Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista play brothers in Apple's dystopian drama, See.
It's not often that both the leading man and the villain of a Hollywood production feature AAPI actors. That's what season 2 of Apple's See will feature.
Two of the biggest AAPI stars, Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista, will face off in the second season of the post-apocalyptic adventure drama, which takes place hundreds of years into the future when the world's population has lost the ability to see.
Filipino American Bautista will portray Edo Voss, the estranged brother of Baba Voss, the hero played by Momoa, whose father is Native Hawaiian. Also in the cast are Hoon Lee and Olivia Cheng.
In season 2, Baba is struggling to reunite his family amid the looming threat of war between two rival kingdoms. Despite his best efforts, his wife (Hera Hilmar) and sighted children (Archie Madekwe and Nesta Cooper) are pulled to the forefront of the conflict, where Edo's long-simmering hatred for his brother imperils them all even further. Turns out life in a desolate, primitive future where almost no one can see isn't so easy.
The first season was popular enough that a second season was granted. In the first season we are introduced to Momoa) is the Chief of the Alkenny tribe and his wife gives birth to a set of twins who, miraculously, are able to see. The queen of another tribe wants to capture Voss’ children so he must rely on his instincts and warrior skills to protect them.
Before the second season premiers on Aug. 27 on Apple TV+, the show has been given a third season.
The Lunar New Year is big business in some parts of Asia. Two shoe companies, Adidas and Nike recognize the Asian American market and have produced two rival ads centering around the holiday but an ad for the iPhone11 might qualify for an Oscar.
Chinese New Year is a massive advertising opportunity, whether a business operates in Asia or trying to reach out to America's prized consumer market, the Asian American communities.
According to Nielsen, Asian American buying power has risen 523% since 1990 to $718.4 billion in 2012. If Asian Americans were a country, they would represent the 18th largest economy in the world, providing a tremendous domestic growth opportunity. Buying power in this demographic is expected to top $1 trillion by 2017.
Focusing on the themes of family and homecoming and avoiding problematic messaging sets you up for success during this two week holiday starting Jan. 25 running to Feb. 5
Nike has released a short 90-second ad for the upcoming 2020 Chinese New Year depicting a Chinese aunt red-envelope tussle, one that generally occurs between friends and family during the festive time of the year. The comic ongoing battle eventually results in a cross-country sprint in which the aunt chases her Nike-trainer-wearing-niece across open land. It’s a pretty original concept coming from the athletic shoe company.
Adidas has taken a different approach. Instead of story-telling, the ad depends on music video energy, music, hip-hop and traditional dancing, beautiful models and dancers and quick-cuts. Directed by Muh Chen, the ad created by Haomai Advertisement features Chinese performer, Jackson Yee, along with an ensemble cast staging various martial arts and football techniques to a vibrant display and energetic soundtrack.
The video that really grabs you by the heart is the one produced for Apple for its iPhone11 product line. It is entirely shot by Apple's newest generation of its smart phone.
The eight-minute mini-movie titled "Chinese New Year - Daughter" start off with a mother being troubled by criticism that she took her daughter to work as a taxi driver. Throughout the film, scenes switch between older conversations and the present day, showing other conversations in the mother's life.
Towards the end of the film, a family reunion of the three generations takes place in the back of the taxi. It is then revealed to the child the older lady is her grandmother, who made dumplings each year while searching for her lost family.
The concept behind the story was to show how there are big generational differences in China, particularly when it comes to the concept of family. The meaning underneath the film, according to Apple is “no matter how much we all grow apart, humanity has the power to bring us together”.
The film is directed by Theodore Melfi, who directed the Best Picture Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures. Cinematography is by Lawrence Sher, who filled the role for Joker, identified as a "2020 Golden Globe Awards nominated film." Star Zhou Xun is also given a promotional introduction in the opening credits, described as "China's leading actress."
It is made for the huge Chinese market and probably won't be shown in the American market. That's too bad. With the success of The Farewell abd Parasite featuring Asian actors, language is not a problem with US audiences. What's more important to touch an audience is story and human emotion, something this mini-movie has.
JOHN CHO, who stars in the just-released Searching, will have a lead role in Tigertail, an upcoming Netflix feature from screenwriter and director Alan Yang that starts shooting next week. Tigertail “focuses on two people’s poor life choices and the consequences of those decisions, exploring themes of regret, longing, passion and repression while spanning continents and generations, from 1950s Taiwan to present-day New York City.” The cast for the movie includes Arrival’s Tzi Ma and The Great Indoors’ Christine Ko. Although the movie that starts shooting next week was already in pre-produciton before Crazy Rich Asians opened, the latter's box office and critical success should help the project's marketability. Tigertail should also beat Crazy Rich Asians' sequel to the screen; Warner Bros. is moving ahead with a sequel, but hasn’t officially greenlit it yet. Yang won an Emmy for writing for Netflix’s hit comedy Master of None, which he co-created with Aziz Ansari. Tigertail, which is partially based on events in Yang's own family’s history, is just one of the projects being prduced by the busy Yang. Yang is also executive producing an anthology series, Little America with Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated The Big Sick. Little America, which will be aired on Apple's new service, is inspired by the true stories featured in Epic Magazine and described on the site as “a small, collective portrait of America’s immigrants — and thereby a portrait of America itself.” The TV series will go beyond the headlines to look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and unexpected lives of immigrants in America, at a time when their stories are more relevant than ever.
