Last month, the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore hosted our own Keith Chow in conversation with New York Times bestselling author Kevin Kwan as part of their “Writer’s Live” series. Because they spent a portion of their talk discussing Kevin’s childhood in Texas, we are presenting that conversation in its entirety for Southern Fried Asian!
This Tuesday evening, I will have the pleasure of leading a conversation with Kevin Kwan, the New York Times-bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians and Sex and Vanity. The event is part of Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library’s “Writers LIVE” series. Audio of the event will be available on the Southern Fried Asian podcast feed next month.
Continue reading “‘Writers Live’ with Kevin Kwan, Hosted by the Enoch Pratt Free Library”
Few comic book characters mean more to me than G.I. Joe’s resident Ninja Commando. Created by Larry Hama and based on the Hasbro action figure designs, Snake Eyes wasn’t just my favorite action figure, he unlocked my imagination as a child. A silent warrior with a classified name and background meant that anyone could be beneath that iconic all-black mask. So for years, Snake Eyes looked like me until the comics eventually revealed the man underneath was yet another white-guy-who-happens-to-be-best-Asian.
Continue reading “Actions Speak Louder than Words: Henry Golding on Being ‘Snake Eyes’”
On January 10, 2020, production on the G.I. Joe spin-off Snake Eyes officially moved to Japan. To celebrate, the cast and crew assembled at Hie-Jinja Shrine to receive a traditional blessing ahead of the beginning of shooting in Tokyo.
One year after Crazy Rich Asians was released to the world, Keith and Dominic look back at the film’s legacy on this week’s Hard NOC Life.
I’m actually on vacation right now, but the moment news broke that Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding was in talks to play the lead in Paramount’s G.I. Joe solo Snake Eyes movie, I couldn’t not write about it!
Continue reading “An Asian ‘Snake Eyes’ is All I’ve Ever Wanted”
In this bonus episode of Hard NOC Life, Keith talks to the creator of #OscarsSoWhite, April Reign, on the eve of the Academy Awards as she prepares to attend her first ever Oscars ceremony!
Continue reading “Hard NOC Life: April Reign is Going to the Oscars”
Back in October, when I interviewed Gold Open co-creator Bing Chen on the Southern Fried Asian podcast, he teased a new iteration of the movement established to promote groundbreaking Asian American films like Gook, Crazy Rich Asians, and Burning. This morning, they revealed what the next stage of Gold Open will look like. In addition to a partnership with AMC theaters to help “streamline group movie-going, theatre buyouts and bulk regular-price ticket purchasing through a ticket buying system,” the Gold Open system will expand and be applied to media from groups dubbed “the New Majority,” i.e., women, the African diaspora, Latinx communities, and LGBTQ+ artists.
Continue reading “#GoldOpen Teams Up with AMC Theatres to Promote New Majority”
Hard NOC Life this week to break down the news of the 2019 Oscar nominations!
Ten years ago, Lin-Manuel Miranda burst upon the scene with the Tony Award-winning musical In The Heights. That same year, Jon M. Chu directed his first feature film, Step Up 2 The Streets. A decade later, both have hit the Lotto with Hamilton and Crazy Rich Asians, vaunting them to A-List pop cultural icon status.
And in 2020, the two will team up to bring Heights to the silver screen! Alabanza!
Continue reading “Atención: You Can Audition to be ‘In The Heights’”
Hard NOC Life with Shawn Keith return from a brief hiatus to share what’s Nerd Poppin’ this week.
Continue reading “Hard NOC Life: A New Era of Representation”
Hello NOCs,
I would like to introduce you all to Jenny Korn. You can read about how amazing she is right here.
Hers was one of the most insightful updates I’ve read about Crazy Rich Asians. There have been tons of hot takes about this film, but I truly feel Korn’s perspective is one that is needed — It’s measured, smart, funny, and bite-sized enough to get a full picture of the film, without spoiling anything. What is does for me is ask hard questions — something I don’t think fans do enough of.
Enjoy.
Continue reading “N.O.C. Guest Post: Jenny Korn on ‘Crazy Rich Asians’”
With the successful weekend box office of Crazy Rich Asians, it’s safe to assume there might be a sequel in the works. Within five days of its opening, the film earned an estimated $35 million, making it number one at the box office and the best debut for a comedy this year. With the success so far, many have been predicting a sequel may be in the works.
Of course, Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan is very superstitious about the idea of sequels and told me days before the release that he hasn’t thought about it.
Continue reading “‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Kevin Kwan Doesn’t Want to Talk About a Sequel… Yet”
In Crazy Rich Asians, the character Astrid Leong is a beautiful and kind Oxford graduate, model, fashion icon, and humanitarian. When casting for the role, director Jon M. Chu had to find someone who could embody Astrid, the perfect woman … Continue reading ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Gemma Chan Using Her Fame for Good
Henry Golding is ready to take on Hollywood.
“[We’re] possibly moving to Los Angeles,” said the 31-year old British-Malaysian actor during a luncheon in Century City in June. “The focus is definitely on movies.”
Continue reading “‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Star Henry Golding Turns Up the Heat”
Don’t tell Awkwafina that it’s her moment or that it’s her year.
Sure, the actress/rapper starred in this summer’s Ocean’s 8 and is starring in next week’s much-anticipated romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, but the idea of it being just a moment stresses her out.
“I get stressed out when people tell me, ‘this is my best year’ or ‘this is my best summer ever’ or I’m having a ‘moment,’ because all of those things imply a fleeting sensibility,” said Awkwafina. “I want to continue doing this but at the same time, how? How do you do that? There are a lot of questions for me still. I do have that Asian grandma mentality — that kind of doomed mentality — and I think that’s why I have a hard time taking it in. I’m enjoying myself and I feel truly blessed. I feel very lucky.”
Continue reading “Awkwafina Accepts Repping Asian Americans”
Shawn returns to Hard NOC Life as he and Keith break down the week that was in Nerd Pop.
Continue reading “Hard NOC Life: Crazy Random Acts of Convenience”
Leaving the theater for Crazy Rich Asians, I couldn’t help but feel like all the articles and podcasts and panel discussions had somehow culminated in this one movie. I feel like I’ve been screaming from the rooftops for something just like this. Why did it have to take 25 years for this kind of major studio-backed all-Asian movie? In absolute truth, it’s not just good for an “Asian” film. It’s just plain good. And it is exactly what we needed.
Continue reading “‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is Exactly the Movie We Needed”
Crazy Rich Asians continued their press tour with a visit to the Upright Citizens Brigade Sunset in Los Angeles tonight. Four members of the Crazy Rich Asians cast — comedians Nico Santos, Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, and Ken Jeong … Continue reading ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Celebrate a Night of Comedy with Asian AF
This week on Hard NOC Life, Laura Sirikul fills in for Shawn and joins Keith for another week in Nerd Pop and celebrate the beginning of “Asian August!”
On Hard NOC Media’s We’re Not All Ninjas podcast, Melissa sits down for a one-on-one with hip-hop artist and star of Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians, Awkwafina!
