'Passenger List' debuts September 16 from Radiotopia.
Kelly Marie Tran will star in a new mystery-thriller podcast Passenger List, debuting this fall.
Radiotopia Plots Thriller Podcast 'Passenger List' Starring Kelly Marie Tran
Passenger List will tell the story of Atlantic Flight 702, which has disappeared mid-flight between London and New York with 256 passengers on board. Tran plays Kaitlin Le, a college student whose brother vanished on the flight, who takes it upon herself to uncover the truth.
Here's a preview:
Bruce Lee's daughter is not cool with Quentin Tarantino's latest movie
"It was really uncomfortable to sit in the theater and listen to people laugh at my father."
From The Wrap: Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, says it was "disheartening" to see Quentin Tarantino depict her father in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood as "an arrogant a–hole who was full of hot air."
In the film, (spoilers follow), Brad Pitt's stuntman character, Cliff Booth, trades cocky insults with Bruce Lee (Mike Moh), and the two agree to an informal, best two-out-of-three rounds fight on the set of The Green Hornet TV show. Lee easily knocks Booth down in the first round, but in the second, Booth slams Lee into a car, stunning him. The fight is interrupted before the third round.
Shannon Lee said it's disheartening to see her father portrayed as an arrogant blowhard, because in truth, as an Asian-American in 1960s Hollywood, he had to work much harder to succeed than Booth and Rick Dalton (Leonardo Dicaprio), the fictional, white protagonists of the film.
More here: Bruce Lee’s Daughter Saddened by 'Mockery' in 'Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood'
From The Wrap: Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, says it was "disheartening" to see Quentin Tarantino depict her father in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood as "an arrogant a–hole who was full of hot air."
In the film, (spoilers follow), Brad Pitt's stuntman character, Cliff Booth, trades cocky insults with Bruce Lee (Mike Moh), and the two agree to an informal, best two-out-of-three rounds fight on the set of The Green Hornet TV show. Lee easily knocks Booth down in the first round, but in the second, Booth slams Lee into a car, stunning him. The fight is interrupted before the third round.
Shannon Lee said it's disheartening to see her father portrayed as an arrogant blowhard, because in truth, as an Asian-American in 1960s Hollywood, he had to work much harder to succeed than Booth and Rick Dalton (Leonardo Dicaprio), the fictional, white protagonists of the film.
More here: Bruce Lee’s Daughter Saddened by 'Mockery' in 'Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood'
7.29.2019
'Asian Americans': New PBS documentary chronicles the Asian American story
Groundbreaking new five-part documentary series to air on public television in May 2020.
Mark your calendars. This week, PBS and WETA officially announced the groundbreaking new five-part documentary series Asian Americans, currently in production and set for national broadcast on PBS stations in May 2020, during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Told through individual lives and personal histories, the series explores the impact of the Asian American story on the country's past, present, and future.
Led by a team of Asian American filmmakers, including Academy Award-nominated series producer Renee Tajima-Peña, Asian Americans examines the significant role of Asian Americans in shaping American history and identity, from the first wave of Asian immigrants in the 1850s and identity politics during the social and cultural turmoil of the twentieth century to modern refugee crises in a globally connected world.
More from PBS' press release:
Mark your calendars. This week, PBS and WETA officially announced the groundbreaking new five-part documentary series Asian Americans, currently in production and set for national broadcast on PBS stations in May 2020, during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Told through individual lives and personal histories, the series explores the impact of the Asian American story on the country's past, present, and future.
Led by a team of Asian American filmmakers, including Academy Award-nominated series producer Renee Tajima-Peña, Asian Americans examines the significant role of Asian Americans in shaping American history and identity, from the first wave of Asian immigrants in the 1850s and identity politics during the social and cultural turmoil of the twentieth century to modern refugee crises in a globally connected world.
More from PBS' press release:
Sikh man assaulted, told 'go back to your country'
An intruder broke a window at Sikh Temple Modesto Ceres and punched a temple leader.
Last week in California's Central Valley, an intruder broke into a Sikh temple, destroyed windows, assaulted a temple leader, shouted obscenities and told him to go back to his own country before fleeing.
Priest at Sikh Temple near Hughson assaulted in apparent hate crime
Amarjit Singh, who lives and works at the Sikh Temple Modesto Ceres, was at his home on temple grounds late Thursday night when a masked intruder broke two windows in his bedroom. When Singh lifted the window blinds to look out, the intruder punched him in the neck and shouted "go back, go back to your country" before fleeing.
Deputies from the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said, inexplicably, it's too early to call it a hate crime.
Last week in California's Central Valley, an intruder broke into a Sikh temple, destroyed windows, assaulted a temple leader, shouted obscenities and told him to go back to his own country before fleeing.
Priest at Sikh Temple near Hughson assaulted in apparent hate crime
Amarjit Singh, who lives and works at the Sikh Temple Modesto Ceres, was at his home on temple grounds late Thursday night when a masked intruder broke two windows in his bedroom. When Singh lifted the window blinds to look out, the intruder punched him in the neck and shouted "go back, go back to your country" before fleeing.
Deputies from the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said, inexplicably, it's too early to call it a hate crime.
7.28.2019
Read These Blogs
Quentin Tarantino Did Bruce Lee Dirty in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'
Why the depiction of Bruce Lee in Quentin Tarantino's latest film is problematic.
In Huge Bummer, Jeremy Lin Says He's Hit "Rock Bottom" In Free Agency
"Every year it gets harder. And in English there’s a saying and it says once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up. But rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me. So, free agency has been tough. Because I feel like in some ways the NBA’s kind of given up on me."
The Cultural Truth at the Heart of the Lies in 'The Farewell' The movie, about a grandmother who isn't told she has cancer, led a Chinese American writer to rethink his own family's "good lie," rooted in a tradition that prizes harmony.
Between Bites: What Food Means to 'The Farewell' There's a reason why nearly every crucial scene in Lulu Wang's second feature film occurs around a stove, a chopping board, or a dinner table.
Hollywood Doesn't Fully Represent Asian Americans Yet The Farewell and Crazy Rich Asians are signs of progress, but many Asian Americans are still left out of the picture.
One Mother, Two Mothers, No Mother "Adoption didn't give me a forever mother. Being in reunion with my birth mother did not make me wholly mothered, either."
Our Difficult Daughter In less than three years, Anita Jain endured incredible loss with determination. "I couldn't accomplish the simple things that came easily to others: marriage, motherhood."
Jia Tolentino Makes Sense Out of This Nonsense Moment Journalist Jia Tolentino's essay collection, Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion, explores the various ways identity gets shaped -- and distorted -- in an age where everything is constantly shifting.
Why Olympic Figure Skater Mirai Nagasu Identifies With Hannah Montana Mirai Nagasu is a bronze-medal-winning Olympic figure skater, and the first U.S. woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics in 2018.
7.26.2019
A Music Video History of Asian America
It's like a fun, overly informative Asian American version of 'Pop-Up Video.'
You wanna teach the kids a little something about Asian Americans in music? Point them to A Music Video History of Asian America, created by our friends at Pacific Arts Movement. Their team spent 130+ hours putting together this epic 35-minute compilation of 46 music videos that crafts a 46-year oral history of Asian America. It plays like a fun, overly informative Asian American version of Pop-Up Video.
This will probably be the only time you'll see the likes of Yellow Pearl alongside Jocelyn Enriquez, alongside Das Racist, alongside Ruby Ibarra, alongside Japanese Breakfast... alongside...
Check it out:
You wanna teach the kids a little something about Asian Americans in music? Point them to A Music Video History of Asian America, created by our friends at Pacific Arts Movement. Their team spent 130+ hours putting together this epic 35-minute compilation of 46 music videos that crafts a 46-year oral history of Asian America. It plays like a fun, overly informative Asian American version of Pop-Up Video.
This will probably be the only time you'll see the likes of Yellow Pearl alongside Jocelyn Enriquez, alongside Das Racist, alongside Ruby Ibarra, alongside Japanese Breakfast... alongside...
Check it out:
Angry Reader of the Week: R.O. Kwon
"I write. I read. I fantasize about cheese, which I fucking love."
Photo: Smeeta Mahanti
Greetings, good people of the internet! It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is R.O. Kwon.
Greetings, good people of the internet! It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is R.O. Kwon.
Simu Liu was "in his underwear, eating shrimp crackers" when he got the call to play Shang-Chi
'Kim's Convenience' star will play the title role in Marvel's 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.'
Unless you've been phone-less and sequestered away at summer camp, you've probably heard that Simu Liu is Shang-Chi. Last weekend at Comic-Con, it was officially announced that the Canadian actor would play the title role of Marvel's Master of Kung Fu in the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Not bad for a former accountant. Liu, who stars as Jung in the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, has always dreamed of playing a superhero -- as a kid, he wanted to be a Power Ranger -- and had been dropping not-so-subtle shirtless hints at Marvel for years, via social media, about wanting play Shang-Chi. All that campaigning worked. At least, it didn't hurt. Last week, his lifelong dream became a reality.
