Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch podcast

Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch podcast

por Stevie Wong
Noticias de entretenimientoTelevisión y Cine
Temporada 4
Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch podcast May 2026
The Asian A.V. Club returns a new episode of our What to Watch podcast for the month of May and we bring on journalist Nadia Neophytou who's covered entertainment for years and now has created the New Mom Run Club substack as a community space for those who are seeking connection in culture and group activities in their role as a 'new mom'. Of course we get right into some of the films and tv shows that we just can't wait to talk about! In this May 2026 episode we break down the pod into various categories. Tried and Tested: I break down why Euphoria (HBO Max) is such a curiosity obsession watch for me, while Nadia celebrates the legacy of Hacks (HBO Max) as it finishes it's series run this month. This is New: I chose the spectacular Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft (in 3D no less) and try to understand why this concert film is like no other. Nadia celebrates how The Devil Wears Prada 2 is not only entertaining, but the film kind of hits close to home at the same time. This BETTER Be On Your Radar: Nadia LOVES The Christophers directed by Steven Soderbergh and breaks down the powerhouse lead that is Michaela Coel (we even give her a fake award this month for her awesomeness!) I go the horror route with the excellent k-horror series If Wishes Could Kill (Netflix) and make an argument of how hard it is to sustain an 8 episode horror series that's actually quite good! Speed Round: Are you in on The Boroughs (Netflix) yet... I mean Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, Denis O'Hare, Alfre Woodard AND Alfred Molina as an elderly Scooby gang! Nadia looks at the Rwandan debut Ben'Imana by dir: Marie Clementine Dusabejambo that just showed at Cannes Film Festival. Who knew that I could fall in love with Mary and her adventures as The Other Bennett Sister (Britbox / BBC iplayer) who FINALLY gets the chance to represent herself properly in the Pride & Prejudice universe! Nadia looks at Imperfect Women (Apple TV) and how the star studded show is the best low stakes whodunit this month. The raunchy fun Rivals (Hulu / Disney+) returns to our screens in all its 80's soap opera glory! And finally... why am I not feeling Eurovision 2026 this year. We sure pack in ALOT this episode!! Hopefully there's something for everyone in our wide list of titles and if you want us to showcase anything, reach out!! See you soon!
T4 · E2
24 may 2026
1:01:31
Asian A.V. Club: What to Watch podcast April 2026
The 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!
T4 · E1
20 abr 2026
55:57
Temporada 3
Asian A.V. Club podcast: HANG with Amy Wang (Dir: Slanted)
Welcome 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!
T3 · E3
20 mar 2026
17:15
Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Geeta Gandbhir (Dir: The Devil Is Busy / The Perfect Neighbor)
On 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!
T3 · E2
5 mar 2026
19:26
Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Alex Woo (dir: In Your Dreams)
Welcome 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!
T3 · E1
27 ene 2026
16:35
Temporada 2
Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Hikari
Welcome 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!!
T2 · E8
3 dic 2025
13:53
Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Elizabeth Lo
It'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!
T2 · E7
9 nov 2025
40:33
Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Liam Oh
Welcome 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!
T2 · E6
9 nov 2025
22:39
Asian A.V. Club podcast: HANG with Justin Tipping
Welcome 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!
T2 · E5
22 sept 2025
11:03
Asian A.V. Club podcast: Hang with Bing Liu
Welcome to the Asian A.V. Club interview podcast series HANG! This week, we sit down with Chinese American director and cinematographer Bing Liu. Born in Beijing and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Liu turned to skateboarding and video-making as an escape from a turbulent home life. That early passion grew into a career behind the camera, eventually leading him to craft his acclaimed documentary Minding the Gap, which stitched together years of footage of himself and his friends literally coming of age. The raw emotional film earned Liu the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance, a 2018 Peabody, a New York Film Critics Circle award, and an Academy Award nomination, cementing him as one of the most distinctive nonfiction storytellers of his generation. Bing makes his narrative feature debut with Preparation for the Next Life, adapted from Atticus Lish’s award-winning novel. The film centers on Aishe, an undocumented Uyghur migrant struggling to survive while working in New York’s kitchens. Played with delicate sensitivity by Sebiye Behtiyar, Aishe falls in love with a troubled American soldier, portrayed by Fred Hechinger (Thelma, Gladiator 2), and what emerges is a raw, unsentimental love story, filtered through Liu’s deeply personal lens. So press play as we catch up with the director at home to talk about his unique upbringing, his path to directing, and the way he and cinematographer Ante Cheng brought a very specific vision of Queens’ Flushing neighborhood to the screen. And remember to subscribe to the podcast from whatever awesome platform you're listening to us on!
T2 · E4
16 sept 2025
20:00
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