Finding Representation Through Michelle Trachtenberg as ‘Harriet the Spy’

March 12, 2025March 10, 2025 Lauren Lola

When you grow up not seeing much in the way of representation of yourself onscreen, you grasp onto the instances where the bits and pieces do seep through. To be both Filipino and mixed race was a tall order of an expectation to see in mainstream media, and so I gravitated towards any representation that was close enough, even if it meant finding it in the just-as-hard-to-find character qualities.

Books, Movies, Television

More AAPI Supernatural Recommendations for Fans of Disney’s ‘So Weird’

May 3, 2022May 3, 2022 Lauren Lola

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month everyone! Last year, to acknowledge both this annual commemoration of contributions from the AAPI community and the ever-present following of the ’90s Disney Channel original series, So Weird, I compiled together a list of supernatural recommendations, created by and about people of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Reviews, Streaming

‘Reservation Dogs’ Brings Humor and Realness from Indigenous Perspectives

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021 Lauren Lola

Just in time for International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, FX on Hulu’s new comedy series, Reservation Dogs, officially premiered yesterday. Created by Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo, the show is centered on four teenagers living on a reservation in Oklahoma. They spend their days finding the easiest avenues to make money — even if it means committing theft — in order to leave for California. However, when a new gang arrives in town and one of the teens starts to have a change of heart about their motivations, things start to get a little interesting.

Interview, Movies, Streaming, Theatre1 Comment

Paolo Montalban on Memories of ‘Cinderella’ and the Making of a Filipino American Musical

February 26, 2021May 15, 2021 Lauren Lola

The 1997 version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella has been available to stream on Disney+ for two weeks already, and for Paolo Montalban, he is thrilled. The actor, who played Prince Christopher in the film, found out about its upcoming release on the streaming platform from his agent, about a week before it was officially announced to the public.

Continue reading “Paolo Montalban on Memories of ‘Cinderella’ and the Making of a Filipino American Musical”

Martial Arts, Movies, Streaming1 Comment

The Backstory ‘Cobra Kai’ Should Tell

January 19, 2021August 30, 2021 Lauren Lola

WARNING: The following contains spoilers from Season 3 of Cobra Kai.

The third season of Cobra Kai has been out for a few weeks already on Netflix and a lot unfolded over the course of its ten episodes. Familiar faces returned, dynamics between some of the characters changed for the better while others changed for the worst, and through a sequence of flashbacks, audiences got a glimpse at the backstory of the original (and current) Cobra Kai sensei, John Kreese (Martin Kove).

Horror, Movies

A Howlin’ Virtual Time at the 2020 HorrorHound Festival

September 15, 2020September 16, 2020 Edward Hong

We’re back with another horror film festival that’s coming to a monitor near you (which shouldn’t be pretty far as we continue the #PandemicLife), this time with the folks at HorrorHound, one of the most popular horror/genre conventions & film festival dual combos in the United States! And yes, once again, our Make A Wish short film starring Josephine Chang and yours truly will be playing at this festival. But first, an official press release statement from HorrorHound itself so you can know the full extent of how in-depth this event will go as it is not a typical film festival:

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Horror, Movies

A Bloody Virtual Good Time at the 2020 Horrible Imaginings Film Festival

August 28, 2020September 6, 2020 Edward Hong

With the pandemic still very much interwoven into our lives, so has it affected film festivals around the world as they had to adapt quickly and either convert their screenings to drive-in theaters or go completely virtual. And for folks like myself and my fellow NOC writing & real life partner, Josephine Chang, our timing couldn’t be any worse as our short film Make A Wish started its festival circuit run right when the U.S. shutdowns occurred in March (or at least it did for us Californian folks at that time).

But we’ve been very fortunate to be accepted by so many wonderful genre/horror film festivals that took a chance with our fun little project. And along the way, one in particular stood out and it is here that I want to bring a special spotlight to a horror film festival that’s coming up virtually on September 1 and running till September 7th (available only for the West Coast and South West United States areas as it is geolocked). That festival is the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival which is located in Santa Ana, California.

