Relaxing with Darth Vader in Manhattan
after taking the December, 2007 JLPT.
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Welcome!
My name is Dan. I study Japanese films because of a lifelong interest in Japanese culture and as a method of improving my limited Japanese language skills, and because my own developing film project features a small amount of Japanese dialogue in the script.
Recently I returned from New York where I took the basic level of the annual worldwide Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).
You can read about the testing controversy at New York's Columbia University on the language study news page. Podcast audio recordings documenting the testing process and my Japanese themed week in NY coming soon.
For Japanese Language Students
Each movie review here includes a short comment at the end referencing the film's suitability for listening comprehension practice.
JLPT Test Scores - February 20, 2008
The Japan Foundation sent out email notices today alerting December, 2007 Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) participants in the US that test results will be mailed out by the end of this week, but the 2007 December test results can be viewed online as of today.
For those of us who took the test at the New York Columbia University testing site and who were also unfortunate enough to be placed in the room with the defective audio system, there was quite a bit more suspense logging in to check the scores. You can read about my experience with the JLPT level 4 (lowest level) and about trying to pass without being able to hear the audio clearly on this page.
So, did I pass or fail?
I have recorded several short audio podcast segments documenting preparations for the test and my JLPT adventure in New York. With my "too short" four month preparation period and the controversy of the defective test audio at the NY test site, I think it will be more interesting for some people to hear the conclusion of the story as part of the audio recordings. So, until the audio has been made available in podcast form for a while, I will refrain from discussing my score and reaction to it here on the website. I don't want to spoil the story by revealing the end in advance for those who might be interested in the whole story. Presently, if you are curious, you can read a little about and see some photos from my NY JLPT trip on this page. Check back for news on the launch of the Savage Japan Podcast. The NY JLPT adventure episodes will be the start of the show. The Savage Japan Podcast audio series is being produced for the eventual purpose of documenting my experiences living and exploring in Japan when I move there to participate in a language immersion program.
High Definition Disc Format War: The End is Near - February 11, 2008
Warner Brothers' January announcement, concerning their plans to discontinue distributing movies in the HD-DVD format, seems to be placing an inevitable victory in Sony's lap. The dominos are already starting to tumble with Blu-ray now possessing what can now fairly be described as an insurmountable advantage. Netflix today announced they will no longer carry HD-DVD discs. Read more about the end of the high definition disc format war on the Savage Japan Netflix vs. Blockbuster page.
Update: February 19, 2008
Toshiba surrenders. HD-DVD is officially dead. Read more about it here.
Grave of the Fireflies
If you have not seen Grave of the Fireflies, or you have not read the review here yet, please have a look.
Somehow I managed to miss hearing about Grave of the Fireflies until my recent first viewing. I really feel a responsibility to draw attention to this very powerful and important film.
I'm not sure everyone should watch Grave of the Fireflies, but it is a film of surprising significance. It affected me like no other movie ever has. [review]
About the author of this site: I am an aspiring filmmaker working on my first feature length film. Though my own film takes place primarily in America in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the story does have a strong Japanese connection and there are a few lines of Japanese dialogue in the script.
For persons interested in Japanese cinema, Japan as a whole, or maybe also studying the language like me, I hope this site helps you pick out some entertaining and satisfying movies to add to your DVD collections and online rental queues.
If you are curious about the notable differences in America's two main online movie rental services, please read my always current comparison of Netflix and Blockbuster.
Thank you for visiting.
Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome.
Dan Savage
Dan@SavageSnow.com
Reviews are divided into the following directories:
Drama~~~Comedy~~~Samurai~~~Adult
Action~~~Animation~~~B&W~~~Kurosawa
If you should happen to want to start at the beginning and click through the reviews in the
order they were written, Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon would be the movie to start with.
Film review titles listed in alphabetical order can be found on this page.
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Note to First Time Visitors
The Savage Japan Movie Reviews website was launched at the end of July in 2007.
The most recent reviews are listed on the left at the top of this entrance page.
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