[KineJapan] 100 years of Kinema Junpō

[Markus Nornes]

Sight and Sound is most definitely not the world's oldest film magazine.
Box Office, American Cinematographer and Hollywood Reporter all started up
in the late silent era.

The oldest film magazine is Variety, which started up in 1905. Billboard is
older, late 1800s; it covered all kinds of entertainment, including cinema.
I remember hearing that it shifted to music when Variety proved stiff
competition for motion picture coverage.

Playbill is also old—1800s?—and I wonder if they covered film at all. I've
never looked.

I wonder about publications in other languages. There must be some older
than Sight and Sound......

In any case, that Kinema Junpo could sustain publication for a century
speaks to the incredible vibrancy of Japanese film history!  Pretty amazing
when you think about it.

Someone could write a book about it. But I now Yuki Nakayama is writing on
a smaller chunk. Yuki?

Markus


---

*Markus Nornes*
*Professor of Asian Cinema*
Department of Film, Television and Media, Department of Asian Languages and
Cultures, Penny Stamps School of Art & Design

*Department of Film, Television and Media*
*6348 North Quad*
*105 S. State Street*
*Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285*



On Thu, Jul 11, 2019 at 10:48 PM Roger Macy via KineJapan <
kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:

> Not sure, but I know one that is *not* 100 years old. The BFI put out a
> press release on the 7th June that 'Sight and Sound' was "the world's
> oldest film magazine". I emailed straight back, copying Nick James, saying
> ""Launched in 1932, *Sight & Sound* is the world’s oldest film magazine"
> I don't think so!
> Even Kinema Junpo, launched in 1919, only claims to be Japan's oldest film
> magazine."
>
> I never heard back and they didn't correct.
> R.
>
> On Thursday, 11 July 2019, 13:14:28 BST, Gerow Aaron via KineJapan <
> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:
>
>
> Yes, it is. Does anyone know of other film magazines still in publication
> that are 100 years old?
>
> KineJun is not a “pure” 100 years old, since it stopped publication
> several times. First, during the war, after having to change its name to
> Eiga junpo. It began again under its original name in March 1946, but
> stopped again in April 1950, only to start again in November 1950. It has
> been continually publishing since then.
>
> It is important to talk about KineJun’s flaws, but it is also important to
> remember that KineJun has had many existences, especially under different
> editors. In the mid-1990s, for instance, KineJun was actually publishing a
> number of pieces that bordered on the academic. (That is less so these
> days). Somebody should try to do a history of KineJun.
>
> Aaron
>
> 2019/07/11 午前8:36、matteo boscarol via KineJapan <
> kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>のメール:
>
> Dear All,
>
> The first number of Kinema Junpō was published on this day (July 11th) in
> 1919. Regardless of its flaws, I think it’s quite an accomplishment.
>
>
> Regards
>
> Matteo Boscarol
> ボスカロル マッテオ
> 記憶ただ陽炎のゆらめき
> - Documentary in Japan and Asia
> http://storiadocgiappone.wordpress.com
> - Film writer for Il Manifesto
> http://ilmanifesto.it
>
>
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