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HBO Presents A Conversation with Aaron Yoo
Actor Aaron Yoo was presented with the PAAFF Rising Star Award and sat down to be interviewed by Nydia Han. Yoo’s ease of conversation and relaxed posture belies his young persona. His love for the craft of acting is evident along with a healthy confidence in his talent and sense of belonging in the industry. He’s working and writing a lot now, but the lean early years trying to go from uncompensated thesbian to working movie actor was anything but easy. He tells a funny story of trying desperately to get fired from a desk job, so he could live off of unemployment and pursue acting full-time, but his boss…
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Commentary – Second Moon
Second Moon is very odd. The premise, a confidence man of sorts, Don Jim (Jim Finn) has evidently been terribly hurt by this woman of whom we only see her feet over a balcony, as she flicks pre-printed cards down in answer to his questions. In response to her rejection, he begins a business, “Art of Love”, which helps women cheat on their husbands. The men he hires to help these women don’t appear to be having sex with them, they are, I guess you would say, look outs, there to run interference in case a woman’s husband gets wise. In order to work for Don Jim all of his…
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Won Chinese Restaurant
After leaving the screening of Second Moon, I understandably was craving Chinese Food. Especially since someone in the audience was eating take-out in the seat in front of me. Not that I’m condemning them, I’ve brought Chinese into a movie theater before and hoagies or steak sandwiches, once I snuck in a whole pizza and beer! I found my way to Won Chinese Restaurant (214 South 40th Street) where I enjoyed very meaty steamed dumplings and a filling and spicy hot Pork Noodles w/ Peking Sauce. But this was my first experience dining in a Chinese restaurant when not only did they not have crispy fried noodles with duck sauce…
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Commentary – Children of Invention
Children of Invention is a story that too many people can relate to right now. Elaine (Cindy Cheung), a mother of two, Raymond,(Michael Chen)approx age 12 and Tina, (Crystal Chiu)about age 5 or 6 is struggling to make ends meet. She looses their house and luckily is offered shelter in an apartment building that is not yet finished or open for renting. She’s told they must be careful that no light show from the apt and not too make too much noise. An impossible feat for any parent of young children. In fact, the theme of this film was very similar to The Boys Are Back (click for review) in…
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2ND Annual PHILADELPHIA ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL Opening
PHILADELPHIA ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2009 I was bumped. Like the insignificant neophyte comedian that’s booked on “The Tonight Show” but never performs cause they run short on time. An exaggeration of course, but I was told by PCA that I would be giving a plug for La Cinematheque prior to the screening of PAAFF’s opening night film Children of Invention. So I of course dressed to impress, practiced incessantly and basically gave it way more of my day than I should have, only to be told when I arrived that there wouldn’t be time. Of course, I would have had to follow Sharon Pinkenson, Exe. Dir of the…
