Debs' Watchlist

New year means new exciting show and films to watch! Tune in to hear about my three favorite watches from the month of January: the star-studded sci-fi comedy "Don't Look Up," the intense indie film "The God Committee," and the romantic Korean drama "Our Beloved Summer." For more content, follow me on Instagram and check out my blog.

After watching 100+ movies, TV series, and K-dramas in 2021, I'm sharing my top 3 picks in each category (with maybe also a few additional honorable mentions ;)).

Netflix's original Korean series "Squid Game" has become an unexpected global hit, topping the most-watched lists in 90 countries and becoming the first Korean show to hit No. 1 on Netflix in the US. A violent thriller, the show revolves around a survival game where contestants compete in children's games with deadly consequences. Tune in to learn more about the show that everyone is watching.

With summer upon us, so many new shows and movies are making their premieres. Tune in to hear about the three films and shows I enjoyed the most this past June: the hit HBO crime drama and Kate Winslet-starrer "Mare of Easttown," Lin Manuel Miranda's fun and vibrant musical "In the Heights," and the suspenseful Korean drama "Mine."

Here comes another round of film and TV recommendations from yours truly! Tune in to hear about the intense political thriller "Miss Sloane," which stars Jessica Chastain as a cold, successful DC lobbyist; the documentary "Sing Me a Lullaby," which tells the incredible, true story of a girl reconnecting her mother with her birth family; and the Korean drama "Navillera," which is about an elderly man pursuing his dreams of becoming a ballerina.

The 2021 Oscars have come and gone in a ceremony unlike any other, thanks to the pandemic. Tune in to hear the highs, low, and awkward of this year's Academy Awards, followed by a quick intro to the eight nominees for Best Picture: Nomadland, Sound of Metal, Mank, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Judas and the Black Messiah, Promising Young Woman, Minari, and The Father.

We're a quarter way through 2021, so I wanted to share my favorite watches of the year thus far. Tune in to hear my top 3 films and shows: the Oscar nominated "Promising Young Woman," the indie thriller "Run," and the Korean drama "Penthouse."

Join me and my friends Winnie and Tiff as we chat about two romantic comedies that we watched in celebration of Valentine's Day: "To All The Boys: Always and Forever," which is the final installment of Netflix's "To All The Boys" film series, and "It Happened One Night," which is a 1934 film that has been ranked as the #1 rom com of all time on Rotten Tomatoes.

One of 2020's most anticipated films, Pixar's "Soul" landed on both Disney+ and theaters Christmas Day and has since become one of the buzziest animated films this season. The first Pixar film to feature a Black male lead, "Soul" tells the story of Joe, an aspiring jazz musician who unexpectedly embarks on an adventure into other worlds to find answers to life's big questions. Join me and my friends as we share our honest thoughts on the film and dive into its details. ***** Special thanks to Amy and Jackson for guesting on the episode! If you'd like to check out Jackson's awesome podcast "Path to Purpose," you can listen to it here: https://anchor.fm/jackson-gu

Hey everyone! Happy new year! Just wanted to share a few updates and changes to this podcast!

My favorite book is getting a screen adaptation! Apple recently started production for a TV adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel "Pachinko," which is a story about the Korean immigrant experience in Japan. Many details about the production, like its cast and directing team, have been revealed, and as a "Pachinko" super fan, I definitely have thoughts. In this episode, I'll share my thoughts on what I'm excited, and not so excited, about in this adaptation.

Disney's live-action remake of Mulan was one of 2020's most highly anticipated films, but now, it is one of the frontrunners for worst film of the year. Despite its critical acclaim from Western critics, many audiences around the world are not fans of Mulan, especially given all the political controversies surrounding this film. But politics aside, and strictly speaking from a movie perspective, Mulan was incredibly disappointing - it failed to deliver anything remotely close to the magic and charm of the animated original. So how did Disney get things so wrong? Tune in to hear how Mulan is a classic example of the disaster that ensues when business, not art, drives filmmaking.

What happens behind-the-scenes at film festivals? How have things changed because of the coronavirus? What are some of the best movies we've seen at film fests? Join me and my guest Cynthia Liu as we discuss all things film festivals and share our personal experiences working and attending local, global, and now virtual film festivals. Cynthia Liu is a filmmaker and recent grad from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she triple majored (!) in film, marketing, and information systems. In the last 4 years, she has produced and directed over 20+ videos, 2 short films, and 3 short documentaries. She is currently interning at "Business Casual," a weekly business news podcast from Morning Brew, and she's a producer on AP on AP Media's upcoming podcast "At the Moment," which focuses on the impact of current events on the Asian community. You can connect with her on Twitter or Instagram at the handle @cyn8thia or visit her website https://www.cyn8thia.com/. Note: we recorded this conversation over Zoom, so please pardon some of the audio hiccups!

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I'm interviewing an Asian American who is looking to break into the film industry. Meet my first guest ever on the show: Tiger Tam! Born and raised in Hawaii, Tiger moved to LA for college and to pursue her dreams of being a Kung Fu actress and stuntwoman. Tune in to learn about her story and passion for martial arts and film. If you'd like to connect with Tiger or learn more about what she's working on, you can find her on her site: www.tigermltam.com. *Quick note: This episode is a condensed version of our conversation. Also, the episode was recorded through Zoom, which doesn't always have the best sound quality, so please be understanding of some audio kinks that you might hear :) (If you have ideas on how to ensure more consistent sound quality through Zoom, I'm all ears.)

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, learn about the five Asian-American films that have had a significant impact on Asian representation in Hollywood.

For today's 5 minute movie review, I'll be talking about the 2013 film "The Bling Ring." Directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Emma Watson, this movie is a satirical retelling of the true story about a group of high schoolers who burglarized the homes of Hollywood's rich and famous.

New month means new episode...in a new format! Introducing "Movies in 5," where I'll review a movie in just 5 minutes so that you can run along to watch the real thing. Quick note: I'll still do my regular, long-form episodes, but since I've been requested by a few people to do more movie recs, especially in this time of lockdown, I've decided to test out this new format. So what's today's movie? The 1957 classic "12 Angry Men." Listen to find out what it's all about!

The streaming wars just got even more crowded. Meet Quibi, which is a new streaming platform that is mobile-only and focused on short-form content. The brainchild of media mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, Quibi launched in early April with 50 shows starring top talent like Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, and Chance the Rapper. So what makes Quibi different from other streaming platforms? Will it be a formidable player in the streaming wars? Check out this episode to learn more about Quibi and also hear my initial thoughts on this platform.

The coronavirus has impacted businesses around the world, and the film industry is no exception. Analysts predict that by the time the coronavirus dies down, the global film industry may lose $20B. But even though the virus has caused a crisis, there may be some interesting opportunities to find a silver lining. Learn about both the challenges and opportunities on this episode of "Movies with Debs."

Welcome to my podcast, "Movies with Debs," where I talk about movies and their significance. Today, I'll be talking about the South Korean film "Parasite" and explore why it has been enjoying such widespread success and what its historic Oscar Best Picture win could mean for the future of cinema.