Okay, I posted this in Off Topic as well, but I'm doing it in Socal b/c I know some of you don't check Off Topic and I figured that since it takes place in ARCADIA, you gotta love it.

The movie is "Better Luck Tomorrow" - I'm excited!

Maybe it's b/c I can personally relate, but it's about Asian American high school overachievers in Arcadia who lead double lives of crime.

it was critically acclaimed at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals, where it was picked up by MTV (who is running a lot of ads for this). Ebert and Roeper have given it two thumbs up; and Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and the LA Times (among others) gave it good reviews as well.

Anyway, it opens this Friday, 4/11 in selected cities, including LA and NY. They wanted to see how it would do in these places before going nationwide. I'm excited! and wanted to let people know about it.

Here's an MTV article about it
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/14...?headlines=true

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i've seen ads on MTV for the show, and it seems interesting...

If you go, let us know how it is.

 

yeah, was supposed to go to the opening tomorrow... I think it's at the arclight theater... but have to go to an APILSA dinner for UCLA instead.

a couple of my friends have already seen it and said that it was a good movie. hopefully, I'll get to see it.

oh, and arcadia, huh? that's my hood. if you can call it that.

 

Link shows MTV has moved information. I'll do a search.

 

Funny, I'm from Arcadia but I'm not gangst- oh wait ... you said OVERachieving.

 

My friend's friend is producing that movie. I'm surprised it's doing that well w/ the critics. Maybe I'll go see it afterall.

 

really??? so is mine... or was it directing... nonetheless, my friend's friend is one of those two peeps... that's how I first heard about the opening...

 

Are you serious!? That means we have at least one mutual acquaintance ... maybe. I forgot her name... so I'll ask my friend again.

Yeah, that's how I found out about the movie too.

 

hmm... my "friend's" name (not the producer or director person) is erika... she went to UCLA... ring any bells?

 

Nope...
it must be the other one of the two. I think her name started with a "J".

BTW, I'm a Bruin too.

 

erika is my friend... she's the one who knows the producer or director.

also, just found out that another friend of mine, jennifer lee (I know, generic name huh?), is going to be working with those peeps on their next film project.

either way, can't make it to the opening showing, but have tics for the 9:55 showing at Century City AMC.

 

Hehe, dang ganz. It must've been after we graduated that the place started to be "gangsta"... cuz all I remember is a bunch of nerdy asians running around, worrying about AP tests.

 

Yeah, I have to agree. Arcadia High totally went downhill after our year. See what happens when the talent leaves?

Anyway, the truth is the hardest core gangster from Arcadia is probably still small fish compared to Los Angeles gangs.

Young asian hoodies, if you're reading this, Arcadia ain't all that glamorous. Nor does being a rich asian kid with an attitude in Arcadia make you anywhere close to 'hard'. Trust me, most of your time will be spent at some SAT prep. And yes, it is possible to graduate high school and not speak a lick of english. Sad... but true.

That said, this movie sparks some asian pride in me. It's good to see good moviemaking that has more current (though unrealistic) cultural focus.

 

LOL..... I think the same thing when I see these Mira Mesa "thugs".... LOL

 

Ok, I saw it last night.

I liked that it presented Asian people from a different viewpoint than what we have seen in entertainment/media. But hell, almost anything would be new and groundbreaking considering the invisibility of Asians, except for a few somewhat stereotypical roles (like Margaret Cho, Bruce Lee, F&F, Joy Luck Club).

I heard some people in the theater coming out of it saying, I didn't really like it. I think the problem, and the huge burden that this film faces, is that it is the first "Asian" film that tries to capture one particular illustration of a generation's voice. People are going to expect it to say something that reflects their life - and it may not. But that is the entire point - Asian people come from a variety of backgrounds and have a plethora of experiences - there is never going to be one film that will embody all those experiences, but this film is just trying to put one of those views on film. No, not everybody is going to relate to it. And I think that those people's expectations may have been that "this film is really going to say what I feel" are inevitably going to be disappointed. This film only says what the FILMMAKER feels. While it is somewhat of a statement in that it is one of the first Asian films, it is not a comprehensive essay on the Asian experience - it's just entertainment.

Just something I thought about when I oveheard some of the criticisms from Asian teenagers last night .

 

LOL...Mira Mesa thugs. Man I can go on forever about this thread. But I won't. Most of today's gangstas are WANGSTAS IMO. But go back 10-11 years and it was a whole different story, even in Mira Mesa. Remember when people used to get shot at the races in Mira Mesa by AC?

 

Iris (& anyone else who's seen the film),

Is this a worthwhile movie to see about high school, or is it gonna basically throw a culture shock at me that I won't be able to relate to? I mean, we all know I'm the great white z driver - only about a shade away from casper the friendly ghost, but I definitely try to immerse myself in culture shock (hell I go to Long Beach State, nuff said). I also consider myself an amateur film buff, so I'm always on the lookout for those underground hits.

I'm just wondering if there's enough material here that will make me enjoy it, or will I just walk out thinking that its something I won't understand?

He he, makes me think of the town I grew up in, we had a "gang" called MOT (said outloud em oh tee), the "Mob of 2000". Basically a bunch of kids that were upset that their parents provided them everything they needed, so they just decided to be a bunch of f@*!-offs and start fights and deal weed and basically just be losers because they knew deep down mommy and daddy would bail them out of anything they got themselves in to. Is this the sort of story I can expect, because THAT I think everyone that recently went to high school can relate to.

Take care.

 

Hey Dave,
You won't be alienated. Mike, for one, liked it (and he's from Massachusetts). I actually think non-Asian people might enjoy it more than Asians b/c they're not so emotionally tied up/invested in it so they don't let their feelings get in the way. Mike was able to look at it more as purely entertainment than Some Big Statement. And hey, it actually got a good review ("critic's choice" and star) in People , which surprised me considering how white America/mainstream People is.

 

I think we're entering a time when more of the asian community is going to be represented, additionally much more fairly, than ever before. I mean, now we're starting to get over the whole "everyone of any asian descent is a martial arts math whiz", and understanding that there is a great deal of heratige & culture that quite frankly no other civilization has anymore.

I think I'm gonna try to check this movie out if I get a chance, hopefully it allows more asian american movie hopefuls to bring their tales to fruition.

Thanks for the review (and as always the blindingly fast response - you're starting to scare me here Iris )

 

It's cuz I'm at work *GROAN* So hard to work on a Sunday (making the big bucks = slaving for da Man) - procastination w/ the website.... Trying to get out w/in 1/2 hour though, so I'm OFF the site after this!