Yang also has a high-profile new comedy series for Amazon via Uni TV starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. ______________________________________________________________________________
THE HUSBAND-WIFE team that wrote the script for The Big Sick motion picture and Alan Yang, who helped create the TV series Master of None, have joined forces to develop a series telling immigrants' stories. Comedian Kumail Nanjiani and his wife, scriptwriter Emily Gordon, along with Lee Eisenberg will be the writers for Little America. Yang, will executive produce the series.
Little America, which is based on the true stories featured Epic Magazine and described as "a small, collective portrait of America's immigrants -- and thereby a portrait of America itself."
Deadline says Nanjiani and Yang will tap into their families’ immigrant experiences for the project, which was picked up by Apple.Little America was ordered as a "Straight to series" as part of the computer company's foray into TV production.
The TV series will go beyond the headlines to look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and unexpected lives of immigrants in America, at a time when their stories are more relevant than ever.
Apple's latest promo for its iPhone7 camera features means a lot more to Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders' visibility.
APPLE didn't pay me for this post.
I just have to bring your attention to the refreshing, new Apple 7 commercial featuring a young attractive, hip couple who happened to be Asian.
Dubbed "The City," which is part of Apple's "Practically Magic" campaign, the couple playfully romps through Shanghai, taking pictures, everybody else seems to disappear as they (subliminally, the camera) focuses on them alone. You can focus on who you love and leave everything else behind.
You can't hear them speak any language except for the language of love, which translates to all cultures.
The song playing in the background is a simply beautiful love song, “Sing to Me” by Walter Martin (of the indie rock band The Walkmen) featuring Karen O.
A lovely spot that made me smile.
The commercial is in stark contrast to Apple's commercials that have aired only in China, depicting the older China adapting to modern, high-tech culture.
What explains the change in direction? It’s possible Apple found that its target Chinese customers relate more to the urban playground Shanghai of “The City” than the Shanghai depicted in “The Old Song.” While carrier subsidies help make the iPhone more affordable for the average Chinese person, the country’s smartphone market is largely dominated by low and mid-tier Android devices. Consumers that can comfortably afford an iPhone are likely just as steeped in international pop culture and indie US bands as they are in Chinese pop culture.
Overseas brands and production studios are also sensing that the Chinese feel pandered to when they see movies peppered with not-so-subtle nods to Chinese culture. 'The Great Wall,' for example, a Hollywood-China co-production that pits Matt Damon alongside a Chinese cast in an action film filled with historical references, got trashed by Chinese film critics. One common critique from reviewers was that references to Chinese culture felt forced and insincere.
On another level, the 60-second commercial shows an Asian man and an Asian woman blissfully in love with each other, an emotion that Hollywood and Madison Ave. don't often associate with Asians.
Unfortunately, non-Asians have been brainwashed to see Asians as inscrutable and sexless nerds, martial artists or dragon ladies devoid of any emotion because western eyes can't read our emotions; or, we're lusting after a white partner because being white, even indirectly by association, is the universal standard of what they think everybody wants to be. Yeah, right.
As innocent as it seems, the commercial has attracted a bit of negative feedback because they don't like seeing Asians ...
On American TV
Outside their own narrow perceptions of what Asians should be
Sneaking into U.S. culture in preparation for world domination.
ROBIN WILLIAMS committed suicide yesterday and television and the twitter verse is going crazy with tributes and fond memories. He was only 63. I never met him, but through his work, he was often in my living room on television. He became part of the family, the crazy uncle who was always making us laugh.
He was a brilliant, hilarious man whose comedic frenzy hid the demons he had inside. Like all true great artists he made an impact on peoples' lives through his roles and insights interspersed throughout his manic performances.
And what's the angle? Why am I mentioning him in this blog? Well ... There's always an angle. William's second wife is Marsha Garces, a Filipina-American, with whom he had two hapa children, Zelda and Cody. His oldest son, Zachary, is from his first marriage with Valerie Velardi and he has not yet released a statement. Marsha and Robin were together for 20 years, the longest of his three marriages. It was through their philanthropic foundation -- the Windfall Foundation -- where Williams donated his time and money to for its good work. She divorced him in 2010 after another one of his relapses. Her silence at this time speaks volumes about the pain she must be going through. (THE OTHER CONNECTIONS: And there is Dante Basco who was in the film "Hook," and played Rufio alongside Williams' Peter Pan; and Lea Salonga provided the singing voice for Jasmine in the animated feature, "Aladdin.")
For my daughters' generation, who went through their formative years in the 80's, he is remembered as Mrs. Doubtfire and English teacher John Keating in the "Dead Poets Society." Good films, like good all good art, have the ability to transform lives when a scene, a quote or an idea hits you in the stomach, you catch your breath, feel the impact, ruminate about it, swirl it, toss it around, place it inside out and upside down, think about it some more - and then you say, "A-ha!." And then ... and then ... you remember it for the rest of your life. For me, it was "To Kill A Mockingbird" with Gregory Peck, who played a southern lawyer defending a black man. For those who grew up in the 80s, it might have been this scene from the Dead Poets Society:
And while we're talking about Williams and Walt Whitman, for those young people growing up today, it might be this commercial in which he provides the voiceover. It may be a commercial for a product, but for me, it was the message, the words, the idea, the question:
