I Wish I Had a Blog

Im Kwon-taek to helm his 101st film…about paper?

2009-12-22T22:11:00Z

After a few years off legendary Korean film director Im Kwon-taek (Chunhyang, Chihwaseon, Beyond the Years) is at it again. I have to admit though, I’m not quite sold on the subject material. Paper? Really? Im himself readily admits it took him over two years to work out the script for this unusual topic (Korean hanji paper) and nearly regretted accepting the project. I’m sure this film will be just as gorgeous as Im’s previous works (probably more so with this being his first foray into HD) and I really can’t wait to see how he puts it all together. Scooping Up the Moonlight (working title) is targeted for festival release in Korea in April 2010. You can read the official releases at the links below.

The Korea Times

JoongAng Daily

KOFIC

More Criterions!

2009-11-20T02:01:00Z

Somehow I missed a handful of titles that didn't get posted earlier. Some B&N didn't have in stock the first time around and some I guess I didn't see. Apparently browsing through all the titles on their website doesn't actually show all of the Criterions available. Here are the rest of the Japanese films they have on sale. Rashomon and Double Suicide are flat out masterpieces so my apologies. I should also note that Ran is out of print so you Kurosawa fans need to jump on it before they all end up on ebay. Sadly that was the next of his films to be committed to blu-ray (now canceled) so it is very unfortunate that Criterion has lost the rights.

Rashomon

Double Suicide

The Pornographers

Fighting Elegy

Crazed Fruit

Gate of Flesh

Pigs, Pimps & Prostitutes

Nikkatsu Noir

Good Morning

The Hidden Fortress

The Human Condition

Sword of the Beast

Samurai Spy

Rebel Samurai - Sixties Swordplay Classics (contains Samurai Rebellion, Sword of the Beast, Samurai Spy, Kiru)

Another 50% Off Criterion Collection DVDs Sale at Barnes & Noble

2009-11-16T22:20:00Z

In case you missed it the first time Barnes & Noble is once again having their 50% off all Criterion dvd sale. If you scroll down a couple of posts you will see links to all of the Asian films available from the first sale which still work. One new addition that wasn't available last time is Kagemusha on Blu-ray which is the only Kurosawa film available on that format at the moment. Also, if you enter code F7C3H7F at checkout you can get $5 off a $50 or more purchase, but that expires tonight at 2 AM.

New Drafthouse Opening This Week

2009-11-16T22:05:00Z

50% Off Criterion Collection DVDs at Barnes & Noble

2009-07-17T00:56:00Z

What a great opportunity to add some outstanding classic Japanese (and a few Chinese) films to your collection. I have always wanted to have copies of most of these movies on my shelf but the prices have always been way too high to stomach. Fortunately Barnes & Noble is having a half off sale until August 2 on over 300 Criterion titles. Now is your chance to get these movies at the typical price of a regular dvd.

This being an Asian film blog, I have done the footwork for you and have posted links to all of the Asian films available. Rest assured, ALL of these are cheaper than the Amazon new price, and most of them are even cheaper than the Amazon used price! To sweeten the deal if you shop through the links below or www.bn.com/military you will get an additional 6% off of your entire order. This is helpful if you don't want to pay the $25 membership fee to get 10% off your order. There are also several 10% off a single item coupons available, and if you break up your orders wisely you can save even more. The coupons are: K3W4T3D, N8M7U3T, U4W8R8B, C3L8N4A, R9C9M3U. They all expire July 20, except for the last one which expires July 27. Orders $25 and over ship expedited for free.

In B&N bestselling order:

Seven Samurai

The Last Emperor (also on Blu-ray)

Dodes'ka-Den

Chungking Express (also on Blu-ray)

In the Realm of the Senses (also on Blu-ray)

Ran

High and Low

Criterion Collection: Kenji Mizoguchi's Fallen Women

The Empire of Passion

Yojimbo / Sanjuro

Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu: Eclipse Series 15

Criterion Collection: Postwar Kurosawa Box Set

The Bad Sleep Well

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

Throne of Blood

Criterion Collection: Eclipse Series 5 - Late Ozu

Ikiru

In The Mood For Love

An Autumn Afternoon

Stray Dog

Red Beard

Tokyo Story

The Burmese Harp

The Lower Depths: Two Films by Kurosawa and Renoir

The Sword of Doom

The Samurai Trilogy

Twenty-Four Eyes

Vengeance Is Mine

Jigoku

Samurai Rebellion

Yi Yi

Criterion Collection: Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara

Youth of the Beast

Fires on the Plain

Kwaidan

Harakiri

Kagemusha

Onibaba

Antonio Gaudi

Drunken Angel

Ugetsu Monogatari

Patriotism

Stories of Floating Weeds

Sansho the Bailiff

Tokyo Drifter

Late Spring

Criterion Collection: Silent Ozu - Three Family Comedies

Early Summer

Branded to Kill

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Kiru

North Korea All Over the News

2009-07-14T01:15:00Z

I can't remember ever hearing so much about North Korea in the news on such a consistent basis. Missle launches, nuclear tests, and the biggest story yet of the two kidnapped American journalists. Although I rarely comment on much of anything lately I couldn't resist making the obvious connection. If we'll ever see the journalists again is questionable, as those who have crossed the line before them have gone decades before ever being seen or heard from again. This reminds me of the excellent documentary Crossing the Line from 2006 which familiarized the world with the all but forgotten US defector James Dresnok, who in 1962 deserted his post and crossed the DMZ into North Korea. He is the last US defector living there and his story unbelievable. Fortunately the entire film is available to view online and I have included it below.

What has happened to the journalists is terrible and I pray they somehow escape their horrible fate, but the story has brought attention to something I have been very passionate about on this site. I could hardly believe my eyes when one night I turned on Comedy Central's The Daily Show, of all things, and came across an interview with Mike Kim. Founder of Crossing Borders and author of the book Escaping North Korea, Kim is an outstanding individual who is dedicated to helping North Korean refugees. It was wonderful to see this topic being discussed because, as Kim states, it is commonly overshadowed by the nuclear weapons issue. I have also posted this interview below as well. Hopefully something positive can come from this sad event.

Crossing the Line: Part 1

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Crossing the Line: Part 2

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Crossing the Line: Part 3

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Crossing the Line: Part 4

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Mike Kim

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Joke of the Day

Boycott China

2008-05-19T18:10:00Z

Recently this has been a very hot issue in the media as protests have followed the Olympic torch in several countries as it makes its way from Greece to China. While I have very little interest in the Olympics as a sporting event, being Greek I do value it as a part of my cultural heritage and I feel like the fact a nation like China is being given the gift of the Olympics is pure hypocrisy. Let me try and put my education to use (for once in my life) and try to explain why China should not be hosting the 2008 Olympic games. In no particular order:

1. Tibet

For the past 50 years Tibetans in China have been imprisoned, expelled, or executed. What the civilized world considers cultural genocide, China refers to as reform, which has more recently been coined the "Strike Hard" campaign. The Dalai Lama is an advocate for the rights of Tibetan people to maintain their religion and heritage while under the rule of the PRC. He is not a freedom fighter, though the Chinese have deemed him as such. Tibetan monasteries are used by the PRC to "re-educate" the Tibetan population while Chinese immigration to the region have all but eliminated the Tibetan autonomy. According to the Human Rights Watch, China views Tibet's centuries old Buddhist religion as "illegal" and "separatist" and therefore punishable by imprisonment which lead to unjust trials where individuals are denied any rights and are often tortured or even executed.

2. Burma and Sudan

In two of the most unstable parts of the world, where human rights atrocities have been at the height of global security concerns, China provides considerable economic support. In Sudan, civilians in Darfur suffer rape, torture, and death from government forces. And in Burma decades of military rule have resulted in child labor, drug trafficking, disease, and an outflow of refugees.

3. North Korea

Speaking of refugees, China's policy of sending North Korean refugees back to North Korea as "illegal immigrants" is clearly opposed to the UNHCR mandate. As a UN nation and member of the global community China should be obligated to treat these people justly and allow them to escape to a better life, not send them back to famine, torture, and execution that the Kim regime has become infamous for. What a coincidence that the Olympic torch passed through North Korea for the first time ever this year. And what a surprise that there wasn't a single protest to be seen.

4. Made in China

Sadly, we as Americans are as much to blame for China's human rights record. We buy buy buy with disregard to origin, just as long as the price is right. In fact, we are funding China's mistreatment of its own people. Sweat shops, child labor, and unsafe workplaces are all funded by US companies in the name of capitalism. Simply put, if we don't buy it they'll stop selling it. So far toys made in China have given our children lead poisoning and corrupted food has killed our pets. What more evidence do we need to spend our money elsewhere? Buying Chinese products is cheap, but you get what you pay for. I know it's almost impossible nowadays to avoid Chinese products, but if I'm presented with the option, I gladly spend a little more to get something made here. I also don't shop at Walmart.

The ironic thing is that getting the Olympics has been more bad for the Chinese people than good. The Chinese government has placed so much importance on the Olympics that they have thrown all of its own laws out of the books for the sake of a smooth Olympic experience. Illegal evictions of thousands of citizens to make way for new facilities have occured, and on top of that the actual workers constructing the facilities have no health benefits, frequently go unpaid for the work they do, and do not receive proper safety equipment to perform their duties.

5. Olympic Movement

According to the official Olympic Charter, Fundamental principles, paragraphs 1-2, "Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity."

If the IOC weren't so corrupt, maybe someone there would've taken a second to read their very own charter and think about if China really fits this description. Have they ever? It's a shame that in this day and age the world is to suffer yet another Soviet or Nazi games, games that are reduced to a tool for propaganda.

Finally, I can best conclude my argument with Paragraph 5 of the Olympic Charter's Fundamental principles which states, "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."

That is why we should all say no to China.

Namdaemun reduced to ashes

2008-02-13T07:56:00Z

Heartbreaking news from South Korea this week. Considered the country's most important national landmark, the 610 year old Namdaemun (Great South Gate) was destroyed Sunday by an arsonist, apparently disgruntled over a land compensation dispute. Imagine the Statue of Liberty slowly burning several hours until finally collapsing from the heat of a tremendous blaze, and you can understand why the people of Korea wept while they helplessly watched over 600 years of history vanish before their eyes. This is honestly one of the saddest videos I have ever had to sit through. You can see more video at CNN, and read the full story at Korea Times, NY Times, and just about any other news site out there.

Art Museum by the Zoo ("Misulgwan yup Dongmulwon")

2008-01-14T08:28:00Z

Most people with at least a passing interest in Korean cinema are no doubt familiar The Way Home, Lee Jeong-hyang's 2002 surprise hit about a selfish young boy sent to the countryside to stay with his elderly and mute grandmother. The film is bare bones in just about every aspect, with even most of its actors having never been in a film before. However, it is a prime example of efficient and fundamental filmmaking. The surprise isn't so much that the director is female, which is rare even here in the states, but that it was only the second film she had directed.

Lee's first (and only other) film is the equally impressive Art Museum by the Zoo from way back in 1998. I have to admit this one's been waiting on my shelf for the past 5 years and I never felt the need to watch it since it was just another romantic comedy I'd have to sit through. Not that there's anything wrong with this genre, it just took me 5 years to get in the mood to knowingly watch one. Now I wish I got in that mood much earlier because this is a wonderful piece of work. The film stars Shim Eun-ha (Tell Me Something) as a cute wannabe screenwriter who comes home to her apartment one day to discover Lee Sung-jae (Public Enemy), a soldier on leave waiting for his girlfriend who he has yet to discover has moved from the residence and is getting married to someone else. With nowhere to go, and having already paid the month's past due rent to the landlord while waiting, he crashes with the girl who reluctantly takes him in out of pity and because he insists he has no interest in her. All highly unlikely, I know, but what the film makes of the situation script-wise was clever, entertaining, and moreover a tribute to the art of film and storytelling itself. It made me feel like I was watching a Korean version of one of Woody Allen's "early, funny ones," sans the New York fixation and Jew jokes, which is a good thing. I greatly enjoyed the characters' dialogue throughout the film as they argued over what should and shouldn't go into the screenplay, which he discovers she is writing during his stay. She wants to write a fairytale love story, he thinks successful films must stick to defined genre guidelines, and along the way as their relationship develops so do the characters of the screenplay, who appear as on screen characters in several small segments. One of those characters is played by the venerable Ahn Sung-ki (Strokes of Fire, Festival), whose appearance I now recall is the only reason I purchased the film in the first place.

Perhaps the best part of all is that for a romantic comedy it is cheese-free. Not one cheesy or corny moment the entire way through. That must be some kind of record. The ending as well is perfect in its own required way, and didn't suffer from the forced emotional climax you would normally expect from this genre. But this all goes in hand with what this film says about storytelling, moviemaking and, of course, love.

Conclusion: If you enjoy films that tribute filmmaking, contain clever dialogue about life and love, and package it all without cornball jokes and cheesy forced romance, then this is definitely a buy.

The Schoolgirl's Diary ("Han Nyeohaksaengeui Ilgi")

2008-01-13T22:56:00Z

I didn't think this was news, but it was all over the net a couple of days ago. The North Korean film The Schoolgirl's Diary (2006) has become the first film from that country to receive commercial distribution in the west, which for the time being is France only.

You can read all the details and the very interesting story behind the making of film at film.com. I also found a bit more about it at Koreanfilm.org's weblog 7/31/07 entry. Hopefully it will find its way to dvd in the near future.

Cookies

2008-01-09T09:09:00Z

To my surprise there have been several people who have tried to leave comments on the blog, only to give up and opt for email instead. First of all, thank you all so much for the words of encouragement and for the advice. I haven't had any interviews since then, but I'll be sure to include any new ones here since I know I'm not the only college grad working for Fedex, or any other non-degree-requiring job out there. On a side note, just last month I had to call roadside to change my tire and the guy who showed up was a UT grad too. Remember the good old days when they would just send some idiot to do things like this? Ahh America, the land of opportunity.

Anyway, if by chance some rare being out there is reading this and wants to leave a comment, you must have cookies enabled to do so. I tried leaving one the other day and the form was being a bitch about it asking to re-enter the security code over and over. If this happens just enable cookies for this site, close the page and come back.

Lawyers (“Byeonhosadeul”)

2007-12-07T10:11:00Z

I just recently completed viewing this Korean drama series from 2005. This is an endeavor I honestly try not to take very often because of the significant amount of time it takes to get through as well as the emotional investment it requires. Although I haven’t seen the amount of dramas I would like to, my experiences with the handful of ones I have seen have left me mostly disappointed. In between greats like Phoenix, Attic Cat, and Ruler of Your Own World, I’ve suffered through quite a few throwaways, many of which are mirror images of series like Lawyers. The unfortunate thing is that although they all usually have great casts, decent production, and somewhat interesting characters, they normally run out of gas story-wise near the last few episodes and rarely provide you with the payoff you expect. Lawyers is the perfect model of such a series.

Starring the hopelessly cute Jeong Hye-young (Phoenix), Kim Seong-su (Full House), and Hong Sang-soo favorite Kim Sang-kyung (Tale of Cinema, Turning Gate), Lawyers is yet another sob story of love lost, the essential theme of all Korean dramas. Here Jeong and Kim Seong-su play a young couple in love on their way to a perfect life together. He’s on the verge of completing his law degree, and she’s an aspiring violinist. Then one night her parents are killed in a car crash, coincidentally the byproduct of a mobster trying to run over a couple of thorns in his side walking down the street. The young lawyer gets involved in the investigation and due to a serious lack of common sense he ends up joining their side and dumping the love of his life. The plot is usually farfetched, but that’s part of the “charm.” If you can get by the lack of reasonable decision making present in this genre, you can find a lot of things to love about Korean dramas. Lawyers was an overall enjoyable series, and I constantly found myself watching more than one episode at a time, but when it came time to bring it all to a close and come to a meaningful conclusion it fell completely flat. “I went through all of that, for THAT?!“ is what I believe I said after the last episode. It all comes to a forced, ill-conceived shell of a melodramatic ending which could have all been avoided if just one single person had the wits to simply dial 911. I mean, they are lawyers. They should know when an emergency is at hand, right? I don’t want to give anything away, but if anyone out there has seen it or intends on seeing it I think you will look at it my way. It’s so good at some parts that I actually want to encourage everyone, but taking everything into consideration Lawyers doesn’t warrant your time, energy, or money. Let’s hope Jeong Hye-young shows up soon in something better.

Conclusion: Download if you’re interested, but pass on a buy.

Who Needs a Kwik-E-Mart?

2007-08-01T03:54:00Z

I do. Not anything Asia-related, I know, but being in Dallas I was able to visit one of the few actual Kwik-E-Marts in the country put up by 7-11 to promote the new Simpsons movie. As you are all probably well aware, SA is barren of any 7-11 franchises so you guys missed out on the whole thing. I'm not really a big Simpsons fan, but I have a few friends who are and apparently this was a big deal. The various Simpsons products for sale were a big hit as well. Just search for "Buzz Cola" or "Krusty O's" on ebay and you'll see what I mean. Being the nice guy I am I took some pictures to share with the 7-11/Kwik-E-Mart-less folks of SA. The whole thing really was a pretty cool idea.

Hiroshima Documentary

2007-07-30T08:14:00Z

I got this in my inbox the other day. For those of you with HBO this should be of interest:

WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN:THE DESTRUCTION OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

AN IN-DEPTH, UNFORGETTABLE LOOK AT THE REALITY OF NUCLEAR WARFARE WITH FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS FROM THOSE WHO SURVIVED DEBUTS AUGUST 6, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

As global tensions rise, the unthinkable once more becomes possible. The threat of “weapons of mass destruction” has again become frighteningly real. On August 6^th and 9^th, 1945, two atomic bombs vaporized 210,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Currently, the world has an arsenal large enough to repeat the destruction at Hiroshima 400,000 times over.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki revisits this event and its aftermath in WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN: THE DESTRUCTION OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, premiering August 6^th at 8:30 p.m. Okazaki provides an unflinching look at the reality of nuclear warfare through first-hand accounts as told by 14 atomic-bomb survivors - many who have never spoken publicly before - and four Americans intimately involved in the siege. White Light, Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki provides a detailed exploration of these two bombings and their aftermath.

Check out the promo for the film here: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2877662

Be sure to check out this heartbreaking documentary on one of the most life shattering days in history and also one of the most forgotten days when WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN: THE DESTRUCTION OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, premieres August 6^th at 8:30 p.m., only on HBO!

Liberty in North Korea

2007-06-04T19:25:00Z

I saw the documentary Seoul Train a few days ago on PBS’ Independent Lens. The film follows a number of North Korean refugees as they attempt to make a new life for themselves and their families in China, Mongolia, and South Korea. The film is particularly critical of China, which has a policy of repatriating the refugees despite having signed a treaty that bars them from such a practice. China considers the North Koreans to be economic immigrants entering the country illegally. In reality, these people have very little food, no basic rights, and are living in a hopelessly desperate situation. The penalty they face for getting caught fleeing North Korea ranges from imprisonment to execution. You can read a summary of the issue on the Refugees International website.

Wanting to help, I spent some time searching for an organization which uses its donations to help the people directly. I’m not really interested in funding additional research, which is what a majority of the organizations I found did. It's the people that need our attention. I’ve always been fascinated by the North Korean dilemma, one of the reasons being the amazingly little amount of coverage the story gets. Aside from multi-party nuclear talks and being mentioned in the “axis of evil,” North Korea for the most part has been off the radar. They have no freedom concerts, no celebrities speaking on their behalf, not even a commercial asking for charity. Everyone knows about Africa, it’s time North Korea got some of the spotlight. There’s no reason this day and age that 3 million people from one small nation should die from famine. Could you imagine dying from hunger?

The cause of the problem is of no surprise. Kim Jong-Il uses his nuclear weapons program as a bargaining tool for international food aid from the US, Japan, China, Russia, and South Korea. Of course, regardless of how more or little aid he is given each year, the nuclear tests go on. Saddam didn’t have any nuclear weapons, but here we are at war with Iraq. Meanwhile Kim has been working at it for years now, yet somehow I don’t feel there’s any sense of urgency to resolve this issue like there was to resolve the one in Iraq. He’s not Castro, we can’t just wait until he dies and hope everything gets better. Action is required.

I don’t want to get into politics here because I dislike it just as much as the next guy, but I do want to help and I’d like to point anyone else who might care about this issue in the right direction. I found two very worthy organizations you can make donations to, and I hope the few people out there reading this can find it in their hearts to offer as much as they can. Please donate generously. I will also be writing a letter to the US ambassador to China Clark T. Randt Jr., which I will post here upon completion.

Liberty in North Korea

Helping Hands Korea

Interview #3

2007-05-21T04:49:00Z

I think I've learned my lesson about career builder, monster, after college, and all of the other major job sites. That is, they're about 90-99% bs! Ever since I graduated I've asked just about every individual I've encountered looking for a job about any of these job sites and none of them have said to me that it worked for them. The response is usually the same: "I applied to x-hundred jobs on there, and nothing back!" I have this theory that monster.com is nothing but a huge information guzzler that sucks up your resume and sells it to lord knows who and makes lord knows how much money off of it. They must. After all, no one has ever claimed getting a job off of it, right?

Anyway, rant aside I go to my third "interview" with a company generically called Exclusive Advertising. This time the website works, and it's actually not a bad one. The people are somewhat friendly and the manager seems to like me, he immediately invites me to a second interview. This is when we talk about pay, advancement, benefits, and any other major thing you'd be looking for in a career. I don't get why we can't do this now instead of a future meeting. Actually, in retrospect I do understand why, it's a cheap trick to hold your interest because in reality there's no pay, no advancement, and no career. This is yet another door to door sales company that duped me into thinking that they are something else. Pay is commission only, and no one wants to buy anything from a door to door salesman.

It's actually quite entertaining. To get you interested in the business they send you out with one of their "leaders" (mine had only worked there a month) to follow them for a few hours and see how much fun they have selling crap. Keep in mind, according to the job posting you have to desire a "fun and exciting work place." So we go house to house, and every house it's the same thing. No interest. What made it fun was the different ways people came up with to express the feeling of "leave me the hell alone." It was that which I got the biggest kick out of. My advice to anyone out there who is a victim of a door to door salesman: go ahead and be as rude to them as possible. No joke. Be elaborate. Have fun with it. Because no matter what you do or say, if you don't buy something you are automatically labeled an asshole by the seller. All day I hear, "Oh, they're assholes," "they're jerks," "they just don't know a good deal so F them." The people they find to do these jobs are just unbelievably naive. Don't you understand the simple notion of not wanting someone banging on your door to sell you crap you don't want? Is the concept that hard? It's not a new one. There's a reason most communities have gates around them, and it's not just for crime. You're annoying! Go away! This person actually tried to lecture me on how door to door was the future of marketing and that within 5 years EVERYONE would be doing door to door. Oh yeah, and that shitty little thing called the internet, that's just some fad for losers like spandex and the slap bracelet. In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "Who are these people?"

So of course I passed on the jobs offered to me over the past 2 weeks, and I reported the false listings to the appropriate job sites, though I doubt that will accomplish much. I know my current job isn't all that great, which is why I got in to all of this in the first place, but I did realize that things could be worse in life. I'm nowhere near being the executive or entrepreneur that I hope to be, but thank god I'm not knocking on people's doors and selling crap for a living. If that's the future then we can only hope that we really are living in the Matrix.

Interview #2 part 2

2007-05-21T04:19:00Z

Well the good news is I got called in to do a second interview with Bradley Clarke, so my brush off theory is taken care of. The bad news is it sucked! Talk about bait and switch. This company neither markets nor advertises, they just do straight up door to door sales. Ugh! Not only that, but they just go around selling random crap they have overstock of out of the trunk of their employees' cars. WTF? Far from my idea of opportunity, and definitely not sports based in any way.

The only thing that made the day interesting was one of the employees I met there, former Oklahoma State RB Seymore Shaw. For those of you unfamiliar, Shaw was well on his way to the NFL draft in 2006, but an injury coupled with a court appearance for beating and robbing his girlfriend kept scouts away. Now, for all of his talent, he spends his days going door to door selling backpacks and condiment bottles. It took me a while to get over the tragedy of that fact, as well as the irony. You always wonder what happens to those countless athletes who don't get drafted and never make it to the pros. They just kind of fade away from the public conscious never to be heard from again. Now I know why they don't say what happens to these guys, it's kind of depressing. It's amazing how one bad move can drastically change your life forever.

Interview #2

2007-05-10T20:10:00Z

Today's employer was another marketing firm in Dallas, Bradley Clarke & Associates. Check out that website, it's so badass! Anyway, they do the same type of work yet they weren't as up front about their clientele as Synergy. I noticed various sports memorabilia throughout their office but nothing concrete besides a very large Mavs framed poster. The reason I sent my resume to Synergy was because they outright said they worked with the Texas Rangers, and me being a huge baseball fan I couldn't pass up the opportunity. On a positive note, the interviewer did mention the Cowboys when I requested an example of the company's work, so that's more of a step in the right direction. I love baseball the most, but any professional sport will do. After Asian film I'm a sports fiend.

So on to the interview. The good news is I actually got to say a couple of sentences, the bad is it otherwise went about the same way the first one did. Either this is some interview technique I'm very unfamiliar with, or I'm just getting the brush off. I sit down, quickly explain why my name is so long, hear the company spiel, and get quickly sent off. The whole thing lasts about 15 minutes. I try to get in a question or two with a careful interruption, but I want to be a good little boy so I refrain from breaking up the lecture too much. I believe I'm an excellent listener and I can ask smart questions, as long as I can remember what they are. This guy is from Ireland, only been here for 4 years, and he's going lightning speed through this information. Then when he finishes he asks if I have any questions and I'm speechless. I did have questions, 1 minute and 5 chapters ago, but sorry since then I forgot. Oh well. In about 2 hours I should know my status for a second meeting. Then it's full focus on interview #3 tomorrow.

I'm always fascinated how people can come to this country and almost instantly become successful. It really blows my mind. I've been here since day one of my life and I can't grasp it, yet others just show up here and before you know it they have a new car, house, family, kids, business, investments, etc. I just don't get it. Did I miss something?

(FYI, the link above hasn't worked for the past 3 days even though they sent me an email urging me to explore their website. Hence the joke. Just in case at some point someone reads this later on and the link does work, no the site isn't badass. I'm pretty sure it's lame.)

Interviews, Interviews, Interviews

2007-05-09T19:25:00Z

So here I am 3 years out of college and I'm still searching for my first career. I've had a few jobs here and there but nothing I'd ever outright tell anyone was "my career."

Career: The general progression of your working or professional life.

For me the keyword here is "progression." When you do the same work everyday with no hope of broadening your horizons, there is certainly a lack of progress, and thus not much of a career. I'm sure something like 90% of Americans live such a life, not by choice but rather necessity. I thought I wouldn't fall into the majority by going to school, but as a new member of the real world I've come to realize otherwise. College nowadays is more a gamble than a guarantee, at least if you hold a non-professional degree. Let's just say so far the gamble hasn't paid off just yet in my case. Not that it's too late or anything. With newfound confidence I began another career search this week and surprisingly scored 3 interviews in 4 days.

Interview #1:

On Tuesday I interviewed with Synergy Promotions Group. They do marketing and promotions for a number of professional sports teams in Dallas, as well as other organizations that need their services. I wish I could say it went well, and I really would if it wasn't for the fact that I hardly got to say a single thing about myself the entire time. I know they want to tell you the company story and all, but is it a bad sign when they don't ask you anything about yourself before they send you away? I'm thinking it is. They probably just took one look at me and immediately decided I wasn't their guy, fed me some bs and sent me on my way. That's just my take, I could be wrong. It could have been more of a screening than an interview. Anyway, I was told I'd get a call back later that day one way or another, but didn't receive one. On to #2 tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will get a chance to show that I can speak the English language.

Moving On Up

2007-05-07T08:57:00Z

Well let's just say the whole Asian film thing ain't too hot in SA right now...cause it ain't! So to keep myself entertained and perhaps a couple of others out there I decided to mess around with this blog feature which conveniently came free with the domain. Click on that crap up top and make someone happy.

Although the myspace blog has been up for some time, I just didn't feel it was suitable for me to say anything relevant (or irrelevant) on except for announcing events. After all, myspace is 100% purely intended for whoring yourself out to complete strangers, and I intend for it to stay that way. If it's not a party, a pill, or a booty call don't bother. So here I am on my lonely little blog.

I am always watching Asian films, and although it seems like the whole Drafthouse thing has blown over, I'd still like to share my passion for Asian cinema with whoever would like to listen. "I Wish I Had a Blog." I think the title is fitting in several ways. With the vast amount of information on just about anything available over the internet, it's very easy for one to feel insignificant in offering their own personal opinions. What could little me possibly have to say that the rest of the world hasn't said already? That's one of the questions I ask myself on several occasions when I attempt to put my thoughts into print. With the thousands and thousands of other opinions to compete with out there, it's difficult to stand out. I won't be reporting for IFC or Sundance anytime soon, that much is for sure.

That leads me to my next point, which is my desire to maintain this organization's Texas roots. It's the Death Valley of Asian film news and events, of course, but this is where I live and from my experiences in Austin I've learned that though the following may be small, it is a very loyal one and the people are always extremely interesting to talk to and hang out with. "I Wish I Had a Blog." It's not NY or LA, and I'm no Grady Hendrix. We'll just all have to settle I guess.

Finally, the title, in case you missed it, is a reference to Park Heung-shik's comedy I Wish I Had a Wife, a film I have grown quite fond of. It fits well in tying in the Asian film theme, don't you think?