Korean Restaurant Gets Hit with Racist Graffiti

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America



Racist Graffiti Scrawled on Michelin-Starred West Village Korean Restaurant
Last week in New York, racist graffiti was found scrawled on the window of a West Village Korean restaurant. Somebody wrote "Stop eating dogs" in black marker on the outside glass at Jeju Noodle Bar, which has been closed since March 16. Chef and owner Douglas Kim is calling it a hate crime. You're damn right it is.

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Vietnamese Nail Salons Donate Thousands of Masks, Gloves to Hospitals
"Fighting this virus is a responsibility for every one of us. We don't work in the medical field, so we cannot fight the virus directly but we want to share our responsibility and share what we have with the community."

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Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits
Hell yes! This one's for the serious Bruce fans. Criterion Collection has announced a comprehensive Blu-ray box set collection that define Bruce Lee's monumental legacy. Available July 14, Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits includes The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon and Game of Death, and a seven-disc truckload of special edition features.

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Jeff Chan to Direct New Line's Asian-Centered Rom-Com 'Singles Day'
Jeff Chan will direct New Line's romantic comedy Singles Day, with his filmmaker partner Andrew Rhymer producing. Lillian Yu's spec script centers on the Chinese anti-Valentine's Day holiday that takes place on November 11. The interconnected ensemble of romantic partners, friends and family will be predominantly of Asian descent.

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Jimmy O. Yang: Good Deal
Comedian Jimmy O. Yang's new one-hour standup special Good Deal will premiere on May 8, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Performed live at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, Good Deal covers Jimmy's hilarious interactions with immigrant parents, his thoughts on Matt Damon, and whether ghosts will haunt one-bedroom apartments.

Criterion Collection teases Bruce Lee, Wong Kar-wai box sets

Annual doodle hints at upcoming home video releases for 2020.



Just a little bit of fun news from movie geeks who still like getting DVDs and Blu-rays for the home collection, like me. These days, physical purchases are reserved for special items. So this recent "announcement" from Criterion Collection has given me reason to save up some hard-earned cash.

As is tradition, the home video distributor specializing in "important classic and contemporary cinema" dropped its annual doodle teasing some of the year's upcoming releases, leaving it up to us cinephiles to decipher the maddeningly simple drawings. This year's clues hint at releases that align particularly well with my tastes: Wong Kar-wai and Bruce Lee box sets.

Angry Gift Guide: The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki

Blu-ray box set includes animation master's 11 feature films



Fellow Miyazaki maniacs, there is no way around it: somehow, you must get your hands on The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki, available exclusively from Amazon. The comprehensive Blu-ray box set includes each of the revered animation master's eleven feature films, plus rare works from Miyazaki's early career.

The 12-disc set features Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Wind Rises. Bonus materials include Yuki no Taiyo -- a 1972 television pilot directed, storyboarded and animated by Hayao Miyazaki, as well as three episodes of the 1972 Miyazaki-storyboarded anime series Akado Suzunosuk, and more.

Here's some more info on the set:

Giveaway: The Grandmaster on DVD

Enter to win Wong Kar-wai's martial arts drama The Grandmaster on DVD



Check it. If you like your action flicks with a touch of class, then you must see Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi in The Grandmaster, available this week on Blu-ray and DVD, as well as On Demand and Digital Download.

Presented by Martin Scorsese, the latest film from acclaimed auteur Wong Kar-wai is a visually-stunning period martial arts drama inspired by the life of legendary Wing Chun master Ip Man -- teacher to Bruce Lee -- who survived the turmoil of 1930s China to change the world of martial arts forever.

The Grandmaster is an art house kung fu flick, equal parts gorgeous and kickass. Tony Leung is awesome as usual, but it's Zhang Ziyi who really steals the movie. She embodies the spirit of the movie, both stunning and fierce -- the real grandmaster we follow through Wong's saga of love, honor and vengeance.

Want to win a copy of The Grandmaster? I'm giving away some DVDs. Scroll down to the bottom for details on how to enter. But first, here's the trailer for The Grandmaster:

Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray/DVD Extended Edition

The biggest and baddest installment of the auto action franchise, directed by Justin Lin

If you had told me in 2001, upon release of The Fast and the Furious, that they would eventually go on to make six of these freaking movies, I would have told you to get the eff out of my car. But indeed, they've not only made six, but they've turned Fast & Furious into an international blockbuster franchise -- and arguably getting better with each film -- helmed by one of Hollywood's most successful Asian American directors. Whaaat.

