• 2ndscreening

    Oct 18, 11:59 AM by administrator

    Special 2nd Screening

    Fri. Nov. 2nd, 1:00 PM

    Filmmaker’s Notes:
    Justin had the idea of Finishing the Game (FTG) even before his first solo film Better Luck Tomorrow, but in hindsight is grateful he didn’t make this film until after having spent some time in the film industry where fear and insecurities run rampant.

    It is from this experience that he was finally able to realize the theme of FTG – “denial.” Often, in order to gain success, many resort to being something that they are not and live in denial. In this film he has set out to explore the many manifestations and layers of this denial.

    The need for a Bruce Lee replacement forms the basic premise of FTG. But, the bigger need for those who wish to replace him and their unique forms of denial create the nerve center of the film. Such an obsession to gain notoriety is all around us today. The need for the “Next New Thing” has led to a seemingly endless stream of reality TV shows that promise fame at the price of fitting the mold and climbing into a “box” or prepackaged identity. Whether it is the prototype of the rockstar or a model, networks are having no problem finding people desperate to get their fifteen minutes of fame and an audience eager to watch them claw and fumble their way to it.

    Finishing The Game



    Director: Justin Lin | Producers: Julie Asato, Salvador Gatdula, Justin Lin | Writers: Justin Lin, Josh Diamond
    Narrative | 35mm | Colour | 2007 | 88 minutes | USA

    On July 20, 1973 at the zenith of his popularity amongst fans and continuing rise of his stardom both within and outside the film industry, Chinese American martial arts action star Bruce Lee – suddenly and unexpectedly – died while in Hong Kong. He was just 32. Within six weeks of his death, ENTER THE DRAGON was released and instantly became an international box office smash cementing his legend, albeit a posthumous one.

    At the time of his death, he was at work on a passion project entitled GAME OF DEATH for which a 12-minute action sequence had already been shot and vaulted at the film studio. Unfazed by this “minor” distraction, and perhaps equally shocking due to the star’s death, the film’s stony executives callously made the decision to complete the unfinished film by rushing to find a replacement for its deceased leading man and star.

    FINISHING THE GAME delves into the exhaustive, worldwide search for that replacement through a period reimagining of events as seen through the eyes of five somewhat unlikely yet, prime candidates. A wannabe b-movie actor who shares the same initials as the legend; a starry-eyed doctor; a traumatized refugee; a southern bumpkin with a penchant for chili fries and an Asian American activist of questionable ethnic origin — all vie to follow in the legend’s sizable steps, but ultimately fight for something far removed from a career-making role. As the lengthy audition process intensifies and good-natured camaraderie gives way to backstabbing rivalry, the five subjects’ eyes are opened as they learn that the scripted game pales in comparison to the real one.

    Previous Screenings:
    San Francisco Asian American International Film Festival, 2007

    Commenting is closed for this article.