Two days after Liu screen-tested for the role of Shang-Chi, he was "at home in his underwear, eating shrimp crackers" when received a call from Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige with the big news: not only had he gotten the part, but he would have to be in San Diego in four days for the big announcement in Hall H.
Unless you've been phone-less and sequestered away at summer camp, you've probably heard that Simu Liu is Shang-Chi. Last weekend at Comic-Con, it was officially announced that the Canadian actor would play the title role of Marvel's Master of Kung Fu in the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Not bad for a former accountant. Liu, who stars as Jung in the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, has always dreamed of playing a superhero -- as a kid, he wanted to be a Power Ranger -- and had been dropping not-so-subtle shirtless hints at Marvel for years, via social media, about wanting play Shang-Chi. All that campaigning worked. At least, it didn't hurt. Last week, his lifelong dream became a reality.
Two days after Liu screen-tested for the role of Shang-Chi, he was "at home in his underwear, eating shrimp crackers" when received a call from Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige with the big news: not only had he gotten the part, but he would have to be in San Diego in four days for the big announcement in Hall H.
7.25.2019
Justin Chon is back to break your heart with 'Ms. Purple'
Watch the new trailer for the Sundance sibling drama.
Justin Chon does it again. The writer/director/actor continues to make his mark as an auteur with his latest feature Ms. Purple, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Gook and the second installment of a family drama trilogy. Ms. Purple, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, hits theaters this fall.
The films tells the story of siblings Kasie and Carey, who were raised and are now seemingly stuck in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Abandoned by their mother and brought up by their father, the siblings continue to struggle with deep emotional wounds from the difficulty of the parental dynamic. Now, with their father on his death bed, the estranged Carey comes home to help Kasie care for him. As they reunite over their dying father, Kasie and Carey confront their shared past, attempting to mend their relationship.
The new trailer offers your first look at the film:
Justin Chon does it again. The writer/director/actor continues to make his mark as an auteur with his latest feature Ms. Purple, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Gook and the second installment of a family drama trilogy. Ms. Purple, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, hits theaters this fall.
The films tells the story of siblings Kasie and Carey, who were raised and are now seemingly stuck in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Abandoned by their mother and brought up by their father, the siblings continue to struggle with deep emotional wounds from the difficulty of the parental dynamic. Now, with their father on his death bed, the estranged Carey comes home to help Kasie care for him. As they reunite over their dying father, Kasie and Carey confront their shared past, attempting to mend their relationship.
The new trailer offers your first look at the film:
Sophia Chang is 'The Baddest Bitch in the Room'
Former Wu-Tang manager will tell her story in a new audiobook memoir.
Sophia Chang calls herself "the first Asian woman in hip-hop"... and she has the resumé to back up the title.
She has extensive record company experience, including marketing at Atlantic, A&R at Jive, A&R Administration at UMG, GM of Razor Sharp Records, Cinematic Music Group and Pro Era Records. But Chang is best known for her time as a manager with an all-star roster of clients, including Wu-Tang's RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard; D'Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Q-Tip and more.
Now, after a career of helping artists tell their stories, Chang will tell her own in the upcoming audio memoir The Baddest Bitch in the Room, available in September. And maaaaaan, I bet she's got some stories.
Here's an excerpt, in which she recounts that first time Method Man brought the ruckus on her behalf when someone asked her that eye-rolling question, where are you from?:
Sophia Chang calls herself "the first Asian woman in hip-hop"... and she has the resumé to back up the title.
She has extensive record company experience, including marketing at Atlantic, A&R at Jive, A&R Administration at UMG, GM of Razor Sharp Records, Cinematic Music Group and Pro Era Records. But Chang is best known for her time as a manager with an all-star roster of clients, including Wu-Tang's RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard; D'Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Q-Tip and more.
Now, after a career of helping artists tell their stories, Chang will tell her own in the upcoming audio memoir The Baddest Bitch in the Room, available in September. And maaaaaan, I bet she's got some stories.
Here's an excerpt, in which she recounts that first time Method Man brought the ruckus on her behalf when someone asked her that eye-rolling question, where are you from?:
The Matrix starring Bruce Lee? Just plain weird.
Deepfake pastes Bruce's face in iconic Keanu Reeves' role.
I am soundly convinced that deepfakes will be the downfall of our society. When executed well, they can be all at once amusing, unsettling and kind of disturbing. This latest one to hit the web from Ctrl Shift Face, pasting Bruce Lee's face onto Keanu Reeves in a fight scene from The Matrix, is just... weird.
