Harold and Kumar DVD Available on Jan. 4th

01.02 - Posted by The San Diego Asian Film Foundation

Click to read SDAFF's interview with with JON HURWITZ, co-writer of HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE, and find out what's new and extra on the DVD!

Click on the amazon.com logo and purchase Harold & Kumar.
A percentage goes to the San Diego Asian Film Foundation.

___________________________________________

Q&A with JON HURWITZ, co-writer of HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE

What bonus features are on the DVD?

There are two editions of the DVD. The regular edition contains the movie everyone saw in theaters. The Extreme Unrated Edition instead has an edgier cut of the film with more nudity and more moments with the Extreme Sports Crew.

Both DVDs have a ton of special features. There's a "making of" featurette in which Bobby Lee interviews John Cho and Kal Penn as they drive around LA. There's a hysterical featurette called "The Art of the Fart" about the making of the Battleshits scene and another about the making of Harold's cartoon dream sequence. Also, there are a bunch of funny deleted scenes, including an alternate ending with Luis Guzman. There are set interviews with several members of the cast and crew. And there are three commentary tracks -- one with John, Kal, and the director Danny Leiner; one with the writers (myself and Hayden Schlossberg, along with the real Harold Lee); and one by Dan Bouchart (the real life skateboarder who played Extreme Sports Punk #1 -- the guy in the black skull cap). I believe that last commentary track is only found on the Extreme Edition.

Finally, the menus on the DVD feature brand new footage of John and Kal written specifically for the DVD. Funny stuff. Harold and Kumar fans definitely will not be disappointed by the DVD.

What is the importance of DVD sales in measuring the success of a film starring two Asian Americans?

The DVD sales will be EXTREMELY important in determining the success of this film starring two Asian Americans. While "Harold & Kumar" was already a success in some respects, because of its critical acclaim and because it doubled its budget at the box office, it still hasn't been profitable enough yet to show studio executives in Hollywood that movies starring Asian American leads will make them significant money.

The good news is that the jury is still out. Many movies today make the bulk of their money on DVD, instead of at the box office. If "Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle" can become a DVD hit, then that would send a HUGE statement to the powers that be in Hollywood. I've already been given assurance by the people at New Line that if the movie does well on DVD, then they will make our sequel "Harold & Kumar Go To Amsterdam." If that happens, you can expect to see a lot more studio films starring Asian American leads, because Hollywood studios always follow the money.

However, if the movie underperforms on DVD, it may be a long time before you see another studio picture starring Asian American leads. So buy the DVD and spread the word, because we are at an important turning point for Asian Americans in cinema. I've seen firsthand how much people of all races and backgrounds enjoy the antics of "Harold & Kumar," so I'm confident the fans can get the job done. They just need to be proactive.

What new projects are you working on?

Hayden and I are working on several new projects. In addition to "Harold & Kumar Go To Amsterdam," we have several other projects moving closer to production including "The Wingman," "The Gym Teacher," and an R- rated comedy we're writing for Eddie Murphy, called "John Blaze: Hip Hop Cop."

We'll also soon be looking at directors for the first movie Hayden and I are producing called "All You Can Eat," a comedy about the world of competitive eating, written by the real Harold Lee's roommate Josh Heald.

Thanks again for your support of "Harold & Kumar." We hope to be making a sequel within the next year or so. Let's cross our fingers.