<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Dear Colleagues,<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>My question is overly broad, I know, but I have done much more reading of academic articles on movies, than of reviews of movies (other than the ones that are included in the Kurosawa volume), so I am coming to this list for help, on the assumption that there are those of you who have also read a lot of movie reviews, and can make good suggestions.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I am teaching a writing class which is supposed to focus on writing specific to our Chinese and Japanese majors, so I thought that they should write a movie review. (Of course, they will also have to do other kinds of writing such as a research project as well, but that is later in the semester.) Thus, I am looking for well written movie reviews (in English) about Chinese and Japanese films. They don't necessarily have to be from a person who has a great background in Asian Studies so Denby or Kael, or anyone like that is quite acceptable, but obviously if there are people who write well who also have an extensive background, that would be great too. (We have already used Donald Richie for a travel article, so although he writes well and has extensive knowledge of Japan, I am reluctant to have them read more of his prose.) I also would like a variety of tones. While I was at UCLA, I used to read reviews from someone who reviewed for the LA Weekly or the Village View who always had such a pleasantly acerbic scathing tone to her/his pans, but I don't remember who it was. (I suppose this is a way of saying I welcome reviews panning asian cinema as well as praising it.)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Any suggestions? </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Best,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Bruce</DIV><DIV><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Bruce Baird</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Assistant Professor</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Asian Languages and Literatures</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">University of Massachusetts Amherst</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">But</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">ô</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">, Japanese Theater, Intellectual History</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; ; font-family: Helvetica; "><BR style="; font-family: Helvetica; "></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">7</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">17 Herter Hall</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">161 Presidents Drive</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">University of Massachusetts Amherst</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Amherst, MA 01003-9312</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Phone: 413-577-4992</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px">Fax: 413-545-4975<FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; "><A href="mailto:baird@asianlan.umass.edu">baird@asianlan.umass.edu</A></SPAN></FONT></P><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>