This is Part 2 of 3. Part 1 can be found here: Click

YES MEN FIX THE WORLD
– Dir. Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno – FRANCE, UK USA

Outrageous political pranksters, Andy and Mike want to fix the world – a noble yet seemingly impossible task in YES MEN FIX THE WORLD. It’s no surprise the world is built on the foundation of capitalism and greed that skirts from the corporate responsibility of human life. The documentary starts with the 20th anniversary of the world’s most disastrous chemical accident that cost the livelihoods of the people of Bhopal, India. In an elaborate scheme we follow their journey of holding corporate greed responsible for their actions. Funny, entertaining and insightfully filled with hope.

CAT LADIES – Dir. Christie Callan-Jones – Canada

Following the lives for 4 women from varying backgrounds, the documentary tries to breakdown the motivations for their penchant for acquiring cats in CAT LADIES. What started off in an off-beat quirky atmosphere slowly deteriorates as they expose the loss and loneliness mixed with the feeling of unconditional love from their feline companions. It’s also rather heartbreaking to see the ones those who want to break their cycle and those who are delusional in thinking they’re doing the right thing.

WATERLIFE – Dir: Kevin McMahon – Canada
Explore the beauty of the Great Lakes matched with industries toxicity in WATERLIFE. Stories around the shores and ports of the Great Lakes tell us that the water is disappearing. It’s quite unsettling to watch that many little comforts of home are at a cost to water consumption. Not exactly an eye-opener but a good look at what progress has cost nature over time.

SOULWAX: PART OF THE WEEKEND NEVER DIES –
Dir: Soam Farahmand – UK
Go on tour for a year with Soulwax as they play a show all over the world that last for about 8 hours starting the electro-punk band Soulwax and ending with its own afterparty spun by 2 Many Djs. For fans of electro dance punk, this is a MUST watch.

BASTION OF SIN – Dir: Thomas Lauterbach – Germany
A theatre director crafts a play from the personal stories of amateur actresses of Turkish descent in BASTION OF SIN. The story focuses on Aymel, a head scarf wearing Muslim woman who has agreed to take part in the director’s project. Her inner conflict with tradition and faith crash against her fellow actor’s free spiritedness. It’s interesting to watch Aymel as she has to come to terms … and ultimately respect and tolerate other’s views, perspectives and values.

And now a word about about their Late Night Screenings where you can catch the screening of SOULWAX.

I had been interested in the film since I caught wind of it in the Kpop bubble where I had been living for the last 2 years or so. The story seemed interesting, the King (Joo Jin Mo) needs to bear an heir, but despite loving his beautiful Chinese Queen (Song Ji Hyo) can’t bear to touch her and chooses to spend his night with the head of guards (Jo In Sung) instead. To keep things secret, the King instructs his lover to sleep with the Queen thereby opening Pandora’s box to hetero sex and your classic love triangle.

Who am I kidding – this is the teaser that really caught people’s attention. (Safe, yet NSFW)

My fellow Kpop follower Nebs pinged me saying that she was going to be seeing the film, but was just going to fast forward to the good parts … namely the sex scenes. So I followed up:

Xxxtine: booyah … so have you finished fast forwarding through Frozen Flower?
Nebs: yep yep … it really is like porn … wasn’t impressed
Xxxtine: darn …I suppose it might has been a tad better with English subs to sort of … give it a bit more depth
Nebs: no… i mean the scenes
Nebs: it was trying too hard
Nebs: like… how porn is
Xxxtine: I saw one really quick scene … I was almost shocked …
Nebs: put in… mainly for the heck of having a scene in… occurred too often
Xxxtine: so … lots of hot sex then … just not impressive
Nebs: no.. not impressive. i think they tried to make it passionate, but… when you have too many scenes and trying too many positions, it really just becomes porn
Xxxtine: LOL … me thinks I will just wait till English subs because I’m actually intrigued by the storyline, and I think the actress is pretty cool … and JinMo … hawt
Nebs: he’s ok… no one I’m really into
Xxxtine: him over In Sung, for sure
Nebs: definitely

———————
The Next Day
Xxxtine: oh … and I saw Frozen Flower … w/o subs and out of sync … it really IS like porn
Nebs: you couldn’t wait for subs either, huh
——————–
The Day After That …
Nebs: oh and i watched frozen flower (skipping the porn scenes) w/ subs…. it was still boring
Xxxtine: really … that’s too bad … not enough substance to support the gratuitous sex. oh well … porn it is … but it’s quite well lite and at least they put a little effort into a storyline
Nebs: yea… the story was good until he asked Jo In Sung to go sleep w/ her. there was way too many sex scenes… they could’ve done all the story w/o it and it would still be the same boring movie
Xxxtine: so the film was her fault
Nebs: but it wouldn’t get that many viewers
Xxxtine: cuz they need the lady nipple shots

Frozen Flower melts onto DVD May 14th via YesAsia.com; because using the word ‘come’ would be too gratuitous.

This is Part 1 of 3 of the films you can catch and which I’ve previewed for you in 88 words of less.

ACTION BOYS – Dir. Jung Byung-Gil – South Korea
Graduates from the 8th year of Seoul Action School are profiled in ACTION BOYS, a documentary about stunt performers in South Korea’s movie industry. While quirky and fun, the doc is counter-balanced by the realities and ultimate limitations of what the body and spirit can handle. Many leave in the first few months of training, only a few stick around. It could’ve been a more interesting documentary but the lack of narrative structure felt like I was on a rig being pulled along for a ride.

GRANDMOTHER’S FLOWERS – Dr. Mun Jeong-hyun – South Korea
Told through the hardships endured by his maternal grandmother, Director Mun uncovers and touches upon many social issues faced by the complexities of Korean culture and ideology in GRANDMOTHER’S FLOWER. Tensions still remain from alliances forged during the Korean War and provide the basis of discrimination and Guilt By Association to those who stayed and those who fled during the war to Japan. It’s very tapestry-like storytelling where many different lives are interweaved by the choices they make and the ultimate consequences they suffer.

CLUBLAND – Dir. ERIC GERINGAS – Canada
Tensions between the residents and the clubbing industry’s movers and shakers set the mood in CLUBLAND. It’s an interesting look at the densely concentrated neighbourhood where politics has to strike the balance in pleasing their constituents while also maintaining the economic powers it has. In a ‘Tipping Point’ fashion, we understand better the stories coming from both sides and slowly realize the fault of tension doesn’t really fall onto the residents or club owners, but perhaps the party-goers who’ve had one too many drinks.

HAIR INDIA – Dir. Raffaele Brunetti, Marco Leopardi – Italy
An ambitious documentary in the structure of a feature, HAIR INDIA weaves the stories of the players in the lucrative business of Indian hair extensions. From rich to poor, religious hair donors to the fashionable consumer, the documentary is very tapestry like in an attempt to link all stories into one without having much of an objective. Despite its compelling characters and high production value, it was boring.

AFGHAN STAR – Dir. Havana Marking – UK
After years of Taliban rule that banned music and dancing, Tolo TV puts on their version of Idol singing competition called AFGHAN STAR. Its producers are interested in creating art, entertainment and culture, while the contestants vie for the title for Afghan Star and $5,000 – over 10 times the average annual salary. Continuing tribal conflicts plus ideals still rooted in religion create obstacles for the production staff and contestants. It was a fascinating look into a culture where art and music were once a vibrant part of the culture now cling to every bit of freedom they get to express themselves despite the consequence.

New music from M-Flo and After School plus a wee preview for films you can check out at Hot Docs this coming April 30th to May 10th in Toronto.

If you like what you hear, please show your support by supporting the artists and buy their CDs and DVDs using the links provided on this site.

For any requests, comments, suggests, dedications or feedback, feel free to leave a comment at Popcast88.com or send an email to christine [at] popcast88.com.

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Playlist

1. End And – Park Jung Eun
She is Real (2009)

7. Universe (Kozm Remix) – M-Flo feat. Crystal Kay, BoA and Verbal
Inside Works III (2009)

This past weekend, Korean Hip-Hop group Epik High independently released their new book/album Map the Soul via their website. Similar to Radiohead’s release of In Rainbows which was released on their website and allowed each fan to pay as little or as much as they want, the release of Map the Soul is a celebration of their fans, the freedom of independent music, and the arts. It’s quickly been heralded as a success for those very reasons; the loyalty these guys show to their fans is ridiculous. They remain true to their art despite their success and it’s very admirable.

Even though I don’t personally understand or speak Korean, Epik High remains one of my favorite groups because their music translates beyond the barriers of language. You can hear the emotion and dedication they put into the work just by listening to the way they rap or their rhymes.

So to say that I was a bit disappointed when I heard this is sort of an understatement. Warning: There is explicit language in the following clip.

It addresses a similar issue addressing racial satire posted by Yan and begs the question: when does racially motivated humor — or any humor involving race, sexual orientation, gender, and so on — stop being funny and become offensive? I personally find Carlos Mencia to be offensive, but I find Russell Peters and Dave Chappelle to be funny due to the way they present their material, but if you don’t buy that, Thea Lim at Racialicious posts on why she thinks Russell Peters stopped being funny and became offensive in his newest act, and I buy it. Thea claims that when the “jokes” lack a certain punchline, they become inappropriate and inadequate blows at certain behavior and stereotypes of a certain group of people; the joke isn’t the refusal to help the man with his t-shirt order — that wouldn’t be very funny and would be quite mean — but in the man’s accent and their interpretation and play off that man’s accent. I think this skit is inherently offensive and not funny. It is a “joke” without a punchline.

This reaffirms two beliefs for me: that the line between humor and offensiveness is ridiculously gray and is dependent upon very vague and unspecific guidelines of both race and humor, and that the term “Asian American” is way too broad. We don’t notice it when Russell Peters does it because we categorize South Asians differently from East Asians. (And let’s be honest, not many people do.) But here, it’s a conflict between Koreans/Korean Americans and Chinese/Chinese Americans, and while we have many cultural similarities, there are also countless cultural and lingual barriers. Tanzila Ahmed, AngryAsianMan’s reader of the week criticizes those “Folks doing APIA work that doesn’t include South Asian or Pacific Islander groups, but still [claim] that they are pan-APIA.” I don’t make that claim, but I should and am going to start to be more aware (the first step was to visit a community blog she is a part of, Sepia Mutiny).

But does this mean we should start independent struggles and fights for social justice? No, but there should be a greater awareness of the cultural differences between the sub-categories of “Asian American.” Does that mean I hate Epik High or, like Tommy Brothers — responsible for the Dartmouth mishap — think that they are “hateful” or “racist?” No, Epik High has great music, and the average citizen of the world probably couldn’t care less and would probably scoff at this post, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t wrong.

While I don’t know how the name of International Secret Agents came to be, I do know the powers of Wong Fu Productions and Far East Movement came together to bring Asian American artists to the mainstream. And mainstream, indeed, with teeny boppers crowding the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on Friday night. Aside from the unfitting formality of the Palace and teeny boppers with their flashing digital cameras and cell phones, the event was quite the hype.

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t know any of the artists prior to the event. That’s why I went; to learn more and dance some. And with my press pass in hand, I got the inside scoop.

It was a bit unsettling at first. Who was the guy in the flashy gold jacket and where did he get all of that energy? Why were the guys in American Apparel clad wearing sunglasses indoors? They must think they’re cool. Oh goodness, how was I going to make my way pass the giant cameraman and not look like an ignorant fool?

I spoke with the creators of the event, the men from Wong Fu Productions, themselves. They’re nice guys, in their 20-somethings, braved the Asian stereotype and pursued their dreams in film. I asked if their parents knew what they were doing. They laughed and said “yeah, but probably not to this degree.” Indeed, it may be difficult to explain two sold out shows.

While in the press room, I couldn’t help but ask: If this is an event about inclusion and appreciation for Asian American artists, where are the women?

I was comforted when I took my seat in the audience, but only for a bit. Jessi Malay was singing a snip-it. Turns out she doing a sing-off with her co-host, who kept stuttering over his words and failing at bad jokes. During one performance, he “locked” his female co-host in the bathroom. I didn’t get it either.

Passion was good. He’s got a sweet voice and I’m a sucker for acoustic guitars, but I was sick of hearing covers. I wanted the OG. I didn’t understand that, especially when Paul Dateh followed with a Jason Mraz flow. If I wanted to hear covers I could gone to a local bar or just sat in front of my macbook watching youtube.

It got worse. Wong Fu Productions videos came up, and oh, I was so disappointed. A clip from “Up in da club” played– amongst three male heads was one woman, the “cute accountant.” At this point, I found the creators’ work to be very telling of the concert’s production. It’s hard not to be angry because I met the guys and they seemed quite genuine with good intentions, and yet, I can’t help but be critical of their work. ESPECIALLY if their goal is to represent Asian American artists.

There’s so much potential. A dynamic female presence is a start. In the films and throughout the concert including the music from FM and Jin, were images of women on the projector. Who those women were I have no clue. At one point, Jin does a free style about some Asian women, and he makes a comment to “us.” He says something like, “Ladies, it’s not all about looks. It’s about brains too. Right, guys?” Hands down, Jin was my favorite artist of the night–for his ability to carry the crowd’s energy and his music, but c’mon. I didn’t want to be reminded that my goal in life is to attract Asian men.

The only women on stage were Jessi Malay and some dancers from Fanny Pak, who were great and also, not Asian. I have no problem with that except that I know so many Asian female dancers who would have loved to be on stage. And if this event was about inclusion for Asian artists, this could have been the perfect venue for them.

I just did another search on the International Secret Agents website and read their mission.. “because we have our own stories, skills and talents that go far beyond the dated stereotypical expectations” and “because we are moving together to accomplish a collective mission.”

ISA was an ambitious feat, and I commend them for that. I just think if we’re going to even attempt to represent a community of artists, cultures and stories, we should at least include half of that community’s population, and not by having them as back-up dancers or objects of desire, but as real agents telling their own stories.

(Flickr photo credit: histacyzou)

“I learned English by listening to slang,” Se7en announces over a lunch of upscale pizza and soda. “I learned the curse words first from the stage hands and then later on I learned what they meant.”

Everyone in the room erupts laughing. “Isn’t that the way it always is?” his hip publicist muses.

We dine on the 40^th floor of the Viacom building in Times Square with glorious windows under which laid all of midtown. When asked why his camera sat pointed out the window all morning, Se7en’s personal friend replied that he was taping the view. The view is immediately forgotten however as Se7en magnificently sweeps into the room wearing his signature fedora, fresh from a visit to MTV.

When asked if he will do the interview first or have lunch, Se7en smiles, eyes the unopened pizza boxes, and after much prodding from his gang, finally decides that lunch will come before the interview. “Have a slice of pizza,” he offers me.

So here I am, having lunch with a man who had won nine Korean Grammys at an age when most kids were getting ready to graduate college. Only four years later, in 2007, he would overtake Japan selling out arenas and being honored at the Japanese MTV awards. Now, two years later, he is ready to conquer the United States.

He recently partnered with Lil’Kim in making his transition to the states. Their video “Girls” has already received substantial buzz in the hip-hop community. About Lil’Kim he says “she is very tough on the outside but sweet inside.”

A true showman, Se7en radiates the easy confidence and charm of a man who had been on the stage since the age of fifteen. As he eats, he casually makes chit chat with me. I chat back although I do my best not to stare. It is difficult as his hat and sunglasses highlight his strong handsome jawline. He speaks with animation. He asks me where I am from and I tell him Queens, then wondering if he was familiar with the five boroughs immediately correct myself, and say Shanghai.

“I know some Mandarin,” he confesses shyly. “Ni hao ma?”

“Wo hen hao,” I reply reflexively. I am very well.

He smiles. “I know that and ‘Wo ai nimen’!” I love you all. He waves to an imaginary audience with his free hand and then takes another bite of pizza.

“What would you say is better, your English or your Japanese?” his friend asks.

“I haven’t spoken my Japanese in years,” Se7en laughs and then remarks incredulously, “I had to learn it all in two weeks.”

When I later ask him about the trials and tribulations of learning the English language, he tells me that he practices up to 2-3 hours a day with a tutor. Then he thinks for a moment and nervously fiddles with a remote control as though he’s unsure of how to make the endeavor sound harder. Indeed, although his vocabulary is not yet broad, his pronunciation is flawless. Finally, he tells me that he also has a place in LA where he is currently living that has been a great help.

When I ask him what he thinks of New York, he tells me that he loves New York City and the nightlife here. His entire demeanor changes as the topic goes from language to leisure. He breaks down into helpless laughter when the New York night scene is mentioned. Apparently at some point during the prior night he had coerced his entourage into doing quite a few shots.

“I had to call him at nine this morning to make sure he woke up,” one of his friends adds.

“He just kept pouring and pouring. It’s all his fault,” another says.

So the question of whether Se7en is really a nightclub ringmaster as his music video advertises has been answered. He is as wild on his own time as during camera time. Although his full American album has not yet been titled or given a set release date, I find myself welcoming a true “bad boy” Asian superstar. Although Se7en had been set to debut in 2007, he tells me there was no delay. In 2007 they had intended to release a single but later decided to make it into a full album. Now, it appears his American audience has much more Se7en to look forward to than ever.

As I close up the interview, I wish him well and tell him I’ll see him later that night. He agrees and shakes my hand in a firm grip. I ask him if he’s nervous and he looks confused. I tell him that the invitation said that he was giving a concert that night.

“Maybe I’ll sing a song or two,” he says haphazardly, as though he gave out award-winning songs as easily as tic tacs. “But it’s mostly a party.”

Credits: Chang Yu for photos, Christine Miguel for research and background information.

Apologizes for the delay in getting this episode out.  I explain all in the podcast so please listen.

Some new and old tracks played in this episode including new/ established artists The Shinbi and HybRefine.

As always if you enjoy what you hear, I ask that you show your support by purchasing the CDs and DVDs using the links provided on the site – or you can buy a T-shirt!

Congrats to Erik from our NING Community site who wins this month’s member giveaway.

For any questions, suggestions, comments, feedback etc, feel free to leave a message over at POPCast88.com or send an email to christine [at] popcast88.com.

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Playlist

1. Hero – The Shinbi
(2009)

2. U Just – Park Jung Eun
Letters from my Heart (2006)

3. School Girl Fantasy – Base Ball Bear
Love Mathematics (2009)

4. 꺼져버려 – Bella Mafia
Overstep (2009)

5. Eien – BoA
Best & USA (2009)

6. Rollin’ On Remix feat. AI – DOUBLE
Rollin’ On (single) (2005)

7. Starlight Love – HybRefine
Starlight Love (2009)

Originally posted by Ernie over at brother site, 8Asians.com.

So after all the hype, two videos, media interviews in English and performances in smaller venues as an iterative experiment on how to properly market a Korean pop star in the United States, BoA has finally released her self-titled English album this week on Amazon and iTunes. Also available this week is a 1:30 preview of her second single, I Did It For Love f/ Sean Garrett.

Somewhere in South Korea, a bunch of executives had just finished going through a PowerPoint presentation where a marketer just explained in his politest Korean possible that to dominate the US music market you have to use S&M costumes, a vocoder Auto Tune, a token black guy and a lot of pouting.

But here’s the thing — the album is really good. Other Asian pop stars trying to conquer the US market had image problems; Coco Lee’s 1991 Just No Other Way was too adult contemporary, Utada’s 2004 Exodus was deemed too experimental. BoA management team seems to have a better idea of the image she’s trying to convey; the fact that she’s a spokesperson for Forever 21 – a store marketed for 15-30 year old women — gives you an idea of BoA’s marketing team. Singles like I Did it For Love are clearly meant to be for the R&B crossover market, while other singles like Did Ya and Touched is Brittneyesque in both its production and PG-13 sexiness. (And I’ll just come out and say it: the high production value and the use of Auto Tune plays down any concerns that people may have with her accent.) The only clear miss on her album is her English cover of Girls on Top; the clumsy lyrics translate poorly and lacks the intensity of her previous Korean hit.

All of that said, BoA’s latest album is a carefully constructed piece of American pop machinery full of heavy beats and synth tracks; hardcore BoA fans are going to love this album no matter what, and fans of pop music (Teenage girls! Gay men!) will find something to like as well. Whether BoA really becomes the first solidified Asian-born US popstar remains to be seen.

Metallic Silver on Navy Blue
Women’s Fitted Tees and Men’s Regular Tees

Price: $25 USD + shipping

Other colours:
Metallic Silver on Black
Metallic Red on Cream – was made for Kollaboration 9

Colours and Sizes

Men’s Silver on Navy Blue: XL $25.00 Men’s Silver on Navy Blue: L $25.00 Women’s – Silver on Navy Blue: L $25.00 Women’s – Silver on Navy Blue: M $25.00 Women’s – Silver on Navy Blue: S $25.00 Women’s – Silver on Black: L $25.00 Women’s – Silver on Black: M $25.00 Women’s – Red on Cream: S $25.00

*Hoodies, T-Shirts and Tanks are also available as special request.
Several things to note:
- Logos will only be printed in Metallic Silver or Metallic Red (it’s a branding thing)
- Shirt Colours: Black, Navy Blue, Blue, Purple, Green, Yellow, Athletic Heather Grey, White.  (if there is a colour you’re specifically looking for, let me know and I can check it out for you.)
- Sizes range from Men’s XXL to Ladies S
Please email: christine [at] popcast88.com to make arrangements.

Other information – shipping etc. – please visit the Merchandise Page.

Hope you saw something you liked!

Assorted Ladies Ribbed Tank Tops

Price: $30 USD + shipping

Colours and Sizes

Silver on Black (large logo): M $30.00 Silver on Black (large logo): S $30.00 Red on Athletic Heather (small logo): S $30.00

*Hoodies, T-Shirts and Tanks are also available as special request.
Several things to note:
- Logos will only be printed in Metallic Silver or Metallic Red (it’s a branding thing)
- Colours: Black, Navy Blue, Blue, Purple, Green, Yellow, Athletic Heather Grey, White.  (if there is a colour you’re specifically looking for, let me know and I can check it out for you.)
- Sizes range from Men’s XXL to Ladies S
Please email: christine [at] popcast88.com to make arrangements.

Hope you saw something you liked!