Japan On Film

Perry is a great host and provides a lot of insights!

[My name is Michael Hale and, as a disclamir, I was fortunate enough to have interviewed the host of Japan on Film for a forthcoming episode release] I have long adored Japanese film ever since I watched Tokyo Story many, many years ago. In the West, in my opinion, popular reviews of Japanese media tend to focus on samurai, anime, or some manner of combination. I was excited when the Japan on Film podcast launched just because Yojimbo was to be the first episode covered, but what convinced me it had longevity as a property was precisely because the next film covered was Kamikaze Girls and then Shoplifts. I find the conversation about Japan is enriched by older and contemporary content in conert with one another, and that is exactly what Japan on Film's goal is. In the same way I would hate to see American film examined from the persoective of only Westerns, transitioning into such a broad range of genres means that Japan on Film is going to be capable of reaching a wide variety of listeners. In terms of craft, it is evident that the host 1) is capable of delivery tight and well composed content, 2) that said content covers a unique range of sources and perspectives and 3) the material is fun. I cannot stress that the 'fun' aspect is important because this isn't going to be like listening to a Donald Dichie commentary on a Kurosawa DVD. The material is less technical and more focused on issues of character, narrative and cultural importane. All in all, having listened to the first three episodes thus far and having been fortunate enough to have spoken with the host, I can say this podcast stands out as being well constructed, it covers a great range of films and its craft is excellent.

If you're looking to get some background and context on classic Japanese films, this is the place to start. Looking forward to more!