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‘Sunset Stories’ Stories: Interviewing the Sung Kang

  • May 10, 2012 9:37 am

I can’t believe I’ve known Sung Kang for over a decade. And neither can I believe that we have worked together multiple times and have not inflicted grievous bodily harm unto each other. I jest, I mean I think we’re both pretty laid back and calm and we must have a lot of common ground after all these years.

I met Sung while working on Better Luck Tomorrow, I remember that after his audition, there was no question in any of our minds, he was Han – little did he know that he would be HAN for over a decade. What I sparked onto with Sung was how his personality is really different from the brooding, silent types that he portrays on screen. In person, he’s really lighthearted, goofy and love to laugh. Our conversations usually centered around how we both loved and hated what we did (acting and filmmaking) and just wanted to somehow capture those moments of what we love the most and make a career out of it – all on our own terms (kind of a pipe dream, I know). Our paths continued to cross over the years and we always discussed working on a project together, but things never really got off the ground. I (co-)wrote Sunset Stories with Sung Kang in mind. I remember him telling me that he wanted to do something different. The character of JP in Sunset Stories is an East LA musician who is on the verge of big life changes. Should he cash in his dreams and start a family and be resigned to be a wedding singer? I knew that both Sung and I had talked about trading in the dream for reality, so I knew even if this character was far from him, he could identify with that central question.

Car Tal…I mean “Car Discussion 3″ w/Sung Kang aka Han from “Fast & Furious”

  • February 2, 2012 8:20 am

What’s up good people of the World?  Happy we can share with you all the 3rd installment of Car Tal…I mean Car Discussion (plus the revamp of Car Talk Car Discussion Episode 2 with my good friend Tyrese). We got some flack from Car Talk so we had to change the title from Car Talk to Car Discussion.  The Car Talk from NPR sent lawyers after us saying Car Talk is the title of their show and legally we can’t call our show Car Talk, because Car Talk has been around longer than our Car Talk.  So we needed to change our Car Talk to another name that doesn’t sound like their show Car Talk.  So we decided to change our show from Car Talk to Car Discussion.  Hopefully now Car Talk will not be upset at our Car Talk, I mean Car Discussion.  It’s all very confusing so hopefully Car Talk 3, I mean Car Discussion will clarify everything.

Car Talk Discussion 2 (w/Special Guest Tyrese):

Car Talk Discussion 3:

Honoring Sung Kang a.k.a. Han from ‘Tokyo Drift’

  • November 29, 2011 10:03 pm

Our friends at KoreAm Magazine are honoring my fellow Offender Sung Kang (a.k.a Han from Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift) at their annual Unforgettable Gala Fundraiser this Saturday night in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, I won’t be in attendance as I will be in New York with my other fellow Offenders Justin and Elaine so I thought I could pay an early tribute to Sung and talk about why I think he deserves to be honored.

I’m currently sitting at an outdoor coffee place, in between meetings, and figure this is as good a time as any to write a few words in memory honor of Mr. Sung Kang. Let’s see…what I can I say about him…hmm…OK, let’s start by simply letting people know who Sung is:

Sung Kang is an Asian American actor.

That’s good. Start simply. Save the meaty stuff for later. Let’s see, what can I say next…Wow, not to get off-topic, but it’s really a beautiful day. It’s hard to believe it’s almost December when it’s sunny and 75 degrees out. Seems a shame that I’m sitting at a coffee shop on my computer when I should be out enjoying a day like this. But…sorry, getting off track here. I need to focus and write something awesome about Sung. So what do I have so far?

LAAPFF Exclusive: ‘Car Talk 2’ w/Sung Kang (a.k.a. Han from ‘Tokyo Drift’) & Tyrese

  • April 12, 2011 12:01 am

You already know that the opening night film of this year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on April 28 is Fast Five directed by my fellow Offender Justin Lin. Tickets are now available and you can purchase them here. You can also enter to win a free pair of ticks to the event by tweeting us (info below).

But Fast Five won’t be the only thing you’ll get to catch on the big screen that night. We’ll also be premiering the new YOMYOMF short Car Talk Discussion 2 starring our own Sung Kang (a.k.a. Han from Tokyo Drift) and his special guest and Fast Five co-star, Tyrese (and directed by Offender Anson Ho). We screened an early cut in San Diego, but this will be the first time anyone gets to see the final version before it debuts online. So join us and watch as Sung and Tyrese discuss everything from the upcoming Ktown reality show (which Tyrese produced), career super stardom and…cars ‘cause this is Car Talk Discussion with Sung Kang a.k.a. Han from Tokyo Drift, after all.

So if you haven’t already, this is as good a time as any to get caught up with episode 1 of Car Talk Discussion starring Sung Kang a.k.a. Han from Tokyo Drift:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cjoHXezZMs&feature=player_embedded

You got me…ha ha ha! No speak Engrish. Ching chong ching chong rama rama ding dong.

  • April 1, 2011 2:22 am

So I got TMZ’D, they got me good.  Or did they?  How an innocent lunch with a friend turns into me being the butt of a racial funny attack, is as my mother would say…“Jejus! Too many Crajjji!!!”

Most of the video was pretty funny to me actually.  I believe  we have to be able to laugh at ourselves at times and take a few to the kidney.  It’s part of the job description.  Get paid to play pretend for a living= periodic burning at the stake.

An Open Letter To The Masturbation Champ Of The World (and yes, he’s Japanese)

  • June 8, 2010 12:02 am

Dear Masanobu Sato:

Before I address you directly, let me spill a little bit of virtual ink to fill in our readers on your amazing accomplishment. Every May for the past 11 years, the Center for Sex & Culture in San Francisco has held its Masturbate-a-thon fundraiser. And for those who are wondering…yes, it’s exactly what you think it is. People pay a fee to enter and spend the day masturbating; attempting to win in categories such as most orgasms and longest session. And when it comes to the longest time, no one at this year’s event even came close to touching the record you set last year at 9 hours and 33 minutes. That’s an incredible feat and I’d be honored to give you a congratulatory handshake…except that’s probably not a good idea—no offense, bro.

Now, you’ve competed in this event the last two years and handily beat choked jerked off easily defeated your competition both times. But that’s also why everyone was surprised when you announced that you would not be participating in this year’s event (which took place last weekend over the Memorial Day holiday). In fact, according to this report out of Japan, it seems you’re not planning on competing in the future either unless someone breaks your record (which didn’t happen this time, FYI). In the words of Bobby Brown–that’s your prerogative, but I’m writing to ask you to reconsider.

Conversations with Wayne (Pt. 1)

  • June 7, 2010 12:00 am

During the 2007 VC FilmFest (The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival), director and Offender Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Fast & Furious) sat down with director Wayne Wang (Chan Is Missing, The Joy Luck Club) for an intimate one-on-one discussion. We will be presenting the edited transcript of that discussion in multiple parts starting today with Part 1.

PART 1: Of Origins and Beginnings

(in which Justin and Wayne discuss their early forays into filmmaking)

JUSTIN LIN: So before we get started, I wanted to share a story. I remember back in film school, I took this Asian American studies class and they showed a clip of Chan is Missing. I was instantly drawn because it was the first time I had seen Asian Americans exist in a world where they weren’t there for an “Asian” reason but were just there. I didn’t get to watch the whole film because it wasn’t available until ten years later. But it was amazing, the little clip that I saw. That was my first exposure to your work.

WAYNE WANG: Well, I have a similar story. Actually it was on vacation in Honolulu. I saw Better Luck Tomorrow advertised at this huge mall with like 300 theatres and I walked in without knowing too much about it and it was the first time I felt that there was a new generation of Asian American directors. You know after so long, you see a lot of stuff. But you know that was the first time I truly felt that in my gut, that it’s happening. There were a lot of interesting things in between; I mean there were really interesting documentaries; there were more executives in the studios; but it was great to see Better Luck Tomorrow because it’s truly a whole new generation, a new sensibility and it was authentic characters who are Asian and it was great.

A Fast & Furious Little Taiwanese Girl

  • April 22, 2010 12:39 pm

Courtesy of Angry Asian Man and Tyrone Liu, I believe this little Taiwanese girl has got the sack and skill to ride along Dom, Brian, & Han in Fast5.  Hell, they should make her team leader.  5 seconds of bad ass girl driving…

YouTube Preview Image

YOMYOMF Fan(tastic) Fiction Corner: Prologue

  • April 16, 2010 12:09 am

Thanks to the Internets, the world of Fan Fiction – once a fairly obscure part of nerd culture – opened itself up to everyone on the bright blue earth. With its advent, everyone and their mothers could easily share and bask in non-canonical couplings of their favorite fictional characters, from Frodo and Aragorn to Professor Oak and Pikachu. Continuing in that tradition, YOMYOMF presents the first of a series of fan fiction about the beginnings of a certain Drifter close to our hearts…

Her name is Anna. She has two sisters, one younger, one older. She lives in the poorest part of Mexico City with the two of them and their aunt. She loves dogs, but only the ones in the movies: the ones that looked cute; did what they were told; and didn’t shit. Days, she works at the marketplace, peddling the clothes her sisters made the night before. She spends her nights at the local tapas bar. Which is where she met him.

And that was pretty much all he knew about Anna. All he needed to know. Her head was on his chest now, rising and falling softly with his every breath. He counted them off absent-mindedly as the first traces of sunlight broke through the curtains. How long since the Republic? How long since he’d left? He was adrift now, content to just be slightly out of reach of the law. As long as he was on the other side of those bars, he was satisfied. Not happy, but satisfied.

He got up; put on his pants; and walked out onto the balcony. The darkness outside was absolute. When night fell in this town, all the lights went out, along with all the noise, the voices, and the life.

Hollywood and Asians: Why Protests Alone Won’t Change Anything

  • August 31, 2009 7:02 pm

thegoods_kenjeong01The other day I was talking to an acquaintance who was very involved in the recent protests against the film The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. I’m sure most of our readers know about the scene from that movie which has outraged some Asian Americans: Ken Jeong plays a car salesman who gets assaulted by his white co-workers after another salesman, played by Jeremy Piven, invokes Pearl Harbor. You can read about it here.

Now, this acquaintance was very passionate about protesting this film, as well as the whitewashing of the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Last Airbender. He planned to participate in on-going actions against these two films because of the “vital” need for us to demand that Hollywood increase its representation of Asian (Americans) and to portray us more accurately.