Oops. I meant Justin Lin production. Read some articles about the movie and the director. It's rather interesting.

actually, it's not an MTV production. It's a Perry Shen production. MTV bought the rights to the film after Sundance. So all the comments about this movie being an "MTV PRODUCTION" film is absolutely stupid.

Was it really based on a true story? Someone posted about the honor roll murder.. If it was, that's engrossing!

It really make me angry and frustrated when I read posts stating that this movie wasn't "asian enough" or that they didn't like the film because there was nothing asian about it. That was the point. As far as the questions are concerned, I think they are irrelavent because this isn't an Asian-American film. It was just a film made by an asian american, starring asian americans.

T.L. Young was right when he said that people just didn't get it. This movie wasn't aimed at an asian audience. The movie was aimed at an AUDIENCE. No labels. Judging from some of the posts, some people got that. This film was a movie about teenagers. Not asian teenagers, just teenagers.

I really wish people in the asian community can really open their minds up, please. It seems as though that some, NOt all, asians only want films, music, or any type of art form to only deal with asians topics, aimed primarily towards an asian audience. Why?? Is that all were good for?

Roger Ebert said it best at Sundance, "Asian americans have the right to be whoever they want to be."

And, Rob Schneider represents it the best. He makes movies that are aimed at everyone (well, everyone that wants to watch a Rob Schneider movie...i do) while still representing his Filipino background (try spotting his mom in his movies). It's very subtle (which it should be), but its there.

It really make me angry and frustrated when I read posts stating that this movie wasn't "asian enough" or that they didn't like the film because there was nothing asian about it. That was the point. As far as the questions are concerned, I think they are irrelavent because this isn't an Asian-American film. It was just a film made by an asian american, starring asian americans.

T.L. Young was right when he said that people just didn't get it. This movie wasn't aimed at an asian audience. The movie was aimed at an AUDIENCE. No labels. Judging from some of the posts, some people got that. This film was a movie about teenagers. Not asian teenagers, just teenagers.

I really wish people in the asian community can really open their minds up, please. It seems as though that some, NOt all, asians only want films, music, or any type of art form to only deal with asians topics, aimed primarily towards an asian audience. Why?? Is that all were good for?

Roger Ebert said it best at Sundance, "Asian americans have the right to be whoever they want to be."

And, Rob Schneider represents it the best. He makes movies that are aimed at everyone (well, everyone that wants to watch a Rob Schneider movie...i do) while still representing his Filipino background (try spotting his mom in his movies). It's very subtle (which it should be), but its there.

People who hated this film just didn't get it. As an Asian American "intellectual type" I am sick and tired of Asian Americans portrayed as goofy, harmless asexual nerds. I was in an Asian honors' class, and I can tell you that as much as I love my friends, they were the biggest bunch of backstabbing, vengeful a*holes you'll ever come across. Before it got sanitized, my own film "Soap Girl" was originally about an Asian American male who confesses to molesting his cousin and an Asian American prostitute who had killed her baby.

If we want to portray ourselves with a modicum of truth, then our characters need to be filled with anger, rage, self-righteousness, sexual angst and sometimes murderous, because it's all part of the human condition. The worst crime any filmmaker can make is to create role models.

T. L. Young

I think Justin Lin made a mistake not publicizing that this movie was based on the murder of stuart tay, often refered to as the honor roll murder. People often are bewildered as to why the cast was chosen to be Asian, but it's because that was the premise of the real case, and bunch of Asian overachievers with good grades as their front. I didn't partically like this movie because I thought it was pretty insensitive to the victums of this crime, but I acutally thought it was put together well for a low-budget film. I also though the acting was pretty good, and I'm a big Sung Kang (han) fan. overall it was a let down ecspecially the ending, and if anyone is wondering the characters, or the people who committed the crimes in real life were sentenced to life in prison

Better Luck Tomorrow wasn't particularly good or bad. I thought the acting sucked, but it was a low-budget cast who probably have done few if any feature roles. The fact that race was not a major theme in the film can be seen as good or bad. On the one hand, the Asians are portrayed as typical American kids who are bored with the suburbs, so that avoids the issue of stereotyping. If the characters in Better Luck Tomorrow were all kung fu chopping FOB's, I would have been sincerely pissed off. On the other hand, the film addressed very few conflicts specific to Asian American teens. So it's a give-and-take situation. I personally appreciate the fact that this film even got the distribution that it did. Something is better than nothing. And I do believe that this will only benefit future Asian American film projects.

Produced by MTV and targeted to Asian Americans. I saw the movie a while back, don’t get me wrong, I'm all for the Asian American film movement, but I hate this movie with a passion. For me it was almost painful to watch. Maybe largely because I’m from the mean streets of Brooklyn, NY and not from the suburbs. Except for the actors there was nothing really Asian about it, really. You basically get the idea the "Model minority" can be used as an act to fuck with people and they’ll never find out because we’re the model. The movie only touched on the Asian American experience. Please thank Lin&Co. for adding to the Model Minority myth. Like I said I'm all for Asian Americans in the media/film but this movie doesn't help in understanding who we are.

It was boring, nihilistic, and had no moral center. I think it does nothing for Asian America cinema. It's a typical MTV films production, and while it does well to avoid old Asian stereotypes, it lacks heart and sufficient drama for the viewer to care about any of the characters.

I can't believe the animosity embodied in the comments here. I think that BLT will expand the types of roles Asian-Americans are cast in as the performances are definitely outstanding. The second question I'd like to mull over and reply at a later time.

It was a pain to watch, felt like my life just passed by. What were they thinking? I think the whole asian thing was just to throw off the white people. It was obviously made for the majority. Didn't have any thing asian about it. Think of black people or white people made this movie, you think people would care? Black people with more drugs and fights, who cares. But to put an asian in it and it makes a difference. I think this film fed off asians. Yeah, the people were asian, but the film wasn't. Really disappointed. If this keeps up, don't expect to make mainstream america. The drugs, fights, and sex scene was supposed to draw some money from mainstream whites. We asians supported this film but it didn't do anything like put it out raw for us. We got screwed. And I felt screwed walking out of that theater. I want my money back. I was embarassed that I took my friends.

I was achin' to see BLT and waited for MTV Films to announce it's theatrical release. Let me say that I was disappointed for a couple of reasons. Don't get me wrong I think it was a great movie overall. BUT, I think Justin Lin got a little carried away with the drug scene and scandals. That wasn't necessary at all. I think that was the biggest upset. The alibi thingy was catchy at first, but it elevated into something that the audience just couldn't grasp, let alone Asian-Americans. If the movie was intended to depict another side of the Asian-American paradox, then maybe it should've been full-fledged and all-out raw. It should've never been a "model minority" gone bad. That just gives the media the impression that we don't even know how we want the world to understand us. I say let it out people. Make it raw. Let it hang and leave out the I-wonder-what-the-people-will-think motto at home. Bring it to them and fight fire with fire. In the long haul, it will pay and they will understand us. Tell it how you see it.
Thanks for cracking open the door, Justin. Now we must rip the hinges off and tear it down.

I don't think this movie was made for asians to see, more for a white audience or anybody out of tha asian race. Gimme a break, homie, like we need to justify our asian heritage as if we are not all studious and conforming to society. I'm with potto, give me back my $10 nigga'. You got your big break, now don't write another asian american flick.

hmmm......an asian american film not suggesting any kind of kung fu chop suey innuendos..........how will these asian american influenced movies be distributed here in america, target audience being asians. If I wanted to see a movie geared towards asians I would go watch a foreign flick.

i can dance you know...
i would like to show the whole world my dance movessss!

Better Luck Tomorrow is a start and is encouraging. Yet, it'll depend on more Asian-Americans to step up to the plate. Not every Asian-American opts to be in science or 100K jobs.

Those of us that have a vision and dream should let them be motivation to learn film-making, media broadcasting, acting, drama, etc. The more AA filmakers are out there pitching their ideas (esp. those that presents ourselves to be the non-stereotypical Asian-American) to movie companies, the higher turnout of interest to watch these films. So go out there and pursue your dreams and maybe I'll pitch in my $10 of support!

Peace

yea I liked it, in my opinion the best character was Virgil... portrayed the most typical "try hard" asian gangster if you know what i mean lol

I dunno. I was at the gym today and saw Parry Shen playing a cashier in a Circuit City commercial...

yes because more asians will be willing to not be pussies and take more risks. Also, we will learn that lying, cheating, and stealing from our felo yello brothers will pay. Yo Justin! Refund my $10 nigga!

Yes it will, as long as we keep it comin'. Mr. Lin & Co. made a connection with MTV films for christssake. As successful and much-loved as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was and is, it presented a view of "foreign" Asians, detached from American audiences. Better Luck Tomorrow opened the door for the APA image for this generation- of our community/ies in the twenty first century. While we have our collective "foot in the door" in this generation, we have got to hold it open as long as we can- making APA films that entertain APA's and, I think more importantly, the American pop culture masses. BLT shows that the way towards better (read: lasting) representation in mass media must, for the most part come through presenting APA's (as others have said) as a given where being APA is part of the characters' identities, but where audiences aren't beaten over the head with our cultures. As weak as that sounds, face the facts folks- to attain success for the APA image in mass media, especially through film, we must make ourselves as MARKETABLE as possible. Not just as fashion and fad (which fade away) but in proving on the small and big screens that we are a welcome part of AMERICAN culture. Furthermore, in order to win the battles against stereotypes in media, e.j. Icebox's Mr. Wong, as teachers' of mine had clarified, we need to TAKE OWNERSHIP of our stereotypes in order to turn them around to OUR benefit. And that is what MR. Lin & Co have done.
...my opinions are nothing new, but every so often someone's gotta keep voicin' 'em.

i just have to say, id love to be in movie like that,or even help out the set and crews. i think i have the talent and street knowledge to produce a characters as the ones they used for the gig, but then again, im just another web audience giving my 50 cent. them guys sure got off that spank pretty quick..7 stage of withdraw? Man you know snow white was enforce on d*ROCK nasal when he decided to make those bright decision :], and obvious the guy who took up that $300 offer from stiFF needed that money for the ya_O. with that said i would like to end this comment by saying "And thats a piece of my mind."

I'd mos-defly come out again and support any entertaining, well written, and smart asian film.
kudos.