Books, Fantasy, Interview

Shawn Speaks with Claribel Ortega, Author of ‘Ghost Squad’

August 10, 2020August 25, 2020 Shawn Taylor

Ghost Squad is a middle grade/young audiences (depending on their tolerance for the spooky) novel that does so many things right: remixes the “kids on bikes” trope, prioritizes adventuring for black and brown girls, and how adventuring doesn’t end when you get older.

Continue reading “Shawn Speaks with Claribel Ortega, Author of ‘Ghost Squad’”

Interview, Television8 Comments

Elaine Miles Reflects on Native Representation and ‘Northern Exposure’

July 10, 2020February 22, 2023 Lauren Lola

On July 12, 1990, the Emmy Award-winning comedy-drama, Northern Exposure, began its run on CBS. Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, a neurotic Jewish physician (Rob Morrow) from New York is forced to work as a general practitioner in the small, fictional town of Cicely, Alaska, in order to pay the state of Alaska for underwriting his medical school education. Over the course of the series’ six seasons, not only did audiences watch Morrow’s Dr. Joel Fleischman slowly adjust to his surroundings, but they also got to know the quirky residents of the small community and follow their day-to-day lives as well.

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Interview, Music1 Comment

Patricio Ginelsa Reflects Back on the Making of ‘The Apl Song’ Music Video

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020 Lauren Lola

As filmmaker Patricio Ginelsa gears up for the release of the long anticipated follow-up to his feature film, Lumpia, he took last Friday to reflect back on another previous project of his, when he released the test shoot for the music video for the Black Eyed Peas’ “The Apl Song.”

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Gone Too Soon, Music, Sports

Mega Ran on The Soul Man

January 21, 2020January 22, 2020 MegaRan

My relationship with professional wrestling is very complicated at best. I watched my first wrestling match sometime around 1983, and the larger than life characters were literal comic books that had exploded in front of me. Like most other kids in the ’80s, I wanted more. I begged my mom to buy me wrestling magazines, toys, and watched every Saturday morning.

I loved guys like Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage, but I remember my eyes widening every time there was a Black or Brown face on my screen. So naturally I had an affinity for characters like The Junkyard Dog, Koko B Ware. But what really turned me on to wrestling was a tag team called The Soul Patrol.

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Fantasy, Martial Arts, Television2 Comments

The Significance of Iko Uwais in ‘Wu Assassins’

August 23, 2019August 22, 2019 Lauren Lola

For two weeks already, the fantasy-crime-martial arts series, Wu Assassins, has been streaming on Netflix. Centered in modern day San Francisco Chinatown, it follows a chef who finds out he is the last Wu Assassin; the one whose destined to stop the five Wu Warlords from obtaining the powers of Wu Xing and using them to destroy the world.

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Conventions, Star Wars

#RallyForRose Episode II Photo Gallery

July 30, 2019August 1, 2019 Keith Chow

We held our second annual “Rally For Rose” during San Diego Comic-Con on July 20. Even though we were competing with Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel, we were able to turn out several supporters and raise some money for both Alliance San Diego and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. The rally — which, this year, consisted of a march (or a “Rose Parade,” if you will) that started at the IMDboat and made its way to the Hilton Bayfront and was covered by Variety and NPR. All the while drawing attention to the importance of representation for all marginalized communities.

Continue reading “#RallyForRose Episode II Photo Gallery”

Martial Arts, Movies, Streaming1 Comment

‘Cobra Kai’ Has Got to Step Up Its Representation Game in Season 3

July 23, 2019August 30, 2021 Lauren Lola

The 50th San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, and this year, the stars of the YouTube Premium series, Cobra Kai, were in attendance. For two seasons already, viewers of this continuation of The Karate Kid franchise have been following the rivalry of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) via their feuding dojos. Continue reading “‘Cobra Kai’ Has Got to Step Up Its Representation Game in Season 3”

Interview, Movies, Television

Jake Choi Proves that He’s the Ultimate ‘Bae’

May 14, 2019May 15, 2019 Laura Sirikul

Jake Choi is heating up our television screens as the lovable single dad on ABC’s Single Parents and will be steaming up on the big screen in this week’s release of The Sun is Also a Star.

When the new ABC’s hit series Single Parents was picked up for a full season last year, actor Jake Choi could only think of one word to describe it: surreal.

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