John Cho Movies
It's not every day that an unknown actor lands a role that will allow him to deliver a line that enters into the public lexicon and still manages to avoid the "Where's the beef?" syndrome of being forever linked with the resulting catch phrase, but with his role as the "MILF" guy in the breakout comedy American Pie, actor John Cho somehow managed to do just that. With stage skills that aren't limited to Shakespeare (Cho spends his off-time touring with his band Left of Zed) and a killer sense of comic timing onscreen, the fresh-faced Korean actor has transcended his status as Asian-American "It" boy to become one of the most promising stars of his generation. A move from Korea to Los Angeles found young Cho's interest in acting piqued when he began studying English literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and after taking to the boards in a Berkeley Repertory Theater production of The Woman Warrior (which would subsequently move to Boston's Huntington Theater and Los Angeles' James Doolittle Theater), the up-and-coming talent made his screen debut in director Justin Lin's decidedly bizarre 1997 feature Shopping for Fangs.Subsequent years found Cho essaying supporting roles in such high-profile features as Wag the Dog and Bowfinger, with his breakout role in American Pie preceding roles in such widely seen films as Bowfinger, American Beauty, Evolution, and the Chris Rock comedy Down to Earth. Though the films may not have offered Cho the most memorable parts, they kept him familiar with audiences until he reprised his most famous role to date in the hit sequel American Pie 2. In 2002, Cho truly got to show his talent in director Lin's critically acclaimed indie effort Better Luck Tomorrow. Following a crew of high-school-aged Asian-Americans who use their reputations as studious bookworms to mask their criminal activities, the movie proved without a doubt that Cho had what it took to make it in film. More supporting roles in Big Fat Liar and Solaris were quick to follow, and after rounding out the "American" trilogy in American Wedding, it was burger time for Cho as he played one of the titular characters (opposite Van Wilder's Kal Penn) in the 2004 comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. The next year, Cho went on to essay a supporting role on the short-lived chef sitcom Kitchen Confidential before returning to feature films. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
It's said that most American men think about sex once every two or three minutes, but this statistic would seriously underestimate the horniness of Jim (Jason Biggs), a high school senior in suburban Michigan. Jim is thoroughly obsessed with sex, a fact of which his parents become aware when they discover him performing the sin of Onan with a gym sock while watching scrambled pay-per-view porn. Jim's buddies Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and Oz (Chris Klein) are no less anxious to relieve themselves of their virginity, so they all make a pledge: they will go to bed with a woman in the three weeks before senior prom or die trying. Kevin appears to have the advantage, since he already has a girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), but before he ventures into the Final Frontier, Kevin is urged to consult "The Bible," a hand-written how-to manual possessing erotic wisdom passed down through the ages. Oz is a good-looking jock who is actually a nice guy -- which is part of the problem, since he has his heart set on a nice girl, Heather (Mena Suvari), who does not seem the type to leap into bed within 21 days. Finch has no immediate prospects, though Jessica (Natasha Lyonne) is in a position to know if those rumors about him are true. And Jim is a truly hopeless case -- after his attempted seduction of beautiful Czech exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) turns out to be a disaster, he ends up going to the prom with Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), an annoyingly chatty band geek who does, however, have a fascinating story about a flute. American Pie was the directorial debut of Paul Weitz, who, along with his brother Chris Weitz (who served as producer), previously wrote several screenplays, including Antz and Madeline (where they presumably worked all their wholesome ideas out of their system). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, (more)
- 1998
It is nothing unusual when impressionable Piper (Holly Marie Combs) falls in love again. What is out of the ordinary is that Piper's new beau, Mark (John Cho), is the ghost of a murder victim, who hopes not only to avenge his death but to arrange his own funeral before his body can be "claimed" by demonic forces. Elsewhere, the peripatetic Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) hopes to use her forecasting skills to good use -- and make big money in the bargain -- by going to work for a psychic. And while preparing for her birthday, Prue (Shannen Doherty) is laid low by a crushing disillusionment. Fans of the series (and even non-fans!) will certainly appreciate the scene in which co-star Alyssa Milano shows up in a fetching harem outfit. ~ All Movie Guide
This independent debut film for writer-director Chris Chan Lee follows the adventures of a group of eight L.A. teenagers on the last night before their high school graduation. Sin Lee (Michael Chung) can't join in the fun his friends have planned, because his parents are making him mind their grocery store. The store is robbed at gunpoint, and the thieves make off with $1,500. Sin tells his friends that his father won't let him go to college unless he gets the money back. The young men and women decide to find the thieves and the money, and spend a wild and dangerous night trying to recover the loot. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Two stories involving Asian-Americans in Southern California's San Gabriel Valley "discovering their dark sides" intersect in this post-modern, anti-consumerism feature from co-directors and UCLA graduates Quentin Lee and Justin Lin. Katherine (Jeanne Chin) is a mild-mannered, unhappy young wife who is suffering from blackouts that result in extended periods of lost time. After one such episode, she realizes that she's lost her cellular phone and begins receiving suggestive phone calls, photographs and come-ons from free-spirited, blonde lesbian Trinh, a waitress at the Go-Go Café. Katherine's husband, self-absorbed body builder and successful businessman Jim Lee (Clint Jung) works with a payroll accountant, Phil (Radmar Jao) who believes that he may be a werewolf. His evidence: abnormally fast-growing body hair requiring him to shave every few hours, an insatiable appetite for meat, and a newfound talent for sports. His sister's boyfriend is writing a book about werewolves, and although his therapist is convinced that the numbers-cruncher just needs some sexual release, Phil becomes convinced that he's a lycanthrope after the disappearance of his most recent date and a car accident from which he emerges unscathed. Both Phil and Katherine are on a collision course with revelations about their true natures. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
