Film | PEACHiES.net

Normally, I don’t go out to theaters very much, but so far, this summer, I’ve been able to see a few movies, and so far so good.

Last night I watched UP in 3-D… such a touching film! I cried within the first 10 minutes! And honestly, I don’t even think you really need to watch the film in 3-D… the glasses are annoying at times. Pixar is definitely consistent with good storytelling here. I definitely want to see this one again.

STAR TREK. Who hasn’t seen it yet? Well, it’s def had a lot of buzz around it for awhile during this time of the J.J. Abrams reign. And for those who haven’t seen it yet, it’s def worth checking out in theaters. I’m no Trekkie, but they setup the story so well from the get go, that you don’t need to have any prior Star Trek knowledge. I also cried within the first 10 minutes… maybe even 5 minutes… haha. John Cho plays a very lovable Sulu and Zachary Quinto is hot as Spock… great casting.

I saw ANGELS & DEMONS via an advanced screening… I actually enjoyed it a lot. I’m not sure what readers of the books or viewers of the previous DA VINCI CODE movie thought, but I went into the film with no knowledge of the story, so everything was really fresh for me. A part of me thinks I might’ve liked it a tad more than Star Trek, just cuz’ of the subject matter (I tend to like psych thrillers… and even though this may not have been one, it did play mind tricks with me!).

So those are the flicks I’ve seen as of late and that might be it for me for the summer. Today I had a lunch meeting with a buncha film buffs and for the fall, it sounds like PRECIOUS is going to be really good.

"Leave Me To Dream"

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Back in late ’06, Michael Kang approached me about finding music for his film WEST 32ND. Michael specifically wanted to include as many Asian American artists as possible, so this was quite a pleasure for me. Back then, my Myspace music “database” of Asian American artists was a really good resource, plus being able to ask my musician friends to submit and contribute was pretty cool. On top of it all, I discovered a lot of GOOD music I wasn’t already familiar with.

One artist, who I wasn’t super familiar with, was NYC-based Heather Park. Her song, “Leave Me To Dream” was the perfect soundtrack for the character, Suki… sooo perfect that Michael and I even called it “Suki’s Theme Song.”

Now here it is… the official music video for Heather Park’s “Leave Me To Dream” including footage from WEST 32ND. Directed by Francisco Aliwalas:

Check ‘em out: HearThePark.com | w32nd.com

Fast & Furious

April 6, 2009 Film

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I haven’t seen it yet, but I am just really happy for Justin Lin and how far he has come! Justin, congrats for the record-breaking opening and for being #1 in the Box Office! So awesome.

All You Need is Love

March 15, 2009 Film / Music / Review

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So I’d been wanting to see Across the Universe since I saw the movie posters for it back when it was out in theaters. I finally watched it and I can’t get it out of my head! 33 Beatles songs! Anyway, I think it was a pretty awesome film with so many stylistically different musical scenes. Some of them were pretty bizarre and like “wth” am I tripping on drugs, too? Haha. I liked it.

Speaking of musicals, I must be in musical mode. I watched Sweeney Todd last night. Very, very interesting. I’m not so sure I liked it although the cinematography, costumes, makeup, etc. were amazing.

Now, if only I could sing!!! I would LOVE to be in a musical. SIGH.

Flashback to high school: I used to go see the school musical every year. A lot of my friends were part of the production and so I went to support ‘em. At the same time, I secretly desired to be a part of the musical… but… the one time I attempted to go to an audition, I totally chickened out!

Flashback to elementary school: Back then, we were forced to all participate in the school musical. I played a mermaid one time for our version of Peter Pan. I’m pretty sure I had a lot of fun doing it…

So what happened? Grr. Why did I get all chicken in high school?

Oh wait, I know. I think it was hammered into my brain that I needed to focus on studying. Plus, I was never allowed out of the house besides going to school and school-related things. SIGH. I’m sure there are many of you fellow 2nd-generation Asian American peeps who can relate.

What the. Didn’t realize this was going to become a rant about my upbringing. Haha.

