Japanese actor
POPULARITY
A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight on APEX Express, Host Miko Lee focuses on Asian American Men, Bruce Lee and the mano-sphere. She chats with renowned author and thinker Jeff Chang about his new book: Bruce Lee & the making of Asian America, Water Mirror Echo. Then she talks with Rachel Koelzer the Communications Director for Nakasec about their new study of Asian American men and the manosphere. How are images of Asian American male identify being shaped and formed in our current society and what does Bruce Lee have to do with this? Listen in. More in tonight's show Jeff Chang's book: Water, Mirror, Echo Nakasec ReportAsian American Men and Mano-sphere CAAMFest 2026, running May 7-10, 2026, San Francisco's AMC Kabuki Theatre Show Transcripts [00:00:00] Opening: Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express. [00:00:40] Miko Lee: Welcome to Apex Express. I'm your host, Mika Lee, and tonight we are focusing on Asian American men, Bruce Lee and the Manosphere. I chat with renowned author and thinker Jeff Chang about his new book, Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America Water Mirror Echo. Then I speak with Rachel Koelzer, the communications director for NAKASEC, about their new study of Asian American men and the Manosphere. So how are images of Asian American male identity being shaped and formed in our current society, and what does Bruce Lee have to do with all this? First, listen to my conversation with author Jeff Chang. Welcome Jeff Chang to Apex Express. [00:01:24] Jeff Chang: Ah, it's so great to be here. Miko. So happy. [00:01:27] Miko Lee: I'm so happy to talk with you about your latest book. You're such a prolific writer, and here you have written a big Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America Water Mirror Echo. Such a mighty title. I wanna start first just a question that I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? [00:01:49] Jeff Chang: Oh my gosh. What a great question to start with. You know, my family, my communities, they all kind of blend together, the blood family, the kin family, and the chosen family, for me. I guess I'm always [laughs], I'm first born Chinese Kanaka, you know, I'm always aware that I am, representing, I guess, So I, you know, I carry that family with me wherever I go. [00:02:16] Miko Lee: I, I think I know what that means. But for our audience that might not know what a firstborn Chinese kanaka means, can you break that down a little bit? What does that mean to you when you say that? [00:02:25] Jeff Chang: Yeah, I mean, you know, it's just the, i, it it's just a thing of, you know, you're gonna go out and represent the family and, you're thrust into Taking on responsibilities and stuff for your folks, your siblings, your, younger cousins, those kinds of things. I was always very aware of that within the family. My dad's from a really big family, had six siblings and, my mom's from a large extended, family. so that's, That's such a fantastic question Miko. Bruce was the second child, which, you know, birth order and all that kind of stuff. It also squares, I think with, a Chinese family. He felt like he was always in the shadow of his older brother. [00:03:10] Miko Lee: Okay. Hold on. Let's get to Bruce in a second. I wanna finish with you as an author, creator person. [00:03:16] Jeff Chang: Okay. [00:03:16] Miko Lee: Wait, so you are the number one son. [00:03:18] Jeff Chang: I'm the number one son. Yeah. [00:03:19] Miko Lee: Ooh, okay. I get it. Yeah. And then what is the legacy that you carry with you? [00:03:24] Jeff Chang: The legacy. I just have to represent, in a point, a kind of a way, in a proper kind of a way. You know, the family , and those kinds of things. I was also very rebellious. I came back after my freshman year as the Berkeley Radical. My Uncle Fungi was like, oh, here comes the Berkeley radical. Okay. Then of course, you gotta sit down and drink beer and tell 'em , all the stories and that kind of thing. So, you know, just being able to, carry on, a legacy of being upright and being, just, right. And sort of being appropriate in all that you do. just aware of that. Grew up aware of that. Yeah. [00:04:02] Miko Lee: And then what was your first memory of Bruce Lee? [00:04:06] Jeff Chang: Ah, I don't have a first memory. He was just part of the ether, you know what I mean? He was part of the [00:04:10] Miko Lee: Ah, yeah. [00:04:11] Jeff Chang: Yeah. He was part of the air. I think I came of age, after the generation, like my older cousins who were able to see Bruce in the theaters. We came up the next generation, we saw Bruce on tv. Return of the Dragon would come on and everybody would stop everything and just watch that. During the commercial breaks we're jumping around and kicking each other and stuff like that. I mean that, that kind of thing, right? [00:04:34] Miko Lee: Yeah, totally. When I was growing up, people would always ask me if I was related to Bruce Lee, because Lee, because that was like, right, yeah, Lee. Yeah. Yeah. There's not a billion Lees' in the world. [00:04:44] Jeff Chang: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally. [00:04:45] Miko Lee: Yeah. So I get it and I try to explain to my daughters, and our kids are around the same age, the cultural phenomenon that he was, and it's hard to explain it to this generation because there wasn't really other Asian American representation than Bruce Lee when we were growing up. [00:05:03] Jeff Chang: Yeah. Yeah. And now they have Alysa Liu, you know, they have eileen Gu, they have all of these different folks. So if you don't like Alysa, you could like Eileen. Or if you don't like, if you like Eileen, you don't have to like Alysa. Right. Or you can like 'em both. They have choices. [00:05:14] Miko Lee: You could like Chloe. [00:05:16] Jeff Chang: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They like Chloe, right? There's choices. Yeah. Like Chloe's on the Olympic stand with two other Asians. It's just wild. It's a beautiful thing. and it's not like the kind of reality that we grew up in. It's true. [00:05:29] Miko Lee: Yeah. So what made you decide to write this book? you've written many books about pop culture and around theory and around Americana, and what made you decide to write a book about Bruce Lee? [00:05:41] Jeff Chang: So the book came to me actually, it was an Asian American editor back during a time, not so long ago, but a while ago, when there weren't a lot of Asian American editors in the business. And he came to me and that was amazing in and of itself. And he said basically, Hey man, you did this book on hip hop. This is back in, the latter part of the two thousands. I wanna imagine I haven't gone back and looked at the date. 'cause it, it actually hurts me to think about it. But he saw you did this book like. Do you think you could do a book on Bruce Lee? And I was like, yeah, I could do that. I was hyped to do that. Please. Because Yeah. 'cause Bruce was our hero. Yeah. Just like we were talking about. The most famous Asian American who's ever lived. It took me a long time to get going and I gotta admit I lost the plot at some point. I just was like, what am I doing? There were books that came out, about Bruce in the interim. there was one other biography that had come out, in the late 2010s, [00:06:37] Miko Lee: and I think I told you about one of the books. I think it's that book that I read written by a white guy and I wrote about it in good reads because I read a lot and that's how I keep track of the books I read. I don't think about anybody else reading those reviews that I write? It's like writing in a journal or something. Now I use story graph ‘ it's amazing. Not commercial, but at the time I used Goodreads and the author wrote back to me, I think I told you this story. [00:07:04] Jeff Chang: Yeah, yeah. Tell me. Tell, so what did you write and what did the author write back to you? [00:07:08] Miko Lee: I wrote that I thought that this author did not understand what an icon Bruce was to the Asian American community, and it was written in a way that didn't, grasp the whole complexity of what he meant to us. He wrote this really, mean note back to me about how he had Shannon, Bruce's daughter's support and he was the one that could tell the story. And I thought, whoa, I was just shocked. That was the first time. Since then, I've had many different authors write back to me, but that was like the first one and wrote back in a mean way. So anyways. [00:07:39] Jeff Chang: Was it public or this was a private, A private email back to you. [00:07:43] Miko Lee: I think it's public. I don't know. Have to go look. I was shook at the time. Like what? [00:07:49] Jeff Chang: Wow. Okay. [00:07:50] Miko Lee: Anyway, so when I heard you were writing a book, I said, okay, finally, finally. Yay. [00:07:55] Jeff Chang: Hmm. Yeah. You know, and I'll be honest, I, I had this sort of crisis of confidence. I was sort of like, you know, this is, okay, we'll put it out there. 'cause you already went there. It's Matthew Polly's book, Bruce Lee Life. I read it, he had done amazing research. He had spoken to a lot of people. I thought I was supposed to do this kind of a book. Now there's a particular kind of genre, that folks who are maybe in the industry recognize and, it's called I'm putting scare quotes around this, like the definitive biography, [00:08:27] Miko Lee: right. [00:08:28] Jeff Chang: In this particular case, the definitive biography, because he's a movie star s. Sort of coincides or converges with this other genre, which is the celebrity biography. I'm putting scare quotes around that too. So, the mission of a celebrity biographer is really to tell a story of, this celebrity. Is not as cool as you think they are. Like, their crap stinks. They cheated on their spouses. They like didn't file their taxes, they kicked their dog, they said mean things to different people. That's a celebrity biography. It's basically to tarnish the star. and if not, then it's sort of a hagiography, which is sort of a whole other kind of thing. And we don't wanna do that as writers. We wanna approach the truth. But there's sort of a certain kind of thing that comes into play, with Bruce. There's a sort of genre of the take down of Bruce where it's usually men that are writing this, and the men are usually like, well, Bruce was my hero when I was a kid, but now I've gotta take him down. You know what I mean? It's, and so you see it over and over again and, you know, there's a sort of a weird thing going on, especially I think with, white males who have loved Bruce Lee in the past feeling like they need to take him down.So let's say [00:09:50] Miko Lee: Quinton Tarantino. [00:09:52] Jeff Chang: Okay, you said it. I didn't, but I was gonna say like Albert Goldman, who was a journalist who famously wrote a take down of Elvis Presley. [00:10:00] Miko Lee: Right. [00:10:01] Jeff Chang: and did one of Bruce that was unbelievably racist. Now, I'm not saying that Matthew was trying to do this at all. I think that his scholarship and his work was really, really good. But I, I felt crowded out a little bit. You know, I felt like, gosh, I don't know what there is to say? I was very aware that there were a lot of books that had been written about Bruce and that I was writing into or out of, or in opposition to a tradition. [00:10:30] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. [00:10:31] Jeff Chang: These are the Bruce. Lee Stories. and so at that particular point, in the late 2000 tens, I just said, what am I gonna do? And Lourdes, my partner, walked me up to the park and just tore into me like, what, you're gonna give up now? You can't give up now. You gotta do this, you have to. Who else is gonna do this? And I'm just feeling all that, Chinese Kanaka, firstborn, guilt, responsibility. she's about the only person that I can take a tongue lashing like that from. We walk back the mile to the house and my head was between my legs and I was like, all right, I'll do it. I'll do it. But I didn't know what I was gonna do to be completely real. I didn't know what I was gonna do. So the other thing that was kind of happening at this particular point was I was noticing, and you and I both have, children who are now adults, but at that time they were younger. They were like coming into their own, they're in their teens and that kind of thing, and that particular generation was coming up in some ways. Like we talked about, like they had all of these folks that they could look to. [00:11:34] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. [00:11:34] Jeff Chang: Right. you know, our kids have opportunities in media that we never had. [00:11:39] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. [00:11:39] Jeff Chang: We've had to break through in a lot of ways. And there was also, in a weird way, this sort of entropy around this notion of Asian America. Like young people who call themselves Asian American would also sit around and be like, what even is an Asian American? How do I relate to these other types of folks who are also classed as Asian Americans, or who describe themselves as Asian Americans as well. Like politically, culturally, the kind of food we eat, the way we dress, who