Daily Archives: July 6, 2008

Stars & Stripes FOREVER! by the Muppets

A bunch of Muppets got together to celebrate the 4th of July and sing Stars and Strips Forever. The video includes a wide range of Muppets – Sam The Eagle, Beaker, Animal, Bobo Bear, Swedish Chef, a penguin, a couple of chickens and Crazy Harry. (Make sure you watch all the way to the end of the clip!!) Ok, this video clip doesn’t really have an Asian American angle to it, unless you grew up watching the Muppets. (Muppet Babies viewers may like this too.) It’s great to see the Muppets using the internet to promote themselves.

Watch the Muppets sing Stars & Stripes Forever

Asian American International Film Festival Trailer

Asian CineVision with Asia Society presents the Asian American International Film Festival 2008, July 10–19, 2008. This year’s outstanding lineup includes one world premiere, two U.S. premieres, six East Coast premieres, and seven New York premieres. Debuting a new interdisciplinary program in 2008, Asian CineVision also presents New Landscapes: Media and Its Adaptations, a series of panels examining issues relevant to Asia and Asian diasporas.

The Festival will open on Thursday, July 10 at 7:30PM with PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA, marking acclaimed director Wayne Wang’s return to indie filmmaking. The Centerpiece Presentation will be on Thursday, July 17 at 6:30PM with the U.S. premiere of THE SPEED OF LIFE, directed by Ed Radtke. The Festival will close on Saturday, July 19 at 7:00PM with PING PONG PLAYA, the first narrative feature film from director Jessica Yu.

Here’s some of our recommendations for films to watch :

The Killing of a Chinese Cookie

Kissing Cousins


Pretty To Think So

Always Be Boyz

Watch the trailer for the Asian American International Film Festival

Aaron Yoo in The Wackness

Korean American actor Aaron Yoo can be seen in The Wackness. He plays the role of Justin. Justin (Aaron Yoo) is a mutual friend of Luke (Josh Peck) and Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby) and introduced them to each other. He leads the couple on a relationship roller coaster.

Here’s s synopsis of The Wackness.

It’s the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop and wafting with the sweet aroma of marijuana–but change is in the air. The newly-inaugurated mayor, Rudy Giuliani, is beginning to implement his anti-fun initiatives against “crimes” like noisy portable radios, graffiti and public drunkenness. Set against this backdrop, Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) spends his last summer before college selling dope throughout New York City, trading it with his shrink (Ben Kingsley) for therapy, while crushing on his step-daughter (Olivia Thirlby). Famke Janssen, Mary Kate Olsen,and Method Man round out the cast in this edgy, bittersweet, and funny coming of age story.

The Wackness opens this weekend in New York and Los Angeles. Over the month of July, the film slowly rolls out nationwide.

Aaron Yoo talks about The Wackness

Project Michelle Update

Michelle is 26 years old. Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in February 2007, Michelle underwent chemotherapy for seven months but relapsed in May 2008. She now needs to find a bone marrow match to save her life. You could be that person. Asian American celebrities are stepping up to support Project Michelle. Before July 4th, Michelle got her first intrathecal chemo administered through lumbar puncture. (Ouch!!!) However, she’s back home for July 4th.

Michelle updates you on her progress