Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo played in key cities to very good reviews. • Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "...something of a revelation... strives to capture the essence of an entire culture through one preoccupation: insects." • And Mike Hale wrote in the New York Times, "...diverting... says less about Japan than it does about America’s continuing fascination with modern Japanese culture." More Reviews Below...
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo Positive Reviews (15 Reviews, reviews below)
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...cuts in groovy pop-Japanese images of punk guys with hair shaped like bugs' bellies, and a beetle salesman who bought a Ferrari with his profits."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 94 words, 05/28/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (7 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...diverting... like 'Lost in Translation' or Takashi Murakami's art, says less about Japan than it does about America's continuing fascination with modern Japanese culture."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 05/12/10
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...by turns hypnotically beautiful and painfully slow.... works best whenever Jessica Oreck's cameras turn on a child's wonderment over their beloved insect friends."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 05/28/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...a close -- some might say icky-close -- look at the Japanese ardor for insects.... Buddhist ruminations sound good in almost any context, and the film is entrancing."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 95 words, 05/10/10
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...delightful essay observes seasonal festivals, kids ogling pricey beetles in a Tokyo department store, video games for chasing butterflies with virtual nets..."(See all of Bill Stamets's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 07/16/10
Eric Hynes, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "An expansive take on the world in miniature... Equal parts playful and ponderous, the film looks upon humanity through a bug's life and vice versa..."(See all of Eric Hynes's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 225 words, 05/12/10
KEY CITIES (3 Reviews)
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "A parade of loosely, lyrically related scenes and images... The camera studies thousands of bugs drawn to an arrangement of white screens and floodlights."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 06/09/10
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...does a wonderful job of showing the connection between things like Zen gardens, bonsai trees and the love of watching insects move in a small habitat."(See all of Peter Hartlaub's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 07/09/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...something of a revelation, an oddball documentary that strives to capture the essence of an entire culture through one preoccupation: insects."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 486 words, 07/16/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Eric Hynes, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "An expansive take on the world in miniature... Equal parts playful and ponderous, the film looks upon humanity through a bug's life and vice versa..."(See all of Eric Hynes's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 225 words, 05/12/10
Noel Murray, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...when Oreck does stay on-task, her movie is frequently remarkable.... features some stunningly gorgeous and eerie scenes of bug-harvesting and cultivation..."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 332 words, 05/13/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...diverting... like 'Lost in Translation' or Takashi Murakami's art, says less about Japan than it does about America's continuing fascination with modern Japanese culture."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 05/12/10
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...by turns hypnotically beautiful and painfully slow.... works best whenever Jessica Oreck's cameras turn on a child's wonderment over their beloved insect friends."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 05/28/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...quietly spellbinding... this lyrical exercise in avant-garde entomology is the work of an intuitive filmmaker with an often hypnotic sense of composition."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 06/17/09
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "Who knew?... the cinematography -- vividly capturing both the chaotic density of the cities and the pastoral beauty of the countryside -- is frequently stunning."(See all of Frank Scheck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 317 words, 05/13/10
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...by turns hypnotically beautiful and painfully slow.... works best whenever Jessica Oreck's cameras turn on a child's wonderment over their beloved insect friends."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 05/28/10
Mike Hale, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...diverting... like 'Lost in Translation' or Takashi Murakami's art, says less about Japan than it does about America's continuing fascination with modern Japanese culture."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 05/12/10
10.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo's reviews are separated by an average 10.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (15 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo's reviews cover 19.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,936 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 262 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 7 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo's reviews on average broke 7 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (15 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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