Vampires or undead as “sentient beings” deserving of compassion and love raise high-stake philosophical and religious questions
pop culture
Rootless Cosmopolis: The Hong Kong Story
A marquee exhibit at Hong Kong’s M+ museum for contemporary art showcases the city’s dramatic and evocative changes since the 60s
Mothers, Men, and Mates: Unsung Forms of Love
Disney’s forgotten adaptation of “Treasure Island” was ahead of its time for its depiction of male-female platonic friendship, single motherhood, and positive masculinity
In a milestone for Buddhist film, “Carving the Divine” is coming to Raindance
It is no secret that the film industry is going through an accelerated evolution. What should always remain at the core of the debate, however, is quality content. I find it very heartening that Yujiro Seki’s Carving the Divine, one of the most original Buddhist-themed films to have come out in recent years, will be […]
Mindful Driving: The Antidote to Falling Down
It took until I moved to Los Angeles for me to fully understand what motivates’ William Foster’s rampage in the 1993 action thriller movie Falling Down. True, Michael Douglas’ character has just been fired, and he is also recently divorced − it is undeniable that these factors have a part to play in the bloodbath […]
Should I Keep Coming Back in the Same Form?
Last Saturday I went to see an evening screening of A Dog’s Journey. The cinematic sequel to A Dog’s Purpose, the film is unapologetically sappy and supernatural, with—to irreligious minds—an implausible premise of a dog returning in multiple canine bodies to try and find the same family. Having made a promise to its owner, Ethan, […]
Buddhist Media: Jesco Puluj’s Search for Paths Less Travelled
What does it mean to be a follower of the Buddha’s path? The Enlightened One was, after all, the Prime Wanderer, the First Monk. His life, no matter how shadowy from a historical perspective, defines how we see Buddhism and its subsequent presence in human history. In theory, he is not really unique at all, […]
Refusing to See Reality in “In the Mood for Love”
In the Mood for Love did for Hong Kong what La Dolce Vita did for Rome. Just as the Trevi Fountain was relatively unknown as a tourist spot before Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni’s iconic embrace, In the Mood for Love is a sensuous, colourful masterpiece that eroticizes cramped living spaces and romanticizes the gritty alleyways […]
Asian Representation in Pop Culture: A Lifelong Passion
I’m very much interested in exploring Asian philosophies and culture in both my academic and personal life. Of course, in academia today we must be mindful of our contexts and horizons. While I consider myself Chinese, I’ve grown up in an English-speaking environment. English is my first language rather than Cantonese or Mandarin. There are […]
Is There Something Buddhist About Mario? (Seriously)
On 27 October the video game Super Mario Odyssey was released worldwide by Nintendo for the Switch platform. It’s pretty safe to say that very few people in the world (except yours truly) is thinking about how this game series relates to Buddhism. And I can already guess what you’re thinking. You assume I’m writing […]