I am soundly convinced that deepfakes will be the downfall of our society. When executed well, they can be all at once amusing, unsettling and kind of disturbing. This latest one to hit the web from Ctrl Shift Face, pasting Bruce Lee's face onto Keanu Reeves in a fight scene from The Matrix, is just... weird.
7.24.2019
They Call Us Bruce - Episode 71: We Call Us Simu Liu's Shang-Chi Audition
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
On this episode, we debrief the big announcement out of Comic-Con: Simu Liu is Shang-Chi, Marvel's Master of Kung Fu! We also pour one out for the recent death of the live-action Akira remake (again).
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
On this episode, we debrief the big announcement out of Comic-Con: Simu Liu is Shang-Chi, Marvel's Master of Kung Fu! We also pour one out for the recent death of the live-action Akira remake (again).
Interview with Jacqueline Kim: Artist, Actress, Asian American Geek Girl Icon
Guest Post by Sarah Kuhn
In 2015, I wrote my very first piece for Angry Asian Man -- The Final Frontier: Captain Demora Sulu. The piece was all about how I've been obsessed with Demora, Starfleet ensign and daughter of Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), ever since she appeared in Star Trek: Generations, and how I felt like it was finally possible to dream of a future where an Asian lady captains her own starship. (And hey, that future came true! Big, beautiful shout-out to Michelle Yeoh's Philippa Georgiou!)
Four years later, thanks to LA's extremely interconnected Asian American creative community, Jacqueline Kim -- the actress who brought Demora to life so memorably -- read my piece. (Yes, I died.) And then we met in person. (Yes, I died all over again.)
It's hard to put into words what it means to sit across from the woman who played two of the most iconic Asian female characters in the geeky franchises of my youth. In addition to embodying Demora, Kim made a big impression in the epic Xena: Warrior Princess two-parter "The Debt" as Lao Ma -- the ruler, telekinetic, and general badass who becomes Xena's mentor. More recently, she delved into an indie brand of sci-fi with Advantageous, a Sundance hit about a woman contemplating transferring her consciousness into a younger body in order to give her daughter a better life.
But when I tell her I truly believe she inspired a generation of Asian American geek girls, she seems surprised.
"What an amazing thing," she muses. "I totally identify with being a geek girl."
Kim doesn't do much acting anymore -- these days, she's a multi-disciplinary artist with a wide range of passions that she speaks about with thoughtful eloquence. But next week, she'll be returning to her roots as a guest of the Official 2019 Star Trek Las Vegas Convention -- only her second Trek con ever.
In honor of this momentous occasion, she sat down with me to talk about Demora's legacy, Asian moms, and how she expresses her own geekiness.
In 2015, I wrote my very first piece for Angry Asian Man -- The Final Frontier: Captain Demora Sulu. The piece was all about how I've been obsessed with Demora, Starfleet ensign and daughter of Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), ever since she appeared in Star Trek: Generations, and how I felt like it was finally possible to dream of a future where an Asian lady captains her own starship. (And hey, that future came true! Big, beautiful shout-out to Michelle Yeoh's Philippa Georgiou!)
Four years later, thanks to LA's extremely interconnected Asian American creative community, Jacqueline Kim -- the actress who brought Demora to life so memorably -- read my piece. (Yes, I died.) And then we met in person. (Yes, I died all over again.)
It's hard to put into words what it means to sit across from the woman who played two of the most iconic Asian female characters in the geeky franchises of my youth. In addition to embodying Demora, Kim made a big impression in the epic Xena: Warrior Princess two-parter "The Debt" as Lao Ma -- the ruler, telekinetic, and general badass who becomes Xena's mentor. More recently, she delved into an indie brand of sci-fi with Advantageous, a Sundance hit about a woman contemplating transferring her consciousness into a younger body in order to give her daughter a better life.
But when I tell her I truly believe she inspired a generation of Asian American geek girls, she seems surprised.
"What an amazing thing," she muses. "I totally identify with being a geek girl."
Kim doesn't do much acting anymore -- these days, she's a multi-disciplinary artist with a wide range of passions that she speaks about with thoughtful eloquence. But next week, she'll be returning to her roots as a guest of the Official 2019 Star Trek Las Vegas Convention -- only her second Trek con ever.
In honor of this momentous occasion, she sat down with me to talk about Demora's legacy, Asian moms, and how she expresses her own geekiness.
