Amy Lamparelli

Better Luck Tomorrow as an amazing movie. I felt that it really strayed away from the norm of the typical Asian American sterotype in movies.  All of the characters played different roles through out the movie.

Derrick. He seemed to be the “brains” behind the majority of the plans. He was the typical class president, and lead all major groups, he seemed to be “perfect”

The play between Ben and Virgil was very interesting to the effect that Ben, who fit the social norm of an Asian American, always doing the right thing. On the other hand Virgil was the opposite to ben in the sense that virgil seeked out adventure. In some aspects Virgil was Bens alter ego.  In the part where kill steve, it is a good demostration of the alter ego, switch that ben and virgil have. Ben is the one who kills Steve, where as Virgil freaks out. This is the switch because throughout the movie we view ben as being the one person who would constantly plays it safe. Yet when they kill steve, Ben does it, and feels no remorse but Virgil freaks out  like we expected Ben too.

The use of the SAT words to start each portion of the movie was a good forshadowing use. If the definition often times allowed us to have some sort of insight has to what is going to happend.

One of the best lines from the movie came from what I thought was at the end…” Break the Cycle…don’t know what is going on…” To me this line signifies the idea that Ben has finally let of the constant cycle that he has put himself in. He is finally able to breathe and relax, there is no need to stress or worry.  The last part about don’t konw what is going on, we viewed Ben as always having the set schedule, everything for him ran on clock work, this signifies that for once in his life, he will no longer have that set schedule to live upon.

Overall I thought that the movie was great and the cimatography was awesome….every shot gave more effect to what the movie was getting across.

Article time!

The mid 1990s brought about Asian American film and video production were documentaries, experimental works and student made narrative shorts…this was named “Asian American Cinema”

Director:  Wayne Wang

Movies:

• The joy Luck Club
• Chan is missing
• smoke
• Anywhere but here
• The wedding Banquet
• Hat drink man woman
• Sense and sinsibility
• The ice Storm

Benefits are shown from “Hong Kong brain drain”

Face off, The maxtrix, Mr. Magoo, Bride of Chucky, The Love Letter, Rush Hour….All of these films made money and are popular, YET they are all shot and produced by Asian Americans.

“Asian Aermican Cinemas does not imply that there is such thing as ‘Asian American culture’ given the diversity of Asian cultures and the different patterns of acculturation that have greeted the immigrants from various Asian countries…” This quote shows that the Asian american culture is still not defined, nor can anyone find the right way to help define what is their own culture.

“…asian american  filmmakers face similar crises when attempting to market their films and themselves. Asian Americanare continually asked to choose eith an Asian or American terms, the most successfull filmakers have either submerged their Asian identities to make films about white Americans…”

Were all done reading books!

We started watching Videos on M. Cho

Cho who dropped out of school at 16 and started traveling around the country doing stand up. Cho has a huge following from the Asian community and also in the Gay community. Cho is an advocate for Gay marriage and Gay rights.

In “I’m the one that I want” Cho spoke about her experience of being on her own TV show. The show was called All American Girl.  While filming the Show the nextwork felt that Cho wasn’t Asian enough so they hired an Asian consultant to make her more Asian, which just resulted in putting Chop Sticks in her hair…strange eh? The network also had her lose about 20lb or something. well once Cho lost all that weight it dystroyed her body, and put Cho in the hospital where she met Gwen.

Cho spend a solid five minutes enaction what Gwen was saying to her…in a very manly deep voice…”Hi I’m Gwen and I am going to wash your Vagina” Cho spoke about it over and over again, and not just in the setting of being at the Hospital. She made the voice and the statement, pretending Gwen was at the movies or out in a social seen.  It was obvious that Gwen was not Asian American, nor Cacuasion. This shows how Cho projects and views people of different ethinicties in her acts.Cho obvously has a defined view on her identity, yet she often struggled with what/ who she is for a while.

another important and funny/akward situtation is that of  Cho and her parents. She has a very different/ detached relationship. Cho was reciving the Korean of the Year award, and for her “dress” she had a china doll dress painted on her….Her parents didn’t show anger or rage, on camera, but if that was my child I feel that I would be just a little on the upset side. Additionally, her parents giving her crap about not having a child, she makes the comback…”I’ll just adopt a kid from China…no  one will know the difference…” she cracks me up!

When we did the worksheet about the book I made a perdiction about what was going to happen

I thought that:

1. Kwang was going to screw up some how, He seemed to perfect, small hints made me think that he was going to screw up
2. Henry was going to figure out what is going on with his life
3. Lelia comes back in  Henrys life, The book was too depressing to not have her come back
4. Henry die

So I got 3/4 right not bad right?

we all knew that Kwang was either going to die, or some huge screw up. it is the constant Politition Vs Person, wheres the balance?

Henry ended his job, and has found what he really wants in life.

Henry is teaching kids his Language, English.

Kwang

Kwang is a very important part within our book. He friends Henry, while Henry is doing his creeping work on him.

Description of Kwang:

” A Korean man, of his age as part of vernacular. Not just a respectable grocer or drycleaner or doctor, but a larger public figure who was willing to speak and act outside the tight sphere of his family. he displayed an ambition I didn’t recognize, or more, one I hadn’t yet envisioned as something a Korean man would find significant or worthy engergy and devotion; he didn’t seem afraid like my mother and father, who were always wary of those who would try to shame or mistreat us…” (pg. 139)

• Shows Kwang is NOT the sterotypical Asian American
• is viewed as a well put together constantly looking sharp guy
• Pushed to go past the middle class worker
• slogan viewed as Kwang is like you, You will be an American
• Smart
• Asian American identity
• Kwang isn’t perfect:
• Yelling at his wife in the car, in “closed” place, gets out of the car, acts like nothing is wrong
• Has his kids still value the traditional of his heritage, yet are still Americanized
• buying the stripper, driving drunk, getting thrown in jail
• brought shame to the family, no more Kwang, goes back home
• Asian American History connection:
• Kwang is able to reach out to all the groups. Similar to Gary Lotch from Zia

While reading the second section of Native speaker, there were many important developments.

“He started speaking in English. Sometimes, when he wanted to hide or not outright lie, he chose to speak in English. he used to break into it when he argued with my mother, and it drove her crazy when he did and she would please, ‘No, no!’ as though he ahd suddenly introduced a switchblade into a clean fistfight…” (Pg. 63)

This quote is about Henrys father who constantly was giving Henry mixed signals about his identity.  Henrys father who was a diligent worker and an immigrant to the United states, would stress to Henry to represent his heritage, but Henry never seemed to be good enough since henry would constantly quote himself as being an B+ student at life. By Henrys father breaking out in English to fight or lie about something it was to his family that speaking English was the “bad word” like Fuck is to us. Henrys mother freaking out about it, shows that it has a large impact on their family. To Henrys mother, when henrys father used English it was like he was physically beating her. I think that she became so upset because obviously Korean was the first language spoken in the house, and she doesn’t really understand many things in English. additionally, I feel that in the relationship aspect in their marriage, even when arguing the fight should be in the same language that they both can fully understand. As for the father having the inappropriate language to me that is a huge slap in the face, and completely uncalled for.