Guest Post, Movies4 Comments

When a leaked script revealed that Disney planned to center its live-action Legend of Mulan film around a white merchant who comes to “white knight” the hero of China, the outrage was swift and fierce. After thousands signed 18MillionRising’s petition, Disney quickly responded to assure fans that all major characters would be cast as Chinese. “Don’t worry,” one patronizing headline went so far as to say, everything’s going to be fine. And by and large, the once-raging fire of #MakeMulanRight has cooled to a few glowing embers. Asian America seems to be satisfied to know that Disney won’t turn Mulan into yet another white savior film.

It’s a win, but not exactly the sort of victory you can feel great about. We’ve been through this too many times, haven’t we?

Continue reading “Making Mulan Right, and the Limits of On-Screen Representation”

Guest Post, Movies9 Comments

An Open Letter to the Creators of Disney’s Live Action Mulan

October 11, 2016October 11, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by ConcernedForMulan | Originally posted at Angry Asian Man

[Ed. note: In the 24 hours since this open letter was posted on AAM, Disney has released a statement that their live action adaptation of Mulan will not feature a white love interest. We are still posting the original letter because we can confirm that the spec script discussed below does indeed exist and is still indicative of how Hollywood views Asians.]

A white merchant’s business brings him to the heart of a legendary Asian conflict — he unwittingly helps save the day while winning the heart of the Asian female. Am I describing the plotline of the Netflix series Marco Polo? No. I’m describing the spec script that Disney bought for its live-action feature film, The Legend of Mulan, which is projected for release in 2018.

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Guest Post, Movies11 Comments

TIFF Review: The Birth of a Nation

September 14, 2016September 14, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Joelle Monique

In watching The Birth of a Nation I was a little destroyed. There’s so much to unpack. Nat Turner is a legendary figure in the Black community — a former slave who removed his own shackles. It’s a story I’ve wanted to see on screen for a long time. The reviews out of Sundance were huge. Then, news of Nate Parker rape charges and acquittal broke. I debated a long time about whether or not to cover the story when I came to TIFF. Eventually, I decided that a film this prominent and this culturally invested couldn’t be ignored. I have mixed feelings about what I saw. I’m going to take it slow.

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Guest Post, Marvel8 Comments

Who is Marvel’s Blaxploitation Luke Cage Comic Even For, Exactly?

July 11, 2016July 9, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Charles Pulliam-Moore | Originally posted on Medium

Recently, Marvel sent out a press release teasing Cage – an upcoming Luke Cage solo comic to be written and illustrated by Genndy Tartakovsky with inks by Stephen DeStefano.

The series, Marvel explains, takes places in late ’70s New York City where the “shoes are big, bottoms are belled and crime is rampant!”

Apparently Tartakovsky’s Cage is meant to be a send-up(?) of the era’s wave of Blaxploitation, which wouldn’t be so much of a problem were it not for the decidedly problematic art style the book it set to have:

Continue reading “Who is Marvel’s Blaxploitation Luke Cage Comic Even For, Exactly?”

Guest Post, Video Games1 Comment

‘Pokémon Go’ and Choosing the Blackest Joy

July 8, 2016June 3, 2021 Guest N.O.C.

by Lauren Bullock | Originally posted at Black Nerd Problems

As you might expect, it begins with a selection of starters: today, do you choose fuming rage, crushing grief, or helpless fear? Perhaps you feel all three. Or none. Being Black in America is not just some game that anyone can control, after all.

As a Black Nerd it’s impossible to ignore that in the same week that we gained Pokémon Go, arguably one of the most anticipated games of the year, we lost Alton Sterling and Philando Castile to police brutality (who in reality are part of an even longer list of murders by the police this week alone). Once again the debates flare up between distraction and self care, between what people “should” be talking about or feeling at any given moment. But if Pokémon taught me anything, it’s that there is always another option than the “starters” you’re given, and sometimes this, too, is its own revolutionary act. I’m talking about allowing ourselves to sometimes choose Black joy. No, the Blackest Joy.

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Guest Post, Movies5 Comments

Hollywood’s Dream of a Faceless Rumi

June 20, 2016July 8, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

Earlier this month we learned that David Franzoni, the Oscar-nominated writer and Oscar-winning producer of Gladiator, is working on a new screenplay based on the life of Persian poet and scholar Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī.

We also learned, in an interview with The Guardian, that the writer would like Rumi to be played in this film by a white man.

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DC Comics, Guest Post3 Comments

Rebirth’s Big Bad Could be the Best Thing to Happen to DC in Years

May 25, 2016July 8, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by EC Yi

After a friend told me the big reveal from today’s premiere release of Rebirth this morning, I went the closest comic shop during my lunch break and gave DC money to read the issue firsthand. This friend was bent out of shape over today’s news that the force orchestrating the recent changes in DCU was none other than…

(Seriously, if you haven’t found out already, I’m about to spoil the Big Bad reveal here. Last chance.)

Continue reading “Rebirth’s Big Bad Could be the Best Thing to Happen to DC in Years”

Anime, Guest Post, Movies26 Comments

Some Thoughts on Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell

April 14, 2016April 15, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Jon Tsuei

[Ed. note: This essay first appeared as a series of tweets on Jon’s twitter account and is being re-presented with his permission.]

I’ve been seeing a lot of defenses for the ScarJo casting that seem to lack a nuanced understanding of a Ghost In The Shell as a story.

Continue reading “Some Thoughts on Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell“

Guest Post, Marvel, Movies32 Comments

Tilda Swinton Teaches Doctor Strange the Mystical Asian Stuff

April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Phil Yu | Originally posted at Angry Asian Man

Marvel just dropped the first teaser trailer for Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, who journeys to mystical Asia to learn Mystical Asian Stuff. The trailer also gives us our first glimpse of Tilda Swinton as the Sorcerer Supreme’s mystical mentor, The Ancient One.

Racebent! In typical Hollywood fashion. Many of us were wondering how the movie would handle whitest actress Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, who has been traditionally depicted in the comic books as an old-ass mystical Asian man. Now we have our answer: she is bald.

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Guest Post, Sports, Television2 Comments

Wrestlemania 32 Started Great, Ended with a Whimper

April 4, 2016April 4, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Vince Vandal

I’ve been an avid fan of professional wrestling for over 25 years. I caught the tail-end of the Golden Era, into the birth of the amazing spectacle that was the Attitude Era, which led into the era of Ruthless Aggression, and finally… the PG Era. The era where actual wrestling has taken a backseat to “sports entertainment,” whatever that even means anymore. I’m not the type of guy to catch every episode of RAW and Smackdown anymore like when I was growing up, because it just doesn’t have that spark that it used to. I’ll only watch the major events (Wrestlemania and the Royal Rumble) and catch highlights if anything of note happens in-between. That being said, I still like to see the culmination of the build-ups from the previous year at the “Grandaddy of Them All” (even though Vince doesn’t let anyone call it that anymore), Wrestlemania, and see how the company is holding up. So here’s my review.

Continue reading “Wrestlemania 32 Started Great, Ended with a Whimper”

Fantasy, Guest Post, Movies3 Comments

Magic in North America: The Harry Potter Franchise Veers Too Close to Home

March 7, 2016March 8, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Dr. Adrienne Keene | Originally posted at Native Appropriations

Remember back in June when it was announced that the new Harry Potter prequel-of-sorts had an American Wizarding school? Remember how I was concerned? If you don’t, here’s a link to that post.

Continue reading “Magic in North America: The Harry Potter Franchise Veers Too Close to Home”

Animation, Guest Post, Movies49 Comments

Why is the Kubo and the Two Strings Cast So White?

January 5, 2016January 5, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Phil Yu | Originally posted at Angry Asian Man

LAIKA, the acclaimed stop-motion animation studio that brought you Coraline and ParaNorman, recently released the trailer for its latest feature Kubo and the Two Strings, an epic adventure set in fantastical Japan.

The story centers on a young boy named Kubo who lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down. On the run from gods and monsters, Kubo must find a magical suit of armor once worn by his father, the greatest samurai the world has ever known.

