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:

Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround - English
Features - Special Features:
1. Commentary By Director/Co-Writer Justin Lin and Ernesto M. Foronda and Fabian Marquez

Distributor Notes: Never underestimate an over achiever. To his classmates and teachers, high-schooler Ben Manibag (Perry Shen) appears to be the "model" student: a perfectionist and overachiever, destined for nothing less than graduating at the top of his class and then attending a prestigious college. But underneath this persona is a darker side - Ben and his bored high-school buddies lead double lives, flying high in a world of petty crime and material excess in order to ease the pressures of "being perfect." It's a free-wheeling lifestyle that soon takes a downward spiral, leading to an unexpected end. An Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival, Better Luck Tomorrow is a gripping, edgy and provocative film that rips the tranquil, well-manicured facade off of middle-class suburbia and cultural stereotypes.

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

Justin Lin: Director, FANGS (1998)

Julie Asato: Producer, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Ernesto M. Foronda: Screenwriter, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Justin Lin: Director, FANGS (1998)

Ernesto M. Foronda: Screenwriter, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)
Justin Lin: Director, FANGS (1998)
Fabian Marquez: Screenwriter, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)

Michael J. Gonzales: Composer, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2003)

"...A shrewdly tense piece of storytelling....Swift, compelling..."
"...Lin works with a rhythmic observational flair..."
"...Solid performances by the cast and Lin's expressive storytelling techniques combine for an absorbing twist on this coming-of-age tale..."
"...Lin is a talent to watch. There's a sting to this film that gets to you..."
"...[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..."
"...[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..."