Well-written Movie Reviews of Chinese and Japanese Cinema

[Bruce Baird]

Dear Colleagues,

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.

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.)

Any suggestions?

Best,

Bruce

Bruce Baird
Assistant Professor
Asian Languages and Literatures
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Butô, Japanese Theater, Intellectual History

717 Herter Hall
161 Presidents Drive
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003-9312
Phone: 413-577-4992
Fax: 413-545-4975
baird at asianlan.umass.edu




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