theBlaaag: Harold and Kumar

Showing posts with label Harold and Kumar. Show all posts

Oh my god, Kal Penn

New Jersey-born actor Kal Penn, who played a stoner Guantanamo Bay escapee in the movies and a doctor on TV's "House," has scored a job in the White House. Way to go, dude!

Penn, 31, will become associate director in the White House Office of Public Liaison, administration officials confirmed Tuesday. The Indian-American film star will be an emissary to the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, along with arts and entertainment groups.

Penn campaigned extensively throughout the country for President Obama last year and was a hit on college campuses.

WHAT! Does this mean that we'll expect Kal Penn vlogs from the White House? Or some Presidential grass burning rituals? Also, there's a spoiler for House, and it's related to this news, but I won't tell it, because I don't watch House.

Q&A with Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

0 comments Posted by Marilla at 8:35 PM

This concludes Calvin's Harold & Kumar 2 interview series. Enjoy!

Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg, writers and directors of Harold & Kumar 1 & 2

Will you do a Harold & Kumar 3?

JH & HS: Yes we would do a third film if given the chance. The DVDs are the main source of income for films. What we’ve heard is that our DVDs have sold at a level the same as bigger movies. 30 million in sales I think.

I have a copy of Entertainment Weekly that says it right here: 80 million

JH & HS: There’s really no source. If that’s the actual truth, than we and the actors should be paid more money. I guess [studio executives] hide the truth so that they keep all that money.

So just how sick are you guys?!

JH & HS: We were really pleased that people responded to the first Harold & Kumar. We didn’t expect so many people pick up on a lot of the nuances. We tried to do the same in Harold & Kumar 2 so that people laugh and get that something extra.

We’re fortunate that we didn’t do well so quickly because we would have written a completely different story about going to Amsterdam and having a commentary about Americans overseas. That story isn’t fresh though. However, because this process happened over time we got to do something about post 9/11 paranoia, the attitudes of the government, things we’re embarrassed about the government. The truth is that we’re very patriotic Americans, but as George Bush says in the movie: “you don't have to believe in the government to be good Americans; you have to believe in this country and the people.”

The post 9/11 embarrassment of the flip of America becoming the warmongering villains was frustrating; that drove us to make the film as a commentary.

JH & HS: So we tried to make this as broad as possible: it’s a multicultural cast. It doesn’t focus on culture. It does have an anarchist tone of comedy. However, it’s not about focusing on young people or the formula of outrageous comedy concerning an edgy odd couple, etc. This film works on all types of people. We love to play on stereotypes; in fact, the stereotype is that this film is for young people.

You mean young people as in over 17 (rated R)?

JH & HS: We certainly expect the 12-14 year olds to watch the movies they can’t watch.

What about the ethnicity of the duo that makes this unique?

JH & HS: Thats the thing we enjoyed about these movies. It could’ve been a black or white guy. It’s just that we chose the Indian and Korean guy because really, they’re no different from any of us. Some of our best friends in high school and college are Indians and East Asian Americans, etc. So why don’t we put these people in our movie?

What about the antagonist of the film?

In his world, he’s the hero of the movie. He thinks he’s tracking down the villains, and he thinks his [racist] tactics are good.

Wouldn’t you think jokes like “cockmeat sandwich” and other aspects of the film would be offensive or damaging to a young person’s sense of homophobia?

JH & HS: We just focused on what would Harold & Kumar do in those situations.

What about the Roger Bart character who has this great moment and all of a sudden you kill him off?

JH & HS: In terms of Roger Bart, we just thought about what would be funny. We’re building up this guy to be this hero, and he does that. But just in the moment he has his moment and everything is resolved, he ends up dying. We’re not out to show everyone in government is bad. We wanted work in a style that if we have a serious poignant moment, we wanted to destroy it, like getting sucked out of a plane.

Why White Castle?

JH & HS: We wanted a burger chain in Jersey. But there's also the play on the name of these two guys going to “WHITE castle”. But that was like those smarter/double meaning elements in the script that comes by accident.

