FROM B-BOYS TO BLUEBERRY NIGHTS TO DARK MATTER TO HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPING GUANTANAMO BAY AND JACKIE AND JET - WOO HAH!
ASIAN AMERICAN/ASIAN FILMS ARE HITTING THIS SPRING!
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CELEBRATE ASIAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONALCINEMA!
We apologize if you got this more than once. We know we are on so many different lists. Please pass this information on to other people who are interested in Asian American and Asian international cinema. We try very hard to keep you always updated as to films that are popping up in your area. Please note that you are a part of over 12,000 people who are on this list nationwide and it is published on www.asianamericanfilm.com!
Note: To subscribe - send an email that says "please subscribe" to apafirstweekend@aol.com
For those of you who are first timers here, the mission of this email newsletter blast to keep everyone aware of Asian American and Asian international films that will be coming out so that we can go out and support them.
First weekend box office receipts are very important to Hollywood and to our films because these reports will make or break a film. If the films does well on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the "first" weekend it comes out, theater owners and distributors will make their decisions on Monday mornings about a film's life.
So, we encourage each and every one of you to go out there and support our Asian American and Asian international filmmakers. It is at the box office where we can show our strength and our power for our films and and filmmakers. Even if you don't have the time to sit through the film on the first weekend - go to the theater and purchase a ticket so that we can show box office $$$ numbers. It is extremely important. At the end of the day.. the color in Hollywood is GREEN! Show up and vote for yourself at the box office!
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Sorry that it's been a long time since you received an update from us - but it's been a bit crazy here. This week and this spring, we have MANY OPPORTUNITIES to see films that are by, for and about US!
From global break dancing b-boys to American zombies to hard working Chinese grad students at the Univeristy of Iowa in 1991 to the historic pairing of JET LI and JACKIE CHAN to BLUEBERRY NIGHTS to a love triangle between two Korean men and one of their wives to the return of our two favorite Asian Americans escaping from GUANTANAMO BAY - there is something for everyone!!!
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. B-BOYS FROM KOREA, JAPAN, LAS VEGAS AND PARIS HIT SCREENS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
2. AMERICAN ZOMBIES TAKE OVER
3. WATCH OUT FOR THE HISTORIC PAIRING OF JACKIE AND JET IN FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
4. HAROLD AND KUMAR ARE BACK - APRIL 25
5. DARK MATTER FROM CHEN SHI-ZHENG OPENS IN APRIL IN SELECT THEATRES
6. SUNDANCE HIT "NEVER FOREVER" COMES TO THE BIG SCREEN IN APRIL AND MAY
7, BRICK LANE and MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS WILL HIT US THEATRES ON APRIL 11!!!
8. HOLLYWOOD CHINESE - A FILM BY ARTHUR DONG COMES TO THEATRES
9. SF ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED
10. 21 GETS THE HOLLYWOOD TREATMENT - PULLLLEEEZZE
11. MORE?
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1. B-BOYS FROM KOREA, JAPAN, LAS VEGAS AND PARIS HIT SCREENS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
If you were in LA or NY last weekend then you experienced one of the most exciting films to hit the circuit - PLANET B-BOY from director BENSON LEE.
At the San Francisco Asian American International Film Festival, the film got a rousing standing ovation and walked away with the "audience award" and the "jury prize" for
BEST DOCUMENTARY!
Having premiered at the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL last year, Benson and his crews of b-boys from FRANCE - "phaze - t;" KOREA - "Last For One" and "The Gamblerz;" JAPAN - "ICHIGEKE;" and from LAS VEGAS - "KNUCKLEHEAD ZOO" have made this film a "must-see" on the film festival circuit and now in theatres. The film is being distributed by ELEPHANT EYE FILMS and will be coming hopefully to a theatre near you.
