palomine” (1992)

Listen to This: Bettie Serveert, “Palomine” (1992)

Posted inMusic
A series in which I recommend music that might have flown under your radar. Bettie Seveert - Palomine Listen if you like: Matthew Sweet, early Lissie, Sebadoh, awesome songs "Bettie Serveert" sounds like a person's name, but it's actually a Dutch indie rock band that has been going since 1991 or so. And yeah, they are STILL going strong nearly 30 years later! As I write this, they are 10 albums deep into their career. Deservedly so, too. This recommendation is of their debut, Palomine, and it's a winner. I remember jamming with this when it came out in 1992, but…
A Month of Kurosawa: Drunken Angel (1948)

A Month of Kurosawa: Drunken Angel (1948)

Posted inFilms
To celebrate the upcoming release of my book, Akira Kurosawa: A Viewer's Guide, due out Dec. 15 from Rowman & Littlefield -- preorder here! -- I'll be doing capsule reviews all month covering every single Kurosawa film and posting (very) brief excerpts. These will be short impressions and recommendations, nothing more. For a full, detailed analysis of each, grab the book! Drunken Angel (1948) Here's a recipe for movie magic: Put Toshiro Mifune on screen. Pair him with Takashi Shimura. And have Akira Kurosawa direct them. Still a no-name actor, this was Mifune's first of many roles for Kurosawa, and…
A Month of Kurosawa: One Wonderful Sunday (1947)

A Month of Kurosawa: One Wonderful Sunday (1947)

Posted inFilms
To celebrate the upcoming release of my book, Akira Kurosawa: A Viewer's Guide, due out Dec. 15 from Rowman & Littlefield -- preorder here! -- I'll be doing capsule reviews all month covering every single Kurosawa film and posting (very) brief excerpts. These will be short impressions and recommendations, nothing more. For a full, detailed analysis of each, grab the book! One Wonderful Sunday (1947) Released in 1947, One Wonderful Sunday follows a young couple through post-war Japan as they struggle to enjoy their life despite being destitute. They're poor, hungry, and desperate, with little brightness ahead of them in…