Podcast
Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch podcast
Hosted by Stevie Wong · EN
Come join us as host Stevie Wong of the Asian A.V. Club invites a fellow journalist to talk about all the wonderful new movies and tv shows that should be on your radar. It's always a fun gathering of opinions from people who are always big fans first!
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Episodes
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Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch podcast April 2026
3w ago00:55:57Tap to summarizeThe Asian A.V. Club returns with a new format of our What to Watch podcast and invite our fave guest co-host Patrick Heidmann on to talk about all the TV and movies that are on our radar at the moment! In this April 2026 episode we break down the pod into various categories.Tried and Tested: We talk about cult hit series Paradise Season 2 (Hulu / Disney+) and the Rachel Weiss black comedy Vladimir (Netflix) This is New: I create the genre Michelle Pfeiffer-naissance because she's doing such great work on The Madison (Paramount+) and also in Margo's Got Money Troubles (Apple TV). Patrick is a big fan of the award winning film My Father's Shadow (In theaters now / Mubi) and explains why it's been one of his favorite films since last year.This BETTER Be On Your Radar: You get to hear about my obsession over the reality series Battle of Fates (Hulu / Disney+) and Patrick's love for the latest season of Top Chef (Bravo) Speed Round: I've gone ahead and created a genre called "Rich people are all corrupt devil worshippers and we need to take them DOWN" only cause the films Ready or Not 2 (In theaters now) and They Will Kill You (In theaters now) tell me so! We also talk about the excellent Half Man (Hbo Max / BBC), the final season of Hacks (Hbo Max), the latest comedy thriller by Dan Levy called Big Mistakes (Netflix), a brand new Beef (Netflix), our mutual love of the British crime thriller Code of Silence (Britbox / ITV+), the return of the unsung detective series Criminal Record (Apple TV), the joys of LOL - Last One Laughing UK (Prime Video) and the return of The Muppet Show (Disney+) The goal was to keep it breezy but BOY do we pack in ALOT this episode!! Tell us if you like this revamped version of the podcast and hope you keep coming back for new episodes!
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Asian A.V. Club podcast: HANG with Amy Wang (Dir: Slanted)
Mar 2000:17:15Tap to summarizeWelcome to the Asian A.V. Club interview podcast HANG! As you all know, we LOVE to HANG with our directors, and this time we’re sitting down with a fresh new voice making her debut with a film that’s bold in its premise and keeps you guessing all the way through.Australian-born director Amy Wang brings us her first feature Slanted, a film that begins in a grounded space before gradually shifting into something far more unexpected.The story follows Joan Huang, played by Shirley Chen, a young Asian teenager navigating school, family, and her own sense of identity. As she struggles with where she fits in, she becomes fixated on the idea that her life might be easier and more successful if she could exist in a white body. What begins as a quiet insecurity slowly builds into something much more extreme.That turning point comes when Joan emerges from her choices as a completely different person, played by Mckenna Grace, pushing the film into body horror territory. From there, Slanted explores that uneasy space between trying to become someone new and losing yourself in the process, as Joan attempts to navigate this new version of herself.The film is also grounded by the presence of her parents, played by Vivian Wu and Fang Du, whose perspectives bring in themes of generational tension, cultural expectations, and the complexities of identity within an immigrant household in a foreign country.While Slanted leans into body horror, it also uses that framework to explore ideas of identity, assimilation, and self-worth. Wang balances these themes with a distinct sense of dark humor, allowing the film to move between discomfort and satire in a way that feels really sharp and effective.The film premiered at SXSW Film Festival, where it received the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Award, marking it as one of the standout titles of the festival.We had the chance to HANG with Amy Wang to talk about the film that first inspired her to become a director, her transition into screenwriting, and how her widened creative background allowed her to shape Slanted into a film that clearly carries her distinct stamp.If you like this HANG, please check out some of our other ones either where you listen to podcasts or watch the visualized version of this chat on our YouTube channel. Please also subscribe to our SUBSTACK where you get to read up on all the things the Asian A.V. Club are getting themselves into! Thanks and join us on our next HANG!
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Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Geeta Gandbhir (Dir: The Devil Is Busy / The Perfect Neighbor)
Mar 500:19:26Tap to summarizeOn the eve of the Academy Awards, Asian A.V. Club got to HANG with documentary director Geeta Gandbhir as she not only celebrates her two Oscar nominations for her short The Devil Is Busy (which she is co-director with Christalyn Hampton), but also the feature The Perfect Neighbor. With a background in narrative filmmaking, Geeta's documentaries are at once compelling, immediate and filled with humanity that people can relate to instantly!In The Devil Is Busy, we follow a day in the life of an abortion clinic in Atlanta, seen through the eyes of Tracii, their head of security. Across a single day, the short observes the routines of the staff as they try to provide the best safest healthcare, inside an environment where they operate under the daily threat of danger. Meanwhile, The Perfect Neighbor unfolds in a completely different way. Constructed largely from body-cam footage, the film pieces together a year-long neighborhood dispute that escalates into the fatal shooting of a young Black mother. As the footage accumulates, the film reveals how race and systemic bias are weaponized by the white shooter in an attempt to justify her actions, leading to a conclusion that is both shocking and heartbreaking. As the first female director to get nominations in both the short and feature Documentary categories, we were really honored to get the chance to HANG with the filmmaker so press play! If you enjoyed our chat, remember to press SUBSCRIBE and please check out our SUBSTACK where we have online exclusives that you can also get right in your inbox by joining there too! See you soon!
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Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Alex Woo (dir: In Your Dreams)
Jan 2700:16:35Tap to summarizeWelcome back to the Asian A.V. Club podcast series HANG! On this episode we get to know the director of the animation film In Your Dreams, Alex Woo. Almost ten years in the making, director Woo’s debut feature is inspired by his memories of a brief period during childhood when his parents separated. That personal history became the foundation for the story of a young girl named Stevie who, alongside her brother Elliot, attempts to strike a deal with the Sandman to make their dream of reuniting their parents come true.It’s a moving film that brings together the craft Woo developed during his formative years at Pixar, later refined through co-founding Kuku Studios, resulting in a debut that feels both deeply personal and assured.We talked to Alex about his first foray into drawing, the lessons he learned at Pixar, directing a film from Hong Kong during COVID lockdown and finally releasing this film 9 years in the making. If you liked our HANG with Alex Woo, remember to subscribe to where you usually listen to your podcasts OR watch the interviews themselves on our Youtube channel AND you always sign up for our Asian A.V. Club Substack where all of this is sent right into your inbox once you subscribe!
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Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Hikari
Dec 300:13:53Tap to summarizeWelcome back to the Asian A.V. Club podcast series HANG! On this episode, we talk to director, writer and producer Hikari about her latest seasonal gem feature Rental Family. Total NERD disclosure, I’ve been a fan of director Hikari after I saw her name appear in a few episodes of the Emmy winning Netflix series Beef and was even more intrigued when I realized it was the creative moniker of Osaka born Mitsuyo Miyazaki, who chose the word "Hikari" as her name. Rental Family, is an actual true service in Japan where individuals can hire 'actors' to play different roles for different needs in their lives, In the film, a lonely isolated out of work western actor, played by Brenden Fraser (Philip), is hired as a token white guy to enter various lives including an alleged journalist asked to interview a legendary Japanese actor who is actually losing his memory, the other to play an American father to an 11 year old girl, who’s single mother needs this man in order to get her daughter into a prestigious private school. As the film progresses, Philip can't help but get caught deeper in these false relationships and in the end has to make a decision to what it truly means to him and the people around him. There are so many wonderful moments of love and humanity that exist in Hikari’s examination of relationships, which makes Rental Family one of this season’s sweet gems. I got some time with Hikari to talk about her creative upbringing, the lessons she learned working on tv shows, and the domino effect of love and kindness and honesty that connects the characters in her film.If you liked our HANG with Hikari, remember to subscribe to where you usually listen to your podcasts OR watch the interviews themselves on our Youtube channel and you always sign up for our Asian A.V. Club Substack where all of this is sent right into your inbox once you subscribe! Thanks again bye!!
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Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Elizabeth Lo
Nov 900:40:33Tap to summarizeIt's another episode of the Asian A.V. Club podcast series HANG! For this episode, I have to start off by saying I TOTALLY nerded out with documentary filmmaker Elizabeth Lo because her latest film Mistress Dispeller is presented in such a way that I had a long list of questions, mainly about how the heck did she make this excellent film.The premise of Mistress Dispeller is a look at these services being offered in modern day China, in which a woman of a certain means, hires these individuals to infiltrate their family, gain the trust of the husband and eventually the 'other woman' and then manipulate the breakup of this affair. What makes this doc so compelling is that there are cameras capturing the whole experience from beginning to end, with two of the characters none the wiser on what's happening around them. It's a surprisingly moving (and sometimes nail-biting) look at a family unit in disarray and the lessons all parties learn as they go experience the dispelling together. I had questions. SO MANY QUESTIONS! And Lo broke down the mechanics of how she pieced this wonderful doc together. We also talk about our common bond of growing up in Hong Kong, getting into docs in the first place, and how she took the leap from her debut studying Stray dogs in the streets of Istanbul to focusing on China in her latest film Mistress Dispeller. It's a good HANG and I look forward to whatever dynamic storytelling Lo has up her sleeve in her future! Btw, please do us a favor and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you're listening to us, because we have so many fun chats coming in the next few weeks! Thanks again!
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Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Liam Oh
Nov 900:22:39Tap to summarizeWelcome to the Asian A.V. Club podcast series HANG! This week we talk to actor Liam Oh who's making his debut on the hit Netflix series Boots. Based on Greg Cope White's memoir The Pink Marine, Boots tells the story of Cameron, played wonderfully by Miles Heizer, as a young closeted gay male who follows his straight best friend Ray (aka Liam) as they enlist in a Marine Boot Camp as a means to escape their complicated home life. Set against the 90's Don't Ask Don't Tell backdrop, the boys endure extreme training that not only pushes their physical limits, but tests their friendship to the brink. Along the way, there's a great ensemble of young actors on screen, but the heart and soul of this show is the friendship and brotherly love between these two.It's a far cry for Oh, who prior to getting this role was rooted in the Chicago theater scene with a focus on musicals!So we decided to go back and find out how Oh was inspired by the stage at an early age, jumping right into shooting this series in the heart of a New Orleans summer and how being the youngest on set was an experience in itself. We also get a bit of a cameo by Oh's dog Juno mid-chat too! Liam is super fun to chat with and we are even bigger fans now. If you liked our HANG!, please do us a favor and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you're listening to us, because we have A LOT more in the coming days! Thanks again!
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Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch podcast (ep 7)
Oct 1200:50:48Tap to summarizeWe have a brand new Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch pod and we bring on fellow substacker and Gen X specialist Fawnia Soo Hoo of Whatever Nevermind, to jump on and give her thoughts on some film and tv titles that's out at the moment! After spending two eps on the fall film festivals and ALL the big movies that came from them, we are back to our usual format of looking at stuff that we think should be on your radar. We start off our film section with the really personal documentary about comedian, actor and podcast pioneer Marc Maron in the film ARE WE GOOD by dir: Steven Feinartz. Rather than a showcase of Maron's immense popularity as a funny man, the film focuses on a man trying to put together the pieces of his broken heart after the sudden passing of his girlfriend, filmmaker Lynn Shelton. Of course, Maron's distinctly funny observations make this doc a surprisingly inspiring feature. Next up, we take a look at dir: Paul Thomas Anderson's excellent ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER which has critics calling this political thriller one of the years best, with talk of award nominations for a whole slew of categories. We also check out the charming KÖLN 75 by dir: Ido Fluk, telling the true story of how a young brash Vera Brandes (Male Emde) convinced jazz pianist Keith Jarrett (John Magaro) to perform a once in a lifetime concert. Finally, we break down the surprise horror hit GOOD BOY by dir: Ben Leonberg, which focuses on the creepy goings on in a possible a haunted house, but through the POV of a dog. Yes... a dog! Over in the TV world, we jump over the pond to check out season 2 of UK comedian, writer, actor Mawaan Rizwan's cult comedy JUICE. Jamma (Rizwan) is back to figure out his life while juggling an ex (Russell Tovey) and a wacky family (played by real life brother Nabhaan and Shahnaz his mother). We are utterly charmed by the show and wanted to delve deeper into this gem.Another gem is showrunner Sterlin Harjo (Resevoir Dogs) new noir-esque series LOWDOWN starring Ethan Hawke. With a season long mystery that writer/"truthstorian" Lee Raybon (Hawke) is trying to figure out, the show features a large cast of characters that may or may not be telling the truth. We end the tv list with the 3rd (and possibly final) season of the ALICE IN BORDERLAND adapted from the manga series by show runner Shinsuke Sato. With even more twisted life or death games thrown at a new set of 'players', the real focus is whether Usagi (Tao Tsychiya) and Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) will make it out alive. Definitely not for the faint hearted but oh so fun to watch!It's alot to process, but hopefully something in our collection of titles will be your next watch! Press play to listen and if you like what you hear, SUBSCRIBE!
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Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch pod - Telluride & Toronto Film Festival edition (ep 6)
Sep 2700:30:49Tap to summarizeIt's a new episode of the Asian A.V. Club What to Watch podcast as we continue to take a look at some of the buzzy titles that came out of the big fall film festivals the past few weeks. After kicking off our last episode from Venice, we now take a look at Telluride and Toronto film festivals and choose a few movies that we think should definitely be on your radar this season! Once again the amazing Patrick Heidmann returns to join in on the talk (mainly cause he just makes it more legit!)At the top of our list is dir: Kaouther Ben Hania's THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, a devastating re-enactment film where a group of volunteers try to figure out how to save a young Palestinian girl as she is being surrounded by Israeli tanks. Officially Tunisia's submission for foreign language Oscars this might be a surprise title that people will be talking about in the coming months.We also take a look at the biopic SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE by dir: Scott Cooper starring Jeremy Allen White as the boss during a crossroads in his career. HAMNET is high on our must-watch list, as dir: Chloé Zhao gives Jessie Buckley a role that will be on everyone’s lips after they see this dramatic retelling of how William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.Next it's the return of Benoit Blanc, as Daniel Craig reunites with dir: Rian Johnson on a third installment of KNIVES OUT: WAKE UP DEAD MAN. With yet another star studded cast, the film is said to be more emotional than previous installments, and that gets us very excited! FINALLY, we talk about three movies that aren't at these festivals that will be big players during this season (SINNERS, WEAPONS and ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER)Hopefully these two special episodes from these film festivals will give you a good idea of the titles that should be on your award season radar this year. Remember to subscribe because we go back to our regular look at new tv shows and movies that will set you up for the next few weeks!
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Asian A.V. Club podcast: HANG with Justin Tipping
Sep 2200:11:03Tap to summarizeWelcome to the Asian A.V. Club podcast series HANG! This week we talk to director Justin Tipping. Born in Oakland, California, Tipping first made an impression in the filmmaking community with his acclaimed 2016 coming of age film Kicks, which looked at toxic masculinity seen through the eyes of a 15 year old boy. Soon afterwards, Justin brought his observational skills and keen directorial style to popular TV series like The Chi, Dear White People and Joe vs. Carole. This year, Justin continues his look at masculinity through the lens of horror in the film HIM. The story follows hotshot quarterback draft pick Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), who gets the invite to legendary QB Isaiah White’s (Marlon Wayans) exclusive training compound. But once he’s there, Cameron quickly realizes that the kind of dedication and sacrifice it takes to match his mentor might be way more terrifying than he ever bargained for.At the film’s core, HIM asks what happens when the athlete becomes a commodity, where the body is the only currency for some players, and once it’s gone, so are you. By filtering that through a horror lens, the film explores the darker business of sports, but with a lot more blood!Of course, we were hoping to walk through this interesting theme and also find out more about Tipping as a filmmaker.... in a way we do talk about these things, but.... the result is something totally off the rails (in a good way!) The only way to understand what we're referring to is to press play cause you're not ready for what Tipping has to say about what inspired him creatively as a child, or what happens to him when he tells his parents he doesn't want to pursue his studies in economics. It's definitely like no other HANG! we've had before. If you liked our HANG!, please do us a favor and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you're listening to this chat. Thanks again!
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