They Call Us Bruce

In Episode 229, Jeff and Phil ring in the Year of the Dragon and welcome back friend, journalist and fellow podcaster Ada Tseng to talk about her  Los Angeles Times piece which asked and answered a very important question: Which are the "most Asian" Costcos in Southern California? They discuss why the wholesale chain holds a particular appeal for Asian American shoppers, the specialty items you ca...

In Episode 228, Jeff and Phil welcome graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham, who have joined forces for  Lunar New Year Love Story,  a heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, and falling in love. They talk about Gene's real-life origins of merging Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year celebrations, the bad dates and relationships that inspired some of their characters' turmoil, and...

In Episode 227, Jeff and Phil welcome back filmmaker Bao Nguyen, director of the documentary  The Greatest Night in Pop , which goes behind the scenes of the fateful, once-in-a-lifetime night in 1985 when music's biggest stars gathered to record "We Are the World." He talks about the unique way this iconic pop song transcended cultures and generations, why he told this story like a heist movie, an...

In Episode 226, Jeff and Phil welcome Justin Chien and Sam Song Li, the stars of the Netflix family crime drama  The Brothers Sun . They talk about getting their big shot to play Charles and Bruce -- the titular Brothers Sun; acting opposite the queen herself, Michelle Yeoh; and all the hard work that went into kicking ass (and not getting your ass kicked) in the show's epic fight scenes. Also: Th...

In Episode 225, Jeff and Phil welcome back their favorite usual suspects, Rebecca Sun of  The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of DIASPORA, to do a deep dive into the Netflix family crime drama The Brothers Sun , starring Michelle Yeoh (but not before a brief recap of recent award show happenings, including the Emmys and Golden Globes). They discuss "rice rocket energy," the #1 Seafood Restau...

In Episode 224, Jeff and Phil welcome back their pals Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of DIASPORA to take one last look back at the year that was, plus a look forward, with a special super-sized edition of The Good, The Bad, and The WTF (What's The Future). They discuss, among other things, the post- Everything Everywhere All at Once Multiverse, messy Asians, controversies...

In Episode 223, Jeff and Phil close out 2023 and welcome critic and commentator Jae-Ha Kim to talk all things K -- from K-dramas to K-pop, and all the other ways Korean pop culture has spread its infectious K-embrace across the globe. They discuss the best K-dramas of the year (according to Jae-Ha), what happens when BTS takes a break for military service, and the recent tragic death of Lee Sun-ky...

In Episode 222, Jeff and Phil welcome James Wan, filmmaker behind iconic movies like  Saw , Insidious , The Conjuring , Furious 7 , Aquaman and now, its sequel, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom . He talks about his journey from making indie horror flicks to tentpole blockbusters, shares his tricks for avoiding sequel-itis, and attempts to say something bad about Randall Park. Presented in partnership...

In Episode 221, Jeff and Phil welcome two of the creators behind the Netflix animated action series  Blue Eye Samurai , co-creator/co-showrunner Amber Noizumi and supervising director/producer Jane Wu. They discuss some of the personal connections that sparked the tale of mixed race warrior Mizu, bringing a decidedly Asian American take on an Edo-period samurai story, and the lengths they went to...

Recorded live at Bās Bookshop in Honolulu, Hawaii! In Episode 220, Jeff and Phil celebrate the release of Jeff's new book  The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America , which explores the history of Asian Americans on the silver screen, and the iconic films that have shaped Hollywood, representation, and American culture. They talk about why this moment in representation seemed like the...

In Episode 219, Jeff and Phil welcome their old friend Amy S. Choi of The Mash-Up Americans, who talks about starting her podcast/media company with a question ("Why not us?"); bringing the Mash-Up lens to the images and stories that don't get told in overly simplistic news verticals; and the latest season of their podcast, which aims to give you The Ultimate Guide to a Mash-Up Life. Also: stay tu...

Recorded in partnership with the  Hawaii International Film Festival . In Episode 218, Jeff and Phil welcome filmmaker Imran J. Khan, writer/director of the indie coming-of-age film  Mustache . He talks about facial hair, Alicia Silverstone, telling culturally-specific stories without having to simplify or over-explain for audiences, and the bizarre time traveling that happens when you make a movi...

In Episode 217, Jeff and Phil welcome Jessica Yu, director of the comedy  Quiz Lady , starring Sandra Oh and Awkwafina. She talks about bringing her diverse directing experience -- including her Academy Award  -- to a wacky feature comedy; assembling and working with a team of dream collaborators for Quiz Lady ; and how they reworked the original script to better reflect the nuance and layers of t...