The movie looks incredible. Check out this trailer:

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Guest Post, Movies, Television4 Comments

Of Fear and Fake Diversity

January 4, 2016April 21, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Lexi Alexander | Originally posted at Lexi-Alexander.com

2015 was an interesting year for me. After finally getting back behind the camera at the end of the summer to shoot The CW’s Arrow, I found myself a couple of months later in a Federal building in downtown Los Angeles, trying to convince half a dozen security guards to let me make my EEOC appointment despite my expired driver’s license.

Luckily ACLU lawyer Melissa Goodman, the patron saint of women directors, was with me and was able to convince the no-nonsense guards that I wasn’t a threat.

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Guest Post, Movies, Star Wars12 Comments

The Psychology of Star Wars: The Force Awakens — Could a Stormtrooper Become a Hero?

December 31, 2015April 4, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Ali Mattu, Ph.D | Originally posted at Brain Knows Better

Note: No big spoilers here, at least nothing beyond what’s shown in the trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and what occurs in the first 15 minutes of the film.

The essential psychology of the Star Wars saga is mindfulness. “Using the force” is all about embracing the present moment. That’s what Yoda taught Luke and it’s something Anakin never picked up from Obi-Wan.

Mindfulness continues to be a part of J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I can’t get into specifics because things would get spoilery, but it’s safe to say the climax of the film is a moment of mindfulness. We also see new characters develop meaning in their lives, just like Han Solo did in the original trilogy. The way The Force Awakens honors the past mythology (and psychology) of Star Wars while also refreshing it for a new generation is a big reason why I’m a fan of the film.

Continue reading “The Psychology of Star Wars: The Force Awakens — Could a Stormtrooper Become a Hero?”

Guest Post, Movies, Star Wars109 Comments

For the Love of FN-2187: Why John Boyega as Finn is One of the Best New Characters in Star Wars

December 23, 2015December 2, 2019 Guest N.O.C.

by Jamal Igle

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a juggernaut. Critically acclaimed and the current holder of the title of “biggest film opening of all time.” It’s an engaging film that engrosses the viewer and harkens back to the early days of franchise. As it is with all things pop culture, particularly in the age of internet piety, the film also has its detractors. The complaints range across the spectrum but one of the most pointed complaints have been towards Finn, the character portrayed by British actor John Boyega. Two writers whom I’m good friends with — Hannibal Tabu and Joe Illidge — have both written pieces complaining about the character for similar reasons, calling him inept, and even neutered.

I love you guys, you know I do, but I couldn’t disagree with you more. Now this is going to be a rather spoiler filled piece, so if you haven’t seen the movie, now’s your time to hit the eject button and go look at Buzzfeed.

Continue reading “For the Love of FN-2187: Why John Boyega as Finn is One of the Best New Characters in Star Wars“

Guest Post, Movies, Star Wars6 Comments

Fear Leads — Anticipating Star Wars: The Force Awakens

November 20, 2015January 4, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by Brandon Thomas | Originally posted at The Fiction House

There’s only one thing about Star Wars: The Force Awakens that scares me…

It’s not the question of whether or not it’s going to be any good, because I know it will be. It’s not the possibility that the movie will birth an everlasting big screen dynasty, because it’s too early in the game to speculate on that. It’s not the intentional absence of Luke Skywalker from everything, because I think it’s admirable to preserve such a fundamental question for the actual movie. It’s not even minor spoilers, though I am taking some protective measures, and have sworn off any further clips, now that I have my Finn focused TV spot to watch over and over again.

No, what I’m afraid about more than anything else, is the true revelation of Finn’s overall role within this new trilogy.

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Guest Post, Martial Arts, Television

The Daniel Wu Diet

November 16, 2015November 16, 2015 Guest N.O.C.

by Lynn Chen | Originally posted at The Actor’s Diet

Oh, how I love when my fellow actors post photos of food, especially when they’re on set. The yumminess below is from Daniel Wu’s Instagram feed, most of them captured in New Orleans while he was filming Into the Badlands, a martial arts TV show very loosely based on the classic Chinese tale, “Journey to the West.”