7.22.2019
They Call Us Bruce: Episode 70 - We Call Us Tzi Ma's Lost Daughters
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
On this episode, we catch up and discuss The Good, The Bad and The WTF of what's going on in Asian America, including Lulu Wang's wonderful film The Farewell, Scarlett Johansson's dumbshit comments, and the perpetual gut punch of "go back to where you came from."
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
On this episode, we catch up and discuss The Good, The Bad and The WTF of what's going on in Asian America, including Lulu Wang's wonderful film The Farewell, Scarlett Johansson's dumbshit comments, and the perpetual gut punch of "go back to where you came from."
7.21.2019
Read These Blogs
16,000 Readers Shared Their Experiences of Being Told to 'Go Back.' Here Are Some of Their Stories.
"Go back to where you came from." These seven words are seared into the minds of countless Americans -- a reminder that they haven't always been welcome in the country where they were born or naturalized because of their appearance, language or religion. The New York Times collected some of their stories.
In Trump's vision of a white America, immigrants should be grateful and servile
What "go back" really means.
'Go back' denies the sacrifice my parents made to be Americans
"Immigrants and people of color actively choose to be American over and over again, even when this country tramples their humanity and disputes how genuine their intentions are."
I was a girl in Daisy Scouts the first time I was told to 'go back home'
We are not going anywhere because we are already home.
What happened when they told me, 'go back to your country'
Professor Karthick Ramakrishnan recalls a time 28 years ago when his high school classmates told him to "go back to his country," and the school principal denied that the act was racist.
The Rich, Complex History Hiding Within Chinese Plate Designs
If you've eaten at a Chinese restaurant, chances are, you've seen the iconic design painted on the bowls and plates. Soleil Ho looks into the history of these Chinese plate designs.
The Stories We Tell, and Don't Tell, About Asian-American Lives
In Racial Melancholia, Racial Dissociation: On the Social and Psychic Lives of Asian Americans, published earlier this year, a literary critic and a psychotherapist study broken narratives and missing words to understand what a diverse cohort has in common.
Make-Believe in Macau
A novelist's stint impersonating the ultra-rich in China.
Eat Your Grief: 'The Farewell,' My Family, and the Burden of Food
"How Lulu Wang's film brought me back to my grandparents' dining table in China."
"I needed to do this movie": Awkwafina on her star-making role in The Farewell
Awkwafina talks about death, humor, and learning Chinese for her new movie.
Simu Liu, Marvel's latest leading man, will soon be a 'household name'
If you don't know his name already, you will soon.
Marvel's Shang-Chi: five reasons Tony Leung’s casting is huge
Screen legend Tony Leung Chiu-wai will be the first Hong Kong actor to star in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
Meet Zhao Shuzhen, the Breakout Star of 'The Farewell'
One of the biggest breakthrough performances of the year comes in an unexpected package; The Farewell introduces audiences to 75-year-old Chinese actress Zhao Shuzhen in her dazzling American film debut.
7.20.2019
Simu Liu to star as Marvel's 'Shang-Chi'
'Kim's Convenience' actor will play the Master of Kung Fu in 'Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.'
It's official. We have a Shang-Chi. Simu Liu will star as Marvel's Master of Kung-Fu in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The casting was announced Saturday afternoon at Marvel's highly anticipated Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, in which the studio announced continuing plans for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The cast of Shang Chi will also include Awkwafina and Tony Leung. Exclamation points!
Liu, who hails from Toronto, is best known for playing Jung on the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, which recently wrapped its fourth season. He's also had various guest starring and recurring roles on Taken, The Expanse, Blood and Water, Fresh Off The Boat, and several Wong Fu films, among others.
And if you're wondering if Simu's got the moves to play Shang Chi, yeah, he's got the moves.
It's official. We have a Shang-Chi. Simu Liu will star as Marvel's Master of Kung-Fu in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The casting was announced Saturday afternoon at Marvel's highly anticipated Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, in which the studio announced continuing plans for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The cast of Shang Chi will also include Awkwafina and Tony Leung. Exclamation points!
Liu, who hails from Toronto, is best known for playing Jung on the hit Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience, which recently wrapped its fourth season. He's also had various guest starring and recurring roles on Taken, The Expanse, Blood and Water, Fresh Off The Boat, and several Wong Fu films, among others.
And if you're wondering if Simu's got the moves to play Shang Chi, yeah, he's got the moves.
7.19.2019
Producers wanted to give 'The Farewell' a white boyfriend
What the bad alternate universe version of Lulu Wang's film might look like.
