JQ Magazine: JAPAN CUTS, Joe Hisaishi at Carnegie Hall, Mets vs. Dodgers
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here.
After the outdoor fireworks, enjoy some summer events in the cool indoors, whether it’s taking in North America’s largest annual Japanese film festival, checking out a Studio Ghibli classic, or enjoying a ballgame Japanese heritage-style!
This month’s highlights include:
Warner Bros. Pictures
July 5 & 8
Various theaters
Various price
Fathom Entertainment presents Orson Welles’ masterpiece, back on the big screen! 1940. Alone at his fantastic estate known as Xanadu, 70-year-old Charles Foster Kane dies, uttering only the single word Rosebud. So ends the odyssey of a life…and begins a fabulous tale of the rise to wealth and power–and ultimate fall–of a complex man: A boy abandoned by his parents inherits a fortune, builds a global newspaper empire and aspires to become President of the United States, but he loses everything over an affair with an untalented nightclub singer. This fascinating story unfolds through the eyes of the people important to the tycoon–each showing a different aspect of Citizen Kane. This special 85th anniversary release includes exclusive insight from Leonard Maltin.
Courtesy of Japansociety.com
July 8-18
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$16-$35
North America’s largest festival of contemporary Japanese film returns for its 19th year this summer at Japan Society! Featuring over 30 curated films from across Japan featuring major award-winners, indie darlings, up-and-coming filmmakers, restorations, documentaries, short films, anime and more. JAPAN CUTS Powered by Canon is a showcase of the latest in Japanese cinema, featuring both today’s most popular actors and directors as well as tomorrow’s pioneering talent. Become part of our passionate filmgoer community for premieres, parties and celebrity guests in the heart of America’s biggest city! Leading this year’s highlights, JAPAN CUTS will present lauded actress Suzu Hirose with the CUT ABOVE Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and host the New York Premiere of A Pale View of Hills starring Hirose as our Centerpiece Film, and the festival will conclude with legendary director Hirokazu Koreeda appearing in-person for the North American Premiere of Sheep in the Box, the Closing Film.
Nick Rutter
July 10-11
Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Avenue
From $95.25
Renowned composer Joe Hisaishi of Studio Ghibli fame returns to Carnegie Hall for a pair of classical performances leading the Orchestra of St. Luke’s following the release of his most recent album Joe Hisashi Conducts performed with Steve Reich. The program opens with Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 1, “Low,” inspired by David Bowie’s groundbreaking album. In the second half, Hisaishi conducts his major new work, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, in its New York premiere. In a compelling dialogue between two minimalist masters, Hisaishi explores the depth and expressive power of the modern orchestra.
GKIDS
July 11-15
Various theaters
Various prices
The latest selection from Fathom Entertainment’s Studio Ghibli Fest! From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away and Ponyo, and Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a classic tale of magic and adventure for the whole family. When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece featuring the voices of Tim Daly, Lea Salonga, and real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning, in early roles.
Courtesy of MLB.com
Friday, July 24, 7:10 p.m.
New York Mets Japanese Heritage Night
Citi Field, 41 Seaver Way (Queens)
From $76.25
Join the New York Mets for the first of three games against the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers where Mets baseball meets Japanese pride! Enjoy a full lineup of can’t-miss moments, featuring: Pre-game entertainment that sets the stage for an unforgettable night; a special Japanese-themed anthem performance; celebratory first pitch honoring Japanese heritage; curated in-game Moments spotlighting Japanese culture throughout the ballpark, and more! Fans who purchase tickets through this special ticket offer will receive a limited-edition Japanese Mets Jersey. All jerseys will be size XL. The Japanese Heritage celebration will take place on July 24. The Japanese Heritage Jersey will be available via special event ticket purchase July 24, 25 and 26. Each individual holding a ticket must be present to pick up item. Redemption details to come. This item is only available to those who purchase through this specialty item ticket offer. Limit nine (9) tickets per transaction. Only one item per person. Each individual holding a ticket must be present to pick up item.
© 2000 Battle Royale Production Committee
Friday, July 24, 9:00 p.m.
SVA Theatre, 333 West 23 Street
$20
Part of this year’s New York Asian Film Festival! You think you've seen this. You've only seen the copies. Forty-two kids dumped on an island, each one stripped of a name and handed a number. Last one breathing wins. In a near or alternative future (you pick), the Japanese government has made it law. Once a year, they select one lucky ninth-grade class, hand them weapons, lock exploding collars on their necks, and give them three days to murder each other. Kinji Fukasaku, who at fifteen survived a wartime shelling by hiding under his classmates' corpses, made the 2000 film that invented the all-you-can-kill death game. Squid Game and its numbered players, The Hunger Games, all of them live downstream. Takeshi Kitano is the ex-teacher running the game, and he's the killing kind, deadpan mug hardly twitching even when he buries a knife in a girl's forehead for interrupting. In glorious 4K.
Courtesy of LPR.com
Friday, July 31, 7:30 p.m.
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street
$25 advance, $30 day of show
Shonen Knife is a pioneering Japanese pop-punk trio formed in Osaka in 1981. Celebrated for blending infectious punk energy with bright pop melodies and playful lyrics about everyday life, food, animals, and pop culture, the band became an international cult favorite after earning praise from artists such as Kurt Cobain, Sonic Youth, and Redd Kross. Their upbeat, DIY spirit and catchy songs have made them one of Japan's most influential independent rock bands, with a career spanning more than four decades and a lasting impact on indie rock, punk, and alternative music worldwide. With support from the Dracu-Las, a Jersey City-based rock band whose sound fuses surf rock, garage punk, power pop, and girl-group harmonies into what they describe as "surfy garage punk and power pop for the beach goth set." The Dracu-Las have built a growing reputation through acclaimed live performances and their distinctive blend of retro rock-and-roll influences and modern indie sensibilities.
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