BETTER LUCK TOMORROW, the first feature film from director and screenwriter Justin Lin, is a dark comedy about Asian-American high school students in suburban Los Angeles. High school student Ben Manibag (Parry Shen) is an overachiever. The polite 16-year-old does well in class, studies diligently for the SATs, works in a fast food restaurant, and is involved with extracurricular activities that will enhance his college applications. Essentially, he is an ideal Ivy League candidate. But when he is befriended by senior Daric Loo (Roger Fan)--class valedictorian and captain of the academic decathlon team--his life changes. Bit by bit Ben, his best friend Virgil (Jason Tobin), and Virgil's cousin, Han (Sung Kang), are drawn from their boring suburban high school life to Daric's increasingly risky propositions and into a world of petty crime, drugs, and sex. Eventually, the foursome's activities begin to spin out of control, culminating in shocking events that none of them could anticipate.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 - English
Dolby Surround - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: Justin Lin - Director, Ernesto M. Foronda & Fabian Marquez - Screenwriters
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Features
Stars
Parry Shen: Actor, THE NEW GUY (2002)
Jason J. Tobin: American Actor/ "Yellow"
Sung Kang: Actor, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Roger Fan: Actor, CORKY ROMANO (2001)
John Cho: Actor, FANGS (1998)
Jerry Mathers: TV/Film Actor/The Beaver
Director
Justin Lin: Director, FANGS (1998)
Producer
Julie Asato: Producer, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Ernesto M. Foronda: Screenwriter, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Justin Lin: Director, FANGS (1998)
Screenwriter
Ernesto M. Foronda: Screenwriter, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Justin Lin: Director, FANGS (1998)
Fabian Marquez: Screenwriter, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Composer
Michael J. Gonzales: Composer, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Director of Photography
Patrice Lucien Cochet: Director of Photography, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Executive Producer
Gustavo Spoliansky: Executive Producer, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Executive Producer
Michael Manshel: Executive Producer, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Music
Semiautomatic: Music, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Review 1:
"...Lin works with a rhythmic observational flair..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.49 04/18/2003
Review 2:
"...Solid performances by the cast and Lin's expressive storytelling techniques combine for an absorbing twist on this coming-of-age tale..."
Source: Box Office
p.58 05/01/2003
Review 3:
"...A shrewdly tense piece of storytelling....Swift, compelling..."
Source: New York Times
p.E14 04/11/2003
Review 4:
"...Lin is a talent to watch. There's a sting to this film that gets to you..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.64 05/01/2003
Review 5:
"...[Justin Lin] reveals himself as a skilled and sure director, a rising star....Lin keeps a sure hand on tricky material; he has obvious confidence about where he wants to go and how he wants to get there..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.29 04/11/2003
Review 6:
"...[Lin is] engaged with the world to a degree that's rare in the indie scene. He's not averse to making us think; he just knows that first he's got to catch our attention..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C1 04/11/2003