Writer/director Lulu Wang's feature The Farewell is based on real events from the filmmaker's own life, when her grandmother in China was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, but went on unaware after the family decided to shield her from the news. Instead, the family orchestrated a fake wedding so that loved ones could say goodbye.
The film has received rave reviews and opened to stellar box office numbers. But audiences might have seen an entirely different movie if some producers had their way. Wang shares that when she first started pitching the film in 2014, producers suggested a decidedly different take on the film's fake wedding premise.
"As I was pitching to producers, they were like, 'It's obvious -- if you’re going to make a wedding movie, then the main character has to be the bride,'" Wang tells The Washington Post. "And she doesn't get along with her boyfriend anymore. And he's American. He's a white guy. But somehow she convinces him, and they come and they force this wedding. And they end up falling in love again.'"
If you were wondering what the bad alternate universe version of The Farewell might look like.
More here: Lulu Wang nearly compromised with 'The Farewell.' Then she stayed true to her story.
Writer/director Lulu Wang's feature The Farewell is based on real events from the filmmaker's own life, when her grandmother in China was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, but went on unaware after the family decided to shield her from the news. Instead, the family orchestrated a fake wedding so that loved ones could say goodbye.
The film has received rave reviews and opened to stellar box office numbers. But audiences might have seen an entirely different movie if some producers had their way. Wang shares that when she first started pitching the film in 2014, producers suggested a decidedly different take on the film's fake wedding premise.
"As I was pitching to producers, they were like, 'It's obvious -- if you’re going to make a wedding movie, then the main character has to be the bride,'" Wang tells The Washington Post. "And she doesn't get along with her boyfriend anymore. And he's American. He's a white guy. But somehow she convinces him, and they come and they force this wedding. And they end up falling in love again.'"
If you were wondering what the bad alternate universe version of The Farewell might look like.
More here: Lulu Wang nearly compromised with 'The Farewell.' Then she stayed true to her story.
7.15.2019
Food delivery driver accused of racist rant
Caviar driver Nathan Cole was caught on camera yelling profanities and racial slurs at an Asian woman.
In San Francisco, a man delivering online food orders was caught on camera going off on a racist rant, targeting an Asian woman, during one of his deliveries. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
31-year-old Nathan Cole, a delivery driver for the online service Caviar, is accused of yelling profanities and racial slurs at Sophia Shih in front of her home in San Francisco's Sunset neighborhood.
The incident was apparently sparked by Cole's car, which was parked illegally in Shih's driveway. When Shih asked Cole not to park there, he reportedly started screaming at her. A security camera recorded Cole calling Shih "foreign-ass," "dog-eating," "cat-eating..." (KTVU's broadcast bleeped out parts of his rant.)
More here: Food delivery man accused of rant against San Francisco woman
In San Francisco, a man delivering online food orders was caught on camera going off on a racist rant, targeting an Asian woman, during one of his deliveries. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
31-year-old Nathan Cole, a delivery driver for the online service Caviar, is accused of yelling profanities and racial slurs at Sophia Shih in front of her home in San Francisco's Sunset neighborhood.
The incident was apparently sparked by Cole's car, which was parked illegally in Shih's driveway. When Shih asked Cole not to park there, he reportedly started screaming at her. A security camera recorded Cole calling Shih "foreign-ass," "dog-eating," "cat-eating..." (KTVU's broadcast bleeped out parts of his rant.)
More here: Food delivery man accused of rant against San Francisco woman
7.14.2019
Read These Blogs
When a Lie Becomes Your Breakout Film
With The Farewell, released in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, writer-director Lulu Wang has made a bittersweet drama about her family's choice to deceive one of their own.
'The Farewell's' Lulu Wang and Awkwafina want you to cry, then call your grandma
"My goal is to leave people talking about the film, or talking about their own lives and their own family, or calling their grandma. That's my gift to the world. We should all call our grandmas more."
Crazy Rich Asians Kicked Down the Door. Now Asian Americans Are Fighting To Stay in the Room
"Increasingly, it’s up to the Asian-American power players working behind the scenes to ensure that their community, so long ignored or tokenized, isn't treated as a fad—and that they become integral to the worlds of film and TV."
How magazines made Asian America
A brief history of Asian American magazines, and how their circulation sparked and shaped national conversations about identity and politics.
Politicians often overlook Asian American voters. They shouldn’t, especially in 2020.
Asian Americans are often relegated to, at best, a footnote in conversations about national politics. Thanks to changes to the 2020 Democratic primary calendar that give Asian American voters more influence, this could change. Smart politicians would be wise to figure out how to win them over.
