Today I had the pleasure of meeting Justin Lin in person. You may have heard of him from a few years back. He did a movie called "Better Luck Tomorrow"; this year his latest work became one of the biggest summer blockbusters - The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift.Lsat Friday I got a call from the flim distributor, saying that they've invited Justin Lin to come to Taiwan for the theatre release of "Better Luck Tomorrow." Jessica wanted to know if I would be interested in interviewing Justin on my radio show. OF COURSE!!! I couldn't contian myself and phoned my assistant immediately to tell her the good news.
When Justin walked in, I was a little surprised. I thought he would be taller. Last night I spent some time "google" him and came across some pictures of Justin. Now he's right in front of my eyes, it seemed that he's dropped the glasses and possibly gained a few extra pounds. Nonetheless, he's a good-looking young man. In fact the more I look at this picture, the more I find him attractive.
I've done some homework on Justin Lin and his work. There wasn't much information regarding his background and family. We hit it off and even started mocking each other. He called me a "Language Whore" because I told him about the hundreds of dates I went on when I first moved to the States and picked up English that way. I made fun of his fear toward speaking Mandarin and Taiwanese. He was born and raised in Taiwan until the age of 9. It makes no sense that he claims to be unfamiliar with the Chinese language. I bet he understands most of it but he's afraid to open his mouth.
We were having so much fun on the radio and his publicist had to hurry us to wrap up 'cuz she didn't want him to be late for the next appointment. Before today I didn't know what to expect from this on air interview. Now I'm glad that the film distributor and Justin came through and graced my show with their presence.
In early 2003 I went to see "Better Luck Tomorrow" and it rocked my world! After I got home, I went on the computer and send out an E-Mail to all my friends 'cuz they've gotta see it! It was nothing like any Asian films I've seen in the past. When a movie deals with the issue of race, the entire movie becomes a soul searching journey and eventually the leading character always finds his or her identity. I'm sick of that ID crisis. BLT tackles deeper than just race - there are also the issues of class, family, and the most important social issue today - the joys and sorrows of adolescence. The Asian cast was refreshing and I'm sure the actors were pleased to get the parts that were written for them specifically.
And I will never forgot the way Justin looked when he talked about making movies. He was so passionate about it and I thought I saw sparkles from his eyes!
"Why did you insist on making BLT when you couldn't get any Hollywood producers to back the film financially? And why were you so willing to risk everything you've got and maxed out your credit cards just to make this film happen?" I had to ask this question because I know 99% of us won't make the same decision as Justin did. We will make up excuses why we can't go through with it and we'll reason with ourselves to give up this crazy dream and be practical and careful.
I wish we're on TV to capture all the actions. Jusin's eyes were all lit up when he spoke the most powerful words I have never heard before. What he said really touched my heart. I thought I was about to burst into tears.
"I had the story down for so long and I just knew that I had to make it happen. Nothing was going to stop me. Maybe I didn't know anyone in Hollywood but I believe in myself. And I believe in this movie and that's how I know once people see it, they'll believe in it too. Dreams do come true!"
FEAR - that's what stops us from taking exciting adventures because we're afraid of the uncertainty. We think too much about what will happen and what if this and what if that.
Justin spoke of his passion and devotion for movies with such confidence. It was SEXY!
What makes a man sexy? Self-confidence, physical charms, and charisma! And if he's passionate about his work, that's a brownie point. Good-looking men will age and die like all human beings. But looking-good will keep going until you kiss this world goodbye.
What makes a man worthy? Humor, kindness, and intelligence. I like a guy who can make me laugh. So that requires a great sense of humor. If a guy mistreat animals and is unsympathetic toward those in need, he's probably not a good person. And I can't be with someone who's not smart enough. I have zero tolerance for stupidity. However, EQ is equally important as IQ.
For a long time I feel that I'm subjected to discrimination in my own land. But it never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do in my life. Ever so often I did feel the need to compensate for the way I am. In fact this year I let myself free from a steady job and went on to pursue my true passion - something God has given me. Once again life becomes meaningful and exciting. And I like having controls over my own life.
If you haven't seen "Better Luck Tomorrow", then you need to get off your butt and buy a DVD or at least get a rental; if you've seen it, then you can go check out Justin Lin's latest film - The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
One last thing. A special shout-out to DC. Have fun in Toronto and eat lots of Mom's cooking. You're goofy, you're handsome and best of all, YOU'RE MINE!
