Daily Archives: January 13, 2009

The404 gives a shoutout to channelAPA

We met up with the crew over at The404 from CNET at CES. From left to right in the picture above, it’s Justin Yu, Jeff Bakalar, and Wilson Tang. These guys are hilarious. Listen to one of their podcasts and you’ll be addicted unless you are over 40 years old at CES. Today, they gave us a shoutout on their podcast.

Jeff – we love you even though you’re not Asian American

Wilson – we’re just trying to get some good video footage of you guys

Justin – thanks for the support – Asian Renaissance 2009!

Anywayz, when we met up with them, we told them that they should have a video podcast. We found out that the have a budget of zero to do the404 podcast, but they have a good base of listeners. (Apparently CES listens to them too, the day after one of their podcasts the show floor tape was changed from 2008 to 2009.) If you listen to the404, email the CNET editors and ask them to give the404 a video podcast or at least a budget.

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The404 gives a shout out to channelAPA

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2010 Toyota Prius at Detroit Auto Show

From new lithium ion batteries to updated hybrids, automakers are looking to step up the fuel efficiency of their cars. Toyota announced that the latest Prius model will get a combined 50 miles to the gallon.

The midsize third-generation 2010 Prius will offer even better mileage ratings, enhanced performance, and innovative design features. It will be quieter, roomier, and equipped with advanced standard and available features such as a moonroof with solar panels, four driving modes, Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA) and steering wheel touch controls that display on the instrument panel.

Here’s some shots of the 2010 Toyota Prius

Toyota Unveils New Prius at Detroit Auto Show

2010 Toyota Prius Unveiled

Blindsight DVD

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayas, Blindsight follows the gripping adventure of six Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the 23,000 foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest.

A dangerous journey soon becomes a seemingly impossible challenge made all the more
remarkable by the fact that the teenagers are blind.

Believed by many Tibetans to be possessed by demons, the children are shunned by their parents, scorned by their villages and rejected by society. Rescued by Sabriye Tenberken – a blind educator and adventurer who established the first school for the blind in Lhasa, the students invite the famous blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer to visit their school after learning about his conquest of Everest. Erik arrives in Lhasa and inspires Sabriye and her students Kyila, Sonam Bhumtso, Tashi, Gyenshen, Dachung and Tenzin to let him lead them higher than they have ever been before.

The resulting 3-week journey is beyond anything any of them could have predicted.

Buy the Blindsight DVD.

Blindsight Trailer

Slumdog Millionaire wins at Golden Globe Awards and Critic’s Choice Awards

Slumdog Millionaire collected 9 awards over the past week with wins at the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. The film had repeat wins for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Composer/Musical Score. Here’s the list of awards won.

THE 14th CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE

BEST DIRECTOR – Danny Boyle

BEST WRITER (Original or Adapted Screenplay) – Simon Beaufoy

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS (Under 21) – Dev Patel

BEST COMPOSER – A.R. Rahman

THE 66th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Best Director (Motion Picture) – Danny Boyle

Best Screenplay (Motion Picture) – Simon Beaufoy

Best Original Score (Motion Picture) – A. R. Rahman

Although the critics love the film, will the American public like it too? Since its limited release in the US, Slumdog Millionaire has already raked in over $34 million. With the 9 awards added, we expect the Fox Searchlight Pictures to expand the distribution of the film as well as making a bigger splash when the film comes out on DVD. This could be the breakthrough film that bridges Hollywood and Bollywood even more. There have been previous discussions of Steven Spielberg doing Bollywood. We hope to see more Asian/Asian American actors and sctresses on the big screen in the US.

Golden Globes 2009 Danny Boyle, Dev Patel & Freida Pinto

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Wins 4 Golden Globes

Critics’ Final Answer: ‘Slumdog’ Wins 5 Awards

American Fusion DVD

“American Fusion” was on the Asian American film festival circuit about 2 year ago. The film is written and directed by Frank Lin and features one of Pat Morita’s last performances. If you missed it, you now have a chance to get it on DVD. Buy the American Fusion DVD. Here’s the synopsis of the film:

Yvonne (Sylvia Chang) is a divorced middle-aged Chinese immigrant who thinks her life is over, and she is doomed to spend the rest of her days as a slave to her large and eccentric family.

Suddenly, romance enters her life and Yvonne gets a long deferred chance for true love. However, she falls for the last person a Chinese family would ever accept, Jose, a Mexican- American dentist. To make matters worse, Yvonne’s 70-year-old mother hurts her back in a massage accident, and uses her suffering to guilt all her children into doing her bidding.

Now to find true happiness, Yvonne must overcome her demanding siblings, 5,000 years of conservative Chinese tradition, and one tyrannical mother who is about to undergo major back surgery!

Yvonne and her family are swept up in a whirlwind of misadventures, which leads them to a near tragic climax. As they are about to lose Grandma, the family learns the true meaning of being American.

American Fusion Trailer