A Woman's Place is in Space: Meet Eight Asian American Women Reaching for the Stars
For every person and vehicle that NASA has launched beyond Earth's atmosphere, there have been numerous Asian American women who made those journeys possible.
When a Dating Dare Leads to Months of Soul Searching
It had been a glorious first date for Andrew and Sarah, but for her there was a problem: They were both of Asian descent.
George Takei on the Return of Concentration Camps in America
A Q&A with actor and activist George Takei on his experience in the U.S. concentration camps for Japanese Americans during World War II, and the U.S. border situation today.
Cinematographer on the Rise Finds Connection in Urban Oasis
Quyen Tran, DP for HBO's Camping and Netflix's Unbelievable, transformed her life and career after a brush with terror and tragedy.
Jamie Yancovitz & Kristen Cabildo Are Redefining The Practice Of Filipino Martial Arts For Women
Two women are working to create a safe space for women, especially Filipinas, to learn self-defense and cultural heritage through Filipino Martial Arts.
Utah's 'Tandoori Taqueria' Brings Unexpected Indian Spice To Cowboy Country
Five years ago, Ripple Desai opened the Tandoori Taqueria in rural Utah, serving up a fusion of traditional Indian dishes with that beloved Mexican staple -- tacos. She uses naan bread as the tortilla.
Dan the Automator follows his own lane to food, movies, 'Always Be My Maybe'
San Francisco producer and artist Dan the Automator spent years in the rap and indie music worlds. Now, he's scoring movies, including Always Be My Maybe and the recent Booksmart.
7.12.2019
Angry Reader of the Week: Thuc Nguyen
"Things that make me angry aren't tough fixes. They take awareness."
What's good, internet friends? It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Thuc Nguyen.
What's good, internet friends? It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Thuc Nguyen.
7.08.2019
Swords! Arrows! Horses! Mulan! Live-Action! Trailer!
Disney drops the first teaser trailer for the live-action remake of 'Mulan.'
This is a proper teaser trailer. Disney has dropped the first look at its upcoming live-action remake of Mulan, based on the tale of China's legendary woman warrior. Let me just say, if you want to get me excited about this Mulan movie I've been a little skeptical about up to now, this is how you do it. Sign me up.
The film tells the story of Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, who steps in to take the place of her ailing father when the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. The epic journey will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation... and a proud father.
The trailer reveals familiar beats of the animated film, while offering the scale and scope of a period war epic. You've got our heroine expected to be a dutiful daughter and marry her match, juxtaposed against scenes of Mulan riding a horse, wielding a sword, doing gung fu flippity flips, scaling rooftops and shooting off a shitload of arrows. All while maintaining the glorious curls in her hair.
Check it out:
This is a proper teaser trailer. Disney has dropped the first look at its upcoming live-action remake of Mulan, based on the tale of China's legendary woman warrior. Let me just say, if you want to get me excited about this Mulan movie I've been a little skeptical about up to now, this is how you do it. Sign me up.
The film tells the story of Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, who steps in to take the place of her ailing father when the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. The epic journey will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation... and a proud father.
The trailer reveals familiar beats of the animated film, while offering the scale and scope of a period war epic. You've got our heroine expected to be a dutiful daughter and marry her match, juxtaposed against scenes of Mulan riding a horse, wielding a sword, doing gung fu flippity flips, scaling rooftops and shooting off a shitload of arrows. All while maintaining the glorious curls in her hair.
Check it out:
7.07.2019
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'The Little Mermaid' Star Halle Bailey Gets Advice From 1st Nonwhite Actress to Play Ariel
Halle Bailey won't be the first nonwhite actress to play Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid. And Diana Huey, a Japanese American who played the red-headed mermaid in a national touring production of the Broadway hit, has plenty of advice for her big-screen successor in dealing with the pressure of reimagining an iconic role.
Lulu Wang Spots the Lie
The director of the Sundance sensation The Farewell has made the kind of movie Hollywood never makes.
For my Father, Every Time is War Time
"A part of me, the part trained to put my father first, thought I should allow him into my home, regardless of his threats."
In action-comedy 'Stuber,' Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista shoot down toxic masculinity
In Stuber, a police detective (Bautista) enlists the help of his Uber driver, Stu (Nanjiani) to help him track down a deadly criminal.
What One Actor's Career Tells Us About Asian Representation in Hollywood
Actor James Saito said the way his role was written in “Always Be My Maybe allowed the character to be “a real man as we know an Asian American man to be.
