Archive | September 2013
September 30, 2013  

It’s Not Exactly Rock and Roll- But I Like It!

The first time I saw Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, I got frightened. I followed a link to the enigmatic video Tsukema Tsukeru and found myself thinking about the Apocalypse. My feeble mind reeled at the arcane imagery and mesmerizing encantation in a strange Eastern language. Surely this was some paean to Lucifer and I was witness to some eldritch rite meant to summon some forgotten evil. I was certain it was the end of the world and that dark forces had taken over the planet. My thoughts racing, I desperately tried to make sense of what I had just seen. How can this thing be? What mind could have conceived of such a horror and WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE LIONS DOING!

Obsessed, I had to find the answer to the mysteries surrounding this encounter with the infernal regions. Who was Kyary Pamyu Pamyu? How did she come to wield this obscene and occult power and where would she strike next? I didn’t have to wait long to find out…

Insidious! Subversive! How far would she take this insanity? How far spread was the influence of this minion of malevolence? Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined where this quest would lead next…

Okay. By now you’ve probably guessed that Kyary Pamyu Pamyu isn’t exactly the Anti-Christ. Her name is Takemura Kiriko. A very busy 20-year old model, fashion blogger, designer and singer from Japan who has millions of followers around the world. She’s also everywhere on Japanese television appearing in commercials for such advertisers as KFC and Suzuki. She was even asked by producer J. J. Abrams to provide the theme song for the Japanese release of Star Trek Into Darkness. She sells millions of music downloads and her recently announced 2014 World Tour has  dates in North America (including Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and Toronto), England, France, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

It might not be your cup of tea, but if you are a nut about J-Pop, celebrity culture or avant-garde music and performance, or just plain curious, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is worth keeping an eye on.

What are those lions doing?

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September 29, 2013  

Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga

There’s no question that the Godzilla franchise has seen its ups and downs over the years. The production values and screenplays on the dozens of sequels to the 1954 Gojira have without doubt varied wildly. But the original Japanese-language version remains a powerful message against the reckless use  and testing of the terrible weapons of the modern age. The kaiju eiga is certainly a well established film genre spawning such films as Rodan and Mothra.

A long-overdue documentary on the origins of Godzilla explores the impact of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on the Japanese psyche and its influence on the kaiju film genre. Spanish film maker Jonathan Bellés, who acts as both producer and director, is making the film as part of a doctoral project. “Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga” is scheduled for a Summer 2014 release.

The trailer looks great. I salute Mr. Bellés on his dedication to the subject and look forward to seeing this film.

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