They Call Us Bruce

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 any means necessary, from chasing early cinema dreams in Hawaii, to breakout success with The Sword and the Sorcerer, to his ridiculously extensive 50+ movie resume stuffed with direct-to-video titles like Nemesis, Dollman and Crazy Six. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of the films of Albert Pyun. This episode is sponsored by the Westside Theatre's Little Shop of Horrors, starring Constance Wu and Corbin Bleu. Use the discount code LSOPOD10 for $10 off tickets.

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 incarceration camps and contemporary treatment of migrants and Muslims, and finding better understanding of his own bi-cultural identity in the process. This episode is sponsored by the Westside Theatre's Little Shop of Horrors, starring Constance Wu and Corbin Bleu. Use the discount code LSOPOD10 for $10 off tickets.

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-Filipino cast, and the complicated responsibility of narrativizing this very real history of the Philippines. This episode is sponsored by the Westside Theatre's Little Shop of Horrors, starring Constance Wu and Corbin Bleu. Use the discount code LSOPOD10 for $10 off tickets.

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 autobiographical screenplay that eventually became a bad B-movie starring.... Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds, and Ice-T. Also: The Good, The Bad and The WTF of making Magnificent Jerk.

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, heated conversations with her family members. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Liquor Store Dreams.

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 similar parallel experience with conversion therapy, and The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of being open about who you are. Also: stay tuned for the first episode of Dear Alana from Tenderfoot TV.

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 Good, The Bad and The WTF of being on strike.

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 notoriously known as "Love Boat" and why it was the perfect, long overdue moment to tell these stories.

[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 Rich Asians, sandwiches, getting away from the rep sweats and feeling free to make stories about unlovable, messy Asian Americans like Ben Tanaka. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Shortcomings.

[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 that forms between an all-Asian cast. Also: stay tuned for a special bonus edition of The Official Warrior Podcast, hosted by Lisa Ling and Hoon Lee, on the life and legacy of Bruce Lee.