we hang out with. Like all of the diversity that we've celebrated for so many years felt like entropy, I think, to them like this is, there's no center to this anymore. Then the pandemic happened and the violence, Was one way of saying this is it's the ice cube moment. This is what they think of you. You know what I mean? Yeah. And, and I think that was what galvanized, especially a lot of young people to find a new sense of purpose, a new sense of activism, a new sense of, how to be in the world And [00:12:43] Miko Lee: for maybe some young folks who had never felt that they had experienced direct racism before, to suddenly see it really blatant in the community. [00:12:52] Jeff Chang: Right. And, it was personal. It touched all of us. I know everyone has stories about how we were treated during the pandemic, and especially the women and especially, the queer folks. In a lot of ways it was paradigm shifting and it was paradigm shifting for me too, you know, so I'm writing about this guy who considers himself a martial artist. [00:13:13] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. [00:13:14] Jeff Chang: And he's teaching people about self-defense. [00:13:18] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. [00:13:19] Jeff Chang: And in his career being accused of fomenting violence, like a lot of. Folks in hip hop have been over the years. [00:13:27] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. [00:13:28] Jeff Chang: I'm suddenly like looking at this in a completely different light. What does it mean to think about self-defense and violence and training to be a warrior, right? I have a lot of folks who are in the military. My mom worked for the police department, like what does that mean? For somebody like me who's, essentially anti militarist, who has critiques of the police, as we all should. who's a deep supporter of Black Lives Matter, like how do we think about what it means to, to be a warrior, and also to understand like the dignity, right in wanting to be a protector. [00:14:04] Miko Lee: Right. [00:14:05] Jeff Chang: Right. And to, uplift what that means, but to kind of think about all of these existential questions and then at the same time to see Bruce popping back up on our walls and murals and popping up on our feeds as a symbol, right. Of pride. Especially during this particular period, near us in the bay, like in San Francisco, Chinatown or Oakland Chinatown, young people bringing back the image of Bruce as a symbol of pride and also this sort of cry for like, can you see us? This sort of underlying desire to find solidarity. All of this mixed up with this like identity crisis that is now taking a different type of turn. So it was a lot to think about and suddenly I was just like, oh, oh, oh, wait a minute. Maybe that's what I'm supposed to write about. So the book became, about Bruce, but also about Bruce as an Asian American and about him kind of traveling parallel to the rise of the Asian American movement. [00:15:04] Miko Lee: Yeah, I think it's so powerful that way, that it does tell this whole Asian American history for folks that might not know from, the very beginning of our, coming from the exclusion act to I hotel, to Vincent Chin and not just like politically, but then also cinematically because he crossed over so many barriers for us. So we're also getting Asian American cinema history with Anna May Wong and Sessue Hayakawa, and even the Hong Kong industry. So I love how you combined all these different elements. It's such a wonderful way to look at that. And I'm wondering what made you decide to organize the book into these three categories of water, mirror, echo. [00:15:44] Jeff Chang: The line came first, Bruce's famous. Epigraph is, be water my friend, and, me being the nerd that I am, I wanted to trace the origins of that and found it pretty quickly, in a sort of, Daoist type of text. called the leads and the full, Section that, had influenced Bruce so much was moving be like water, still be like a mirror, respond like an echo. This is a line that actually resonates through Zen Buddhism as well. It was one of those things where when I first read it in Bruce's Dao Jeet Kun Do, I fell outta my chair. It was amazing. It blew me away. We'd all heard “be water.” We'd heard athletes say it. we'd heard, business leaders, say, we saw the activists in Hong Kong, using it, in the streets. and. Yet to see all of this together was even deeper. That was a window into wow. We think of Bruce as the great popularizer of martial arts. Bruce, he's not recognized as the great popularizer of Asian philosophy, in a lot of ways. It happened during this particular period during the sixties where, views of Asians and Asian Americans were beginning to shift dramatically, opening up in a lot of ways. So we had this phrase, my editor, Akia Clark, and I. She was like, all right, “how are you gonna organize this Jeff?” I was like, I don't know, help me. And she's like, all right, there's a water, there's a mirror, there's an echo here. And it actually tracks to his life and the arc of his story and I was like, “oh, wow. Yeah.” So I can't take any credit. I have to give it to my editor, who is, [00:17:24] Miko Lee: that's a good editor. [00:17:25] Jeff Chang: Amazing. Yo, she was amazing. Rekia was like, I signed you because, I grew up and the only Asian I knew was Bruce Lee. She grew up in largely black communities. She was like, I need to know more. , I really want to hear your take on this. And, and So it was a, an incredible collaboration in that way because it was the type of here's where we meet. She was literally giving me free reign to be able to tell me a story. Tell me why we're meeting here. Right. Why were we meeting through Bruce? That ended up giving me so much confidence and focus after I'd had, all of these years of being in the woods and, uh, what am I gonna do? And then, Lourdes is trying to shake me up That's kind of how it, [00:18:09] Miko Lee: it took that time, that time to simmer, and your creative juices to be able to come up with this. [00:18:15] Jeff Chang: Yeah. Yeah. It didn't feel. Like it at the time, but looking back now, I'm not the fastest, ho nu in the water. [00:18:22] Miko Lee: Because you talked a little bit about confidence and how much Bruce shared about, Asian philosophy, which I think is really true. I wonder if you could speak a little bit more about his sense of confidence, both in himself, and then a sense of destiny, like the mark that he was gonna leave on the planet. [00:18:38] Jeff Chang: It's very interesting to me because I think that this has been kind of, a part of the Bruce Lee legend. It was like he was born for a purpose. I was going through his papers and talking to, his, surviving family members and friends, like it was all improv. [00:18:55] Miko Lee: Really him saying all those things was improv. What was all improv? [00:18:59] Jeff Chang: Yeah. I think part of it, I think, well, maybe it wasn't an all improv, certainly he was driven. [00:19:04] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. [00:19:04] Jeff Chang: He was incredibly ambitious and he was incredibly driven and he knew where he wanted to go. Absolutely 2000%, I think he entered this journey, like all of us in our journeys, you know, like we're maybe packed for the journey, but we might find along the way that we don't have what we need. I was attuned to the points where that narrative would break down. To all of the vulnerabilities that he was feeling in different moments. and especially because I got to talk to folks, who knew him, who maybe hadn't necessarily been interviewed in like, the years. His very close Asian American friends, the folks who knew him, off the martial arts training floor. the folks who thought he was weird and kind of corny, folks at UW. All of these folks knew him at the University of Washington. And the, the common thing was, this guy's goofy. He's just had a one track mind. Like, he just wants to like show us like. Like Gung fu things all the time. Like who does that? [00:20:08] Miko Lee: Like Bruce stop already. We heard that. [00:20:10] Jeff Chang: right, right. Like punch me like, you want me to punch you? That was funny. You know, I was just, and that was sort of also a mind shift, you know, like [00:20:19] Miko Lee: Yeah. [00:20:19] Jeff Chang: It was like, oh, so there was a time before [00:20:21] Miko Lee: he was revered, [00:20:22] Jeff Chang: the cool guy. Yeah, before he was the cool guy. Then before he was the guy that was like super suave and like all the, whatever all the ladies wanted and all the guys wanted to be like, that's been the Bruce narrative. So I was attuned to those parts and what strikes me is how much at the end he stuck to his guns. Like folks will read this in the last section of the book, and I don't want to give it away, but this is when Destiny kicks in and Bruce rises to the top and he makes another dragon. He becomes this global star and it was meant to happen. And I was like, no. He was actually fighting every step of the way. Like every day of his life. He felt like this thing was gonna fall apart. At one time, he boycotted his own movie because they weren't giving him what he wanted. Some of his closest friends say the real thing that killed him. People talk about the coroner's report conspiracy, like evil spirits that, but what he really did was like sacrifice himself in a way. That's how a lot of his friends talk about it, you know? From a sense of this deep personal loss of somebody whom they loved so much and who was like there one day and suddenly gone the next, And so, you know, to deal too with that, question of the melancholia that comes with what we experience when we're the survivors of someone we love, who suffers a premature death. In that regard, like I feel like the last part of the book too was deeply informed by. All of the stuff that's come before, with the Black Lives Matter movement. You know, and understanding, that these came from deep sources of grief and mourning and loss. Thinking about what it's meant for Asian Americans to have to look at two generations before we get to the things that Bruce was fighting for representationally [00:22:14] Miko Lee: Yeah. [00:22:14] Jeff Chang: You know, before we can get to everything everywhere, all at once. And Michelle Yeoh, receiving the Oscar for that. Like it took two generations. It took Brandon passing away one generation after his father, and then it took a whole bunch of other work that, a lot of folks needed to do in order for us to be able to. Get the kinds of representations that we hoped that we might see after, another dragon. and that, something that, has produced a melancholia in us, you know? [00:22:48] Miko Lee: Yeah. Yeah. [00:22:49] Jeff Chang: So. [00:22:50] Miko Lee: You are talking a little bit about the people that you interviewed and there's so many clearly that you did, and when I was reading it, the backstory of Taki, that was when I thought, oh, this is an Asian American author. I mean, I know you, but it like, including that whole backstory I thought was so powerful and actually helped to build out the story of who he is, who his friends were and how he worked with them. I'm wondering if there's an interview that you didn't get. [00:23:14] Jeff Chang: So many. So many. [00:23:16] Miko Lee: Oh really? [00:23:17] Jeff Chang: Yeah. I mean, I haven't gone back to look at the original contract and the date because so many people passed away. I got started on this, I had three other books that I had to complete from my, publisher at the time this book was signed out of, those contracts. I had had a full-time job then, and then when the, pandemic and BLM sort of reached that inflection point, it was a much more than full-time job. I didn't have time to be able to actually devote the book that I really needed to. I did research over a very long course of time. I did interviews over a very long course of time, but I started the interviews too late, so I couldn't interview Taki. [00:23:54] Miko Lee: oh wow. Okay. [00:23:55] Jeff Chang: I couldn't, yeah. Taki, was, alive. He lived to a very old age, but Alzheimer's. Um, [00:24:01] Miko Lee: oh wow. [00:24:02] Jeff Chang: Took him, you know? By the time I started reaching out, it was a little bit like too late. I spoke to his son instead at great length. and a lot of other folks around, him. There wasn't just one, there were a million interviews. I didn't get. Taki, I didn't interview Jesse Glover. I would've loved to have interviewed some of his friends From Hong Kong, but we couldn't access them because of the pandemic. I had an amazing researcher on the ground, Winnie Fu who, did a lot of amazing work there and was able to source a lot of stuff for us. There was so many people, and even now, like I was just up in Seattle for the unveiling of the Bruce Lee postage stamp, and I got to meet a friend of his from high school, and so I'm gonna sit down. I've been talking with Shannon's, cousin, Bruce's niece who has been keeping the genealogies of the family. We've been talking a lot. I'm gonna go back and interview her, and so hopefully maybe by the time the paperback edition comes around, I might be able to have some new information that I might be able to throw in in that edition. [00:25:03] Miko Lee: Yeah. What surprised you most about the research? [00:25:06] Jeff Chang: I think that Bruce was vulnerable. He felt very lonely a lot of the time. he had set himself out like this huge impossible dream in some ways. he knew his destination. He had no idea how he was gonna get there. That's where I talk about it was all improv. and at different points he despaired. I don't know if these folks are really seeing me, I don't think they really understand me. After the Green Hornet, he couldn't get a job. That he felt was befitting him, you know? So he's taking whatever work he can get. He's working as a fight choreographer for Nancy Kwan. And, just doing what he can and he's relying upon people to put him on. He's doing Gung FU training of a lot of the Hollywood top brass. So he can reach out to them, but even they don't believe in him. They don't believe in him like that. That's why he decides he has to leave. But it takes him literally four years to realize, oh, they don't see me as a main character. They don't see me the way I see myself. Yeah. So I gotta go. Even then he's still trying to get on the TV show, Kung fu. When that door slams and they cast David Carradine yellow face, he's like, oh, that, and that's when the ice cube moment really sets in for him. Like, that's how they see me. That's how they really understand me. After that, he's fighting this battle to try to get back to Hollywood. That's, one of the things he feels like he really wants to do. his thought is that I need to build up as much capital as I possibly can in order to be able to negotiate from a point of, strength. It's just very hip hop. It's very wutang clan. He's able to kind of get there. But he's still gotta fight these battles at the end. They just wanted him to shut up and kick. They gave him a black CoStar and a white CoStar because they were afraid that an Asian lead wouldn't make it. They wanted to name the movie Hans Island. Not Enter the Dragon because, Oriental villains were easier to understand than an Asian American male lead. So [00:27:00] Miko Lee: that's such a horrible title too. [00:27:02] Jeff Chang: Oh my God. How can you imagine we would not be talking about Hans Island. [00:27:07] Miko Lee: I don't know how they thought that was a good idea. [00:27:10] Jeff Chang: Yeah, it's true. [00:27:11] Miko Lee: Is there anything else that you would like your audiences that to understand about Bruce Lee? [00:27:16] Jeff Chang: What I tried to do is portray him in the context that he actually lived in, We've got the legend of Bruce, we've got the stories, of Bruce that have kind of burnished the legend. What I tried to do was to try to put him back as a human being, as a young person walking through Hong Kong streets and the streets of China, you know, down Grant and then, down King Street in Seattle. making it up to the studios, in Hollywood. and what that meant, for him to, actually accomplish all this kind of stuff. Because when we take away the legend, and this is one of the things I was worried about too, back in the late 2000 tens when I was like, I don't know what I'm gonna write. When you take away the legend. I was worried that people were gonna be like, oh, you just want to drag down this guy? And you're like the guy that's just throwing water on our hero. But what I'm, really understanding now is. when you look back at what he went through and what he overcame, he actually becomes even more heroic, to all of us. He wasn't a perfect person. but I think he remains a hero like more than a half century after his passing because of the things that he did. [00:28:28] Miko Lee: I think that's right and I think you do an amazing job in the book of incorporating this powerful Asian American history and putting, his experience in a time and place that helps the broader world understand what an icon he is and remains. And I really appreciate you for writing this book and taking this time and the amount of energy it took to Percolate really pays off. [00:28:52] Jeff Chang: Thanks so much. I so appreciate you. [00:28:55] Miko Lee: So I'm gonna be interviewing NAKASEC on their new study on Asian American Men in the Manosphere. Are you familiar about this? [00:29:02] Jeff Chang: Oh, I can't wait to read this. I cannot wait to read this. It's so, [00:29:06] Miko Lee: do you know about this? No. To this report. [00:29:08] Jeff Chang: I didn't know about it. I didn't know about it. I'm, I'm glad somebody's doing it. [00:29:11] Miko Lee: Yeah. So they did a whole survey and they found that there is a lot of Asian American men that are part of the manosphere. Mm-hmm. And I'm wondering for you, who's written about Asian American male identity, if you have thoughts about this? [00:29:26] Jeff Chang: So many thoughts. I was very much thinking about the Asian American manosphere as I was writing this book, because these are my cousins, these are my friends, these are, folks who I've sparred with. [00:29:39] Miko Lee: Right. [00:29:40] Jeff Chang: These are conversations I'm having with folks, at the bar over a meal. I'm really interested in seeing how we're able to understand what the appeal of the far right has been around questions, of masculinity in this moment and to win these folks back. I've also seen on the flip side, shifts and changes, around, how Asian American masculinity is displayed sea on social media in this era of a crackdown in immigration. [00:30:19] Miko Lee: Yeah. [00:30:20] Jeff Chang: We really do need solidarity. We really do identify with, what Latinos, are going through. What I worry about is that, the Asian American left, our first in instinct would be just to be like, ah, I can't talk to them. it's Gonna like upset me too much. I can't deal with this. Somebody has to,, because that, those are our folks and we've lost them over the last, five years or so and we've gotta get 'em back. [00:30:45] Miko Lee: And are there folks that you know of that are working specifically on ways to pull this community back? [00:30:50] Jeff Chang: I imagine that there's a lot of work on the ground that's happening. because this is the, world that I'm in, I look to the folks who are, doing podcasts or doing social media work and, who are, often, men who. Are, you know, kind of like me, like troubled by this development and trying to find a way to speak to their folks as well. I'm monitoring that. I'm not, deep within it, but, like I said, I wrote this book, understanding that, that particular subset of our community. those are the folks that, are the Bruce Lee fans. [00:31:22] Miko Lee: Yeah. [00:31:23] Jeff Chang: and are the folks who are, involved in, mixed martial arts and, involved in, athletics and, all these other kinds of things. And, and they're not too far away. [00:31:33] Miko Lee: Yeah. It feels like there's a disconnect between that kind of loving of Bruce Lee and that world, and interaction with politics, interaction with the current events and how that's impacting them and their families. [00:31:48] Jeff Chang: Well, I think it's. Yeah. I put that down to the fragmentation of the way that we receive media. [00:31:54] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. [00:31:55] Jeff Chang: You know, and also, of course, the ways in which social media is geared towards the extremes. The way it's geared towards the extremes and towards lifting up the. Loudest crudest voices sometimes. Mm-hmm. That's exactly where the manosphere originates from. Right? That's where it [00:32:15] Miko Lee: lives. [00:32:15] Jeff Chang: Yeah. That's where it lives, is inside that pocket. It's about again, trying to get inside of that and what's causing that. What's the melancholia that's behind that? What is generating this rage, this fury, and being able to channel that, fury, that anger into, ways that will actually help not just all of us, but specifically them. [00:32:39] Miko Lee: Yeah. [00:32:40] Jeff Chang: That's an organizing problem that we have to take up. [00:32:43] Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing. I'm gonna send you the research, the report so you can read it and, [00:32:48] Jeff Chang: uh, I can't wait to break this open. Oh, [00:32:52] Miko Lee: okay. I appreciate you. Thanks so much. [00:32:54] Jeff Chang: Thank you. [00:32:55] Miko Lee: Next up I speak with Rachel Kelzer, the communications director for NAKASEC, about their new study of Asian American men and the manosphere.Welcome Rachel Koelzer, communications Director for NAKASEC. Welcome to Apex Express. [00:33:12] Rachel Koelzer: Hi. Thank you so much for having me today. [00:33:15] Miko Lee: Can you first explain for our audience, your organization that you work with NAKASEC [00:33:19] Rachel Koelzer: So NAKASEC is short for the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium. We are a national network of five affiliated organizations in six states. [00:33:32] Miko Lee: Thank you. I wanna start with the question I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? [00:33:41] Rachel Koelzer: This is a great question. My people are the dreamers. They are the community rooted, change makers who believe that we are accountable and responsible to each other. For our collective wellbeing, our collective liberation, and our collective joy and care for each other. My people are also Korean adoptees, part of the Asian diaspora, and people who have survived challenges of life and still seek joy and to thrive. [00:34:23] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for sharing. Through your work at NAKASEC, you recently released this report with a big old title, Asian Men, the Manosphere and Social Media, an Inflection Point for Asian American Advocacy and American Democracy. Wow. Can you first talk about what inspired this study? [00:34:43] Rachel Koelzer: I became aware that there was this ongoing trend and challenge that we were having of not reaching young Asian men. Our followers were predominantly non men. Based on gender and significantly more women following us. Something like 70 30, 80 20. I talked with other organizations who also do advocacy and community based work who also faced similar challenges. I just wondered why. What is it that is preventing us from effectively reaching this large portion of our community that we serve? So from there we went and partnered with Dr. Tom Wong, and really started to dive into exploring the reasons behind it. [00:35:34] Miko Lee: So let's back up for a second. Can you explain for our audience what the manosphere is? [00:35:40] Rachel Koelzer: The manosphere in kind of simplified terms, it's a loosely connected network, of online communities, influencers and content creators who focus on men's issues, masculinity, dating, health and fitness, financial wealth, and gender dynamics. It includes this wide spectrum of content, that range from like the more everyday fitness self-help. To more controversial topics, like anti-feminism, traditional gender roles and critiques of modern women in society. The common thread across these, loosely connected, communities and spaces is this underlying thread of traditional gender norms and expectations. [00:36:30] Miko Lee: So is the manosphere inherently misogynistic? [00:36:34] Rachel Koelzer: Yes. [00:36:35] Miko Lee: Well that was a really quick response. Yes. No question. [00:36:38] Rachel Koelzer: [Laughter] I being real here, you know? Yeah. It is. [00:36:46] Miko Lee: Okay. [00:36:46] Rachel Koelzer: So within the broader manosphere, there's also men's rights activists. Some more like toxic masculine type views. There is a little bit of a range, but yes, inherently, there's deep rooted misogyny. [00:36:58] Miko Lee: So how did you find people for your Study were they self-described people that participated in the manosphere? [00:37:06] Rachel Koelzer: We partnered with Dr. Tom Wong, who is at the University of California, San Diego to conduct this survey. He used the voter file. They are self-identified Asian men and we set the parameters to be between the ages of 18 to 45. They identified across political ideology, across political party, and started with more general questions around their social media use. What platforms were they on? What, were the reasons that they were on social media. Who did they follow? To get a baseline understanding of where and what they're consuming. We know that they're online. There were questions about engagement with the manosphere. [00:37:52] Miko Lee: What did this study reveal? What was surprising to you? [00:37:57] Rachel Koelzer: What was really shocking is that one in five young Asian men are regularly engaging with manosphere content. That's 20% one in five. [00:38:07] Miko Lee: That's a huge number. [00:38:08] Rachel Koelzer: It's a huge number. Yeah. They're engaging with this content that is, starting off pretty innocuous like, you want to look better, you want to feel better, you want to have better relationships. What's being embedded in that to varying degrees of, subtlety are these values of more traditional expectations and roles. It's alarming that this that this many young Asian men are regularly engaging with it. We defined engaging, as, commenting, following, sharing. There were questions about how often they're seeing it across their feed, whether or not they're