Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome back Daniel Chong, director of the Disney/Pixar animated feature Hoppers. They discuss the silly, unlikely pitch for "Penguin Avatar" that actually got the green light; centering an angry Asian young woman at the heart of this adventure (and why this movie arrives amidst an incredible moment for animated Asian movie heroines); and all the fun world-building that goes into crafting a story set in the animal kingdom. Also: The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making Hoppers. This episode is sponsored by Chinese Republicans, a new play from Roundabout Theatre Company.
What can robots teach us about humanity and about love? Maybe Happy Ending, the 2025 Tony Award winner for best musical, tells the unlikely story of two humanoid robots, as they fall in love while on a road trip. The show, including stars Darren Criss, Helen J. Shen, Marcus Choi, Dez Duron -- and Hwaboon -- recently paid a visit to NPR's Tiny Desk for a delightfully tiny performance.
Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated second season of Beef from showrunner Lee Sung Jin. Trading the parking lot for the country club, the new season begins when a young couple witnesses an alarming fight between their boss and his wife -- setting off a high-stakes game of favors and coercion within an elitist world ruled by a Korean billionaire. Season two premieres April 16.
A stretch of street in San Francisco's Chinatown will be named to publicly honor one of the neighborhood’s fiercest heroes. Tien Fuh Wu spent half a century rescuing trafficked women and girls and taking care of them at the Occidental Mission Home, which was later renamed Cameron House. "Tien Fuh Wu Way" will cover the portion of Joice Street that runs alongside Cameron House, which continues to be a safe haven for children, as well as women dealing with domestic violence.
Michelle Yeoh talks about playing five different characters in Sean Baker's new film Sandiwara, how Quentin Tarantino convinced her not to retire, that viral "Wicked Witch" meme, and the highs and lows of her storied career. "If there's no up and down," she says, "you've flatlined."
The new Pixar animated feature Hoppers involves body-swapping and flying sharks, both of which are absolute insanity from start to finish. But director Daniel Chong reveals that while the movie as it stands is admittedly crazy, it could have been a whole lot crazier.
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.
What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.
In this episode, we welcome Oscar-winning filmmaker Domee Shi, writer/director of the Pixar animated feature Turning Red. They discuss making an unapologetically Asian Canadian story, intergenerational drama, releasing the beast within, and accepting your whole self -- even your whole self is a giant red panda.
Bobby Rubio's personal animated short premieres on Disney+.
I won't lie: I stayed up late to watch The Mandalorian on Monday night, as soon as the new Disney+ streaming service went fully operational. I'm a Star Wars geek and I could wait no longer. With that out of the way -- it was great -- I want to make sure you watch the best film on the platform: the Pixar original animated short Float.
Directed by story artist Bobby Rubio, Float is the first Pixar film ever to feature Filipino American characters.
In Float, a father discovers that his is son is different from other kids in the most unusual way. To keep them both safe from judgement, Dad covers him and keeps him out of sight -- but when his son's ability becomes public, Dad must decide whether to run and hide or to accept his son as he is.
Rubio originally conceived the story as a comic... with a significant difference. The characters were white.
Watch the acclaimed Pixar animated short online in its entirety.
I just recently came to our attention that Disney/Pixar has released Bao in its entirety online. In case you haven't seen it yet, or feel like re-watching it and weeping big wet salty soy sauce tears.
Domee Shi's acclaimed animated short, which preceded The Incredibles 2 in theaters, centers on an empty-nesting Chinese mom who gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life. But she must come to terms with the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever.