We also found that a lot of times in LA, there's soooo many burger chains and people would always wanted to go to this ONE burger chain and they would drive for 30 min past all those OTHER burger chains just to go to this one chain. So this movie also makes fun of American commercialization in that we need 20,000 versions of the same thing to be satisfied.

What was with that reference to the lovechild NPH had with the Whoopi Goldberg stand-in?

JH & HS: Whenever we write for NPH, we always think about what would be more disturbing for him? We treat him like an 11 year old child.

What happens when you two fight?

JH & HS: Never happens. We’re always really happy and appreciative of how lucky we are. We have disagreements, but we talk about it.

What’s next?

JH & HS: Not sure. We’re literally handing in a script the day Harold & Kumar 2 comes out. It’s about the way male friendship changes when a guy gets married. It’s actually a personal story of Thomas.

And with that they’re cut off and ushered into the next room. That’s a wrap! All the journalists and myself quickly clean up and left as quickly as we came in, grabbing a few complimentary cookies along the way. Thank you Regency Hotel!

Q&A with actor Kal Penn!

2 comments Posted by David at 7:49 PM

At long last, Calvin's interview with Harold and Kumar 2 actor Kal Penn (... with the help of some other very excited kids)! Read up, this comes to The Blaaag only once in a while. Excuse the looks on Mr. Penn's face, I'm sure he was dying for some of that delicious Fiji water right next to him (in the picture beneath the interview).

--

Kal Penn walks in smiling. The table bristles with excitement as the first question is asked.

So how did you feel about doing a sequel to the first Harold & Kumar film?

KP: I was surprised there was even a sequel. The first one didn’t do well in theaters or DVD marketing. However, I believe that the subsequent reaction over time gave New Line Cinemas enough money to do a sequel. Therefore, this sequel is dedicated to the fans who made this happen.

I thought the 200 million dollars was made from the first film?

KP (incredulous): Well if that’s the case, I haven’t seen that money! I wouldn’t be wearing the same clothes I’m wearing now. In fact (laughing), I would have to hire a lawyer because we definitely didn’t have that much money to put into the sequel.

Was the purpose to put the heroes into the minority?

KP: The purpose was to make an All-American buddy movie. It could be labeled as a teen film, a satire, or a stoner comedy. It may be all three or none of those things. That’s why the audience loves it: you see characters in situations you haven’t seen them in before, and it’s not because of their ethnicity, it’s because of the good writing.

Is there a little bit of reality in which the racist imagery in the film is grounded?

KP: Well it’s funny, because in one of the first scenes in the airport where Harold and I are waiting in line, I get pulled out because of I’m a “suspicious man of color.” It goes back to an actual story where the director and writer of Harold & Kumar, John Cho, and myself were waiting in line in Austin, Texas. So they go through, no beep. John [Cho] goes through, no beep. But when I went through without beeping, I of course still got pulled out of the line by TSA officials.

So they search me and pat me down and do all the security checkpoint stuff and let me go. Then one of the writers [for Harold & Kumar] came up to me and was like “I have something to tell you that might piss you off.” And then I was like, “I’m already pissed off. How can it get any worse?”

Well the thing was that prior to meeting us at the airport, he was coming back from a weekend camping trip and had a hunting knife on him that he forgot to take it out of his bag as he was checking into airport security. However, the TSA officials were so focused on me, as that “suspicious man of color,” that they didn’t even pay attention to the hunting knife.

So yeah, all ethnicities have gone through it before. This sequence helped with writing the opening scene, but in a light way that John & Hayden would write it.

Do you feel the burden of it being marketed as an Asian American film?

KP: I don’t think that is the appeal; I think the appeal is to a wider audience. I remember back in the day I wouldn’t see anyone like me except for Indiana Jones & Temple of Doom or Apu [from the Simpsons]. Now I think [Asian Americans] are of course going to get excited about seeing people looking like them. However, the movie is also cool in that it still appeals to all kinds of people who enjoy different appeals. Frat boys enjoy it, Asian Americans enjoy it, etc.

