They Call Us Bruce 134: They Call Us Justin Chon

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 Justin Chon, the writer, director and star of the dramatic feature Blue Bayou. He talks about putting the spotlight on the plight of undocumented adoptees, setting an Asian American story in the South, and crafting films that create empathy -- and change.

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's 'Ms. Purple' acquired by Oscilloscope

Sundance sibling drama will hit theaters later this year.



After premiering earlier this year to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, Justin Chon's sibling drama Ms. Purple, starring Tiffany Chu and Teddy Lee, has been acquired for distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories.

Ms. Purple follows Korean American sister and brother 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 film will be released in theaters later this year.

More here: Oscilloscope Acquires Justin Chon Sundance Drama 'Ms. Purple'

Sound and Fury Podcast Episode 23: Justin Chon

Writer, Director and Star of 'Gook'



Aaaaand we're back. Sorry, it's been a minute. After a lengthy hiatus, my original interview podcast Sound and Fury is back! Hopefully, we'll get back on track, keep things regular and stick around for a while.

In Episode 23, I talk to actor and filmmaker Justin Chon about his award-winning indie film Gook. He explains why he wanted to make a movie set during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, his Korean American family's personal connection to the conflict, and his reasoning behind the film's controversial title.

Check it out:

Watch an exclusive clip from Justin Chon's 'Gook'

Award-winning indie drama opens in theaters August 18.



Heads up. Writer/director Justin Chon's acclaimed indie drama Gook opens in theaters on August 18.

Set against the backdrop of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the film follows two Korean American brothers, Eli and Daniel, who run their late father's shoe store in a predominantly Black community. The pair strikes up a unique and unlikely friendship with a streetwise 11-year-old girl, Kamila. While Daniel has dreams of his own, Eli struggles to keep the family business afloat. But racial tensions in the neighborhood build to a breaking point, erupting into conflict that threatens their livelihood and tests the meaning of family.

Gook is a stunning, gut-punch of film, full of humor, heart and low-budget scrappiness. It also announces the arrival of one hell of a voice and vision -- didn't I see Justin Chin butt naked in 21 & Over? -- and revelatory performances from its supporting cast, including comedian David So as Daniel, newcomer Simone Baker as Kamila, and even a dramatic turn from Chon's own father.

In this exclusive clip from Gook, Eli and Kamila share a personal moment while the city burns in the distance:

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 7: They Call Us Justin Chon and Grace lee

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. 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.

This week, "live" from the 33rd Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, we commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, with guests Justin Chon, star/writer/director of Gook, and Grace Lee, director of the interactive documentary K-TOWN'92.

Throwback comedy 'Seoul Searching' hits theaters in June

Benson Lee's coming-of-age comedy opens in New York City on June 17 and Los Angeles on June 24.



At long last, after crowd-pleasing hit festival run -- including a world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival -- the indie coming-of-age comedy Seoul Searching hits theaters in limited release next month.

Based on writer/director Benson Lee's own experiences as a teenager, Seoul Searching tells the story of a group of teens from all over the world who converge in Seoul during the summer of 1986 to participate in a government-sponsored program to help them connect with their heritage.

Starring an international all-Asian cast of fresh faces and seasoned performers, the film pays homage to the classic John Hughes dramedies of the eighties, while putting a fresh Asian American spin on the genre with nostalgia, hilarity and heart. This is the movie my generation wished we could have seen while growing up.

Here's the recently released theatrical trailer on iTunes:

KevJumba and Justin Chon star in the buddy comedy 'Man Up'

Justin Chon's directorial debut is now available for on-demand streaming from Vimeo.



Man Up is just about one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen... and I laughed my ass off. The indie feature comedy from actor-director Justin Chon, and starring Kevin Wu (YouTube's KevJumba) and Nichole Bloom, is now available for on demand streaming exclusively through Vimeo.

The buddy comedy, set and shot in Hawaii, follows 19-year-old slacker Martin, who has big plans for the summer... to do absolutely nothing. However, his plans are foiled when his girlfriend Madison drops a bomb on his carefree summer -- she is pregnant and refuses to see him until he grows up. With the help of his best friend, he embarks on a man-quest to figure what it means to be a dad and "man up."

Here's the trailer:

Watch the first trailer for 'Revenge of the Green Dragons'

"The True Story of New York's Most Notorious Street Gang"



We have the newly dropped trailer for the crime drama Revenge of the Green Dragons. Directed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, the movie is based on a 1992 New Yorker article that chronicled the underworld of Asian American gang life in 1980s and 90s New York City.

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:

Production begins on Revenge of the Green Dragons

Some interesting movie news... It looks like we'll be seeing the likes of Harry Shum Jr., Justin Chon, KevJumba and MC Jin starring in Revenge of the Green Dragons.

Production has already begun on the gangster action thriller, which is inspired by a New Yorker article on the Chinese American underworld. Directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Andrew Lau and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, the 1980s-set crime drama tells the story of two immigrant siblings' rise and fall within a New York Chinatown gang, the Green Dragons. So who's in the movie?

The film's IMDb page already lists Glee's Harry Shum Jr. and Eugenia Yuan as part of the cast. But some rumors began circulating this week that Justin, Kevin and Jin have roles in the movie. The speculation seemed to be confirmed by a couple of intriguing tweets between the actors.

Justin Chon has one crazy-ass night in 21 & Over

21 & Over is complicated. The new comedy starring Justin Chon, set over the course of one crazy, drunken college night, is gross, crass and guaranteed to offend some sensibilities. There were moments I found myself wincing at bro-blatant bro-ness of the bro-humor. But it also wades into some very surprising, interesting territory, and takes its lead into places I've seen few Asian American characters go onscreen.

And we get to see Justin Chon's nekkid ass. A lot of it.

Justin Chon cast in NBC comedy pilot The Gates

Actor Justin Chon, perhaps best known for his role as Eric Yorkie in the Twilight movies, has been cast in the NBC comedy pilot The Gates: Kathleen Rose Perkins, Three Others Cast In NBC Comedy Pilot 'The Gates.'

The Gates is an ensemble comedy set at the front gates of an elementary school drop-off, where parents and school staff interact with one another at the beginning and end of each school day.

According to Deadline.com, Justin will play a "manny" -- that's a male nanny -- and buddy/confidant to the show's lead:

justin chon in 21 & over trailer

If you like the poster, here's the brand new trailer for the upcoming comedy 21 & Over, starring Justin Chon. He plays a straight-A college student whose 21st birthday becomes a night of chaos and debauchery. If it looks Hangover-esque, it's because it's written and directed by the guys who co-wrote The Hangover. Take a look:

justin chon in the epic poster for 21 and over

Check out a triumphant, nearly-naked Justin Chon in this new poster for the upcoming comedy 21 and Over. Justin stars as a straight-A student who celebrates his 21st birthday with his two best friends the night before a big med school interview. As you can see, things get out of hand: