I Watched It: Nikita

I know that some of the CW promos for Nikita have revolved around Maggie Q in suggestive poses wearing next to nothing (or at least what we might deem as next to nothing in some cases) and that it's fair to ask the question of what they really are selling (is it a strong character who also happens to have some sex appeal, or is it the same tired stereotype just wrapped up in a 2010 cover?).



I was a huge fan of the original film with Anne Parillaud and even liked the remake Point of No Return with Bridget Fonda, and each of them, albeit in a different way, had this allure to them. This combination of being vulnerable, hard, beautiful - survivors who would do anything to get out of what they found themselves in - and when I watched this new CW series with Maggie Q - I found a lot more of those qualities versus the little red swimsuit that she wears in the promos (and honestly, I'm not really a huge fan).

Does sex sell?

Definitely. We all know it does (and this is the CW we're talking about).

Do I wish the promos would be less what they are and have a little more style (because you can have a lot of sex appeal without showing everything, and in many ways I think the role of Nikita deserves a classic style)?

Without a doubt, and I do hope they update them.

But at the end of the day, the show itself is less sex and more character, and it's nice to see someone of Asian descent play a role that up until now has only been played by White actresses.

Check more out here.

Random China And Allen Iverson News

I figured I'd just start this post off with a quote from Gary Moore, Iverson's personal manager:

"We're very astonished, to say the least, that not one team has contacted us with any interest," Moore said. "I just don't understand it."

Iverson is dead Gary. Iverson is dead.

And no one is really that astonished.

Maybe he can shack up with Starbury?

Get Ready: The 3rd Annual ID Film Festival (October 8 - October 10, 2010)

Great film, workshops for API filmmakers, and from what I hear - this should be the best ID Film Festival yet.

What more do you want?

ID Film Festival

Dates: October 8 through 10
Japanese American National Museum
Website: www.idfilmfest.org

$5 for Museum members
$10 for Non Members
$30 for Festival pass

Friday (10/8) 8 pm: Opening Night Film Fog
Fog, directed by Kit Hui, starring Hong Kong-based American actor Terence Yin and Eugenia Yuan. Director Kit Hui will present the Los Angeles premiere of her moody and artful debut feature. Ming Lai’s Journey of a Paper Son will precede the feature. A reception will follow the screening in honor of directors Kit Hui and Ming Lai.

Saturday (10/9) 6 pm: Shorts Program. Combination Platter
Combination Platter delivers an eclectic selection of short films that promises to make you laugh and think, featuring videos by Kerwin Berk, James Huang, Chia-Chun Hsum Kristina Sisco, Mark Niu, William Lu, and Feodor Chin.

Saturday (10/9) 8 pm: Shorts Program. Queer & Sexy
Queer & Sexy presents a rare and edgy collection of queer and sexy shorts. Buckle down for a fun and fierce ride down the rainbow! The selection features videos by PJ Raval, Jessica Sanders, Quentin Lee, Eunice Wu, Kevyn Fong, and Brent Anbe.

Saturday (10/9), 10 pm:Centerpiece Film. Air Doll
Air Doll , directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, is acclaimed Japanese director Koreeda’s magical realist Cannes entry about a life-size blow-up doll developing a soul and falling in love with a video store clerk

Sunday (10/10) 12 pm: Filmmakers Crash Course
Filmmakers Crash Course is a series of 15 minute intense workshops from experts in various areas of the artistry and business of filmmaking.

Sunday (10/10) 2 pm: The API TV Pilot Shootout & Battle of the Pitches
Shootout is a multi-layered competition designed to assist writers, actors, directors, and crew in advancing their careers.

Sunday (10/10) 5 pm: Closing Film. The Things We Carry
The Things We Carry, directed by Ian McCrudder, is a moving drama about two siblings dealing with their drug addicted mother’s death. This Lobit sisters production features a stellar performance by writer/actress Alyssa Lobit. Jessica Sison’s short Kuna ni Nanag will precede the feature.

See Michelle Rhee On Oprah's Farewell Season

Yeah. She made Oprah's Power List, but I think going on the farewell season is better.

Michelle Rhee will get a chance to spread her education reform gospel to an even wider audience: Rhee this week taped an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which kicks off its 25th and final season Monday. Joining her was Bill Gates, the very rich man who has made education reform a cornerstone of his philanthropy [...] The show will highlight the documentary "Waiting for Superman," directed by "Inconvenient Truth" filmmaker Davis Guggenheim [...] A spokeswoman for Winfrey's Harpo Productions confirms that Rhee will appear on an episode set to run Sept. 20.

Casting Call: The Viet Notebook

Caught this via N.E.A.A.T.O

Trailers: Crossing Hennessy, Fool For Love, Go Lala Go, Secret Reunion, Assault Girls

Crunchyroll. Connect. Artichoke & Peachies

We had an opportunity to collaborate with Arowana Films and Crunchyroll.com to make a pilot for an anime news web show.

Watch the full episode at: http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-664011/anime-show-pilot

CREDITS
Starring Arden Cho aka Artichoke & Grace Su aka Peachies
Directed by Anson Ho - http://www.arowanafilms.com
Written by Keikawa & Michana - http://www.crunchyroll.com
Edited by Peachies
Motion Graphics by David C.P. Chan
Background Artwork by Carl Beu
Music by Lyrics Born - "Do U Buy It"
Special Thanks to George Huang & Tada Chae

'09 Rearview: Audrey Tautou + Coco + Nazis

This is what kind of sucks about looking things up versus not wanting to know anything else about them - because there are two schools of thought that can be applied here if you think about media in terms of authors.

One is not knowing anything about an author whatsoever where you don't ask the question of why they might have written something. The other is knowing everything you can about them because you think it gives you better insight into their story.

I kind of fall in the middle myself because I don't have to know everything - but - a little backstory is kind of nice.

Which basically leads me up to the following: So I finally sat down and watched the '09 French film Coco Before Chanel and it was good.

I had no idea about the Chanel story - who she was or what she did and it kept me watching. I became engrossed in this story about this woman who just wanted something better.

So I ended up going on and doing some research and found out what some already knew - not only was she someone who made it in a man's world, but yes, she also slept with Nazi's and apparently used pro-Aryan laws to help get her ahead in business.

And she was charged with War Crimes (but mysteriously let go).

And while her native country of France just couldn't look past that - apparently - we and the British had no problem accepting her with open arms in her comeback.

Which all begs two questions/comments:

• I say when you're doing that type of story you should really talk about the Nazis.
• Since Audrey Tautou is the spokesperson for Chanel, I wonder if that means I should be throwing out my copy of Amelie.
• I figure maybe I can keep it since it was pre Coco....

This Has Nothing To Do With Identity Politics: Three Awesome Cartoon And Game Techno Remixes

Yeah.

I just felt like posting these.

Sue me.

It's Super Mario. It's Super.



I Smurf You



I Have No Idea What They Hell These Germans Are Saying. But I Like The Beat.

Get Your Ass In Motion: INTERPRETATIONS Deadline Is This Wednesday, Sept. 15

I'm just going to post this up in full from the YOMYOMF blog because really - you all need to get your ass in motion if you're going to submit your films to the awesome INTERPRETATIONS film contest.

You heard that right! The deadline to submit your short film to our INTREPRETATIONS Film Initiative is this Wednesday, Sept. 15 by 11:59 PM PST. This is it, no more extensions, so get your film in or…uh…don’t.

Once we have your films, our jury of distinguished industry professionals will view the entries and select the five that they think are the most interesting. We’ll be announcing the five finalists at this year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival during their star-studded gala dinner on the evening of October 23. Then, the following afternoon at 2 PM (Oct. 24), we’ll be screening the winning shorts for FREE (thanks to Lee Ann Kim and all the SD peeps) plus presenting a few other surprises. More info to come, but if you’re anywhere near San Diego that weekend, plan to come by and join us.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has submitted already and we look forward to seeing more of your work by Sept. 15. We’ve already received more than double the entries we were expecting so INTERPRETATIONS is already a huge success, but we know we can do even better. Check out all the great entries here and once you submit your film, don’t forget to let all your peeps know so they can visit your page and comment on your work. We’ll also be launching a redesign of the INTERPRETATIONS site to put more of the focus on your films so check back later this week for that.

Sunday Night Big Pirate Tyakasha (Shanghai Restoration Project Remix)

Flush That Springboard Korean Americans. Flush That Springboard

Yeah, I know - it's a piss poor attempt at a post headline - but WTH right? We all know I'm hack:

Flushing is the center of Asian-American political life in New York City. As more Asian-Americans take interest in public office, the Queens neighborhood is becoming an increasingly competitive arena where any position is hotly contested. Koreans are the latest group to try to use Flushing as a springboard to political power.

A diverse community where more than half of the residents are Asian, Flushing has been the site of many milestones in the history of Asian-American politics in New York. In 2001, Flushing elected the first Asian-American city councilmember, John C. Liu, who went on to become the city’s comptroller, making him the first Asian-American to hold citywide office. The district also elected the first Asian-American to the State Assembly, Jimmy Meng, in 2003. He was succeeded in 2005 by the first elected Asian-American woman, Ellen Young.

Although Chinese-Americans like Liu, Young and Meng dominate Flushing politics, Korean-Americans are now trying to enter the field.

Lan Samantha Chang + The Asian American Writers Workshop + Barbara Chai

Caught this article down at the Wall Street Journal and while in some ways it may seem dry to you, I figure that if the WSJ is posting on this - hey - I think we should all know about - or at least the fact that it's coming from the WSJ (because I can't remember the last time I've linked to them).

The novel, Chang’s third, is about the friendships forged between student poets at a renowned writing school – and all the secrets, perceived betrayals, and complicated emotions that arise as these friends go on to pursue lives devoted to art.

The AAWW invited four emerging writers to read before Chang – two poets and two fiction writers who are current creative-writing MFA students in New York City. The effect was not only the pleasant introduction to the promise of these young writers, but a glimpse of the life and passions of a writing student.

When Chang stepped on stage, the crowd instantly warmed to her — for a writer of her pedigree, she is refreshingly down-to-earth and approachable. She is the director of the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she also received her MFA, and she has studied at Yale, Harvard, and Stanford. She has received many accolades for her work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Wallace Stegner Fellowship.

Read it in full here.

And Because You Wanted A Jeremy Lin Blog, I Give You, Well, A Jeremy Lin Blog

I have no idea who runs this blog - but they really like Jeremy Lin.

That warms my heart on this nice Fall Sunday.

New Fetish? Asian American Guys In Red Glasses?

Honestly - I really have no idea what this blog is about besides Handsome Asian American guys - and they do have a post on AAM's with red glasses.

Hmmmm.

Red was never really my color.

Award Getters: Etsu Mineta Masaoka, Christine Toy Johnson, And Roxana Saberi

I give you this because you really did want to know (from Broadway World).

The "Salute to Champions" gala to be held by the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL, the nation's oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization), on Sept. 16 in Washington, D.C. will honor outstanding women.

Awards will be presented to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Etsu Mineta Masaoka, Christine Toy Johnson, and Roxana Saberi along with corporate partner Eli Lilly.

JACL National Executive Director Floyd Mori stated, "It is a privilege for the JACL to present awards this year to some outstanding women who have had remarkable accomplishments. We are grateful to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Etsu Mineta Masaoka, Christine Toy Johnson, and Roxana Saberi for their contributions and also thank one of our greatest supporters as a corporate partner, Eli Lilly."

As California's senior senator, Feinstein has built a reputation as an independent voice, working with both Democrats and Republicans to find workable solutions to the problems facing California and the nation. Formerly mayor of San Francisco, she was elected to the Senate in 1992. She has been instrumental in working with the JACL on Japanese American and Asian American issues.

Masaoka has been a dedicated member of the JACL for many years working along with her late husband, Mike Masaoka. She is the sister of former Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta and was interned with her family at the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming, where she met her husband. She continues to be one of the JACL's strongest supporters.

An award winning actress and playwright, Johnson produced and, with her husband, Bruce, co-directed the documentary feature "Transcending: The Wat Misaka Story," a profile of Wat Misaka, the first non-white player in what is now the National Basketball Association (NBA). Johnson is an avid advocate of inclusion and is a sought-after speaker and writer on diversity issues. A collection of her plays has just been selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress Asian Pacific American Performing Arts Collection.

Saberi is an American journalist of Iranian and Japanese descent who was arrested in Iran in January 2009. The Iranian government charged her with espionage, which she denied. She was subsequently sentenced to an eight-year prison term, which later was reduced to a two-year suspended sentence. She was released on May 11, 2009, and has written a book about her experiences.

JACL National President David Kawamoto stated, "The JACL is happy to honor these women who have made a difference. They have been examples of civil rights in action. We are also grateful to Eli Lilly and all our corporate partners."

The JACL invites those interested in attending or supporting the JACL Gala to visit the website at www.jacl.org for more information.

Fierce, Fashion, Fun: Lynn Chen, Karin Anna Cheung, Kavi Ladnier + Audrey's Night Out 2010

I think the title of this post says it all because if you like fashion, the API community, guests like Michelle Phan and Ellesse - and let's just say it - smoking hot celebrity models - I would very much expect fierce, fun, and of course, fasion.

Tickets are on sale now! Sponsored by Ketel One Vodka, Audrey Magazine is hosting Audrey’s Night Out 2010, a fashion event bringing the Asian American community together for an evening of fashion, fantasy and fun!

Collaborating with some of the most exciting talent in the fashion, entertainment and music industries, Audrey’s Night Out will include hot celebrity and professional models in the coolest fall fashion, amazing musical performances you won’t wanna miss, and a fabulous star-studded after-party with hosted bar.

Get your tickets now, and don’t delay. Not only do tickets sell out fast every year, but fashion show seating is assigned based on order of ticket purchase. Don’t be stuck standing — get your tickets now!

Get more down at the Audrey site.

Find A ‘Place’ In Art: NPR + Asian American Women

There's a good podcast down on NPR about the exhibit "A Place of Her Own" interviewing out curator Cynthia Tom and featured artist Isabelle Thuy Pelaud.

Listen to it down at NPR.

One More MTV VMA Random Note

Who knew Cher could still wear that outfit?

Now I just need some Prince in assless chaps.

MV: Fatgums And Bambu Peddlin' Music

Great song + kick ass video.