(re)Search my Trash

<body> <div align="left"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="800" cellpadding="0" height="100%"> <tr> <td width="100" rowspan="3" background="../stylepix/square.gif" valign="top">  </td> <td width="4" rowspan="3"></td> <td width="592" height="1%" valign="top"> <p align="center"> <a href="../research/resultcrewlinks.shtml?Mark V Wiley">Films written by <b>Mark V Wiley</b> on (re)Search my Trash</a><p align="center">  </td> <td width="4" rowspan="3"></td> <td width="100" rowspan="3" background="../stylepix/squareright.gif" valign="top">  </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="592" valign="top" height="99%">  <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="255" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/madeinchinatown-poster.jpg" width="250" height="324"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>Your new movie <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i> - in a few words, what is it about?</b> <p>  <p>On its surface, <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b> is an action-comedy poking fun at everyone's favorite wise guy and kung fu films. But at its heart, it's about the self-discovery of a second-generation Asian-American as he tries to find love, respect, and a place to fit in. </p> <p> <p><b>With <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i> being a blend of mob movie and martial arts flick - how did you come up with that mix, and are these favourite genres of yours? And some of your favourites in both genres?</b><p>  <p>I was visiting New York Chinatown one day in the 90s and tried to enter a kung fu club, but the gentleman at the door would not let me in. I told him I had been learning martial arts since 1979, but he didn’t care, “members only”. Of course, that meant, Chinese members only. So I walked across Canal Street from Chinatown into Little Italy and got lunch. While eating I thought an American can’t join a private Chinese club, what if a Chinese guy tried to join a private Italian club, like the Mafia? And that was the beginning idea that eventually became <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b>.</p> <p> </p> <p>I am a huge fan of mafia films, like <b> The Godfather</b>, <b> Goodfellas</b> and <b> Donnie Brasco</b>, and I really enjoy the funnier ones like <b> Mickey Blue Eyes</b> and <b> Analyze This</b>. Kung fu films have been a favorite of mine since childhood, especially those produced buy the <i><a href="../research/resultprodlinks.shtml?Shaw Brothers">Shaw Brothers Studio</a></i> in Hong Kong, like <b>Kid with the Golden Arms</b>, <b> Martial Club</b>, <b><a href="../movies/thirtysixthchamber(1978).shtml">The 36th Chamber of Shaolin</a></b>, and <b>Five Venoms</b>. So, these were the films I pulled inspiration from when creating the world of <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b>.</p> <p> <p><b>(Other) sources of inspiration when writing <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i>?</b><p> <p>Other films that inspired elements of <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b>’s story include <b> Big Trouble in Little China</b>, <b> Die Hard</b>, <b> Kiss Me Guido</b>, and <b> The Freshman</b>. Of course, being a Caucasian guy who is part Italian and embraces Asian culture, many of the odd scenarios are things I experienced, or thought would be funny based on my younger naive experiences. And once the actors were cast, there was some re-writing to accommodate their talents and strengths.<p> <p><b>Do talk about <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i>'s brand of humour for a bit!</b><p> <p>I tried to poke fun at mob and kung fu films without pandering and without racial appropriation. There is dialogue that leads to misunderstandings, questions about non-existent accents that no one would ever really ask, beatings with bats of a different nature. The Chinese kid wants to be Italian, the Italian boss loves Chinese food, the gay Black actor is a kung fu master, the old sages argue like a pair of old Jewish comedians, and the Chinese Triad boss always quotes <b><i><a href="../research/resultserieslinks.shtml?Charlie Chan">Charlie Chan</a></i></b>, which is impossible. I tried to turn the humor on its side. Viewers say it takes several viewings to catch it all.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/madeinchinatown-1.jpg" width="450" height="276"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>What were the challenges of <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i> to the screen from a producer's point of view?</b><p>  <p>Funding is always the hardest part. Once funding is secure you can hire the production team, the camera and lighting and props teams, and then do the casting. We had some funding difficulties that created a great deal of stress, but we had to find a way to remain on schedule. It is also essential that the director, cinematographer, and actors have the same vision for the film. Everyone must be working toward a</p> <p>common vision or the film will not play right. We had some issues there, too, but were able to overcome them.</p> <p> <p><b>What can you tell us about <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i>'s directors Robert Samuels and James Lew, and what was your collaboration like?</b><p> <p>Bobby Samuels and I are both from Philadelphia. While I was traveling throughout Asia studying martial arts and traditional healing methods, he was in Hong Kong learning how to make action films. He’s worked with the best directors over there, including Sammo Hung, Yuen Woo Ping, Corey Yuen, and Alfred Cheung. When he came back home and started making film shorts, we started collaborating. James Lew and I have been friends for decades, having met while working at <i>Inside Kung Fu</i> magazine. James’ first film was <b> Big Trouble in Little China</b>, then he did <b> Best of the Best</b> and hundreds more, working with the top talent in Hollywood. A few years ago, he won an <i> Emmy Award</i> for his action choreography on <i><a href="../research/resultperslinks.shtml?Marvel">Marvel</a></i>’s <i> <b> Luke Cage</b></i>. Once funding came through, I called James and said let’s do this. I worked well with Bobby and James, and they formed a tight working method on set.<p> <p><b>Do talk about <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i>'s key cast, and as writer/producer, how much input did you have when it came to casting?</b><p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="right"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="right"><img border="0" src="../stills/madeinchinatown-2.jpg" width="450" height="284"></td> </tr> </table> <p>I cast most of the film and getting those more known actors to come on board was really a stroke of luck and timing. I saw on social media that Shing Ka was working on a film and has cast several “mob” actors that I wanted in <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b>. I talked with him and he provided me with the casting director’s information. I reached out to casting director Caroline Sinclair and she made an offer to the first actor from <b><i>The Sopranos</i></b> that we hired. He came back and said he liked the story and wanted me to cast another of his <b><i>Sopranos</i></b> co-stars. I cast him, and when we met for dinner, he said the script was funny and hadn’t been done, and would I mind casting some of the actors he was friends with. When all was done, we had an amazing cast of mob movie actors I could only have dreamed of. A lot of actors share the same agents, who pass the scripts around. And one day I get a call from a manager asking me if I could write in a role for Raymond J. Barry, as he really loved the script. Are you kidding me? Of course! Then the kung fu guys came in and then we did a casting call for some other roles. Overall, having the actors provide such enthusiastic feedback and casting then was the most fun part of the production for me.<p> <p><b>A few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?</b><p> <p>Our on-set atmosphere was fun and silly. Many of the actors had worked together before and everyone else got along well. There were no egos at large or people acting out as you sometime hear about on set. The production team was always hard at work keeping the production moving, and I was running around more than I wanted to, but it always seemed that everyone was enjoying themselves.<p> <p><b>The $64-question of course, where can <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i> be seen?</b><p>  <p>Starting on May 11, 2021 people can see <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b> on a number of different streaming platforms in North America, such as Amazon, iTunes, GooglePlay, Vudu, Hoopla, FandangoNow, Vimeo, and across hundreds of cable providers including Comcast, Spectrum, Charter, Cox, Dish, DirecTV and more. Canadian cable providers include Rogers, Shaw, and Bell. DVD retailers will include Amazon and</p> <p>all other major online retailers. In August, the distribution will expand wider, and also into international territories.</p> <p> </p> <p><b>Anything you can tell us about audience and critical reception of <a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml"><i>Made in Chinatown</i></a>?</b> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/madeinchinatown-3.jpg" width="450" height="257"></td> </tr> </table> <p>The audience reception has been amazing. In 2019 <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b> was the closing film at the <i> Newark International Film Festival</i>. The theater was so packed with people trying to get in, they moved us to the largest seat room and still there were people standing to watch. There are quite a few inside jokes and easter eggs in the film, that you could hear the Chinese viewers laughing at certain time and the Italian viewers laughing at other times, and everyone laughing throughout. We ended up doing well at many festivals, with 7 nominations and 5 wins. So far the reviewers have found the film enjoyable, too. <p> <p><b>Any future projects you'd like to share?