I’ll just leave it at that. I guess fast forward to now: I am def at a different place (although it is very unlikely I will ever sing in a musical). But, I am super thankful for where I’m at now! Definitely feelin’ the love from above!

P.S. – I recently signed up for Netflix, thus the sudden viewing of movies, haha. It’s pretty awesome. Lovin’ the online streaming!

APA Market's Influence in Hollywood

February 3, 2009 Film / Television

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I got this from a friend on Facebook… figure this would be something of interest for all of you folks who care about the status of Asian Pacific Americans in Hollywood.

Greetings everyone,

I am currently an independent contractor for the Screen Actors Guild, America’s labor union for film and television performers. I have been assigned to craft a report regarding the Asian-Pacific American market’s ability to influence Hollywood’s entertainment industry, and whether this market segment has the ability to impact the quantity and quality of Asian-Pacific American roles in film and television. This report will be published and distributed within the industry, among networks, studios and advertisers.

Due to the limited information on Asian-Pacific American consumer trends in the entertainment industry, I have created a questionnaire to help define the Asian-Pacific American market’s influence in Hollywood. All responses are anonymous. I hope to collect a minimum of 500 respondents within the next two weeks.

Here’s the link:
www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Ow_2fPCU1jsjH8_2bwN81A9N2Q_3d_3d

Your participation strengthens the Asian-Pacific American voice in Hollywood. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best Regards,

Darlene Rabena
Independent Contractor
Affirmative Action & Diversity Department
Screen Actors Guild

Ya hear? Your participation counts.

Forbidden Kingdom in stores next week – 9/9/08

September 3, 2008 Film

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I got a nice a little present in the mail today from some industry friends… the special edition DVD for Forbidden Kingdom. Cool. I’ve yet to see it, but I’ve heard positive reviews despite some negative views on the protagonist being Caucasian…

You ever wonder? Is it only Asian Americans who feel so adamantly negative about the whole Caucasian in Asian story issue (i.e. Last Samurai)? Do Asians in Asia care? I wonder sometimes…

Anyway, for those who are both Jet Li and Jackie Chan fans, this movie release must’ve been exciting since it was the first film to have both stars in one. I always thought Jet Li was adorable. Haha. And Jackie Chan’s pretty funny. How I feel about the lead being a Caucasian dude? I don’t really care as long as long as it makes sense in the story.

For those of you who want to rent/buy the movie on DVD or Blu-ray Disc, it’ll be out next Tuesday, 9/9/08.

Here’s a synopsis:

In modern-day Boston, Jason (Michael Angarano, TV’s “Will & Grace”), a teenage Kung Fu movie enthusiast, purchases a bootleg DVD from his favorite shopkeeper, Old Hop. When a local bully forces Jason to help rob Old Hop, Jason escapes with an old golden staff that magically transports him to ancient China. He is soon rescued from the forces of the Jade Warlord by Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), a raggedy wanderer whose wine-guzzling ways conceal his Kung Fu mastery. Yan, along with the Silent Monk (Jet Li), reveals that Jason is the fabled Seeker who must return the staff to the Monkey King (also played by Li), in order to stop the warlord from carrying out his evil plans. Yan and the Silent Monk join forces to teach Jason the ways of the Kung Fu warrior so he can save their world and return to his own.

http://www.forbiddenkingdommovie.com

My Celebrity Twin?

April 18, 2008 Film

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My friend saw this picture and thought it was me. But no, that wouldn’t be me signing posters for Forbidden Kingdom. Haha.

Speaking of which, Forbidden Kingdom opens today in the U.S. Jackie Chan + Jet Li? Looks like a lot of fun with some cool action shots. I’m looking forward to it.

http://forbiddenkingdommovie.com/

WEST 32ND opens in Korea – November 22!

November 15, 2007 Film / West 32nd

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From xanga.com/mike2cents

West 32nd opens in Korea on November 22. I am writing this to ask for your help. I don’t have a very strong network out in Seoul, but I thought like many of us in the states, we have friends and family in Korea. So I am calling out to you to help get the word out.