You've come a long way, Justin Lin. Fast & Furious 6 marks a closing chapter for his run with the series, after successfully weaving together the seemingly disparate character/story threads from the first three movies, spinning a movie mythology and managing a bulging ensemble while continually upping the action ante. Yes, this is a big, loud movie, but it delivers in all the ways that count.

The movie also closes the loop for fan favorite Sung Kang as Han, who [SPOILER, like seven years ago, bro] meets his fate in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift -- the third movie in the franchise, but chronologically, the bookend to the series so far. Hats off to one of the coolest Asian American movie characters ever.

Fast & Furious is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and Digital Download. Here's the trailer again:

The Bruce Lee Legacy Collection

The Big Boss, Fists of Fury, Way of the Dragon and Game of Death -- available for the first time on Blu-ray.



All right, Bruce fans... I present yet another item for you to spend your hard-earned money on. The Bruce Lee Legacy Collection, presented by Shout! Factory, is now available for your kung fu Blu-ray lovin' ass.

This box set includes The Big Boss, Fists of Fury, Way of the Dragon and Game of Death -- all both on DVD and, for the first time, Blu-ray. The set also includes two documentaries, Bruce Lee: The Legend and I Am Bruce Lee. All packaged in a handsome collectible binded book.

Here's a fun trailer to get you jazzed about the set:

John Cho could have played Jim on The Office

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21 & Over Blu-ray/DVD

The college comedy 21 & Over, starring Justin Chon, hits Blu-ray and DVD this week. It's off-color and outrageous, and there's a lot of gross-out, silly-ass shenanigans that happen in the movie, but between the dick jokes and binge drinking, the movie goes to some interesting places that you wouldn't expect. In spite of its extreme bro-verload, it stuck with me. Plus, you rarely ever get to root for the Asian American kid partying his nekkid ass off. Here's another look at the trailer:

New on Blu-ray: Enter the Dragon 40th Anniversary Edition

Bruce fans, you know what's up. The 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of Enter the Dragon, one of the friggin' greatest movies ever, is now in stores. This movie's got everything -- an island martial arts tournament, some silly sneaking around, a crazy villain with a claw, and Bruce Lee at his most badass. Here's the original 1973 trailer for Enter the Dragon:

Enter the Dragon 40th Anniversary Blu-ray

When I heard that Warner Brothers was commemorating its 90th aniversary with a year-long celebration of deluxe Blu-ray releases from the Warner Archive, I was crossing my fingers that the schedule would include an new edition of the martial arts classic -- and my favorite movie -- Enter the Dragon. And indeed, it is on, my friends. The Enter the Dragon 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collection's Edition will hit shelves on June 11.

Win I Am Bruce Lee on Blu-ray

The excellent documentary I Am Bruce Lee, about the incredible life, career and global impact of the martial arts icon, was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD from Shout! Factory. It's a really insightful and entertaining feature, piecing together film clips, rare archival footage and interviews with those who knew Bruce best, as well as the many whose respective work he's influenced. It's a must-see for any Bruce fan.

I happen to have an extra copy of I Am Bruce Lee on Blu-ray, and I feel like giving it away. Want it? Scroll down to the bottom for details. But first, here's the trailer and a bunch of clips from I Am Bruce Lee:

angry gift guide: miami connection on blu-ray/dvd/vhs

For something different... From out of the vault, via the mean streets of Florida, comes the greatest so-bad-it's-good synth rock ninja action street justice saga you've never heard of: Miami Connection -- a new cult classic.

Written, produced by and starring 9th degree black belt philosopher/author/inspirational speaker Grandmaster Y.K. Kim, the film was only released theatrically in Orlando in 1987 before getting quickly boo'd off the screen and into obscurity before being unearthed decades later by Drafthouse Films.

Recently released on Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition VHS (yes, do you remember?), Miami Connection is, hands down, one of the worst, most awesome and most enjoyable movies I've ever seen. First, behold the trailer:

yes, we're open now available on dvd/digital download

Film lovers. Something for you. The indie sex comedy Yes, We're Open is now available on DVD and Digital Download. You've heard me rave about it. If you missed it on the festival circuit, now's the chance to watch it from the comfort of your couch or, heck, even your handheld device. It's the future.

Lynn Chen and Parry Shen star as Sylvia and Luke, a seemingly liberal San Francisco couple who reconsider just how modern a lifestyle they actually lead when they meet a provocative polyamorous couple. With temptation around the corner, Luke and Sylvia must figure out where they really stand on love, sex, and honesty.

Want to win a copy of the DVD? Scroll down. But first, here's the trailer: