Category: Manhattan

Another AAIFF observation: I asked FC what he thought of “Fruit Fly,” which he saw at AAIFF on this past Sunday. He liked it, although he said it’s of the musical genre – people suddenly breaking into song. But – to me – that is the point of the genre! 😉 I hope I’ll see it soon; I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff.

As we get closer to the inevitable, as feared – the opening of the live-action G.I. Joe movie (“G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra” – man, the titles for G.I. Joe has yet to really improve). The trailers for the G.I. Joe movie kind of highlight some odd things for me:

Christopher Eccleston – a.k.a., the Ninth Doctor – as Destro? What? For a moment there, I thought it was the Doctor trying to take over the world; I do fear that he is going to be typecasted – he might have to go back to doing independent films. Sienna Miller as the Baroness? She doesn’t have the requisite creepiness for me (perhaps because she has more callow youth to her than I would have expected of the Baroness).

What made the trailers least original for me – see one below – is how it seems vaguely similar to the J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie trailers. You have the deep inspiring tones of the elder leader – General Hawk (Dennis Quaid) in a G.I. Joe trailer, versus Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) of Star Trek. You have the young leader-in-waiting (Channing Tatum as Duke in G.I. Joe; Chris Pine as Kirk in Star Trek – even having them both yell, “Go, Go, Go!!” — huh?). Even similar parachute scenes? Granted, the Big Reveal didn’t get shown in either trailer (Cobra Commander or Spock (Prime)), but still – they loom. G.I. Joe taking cues from Star Trek? Who’d a thunk it?…

I will say that I’m a bit perturbed that they didn’t use the old G.I. Joe theme song (maybe they will in the movie – I’m still not sure I want to see it) and that there was the ironic line reading of “Real American Hero” in the trailer — aww, come on!

Something that looks seriously cool (well, besides a good Star Trek trailer): the preview of AMC’s “The Prisoner,” coming in November, after being shown at the recent Comic-Con in San Diego. I have to say, kind of saddened with the recent passing of Patrick McGoohan – the original Number Six – but this will be fascinating. Ian McKellan as Number Two? Jim Caviezel as the new Number Six (but American — oh well). Ian McKellan – now that’s a casting coup; you need a good Number Two to go up against an intense Number Six (and Number Two is a character that was divvied up into different actors – probably to drive Number Six crazy – Leo McKern being the most memorable to me of the Number Twos – (1) because he later became Rumpole of the Bailey and (2) he was the last Number Two (I think)).

Hey Seattle, you want your weather back? – I don’t want the 100 degrees that you’ve been having (sorry but we had that a couple of years ago, and that wasn’t fun), but I’ll take a sunny dry 90 over monsoons (even if it is not hot).

Helen Hong, comedian and television producer, brings to us speed matchmaking at a comedy show – a way for East Asians (and soon others) to enjoy a laugh and not be so shy. Speed-dating, speed networking, and now this?

John (H.) Doe is a Korean-American who lives in the Upper West Side. I’m amazed that people get all crazed that he goes by John Doe. (and I wonder to the fates of people named Roe; do they get the whole Roe v. Wade barb?).

A pad thai recipe in the Times.

Apparently, there’s a reason why we swing our arms when we walk.

Fear of 2012 – what it might mean, according to the Mayans (or Fox Mulder of X-Files).

Asian American Int’l Film Festival in NYC:

Thursday – missed seeing “Paper Heart.” 🙁 It got sold out.

Friday – 72 Hour Shootout – on YouTube. The Asian American Film Lab announced the Top Ten. (with a cross-posting by Angry Asian Man).

The winner:

“Time’s [Not] Up” – I liked it. Poignant.

Number Two was “Grace and the Staten Island Fairy” – I really liked it. But, I’m a sucker for funny and crisp looking films.

“Just a Burger” was fourth, but hilarious.

Later, I might post more on the ones I watched that didn’t make top 10. The screening was at the renovated MoCA – well, during the soft opening anyway. I like that the space is so spacious!

Saturday – as noted, I watched “Karma Calling” and “You Don’t Know Jack“.

“Karma Calling” was fun – The Raj family of Hoboken deals with this thing called “life.” The eldest daughter falls for this outsourced call center operator – played by Samrat Chakrabarti (who I enjoyed seeing in last year’s “Kissing Cousins” – what an actor to switch accents!), who tells her that he’s from Connecticut (rather than several thousand miles away in India). The brother falls for a girl who came all the way from India to marry the 99 cent store owner. The baby of the family wants a bat mitzvah. And, the elephant god Ganesh is voiced by the guy from The Sopranos (Tony Sirico; “G” apparently has a NJ accent because he’s in Hoboken). I like romantic comedies, with a touch of fantasy. I also liked the Q&A afterward, where the director Sarba Das talked about how she was inspired to make a movie that touched on Asian America (and her love of 1980’s movies).

“You Don’t Know Jack” – filmmaker Jeff Adachi (who previously made “The Slanted Screen” about Asian American actors) on Jack Soo, a pioneer – and to think I barely remember the guy as the Asian one in the Barney Miller series. They don’t make actors like Soo (or tv series like Barney Miller for that matter). During the Q&A, Adachi touched on how it was difficult to get the info, but it certainly seemed worth it. Adachi also mentioned his other life – that of being Public Defender in San Francisco. Lawyers and their creative sides – wow.

Sunday – saw “Pastry” – a young woman’s love of egg custard tarts – the dan taat – and how it revolves around her family life and her love life. I thought the movie started strong – but thought it end was a little different than the amused tone at the beginning seemed to suggest about the movie.

Wanted to see “Fruit Fly” (its own website)(because I’m a sucker for musical comedies), but didn’t get to see it. I think FC did?

Winners of AAIFF announced – documentary “Whatever It Takes” (its own website) won Audience Choice; hmm, maybe I’ll catch it another time.

Pretty enjoyable, even though AAIFF seemed quieter than previously (recession seems to be affecting a lot of non-profits); still I’m glad to have been a part of it.