Last weekend , they were the number #1 per box office screen winner - $14,000 per screen on two screens. Woo hoo. Below are the screening cities for this week - so get on the PLANET B-BOY tip by checking out www.planetbboy.com
3/28
Los Angeles, CA
Imaginasian Centre
251 South Main St
http://www.theimaginasian.com/la/index2.php
3/28-4/03
Irvine, CA
Edwards University Town Center 6
4245 Campus Drive
http://www.fandango.com/edwardsuniversitytowncenter6_aabhi/theaterpage
3/28-4/03
San Diego, CA
Landmark Ken Cinema
4061 Adams Avenue
https://tickets.landmarktheatres.com/Landmark.aspx?TheatreID=220
3/28 Old Pasadena, CA
Laemmle's One Colorado
42 Miller Alley
http://www.laemmle.com
3/28 - 4/03
San Francisco, CA
Landmark Lumiere theatre
1572 California Stret
https://tickets.landmarktheatres.com/Landmark.aspx?TheatreID=225
3/28-4/03
Berkeley, CA
Landmark Shattuck theatre
2230 Shattuck Avenue
https://tickets.landmarktheatres.com/Landmark.aspx?TheatreID=200
3/28-4/03
Washington, DC
Landmark E Street Theatre
555 11th Street NW
https://tickets.landmarktheatres.com/Landmark.aspx?TheatreID=264
2. AMERICAN ZOMBIES TAKE OVER WEST HOLLYWOOD!
Grace Lee's funny and satircal hit film AMERICAN ZOMBIE hits theatres this week in LA playing exclusively at the Laemmle Sunset 5! And check this out - filmmaker Grace Lee will be at this weekend's 7:30 pm showings.
AMERICAN ZOMBIE was a huge SLAMDANCE 2007 hit and rode the crest of the festival circuit all of last year. Suzy Nakamura leads the cast of indie film stars in this crazy comedy. Now it's your chance to see it on the big screen.
Here's the synopsis:
Filmmakers Grace Lee ("The Grace Lee Project") and John Solomon ("Nonsense Man") team up to shoot a documentary about high-functioning zombies living in Los Angeles and their struggles to gain acceptance in human society.
Despite their wildly different working styles, Grace and John manage to chronicle the hopes and dreams of four fascinating subjects: IVAN, a convenience-store clerk who longs for a career in publishing; LISA, a florist trying to recover her lost memories; JUDY, a hopeless romantic who learns to accept her true nature; and JOEL (pronounced "Yo-El"), a committed political activist striving for zombie rights. As Grace strives to get to know the zombies "on their own terms," John is eager to uncover their darker side and rallies to get the crew permission to shoot at a three-day, zombies-only retreat called Live Dead where the documentary takes an unexpected - and dangerous - turn. What transpires there is beyond anything the filmmakers could imagine, as they are forced to re-evaluate their ideas about tolerance, identity politics and the future of the human race.
"American Zombie is the must-see zombie movie of the year."
zombiereportingcenter.com
"Sharply funny and a winner all the way, Lee not only pokes fun of L.A., subcultures and the documentary form, but also herself."
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
"But the mere fact that Lee can make both a media satire and, in the end, a creepy horror flick, while at least alluding to bigger social issues, suggests the breadth of her wit and intelligence."
Andrew O'Hehir, salon.com
"American Zombie is definitely shambling towards greatness."
www.stomptokyo.com
"American Zombie is a fresh, entertaining, and creatively awesome take on the whole zombie genre."
"...high original and funny."
SLUG Magazine (Salt Lake Underground)
"...all in all, a very clever, inventive and creepy follow-up to The Grace Lee Project."
www.angryasianman.com
"...a clever and tightly woven tale of a filmmaker a little too deep into the lives of her subjects."
Aint-it-Cool News
"bone-nicking Swiftian satire..."
LA Weekly
"American Zombie brilliantly satirizes documentaries about identity politics and minority images."
Chicago Sun-Times
Check out the fun website - http://americanzombiemovie.com
3. WATCH OUT FOR THE HISTORIC PAIRING OF JACKIE AND JET IN FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
Yep - it's what you have been waiting for - JACKIE CHAN and JET LI - in one film together! This is truly historic and also stars COLIN CHOU, Asia pop star CRYSTAL LIU and others. This one you can bring your whole family and kids to - lots of action and lots of fun.
Check out the trailer on their website http://www.forbiddenkingdommovie.com
The trailer is amazing!
Opening APRIL 18 in theatres everywhere!!!!
4. HAROLD AND KUMAR ARE BACK - APRIL 25 - THIS TIME IN GUANTANAMO BAY
First off - go to this website - http://whatwouldnphdo.com/ - this is the site!
All we can say is on April 25 - RUN DON'T WALK!
If you liked the first HAROLD AND KUMAR - you will love HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY!
Forget "21" and the brouhaha - see the film that kept Asian Americans in the lead roles!
The franchise continues and the sequel is just as good if not better as the first and even raunchier. Go and have a laff.
Note: It is rated R - so kids under 17 have to go with their parents - yeah right!
5. DARK MATTER FROM CHEN SHI-ZHENG OPENS IN APRIL IN SELECT THEATRES
The Sundance Award winning film DARK MATTER from director Chen Shi-Zheng is slated to open April in theaters across the nation on a platform release. First opening in NY on April 11 and then Los Angeles and other cities following each week.
The film stars Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn and Liu Ye in a film based on a true story at the University of Iowa in 1991 involving Liu Ye's character as a young grad student from
China who has decided to develop his thesis project around a hole he discovered in his professor's theory (played by Quinn) - which is not taken well by the professor.
The film examines the struggles and trials of young immigrant grad students as they grapple with cultural, language and behavorial barriers which are often mis-understood
or seen as mis-communication by their mainstream counterparts. Liu Ye puts in a powerful performance and Streep as the community empathizer who offers a helping hand to Liu and his fellow colleagues. The film has garnered some discussion as critics have been discussing the timing of the release only one year after the VT incident. However, in the broader sense of the film - it is so much more than a story of campus violence, as it was based on a true story. Definitely worth a look.
6. SUNDANCE HIT "NEVER FOREVER" COMES TO THE BIG SCREEN IN APRIL AND MAY
Gina Kim's NEVER FOREVER finally comes to the big screen beginning in April in New York and San Francisco and then to Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles through May. The film won a special jury prize at Sundance 2007 and stars Vera Farmigia and David McInnis in a love triangle.
Here's the Sundance synopsis:
Sophie seems to have an idyllic life; she's the perfect Caucasian housewife for Andrew, her successful Asian American husband. Their relationship is put to the test, though, when she can't conceive a child. To save her marriage, Sophie does something desperate. She initiates a bold and clandestine venture with Jihah, an illegal immigrant from Korea. Sophie soon finds this new arrangement spiraling into a situation
that may actually destroy what it was meant to liberate. In Never Forever, writer/director Gina Kim arranges every shot with a calculating eye, building a step-by-step urgency. Her story is rich and her filmmaking lean and precise. Kim creates the perfect tone, right down to a climate of extreme repression where the sexual energy is nearly combustible.
The insightful art direction and costume design are marvelously refined for an independent film. And Vera Farmiga's incredible performance as Sophie is a true gift.
Her ethereal beauty--crystal blue eyes and porcelain skin--gives her the appearance of a rare doll, which isn't too far from the pampered existence she represents.
As the perfect counterpart to two gifted leading men, her mastery of Sophie's gradual transformation makes Never Forever an unforgettable cinematic experience.
7, BRICK LANE and MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS WILL HIT US THEATRES ON APRIL 11!!!
Two films from abroad that are worth taking a look at this week in select cities are:
BRICK LANE - A young Bangladeshi woman, Nazneem, arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved sister and home, for an arranged marriage and a new life.
Trapped within the four walls of her flat in East London, and in a loveless marriage with the middle aged Chanu, she fears her soul is quietly dying. Her sister Hasina, meanwhile, continues to live a carefree life back in Bangladesh, stumbling from one adventure to the next. Nazneen struggles to accept her lifestyle, and keeps her head down in spite of life's blows, but she soon discovers that life cannot be avoided - and is forced to confront it the day that the hotheaded young Karim comes knocking at her door.
Very moving and the acting is great.
MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS - from WONG KAR WAI - the long awaited US film from Kar Wai looks so beautiful and is shot so well. You can tell he is a huge fan of NORAH JONES who carries her role well - but it's her supporting actors DAVID STRAITHARN, NATALIE PORTMAN and RACHEL WEIZ who kick ass here along with JUDE LAW who help JONES round out her character who takes a soul searching journey cross country. It was hard not to compare this to IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE - with its moodiness and long shots and the vibrant colors - unfortunately, it's not as sexy, but instead it comes off more melodramatic. However, still worth seeing if you are a Kar Wai fan.
