David L Reinke comments

Where have I seen this before...

Oh yes: Colossus - The Forbin Project.

Her work in The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers was excellent.

Hail and Fare Thee Well Raquel.

Excellent actor and Fantastic musician.

I wish him the very Best of Luck for the struggle ahead.

Watched the trailer yesterday -- looks good, perfect for Sci-Fi Saturday at the Home Cinema.

Now, if I could just afford to upgrade to a 75" Sony 4K monitor... ;-)

Would be more accurate to call this 'shin-bugaku' as the original form has existed for hundreds of years.

Certainly nothing wrong with an update, and this takes nothing away from Koshiro san's artistic efforts, however better not to ignore the long tradition of bugaku.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugaku

Interesting idea and I do admire the Company's creative staging in these days of pandemic.

However...

I'd rather watch a Kabuki play, so I'll wait until it is safe to do so.

Hollywood Romans

Writing in the New Your Review of Books (1/13/11) Professor Mary Beard observed:

“For the most part, however, we have no knowledge of many of the most   basic facts of Cleopatra’s life. Her famous end is perhaps well enough served, with some further eyewitness testimony (however biased or            unreliable it may be, and all from her enemy’s side). Of the beginning of her life we know almost nothing. She was the daughter of Ptolemy XII, but the identity of her mother is a mystery, as is the date of her birth.”

“The truth is that “peel[ing] away the encrusted myth” of Cleopatra reveals that there is very little underneath the ancient fictional surface, and certainly nothing that can be the stuff of a plausible life story—unless it is            padded out with half-relevant background that is, in a sense, fiction of a different kind. In this case the rich evidence on papyrus that survives from Greco-Roman Egypt hardly helps. In the end, we should probably resist the  allure of biography and stick with the Augustan myth and Horace’s  ‘demented queen.’”

Holywood Romans

As historian Adrian Goldsworthy noted:

“Absolutely nothing is certain.  Cleopatra may have had black, brown, blonde or even red hair, and her eyes could have been brown, grey, green or blue.  Almost any combination of these is possible.  Similarly, she may have been very light skinned or had a darker more Mediterranean complexion.  Fairer skin is probably marginally more likely given her ancestry.  Greek art traditionally represented women and goddesses as very pale, and fair skin seems to have been part of the ideal of beauty.  Roman propaganda never suggested that Cleopatra was dark-skinned, although this may simply mean that she was not exceptionally dark or simply that the color of her skin was not important to her critics.

At no point will we need to consider Antony’s appearance at similar length and this should remind us that the obsession with Cleopatra’s looks is unusual, and not entirely healthy.  Not only is there no good evidence, but also there is something disturbing about the desire to base our understanding of her first and foremost on her appearance.Cleopatra was not another Helen of Troy, a mythical figure about whom the most important thing was her beauty.  She was no mere object of desire, but a very active political player in her own kingdom and beyond.

Cleopatra was born and raised in the real and very dangerous world of the Ptolemaic court in the first century BC.  When her father died in 51 BC, she became queen.  Auletes had planned for his son and daughter to rule jointly.  Cleopatra had other ideas.”

-from Antony And Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy, c2010 pp.128-129

Ours will go up May 5th -- one for each of our children and grandchildren.

A tradition that stated for our family when my parents were stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawai'i back in the 1960's and which we have continued ever since.

All the Way -- Airborne!

Studi is an excellent actor. His Oscar is well earned and richly deserved. Congratulations!

What -- no Godzilla?

Where is the Big G...?

Now he is a true pop icon.

No Godzilla = No vote.

Saw this film in IMAX last week -- simply wonderful. The footage is really quite amazing.

This film is well worth your effort to see, and on the biggest screen you can find.

Even if you lived through this, as I did, it all seems new again.

Ehrenreich was great in Hail Caesar! so I am optimistic that this new Solo film just might capture that old Star Wars magic. With the strong supporting cast it just might. However...

It is the story being told that really matters.