The film opens on NOV 22 through CGV Theaters in Seoul. It will be opening in limited release in Korea with 6 screens in Seoul so hopefully one of those screens is near someone you know.

Please let folks know:

OPENING IN KOREA NOVEMBER 22

WEST 32nd (웨스트32번가)
a film by Michael Kang
featuring John Cho, Jun Kim, Grace Park, Jane Kim and Jun Ho Jeong

http://www.w32nd.com
http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/basic.nhn?code=62637
http://www.maxmovie.com/movie_info/detail.asp?m_id=M000043036

SYNOPSIS:

When John Kim, an ambitious young lawyer, takes on a pro bono case to exonerate a fourteen-year-old boy from a first degree murder charge, he finds a world he never knew existed in the underbelly of Manhattan – the Korean underworld. Infiltrating the knotty and complex realm of Korean organized crime to search for clues, he meets his match, Mike Juhn, a rising soldier in the syndicate. Recognizing John’s determination and daring, Mike brings John into his confidence, furtively drawing him into his scheme to re-shuffle the Korean underworld. Though they become fast friends, they just as quickly end up trying to outfox each other as they discover they’ll both do anything to win.

[koreanposter] 당신이 믿는 순간 진실은 거짓이 된다
차가운 밤공기를 가르는 세발의 총성!
뉴욕한인타운 에서 한 건의 살인사건이 발생한다
용의자는 14세의 한국계소녠
이 사건을 통해 자신의 입지를 확고히 하려는 변호사 존 김은
소년의 무죄를 증명하기 위해 뉴욕의 지하세계로 파고들고 그곳에서 마이크를 만난다.
죽은 전진호의 뒤를 이어 룸싸룽의 영업이사가 된 마이크.
둘 사이에는 팽팽한 긴장감이 흐르고
어느새 둘은 하나의 목적을 향해 달려가기 시작한다.
그리고 진실과 거짓 사이의 경계는
점점 희미해지기 시작 하는데…

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR:

This has been an incredible labor of love for me. It was a dream that took years in the making come true. I had first started writing the script for “West 32nd” with my partner Edmund Lee back in 1998. To see the film in finished form is truly surreal. I am still amazed that we were able to make a film starring a predominately Korean American cast about a subculture of New York that most people don’t even know exists. This film has been an uphill battle on many levels, but a battle well worth it. And the final product is something I am very proud of.

We are about to open the film in Korea and I am nervous to say the least. I am nervous because I don’t know if people in Korea are aware of the film’s existence. I am also nervous because I don’t know how a mass Korean audience is going to react to the film. And I am mostly nervous because I know that the success or failure of this film in the theaters could not only effect my career but potentially Asian and Asian American co-productions in the future.

Regardless of all the stress, this is a great moment for me. Having the film play here is like getting to send a love letter back home.

My hope in making this film has always been to bridge the gap between Korean Cinema and Hollywood. From the reactions we have gotten from the film so far, I believe we succeeded in that goal. We had to turn hundreds of people away from our world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and we had an immensely positive response when we played the film at The Pusan International Film Festival. Critical and festival accolades at this point are meaningless though. The moment of truth is this theatrical run of the film where the movie will be seen by regular movie-going audiences. I hope you can help me now make sure as many people as possible come out and support it.

This film is a bold experiment on the part of CJ Entertainment (if you aren’t familiar, CJ Entertainment is one of the largest studios in Korea — CJ distributes most of the big Korean and Hollywood films in Korea); this is the first time they have fully financed and distributed an U.S. production. This is also the first time they have decided to take a chance on investing in a Korean American filmmaker. Right now, they are hoping that the experiment is a success, but it is truly uncharted territory for them.

This intimate personal story in the form of a crime drama is not the type of film CJ Entertainment is used to marketing. American-style independent filmmaking is new to them. Korean American stories are new to them. For those of you that don’t know, “West 32nd” is a gritty New York crime story much in the vein of films like “Dog Day Afternoon” or “Serpico” from the 70′s while also trying to capture the aesthetic slickness of contemporary Korean cinema — films like “Oldboy” and “Bittersweet Life.” It is not an easy film for anyone to market.