'Sesame Street' stars Sonia Manzano and Alan Muraoka reflect on 50 years of hit children's show
To celebrate 50 years of Sesame Street Sonia Manzano, who played Maria, and Alan Muraoka, the current owner of Hooper's Store, shared their favorite guest stars and what it has meant to teach kids about how to live happy and healthy lives.
Yakult, ramen or Asian pears: What does your H Mart purchase say about you?
The Korean grocery chain H Mart offers a variety of food items. What do the ones you choose say about you?
Every Dish You HAVE To Try At 15-Year-Old Actor Hudson Yang's Restaurant
Actor Hudson Yang, who portrays a younger version of chef Eddie Huang in the ABC hit series Fresh Off The Boat, is just 15 years old. But he's already getting his feet wet in the restaurant business, much like the culinary icon he portrays.
Cute. Dangerous. Asian American. "Gremlins" @35
A piece on the 1984 horror-comedy movie Gremlins, cuteness, and white ambivalence about Asian Americans as the supposed model minority.
7.05.2019
Building the Asian American Movement: Then and Now
Friday, July 12 at the Japanese American National Museum.
If you're in Los Angeles, check out this cool panel discussion, Building the Asian American Movement: Then and Now happening next week in Little Tokyo, co-presented by Visual Communications and the Japanese American National Museum...
Take a cross-generational look at the challenges and opportunities Asian American communities face as they continue to grow and engage in political action. Hear from a panel of Asian American activists who span the 1970s to the present. Learn about what motivated them to become politically charged and find what out what they believe it means to be an activist in today’s world and what issues continue to spur activism. The panelists have deep experience in student organizing, anti-gentrification campaigns, immigrant worker organizing, and other political campaigns.
Speakers include Sophia Cheng, immigrant workers organizer and lecturer at UCLA Asian American Studies Program; Tiffany Do, education and housing advocate; Frances Hyunh, tenant organizer with Chinatown Community for Equitable Development; Florante Ibanez, veteran organizer in the Filipino American community and lecturer in Asian American Studies at Pasadena City College; Miya Iwataki, veteran organizer in the Japanese American community around health care and redress/reparations and women’s issues; Sandy Maeshiro, veteran organizer with The Storefront in Seinan/Crenshaw and educational advocate; Jonathan Paik, Executive Director of the Korean Resource Center in Orange County and political empowerment organizer.
It's happening Friday, July 12 at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum. For further information, and to RSVP, go here.
If you're in Los Angeles, check out this cool panel discussion, Building the Asian American Movement: Then and Now happening next week in Little Tokyo, co-presented by Visual Communications and the Japanese American National Museum...
Take a cross-generational look at the challenges and opportunities Asian American communities face as they continue to grow and engage in political action. Hear from a panel of Asian American activists who span the 1970s to the present. Learn about what motivated them to become politically charged and find what out what they believe it means to be an activist in today’s world and what issues continue to spur activism. The panelists have deep experience in student organizing, anti-gentrification campaigns, immigrant worker organizing, and other political campaigns.
Speakers include Sophia Cheng, immigrant workers organizer and lecturer at UCLA Asian American Studies Program; Tiffany Do, education and housing advocate; Frances Hyunh, tenant organizer with Chinatown Community for Equitable Development; Florante Ibanez, veteran organizer in the Filipino American community and lecturer in Asian American Studies at Pasadena City College; Miya Iwataki, veteran organizer in the Japanese American community around health care and redress/reparations and women’s issues; Sandy Maeshiro, veteran organizer with The Storefront in Seinan/Crenshaw and educational advocate; Jonathan Paik, Executive Director of the Korean Resource Center in Orange County and political empowerment organizer.
It's happening Friday, July 12 at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum. For further information, and to RSVP, go here.
Angry Reader of the Week: Cindy Lin
"You get to scream at the top of your lungs and hit people with sticks."
Greetings, good people of the internet. It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Cindy Lin.
Greetings, good people of the internet. It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Cindy Lin.
7.03.2019
Episode 69: They Call Us Kulap Vilaysack
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
On this episode, we welcome actress/comedian/writer Kulap Vilaysack to talk about her deeply personal feature documentary Origin Story. They discuss unearthing family secrets, making art from trauma, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of airing out your dirty laundry.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
On this episode, we welcome actress/comedian/writer Kulap Vilaysack to talk about her deeply personal feature documentary Origin Story. They discuss unearthing family secrets, making art from trauma, and The Good, The Bad and The WTF of airing out your dirty laundry.