looking for it or not. We found that 35% of young Asian men are encountering manosphere content on their social media feeds several times a week. [00:39:00] Miko Lee: Are they identifying it as manosphere content? [00:39:04] Rachel Koelzer: They identified it, yes. In the survey we did provide a definition. Beforehand of what the manosphere was, and so anything within that would have to fall under this category. [00:39:17] Miko Lee: Are most of those influencers and content creators, Asian American men also? [00:39:23] Rachel Koelzer: That's a really good question. When both Dr. Wong and our team, NAKASEC team, were doing some research there, we didn't actually come across when we were looking at like the bigger names, right? Tens of thousands, upwards of millions followers. We didn't really come across many of those large followers that are Asian men. The men that are perpetuating it, regardless of their race or ethnic background. I think what that points to, you mentioned white supremacy earlier, but there's this idea and value that's perpetuated of colorblindness. And so in this space, the gender kind of supersedes the race. What was really curious is, later on in the study we also asked, about early childhood experiences and lessons, from the adults in their lives around masculine values, around showing and expressing emotions, and around representation of asian men in the media. A large portion agreed that the overall representation of Asian men is harmful. We know for those of us who have been interrogating our experiences in the world for a while. We know that Asians and Asian men in particular, we're stereotyped, we're troped in a lot of ways, right, of these feminine, unattractive, nerdy, geeky, or you've got the other side, you've got the Bruce Lees, you've got the Jackie Chans, right? There's a flattening that happens and . I think that is where the manosphere is dangerous and potentially even more appealing to communities who feel that they've been overlooked and undervalued, because it offers answers and those answers are really harmful to other communities, but they're still providing answers. [00:41:28] Miko Lee: Can we speak a little bit more about the perceptions of Asian Americans in the media There's the stereotypes around women being either the dragon woman or the sexual exotic kind of play toy. Asian men, as you were pointing out, it's either the kung fu guy or the nerdy guy or the effeminate guy. Right. There's like not that much distinction. Is that your perception as well? [00:41:57] Rachel Koelzer: Yes. I think there's been, even from when I was a child and growing up, over the past 30 years, there's been, improvements. But I think overall yes. [00:42:08] Miko Lee: When I grew up, the only images were movies and television, and there just was not that much. So we did have those stereotype visions, but it was so limited in scope and content. There just was not as much content. Now it's everywhere. There's content in your phone, there's all these different social media apps, there's all these different channels you can watch. I'm wondering how that has impacted Asian Americans men's perspectives on how they see themselves and if that. Just looking at social media and the manosphere and how that impacted, the reason why you did the study and the outcomes of the study. [00:42:46] Rachel Koelzer: The study showed that 26.7% of the men who were surveyed feel that Asian men are portrayed favorably in social media. That's actually still a very low percentage. 71.6% agree that Asian men are often underrepresented or stereotyped in media and popular culture. Even though yes, there's still greater representation, that there's still the portrayals and the quality and caliber or what that representation actually is, or how it's developed is still significantly lacking. What the manosphere offers, one, it offers answers as to how you might get away from, from those, right? You might be able to get out of that, which is to be this hyper quote unquote, masculine, dominating, character. It points the blame directly away from systems like patriarchy and white supremacy. It doesn't really interrogate what internalized misogyny, internalized racism, looks like and is doing. It's saying. You know what the problem is actually that women are becoming too independent. The problem is that, men are becoming too effeminate, and so there's this combination of race blindness and naming another villain in a way that punches down. [00:44:32] It's a combination of looking for genuine insight and information to better understand their experiences and they're finding answers, but the quality of those answers and the ways that they're getting pushed to those are very problematic, very concerning. Not just for what that means for women in queer rights and immigrant rights and marginalized communities rights. These kinds of values that are being espoused and normalized. But what that means for, , how someone starts to view themselves and, their role in the world and the impact that that has on the systems, and structures of our society. [00:45:13] Miko Lee: There's so many interesting things that you said. I heard you say the men are finding a sense of belonging in the manosphere, and they're getting answers and the answers being right wing propaganda, which is being fed to them. Is that right? [00:45:26] Rachel Koelzer: Yeah, I think that's right. The problem is the quality of the answers that they're receiving. The values that are embedded within that, whether or not they're being explicitly named, it's not. There are, again, if you go further, deeper, there are folks that are very proud to be part of the manosphere. That is a known and a shared identity as far as like we are part of the manosphere.Then there are those, I think Joe Rogan himself is like, I'm not part of that, but if you listen to his content and his messages, right? There's a lot of those traditional right wing, very violent and misogynistic roots that are coming out in there. [00:46:13] It starts off very innocuously looking for answers, looking to better understand your life, your experiences, and what you can do about it. That's innocuous enough. Right. And there's even, like, there's a lot to be said about that kind of,, what's the word I'm trying to think of,, initiative, right? To better understand and seek resources and things. But unfortunately through a combination of the algorithm. Through investments into these kinds of content creators, , and spaces we're seeing that those proliferating a lot more. And so whether or not young Asian men are intentionally seeking this type of content, they're being fed it regularly. [00:46:54] Miko Lee: I also heard you this comment about race blindness. I get that it because it's like men, men, men we're men and we're bounding together. But race blindness feels like a rube, if you will, for, white supremacy and misogyny. It's this way of saying we are all one, but very much targeting, specific folks that are not in positions of power and control. [00:47:21] Rachel Koelzer: Yeah, absolutely. It flattens and erases the experiences of people who have been marginalized through, our laws, our policies, and it stops the need. It stops the self-reflection and interrogation too that is asked of us otherwise, which is to reflect on what power do I hold and what is my responsibility with that power, whether it's, having more privilege because I'm a citizen. Having privilege because you are a man. Even if you are also, historically and presently marginalized because of your race as an Asian person, it reduces that depth and again, that responsibility for self-reflection and interrogation. [00:48:22] Miko Lee: So given all that, your report says this is a warning sign, which clearly it is and an opportunity. I wonder if you could talk a bit more about what is the opportunity here as we're in this time of great change. Great revolution, the year of the fire horse. Talk about how we can actively disrupt that pipeline to radical extremism. [00:48:46] Rachel Koelzer: It's an important question and it's an important conversation that we need to have. There needs to be an awareness and an understanding of what it is that, is threatening the health and wellbeing of our community and of our country. What this study showed is we're at an inflection point. The percentages, the numbers, we're not so far down the rabbit hole, but we're like right on the edge. We're like at this tipping point, and so intervention is necessary now. This is a great opportunity for organizations, for community leaders to be having these conversations. To be engaging in political education with their community members to be, educating and informing and connecting with members of their community, particularly young Asian men. And it's an opportunity for these in-person spaces and these digital spaces to be countering the manosphere with our own answers. [00:49:51] I think that's one of the biggest things, especially when we're talking about a digital space, to be investing in content creators, to be investing in artists, to be investing in doing the work of putting out our own answers and solutions. Explanations and analysis of what is happening. It's a call to action and an opportunity for funders, donors for people who have the ability, to put money behind these kinds of spaces online. There's just this significant disparate investment. It's an opportunity to be really investing in community, really investing in recreating spaces, building out spaces, I'm thinking particularly again, community-based organizations who can be understanding what the risks and threats are and understanding their communities where they are, and not necessarily adding to, but, with this threat in mind, how does that inform the spaces that you're creating or the strategies that you are engaging?Whether it's online or in person. [00:51:13] Miko Lee: We need to gather up our brothers, our nephews, our uncles, gather 'em all up, talk about our real, Asian American history of resistance, our power, our ability to move forward, connect with that in person, pull them outta the manosphere, connect all together so that we could move forward as a community in solidarity with each other. [00:51:37] Rachel Koelzer: Absolutely. There's opportunities across the board regardless, of where your particular position is. Even if you're not a part of a community organization or you're a teacher, a parent. One of the things that also came up in this study was that across ideologies, across the political spectrum and across age groups, there was a significant number. It was like close to 70 or over 70% had shared experiences, of being discouraged from showing emotions, from being, from seeing, modeled from the men in their lives, examples of stoicism. Of, more traditional masculinity, more traditional gender norms. And so there is this also aspect of, yeah, bringing in folks, bringing in our nephews, our brothers, our cousins, our friends, our uncles, and a reflection upon what can we do to be, raising our next generations, our current and our next generations, to value themselves and those around them who are different. To be able to express emotions, be able to have deep, reciprocal relationships, , and to have respect and understand what it means to reflect on one's privilege that comes as a result of, an identity in this very hierarchical world, whether it's, as a man under patriarchy or white, under white supremacy. These are skills that can be taught and can be learned. I think that this is also an opportunity to be reflecting on how we as a society understanding these [00:53:33] Miko Lee: Well, Rachel Koelzer, thank you so much for joining me and sharing about your report. How can people find out more about your work? [00:53:42] Rachel Koelzer: Thank you so much for having me. You can follow NAKASEC on most social media platforms. Visit our website. We've got tons of resources and information there and check out our local affiliates. You can find out more about them on our website and on our socials. If you are, you know, in the area, would love to see you. [00:54:01] Miko Lee: Thank you so much. [00:54:03] Rachel Koelzer: Thank you. [00:54:04] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for joining us. Just a note that Apex Express will be off air for fundrive until May 28th, but we wanna acknowledge that May is Asian American, native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and there are film festivals and cultural events happening all around the country that celebrate our diverse experiences. One Bay Area one to note is CAAMFEST. It's back! The center of Asian American media returns for its 44th year and its festival from May 7th through the 10th is at the Kabuki Theater, a MC in San Francisco with an amazing program of impressive filmmakers. Check it out, maybe I'll see you there and happy AANHPI month. Please check out our website, kpfa.org/program/apexexpress to find out more about our show and our guests tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preti Mangala-Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me Miko Lee, and edited by Ayame Keane-Lee. Have a great night.. The post APEX Express – 4.30.26 – Bruce Lee and the Manosphere appeared first on KPFA.