In the U.S., we may know who John Cho (Harold And Kumar) and Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) are, but in Korea those names have very little marquee value. We luckily have a cameo from Jun Ho Jeong (My Hero, My Boss) and the film also stars a rising talent Jun Kim (The Lobbyist). But regardless, this is no “D-War” and we don’t have the ad dollars behind us to make it a huge blockbuster release… Nor does it make any sense to try to be that. While “West 32nd” is a crime genre movie that appeals universally, at its heart the film is a personal story about Koreans in America and explores the relationships between 2nd, 1.5 and 1st generation Korean Americans.

CJ Entertainment is hoping that the film can generate word-of-mouth buzz. The only way for that to happen of course is if we can get people to come out and see it first. My biggest fear is that because I don’t live in Seoul and have no way to directly reach out to folks, people may not aware of the film’s release. We are starting our run on 15 screens in Korea (6 in Seoul). The internet is my only real hope for getting the word out to people. Please take a moment to pass this along to any friends and family you may have in Korea. It could make all the difference.

Thank you in advance.

FIGHTING!

-Mike Kang
dir West 32nd

FINISHING THE GAME + Letter from Justin Lin

September 27, 2007 Film

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Out in theaters October 5, 2007!

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Supporters:

FINISHING THE GAME, our new independent film, has been an opportunity to revisit our indie roots and reunite with many in the BETTER LUCK TOMMOROW family. The challenges of making a no-budget film are harsh and demanding, but at the same time, it is filmmaking in its purest form. Clearly, passion on the part of the cast and crew made this film possible. Now we are hoping to share FINISHING THE GAME with you as it comes out in theaters and into your homes.

When BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was released, we showed Hollywood that we are a viable audience. In an industry governed by box office receipts, there is strength in numbers. The turnout for the film sent a clear message that we demand to see ourselves on screen as multi-dimensional characters. Five years later, we are asking for your support again. At this point, we need to demonstrate that BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was not a fluke; we are a vital consumer community that will no longer be ignored. However, out of respect for your time, energy and taste, we don’t want you to come see the film simply because it¹s an “Asian American” project. Rather, we want you to connect to the work itself and let the film stand on its own. We welcome you to take a look at the FINISHING THE GAME trailer on our website:

http://www.youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com

Among other things, it features a behind-the-scenes look at our journey from BLT to FTG that was made by film student Anson Ho.

We are happy to announce that IFC Films, our supportive partner, will be distributing FINISHING THE GAME. However, this “platform release” is merely an opportunity and, in certain ways, an uphill battle. The lifespan of a truly independent film is determined on a week-by-week basis. Every weekend could be its last.

Through making studio films, I have learned that “word of mouth” is the most important aspect of any film’s release. A big budget movie could buy up every billboard and flood TV with commercials in order to generate audiences. An indie film does not have the budget or the platform to do that. But, the great equalizer is the viewer. Good or bad, every film is ultimately subject to “word of mouth.” It’s simple: if you like the film, tell your friends. And if they like it, they should do the same. FINISHING THE GAME will open in New York on October 5th at the IFC Center; October 19th in San Francisco and Berkeley; and October 26th in Los Angeles, San Diego, Costa Mesa and Minneapolis.

We are also excited to announce that on October 5th, aside from its traditional theatrical release, the film will simultaneously be available ON DEMAND in 42 million homes in the United States through every cable and satellite TV distributor. This is something we are extremely excited about because it could potentially bring more of us together and build a distribution model for future Asian American films.

By supporting projects with representation and elements that you want to see, you are sending a clear message to the decision makers in Hollywood. If we can get enough people to do the same, then we will truly have a voice. So please share this with your friends and family. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Justin Lin

HATCHET. In theaters today!

September 7, 2007 Film

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This is supposed to be good. And Parry Shen’s in it!