Recorded in partnership with the Hawaii International Film Festival . In Episode 216, Jeff and Phil welcome actor/filmmaker Daniel Wu and HIFF artistic director Anderson Le -- fellow Bruce Lee superfans -- to discuss the fascinating documentary  Enter the Clones of Bruce , which explores "Brucesploitation," the unique (and often bizarre) 1970s martial arts film subgenre that exploded in the wake o...

Recorded in partnership with the Hawaii International Film Festival. In Episode 215, Jeff and Phil welcome Lisa D'Apolito, director of the forthcoming documentary  Albert Pyun King of Cult Movies , and Anderson Le, Artistic Director of the Hawaii International Film Festival, to talk about the life and career of prolific cult filmmaker Albert Pyun. They discuss Pyun's passion for movie-making by an...

In Episode 214, Jeff and Phil welcome singer, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi, whose latest project is the album and "songfilm"  Omoiyari , a musical journey to understand World War II-era Japanese American incarceration, assimilation, and what it means to be a minority in America today. He talks about exploring empathy and compassion through music, drawing parallels between incarc...

In Episode 213, Jeff and Phil welcome Arielle Jacobs and Jose Llana, the stars of the revolutionary new Broadway musical  Here Lies Love , an immersive roof-raising disco musical that tells the story of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos. They discuss the unique thrill of performing in this groundbreaking, form-busting theatre experience, their immense pride in being a part of Broadway's first ever all-F...

In Episode 212, Jeff and Phil welcome Maya Lin Sugarman and James Kim, producers behind the podcast  Magnificent Jerk , "the true story—of a fake story—about a real life." They talk about the fascinating life and career of Maya's late uncle Galen Yuen, and the box of his belongings that sent Maya on mission to discover her family's biggest secrets—including the truth behind the possibly autobiogra...

In Episode 211, Jeff and Phil welcome filmmaker So Yun Um, director of the feature documentary  Liquor Store Dreams , an intimate portrait of two Korean American children of Los Angeles liquor store owners. She talks about confronting popular media depictions of Korean American store owners, turning the camera on herself to tell this deeply personal story, and hitting record during some very tough...

In Episode 210, Jeff and Phil welcome Simon Kent Fung, creator and host of the podcast  Dear Alana , an eight-part limited series that tells the  story of aspiring nun  Alana Chen, who tragically ended her life at the age of 24 after seven years in conversion therapy. Simon talks about telling this gripping, intimate story through the dozens of journals Alana left behind, his own shockingly simila...

In Episode 209, Jeff and Phil welcome actor Parvesh Cheena and writer Liz Hsiao Lan Alper to discuss the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, which have brought the entertainment industry to a standstill. They discuss the conditions and contract issues that necessitated these labor actions, what work stoppage and picketing has meant for the average (and most marginalized) Hollywood workers, and The...

In Episode 208, Jeff and Phil rewind and revisit their 2019 conversation with filmmaker Valerie Soe, director of the documentary  Love Boat: Taiwan , and writer Abigail Hing Wen, author of the bestselling young adult novel Loveboat, Taipei -- now adapted for the screen as the feature film Love in Taipei , starring Ashley Liao and Ross Butler. They discuss the Taiwanese summer cultural program noto...

[NOTE: This episode was recorded before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. They Call Us Bruce fully supports the actors and writers unions and their fight for fair contracts.] In Episode 207, Jeff and Phil welcome Randall Park and Justin H. Min to talk about their new film  Shortcomings , based on the 2007 graphic novel by Adrian Tomine. They discuss Randall's directorial debut, parodying Crazy Ri...

[NOTE: This episode was recorded before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. They Call Us Bruce fully supports the actors and writers unions and their fight for fair contracts.] In Episode 206, Jeff and Phil welcome actor Hoon Lee, who stars as Wang Chao on the action drama  Warrior . He talks about playing a character situated between several worlds, getting in on the action, and the unique bond th...

In Episode 205, Jeff and Phil welcome writer  Nicole Chung , author of All You Can Ever Know , which tells the story of her adoption and search for her birth family, and  A Living Remedy, her memoir about grief and the death of her adoptive parents. They discuss grieving under capitalism, writing and enduring through loss (and a global pandemic), If John Cho Were Your Boyfriend , and why you shoul...