What a year it was! Some great, legendary classics came out in 1957. But it was The Bridge on the River Kwai that came out on top at the Academy Awards for that year. David Lean's WWII classic about obsession is still as riveting as it was almost seven decades later. With brilliant performances by the entire cast, especially Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa, the film is captivating in every aspect ... including the legendary whistling tune Colonel Bogey March. However, was it deserving of the five Oscars it won, including the Best Picture prize?Listen to film critic Jack Ferdman's take on it as he analyzes everything about The Bridge on the River Kwai, as well as many other films from that year, and hear which film he gives his Rewatch Oscar of 1957.Download, listen, and share ALL Rewatching Oscar episodes.SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW Rewatching Oscar:Website: https://rewatchingoscar.buzzsprout.comApple Podcasts/iTunesSpotifyGoogle PodcastsiHeart RadioPodchaserPodcast AddictTuneInAlexaAmazon Overcasts Podcast Addict Player FMRSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1815964.rssWebsite: https://rewatchingoscar.buzzsprout.comSocial Media Links: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, BlueSkyShare your thoughts and suggestions with us through:Facebook Messenger or email us atjack@rewatchingoscar.com or jackferdman@gmail.comMusic by TurpacShow Producer: Jack FerdmanPodcast Logo Design: Jack FerdmanMovie (audio) trailer courtesy of MovieClips Classic TrailersMovie (audio) clips courtesy of YouTubeSupport us by downloading, sharing, and giving us a 5-star Rating. It helps our podcast continue to reach many people and make it available to share more episodes with everyone.Send us a text
“You are mine—body and soul!” – The Cheat (1915)This week, we're traveling back to 1915 with returning guests Amanda Rush and Jae Kim for a deep dive into Cecil B. DeMille's The Cheat. A landmark of early American cinema, The Cheat helped shape visual storytelling through its pioneering use of lighting, editing, and narrative tension. But alongside its technical innovation lies a deeply troubling legacy—particularly in its portrayal of race and power.Amanda and Jae help us unpack the film's lasting influence, Sessue Hayakawa's complex role in Hollywood history, and how The Cheat fits into the broader conversation about preserving films that reflect both the artistry and the prejudices of their time.• The Cheat (1915) was directed by Cecil B. DeMille and stars Fannie Ward and Sessue Hayakawa• Selected to the National Film Registry in 1993• Celebrated for its dramatic lighting, narrative structure, and early use of cross-cutting• Discussion topics include:• The visual legacy of The Cheat• Sessue Hayakawa's breakthrough role and its cultural implications• Representations of race and gender in early Hollywood• The importance of preserving films that capture both cinematic milestones and historical biases Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale
In this episode of "The History of Hollywood with Marc Wanamaker", Marc tells us about the first Japanese movie star in Hollywood, Sessue Hayakawa."The History of Hollywood with Marc Wanamaker"Taped at Hang On to the Dream Theatre, Hollywood, CAWritten by Marc WanamakerCreated & Produced by Christopher EwingFor more information about Marc, and his extensive collection of Hollywood books and photos, go to www.BisonArchives.com.For more information about the show, go to www.PovertyRowStudios.TV.
In this episode we cover just how, exactly, American cinema came to dominate Europe in the wake of WW1. We take a look at the economic practices that facilitated the "invasion" of American cinema onto French screens. We also examine one picture in particular, The Cheat, which exemplifies the technical sophistication of U.S. national cinema, and that film's reception by the City of Lights.If you would like to email me you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.comHistory of Film Discord: https://discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSFLetter Boxed: https://boxd.it/3cZn3Support the show
This week on The Tinsel Factory, the life of Sessue Hayakawa. Movie Reviews: Trap Support This Podcast: https://anchor.fm/tinselfactorypod Merch: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/the-tinsel-factory/all Venmo: @tinselfactorypod Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/tinselpod Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/tinselfactory/ Sources: http://goldsea.com/Personalities/Hayakawas/hayakawas.html http://dr-yokai.blogspot.com/2011/09/sessue-hayakawa-japanese-star-of.html youtube.com/watch?v=qJCvAdJt_9w --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tinselfactorypod/support
Danny Lee packt aus! Er nimmt uns mit auf eine rasante Reise von seinen Anfängen als Model & Schauspieler bishin zu seinem Derzeit "streng geheimen" Projekt als Screenwriter. Wie das mit Sessue Hayakawa und Rain (Bi) zusammenhängt, erfahrt ihr in dieser Folge "Der asexuelle asiatische Mann"! Die Stories sind so gut - Das man sich nicht ausdenken. Vielen Dank Danny! Folgt Danny Lee - Screenwriter, Schauspieler & Model Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannylee.de/ Website: https://www.dannylee.de/ https:// www.instagram.com/wirredendiewelt_pod/ https:// www.tiktok.com/@redendiewelt https://www.youtube.com/@WirredendieWelt https://www.instagram.com/wirredendiewelt_pod https://www.tiktok.com/@redendiewelt
In “It's A Wonderful Life,” BEULAH BONDI played the most loving mother to JAMES STEWART. Ma Bailey is the epitome of sweetness, kindness, and supportiveness so it's quite shocking when we meet the Ma Bailey who would have existed had George Bailey not been born. She's cold, bitter, and unkind. It gives Bondi the wonderful opportunity to play two versions of the same character, which she does flawlessly. So to celebrate Mother's Day, Nan and Steve are taking a page from Bondi's playbook as they discuss the good and bad mothers of classic cinema. SHOW NOTES: Sources: Moms in the Movies (2014), by Richard Corliss; Actresses of a Certain Character (2007), by Axel Nissen; Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood (2006), by Wes D. Gehring; Shelley: Also Known as Shirley (1981), by Shelley Winters; Gene Tierney: Self Portrait (1979), by Gene Tierney and Mickey Herkowitz; “Mrs. Miniver: The film that Goebbels Feared,” February 9, 2015, by Fiona Macdonald, February 9, 2015, BBC.com; "Greer Garson, 92, Actress, Dies; Won Oscar for 'Mrs. Miniver',” April 7, 1996, by Peter B. Flint, New York Times; “Stella Dallas,” August 6, 1937, New York Times Film Review; “Barbara Stanwyck, Actress, Dead at 82,” Jan. 22, 1990, by Peter B. Flint, New York Times; “1989 Kennedy Center Honors, Claudette Colbert,” Kennedy-Center.org; “Moving Story of War Against Japan: ‘Three Came Home',” by Bosley Crowther, Feb. 21, 1950, New York Times Film Review; “Queen of Diamonds: Angela Lansbury on ‘The Manchurian Candidate',” 2004; “Manchurian Candidate: Old Failure, Is Now A Hit,” by Aljean Harmetz, February 24, 1988, New York Times; “Jo Van Fleet,” by Dan Callahan, May 10, 2017, Film Comment; “Pacific's largely forgotten Oscar winner made impact on screen,” March 3, 2024, University of the Pacific; IMDBPro.com; Wikipedia.com Movies Mentioned: The Grapes of Wrath (1940), starring Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, and Charley Grapewin; The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Mary Beth Hughes, Henry Morgan, Jane Darwell, Anthony Quinn, and William Eythe; Mrs. Miniver (1942), starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Teresa Wright, Henry Travers, and Richard Ney; Leave Her To Heaven (1945), starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, Vincent Price, Mary Phillips, and Darryl Hickman; The Manchurian Candidate (1962), starring Lawrence Harvey, Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh, and Angela Lansbury; The Manchurian Candidate (2004), starring Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Live Schreiber, and Jeffrey Wight; Gaslight (1944), starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotten, and Angela Lansbury; I Remember Mama (1948), starring Irene Dunne, Philip Dorn, Barbara Bel Geddes, Oscar Homolka, Ellen Corby, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and Barbara O'Neil; Stella Dallas (1937), starring Barbara Stanwyck, Anne Shirley, John Boles, Barbara O'Neil, and Alan Hale; Stella (1990), starring Bette Midler, Trini Alvarado, John Goodman, Stephen Collins, Marsha Mason, and Eileen Brennan; White Heat (1949), starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Steve Cochran, Margaret Wycherly, Fred Clark, and John Archer; The Little Foxes (1941), starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Patricia Collinge, Dan Duryea, and Richard Carlson; The Ten Commandments (1956), starring Charlton Heston, Anne Baxter, Yul Brynner, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne DeCarlo, Martha Scott, John Derek, Debra Paget, Vincent Price, and John Carradine; Three Came Home (1950), starring Claudette Colbert. Sessue Hayakawa, and Patric Knowles; A Patch of Blue (1965), starring Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Hartman, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, Ivan Dixon, and Elizabeth Fraser; East of Eden (1955), starring James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, and Jo Van Fleet --------------------------------- http://www.airwavemedia.com Please contact sales@advertisecast.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A discussion about and look into the stories, the history and personalities that came together to make "The Dragon Painter" in 1919. Directed by William Worthington and starring Tsuru Aoki and Sessue Hayakawa. This is the third stop of our "World Tour '24" and we dive into some of the best film talents to come from Japan. Twitter/X - @goldensilents1 Instagram - goldensilentscast
It may have all the aesthetics of a big, burly action epic, but don't get it twisted: The Bridge on the River Kwai is a nuanced, character-based drama, and a philosophical rumination on the absurdities of human nature. In the end, this is a film that's unafraid to ask questions without obvious answers. We'll circle back to that in a bit. For anyone who's never experienced this cinematic milestone, let me give you the Reader's Digest version of the plot: As WWII rages, a battalion of British troops are herded into a Japanese POW camp. As such, the camp commandant (Sessue Hayakawa) urges his captives to throw themselves into work. Conveniently, a rail bridge needs to be built across the Kwai River, thus linking Burma to Rangoon. Colonel Saito, the commander, promises the men they will be treated well, provided they complete the task on schedule.Almost instantly, a battle of wills springs up in the camp. Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), the British commander, is aghast to learn that his officers will work manual labor alongside enlisted men. Not only is this against the Geneva Convention, it's just...uncivilized. His senior staff will do no such thing. In retaliation, Saito loads Nicholson into a hotbox, where he can broil until his spirit breaks. Only, Nicholson doesn't break, and days begin to pass. This puts Saito in an impossible situation: Does he simply give in and look weak? Or, does he risk that Nicholson dies in solitary, and possibly end up with a prisoner uprising?Meanwhile, Commander Shears (William Holden) watches this personality clash from his infirmary bed. He's a charming, shifty American, who manipulates Saito's system to ensure his own survival. If that means bribing the guards, faking illness, or digging graves for his fallen comrades, then so be it. As Nicholson goes in the cooler, Shears can only shake his head in disgust: What good is such fanatical devotion to duty if it no one lives to tell of it?The film's turning point comes when Shears makes a daring escape. Somehow, he navigates the jungle thicket, and gets rescued by Burmese civilians. They get him to a British army hospital, where he eventually gets strong enough to subsist on a diet of dry martinis and blonde nurses. Just as Shears is about to settle into this cushy existence, some British officers show up with a wacky plan. Major Warden (Jack Hawkins) proposes to lead a commando team back into the jungle to blow up the Kwai River bridge. As Shears recently stumbled across this terrain, he would be the perfect guide. At first, the American is nonplussed at the idea of traipsing back into that humid hellhole. Still, the Brits make an offer he can't refuse, and back in they go.A moral and philosophical quandary emerges when Nicholson overcorrects in the name of his troops' morale and safety. He resolves to construct the bridge as an enduring monument to British precision, thus ensuring his men will survive the war. As Clipton points out, Nicholson's sudden exuberance and perfectionism borders on treason. Still the colonel responds with a shrug: If they have no choice, why not give it their all?On a cinematic level, Kwai is a masterpiece on every front. Lean would begin a stretch of ambitious, masterful films (Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago would follow) that would feature many of the same hallmarks as this one: Lush cinematography (Jack Hildyard would win the Oscar), memorable music (ditto Malcolm Arnold, who would score a hit with "Colonel Bogey March), and legendary performances. Holden is perfectly cast as the casual, carousing Shears, who slowly runs out of angles to work. Donald, who would also memorably play another POW in The Great Escape, is also outstanding as the perpetually exasperated Clipton. Hayakawa gives depth to Saito, making him more than just a brutal, scowling monster. With all that said, Guinness would deservedly win the Oscar for his turn as Nicholson, a man whose pride, obsessiveness, and inflexibility point him to the same doom as Saito.Truth is, I can heap praise on Kwai for another 1000 words, but let me boil it all down for you. This is just one of those movies you have to see. Lean, working with blacklisted writers Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, delivers an intricate masterpiece that was ahead of its time. On the surface, this looks like a straightforward war film, or maybe a thoughtful character study. Watch it a few more times, and you'll see that it's actually a lot more than either of those things.161 min. PG. AMC+.
Episode 54: THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI Take a trip with us to Southeast Asia in the midst of World War II, as a British Colonel faces off against his Japanese captor in David Lean's adventure epic The Bridge on the River Kwai. Released in 1957, the film tells the story of Col. Nicholson and Col. Saito, two head strong men who butt heads as the British Prisoners of War are forced to build a rail bridge over the Kwai River. There's also an American, Shears, who reluctantly joins a commando squad to hike through the jungle to blow up the bridge. Starring Alec Guiness, William Holden, and Sessue Hayakawa, The Bridge on the River Kwai racked up seven Oscars (TM), including Best Picture. It ranks #16 on our countdown.* Be sure to look out for us again next week for a discussion of Annie Hall. Spoiler Alert: We talk about the movie in its entirety, so if you haven't yet seen it, check it out. Or not. That ball is in your court. *What is this list? We explain it in more detail in our Trailer and its Description, but as a high-level answer: we aggregated several different lists that rank the ninety-four winners of the Best Picture Academy Award in a rough attempt to get a consensus. It is not intended to be rigorous or definitive. It's just a framework to guide our journey through cinema history.
MNAM welcomes its first repeat guest, writer and filmmaker Alex Kavutskiy, who returns to discuss David Lean's World War II epic THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI starring William Holden, Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa. The 1958 film concerns a British Lt. Colonel held in captivity as a prisoner of war by Japanese forces, and his obsessive need to finish a railway bridge connecting Bangkok and Rangoon. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI was an unqualified success upon release, topping the 1957 box office and sweeping that year's Academy Awards, but on MNAM it will have to compete against all nine Saw movies for attention. Don't miss this in-depth discussion into one of Lean's crowning achievements, plus notable diversions into Michael Clayton, Saw, Shoah, The Office, Saw VI, Marry Me, roadtrip podcasts, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, and much much more. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Ryan and Dylan discuss some of the greatest epic's in British cinema history, David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago.
This week the sisters are talking about Disney's 1960 adaptation of “The Swiss Robinsons”. This adventure film was beloved by Pauline and Lisa as children. But with neither sister having seen the movie in 25 years, and with a disclaimer at the start of the film on Disney+, is this movie as great as they remember? Listen and find out! *The actor who plays the Pirate Captain is Sessue Hayakawa*
Leo Vice joins The Steebee Weebee Show for the 1st time!! We talk about: the lack of Asian men in the entertainment field, our high school wrestling experiences, his production company: East Meats West, Asian men on dating sites, the Japanese actor: Sessue Hayakawa, perceptions towards Interracial couples, the video games: Elden Ring & Fallout, Call Of Duty-Warzone "loadouts", his tips on getting good at "Sniping", him meeting Jeremy Long, how Leo got introduced to the industry, our favorite professional Skateboarders ,and much more !!!!Go to: https://www.youtube.com/steebeeweebee to watch. More: Leo https://www.instagram.com/the_lion_emperor Scissor Bros YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/scissorbros ** Now on iTunes: https://goo.gl/CdSwyV ** Subscribe: https://goo.gl/d239PO Little Ray promises a Karma Boost if you join our Patreon: https://goo.gl/aiOi7J Or, click here for a one time Karma Boost. https://www.paypal.me/steebeeweebeeshow/2 More Steven: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quangou Bandcamp: https://steebeeweebee.bandcamp.com/ Itunes: https://goo.gl/PSooa0 WEBSITE: https://www.steebeeweebeeshow.com Send stuff to: 1425 N. Cherokee Ave P.O. Box 1391 Los Angeles, CA 90093
El Ferrocarril Tailandia-Birmania construido con mano de obra esclava, fue la base del libro de Pierre Boulle en el que se basó esta super-producción dirigida por David Lean y protagonizada por William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins y Sessue Hayakawa . Podemos decir que esta película fue la que dio el pistoletazo de salida a las grandes películas clásicas del Cine Bélico. El trasfondo histórico fue terrible, donde se piensa que murieron 90 000 trabajadores asiáticos y 16 000 prisioneros de guerra. Como siempre, primero la parte cinéfila con 📽️ Imanol López , y en la segunda parte la histórica con👨🚀 Dani CArAn. Además, a 📽️ Imanol lo encontrarás en el blog Todo sobre mi Cine Bélico https://todosobremicinebelico.blogspot.com/ Mi Cine Bélico es un programa mensual de Casus Belli. Produce 🛠️ PodFactory http://podfactory.es Casus Belli Podcast pertenece a 🏭 Factoría Casus Belli. Casus Belli Podcast forma parte de 📀 Ivoox Originals. 👉https://podcastcasusbelli.com 👉En Facebook, nuestra página es @casusbellipodcast https://www.facebook.com/CasusBelliPodcast 👉En Instagram estamos como @casusbellipodcast https://www.instagram.com/casusbellipodcast 👉En Twitter estamos como @casusbellipod @CasusBelliPod 👉Telegram, nuestro canal es @casusbellipodcast https://t.me/casusbellipodcast 👨💻Nuestro chat del canal es https://t.me/aviones10 ⚛️ El logotipo de Carros 10 y de la Factoría Casus Belli están diseñados por Publicidad Fabián publicidadfabian@yahoo.es 🎵 La música incluida en el programa es Ready for the war de Marc Corominas Pujadó bajo licencia CC. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ El resto de música es bajo licencia privada de Epidemic Music, Jamendo Music o SGAE. de Ivoox. 📧¿Queréis contarnos algo? También puedes escribirnos a casus.belli.pod@gmail.com Si te ha gustado, y crees que nos lo merecemos, nos sirve mucho que nos des un like, ya que nos da mucha visibilidad. Muchas gracias por escucharnos, y hasta la próxima. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals
Hey film buds, We all love a good laugh. We always have. Comedy is one of the oldest genres that humans have ever understood in our plays and stories. To celebrate AAPI Heritage this week, we decided to look at Comedies made by AAPI Filmmakers, and some of the history of AAPI people in film. Introduction - 00:00Opening ChatThoughts on ComedyAAPI History: Sessue Hayawaka - 10:46To begin our AAPI discussion, we start with some history on Japanese film star Sessue Hayakawa. Our first film is Slacker-Sports Comedy Ping Pong Playa. Co-Written by its star, it often bucks most media portrayals of AAPI people. We'll discuss Slacker characters, what we like about Comedy, and how it also reflects the time in which it was made. Ping Pong Playa - 23:43Review and DiscussionSecond, we'll review and discuss the Martial Arts Comedy The Paper Tigers. The film is a labor of love, that took years to realize. We'll talk about the production history, compare it with other Martial Arts films, and discuss the similarities between Ping Pong Playa and The Paper Tigers.The Paper Tigers - 35:55Production History/BackgroundReview and DiscussionOur final discussion will focus on three segments. First, we'll dive into What We're Watching. Second, we'll get all caught up on recent media news, including the new Thor: Love and Thunder and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part 1trailers and a new study on critic demographics. And lastly, we'll get Lauren to be our tester of the new Film Buds Questionnaire.End of Show - 54:53What We're WatchingMenChip & Dale: Rescue RangersDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessNew Gender in Media StudyNew Trailers Thor: Love and ThunderMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part 1DEBUT: Friend of the Show Questionnaire If you haven't already be sure to check out last week's episode, and make sure to come back next week when we begin our new theme with a new episode. Of course, if you want to to find out the theme early, then sign up for the Film Buds Newsletter. Thanks y'all, The BudsTotal Runtime - 01:25:09Be a Friend to the Film Buds:thefilmbuds.comThe Buds on PatreonThe Buds on bandcamp@filmbuds on Twitter@thefilmbudspodcast on InstagramPaul's Letterboxd
Hey film buds, We all love a good laugh. We always have. Comedy is one of the oldest genres that humans have ever understood in our plays and stories. To celebrate AAPI Heritage this week, we decided to look at Comedies made by AAPI Filmmakers, and some of the history of AAPI people in film. Introduction - 00:00Opening ChatThoughts on ComedyAAPI History: Sessue Hayawaka - 10:46To begin our AAPI discussion, we start with some history on Japanese film star Sessue Hayakawa. Our first film is Slacker-Sports Comedy Ping Pong Playa. Co-Written by its star, it often bucks most media portrayals of AAPI people. We'll discuss Slacker characters, what we like about Comedy, and how it also reflects the time in which it was made. Ping Pong Playa - 23:43Review and DiscussionSecond, we'll review and discuss the Martial Arts Comedy The Paper Tigers. The film is a labor of love, that took years to realize. We'll talk about the production history, compare it with other Martial Arts films, and discuss the similarities between Ping Pong Playa and The Paper Tigers.The Paper Tigers - 35:55Production History/BackgroundReview and DiscussionOur final discussion will focus on three segments. First, we'll dive into What We're Watching. Second, we'll get all caught up on recent media news, including the new Thor: Love and Thunder and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part 1trailers and a new study on critic demographics. And lastly, we'll get Lauren to be our tester of the new Film Buds Questionnaire. End of Show - 54:53What We're WatchingMenChip & Dale: Rescue RangersDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessNew Gender in Media StudyNew Trailers Thor: Love and ThunderMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part 1DEBUT: Friend of the Show Questionnaire If you haven't already be sure to check out last week's episode, and make sure to come back next week when we begin our new theme with a new episode. Of course, if you want to to find out the theme early, then sign up for the Film Buds Newsletter. Thanks y'all, The BudsTotal Runtime - 01:25:09Be a Friend to the Film Buds:thefilmbuds.comThe Buds on PatreonThe Buds on bandcamp@filmbuds on Twitter@thefilmbudspodcast on InstagramPaul's Letterboxd
A deep dive and reminiscence of the David Lean classic World War II thriller BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, starring Alec Guiness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa and James Donald. ***Warning...SPOILERS*** --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This episode is dedicated to the 1957 war film The Bridge On The River Kwai directed by David Lean starring William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa. There will be spoilers!
