If you don’t remember ABC’s TV series Joanie Loves Chachi (1982-83), you’re not alone. This spin-off of the more successful Happy Days, where young lovers Joanie and Chachi moved to Chicago to pursue their music career, died quickly after being pounced in the ratings by another new show entitled The A-Team. But to this day, people still believe the program was not only a huge success in South Korea, but the highest-rated American TV series to ever air on Korean television.
And why would people think this? Because as the story goes, when the title of the show was translated into the Korean language, the name of the show inadvertantly became Joanie Loves Penis. Read more...
This edition of the Short Film Spotlight is a bit different. It’s not a short film, per se, but a video mural for the Standard Hotel in New York. Civilization depicts a journey from hell to heaven interpreted through modern film language using computer-enhanced found footage. This epic video mural contains over 300 individual channels of looped video blended into a multi-layered seamless tableau of interconnecting images that illustrate a contemporary, satirical take on the concepts of Heaven and Hell. It’s postmodern, stunning and haunting, like a mixed tape version of Dante’s Inferno. Also, do yourself a favor and expand this video to fullscreen to really appreciate the visuals. Read more...
This past weekend, YOMYOMF Offenders Phil, Anderson, Emmie and I took a field trip to some Vietnamese Coffee House’s in the O.C.
As I’m growing more grey hairs on the side of my head, I realize what qualities are more important in my dream woman. I know every “nice guy” is trained to say its her personality and in normal world it’s quite true. But in bizarro Vietnamese Coffee house world, the most important quality is not her personality but rather her passion in tea pouring.
(BTW: Don’t watch the video if you’re weak of heart or are eating Hamburger Helper. Seriously. I can’t do it myself.)
That’s it. I’m now looking for ‘donation based’ knee surgery.
I am the face of the uninsured. Yes, my american-born, college-educated, creatively-blessed ass is uninsured. Except for the few years when I actually earned more than $20,000/year freelancing or when I was covered doing work as a university teaching assistant, my health insurance status changes as often as my underwear. Sometimes I can afford COBRA, and sometimes I just avoid all dangerous activities (downhill skiing, horseback riding, walking in Los Angeles) and stick to safer activities like driving my car and going grocery shopping. Read more...
Phil’s blog reminded me of a story that A.C. Lyles told at a function I attended once. A. C. Lyles is a producer and unofficial ambassador for Paramount Studios. He is 91 and sharp as a tack. Having been in the business for 78 years, he has a lot of stories to tell. One of them was about Paul Newman’s tuna casserole. It went something along the lines of this:
Most of us are familiar with the 5-second rule, which states that if you drop your food on the ground, it is safe to eat it as long as you pick it up before five seconds is up. It’s unclear where this “rule” came from, but is there any truth to it?
Well, Molly Goettsche and Nicole Moin, two biology students from Connecticut College put this axiom to the test. In a series of experiments, they dropped everything from apple slices to Skittles on the floor and measured how long it took before dangerous bacteria made the food unsafe to eat. The result? Read more...
UPDATE: Inspired by Anson’s post on Vietnamese coffee houses where the waitresses are scantily-clad women, some of us Offenders decided to do some “research” and investigate a few of these establishments. I decided to blog about our afternoon in real time. The Offenders who were with me–Anderson, Anson and Emmie–have also promised to post their own blogs in the near future (with additional photos, of course).
12:10 PM: I’m here with two of my fellow Offenders Anson and Anderson at Cafe Di Vang in Garden Grove enjoying a nice cup of Vietnamese coffee. More detailed blogs to come later but thought I’d just do some updates throughout the afternoon. Stay tuned.
12:16 PM: Offender Emmie called to say she is on her way so that this does not turn into just a sausage fest.
12:20 PM: Anderson is the “expert” on these establishments and he is filling us in on his experiences. He says people come here and hang out all day and it looks that way. It’s pretty packed on a Saturday afternoon. People hanging out playing Chinese chess and keno. Read more...
The Hollywood Reporter reports that longtime Italian erotic film director Tinto Brass is set to direct his next film in 3-D. Brass, 76, best known for his 1979 film CALIGULA, which he directed in collaboration with noted author Gore Vidal and magazine publisher Bob Guccione (publisher of Penthouse), said the time is right for 3D technologies to be used to create an erotic film. He noted that the project, which he said will be the world’s first 3D erotic film, will also be the first 3D film of any type made in Italy. Read more...
When I was growing up and first falling in love with the movies, I’d tune in every week to watch Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert’s show. It was must-see TV; not just because they had a deep knowledge and passion for the medium, but because they were fucking entertaining. A lot of the entertainment value had to do with the love-hate relationship that was clearly evident; especially when they disagreed about something. It’s nice to know this carried over behind-the-scenes as the following outtakes demonstrate. Even when the cameras were off, they were the movie critic equivalent of a Hepburn-Tracy movie. No one’s done it better since and I doubt anyone else will:
Ben and Jerry’s ice cream cake.
My dear friend and business partner, we’ll call him Nick, is going through a very rough separation from his wife, Nora. They’ve dated for 11 years, been married for five. I’ve known them both since I opened the bars. He built the dj booth, built our sign, and has been a key dj of mine to this very day, spinning once or twice a week, every week, for the last ten years. She, too, has been one of my right hands. She’s bartended for me since day one. She’s charming, sweet, kind. We tease her that she makes “Hello Kitty” look like a bitch. They’re just this super cute Oakland hipster couple, driving around in a ’64 T-bird that he airbrushed with skulls, dice and all sorts of other Oaklandish totems. Picture perfect. Read more...
Being back in the states after a short time away in Asia has been a windy, over priced, but stomach satisfying start. Of course I can eat beef noodles, rice plates, hot pot, street food, and deep fried bugs til my heart contents. But while I was traveling abroad, I truly missed some of my favorite, easy to get, taken for granted type meals. On the top of my list would be Mexican food…specifically carne asada fries and a wet burrito. I can’t wait to get to the bay for a Gordo’s quesadilla and My Taco down the street. What kind of food do you miss and crave while you are away from home?Read more...
If you think it’s difficult being an Asian American director today trying to make Asian American-themed projects, imagine what it must have been like 94 years ago. Up until recently, it was, in fact, thought that no Asian American filmmakers existed that far back (Sessue Hayakawa wouldn’t start his own company, becoming the first Asian American producer/actor, until 1918). That is until 2006 when two reels of a 1916 silent feature entitled The Curse of Quon Gwon were discovered. The director and writer of the movie was a Chinese American woman named Marion Wong.
Documentary filmmaker Arthur Dong was researching Hollywood Chinese, his excellent look at the history of Chinese Americans in Hollywood, when he unearthed the two 35 mm reels (about 35 minutes of footage) in an Oakland basement. The film was preserved on highly flammable nitrate stock and had to be carefully handled and restored (among other dangers, old nitrate stock has a tendency to suddenly explode). The Curse of Quon Gwon was the first narrative feature made by a Chinese American and also one of the first films to be directed by a woman. Read more...
My fellow Offender Iris previously posted this piece of racist anti-Japanese propaganda from World War II. I know for most of us today, the idea of sensible Americans taking this shit seriously may seem ridiculous, but it was not uncommon back then. I offer two more examples.
On December 22, 1941, Time Magazine published this handy guide on “How To Tell Your Friends From The Japs.” Yes, one of the most respected publications wasn’t immune to the hysteria following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And what was some of the advice Time offered on this subject: Read more...
Every now and then I get really excited when I come across a piece of technology that confuses me. Confusing not because it’s difficult to use, but confusing because I can’t exactly figure out why it exists. I get even more excited when that mysterious technology is well-designed, fluid in function, and so original that perhaps it’s hinting at a future that has yet to fully materialize. This week I encountered two such mysteries. The first one is the website for this Sunday’s upcoming Grammy Awards. It has this gnarly, technological, algorithmic function where you upload your picture, color it, and plug in a few of your favorite bands and it instantly outputs a visual collage of links, videos, blogs, etc. all ghosted onto a dynamic mosaic of your pic. Here’s mine. If you look closely enough, you’ll see I’m a huge fan of euro techno pop as well as a bit of black man beat. I can’t exactly figure it out just yet, but I get a sense that the web is going to evolve into something like this. The TED site has a similar aesthetic (another site I love) Click on my pic if you want to make one for yourself. It’s kind of a trip.
cyber music Fan
The other piece of technology is the iPad. All feminine hygiene jokes aside, I get an erie feeling that this thing is intended for a tomorrow that has yet to come into full swing. I’m a life-long Apple user who rabidly uses my iPhone, MacBook Pro, Final Cut Pro, iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iCal, Safari, etc. everyday. Even after a few hours of online study of the iPad, only 50% of me really understands it’s true purpose. There something else I just can’t put my finger on, a greater intended use for this technology that isn’t written in the instruction manual…yet. I guess only time will tell. And though 50% of me is still a bit puzzled, I’m pretty sure that the mysterious purpose of the iPad is crystal clear in the mind of our techno savior, Steve Jobs. We’ll see… Read more...
My wisdom teeth haunt me. I know that they are there, just waiting to attack when I least expect it. I liken them to hidden landmines in my mouth with age and time as the tripwire which will eventually set them off. When will they make their presence known is anyone’s guess. But when they do, I hear the pain is greater than being kicked in the head by a feral donkey.
I paid a visit to the dentist last month after not having gone for over 3 years. I shivered in fear during the whole oral ordeal like a nervous brownie before her first cookie sale. Total damage? A few bucks, 3 small cavities, and one erupted wisdom tooth that must be extracted asap. Uckfay.
Alfredo’s post reminded me of a cartoon I came across which was actually used during WWII in a U.S. Army pamphlet distributed to soldiers in a Pocket Guide to China. The section called “How to Spot a Jap” instructed military men on how to distinguish between Japanese and Chinese Americans. I think the bit about how Chinese smile more often because the Japanese expect to be shot “and are unhappy about the whole thing” is particularly hilarious.
I hate award shows. I find them mind numbingly boring; It’s Prom for Starfuckers.
But, when someone asks you what were some of the best awards show moments, there’s a broad range of answers — Sally Fields’ “You like me, you really like me!” tearful Oscar speech, a swan draped around Bjork, to most recently, Kanye West sabotaging Taylor Swift’s limelight at last year’s MTV Music Video Awards. Even Lady Gaga garnered some gotcha! awards moments with her crazy ass costumes and blood splattering performance.
Those moments don’t even compare to this acceptance “speech” from Fever Ray’s Karin Dreijer Andersson at the P3 Guld Awards (the Swedish Grammys): I guess the universal translator was defective. Either way, friggin’ brilliant. I’ve always known that Eurotrance came from face melting aliens. Man, the Euros surely know how to stage a show. The look on those two guys in the audience is priceless. Read more...
And why would people think this? Because as the story goes, when the title of the show was translated into the Korean language, the name of the show inadvertantly became Joanie Loves Penis. 
