Justin Lin is Back in the 'Hood
Don't hate him just because he comes back a little richer, a lot more confident and uncensored.
Justin Lin loves the independent film world.
"This is where I came from," he said.
Remember that little movie that changed modern Asian Pacific American film? You know the one about APAs selling cheat sheets, killing and paying for prostitutes? That indie flick helped him go mainstream. Lin has spent the last five years navigating the ins and outs of real Hollywood studio filmmaking - big stars, big explosions and big money.
Now he's back, baby. And he's bringing Bruce Lee with him.
"Finishing the Game" - a comedy spoof about the search for a replacement for the iconic movie star after his 1973 drug-induced death - has been burning up the film festival circuit as Lin's much hailed return to the indie world.
It's also the filmmaker's return to the APA community. You know the one that loves him, but at the same time continually attacks his creative vision and project choices.
"The community has a way to build you up and break you," said Lin. "At the end of the day, it's my decision to play that game or not."
Gots to Pay the Bills
"I'm always really baffled when words like 'sell-out' get thrown around," said Lin. "Man, people need to realize there's a price for everything you do, and a consequence."
When he left the indie scene to make "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," people scoffed. But critics need to get their facts straight, he said. The reality is, he famously maxed out 10 credit cards to make "Better Luck Tomorrow." His first studio film helped him break even.
"The studio films made me the filmmaker I am today. The studio films helped me buy my independence. 'Finishing the Game' would not be made if it weren't for the 'The Fast and the Furious' money."
He's struggled all the way to the top. And from the studio lots, he's continued to cast APA actors and fight for colorblind casting. After "Better Luck Tomorrow," every Jet Li project came to him. He said no.
Studio executives were perplexed. What did this promising young filmmaker want to do? So Lin pitched "Finishing the Game," and one studio offered $12 million for a martial arts comedy like "Kung Fu Hustle." Lin gracefully declined.
"That's a choice I made. If I wanted to get into bed with them, it would've been a completely different movie."
Lin has learned a thing or two as a filmmaker along the way. Back in 1997 when Lin was screening "Shopping for Fangs" in Toronto, Roger Ebert walked through the doors. "Of course I was excited, but there were knots forming in my stomach. I kept feeling like I wanted to go up to him and say, 'if we had more money, I would've shot it this way.'"
Now he's learned. Whether it's a $2 or a $200 million movie, he shouldn't have to explain anything. The film should speak for itself.
Recently, Lin was invited to moderate a screening of "Lust, Caution" with Ang Lee.
"Now if Ang Lee called me a sell-out, then I'd have to worry!"
Bittersweet Relationship
The "Finishing the Game" crew has been traveling the country in a grassroots campaign to promote their movie. In small midwestern towns, Lin has seen women fawn over actor Sung Kang.
"That's the power of the studio films. I'm not saying it's perfect. But I'm not here to complain. As an Asian American I should be empowered to try new things."
But then the politics get into it.
In 1995, Justin was excited to attend his first APA film festival in San Francisco. Oh cool, he thought, I'll be with my own community. But then the backstabbing started.
"That was my big lesson," he said. The idea of people accepting his work just because of his ethnicity was completely thrown out. He came away with a different idea of community: the people who spend two-hours in the dark watching his films. Those are people he wants to connect with. Those shared experiences are what make a community.
"I grew up in a working class family where my parents would always say, 'don't use your credit cards.' I maxed out all these cards [for 'Better Luck Tomorrow']. It was the Asian Americans who were telling me f-k off."
"But it is what it is."
It may sound new age-y, but Lin has found a way to just focus on the positive.
After getting into Sundance with "Finishing the Game," Lin opted for the APA film festival circuit instead of mainstream ones.
"With Asian American cinema, we're not on a level playing field yet. It's still third world cinema," he said. The next challenge is exhibition and Lin is stepping up his game.
"Finishing the Game" opened in select theaters Oct. 5 and is also available to 42 million homes "on demand" from local cable or satellite providers.
In their first weekend, the On Demand numbers reached 20,000 - huge for a small independent movie.
And yes, it's true. Lin just moved into his studio office for the fourth "Fast and the Furious" with all the original stars slated to return.
He really wanted to stay indie, but after months of bleeding money, Lin decided to go back to his day job.
"You gots to pay the bills," he said.
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