Welcome to Episode 60! Sessue Hayakawa was one of the first Hollywood heartthrobs, but he was also a villain. The exotic way he was cast was indicative of the Yellow Peril driven Asian villain trope. From Fu Manchu to Ming the Merciless to so many others, Asians are often the villain in Hollywood created TV and films. In this episode, we talk about the history of those two key villains as well as the characteristics of the exotic, evil Asian mastermind. We also take time to share our Thanksgiving highlights and celebrate the Grammy Nominees of Asian Pacific Islander descent. We love hearing from all of you. Which APIDA musician do you want to win a Grammy? Are there any Asian villains you'd like to learn the history of? Let us know! To learn more, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or https://linktr.ee/AAHistory101 for social media. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@1882media.com. Segments 00:26 Thanksgiving Highlights 07:18 History of Asian Villains in Hollywood 22:42 Celebrating the Grammy Nominees
A discussion about and look into the life and times of silent film star, Sessue Hayakawa. Born June 10, 1886 - Died November 23, 1973.
A discussion about and look into the stories, the history and personalities that came together to make the silent film, "The Cheat" in 1915. Directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Sessue Hayakawa, Fannie Ward and Jack Dean.
Best Pick with John Dorney, Jessica Regan, Tom Salinsky and special guest Ned Sedgwick Episode 85: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1951) Released 21 April 2021 For this episode, we watched The Bridge on the River Kwai, written by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, based on the book by Pierre Boulle. The director was David Lean and the stars were William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa. From eight nominations, it won seven Oscars, including Best Director, Best Actor for Guinness and Best Adapted Screenplay. https://twitter.com/nedsedgwick GrownUpLand https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05ys9yl BEST PICK LIVE We’re thrilled to announce a special one-off live stream show in which you will be able to see our faces as well as hear our voices. Thanks to our lovely friends at House Seats Live, we’re going to be joined by special guests Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex Girlfriend), Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn 99), Michaela Watkins (The Unicorn), John Ross Bowie (Big Bang Theory), and more to look back at 92 years of Academy Award winning films to pick out the very best of the best in different categories. It’s the first annual “Super Oscars.” The show will be on Saturday 1 May at 5pm PT / 8pm ET / Sunday 2 May at 1:00am in the UK – but if those times aren’t convenient, don’t worry you can access the stream for a whole week. To get your tickets and join in the fun, click here. https://houseseats.live/2021/05/01/best-pick-live/ Next time we will be discussing Parasite. If you want to watch it before listening to the next episode you can buy the DVD or Blu-Ray on Amazon.co.uk, or Amazon.com, or you can download it via iTunes (UK) or iTunes (USA). To send in your questions, comments, thoughts and ideas, you can join our Facebook group, Tweet us on @bestpickpod or email us on bestpickpod@gmail.com. You can also Tweet us individually, @MrJohnDorney, @ItsJessRegan or @TomSalinsky. You should also visit our website at https://bestpickpod.com and sign up to our mailing list to get notified as soon as a new episode is released. Just follow this link: http://eepurl.com/dbHO3n. If you enjoy this podcast and you'd like to help us to continue to make it, you can now support us on Patreon for as little as £2.50 per month. Thanks go to all of the following lovely people who have already done that. Alex Frith, Alex Wilson, Alexander Capstick, Alison Sandy, Andrew Jex, Andrew Straw, Ann Blake, Anna Barker, Anna Coombs, Anna Elizabeth Rawles, Anna Jackson, Anna Joerschke, Anna Smith, Anne Dellamaria, Annmarie Gray, Ben Squires, Blanaid O'Regan, Brad Morrison, Caroline Moyes Matheou, Catherine Jewkes, Charlotte, Claire Carr, Claire Creighton, Claire McKevett, Daina Aspin, Darren Williams, Dave Kloc, David Hanneford, Della, Drew Milloy, Elis Bebb, Elizabeth McCollum, Eloise Lowe, Elspeth Reay, Emmet Jackson, Esther de Lange, Evelyne Oechslin, Fiona, Flora, frieMo, Helen Cousins, Helle Rasmussen, Henry Bushell, Ian C Lau, James Murray, Jane Coulson, Jess McGinn, Jo B, Johanna Commins, Jonquil Coy, Joy Wilkinson, Juan Ageitos, Judi Cox, Julie Dirksen, Kate Butler, Kath, Katy Espie, Kelli Prime, Kirsten Marie Oeveraas, Kurt Scillitoe, Lawson Howling, Linda Lengle, Lisa Gillespie, Lucinda Baron von Parker, Margaret Browne, Martin Korshøj Petersen, Mary Traynor, Matheus Mocelin Carvalho, Michael Walker, Michael Wilson, Ms Rebecca K O'Dwyer, Neil Goldstein, Nick Hetherington, nötnflötn, Olivia, Peter, Richard Ewart, Robert Orzalli, Rohan Newton, Ruth, Sally Grant, Sam Elliott, Sharon Colley, Simon Ash, Simon James, Sladjana Ivanis, Tim Gowen, Tom Stockton, Wayne Wilcox, Zarah Daniel.
For our final podcast in the War Films series, we turn to David Lean's WWII prisoner of war drama set in Burma in 1943. Starring Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa, the film was based on the novel by French author Pierre Boulle and was produced by Sam Spiegel. It won seven Oscars, four British Academy Film Awards, and three Golden Globes. Click the image below to listen to the podcast (32.7 MB, 1 hour 17 mins). Recorded Sunday 14 February 2021, edited by Murray Ewing.
Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds examine actor Sessue HayakawaSourcesTour DatesRedbubble Merch
Original Air Date: Monday 25 May, 9 pm EasternDescription:Phil Leirness is joined by music journalist (and friend of the show) Yoshi Kato, who briefly fills in for a tardy Dean Haglund, to discuss the lives and legacies of six notables from the world of music in "Celebrity Deaths", as well as to set the table concerning a later discussion of Asian Pacific American Heritage month and the 1961 film Flower Drum Song. Dean then arrives just in time to remember a prolific character actor, the decorated police officer who played Eddie Haskell on TV's "Leave it to Beaver", and the great Fred Willard. Dean and Phil then answer an email from a loyal listener about an upcoming Michael Bay film set in the world of Covid-19. This leads to a fascinating discussion and argument before attention is turned to the ramping up of film and TV production and the announcement that the Venice Film Festival will go ahead as planned this September. Dean then sings the praises of two different television series, Phil sings the praises of two classic movies about gambling. Then the conversation turns to the careers of Sessue Hayakawa, one of the first heartthrobs of the silver screen, the hilarious and brilliant Jack Soo, and the tragically overlooked Reiko Sato.
Amy and Paul cross 1957's David Lean WWII epic The Bridge On The River Kwai! They explore the career of star Sessue Hayakawa, ask why Lean's tyrannical methods pop up so often in the AFI 100, and compare the film to author Pierre Boulle's other famous work "Planet Of The Apes." Plus: responding to your comments on Goodfellas, and the passing of Fred Willard and Lynn Shelton. For Streetcar Named Desire week, scream your post-quarantine desires a la "Stella!" Call it in to the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
La vita di Kintaro Sessue Hayakawa, stella del cinema muto della prima Hollywood. Tra guadagni colossali ed episodi di razzismo, diventerà un attore consumato tra i più famosi della sua epoca. Seguici anche su: YOUTUBE https://youtube.com/channel/UCSccnE9-Y9PfJC2thw-vgtg FACEBOOK https://facebook.com/mentecast/ SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/6rEXAE1nfxmfdzY9dtFYO7 iTUNES https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/mentecast/id1458522809? SOUNDCLOUD https://soundcloud.com/user-613167048 TWITTER https://twitter.com/mentecast INSTAGRAM https://instagram.com/mentecast FONTI: https://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/25/archives/sessue-hayakawa-is-dead-at-83-silents-star-was-in-river-kwai-no.html https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/one-of-the-first-hollywood-heartthrobs-was-a-smoldering-japanese-actor-what-happened http://goldsea.com/Personalities/Hayakawas/hayakawas.html https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2007/08/12/books/lauded-in-the-west-ignored-in-the-east https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2009/05/24/opinion/was-japans-first-western-screen-star-shameful-to-his-homeland https://www.deseret.com/1994/3/15/19097123/in-the-silent-movie-era-hayakawa-broke-hearts https://timeline.com/sessue-hayakawa-hollywood-video-3d11481eb944 https://www.altfg.com/film/sessue-hayakawa/ https://archive.org/details/distinguishedasi00kimh/page/110 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Peril il castello a Los Angeles https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-18-me-48393-story.html Aneddoto della rissa http://goldsea.com/Personalities2/Hayakawas/hayakawas2.html La Pierce-Arrow placata d'oro https://books.google.it/books?id=XdByFX5R08kC&pg=PA221#v=onepage&q&f=false L'altra Pierce-Arrow placata d'oro e la Rolls di Marlene Dietrich https://www.legendarylist.com/this-1920-pierce-arrow-model-48-is-plated-in-23-karat-gold-leaf-for-real/ https://www.hagertyinsurance.co.uk/articles-and-resources/all-articles/2015/02/19/dietrich-rolls-royce La marcia del colonnello Bogey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuVYS4uw0as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Has_Only_Got_One_Ball video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJCvAdJt_9w
We're going to take a trip down memory lane to the Silent Film era to meet the Sessue Hayakawa and Tsuru Aoki!Theme Song - "TICKLED PINK" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/Sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com
Although Asian men have existed in Western cinema since Sessue Hayakawa in the silent era, they have often been maligned as geeks, Fu Manchus – and sometimes annoying neighbors in yellowface. The Rebeccas trace the lineage of Asian male actors in Hollywood, from Bruce Lee’s enduring (and even posthumous) struggle to be taken seriously as a leading man to the long-awaited present era, where Asian men are finally breaking through as romantic leads and even superheroes. “Last Christmas” star Henry Golding joins us to share his own journey of becoming an Asian leading man and the responsibilities that entails.”Hollywood Remixed” is a topical, diversity-focused podcast from The Hollywood Reporter, hosted by Rebecca Sun and Rebecca Ford. Each episode will be dedicated to a single theme – a type of character or story that has been traditionally underrepresented or misrepresented in pop culture – and feature a special guest whose latest work exemplifies a new breakthrough in representation. We’ll revisit groundbreaking classics and introduce listeners to hidden gems, in order to better understand how film and television in the past has shaped progress in the present. Hosted by: Rebecca Ford and Rebecca SunProduced by: Matthew Whitehurst and Joshua Farnham
Maggie and Ian cover the 30th Best Picture winner The Bridge on the River Kwai. Ian picks apart score and cinematography, while Maggie dissects the complicated, nuanced characters.
