They Call Us Bruce: They Call Us The Future of Our Former Democracy

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.

In this episode, we welcome George Cheung, Director of More Equitable Democracy and co-host of the podcast The Future of Our Former Democracy, which asks an important question for our anxious times: Why does American democracy suck right now? George argues that there's a major underlying issue: the polarizing winner-take-all electoral system. He talks about what it could look like if the United States dismantled its current electoral system and rebuilt a proportional representation system to save our democracy. BONUS: After the episode, keep listening to hear the first episode of The Future of Our Former Democracy.

Bad Guys Are Awesome, Especially Asian Ones

Character poster gallery features the stars of 'Awesome Asian Bad Guys'



National Film Society's long-awaited action/comedy Awesome Asian Bad Guys finally gets its digital release tomorrow, June 23. The movie will be released by FilmBuff on all major video-on-demand platforms including the film's website, powered by VHX, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu and Xbox Video.

To get you sufficiently pumped for the release, here's a gallery of some dope character posters featuring the stars of Awesome Asian Bad Guys: Randall Park, Al Leong, Dante Basco, Tamlyn Tomita, Yuji Okumoto, George Cheung, Aaron Takahashi, Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco.

Check it out:

'Awesome Asian Bad Guys' to be Released on June 23

National Film Society's action/comedy webseries will be available on all major VOD platforms.



Mark your calendars, film fans. Awesome Asian Bad Guys are coming to get you! The webseries-turned-feature action/comedy Awesome Asian Bad Guys, from Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino, aka National Film Society, will be released by FilmBuff on June 23 on all major video-on-demand platforms including the film's website, powered by VHX, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu and Xbox Video.

In Awesome Asian Bad Guys, a pair of down-on-their-luck filmmakers must assemble a ragtag group of Asian "bad guy" actors in a deadly mission to take down LA's most nefarious crime boss. The cast includes Randall Park (Fresh Off The Boat, The Interview), Al Leong (Die Hard, Lethal Weapon), Dante Basco (Hook), Tamlyn Tomita (The Karate Kid Part II, Joy Luck Club), George Cheung (Rambo: First Blood Part II) and Aaron Takahashi (The Wedding Ringer). Full disclosure: I served as executive producer on the project.

The film is an irreverent homage to the nameless, expendable Asian villains of '80s and '90s action flicks. "These legendary performers have spent their careers in the background, and this project finally gives them their due," says Patrick. "It places them front and center where they belong."

Here's Patrick and Stephen with the big announcement, explaining how they pulled it off:

Fund This: 'Love, Work, and Other Demons'

Supernatural action comedy starring Akemi Look and George Cheung



Here's a fun-looking film project that is looking for some help... Love, Work and Other Demons is a supernatural action comedy short film, directed by Gorby Mu Fan Shih, about unrequited love, working two full-time jobs -- waiting tables and demon hunting-- and that feeling when life just gets in the way of love.

According to the project's Kickstarter, the film was born out of "late night discussions about what feminism, Asian culture, and a turtle monster should look like on the screen." Akemi Look plays asskicking tomboy hero Joanna, who must navigates heels and lipstick, all while battling actual demons.

Here's a video that gives you an idea of what they're going for:

See you at the New York Premiere of Awesome Asian Bad Guys

July 25 & 26 at the Asian American International Film Festival



New York City! Make some plans, because the Awesome Asian Bad Guys are coming to get you.

Next week, National Film Society's action/comedy webseries makes its East Coast premiere as part of Asian CineVision's Asian American International Film Festival. It will screen on Friday, July 25, 6:00pm at City Cinema Village East and Saturday, July 26, 2:00pm at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP.

Want to win free tickets? Scroll down to the bottom for details.

Filmmaking duo Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino direct and star as Stephen and Patrick, down-and-out filmmakers who must recruit an unlikely team of Asian American heroes -- a motley crew that includes Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, George Cheung and Randall Park -- to take down a ruthless crime lord. The series is an homage to your favorite nameless Asian movie character actors of the 1980s and 90s.

Awesome Asian Bad Guys Opening Titles

Animated sequence pays homes to action/comedy webseries heroes' greatest cinematic moments



Awesome Asian Bad Guys, coming soon from National Film Society, is an action/comedy webseries about two down-and-out filmmakers who must recruit an unlikely team of heroes -- a motley crew that includes Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, George Cheung and Randall Park -- to take down a ruthless crime lord.

Want to see something Awesome? If you went to the film festival screenings of Awesome Asian Bad Guys in San Francisco, Chicago or Los Angeles this spring, you were treated to a supercool 30-second animated opening title sequence, created by the talented Michael Velasquez, depicting some of our heroes' greatest cinematic moments. Can you recognize them? Check it out:

Awesome Asian Bad Guys kick ass at LAAPFF

Encore festival screening on Friday, May 8 at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum in Little Tokyo



I am still reeling from Saturday night's amazing Los Angeles premiere of National Film Society's Awesome Asian Bad Guys at the 30th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. It was, yes, awesome.

Directors Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino were joined by stars of the action/comedy webseries -- including Tamlyn Tomita, Yuji Okumoto, George Cheung, Randall Park, Aaron Takahashi and Dante Basco -- as well as a fantastic, energetic crowd. As executive producer, on behalf of the whole team, thank you to everyone who came out and supported the project. It was soooo much fun.

Here are some photos from the evening, courtesy of Joseph Dypiangco:

You're invited to the LA premiere of Awesome Asian Bad Guys

Star-studded screening on Saturday, May 3 at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival



All right. This is for all my people in Southern California. The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is proud to present the Hollywood premiere of Awesome Asian Bad Guys, the new action/comedy web series from National Film Society. I have the pleasure of being an executive producer on this project, and I'm excited to share the fun with friends, film fans and the festival community.

Filmmaking duo Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino direct and star as Stephen and Patrick, down-and-out filmmakers who must recruit an unlikely team of Asian American heroes -- a motley crew that includes Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, George Cheung and Randall Park -- to take down a ruthless crime lord. The series is an homage to your favorite nameless Asian movie character actors of the 1980s and 90s.

Here's the teaser trailer again:

Watch the teaser trailer for Awesome Asian Bad Guys!

Action comedy web series unites badass villains from Rambo II, Die Hard, The Karate Kid Part II and more.



Awesome! Friends, it's my pleasure to present the teaser trailer premiere for Awesome Asian Bad Guys, the upcoming action comedy web series from Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino, aka National Film Society.

The series is a celebration of some of our favorite cult movie personalities of yesteryear who were always relegated to bad guy background status, from The Karate Kid Part II to Lethal Weapon and Rambo II. Awesome Asian Bad Guys puts them in the spotlight and in the center of the action -- where they belong.

Starring Al Leong, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, Aaron Takahashi, Dante Basco and more, the story follows a motley crew of washed up Asian bad guy actors who join forces to take down Los Angeles' most nefarious mob boss. Here's your very first look at the series, coming in 2014: