They Call Us Bruce

Latest Episodes:

190: They Call Us Unseen Mar 11, 2023

Show notes

Jeff and Phil welcome Yoko Okumura, Midori Francis and Jolene Purdy, the director and stars, respectively, of the horror/thriller UNSEEN. They discuss the challenges of crafting a story about two people connecting via FaceTime; the unique storytelling dynamic that occurs when a movie, not originally conceived as an Asian American story, is told by a director and two leads who happen to be Japanese American; And The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making UNSEEN (hint: involves bugs).

189: They Call Us Everything Everywhere All at Once Again Mar 03, 2023

Show notes

Jeff and Phil revisit the film EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, now in the thick of awards season and on the cusp of Oscars glory, with an epic super-sized compilation of their previous conversations with Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Daniel Kwan, and of course, Michelle Yeoh -- who now all happen to be Academy Award nominees.

188: They Call Us White Savior Feb 16, 2023

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Jeff and Phil welcome Eric Nguyen and Scott Burman, creators of WHITE SAVIOR, a hilarious comic book spoof of white savior stories (à la The Last Samurai, The Great Wall). They talk about their creative partnership, the unique confidence of white guys, and why the time was right for a samurai skewering of this tired and tiring narrative trope.

187: They Call Us Heartbroken Jan 25, 2023

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Jeff and Phil break format and take a moment to react to the mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. This one's kind of raw.

186: They Call Us Missing Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

Jeff and Phil welcome filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty, writer/director of the hit thriller SEARCHING, and writer/producer of its follow-up feature MISSING. He talks about why 2018's Searching is now a period piece, the seemingly simple but actually super-complicated process of telling a story that unfolds entirely on screens, and why he and the team are not in any rush (for now) to make a third movie in the "Searching Cinematic Universe."

185: They Call Us New Year 2023 Jan 13, 2023

Show notes

Jeff and Phil welcome the new year with one last look back at the year that was, in the kind of super-sized conversation they only reserve for two of their perennially favorite guests: Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter and Dino-Ray Ramos of Diaspora. They discuss personal developments, the tired and tiring buzzwords of diversity, and finally falling to COVID-19. They also go three rounds of a special new year edition of The Good, The Bad and The WTF: Boost, Mask and Unknown Variant, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find an updated COVID vaccine near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.

184: They Call Us Rodney Faraon Dec 30, 2022

Show notes

Jeff and Phil welcome former intelligence officer, security expert, writer/producer and amateur chef(!) Rodney Faraon. In the final episode of an extremely tumultuous year, they discuss a wide range of topics, including Twitter's sad plunge into the toilet, the mishandling of top secret secrets, what it's like to have your CIA career inspire a TV series starring Katherine Heigl, and why risotto is the kiss of death of cooking competitions.

183: They Call Us Queen of Christmas Dec 23, 2022

Show notes

Jeff and Phil welcome singer-songwriter Elizabeth Chan, the world's only full-time recording artist dedicated to original Christmas music -- and still, legally, the "Queen of Christmas." She talks about her prolific output of Christmas music -- an album a year for the past twelve years and counting -- her trademark victory over Mariah Carey to keep the crown, and what it's like to have the holidays in your heart year-round. This episode sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find an updated COVID vaccine near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.

182: They Call Us The Black Widow Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

Jeff and Phil welcome champion pool player Jeanette Lee, subject of the ESPN documentary 30 FOR 30: JEANETTE LEE VS., and director Ursula Liang. They discuss the career and legacy of the "Black Widow" in professional billiards and beyond, overcoming pain and pressure from all sides when life knocks you down, and approaching the pool table with confidence, swagger, and your whole, authentic, black-clad self. This episode sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find an updated COVID vaccine near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.

181: They Call Us Atsuko Okatsuka Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

Jeff and Phil welcome comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, who stars in her first HBO comedy special THE INTRUDER. She talks about the actual and metaphorical intruders that inspired her act, going really really really viral on TikTok with the "drop" challenge, blurring the personal and private on stage, and why her grandma deserved a lap dance at Magic Mike Live. This episode sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find an updated COVID vaccine near you at vaccines.gov. #WeCanDoThis.

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