Author Archives: John

About John

I'm a Taiwanese-American and was born & raised in Western Massachusetts, went to college in upstate New York, worked in Connecticut, went to grad school in North Carolina and then moved out to the Bay Area in 1999 and have been living here ever since - love the weather and almost everything about the area (except the high cost of housing...)

Black Box Diaries Opens Oct 25th in NYC (Plus Review & Post-Screening Q&A)

Posted on October 18, 2024 by John

The documentary Black Box Diaries: “… Japanese journalist Shiori Ito takes on the most compelling and traumatic assignment imaginable – investigating her own sexual assault. The nonfiction feature from MTV Documentary Films – an expected Oscar contender that has won … Continue reading →

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Asian American Commercial Watch: McDonald’s Chicken Big Mac with Randall Park & Hudson Yang (Plus Food Review)

Posted on October 16, 2024 by John

If you haven’t heard, McDonald’s has launched the new Chicken Big Mac on October 10th (for a limited release). With that launch is a new commercial, including old familiar faces from the television series, Fresh Off the Boat, Randall Park and … Continue reading →

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Love in Taipei Coming to Nextflix on August 9th

Posted on August 12, 2024 by John

I’m  a little late to this posting, but the film Love in Taipei is now available on Netflix: “On a summer trip to Taipei, a pre-med student must balance parental expectations, romance and a passion for dance. Based on a … Continue reading →

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ESPN’s 30 for 30: ‘American Son’ – Tennis Great Michael Chang – Premieres July 29 7 ET

Posted on July 29, 2024 by John

Before there was Jeremy Lin, there was Taiwanese American tennis great Michael Chang. Probably most 8Asians readers don’t remember or even know the name, but he is a tennis and Asian American legend as upcoming ESPN documentary notes: ““American Son” … Continue reading →

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The Bachelorette with Jenn Tran, its First Asian American Woman, Premieres Monday July 8

Posted on July 7, 2024 by John

This Monday, July 8th, is the premiere of the new season of The Bachelorette (on ABC), starring Jenn Tran, the first ever Asian American woman to lead the franchise. Just a week before the premiere, Jenn is already calling out … Continue reading →

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CAAMFest 2024: And So It Begins – Review and Q&A with Maria Ressa and Filmmakers

Posted on May 30, 2024 by John

If you’ve been following me on 8Asians, you will know that I follow politics worldwide and not just in the United States. So when I came across this CAAMFest closing night film, the documentary And So It Begins, I had … Continue reading →

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CAAMFest 2024: Smoking Tigers

Posted on May 28, 2024 by John

I wasn’t able to see an in person screening of Smoking Tigers at CAAMFest but given the topic, I thought I would be interested in the film and thought I’d watch the screener: “Hayoung, a Korean American teenager dealing with her … Continue reading →

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CAAMFest 2024: The Lyricist Wannabe – Mini-Review & Post-screening Q&A

Posted on May 24, 2024 by John

Earlier this year, I attended a Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office – San Francisco (HKETO-SF) event in Silicon Valley and had met the director Norris Wong. I subsequently got invited to CAAMFest supported Hong Kong films, including The Lyricist … Continue reading →

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CAAMFest 2024: A Great Divide – Post Screening Q & A

Posted on May 22, 2024 by John

I had seen A Great Divide last fall at the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest (SVAPFF). I enjoyed the film and would at least see it again at CAAMFest if only to see director Jean Shim to say hi. As … Continue reading →

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CAAMFest 2024: Light of the Setting Sun

Posted on May 21, 2024 by John

Going into this film, I didn’t know much about Light of the Setting Sun except from the CAAMFest program description: “Candid conversations meet photographic scenes, as the details of violence begin to take shape, and we witness how deep the … Continue reading →

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CAAMFest 2024: “Home Court” – The Basketball Journey of Ashley Chea

Posted on May 17, 2024 by John

Director Erica Tanamachi, Producer Jenn Lee Smith, Executive Producer Diane Quon, and Writer/Editor Jean Kawahara Home Court was one of the CAAMFest 2024 films I was most excited to screen: “Ashley Chea is a Cambodian American basketball phenom. Home Court, … Continue reading →

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CAAMFest 2024: Opening Night and Gala with ‘Admissions Granted’

Posted on May 16, 2024 by John

This year’s opening night film was the documentary Admissions Granted: “In the run-up to the landmark Supreme Court case pitting Asian American plaintiffs against Harvard University, controversial legal strategist Edward Blum took direct aim at dismantling affirmative action, energizing activists … Continue reading →

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