8. HOLLYWOOD CHINESE - A FILM BY ARTHUR DONG COMES TO THEATRES BEGINNING APRIL 11
Fresh from its successful festival tour, HOLLYWOOD CHINESE - A FILM BY ARTHUR DONG will come to theatres in April. Below are dates and venues where the film will be playing and where the Oscar nominated filmmaker will be:
SAN FRANCISCO
Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, April 11-17, 2008
Filmmaker in person, April 11, 7:30pm & 10pm
www.sundancecinemas.com/kabuki.html 415/929-4650
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OAKLAND
Grand Lake Theater, April 11-17, 2008
Filmmaker in person, April 12, 7:15pm
www.renaissancerialto.com/current/grandlake.htm 510/452-3556
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NEW YORK CITY
Quad Cinema, May 2-8, 2008
www.quadcinema.com 212/255-8800
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LOS ANGELES
The Egyptian Theater, May 15-22, 2008
www.americancinematheque.com 323/466-3456
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PASADENA
Laemmle's One Colorado Theaters, May 16-22, 2008
www.laemmle.com 626/744-1224
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Check out the website at: http://deepfocusproductions.com/HollywoodChinese/index.html
9. SF ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The San Francisco Asian American International Film Festival ended last week and awarded prizes to the following outstanding films:
Narrative Competition
Best Narrative Feature Award:
Amal, Dir. Richie Mehta
Special Jury Award (tie)
Always Be Boyz, Dir. John Kwon
Santa Mesa, Dir. Ron Morales
Documentary Competition
Best Documentary Feature Award
Planet B-Boy, Dir. Benson Lee
Special Jury Award
Wings of Defeat, Dir. Risa Morimoto
Comcast Audience Awards
Narrative Feature
Om Shanti Om, Dir. Farah Khan
Documentary Feature
Planet B-Boy, Dir. Benson Lee
It was a great festival this year. Congrats to CAAM and Chi -Hui and Taro on a job well done!
And here's to you Taro - good luck with your new ventures in Japan! Drop us a line and let us know how you are doing.
10. 21 GETS THE HOLLYWOOD TREATMENT - PULLLLEEEZZE
Ok, so we all heard the whole story about how the film "21" got Hollywoodized and it made a lot of people mad who stood up and said something.
Hats off to those who spoke out - but understand this is exactly what Hollywood wants to do is to make stories like these more palapable in their own minds for the general market. Making the lead Caucasian was too bad because it felt that it took away from what could have been a powerful opportunity for an Asian American actor. However, unless we, as a community, show Hollywood that we can support films starring our own - we will continue to stay in this same boat. Boycotting the film is one way of showing our power - but even better - supporting films that star us or have an Asian American attached as director or producer will help. African American audiences have proven this and Gay audiences have too. And most recently, Latino American audiences are starting to register. But until, we as an economic force as Asian Americans come out on first weekends for our own films - we will still have the same problem.
So, it is entirely up to us as a community to support our product in theaters and our film festivals. Come out in droves and bring friends - friends of all colors but show up and be counted. Because at the end of the day, the only color in Hollywood is GREEN!!!
If we show up for HAROLD AND KUMAR, DARK MATTER, HOLLYWOOD CHINESE, FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, PLANET B-BOY, AMERICAN ZOMBIE, NEVER FOREVER, MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS, BRICK LANE, etc... over the next two months on first weekends en masse - we may make Hollywood take notice. Ask yourself - when will we ever have two Asian American males in lead roles in a film (let alone a sequel) like in HAROLD AND KUMAR? Just take a look at the billboards and bus posters around your towns - nice to see us. Check yourself...
Use your power - vote for you!
11. MORE?
This is an exciting time right now for Asian/Asian American film with lots of product coming out this year. The upcoming LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL from Visual Communications (formerly the VC Film Fest) is about to launch on May 1 - so stay tuned here for more info. Come out to LA and enjoy the films and meet other people like you.
Stay tuned for more here.
Love to hear your feedback - so send us a message - apafirstweekend@aol.com
Peace,
APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB!