I will hope for the best and take the ride.

As always, time will tell.

Sushi -- It's the Rice!

Now you can make it with tuna or salmon or just about any other fish you have a taste for, and by the same token, you can make sushi with cucumber or avocado (a favorite) and any number of other veggies.

Please forgive my ignorance of dietary laws, but I would guess there is no restrictions on avocado?

Sushi -- it's all about the rice.

That should be: "...it is worthing noting..."

Auto-correct will be the death of communications in the digital age.

"the Japanese manga adaptation "Death Note" also drew criticism for transferring a Japanese story to Seattle without any Asian actors."

Hmmmm....

The Seven Samurai was transferred to the American West as The Magnificent Seven -- no Asian actors.

Rashomon was transfered to the American West as The Outrage -- No Asian actors.

Yojimbo was transfered to the American West (by way of Italy) as A Fistful of Dollars -- No Asian actors.

The Hidden Fortress was transferred to a Galaxy Far Far Away...

Well, in this case the cast was more ethnically varied with each succeeding episode. Indeed, it is worth nothing that the one actor with his face on more action figures than any other human in history is Polynesian. Temuera Morrison, from New Zealand, played Jango Fett, and by extension, ALL of the Clone Troopers, the most popular figure in the Star Wars toy line.

Minor distinction perhaps, but one that is not likely to ever be matched let alone surpassed.

As for the character in the new Hellboy -- yes this is a missed opportunity. There is a wealth of acting talent across all ethnic lines here in the US so why not put it to work? A missed opportunity indeed.

The choice is obvious -- Godzilla!

;-)

A hard day for her family, and indeed for all families who have fought and are are fighting this battle against cancer. For those who have survived, and their loved ones, it reminds us of just how lucky we are.

All the best to Ebizo and his children.

The mascot should be Godzilla, simple as that. ;-)

The Big G!

The only thing missing is the Big G himself, saving the day.

Looks good to me.

LEGO -- what a toy!

How does Hikone Castle (Ii Clan) rank with regards to the other castles listed above? Just wondering.

"...more accessible to the younger Japanese generation and also to foreigners."

The great Kabuki plays are no less 'accessible' to modern audiences than is Shakespeare or Sophocles.

Some have said that Kabuki in English is not Kabuki, but is a play without kumadori or mie still Kabuki?

Perhaps this new play might better be classed as "Imaginary Kabuki." a term coined by the French when they staged a production of Shakespeare's Richard II using acting and staging conventions of traditional Kabuki.

Theatre should be a living art form so bravo to Ebizo for his efforts. Even so, I still prefer a good production of Kumagai Jinya or Chushingura or Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura. The old classics satisfy my plebeian taste.**

LaLaLand is not a bad film, however it is not a great film either.

I do appreciate the work done by the cast & crew, and particularly by the choreographer, and yet...

14 Nominations? This is not Singing In The Rain of Ben Hur.

Indeed, look at the film Hail Caesar, also released last year -- the Sailor Dance number, "No Dames" is a lot of fun and well executed. Hail Caesar pokes fun at Golden Age Hollywood but will go unnoticed by Oscar. Although it is not the best film from the Coen Brothers, it is still a smart comedy and they hit their mark right between the eyes.

There is also the Falcon, who appeared in both Captain America Winter Soldier & Civil War, as well as Ant Man. Perhaps it is also worth noting that Colonel Nick Fury, commander of SHIELD, and thus the Avengers, is played by Samuel Jackson.

Just a couple of minor details...

'Schoonmaker and Scorsese quickly decided to strike most of the original voiceover. “The images were so powerful that we could strip away a lot of it,” she says.'

Exactly!

Likewise, Powell & Pressberger were good at letting their images speak. Excellent filmmakers all.

Wonderful castle with an excellent museum showcasing the beautiful red armor of the Ii Clan. There is even a full Noh stage within the castle. If you are interested in Japanese Feudal History then Hikone Castle is a must see.