If you see one holiday film this year, put SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE on your list and see it now! This new film from hailed Brit director Danny Boyle opens this week in New York and Los Angeles and will open nationally around Thanksgiving.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE gushes with color and vibrancy and keeps you enthralled from start to finish, as we go through the life of Jamal and his brother Malik - two orphaned boys who grow up on the streets of Mumbai after their mother is killed by anti-Muslim faction. The film starts with 18 year old Jamal who is now one question away of being the champion on the uber-popular television show WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? But, is he really that smart or is he a cheat?

Smart storytelling and great cinematography and excellent performances from newcomers DEV PATEL (Jamal) and FRIDA PINTO (Latika) make SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE one of the major highlights in this year's theatrical cinematic offerings. Inspirational and full of life and love, this film is destined to be a classic. Even the younger Jamal, Latika and Malik actors are amazing.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is distributed by Fox Searchlight and opens November 12 in New York and Los Angeles and other cities by Thanksgiving. Please check your local listings or go online to http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/

By all means, do not miss this film. 7 Stars! LOL
Reviewed at 2008 AFI FEST

Here's a note from Grace Lee about "American Zombie," now playing in Los Angeles. The upshot -- the better the film does this week, the more likely it'll get picked up by theaters in other cities, so spread the word!

Just wanted to remind you that AMERICAN ZOMBIE is now playing at the Sunset 5 in Los Angeles. The Friday and Saturday night shows had sell-out crowds and the audience reaction has been great. We've even received some good reviews (see below from LA Times and LA Daily News)

This weekend is especially crucial to get good box office numbers in order for the film to expand, so if you are looking for something to do on Sunday, please come to the theater TODAY. You can even use the coupon for discounted tickets -- $6 for a movie? That's a bargain! AZ is a small indie movie, but it packs a lot of bite!

If you can't make it on Sunday, we are still playing until Thursday. And there will be a Q&A session after the 7:30pm show on Tuesday with me and some cast and crew as part of a special Slamdance-sponsored screening.

Thanks so much for your support of independent filmmaking!

Grace Lee

But what starts out as a typically liberal plea for acceptance and equal rights slowly turns into something much darker, a metaphor for American paranoia at its hysterical worst - and, perhaps, its most justified. No one here gets out alive, or at least without being implicated in some kind of delusional prejudice, smug documentary filmmakers least of all. Lee and Solomon are hilariously passive-aggressive with one another ("Nobody wants to see `The Grace Lee Project 2,' " he says as the director keeps turning the camera on herself). And the key zombie players are all terrific, as are the film's funky/downscale L.A. locations.

Benson Lee's documentary "Planet B-Boy" is playing now in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Diego, and Washington. Here's an excerpt from Philip W. Chung's rave review of the film:

For those who think break dancing peaked in 1984 with the release of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, Benson Lee's new documentary Planet B-Boy will be a revelation. Not only is break dancing alive and well, it's gone international. And the center of it all is an unlikely place: Braunschweig, Germany, where every year crews from all over the world descend for the "Battle of the Year" showdown, the Olympics of break dancing.
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Planet B-Boy also works on another level. Of the four crews who make it to the final round, three are Asian. Watching a film that subtly argues that the best b-boys in the world are Asian and realizing just how much hip-hop has permeated Asian culture is very inspiring. If you don't feel moved by the film's outcome, hell, if you don't stand up and cheer, revoke your Asian identity immediately.
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There hasn't been a feature this dynamic from a young Asian American filmmaker since Better Luck Tomorrow.