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Animation, Guest Post, Star Wars4 Comments

Spark of Diversity: What Sabine Wren Means For Star Wars

November 12, 2015May 8, 2020 Guest N.O.C.

by Bria LaVorgna | Originally posted at Tosche Station

Sometimes, the impact of a character can take you completely by surprise. I’d known for weeks and weeks before the premiere of Star Wars Rebels that I was excited for the show to start. It featured a family-like crew filled with characters who seemed right up my alley. What I didn’t realize until I sat down on my couch to watch Spark of Rebellion for the first time last year is what seeing Sabine Wren on the screen was going to mean to me. Finally, after twenty-four years, there was a main character in a Star Wars film or television show that looked like me and the full impact of this hit me like a ton of bricks as she took her bucket off for the first time.

Continue reading “Spark of Diversity: What Sabine Wren Means For Star Wars“

Guest Post, Interview, Martial Arts, Television3 Comments

Daniel Wu Goes Into the Badlands

November 11, 2015May 23, 2019 Guest N.O.C.

by Timothy Tau | Originally posted on Hyphen

Daniel Wu is a Chinese American actor/director/writer/producer that has already had quite an impressive career overseas in Hong Kong, appearing in over 60 films there — many of them box-office hits — and also winning awards for his directing, producing and performance work (such as the “Best New Director Award” at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his directorial debut The Heavenly Kings in 2006, which he also wrote, produced and starred in, and a Golden Horse Award for “Best Supporting Actor” in Jackie Chan’s New Police Story in 2004. He will also be starring in Duncan Jones’ Warcraft movie in 2016.

Wu breaks into American TV airwaves on Sunday, November 15th (at 10/9c) with the debut of AMC’s Into The Badlands, which has been receiving buzz as a hotly-anticipated new martial arts drama/action television show featuring not just one but two Asian American leads — Aramis Knight, a young actor of Pakistani and East Indian descent, also plays supporting character M.K. alongside Wu’s main protagonist Sunny. In this interview, readers will appreciate Wu’s illuminating answers, in-depth insight no doubt informed by seasoned experience and hard-won achievements on both sides of the Pacific.

Continue reading “Daniel Wu Goes Into the Badlands“

Marvel, Television4 Comments

Fixing Marvel’s Iron Fist Problem: Why Netflix Can Handle Mysticism

November 3, 2015May 19, 2016 Guest N.O.C.

by MC Nedelsky in collaboration with MCU Exchange

What exactly is the problem with bringing Iron Fist to Netflix? It’s hard to know. Though the latest news is that the show is still on track, it’s clear they haven’t yet figured it out — they don’t have a star; they don’t have a showrunner; and for some reason, no one has bothered to ask Lexi Alexander on how she could make Iron Fist “the most popular show ever.”

One of the issues is apparently no one at Marvel Studios can figure out how to bring the character’s “mystical” elements into the grim and gritty universe established for its Netflix series. Devin Faraci, who first reported on Iron Fist’s troubles back in July, writes that “one of the big hold-ups is the mystical element, with lots of different opinions on just how much weird wuxia to bring in to the show.”

This seems like an odd concern, given that these shows share a cinematic universe with Asgardians, Kree, and Inhumans.

Continue reading “Fixing Marvel’s Iron Fist Problem: Why Netflix Can Handle Mysticism”

Comics, Guest Post1 Comment

All of Our Tomorrow: Ending “Racial Apologia”

October 10, 2015December 1, 2015 Guest N.O.C.

by Jules

Comic books, throughout their long history, have often existed as a playground for subversive and counter-cultural concepts. Famously, “Judgement Day” — the last story published by EC Comics — featured a socially stratified world of blue and orange robots set in the far future vying for entry into the “Great Galactic Republic.” Their inspector, an astronaut from Earth, tells them that their planet isn’t ready but that one day it might be. In the last panel he’s revealed to be a black man, something scandalous enough that the Comics Code Authority demanded he be changed to white or the comic couldn’t go to print. This was 1953.

Since then comics, specifically superhero comics, have continued to make attempts to grapple with social issues.

Continue reading “All of Our Tomorrow: Ending “Racial Apologia””