On this episode, we discuss the thirtieth Best Picture Winner: “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”After settling his differences with a Japanese P.O.W. camp commander, a British Colonel cooperates to oversee his men's construction of a railway bridge for their captors, while oblivious to a plan by the Allies to destroy it. Directed by David Lean, the film stars William Holden as Shears, Alec Guinness as Colonel Nicholson, Jack Hawkins as Major Warden, Sessue Hayakawa as Colonel Saito, James Donald as Major Clipton, and Geoffrey Horne as Lieutenant Joyce.Here on The Envelope, we discuss & review every Best Picture Winner in the Academy Awards History. We are a Cinema Squad Production, presented on the Cinema Squad Podcast Channel. You can reach anyone here at TheCinemaSquad.com – Just go there to email us, check our bios, and keep up with the latest episode.
This week, Brendan and Jason talk about how to build a bridge while you're being tortured by the enemy with #11 on the BFI Top 100 - The Bridge on the River Kwai. They talk about Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa's intense tet-a-tet, they debate if Guinness has crossed the line or not, they question who is indeed the star of this film and much, much more. Plus: The guys roll the dice to find out what movie they'll be covering next week. What did you think of The Bridge on the River Kwai? Is this a top David Lean film for you? Let us know! Full List: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BFI_Top_100_British_films Facebook: www.facebook.com/forscreenandcountry Twitter: www.twitter.com/bfi_pod Our logo was designed by the wonderful Mariah Lirette (www.instagram.com/mariahhx)
I was told back in college that Sessue Hayakawa was the first Asian male to appear as a sex symbol in Holywood for his role in "The Cheat," a 1915 silent film. I just watched "The Cheat" and holy fucking shit, it's racist. It might not appear that way explicitly, but if you read between the VERY well established lines, it's hard to miss the blatant racism, sexism, and dog whistling. I was told that "The Cheat" was supposed to be some landmark film that broke barriers and made Asians look good. Instead, it did the complete opposite. I was wrong all along. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/WokeFu/support
This movie features the great Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong, Japanese silent film actor Sessue Hayakawa, and Swedish Warner Oland as Fu Manchu. Wong is reminiscent of Norma Desmond as she works her hands while speaking. Take the time to watch this wonderful pre-code film, Daughter of the Dragon (1931). SPREAD THE WORD! If you enjoyed this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review, and subscribe! We would love to get your feedback! Email Click here to subscribe via iTunes Read more at classicmovierev.com
Best Pick with John Dorney, Jessica Regan, Tom Salinsky and special guest Ned Sedgwick Episode 85: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1951) Released 21 April 2021 For this episode, we watched The Bridge on the River Kwai, written by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, based on the book by Pierre Boulle. The director was David Lean and the stars were William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa. From eight nominations, it won seven Oscars, including Best Director, Best Actor for Guinness and Best Adapted Screenplay. https://twitter.com/nedsedgwick GrownUpLand https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05ys9yl BEST PICK LIVE We're thrilled to announce a special one-off live stream show in which you will be able to see our faces as well as hear our voices. Thanks to our lovely friends at House Seats Live, we're going to be joined by special guests Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex Girlfriend), Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn 99), Michaela Watkins (The Unicorn), John Ross Bowie (Big Bang Theory), and more to look back at 92 years of Academy Award winning films to pick out the very best of the best in different categories. It's the first annual “Super Oscars.” The show will be on Saturday 1 May at 5pm PT / 8pm ET / Sunday 2 May at 1:00am in the UK – but if those times aren't convenient, don't worry you can access the stream for a whole week. To get your tickets and join in the fun, click here. https://houseseats.live/2021/05/01/best-pick-live/ Next time we will be discussing Parasite. If you want to watch it before listening to the next episode you can buy the DVD or Blu-Ray on Amazon.co.uk, or Amazon.com, or you can download it via iTunes (UK) or iTunes (USA). To send in your questions, comments, thoughts and ideas, you can join our Facebook group, Tweet us on @bestpickpod or email us on bestpickpod@gmail.com. You can also Tweet us individually, @MrJohnDorney, @ItsJessRegan or @TomSalinsky. You should also visit our website at https://bestpickpod.com and sign up to our mailing list to get notified as soon as a new episode is released. Just follow this link: http://eepurl.com/dbHO3n. If you enjoy this podcast and you'd like to help us to continue to make it, you can now support us on Patreon for as little as £2.50 per month. Thanks go to all of the following lovely people who have already done that. Alex Frith, Alex Wilson, Alexander Capstick, Alison Sandy, Andrew Jex, Andrew Straw, Ann Blake, Anna Barker, Anna Coombs, Anna Elizabeth Rawles, Anna Jackson, Anna Joerschke, Anna Smith, Anne Dellamaria, Annmarie Gray, Ben Squires, Blanaid O'Regan, Brad Morrison, Caroline Moyes Matheou, Catherine Jewkes, Charlotte, Claire Carr, Claire Creighton, Claire McKevett, Daina Aspin, Darren Williams, Dave Kloc, David Hanneford, Della, Drew Milloy, Elis Bebb, Elizabeth McCollum, Eloise Lowe, Elspeth Reay, Emmet Jackson, Esther de Lange, Evelyne Oechslin, Fiona, Flora, frieMo, Helen Cousins, Helle Rasmussen, Henry Bushell, Ian C Lau, James Murray, Jane Coulson, Jess McGinn, Jo B, Johanna Commins, Jonquil Coy, Joy Wilkinson, Juan Ageitos, Judi Cox, Julie Dirksen, Kate Butler, Kath, Katy Espie, Kelli Prime, Kirsten Marie Oeveraas, Kurt Scillitoe, Lawson Howling, Linda Lengle, Lisa Gillespie, Lucinda Baron von Parker, Margaret Browne, Martin Korshøj Petersen, Mary Traynor, Matheus Mocelin Carvalho, Michael Walker, Michael Wilson, Ms Rebecca K O'Dwyer, Neil Goldstein, Nick Hetherington, nötnflötn, Olivia, Peter, Richard Ewart, Robert Orzalli, Rohan Newton, Ruth, Sally Grant, Sam Elliott, Sharon Colley, Simon Ash, Simon James, Sladjana Ivanis, Tim Gowen, Tom Stockton, Wayne Wilcox, Zarah Daniel.
This week, we go way back in history, almost 100 years ago to 1919 and a silent film called The Dragon Painter, starring Sessue Hayakawa and his wife Tsuru Aoki. Hayakawa was a star rivaling Charlie Chaplin in the Silent Era, and after being tired of the villainous Japanese roles that were written for him in Hollywood, he created his own production company to make his own movies. The Dragon Painter was restored in 1988 and added to the National Film Registry in 2014. Ada and Brian talk about their quest to find an old school Asian American romance, which led them on a detour through an Anna May Wong and Philip Ahn crime film -- and how Sessue Hayakawa, the biggest Asian American star of all time, is kind of like Randall Park. Saturday School is a podcast where we teach your unwilling children about Asian American pop culture history. Season 2 explores Asian American romance in film.
SI TE HA GUSTADO ESTE AUDIO, COMPÁRTELO, PON UN COMENTARIO O SIMPLEMENTE DI "ME GUSTA" CON ELLO AYUDAS Y ANIMAS A SEGUIR CON EL CANAL. Título original The Bridge on the River Kwai Año 1957 Duración 161 min. País Reino Unido Reino Unido Director David Lean Guión Michael Wilson & Carl Foreman (Novela: Pierre Boulle) Música Malcolm Arnold Fotografía Jack Hildyard Reparto William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, James Donald, Sessue Hayakawa, André Morell, Geoffrey Horne, Peter Williams, John Boxer, Percy Herbert, Harold Goodwin, Ann Sears, Heichiro Okawa Productora Columbia Pictures Género Bélico. Aventuras | II Guerra Mundial. Ejército. Drama carcelario Sinopsis Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945), un grupo de prisioneros británicos son obligados por los japoneses a construir un puente. Los oficiales, capitaneados por su flemático coronel, se opondrán a toda orden que viole la Convención de Ginebra sobre los derechos y las condiciones de vida de los prisioneros de guerra.
The Bridge on the River Kwai is one of the most requested films in the history of The Cine-Files. This beautifully crafted film by director David Lean stars Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkens and Sessue Hayakawa. It is a profoundly moving film with one of the most powerful endings in the history of cinema. If you haven't seen this incredible film you can buy or stream it right here. https://amzn.to/3JBOXd8Don't forget to support The Cine-Files at https://www.patreon.com/TheCineFiles and purchase any film we feature at https://www.cine-files.netFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCineFilesPod/?ref=bookmarksJohn @therochasaysSteve @srmorrisThe Cine-Files Twitter @cine_filesInstagram thecinefilespodcastAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy