‘Romance Doll’: Film Review

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe Pictures Division of Japanese entertainment and tech giant Sony achieved operating profits of $230 million in the April to June quarter.The wider corporation enjoyed a 53% increase in net income, hitting $2.19 billion (JPY233 billion) in the first quarter of its new financial year.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChina’s Huanxi Media has struck a deal with All3media International to license 110 hours of factual content, that will play on its Huanxi.com SVoD platform.

Black,” according to its director and star, Beyoncé. (Or is that Beyoncé Knowles-Carter? She takes the last name for her director’s credit, but goes first-name only for her starring credit.)But it’s unlikely that too many fans will flock to Disney+ for altered semantics.

Maggie Lee Chief Asia Film CriticWho would have thought a romantic comedy on the pain of being different could become such ironic and timely viewing in a global pandemic? In “I Weirdo,” a kooky and innovative debut by Taiwanese writer-director Liao Ming-yi, a couple with OCD trying to fit in to so-called “normal” society now looks like social-distancing heroes in our Covid-hit, locked-down lives. Shot and edited by Liao using the iPhone XS Max, the production looks no less vibrant for it.

After gaining international acclaim with his Cannes prize-winning family drama “Harmonium,” Japanese director Kōji Fukada returned with “A Girl Missing,” reuniting with actress Mariko Tsutsui for a slow-burning mystery thriller which premiered at Locarno Film Festival last year before going on to play at the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival. And now, the film’s (virtual) release approaches this Friday July 31st.

Richard Kuipers “A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic” casts a damning eye on the pernicious role alcohol plays in the working careers and social lives of Japanese men. Narrated by the innermost thoughts of a daughter during the 25 years she spends watching her father drink himself to death, Kenji Katagari’s second feature cleverly plays like a quirky little TV sitcom about an ordinary middle-class family before moving into darker territory.

BTS, “Map of the Soul: 7 — The Journey” (UMe) There is no such thing as a world pandemic that can stop the BTS train. The pop (no K needed) superstars managed to record a full-length Japanese album, “Map of the Soul: 7 — The Journey,” in the few months the world was on lockdown.

Bts have recorded an original theme song for the Japanese movie Your Eyes Tell.BTS member Jungkook is among the composers, according to Variety, marking the first time the band has contributed to a film score.The song and the movie share the same English-language title, with the theme also featuring as a track on their new MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 – THE JOURNEY – album, which debuted in Japan on Wednesday.In a statement, the band says: “We are glad to be part of such an amazing film.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefKorean pop sensation, BTS will provide the original theme song for upcoming Japanese movie “Your Eyes Tell.” With BTS member Jung Koo among the composers, it is the first time that the best-selling band has participated with a film in this manner.The song and the movie share the same English-language title, though the English title of the song is presented as “Your eyes tell” and the film also goes by the Japanese title “Kimino mega toikaketeiru.” The song

Sucker Punch Productions, the studio known for Infamous and Sly Cooper, has returned with its first game in six years.Ghost of Tsushimais a brand-new story set in feudal Japan, a period with surprisingly little representation in the world of video gaming. The events in Ghost of Tsushimaunfold amid the Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274 A.D.

“At each stop throughout this comedically heartfelt journey, Patel is joined by a friend or family member, with whom he shares a big conflict or question about life. He travels to Mexico with his parents to discuss retirement and aging; Japan with his wife to explore parenting and gender roles; Korea with his entrepreneur friend to confront their issues with work/life balance; Denmark with his Muslim friend to explore an immigration crisis not unlike ours here in America.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefShout! Factory, a specialty distributor and channels operator, will become a major North American home for the iconic Japanese “Ultraman” shows following a deal with Alliance Entertainment / Mill Creek Entertainment.The multi-year alliance provides Shout! Factory and its multi-platform streaming service, Shout! Factory TV with exclusive SVOD and AVOD digital rights in the U.S. and Canada to creator Tsuburaya’s catalog of “Ultraman” properties.

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticA cigar is never just a cigar where Sigmund Freud is concerned.

Lisa Kennedy Four Vietnam vets reunite for a mission, one that will lean on their wartime exploits but also expose more than a few old tensions.

Dennis Harvey Film CriticSnarled loops of time travel have proved a surprisingly versatile and rewarding fantasy-cinema trope in recent years, from the big-budget likes of “Edge of Tomorrow” to such enterprising indies as “Predestination,” not to mention comedies (“Palm Springs”), horror (“Happy Death Day”), romance (“Before I Fall”) and more.

For a debut feature, writer-director Charlène Favier’s powerful coming-of-age sports drama Slalom couldn't come at a more timely moment.

truth and beauty, too, it’s safe to say that “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets” finds a bit of both of those things.Also Read: 'Palm Springs' Film Review: Andy Samberg Puts an Indie Rom-Com Spin on 'Groundhog Day'The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, went to the Berlin and True/False Film Festivals and had a series of virtual screenings on July 8 to celebrate National Dive Bar Day, with a virtual rollout scheduled for July 10.

Guy Lodge Film CriticIn “Archive,” an isolated scientist methodically pursues an artificial-intelligence ideal, developing a sequence of human-android beings and recycling their various parts until the ultimate prototype is achieved.

"They say that when you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes. I wish it were that simple," says James, the main character, in his voiceover narration at the beginning of Volition.