</b><p> <p> I am working on several projects now, including a kung-fu murder mystery called <b> Dragon Letters</b>, a coming-of-age film called <b> Heavy Shadows</b>, and a noir style suspense thriller called <b>Mileage</b>. In addition to these I have several film and television series in development with a very big production company in Los Angeles.<p> <p><b>What got you into the filmworld in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the subject?</b><p> <p>I always loved movies, especially going to the movies and experiencing them on the big screen with speakers all around. I have no formal training in writing or film but wanted to be a writer since I was 10. When I was in college, I took it upon myself to learn how to write by reading every book on writing, editing, and publishing that was available in the library. Since the early nineties I have been a very prolific writer.<p> <p><b>Do talk about your filmwork prior to <i><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></i>!</b><p> <p> Beginning around 1997, I started to write what are known as “spec” scripts, or scripts you write and send to producers for consideration. I did a few for Jackie Chan and got close but they didn’t go through. In 2012 I developed and pitched a TV series to the <i> Discovery Channel</i> that came in 7th in a competition of 500 entries and also co-wrote a script for an IMAX film. Neither went into production. Then in 2016 my luck changed when I was able to collaborate with Bobby Samuels as a producer on a series of short films. These films won quite a lot of awards and led to me inviting him on as director for <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b>. Sometimes things take a while to happen, despite the effort. And now, the film world has opened up for me and I am eternally grateful.<p> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="455" align="left"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img border="0" src="../stills/madeinchinatown-4.jpg" width="450" height="252"></td> </tr> </table> <p><b>How would you describe yourself as a writer?</b><p>  <p>I am an extremely disciplined writer who writes for several hours per day. I never have writer’s block because my mind is always working out details in my head before I sit down to “type them up.” I have been a prolific writer for the past 31 years, including over a thousand articles and 15 books and several screenplays. I enjoy the creative process and have devised ways to develop stories that are more fun than work.</p> <p> <p><b>Writers, filmmakers, whoever else who inspire you?</b><p> <p> A number of novelists inspire me, including Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, George Orwell, and Elmore Leonard. Playwrights like Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neil, George Bernard Shaw, and Wallace Shawn have been an inspiration. So many filmmakers inspire me including Stephen Spielberg, Woody Allen, and Wong Kar Wai among many others.<p> <p><b>Your favourite movies?</b><p> <p> My favorite films include <b> Raiders of the Lost Ark</b>, <b><a href="../movies/chungkingexpress(1994).shtml"> Chungking Express</a></b>, <b>Manhattan</b>, <b> The Godfather</b>, <b><a href="../movies/kungfuhustle(2004).shtml"> Kung-Fu Hustle</a></b>, <b> Angel Heart</b>, <b> The Pope of Greenwich Village</b>, among so many others.<p> <p><b>... and of course, films you really deplore?</b><p> <p>I don’t care to watch films that exploit women and children or psychological thrillers where the women or children are mentally or physically abused.<p>   <p><b>Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?</b><p>  <p><a href="http://www.MadeInChinatownMovie.com" target="_blank"><b>www.MadeInChinatownMovie.com</b></a> <p><a href="http://www.TambuliMedia.com" target="_blank"><b>www.TambuliMedia.com</b></a> <p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9612006/" target="_blank"><b>www.imdb.com/name/nm9612006/</b></a><p>  <p><b>Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?</b><p> <p>I am grateful for the chance to talk about <b><a href="../movies/madeinchinatown(2019).shtml">Made in Chinatown</a></b> and share some background with your readers.<p> <p><b>Thanks for the interview!</b> <p> <p>My pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to dig into the film!<p> <p align="center"><b><i>Photos provided by Vision Films, Inc.</i></b> <p>   </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="592" valign="top" height="1%">  <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> currentyear = "2010"; </SCRIPT> <SCRIPT language="JavaScript" src="../scripts/endcreditsart.js"></SCRIPT> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> dosworsdonn(); </SCRIPT> </td> </tr> </table> </div> </body>