Throwback Thursday: The Time Roger Fan Left ‘Sex’ for a Better (Luck) Tomorrow
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Throwback Thursday: The Time Roger Fan Left ‘Sex’ for a Better (Luck) Tomorrow
“Laughter joy…” publicity still courtesy of Shane Sato.
Working on my new play last week for the Pasadena Playhouse’s Hothouse Development Series reminded me how much I enjoy the process of theater—being in a room with a good director and good actors and just exploring the script. I’m definitely looking to do more theater this year, but the experience also brought back memories of the production of my very first full-length play Laughter joy & loneliness & sex & sex & sex & sex (the line is from the Rolling Stones’ song “Shattered”) back in the spring of 2000.
The play was produced by the Asian American theater company I co-founded—Lodestone Theatre Ensemble—and it was only our second mainstage production following our very successful debut with Judy Soo Hoo’s texas just a few months prior.
15 Asian American Actors who Could Play Villains in the Upcoming TV Show ‘Gotham’
FOX announced last week that it would be developing a new TV series entitled Gotham set in a pre-Batman Gotham City and focusing on the origins of the Dark Knight’s future ally Commissioner James Gordon. Although Batman himself is not scheduled to appear in the show, his villains will (yes, I find that a little odd too). And because I’m all about helping out, I’m here to offer the producers some casting decisions that may not be the obvious choices.
Hollywood has occasionally changed the race of supporting comic book characters to reflect a more diverse world—usually turning white characters into African Americans i.e. Perry White in Man of Steel, The Martian Manhunter in Smallville and Harvey Dent himself in Tim Burton’s Batman—so in that spirit, here are my humble suggestions for fifteen Asian American actors who could play some of Gotham’s most notorious baddies and bring some more much-needed “color” to the Dark Knight’s world.
SUNG KANG as HARVEY DENT/TWO-FACE
In Gotham, we’ll most likely see Harvey Dent as the city’s District Attorney before he turns into Two-Face. That means you’ll need an actor who can not only play the schizophrenic baddie, but also the handsome and committed White Knight of Gotham before he gets corrupted by a face full of acid. And when I think of a handsome, committed and a potential schizophrenic bad guy, my fellow Offender and Fast & Furious star Sung Kang is the first person to come to mind.
Better Luck Tomorrow: 10 Years Gone
Ten years ago tomorrow on April 11, 2003, MTV Films released a low budget indie film made by an unknown Asian American director and a lot of credit cards and the rest as they say is YOMYOMF history. The film was, of course, Better Luck Tomorrow, directed by our fellow Offender Justin Lin and its success is the reason why you are currently reading this blog.
Many of the current Offenders, including actors Sung Kang and Roger Fan, first came together because of the shared BLT experience and the soon-to-be YOMYOMF family was born.
And so on this milestone occasion, we’d like to take a moment to look back, remember and just say, “Shit, it’s been ten years already!”
Thanks to everyone reading for your continued support and we hope to be here in another ten years. In the meantime, check out some of our past blogs about BLT:
Mahalo, Mr. Ebert
I would always call him Mr Ebert. Before when he could speak (he had lost his voice after removing part of his jaw and vocal chords because of cancer), he would just say, “please, call me Roger.”
Today, we lost a champion of cinema and an intellectual who brought film appreciation to the masses. Mr Ebert lost his decades long bout with cancer and passed away at the still young age of 70. Read the Chicago Sun Times obit here. Mr Ebert was the paper’s chief film critic for over 40 years.
Around The Horn – PEAK
We all have PEAK moments in life – hitting that last second jumper, making the big sale, getting engaged/married, landing that first job, quitting your day job to pursue your dream, a first kiss, etc. These high moments in life are, more often than not, moments shared with many people, gossiped amongst friends, and celebrated in a public fashion.
But what I’m curious about is a peak moment of yours that was private and perhaps no one ever knew about. What was that peak moment in your life? That peak moment that no one knows about that you hold dear, that upon your last few breaths of life, you’ll look back with a smile and deep, meaningful satisfaction? I’ll share with you mine…
I saved a guy from drowning to death once. I was in Hawaii body surfing in Makapuu Beach. Makapuu is known as one of the best body surfing locales in the world, with a long, rolling wave that doesn’t break for a great distance. The catch, however, is that one has to swim out quite a ways from shore to ride these waves. On that day, I was right on the edge of “the shark pit” about 150 yards off shore, bobbing up and down in the ocean, waiting to catch a nice roller to glide me back to the beach. There were only 2 or 3 people out that far with me on that sunny, idyllic day. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a faint and stuttered cry for help. It was hard to hear b/c of the roar of the crashing waves and the loud billowing of the Hawaiian winds but I knew I heard something desperate. So I kicked up as hard as I could with my legs to take a quick look around. And there, about 50 feet to my right, was wrists and hands slashing and flailing sea water. There was no head. It was a person in the last, exhausted moments of drowning, ready to go under. His head (more like his nose, lips, and one eyeball) peeked out one last time from the sea surface and I heard him gulp water, trying to eek out a cry for help. And then, nothing…
Around the Horn: ‘Better Luck Tomorrow’ 10th Anniversary Edition
So the Sundance Film Fest is taking place this week and that event has a special significance for YOMYOMF. Offender Justin’s film Better Luck Tomorrow premiered at that festival 11 years ago and that led to the film getting picked up by MTV and all the success that came afterwards. Obviously YOMYOMF would probably not exist had the film not been selected by Sundance.
The BLT gang receiving an award. (photo via Offender Roger)
This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the theatrical release of the film so thought this might be a good occasion to look back at BLT. Some of the Offenders worked directly on the film, while others of us came into the fold later, but I think we all have some stories about how BLT impacted our worlds.
I remember back in 2000, my first full-length play was being produced and Offender Roger had been cast in it. Shortly before the official rehearsal period was to start, Roger came up to me and said he had been cast in this micro-budget indie film directed by Justin Lin (whom I knew socially at the time) and since it was shooting the same time as the play’s run, would it be OK if he dropped out of the play to do the film? Now, a lot of people in retrospect will tell you that they knew BLT was going to be a huge success from the start which is bullshit, but Roger was one of the few who did believe that from the beginning. He felt terrible he had to drop out of my play but explained that the BLT script was one of the best he had ever read and felt this could be a break-through project for Asian Americans. So others will tell you they knew this would be big from the start, but Roger is the only person I remember saying that at the time. And of course, I told him he couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that so happy to accommodate his schedule.
DADDY FAN – Three…
2 hours before Halloween, I got a trick, a treat, and a 3rd baby in my candy bag. Yes, I am now a daddy of not one, not two, but three. Three girls to be precise. Which is cool because with the help of my sexy Korean wife, I can now field a co-ed, NBA basketball team. Not just yet, however, since some of my players can’t even walk let alone lift a basketball. I’m not sure if they’ll be good or sucky basketball players, but there is one absolute certainty that gives me solace – they’ll be smokin’ hot (thanks to the genes of my better half).
So I must wait – 20 years at least to introduce my Korea/China-uniting basketball juggernaut eventually to be known as “The FAN-tasticly Fast Five”. 20 long years…
da booty of my #3
DADDY FAN – OMGIM40FML
Today I’m 39. Tomorrow, I’ll be 40.
It’s strange when you can reference the passage of your time in decade chunks.
From 0-10, I went from baby to boy.
From 10-20, I went from boy to man-boy.
From 20-30, I went from man-boy to a man who acts like a boy.
From 30-39.997, I went from a man who acts like a boy to a man who un-accidentally fathered a bunch of baby boys. (ok, they’re girls. but my baby girls look like boys – supermodel boys)
So what’s next?
Ah yes, tomorrow. Tomorrow I flip into yet another decade of life – the 40-50 cohort. And if life expectancy averages are indeed correct, my game is more than half over. I’m one day shy of 40 and the U.S. male life expectancy is 76. Heck, halftime for me was 2 years ago. I’m going down the hill.
I know anyone older than me reading this is probably insulted that I even consider myself “over the hill” and will want to stick a stonefish up my ass.
DADDY FAN – HALL PASS – Part 1
1,350 days. Give or take a few. That’s how long I’ve been a parent and a father.
12 hours. That’s how long I have been on “dad-cation”. I’m sitting in seat 1A, on Cathay Pacific flight 881 to Hong Kong en route to Bangkok. Solo.
Seat 1A? Isn’t that first class? Yes, I am sitting in international first class – a pod-like, hi-tech, mini-house bigger than some people’s homes. It’s insane. The ticket from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Bangkok costs at least $10,000+. And no, I did not pay cash. I paid with my body. I traded in some frequent flier miles for it. LOTS of frequent flier miles. 67,500 to be exact. And that was for a one way ticket.
DADDY FAN – X Rated Family (car) Fun
Well, I finally did it. I got myself a sports car. After several decades of pining, lusting, and suffering, I finally mustered up the mojo to satisfy my man itch.
Sort of.
OK, I actually didn’t get a sports car. I put a deposit on one.
I want this. The CAR, not the photoshopped waif.
And come to think of it, the thing’s not even really a sports car either. It’s more of an SUV meets minivan meets something fast (and furious 6).
What the heck is wrong with me? After spending my entire post-puberty life torturing my soul with the mantra, “one day I will get myself a sports car…one day…”, when I finally decide to pull the trigger, I don’t even opt for a sports car. It’s like going to a strip club for your first time and getting a lap dance from the janitor.
Escolar: the Pablo Escobar of fish
Ever have Butterfish?
Well, if you’re a sushi connoisseur, you most likely have. It’s a firm whitefish that is succulent and incredibly rich in flavor. To eat one, properly sushi-prepared, is a guaranteed, oral orgasm. Well, at least it was for me the first time I had it – lightly seared with a dollop of apricot puree on top. You never forget your first time. I had three servings in less than 30 minutes. And I joyfully swallowed each and every creamy bite. Yum…
eat me
Never heard of Butterfish? Perhaps you may know it by it’s other aliases like “white tuna” or “super-white tuna” or “walu” or…“Escolar.“
Shooting out Escolar is far more ferocious than being shot by Escobar
Escolar? Yes, Escolar. That’s the fish’s real name before it went to culinary finishing school. Sounds kind of like Pablo Escobar, no? And just like the Columbian drug lord, we too should fear and respect this snake mackerel fish. For if you underestimate Escolar or Escobar, the final result is always predictably the same – bad shit happens.
DADDY FAN – Baby Barfing Blues
I dropped the F-Bomb at least 50 times in fifteen seconds. At full volume. Right in the middle of Beverly Hills and right in the middle of the Beverly Hills sign.
Actually, I was slightly behind the Beverly Hills sign, parked, with all the doors of my minivan wide open and whacking my ride to the rhythm of my global, F-Bomb assault with, of all things, a baby towel – a baby towel covered in puke.
I was less than a quarter mile from an important TV audition when my 15 month old unloaded the entire contents of her stomach onto herself and the car seat that she was strapped into. This was not a cute, little baby spit-up, by the way. This vomit was on the order of The Exorcist. The only thing that didn’t come out were her internal organs.
