By Casey Atud
“The Host”
If movies could mate, then “E.T.” and “Twilight” would give birth to Stephanie Meyer’s newest tale, “The Host.” The highly praised author of “Twilight” takes on a rather peculiar twist on aliens and love in her latest epic sci-fi romance.
“We’ve seen the story of two people falling for the same guy, but this is the first time we’re seeing two men fall for different people in the same body,” explained Jake Abel, one of the film’s leading men.
Slightly confused? I don’t blame you. The movie kept me on an emotional teeter-totter as I toggled between unintentionally laughing during dramatic moments and tearing up during heartwarming scenes sprinkled throughout the film.
Overall, a great try from the gorgeous young cast and talented writer Meyer, but a miss in the realms of epic sci-fi love stories.
“Linsanity”
“Linsanity” takes a long shot and scores big with the unique story of triumph and perseverance of the Asian-American NBA star, Jeremy Lin.
Evan Jackson Leong, a self-professed “poor filmmaker,” took a chance during his documentary film career by following Lin, who at the time was a Harvard freshman and the only Asian-American in the Ivy League “who could dunk.”
Leung was so fascinated by this young Bay Area native’s story that he followed Lin around for years, filming his professional basketball career as the ups and downs unfolded.
“At the time, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I just kept filming,” said Leong about his documentary journey with the professional basketball player.
What started out initially as an idea for a short webisode led to Leong’s “Linsanity” success, including a standing ovation during his movie debut at last year’s Sundance Festival.
Anyone looking for an inspirational story is sure to enjoy this documentary from beginning to end. Not just for the avid basketball fan, Leong eloquently pieces together a heartwarming tale of overcoming all odds that everyone can understand and relate to.