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Molly Cowan-Johnson.
AnonymousIf you are a teacher in the middle school, possibly even of 9th graders, I recommend a good fictional book entitled Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka. I believe it was honored as a Newbery book a few years back (maybe as an Honor book) and received the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Assn) Best Book award, too. Setting is around 1911 in China and the main character is a young girl who refuses to have her feet bound. Her father relents, much to the chagrin of the mother, and there are many societal consequences for the young girl, especially as she matures. At the end of the book is a short explanation of the history and culture of Chinese feet binding. Wonderful book and young readers can relate to the the plight of the main character.
AnonymousIf you ever see the recent film made from the book, please remember that it is a very Hollywoodized version. The lady who was the consultant for the Japanese dancing was very diplomatic in an interview after the movie was complete. She indicated that despite what suggestions she made with regard to Japanese dance movements and the wearing of kimono, the director told her he had to make it appealing to the Western viewer. I saw pictures of the actress in kimono and was quite disappointed in how "improperly" she wore it and how her dance movements were very unlike the Japanese dance that Geishas learn as part of their cultural training. But I guess, "That's Hollywood!"
Aileen Willoughby
AnonymousA recent nonfiction publication that is an excellent and highly readable history of the Japanese American internment camp experience is called Dear Miss Breed. With content standards at the high school level addressing this topic, Dear Miss Breed is interesting and informative for high school students (I loved it). In the 1940s, Miss Breed was a public librarian in San Diego and many of her library patrons included young Japanese American students in her community. When the students were suddenly sent off to unknown destinations after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she managed to see some of them off at the train station, giving them postcards with her address on them so they could let her known where they were once they reached their destinations. The book contains copies of the letters that she received from them and includes many primary sources (photos, interviews) as well as explanations of events. Through the months, she sent them books and an assortment of items that her friends did not have in the camps. A wonderful read. If you don't know much about this time period in our history, it is a good way to learn about it.
aileen willoughby
AnonymousMidnight Angels with Cynthia Luster, Moon Lee, and Elaine Lui was a mildly entertaining movie. It is a Hong Kong martial arts crime-busting action movie distributed by Xenon Home Video. It was good to see women in action movies (1996) rather than just the damsel in distress.
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AnonymousI remember first seeing a Jackie Chan move when I was a student (1992) in Bangkok Thailand. It was his movie where he has a twin (it was released in the late 90's in the U.S.) and I saw it in a big theatre dubbed in Thai. Fast foward to his U.S. release of Rumble in the Bronx and I found it to be so cool. What other word is there to describe it? I didn't really like chinese films because they had those incredibly impossible fighting scenes where one hero battled 5,000 and he always won, not to mention could defy gravity. But as my experience in the asian culture grew i began to enjoy these films and understand their story. And Rumble was just a fun movie.
AnonymousApart from that Bruce Lee movie with Kareem Abdul Jabar (a classic), the first asian film I really remember having interest in (high school in the San fernando valley with mostly a hispanic community) was the Charles Bronson movie Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects. I didn't see it until many years later (it wasn't really all that good) but it interested me because of the western/asian combination that they bridged the gap for me to delve into full asian movies...
AnonymousSpeaking of asian/western movies, I did enjoy the Christopher Lambert movie 'The Hunted." It was a good enough story of a high-powered business man in a "fish-out-of-water" enviornment in Asia. This movie really got me interested in how westerners view asia and is a good preview to the movie "rising sun" with wesley snipes and sean connery.
AnonymousOnce I began to see more foreign films, especially asian ones I began to experiment with more than just the martial arts/crime syndicate ones. The Mystery of Rampo was one such film. One of the quotes which I always remember is:
I once heard the story of a desert traveler whose steps were off by a mere one centimeter. He walked in a circle forever
AnonymousComedy can be so culturally specific that it's "lost in translation." One of the first comedy movies i saw was the 1996 "Ermo" which is a tale of materialism, friends, and the quest for happiness. The humor which I know has a lot to do with play on words which can't be translated leads often time to view an asian comedy as slapstick. But the message hidden in the symbolism of Ermo's struggle to achieve something (in the movie's case the biggest t.v. in her village) and yet that goal is fleeting (since at the end of the movie the t.v. station stops broadcasting and she is left with everyone there to watch t.v. and yet nothing to see) is a real message to those that work hard for materialism. am i babbling?
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AnonymousSometimes the movies can get redundant. After watching a multitude of asian cinema I reached "The Story of Xinghua." Overloaded perhaps from the self-induced film festival I realized for the first time the asian formula for a drama: guy has girl. guy beats her. other guy wants her. then she leaves both. hillarity ensues. I burned out on this one. sometimes the cinematography isn't enough.
Anonymousand then came the movie "The Bride with White Hair!" I think I reached full circle when I saw this two part saga. It was everything I disliked about Asian cinema when I was younger. Special effects, impossible odds, twisted plotlines. a fantasy setting. I was even (emotionally) shocked at the ending. I recommend it to all.[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 30, 8:25:44 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousThe 1994 "Chungking Express" was a movie that mixed in western influences with asian stories. propelled by the Mamas and the Papas "California Dreamin'" this movie was not only visually stunning but had a story which was intense. I told my friend a line from the movie: "you run so that you can sweat away the tears..."[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 30, 8:24:47 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousSome movies have the elements to be good but for some reason just don't cut it. The 1995 "Organized Crime & Triad Bureau" had it's moments and it beats some made-for-t.v. movies in the U.S. or crime shows on the air. But even so, my friend and I realized that even in asia there can be bad actors. I gave this move a star and a half.[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 30, 8:24:17 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousIn the vein of "Charlie's Angels" was an asian movie "The heroic trio" with Anita Mui (the madonna of asia), Maggie Cheung (former miss hong kong), and Michelle Yeoh (James Bond Girl and Asia's top action actress). This 1993 movie was a lot of fun. Lots of humor, mild violence, and action that kept the pace throughout the 104 minutes. Unlike "Midnight Angels," this movie was well made and made use of the star powered cast.
...everybody Win Chun Tonight...[Edit by="dcolato on Oct 30, 8:23:42 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousOne person vs. 300? I would have walked out of the theatre years ago. But now I found a movie like "Wing Chun" (1994 with Michelle Yeoh) incredibly addictive. So much humor, action, and visuals it is impossible not to like. Maybe I was getting used to Asian movies, maybe I learned not to take the movie seriously (as I'm sure the makers didn't). either way, this is a top recommendation.