You see, both Harold & Kumar in the film went to Columbia (Calvin cheers, Kal stops to nod in approval), and they’re both smart. Just that one’s a banker, and one’s not sure about medical school. It’s not that one’s smart and one’s dumb or one’s clueless and one’s isn’t. Both are bright, it’s just different personalities. However, it’s weird that people call me Kumar in real life.

So you have two careers now?

KP: Yes. One’s serious and one’s comedic.

Does being Kumar prevent you getting parts like in The Namesake?

KP: Actually it helped because Mira Nair’s son is a big fan of Harold & Kumar. When I heard the casting call for “The Namesake” I begged the casting department for the role but I never got a reply back. Apparently Mira already had a short list of actos she wanted for the part of Golgol and I definitely wasn’t on it. However, thanks to my involvement in Harold & Kumar, every night and every morning Mira would hear to no end from her son who begged her constantly to “get Kumar in The Namesake.” So eventually she relented and I got the chance to audition and eventually work with a very smart writer & director.

What are you doing now?

KP: I’m working on a TV show called House. I play a regular called Lawrence Kutner who likes the unorthodox way of doing medical stuff.

Anyone you want to work with?

KP: Natalie Portman, Mira Nair, Spike Lee, Larry Clark.

Do you have to be more selective now as an actor?

KP: That’s the goal of the actor: To build up your resume to get the foot in the door. You think we’re doing well after Harold & Kumar, but on the inside it’s actually much tougher. For example, I’m getting older so I can’t do Harold & Kumar 14.

How old are you now? Can you still feel you can do more roles like Harold & Kumar?

KP I’m 30. I still act like I’m 11 though.

Do you feel a responsibility now to break stereotypes as a South Asian American actor?

KP: I don’t feel any responsibility to break stereotypes. I think there’s an acknowledgement you can do certain things in that capacity. But folks don’t realize that this really relies on the writers instead of the actors, which are jobs that the Asian American community doesn’t encourage their people to go into. It’s really good writing that creates those stereotype breaking roles, not good actors.

For sure though, playing fields are definitely getting more diverse nowadays, and Harold & Kumar contributes to that. I can certainly relate to the sense of empowerment.

Does this movie encourage drug use?

KP: No. I think anytime they do use drugs, they screw up, you know? If anything, what’s important about this film is that in any other country we’d get short or imprisoned for making fun of our prime minister, president, king, whoever. Here in this film we make fun of President George W. Bush in such a ridiculous way and that’s okay! And it’s not even an anti-Bush movie or anti-Drug, or an Asian American film. It’s a simple fun film about 2 guys on a journey.

Kal’s agent hounds us for asking too many questions as all of us rush to take pictures with him as he’s wrapping up the last question. To save time, Kal decides to take a group picture and encourages us all to facebook each other for the photo.

Q&A with Neil Patrick Harris

1 comments Posted by David at 8:38 PM

This is part two of the Harold and Kumar Q&A / Interview series, where Neil Patrick Harris answers questions about acting and his role in this movie. We're still not totally sure how it relates to Asian America, but I'm sure this is just the buildup to the Kal Penn part, which Calvin will transcribe in due time.

NPH enters smiling; a reporter shrieks and NPH laughs at her. I make fun of fellow interviewer: ‘She’s actually not here to interview, we found her on the street and paid her to looked excited.”

NPH laughs as he sits down and is asked the first question.

What was your career like before it took off?

NPH: My career was very different back then: I did a lot of Broadway: Cabaret, Proof, Assassins. I wanted to cultivate a skillset without worrying about the fame ramifications of it. Harold & Kumar was nice in that it was a quick glass of notoriety.

John & Hayden (The writers & directors of the Harold & Kumar movies) was fans of me way back, and they thought it was funny to write me in the movie, and so they did. And then I read the script, responding that I loved it.

Are you upset that you got killed off?

NPH: Did you not stay until the end of the credits?

Journalist who had asked that question gets quiet.

NPH: There are 250 people out there who are cursing your name right now. Think about them. What about the gaffers? The grips? Shame on you.

What is your schedule like?

NPH: The TV schedule is more than half the year and is a bigger time commitment for what’s usually owed to Broadway: 6 months. There’s no time to the do the 12-14 month gig.

Has anyone mentioned a Doogie Howser reunion movie?

NPH (laughs): No.

How similar are you in real life to NPH in the movie?

NPH: Almost surprisingly similar...but no, really, it’s everything up until the point I stopped using a fake ID.

Was it your or the writers’ say to make your character very sexual?

NPH: You know, they wrote me that way before they even met me; before they knew me at all. Thats the idea they had of me when they wrote me. Yeah...

NPH then talks about his Whoopi Goldberg stand-in lovechild in the film. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, then go see it...NOW!

So do you prefer to eat at White Castle?

NPH: I’ve only eaten at White Castle late late late at night. I’m not an onion guy, and that’s like the main part of what makes those “sliders” so great, right? So it’s not my thing. I would have to order them sans-onion, but then again what’s the point? I might as well go to McDonalds.

How did you feel about H&K when you were filming it?

NPH: When you’re filming a movie, you have no sense of how it turns out until much much later. It’s very nice to have this role in this chapter of my life because it’s nice to have a demographic like me to have nice things to say.

And what do they say?

NPH: A lot of specific questions of “did that really happen? Did you really ride a unicorn? Did you really snort coke off a stripper’s ass?”

If your body could be made from anything else than skin and bones, what would it be?

NPH: Silly putty.

Like Gumby?

NPH: Like Stretch Armstrong.

What role do you look forward to doing that you haven’t done?

NPH: Someone villainous. I’m always envious of the super-villain in the Batman movies. Those are an actor’s dream job.

So whats the next thing?

NPH: There are a few more episodes of “How I Met your Mother.” Then there’s this project involving a site specific theater thing. It’s like an interactive activity with the audience....you’ll see.

What did you think of the writer’s strike?

NPH: The strike was strange because all of a sudden you find yourself trying to create your own material. I did something with Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). It’s this Dr. Horribles Sing-Along thing...yeah, I can’t describe it.

Will you direct?

NPH: Oh yes. It’s a big time commitment; with Harold & Kumar I work for 5 days whereas the director works for 18 months. There’s so much more involved behind the camera.

And that’s a wrap! As he takes pictures with the journalists, I ask the final question:

So what would Neil Patrick Harris do?

NPH (laughs): The question is: What wouldn’t NPH do?

Next up: KAL PENN!

Q&A with Christopher Meloni

0 comments Posted by Marilla at 10:33 AM

This interview with Christopher Meloni marks the beginning of a series of Harold and Kumar 2 interviews which our AAA Chair and guest blogger Calvin Sun also conducted with Kal Penn and Neil Patrick Harris (what would NPH do?). Fans of Law & Order: SVU, Oz, and/or Wet Hot American Summer are free to emit cries of joy.

Sadly, there are no pictures because Chris's agents were especially unfriendly compared to Neil's and Kal's.

Christopher Meloni - Freakshow in Harold & Kumar; Detective Elliot Stabler in Law & Order: SVU; Chris Keller in Oz; Gene in Wet Hot American Summer

[The following is a transcript of Calvin's interview]

[Christopher Meloni walks in shouting “Heyyyy!” as our roundtable of four journalists, including myself--pretending to be one--buzzes with excitement. We spent two hours waiting; and at that moment those two hours seemed worthwhile.]

[Christopher sits down and jokes around a bit with one journalist who yelped when he came in.]

Why did you decide to take up a role as the Middle School Gym Teacher in the Nickolodeon film, Gym Teacher: The Movie?

CM: I took it because of Paul Dinello (Strangers with Candy). It was nice, funny, and Paul would bring a necessary edge so that it wouldn’t be sappy. It was fun. I play this good, but sometimes flawed, sometimes selfish type character that becomes the hero at the end.

[Backstory: Christopher plays "a guy who was the gymnast in the 1998 Seoul Olympics who falls flat on his face on the vaulting horse and never gets over it." Eventually he is socially retarded, becoming a middle school gym teacher tasked with "winning the Middle School Gym Teacher Nationals." But then a clumsy transfer students joins his team and screws up all his hopes of making it big again. And then "he falls for the kid’s mother...it's a GREAT story."]

[Christopher then discusses how Law & Order is finally back on after writer’s strike as Robin Williams is set to guest star in the 200th episode.]

So what was more enjoyable: playing Freakshow in the first Harold & Kumar film or The Grand Wizard in the second film?

CM: I enjoyed Freakshow because he had more scenes to flesh him out and live with him. If you do that, you eventually become very attached. Unfortunately I did only one scene for The Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan scene in Harold & Kumar 2.

(Jokingly) You didn’t get attached to being a part of the Ku Klux Klan?

CM: Well I did subscribe to their mailing list...they got a lot of great ideas.

This is on the record.

CM: HA HA HA, you can put “jokingly” or SOMETHING. You guys do still do that right? But seriously, when I looked into their philosophy, a lot of it is fear-based. It’s sad.

There are a lot of good comedic riffs in Law & Order: SVU series as well. Will there be any romantic prospects?

CM: No comment... The character development and working together with my partner on the show happens organically.

For example, “we have to hug” because it’ll never happen again (referring to a life & death moment on the show). She ends up saving the child, which to me is deeper than sex or having relationships... A lot of people want us to get together on the show, but you can’t always get what you want.

What are your future projects?

CM: A movie called Carriers with Chris Pine (of Star Trek fame), and a Nights in Rodanthe film with Diane Lane.

Do you actively seek out roles outside of Low & Order?

CM: Back then, I needed the money and the exposure. But now, especially when Law & Order: SVU ends, the criteria will now be stuff I want to do, working with good people. John Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg (The writers & directors of the Harold & Kumar films) fit the bill here because they’re no longer “up & coming” comedic geniuses...After this film, they’ll definitely be seen to be as good as Judd Apatow.

Do you prefer to do comedies or drama?

CM: I prefer comedy because I’m esconched in drama nine months of the year (with Law & Order: SVU). For example, the cop role would be the last one I would choose unless its with Sidney Lumet (laughs).

How do you find the time?

CM: I’m not pulling the train; I’m the unground kernel of pepper.

Are you looking forward to public nudity again?

CM: I did Oz!!! I peed in a bucket before and showed the full monty before!

Well, is doing public nudity different between pay on HBO than pay in a theater?

CM: I just find it weird that people are more concerned with nudity than with violence in this country.

What else are you looking for in future roles?

CM: I want to be with women in films that don’t fit the status quo; I want to be with women that aren’t pretty, I want to be with a woman who is black, I want to be with women who are overweight... it goes on.

So what will life be like after Law & Order: SVU?

CM: I’m currently setting up a post-SVU life by starting a production company, working with 1-2 writers, auctioning properties. I just produced my first movie: National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie which is about low rent, shoestring budget guys trying to get it off the ground...

[Time’s up; Christopher’s agent/staff comes in and tells everyone to wrap it... Neil Patrick Harris is coming in 30 seconds! One journalist laments that we never actually got to talk about Harold & Kumar 2 with Christopher.]

More H&K 2 shots

0 comments Posted by David at 9:56 PM

Remember, if you came to cultureSHOCK, chances are good you received a chance to see Harold and Kumar 2: Escape from Guantanamo Bay this Wednesday the 23rd (I believe). Check out the next batch of images from this movie. (Again, spoiler/whatever warning.)

Some Harold and Kumar 2 photos for you!

3 comments Posted by David at 12:26 AM

Jack Song over at David Magdael & Associates, Inc. sent us a bunch of publicity materials for some movies he's publicizing so here's the first batch. Harold and Kumar 2: Escape from Guantanamo Bay promises to turn the H&K franchise raucously political. We're crazy excited for this movie. See it immediately when it comes out on April 25th!

Notice: Some of these photos display that typical frat-boy misogyny, seemingly something all comedy movies have to have nowadays. You've been forwarned. Also, if you take these photos as happening chronologically, this is also a spoiler warning, lol.

Kal Penn (left) stars as “Kumar” and John Cho (center) stars as “Harold” in New Line Cinema’s upcoming release HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY. Photo courtesy Jaimie Trueblood/New Line Cinema ©2008 New Line Cinema