
Deep Cut: A Film Podcast (Wilson, Ben, and Eli)
Explorez tous les épisodes de Deep Cut: A Film Podcast
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10 Feb 2023 | 058. Sundance 2023 Dispatch (featuring Russell Goldman) | 00:31:15 | |
Wilson, Ben, and Eli are once again joined by director and friend of the podcast Russell Goldman to talk about his experience and the best movies he saw at this year’s Sundance Film Festival! We get a chance to preview this year in independent American and international cinema, talk about the state of Sundance in its first in person year, and dig into some Letterboxd discourse. You can check out Russell’s work at: https://www.russellgoldman.com/ Films Previewed: Birth/Rebirth - dir. Laura Moss Bad Behaviour - dir. Alice Englert Passages - dir. Ira Sachs Infinity Pool - dir. Brandon Cronenberg A Little Prayer - dir. Angus MacLachlan Drift - dir. Anthony Chen Fremont - dir. Babak Jalali Shortcomings - dir. Randall Park Did you catch any Sundance films this year? Let us know on the Discord server. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Check out the letterboxd video we talked about here. | |||
29 Jun 2024 | 074. Luca Guadagnino: Challengers | 01:25:50 | |
Game. Set. Match. The boys tackle the hottest movie of the season and kick off a Luca Guadagnino series with our review of his latest film CHALLENGERS. This episode (recorded pre BRAT) sees Eli comparing Guadagnino to the iconic Charli XCX, Wilson explaining how all roads that lead to Challengers also lead to his own life, and Ben saying he wants to play tennis because “I love my bro and his wife”. Who’s your favorite A(rt)T(ashi)P(atrick) player? Tell us on the discord server. Find our FREE Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Links:
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20 Nov 2021 | 030. Pablo Larraín: Ema | 00:59:07 | |
Looking for arson, psychosexual manipulation, and reggaetón? It’s a good old-fashioned fight on this week’s episode as the Deep Cut Trio steps up to Pablo Larraín’s 2019 anarchic dance feature, Ema. Wilson adores the movie’s arresting intensity, while Ben finds Ema’s motivations oblique. But where does Eli land? He builds the suspense while everyone considers how Larraín builds narratives and makes stylistic choices that stem from the personalities of his protagonists. Sow discord on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
19 Mar 2022 | 037. 2021 Film & TV in Review | 02:17:25 | |
With those dang Academy Awards right around the corner, the Deep Cut Trio continues its annual tradition of reviewing the movies and television of yesteryear. What kind of year was 2021 for motion pictures? Why does Wilson think every director is in their “late era?” Does Dune satisfy Ben’s hunger for good sci-fi? How did Eli meet Jane Campion, director of The Power of the Dog? Why is there neither pizza nor licorice in Licorice Pizza? Do Disney and Marvel own our eyeballs? Are we getting Succession burnout? All these questions and more will be answered in Deep Cut’s beefiest episode to date. Tune in to hear bite-size talks on the movies and TV that Wilson, Ben, and Eli loved and hated before they lay out their highly anticipated top 3 movies of the year. Buckle up for the Big Bad Hot Takes and the Small Good Cold Takes. Tell us your 2021 faves on our Discord server. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Find what you’re looking for with this handy guide to the episode’s chapters: (00:00:28) Introduction (00:01:40) 2021 Overview (how was this year in movies?) (00:06:16) Honorary Mentions (01:03:06) Obligatory Mentions (01:24:50) Wilson, Ben, and Eli’s Top 3 Movies (01:50:07) TV Talk (02:12:29) Watching Goals for 2022 (02:15:23) Deep Cut's 2022 Plans Movies Discussed: In Front Of Your Face (Hong Sang-soo), The Disciple (Chaitanya Tamhane), Azor (Andreas Fontana), The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson), Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Radu Jude), Drowning in Potential (Joel Haver), The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (Michael Rianda), Belle (Mamoru Hosoda), The Last Duel (Ridley Scott), Sardar Udham (Shoojit Sircar), Benedetta (Paul Verhoeven), Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion), Bergman Island (Mia Hansen-Løve), A Hero (Asghar Farhadi), The Humans (Stephen Karam), All Light, Everywhere (Theo Anthony), Quo Vadis, Aida? (Jasmila Žbanić), Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar (Josh Greenbaum), Nine Days (Edson Oda), What Do We See when We Look at the Sky? (Alexandre Koberidze), Anne at 13,000 ft (Kazik Radwanski), Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen), Test Pattern (Shatara Michelle Ford), The Father (Florian Zeller), Hell is Empty (Jo Shaffer), Dune (Denis Villeneuve), Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Destin Daniel Cretton), Spider-Man: No Way Home (Jon Watts), Black Widow (Cate Shortland), West Side Story (Steven Spielberg), The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Titane (Julia Ducournau), Annette (Leos Carax), Hand of God (Paolo Sorrentino), This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection (Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese), Summer of Soul (Questlove), Mass (Fran Kranz), The Inheritance (Ephraim Asili), C’mon, C’mon (Mike Mills), We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (Jane Schoenbrun), Petite Maman (Celine Sciamma), Mad God (Phil Tippett), Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi) TV Discussed: The White Lotus, Arcane, Joe Pera Talks With You, Pen15, Search Party, City of Ghosts, Loki, Feel Good, Love Life, Genera+ion, Naomi Osaka, Reservation Dogs, I Think You Should Leave, The Other Two, Smiling Friends, How To With John Wilson, Succession Phew! Love you all! | |||
06 Feb 2021 | 007. Tomas Alfredson: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy & The Snowman | 01:13:20 | |
This episode takes us from podcasters to master sleuths: join us as we open the case file on Tomas Alfredson's detective and spy movies The Snowman (2017) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). After commiserating over (and finding the value in) Alfredson’s notoriously meme-ified flop, we share our admiration for Alfredson’s nuanced, taut adaptation of the classic spy novel by John Le Carré. Want to give us all the clues? Drop them in mysterious notes on our Discord server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com For 50% off your first 3 months of OVID.tv, use code “DEEPCUT” at check-out. | |||
23 May 2022 | 044. Paul Fejos: Lonesome (featuring Graham Brown) | 01:12:38 | |
We’re not on our Lonesome anymore with special guest and friend, Graham Brown. Graham is an Assistant Preservation Officer at the George Eastman Museum and he has graced the pod with his extensive knowledge on the process of film preservation. Join us as we learn about Lonesome’s film preservation journey, and discuss the first silent film (okay… part-talkie) featured on the podcast! Wilson celebrates the kinetic cinematography of Paul Fejos’ Lonesome (1928), Eli hones in on its innovations in synchronized sound, and Ben examines Fejos’ anthropological approach to his working-class characters. We’ll be loving you always in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com
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21 Dec 2024 | 088. Ethan Coen: Drive-away Dolls | 00:35:53 | |
Qualley. Viswanathan. Coen. Cooke. In our second Co-Bros Upkeep, we floor it and review Ethan Coen's new road adventure-comedy, Drive Away Dolls. Find out what we think: does it stack up to Joel's solo outing, The Tragedy of Macbeth? Is Margaret Qualley's accent work tolerable? And is that a banana in your suitcase, or are you just happy to see us? Driveaway to our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Links mentioned:
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31 Mar 2025 | 096. The Best Movies of 2024, According to Deep Cut | 02:48:29 | |
Do you know how much of A Real Pain it is to keep the years straight with us straddling three different global release windows? We do! We got Caught by the Tides and are a little late with this one but nevertheless, join our Conclave for the fifth (!) time as we huddle around the Ghostlight to talk about the films of the last year! We cover award-winning films (Anora, The Brutalist, No Other Land), notable blockbusters (Dune: Part Two, Wicked), blitz through some honorable Challengers to our top picks, and then Look Back on our personal top fives. You know podcast favorite Luca Guadagnino is going to feature in Wilson’s favorite films… but how Queer will it be?? If you’re A Different Man, you’ll have different faves, so enter our Red Rooms and tell us your favorite 2024 films on our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Links: Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:21) 2024 in general (00:17:06) Obligatory mentions (00:17:28) Anora (dir. Sean Baker) (00:22:55) Conclave (dir. Edward Berger) (00:25:14) The Brutalist (dir. Brady Corbet) (00:33:53) Nickel Boys (dir. Ramell Ross) (00:36:53) Hit Man (dir. Richard Linklater) (00:39:45) All We Imagine as Light (dir. Payal Kapadia) (00:43:02) Flow (dir. Gints Zilbalodis) (00:46:14) Emilia Perez (dir. Jacques Audiard) (00:50:29) Sing Sing (dir. Greg Kwedar) (00:52:01) The Substance (dir. Coralie Fargeat) (00:55:26) Wicked (dir. Jon M. Chu) (00:59:09) Deep Cut Coverage of 2024 (00:59:20) All Shall Be Well (dir. Ray Yeung) (01:00:19) The People's Joker (dir. Vera Drew) (01:02:37) Happyend (dir. Neo Sora) (01:05:13) Deep Cut Upkeeps of 2024 (01:08:55) Honorable mentions (01:08:57) Megalopolis (dir. Francis Ford Coppola) (01:12:43) Trap (dir. M. Night Shyamalan) (01:14:13) An Unfinished Film (dir. Lou Ye) (01:14:26) The Monk and the Gun (dir. Pawo Choyning Dorji) (01:16:02) Hard Truths (dir. Mike Leigh) (01:17:41) Not Friends (dir. Atta Hemwadee) (01:19:08) Fly Me to the Moon (dir. Sasha Chuk) (01:20:38) Black Box Diaries (dir. Shiori Ito) (01:24:06) A Traveler's Needs / By the Stream (dir. Hong Sang-soo) (01:25:56) Look Back (dir. Kiyotaka Oshiyama) (01:27:34) The Room Next Door (dir. Pedro Almodovar) (01:30:10) Didi (dir. Sean Wang) (01:31:22) Last Summer (dir. Catherine Breillat) (01:32:33) Hundreds of Beavers (dir. Mike Cheslik) (01:33:43) The Diarrhea Brothers Save the Day (dir. Joel Haver) (01:35:09) Rap World (dir. Conner O'Malley) (01:37:11) Janet Planet (dir. Annie Baker) (01:38:43) Ben’s #5 (01:41:06) SKIP ELI'S BIT!! (01:42:19) Wilson's #5 (01:46:33) Eli's #5 (01:50:14) Ben's #4 (01:52:54) Wilson's #4 (02:00:50) Eli's #4 (02:01:47) Ben's #3 (02:03:16) Wilson's #3 (02:08:22) Eli's #3 (02:12:30) Ben and Wilson's #2 (02:23:46) Eli's #2 (02:27:19) Ben's #1 (02:31:50) Wilson's #1 (02:38:39) Eli and ???'s #1 (02:43:34) Upcoming from Deep Cut (02:46:32) Outro | |||
04 Dec 2022 | 054. Eli's Summer 2022 Film Diary | 00:40:59 | |
Welcome to Eli's summer film watching audio diary! Over the summer of 2022 each of us recorded little audio snippets reviewing every film that we watched, and these are Eli's! You can listen to our combined discussion of our summer movie watching in our roundup episode. We recommend you start there! Wanna tell us about the films you're watching? Come join our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com (2:50) - Hamlet (2018, dir. Rhodri Huw, Robert Icke) | |||
04 Nov 2023 | 067. Marilou Diaz-Abaya: José Rizal | 00:58:42 | |
The DC Trio takes a plunge into a new director and dives into the works of Marilou Diaz-Abaya, one of the leading figures of the second golden age of Filipino cinema. In the first episode, Wilson shares his love for a national cinema that is deeply tied to his roots. What better way to be introduced to Pinoy cinema than through a biopic of one of the nation's most infamous historical figures? Eli's intrigue in José Rizal's life and his choices add to the discussion, while Ben brings his own perspectives with nostalgic "watched this in class" vibes from the flick. What is your deep cut historical biopic? Let us know on our discord server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
24 Apr 2023 | 063. S. S. Rajamouli: RRR | 01:07:43 | |
Rise. Roar. Revolt. Review. Here it is. Our long awaited Deep Cut Upkeep episode on the S.S. Rajamouli worldwide phenom RRR, and it’s a doozy. Hear the Deep Cut Trio talk about why Rajamouli’s brand of action filmmaking has entranced audiences, and why Ben and Wilson have this film at the top of their 2022 year end lists, while Eli explains why he prefers Rajamouli’s previous outings. Most importantly, they discuss the important and dangerous imagery and narrative co-opting that Rajamouli deploys in this film, and how it is used to fuel the fire of right wing Hindu nationalists in India. Read Ritesh Babu’s writeup on RRR. Read Wang Bing’s State of Cinema 2022 writeup: Join our DiscoRRRd server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
10 Jun 2023 | 065. Egoist @ HKIFF2023: Interview with Director Daishi Matsunaga | 00:25:15 | |
As part of his coverage for HKIFF 2023, Wilson interviews Japanese director Daishi Matsunaga, a day after the Hong Kong premiere of his new film, Egoist. Director Matsunaga talks about the film's moving story, the specific visual language he uses, his thoughts on iPhone footage, and so much more. A massive thank you to dear friend of the pod Fumiko Nago for helping interpret this interview. Films discussed in the interview: Egoist - dir. Daishi Matsunaga Hanalei Bay - dir. Daishi Matsunaga Call Me By Your Name - dir. Luca Guadagnino The Son - dir. Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne Sweating the Small Stuff - dir. Ryutaro Ninomiya Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
16 Dec 2022 | 056. Frederick Wiseman: A Couple | 00:52:14 | |
Can you say "Deep Cut Upkeep A Couple" ten times fast?? Legendary, prolific American documentarian Frederick Wiseman has returned with one of only 3 fiction films in his 55 year career. A Couple finds Nathalie Boutefeu performing monologues from the letters of Sophia Tolstoy in the beautiful Brittany coast. The DC Three admit defeat to the literary gods for not having read a Tolstoy novel, but instead reflect on the nuanced simplicity of Wiseman’s stylistic techniques, along with the multi-layered performance Wiseman and his star / co-writer balance. Check out our previous episode on Wiseman here. What is your dream Wiseman doc (Podcast, anyone??)? Tell us on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
13 Mar 2021 | 011. Asghar Farhadi: A Separation & The Past | 01:36:43 | |
This week, we reflect on the modern master of the domestic drama and Eli's favorite screenwriter, Asghar Farhadi. We marvel at the moral complexity of Farhadi's masterpiece, A Separation (2011), dispute over the plotting of The Past (2013), and consider the virtues of car scenes as directed by contemporary Iranian directors. Ride shotgun with us on our Discord server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
06 Nov 2021 | 028. Mani Ratnam: Dil Se... (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) | 01:06:21 | |
What would you choose? Love…… or terrorism? The trio are joined by special guest Thanmye Lagudu to talk about Mani Ratnam’s most popular film, Dil Se, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala. Wilson marvels at Ratnam’s ability to trojan horse a radical ideology into mainstream Bollywood screens, Eli wraps his head around the audience’s critical distance from the leading man, and Ben pushes against the film’s allegorical layering of meaning through musical numbers. Whether you love Dil Se or hate it, Thanmye encourages cinephiles to explore the work of the master, Mani Ratnam. Follow Thanmye on Twitter! Is Mani Ratnam your OG number 1? Tell us on our discord. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
31 Oct 2021 | 027. Mani Ratnam: Bombay (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) | 01:13:56 | |
Strap in for a conversation on one of the greatest romantic epics put to screen and Deep Cut’s first foray into South Asian Cinema. Our special guest Thanmye Lagudu baptizes the three hosts into the “Church of Mani Ratnam” by bringing his 1995 historical fiction epic Bombay based on the Bombay riots. Wilson theorizes how this film probably served as inspiration for Alfonso Cuaron, Eli ventures into the muddy waters of representing real life events on a fictional screen, and Ben zeroes in on all the horny parts of the movie. Follow Thanmye on twitter & express your love for us via B(T)ollywood song on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
02 Nov 2022 | 051. Mani Ratnam: Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) | 01:16:07 | |
After a brief summer hiatus, the gang (and special guest Thanmye Lagudu) are back to discuss India’s biggest box office draw of the season, and the first part of Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus: Ponniyin Selvan: I. Our first Mani Ratnam Deep Cut Upkeep episode gets heated, and battle lines are drawn between hosts. Is this movie Ratnam’s bold execution of a timeless historical epic, or did Ratnam buckle under the weight of a massive budget, and a source material that seems to resist being adapted to the big screen? Find out in the episode! Join the Church of Ratnam in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Follow Thanmye on Letterboxd and Twitter. | |||
19 Apr 2025 | 098. The Wedding Banquet (2025): Interview with Director Andrew Ahn | 01:24:28 | |
Director Andrew Ahn is back for a three-peat with his new film The Wedding Banquet, a re-imagining of Ang Lee’s 1993 classic. We chat with Ahn about his updates to the original to capture the new nuances of queer lives today, get behind the scenes tidbits of his time working with his incredible AAvengers cast, and see how the original and his remake have shaped him on a personal level. The Wedding Banquet is currently premiering in the United States, get tickets in the cinema! Get married at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:13) Film Synopsis (00:03:00) General Reactions (spoiler-free) (00:05:42) Spoiler warning (for both films) (00:06:21) Interview begins (00:12:45) Reimagining The Wedding Banquet (00:13:38) Ahn's first encounter with the original (00:15:19) Adapting with James Schamus (00:17:14) Ahn's updates to the original (00:23:05) Stylistic shifts (00:26:13) New concerns for an evolving queer audience (00:27:48) The films’ endings (00:33:07) New families (00:34:06) The original being more subversive (00:36:00) Watching Ahn's version before Ang's (00:36:54) Connection between Ahn's features (00:38:40) Giving actors their due (00:41:29) Casting the ensemble (00:46:32) Good acting vs most acting (00:48:54) Directing a scene (00:52:01) Editing (00:53:41) Modern gay rom coms (00:55:28) Landscape and location (00:58:44) Coincidences (01:01:49) Has Ang Lee seen the remake? (01:03:19) Eat Drink Man Woman Sidebar (01:05:36) Cinematography (01:08:34) Favorite moment on set (01:11:23) Artmaking as personal diary (01:15:36) The artwork in the film (01:16:19) Directing Youn Yuh-jung (01:18:09) Good filmmaking (01:19:58) Wrap-up | |||
05 Dec 2021 | 032. Todd Haynes: Far From Heaven | 01:02:25 | |
Come one, come all to the Sirk Du Soleil as the Deep Cut trio discusses Todd Hayne’s Far From Heaven. Ben compares his Deep Cut Pick to Haynes’ critically acclaimed, subsequent melodrama Carol to show the breadth of the director’s approach to melodrama, but Eli and Wilson aren’t so convinced. Wilson feels that it’s a shallow imitation of the Women’s Picture auteur Douglas Sirk, while Eli questions the movie’s sociopolitical outlook from the early 2000’s. Can Ben open the discussion to the movie’s merits? What’s a color score? And will Eli ever shut up about Psycho (1998)? Wistfully contemplate your loves of yore in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Read Scott Higgins’ essay on the color score in Far From Heaven (Chapter 9, pages 101-113). | |||
04 Dec 2022 | 055. Deep Cut 2022 Summer Movie Roundup | 01:39:21 | |
In a long-awaited bonus set of episodes, Ben, Wilson, and Eli go over their 2022 movie-watching summers, where each of our co-hosts maintained an audio diary of all the films we saw over the summer. Come along on our summer movie adventure, as we cover watching highlights from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, to Jurassic World Dominion. List of films (and TV) discussed in this roundup: Ben: Donkey Skin (Demy), We Are Lady Parts (TV), Cure (Kurosawa), The Last Days of Disco (Stillman), Jurassic World Dominion (Trevorrow), Heat (Mann), Poetry (Lee) Wilson: Mass (Kranz), Fast & Feel Love (Thamrongrattanarit), Goodbye, Dragon Inn (Tsai), The Adventures of Rosette (Rosette, Rohmer), Keep Rolling (Man), Katatsumori (Kawase), Love Massacre (Tam) Eli: Pulse (Kurosawa), Fast & Feel Love (Thamrongrattanarit), Memoria (Weerasethakul), O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization (Szulkin), Court (Tamhane), Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Park) What did you watch this summer? Tell us on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
08 Sep 2024 | 079. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: To The Ends of the Earth | 00:57:05 | |
In this final Kiyoshi Kurosawa episode, Wilson brings to the table one of the latest films from the Japanese auteur; the Uzbekistan set To the Ends of the Earth. Ben draws parallels between this film and the work of Kelly Reichardt, and gives us an education on the importance of Atsuko Maeda and idol group AKB48. Eli zeroes in on Kurosawa’s commentary on the camera in this film, as we go behind the scenes of a Japanese travelogue crew abroad. Wilson continues his trend of vibing out with a film as he recounts how this rewatch deeply affected how he felt after losing his wallet. Links:
Find a bramul at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
25 Sep 2021 | 022. Lynne Ramsay: You Were Never Really Here | 00:57:47 | |
Before he went on Robert Deniro’s talk show, Joaquin Phoenix starred in Lynne Ramsay’s dark vigilante thriller from 2017, You Were Never Really Here. Eli kicks off Deep Cut’s look at one of his favorite directors by detailing Ramsay’s distinct, jarring approach to conveying the trauma of her characters. Wilson finds gentle human relationships in this brutal movie, and Ben comes to understand his unpleasant viewing experience as Ramsay’s defining statement on violence in American action cinema. Read the ebook about the making of You Were Never Really Here that Eli cites in this episode. You are always really there on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
05 Oct 2024 | 081. NYFF62 Dispatch (Anora, Queer, The Shrouds, Eephus) | 00:34:12 | |
Our very own Eli attended the 62nd New York Film Festival this autumn as a bona fide member of the press! Sit alongside Wilson and Ben as they salivate over Eli’s descriptions of waiting in line, chatting with fellow critics, and seeing the hottest upcoming films from Earth’s top directors at the legendary Walter Reade Theater. Daniel Craig, Mikey Madison, Vincent Cassel… wow! Can you guess his favorite of the festival? Films discussed:
FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com LIVE IN NEW YORK | |||
17 Nov 2024 | 084. Edward Yang: Taipei Story | 01:00:29 | |
Join us as we delve deeper into our series on Taiwanese auteur Edward Yang, as we take a step back to explore one of his earliest features, "Taipei Story" (青梅竹馬) from 1985. In this film, Yang collaborates with his compatriot Hou Hsiao-hsien to portray a city undergoing monumental change. Ben explores the social, cultural, and economic uniqueness of this period in East Asia. Eli draws intriguing parallels between this movie and the various renditions of A Star is Born. Wilson raises questions about Yang's choice to incorporate violence as a punctuation to his endings. Play ball at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
21 Feb 2024 | 072. Hirokazu Kore-eda: Monster | 00:45:27 | |
We go back to our Deep Cut roots with Kore-eda's latest, but don't call us Monster(s) for skipping out on the previously released Broker! Awarded the Queer Palm at Cannes in 2023, Monster is a return to form (and Japan) for Kore-eda, igniting a sprawling conversation about the film and its connections to his larger ouevre. We debate the film's visual treatment, the limits of its Rashomon-esque structure, and share our thoughts on what kind of story the ending is really trying to tell. Find refuge from the storm in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Links: | |||
02 Apr 2022 | 039. Joel Coen: The Tragedy of Macbeth | 00:34:23 | |
By the pricking of my thumbs, Deep Cut Upkeep this way comes! After splitting from his brother Ethan last year, Joel Coen went back to the book and then threw it out the window with his divisive, postmodern take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Glorious set design, gorgeous cinematography, but methinks that none of the Deep Cut Trio are convinced: Wilson isn’t moved by Denzel Washington’s lead performance, Ben finds the heightened artifice pointless, and Eli finds Coen’s examination of the themes in the text to be lacking. But hey: there’s always Skip Lievsay, shining golden boy of the aural sense. I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
09 Jan 2025 | 090. The People's Joker: Interview with Director Vera Drew | 00:32:38 | |
Tune in for a very special episode as Wilson chats with The People’s Joker director, writer, star and editor Vera Drew about her feature film debut! Vera Drew talks about getting into filmmaking, the incredibly collaborative process behind making The People’s Joker, as well as the tough road it took for the film to reach the public. The People’s Joker is streaming exclusively on Mubi. Timestamps (00:00) Intro (03:29) Interview (30:44) Outro Our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com is for the people! | |||
31 Jul 2022 | 050. S. S. Rajamouli: Eega (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) | 01:14:58 | |
How does the king of beeg cinema go small? Trick question, he don’t! Small in scope but still big on imagination, we’re (mostly) abuzz with praise for Wilson’s Deep Cut pick for Rajamouli, 2012’s Eega. Eli praises the positively fly performance of Sudeep, a villain you love to hate, Thanmye highlights Rajamouli’s overlooked talents as a director of comedy, and Wilson celebrates Rajamouli's maximalist imagination as well as his mastery of telling stories regarding fate/destiny. Ben assumes the villain mantle and questions if the film successfully blends violence, comedy and revenge: does it go too far or is Ben just bugging out? Spread your wings in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Follow Thanmye on Twitter and Letterboxd. | |||
11 Mar 2024 | 073. 2023 Film and TV in Review | 01:37:46 | |
The Oscars may tell us Hollywood’s popular picks, but what about the… Deep Cut picks? Deep Cut’s 2023 in Review is ready to give the last word on yesteryear’s best in motion pictures. Tune in for debates on the year’s biggest hits and hot takes on the year’s shabbiest flops. It all culminates in Wilson, Ben, and Eli’s top three favorites of the year… Share your favorite films of 2023 in our Discord server. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Alphabetical list of all films mentioned in our 2023 in Review and their directors: A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang) A Holy Family (Elvis Lu) Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet) Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (Kelly Fremon Craig) Barbie (Greta Gerwig) Beau is Afraid (Ari Aster) Blackberry (Matthew Johnson) Blue Giant (Yuzuru Tachikawa) Close (Lukas Dhont) Closing Time (Russell Goldman) Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (Radu Jude) Elegies (Ann Hui) Evil Does Not Exist (Ryusuke Hamaguchi) How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber) Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese) Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shayamalan) Kokomo City (D. Smith) May December (Todd Haynes) Menus-Plaisirs - Les Troisgros (Frederick Wiseman) Monster (Hirokazu Kore-eda) No Bears (Jafar Panahi) Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan) Passages (Ira Sachs) Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos) Ponniyin Selvan: II (Mani Ratnam) Return to Seoul (Davy Chou) Rye Lane (Raine Allen Miller) Showing Up (Kelly Reichardt) Skinamarink (Kyle Edward Ball) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson) Sparta (Ulrich Seidl) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Jeff Rowe) The Eight Mountains (Felix Van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch) The Taste of Things (Tran Anh Hung) The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer) They Cloned Tyrone (Juel Taylor) Tótem (Lila Aviles) | |||
07 Jan 2025 | 089. Nick Park: Wallace & Gromit - Original Shorts | 01:05:39 | |
Fancy a little cheese? We jump into the whimsical world of Wallace and Gromit created by Nick Park, and cover three early short films: A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave. Eli talks about his childhood love for the series and gives the boys a lesson in stop motion animation. Ben goes existential and talks about how stop-motion brings inanimate objects to life, and we accompany Wilson as he discovers these characters for the very first time. Links: Blast off to our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:15) Nick Park Introduction (14:25) General Reactions (19:45) Shorts Power Ranking (20:30) A Grand Day Out (33:25) The Wrong Trousers (51:46) A Close Shave | |||
29 Nov 2023 | 068. Frederick Wiseman: Menus-Plaisirs - Les Troisgros | 00:58:43 | |
Bon appetit! The DC Trio are in for a treat this week as we savor Frederick Wiseman’s latest documentary, MENUS PLAISIRS - LES TROIGROS, a scrumptious looking film about three French restaurants, and the family that runs it. From the bustling kitchen to the tense moments shared between members of the Troigros dynasty, the trio immerses themselves in this four-hour culinary exploration. Ben and Eli ponder the central question of the work and Wilson finds a strong appreciation of Wiseman’s perspective on the food industry. MENUS PLAISIRS - LES TROIGROS is out now in theaters. A big thank you to the folks at Zipporah Films for helping make this happen. Ever had an unforgettable meal? Let us know on our discord! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
21 Jan 2023 | 057. Interview with Frederick Wiseman | 00:45:45 | |
Listen up Wiseman-heads, oh do we have a treat for you! The Deep Cut trio are joined by the man himself, Frederick Wiseman, to talk about his new film A Couple (2022) and his expansive documentary filmography. The discussion topics include Nathalie Boutefeu’s arresting performance as Sophia Tolstoy, the secret meaning behind filming in a garden, and Fred’s views on life and death. It was an honor for us to speak with the revered filmmaker, and we would like to thank everyone at Zipporah Films for helping to make this happen. Check out our most recent episode on A Couple, and our introduction to Wiseman’s filmography with our older episode on Titicut Follies (1967), In Jackson Heights (2015), and City Hall (2020). What question would you ask Wiseman? Tell us on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
12 Jun 2022 | 046. Abderrahmane Sissako: Timbuktu | 00:52:46 | |
Deep Cut begins a special three-episode run on Malian/Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako with his poetic, vibrant tragedy Timbuktu (2014). Wilson contextualizes Sissako’s most well-known work within Sissako’s varied and inventive filmography, Ben considers the humanizing characterization of the film’s jihadist characters, and Eli breaks down one of his favorite shots in cinema history. Sissako is the first filmmaker born in Africa covered on the podcast, but tune in to find out why both Sissako and the DC Trio reject the notion of a singular “African Film” culture. Help shepherd the cattle in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
16 Oct 2021 | 025. Éric Rohmer: Love in the Afternoon | 00:53:06 | |
Sink into moral quicksand with us as we discuss the final of Éric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales: Love In The Afternoon (1972). Wilson contemplates the duality of man from the sidelines as Eli and Ben have a “straight man-off” with wildly different takeaways from the film’s heartstopping moral ending. We also get into the film’s stylistic deviations from Rohmer’s filmography, admire Zouzou’s iconic looks, and Marvel (pun unfortunately intended…) at the film’s narrative momentum and excitement. Also, Frédéric: hot or not? Tell us in the discord server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
14 Jul 2024 | 075. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Cure | 01:15:14 | |
In this episode, the Deep Cut trio delve into the captivating world of Kiyoshi Kurosawa with his breakout hit, Cure (1997). Tune in to the beginning of a mega series on Kurosawa: director for hire and the master of nightmares. Ben and Wilson find themselves at odds as Ben's annoyance with the film's villain fails to dampen Wilson's thirst for him. Eli questions the fragility of our existence, thinks about the depths of human nature, and contemplates the idea that we are all capable of evil. Listen for a banger episode!
Get cured on our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ deepcutpod.com
Links:
Eli’s Summer 2022 Diary Episode with his first reaction to Cure.
(There is no) Cure Video Essay on the Criterion Channel.
Kurosawa/Hamaguchi discuss Cure on the Criterion Channel.
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21 Aug 2021 | 018. Jonathan Glazer: Birth (featuring Andrew Ahn) | 00:53:47 | |
The Deep Cut trio is joined by writer/director Andrew Ahn (Spa Night, Driveways and the upcoming Fire Island) to discuss one of his personal favorite movies, Jonathan Glazer’s masterful, mournful Birth (2004). As Andrew reflects on Glazer's expressive directorial style, Ben is stunned by Nicole Kidman’s central performance, Eli interrogates how her character acts on her feelings, and Wilson asks Andrew about retaining creative agency while working in the business of moviemaking. And everyone flips over *that* iconic opera scene. Follow Andrew Ahn on Twitter! Recall your lost loves on our Discord server. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
12 Jun 2021 | 013. Zack Snyder's Justice League (featuring Russell Goldman) | 01:27:05 | |
"We're a small group of reactionary film podcasters who wanna turn back the clock in film criticism a thousand years." Fire up the mother box with us to resurrect this Spring’s hottest movie discourse: Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Our friend, writer/director Russell Goldman, joins us to battle it out over Snyder’s confident maximalism, The Flash’s vendetta against a hamburger, and Joker bullying Batman. Oh, and we stan Steppenwolf. Mm... more like Stepponmedaddy... Check out Russell’s work: https://www.russellgoldman.com Wish we didn't do this? Get justice on our Discord! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
26 Jan 2024 | 069. Todd Haynes: May December | 00:43:53 | |
May you join us this December for a Deep Cutversation on May Deepcutber? Wait, this is confusing... what's NOT confusing is the moral clarity of American director Todd Haynes' latest pressure-cooker drama about the evils of our time. While Eli sees horror lurking beneath the pleasant cinematography of Christopher Blauvelt, Ben ponders the omission of a cathartic ending from Samy Burch's script, and Wilson lauds the core performances of Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton. Don't be naïve–– tune in! You can join our Patreon, but we might not have enough hot dogs. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
16 Jul 2022 | 049. S. S. Rajamouli: Baahubali: The Beginning & Baahubali: The Conclusion (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) | 01:34:47 | |
Long live Deep Cut! The DC Trio welcomes back distinguished guest and friend Thanmye Lagudu to launch a discussion on the legendary Masala blockbuster director S. S. Rajamouli (of this year’s international hit, RRR). There’s no better a popular pick than the renowned historical fantasy duology, Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion, based on the Sanskrit epic poem Mahabharata. In their epic conversation, Thanmye shares his deep connection to the movies of Rajamouli, Wilson breaks down what makes the action so spectacular, Ben notes the benefits of non-photorealistic CGI, and Eli explains how Rajamouli writes truly smart characters. Ultimately, Thanmye hopes for a new path forward in cinephilia that fully respects the depth and goals of Indian popular cinema. Fight alongside your best friends in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
12 Feb 2023 | 059. Miranda July: Kajillionaire | 01:13:10 | |
Deep Cut returns to regularly scheduled programming with the decidedly irregular films of American independent director/writer/actor/multi-hyphenate Miranda July. You might even call them quirky. We begin our series by learning about her long list of artistic endeavours and discuss the connotations of "quirk" in the context of July's films before diving in to her most recent and most critically acclaimed work yet: Kajillionaire. Ben highlights Evan Rachel Wood's physically specific performance as "Old Dolio", Wilson celebrates Emile Mossieri's emotionally vibrant soundtrack to July's little "heist of the heart," while Eli tries his best to understand what makes the movie so special to his fellow co-hosts. Get riled up in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
20 Feb 2021 | 009. 2020 Film & TV in Review | 01:42:18 | |
On this Very Special Episode, we huddle and talk about our favorite films and TV of 2020! Major films covered: Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Time, Nomadland, Minari, The Woman Who Ran, Small Axe, Tenet, My Octopus Teacher (???), Welcome to Chechnya, and more! TV: I May Destroy You, Normal People, Veneno, How to with John Wilson, Ted Lasso, Better Call Saul S5, and more! Letterboxd lists: Wilson, Ben, Eli Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
02 Oct 2021 | 023. Lynne Ramsay: We Need to Talk About Kevin | 00:54:56 | |
Is it Deep Cut’s darkest movie? The trio talks about Lynne Ramsay’s impressionistic family tragedy, 2011’s We Need to Talk About Kevin. Everyone considers the links from We Need to Talk About Kevin to the genre of The Women’s Picture. As Eli recounts his awe at the edit’s approach to creating the feeling of memories, Ben praises Ramsay’s closeups and Wilson sobs gently into his microphone, preserved forever in a crisp, high-fidelity .mp3 audio file. Check out Wilson’s “F***ed Up Cinema” list on Letterboxd. Talk about Kevin our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
28 Nov 2021 | 031. Todd Haynes: Carol | 00:53:37 | |
Step right up as we guess The Price of Salt in our coverage of Todd Hayne’s Carol (2015). Recently crowned by BFI as the “best LGBT film of all time”, the Deep Cut Trio revisit this critical favorite and find its place in the New Queer Cinema Canon. Ben gets lost in the eyes of leading ladies Blanchett and Mara, Wilson considers the film’s legacy in the wake of recent LGBT film standouts, and Eli feels personally attacked for all of us by the characterization of a certain John Magaro character... Get flung out of space in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
28 Jun 2022 | 048. Abderrahmane Sissako: Waiting for Happiness & Life on Earth | 00:55:49 | |
Deep Cut rounds out its study of Malian/Mauritanian master director Abderrahmane Sissako with his first two fiction features: Life on Earth (1998) and Waiting for Happiness (2002). The documentary-fiction hybrids provide an illuminating keystone in understanding Sissako’s later, more complex works. Wilson prefers the deep well of sadness in Waiting for Happiness, but Eli adores the celebratory simplicity of Life on Earth. Meanwhile, Ben reconsiders his approach to the wholly unique, unplaceable films of Sissako. Wait for a Life of Happiness on Earth in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
05 Mar 2022 | 035. Lana Wachowski: The Matrix Resurrections | 00:40:33 | |
Things heat up in our most divisive episode to date! Lana Wachowski returns to the Matrix franchise after nearly two decades to put out her most personal work to date. Does it pay off? We’ll have to see as Ben, Eli and Wilson duke it out. Wilson can’t comprehend how anyone can’t appreciate this reflection on blockbuster entertainment, Ben can’t comprehend how anyone likes this messy film and Eli tries to keep the peace. Have hands to throw? Have a side to pick? Come yell in our void (discord server). Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
04 Sep 2021 | 019. Juzo Itami: Tampopo | 00:49:03 | |
Ramen is on the menu tonight. Wilson takes the trio on a culinary movie journey as they talk Juzo Itami’s iconic film, Tampopo (1985). Listen to our sauciest episode yet as Ben gushes over Itami’s ‘chaos blocking’ and Eli contemplates feeling like a sausage while on your deathbed. Get a taste of our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
12 Mar 2023 | 062. 2022 Film and TV in Review | 02:25:48 | |
Another year has wrapped production, and the production assistants are here to clean up! Just in time for the 2023 Oscars, Ben, Wilson, and Eli mop up the mess left by superheroes and conductors, stop motion shells and Na’vi, interdimensional travelers and cannibals, mourners and partiers. By breaking down the year’s big trends–– directors fictionalizing their autobiographies, Marvel sinking slowly, rich filmmakers attempting to pillory wealth inequality–– the Deep Cut trio gets a handle on what made 2022 so weird. The boys get personal, too, talking about the movies and moments from last year that shaped who they are as moviegoers and friends. Finally, each co-host’s coveted top 3 films of the year are revealed… Dunk on the Oscars with us in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Movies discussed on this episode: 2022 TV Mentions: | |||
09 Oct 2021 | 024. Éric Rohmer: The Green Ray | 00:47:16 | |
Join us as the trio journey into a bout of summertime sadness with The Green Ray (1986), the first of our episodes on Éric Rohmer’s breezy films on love and longing. We learn about Rohmer’s secretive private life, the improvisational process behind The Green Ray, and we all fall in love with Delphine a little bit. Is lettuce a friend? Find out on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
05 Mar 2025 | 094. Edward Yang: That Day, On The Beach (featuring Natalie Ng) | 01:26:56 | |
We’re thrilled to be joined by Natalie Ng, a huge Edward Yang fan and friend of the podcast, to dive into Yang’s feature debut, That Day, On The Beach! Natalie, who works at the Asian Film Archive, tells us about AFA’s recent Edward Yang retrospective (complete with a physical exhibition) and shares her deep love for Yang’s work. Together, we explore the film’s place in Yang’s filmography, its inventive narrative structure, and how it set the stage for his later masterpieces. Natalie highlights the agency of female characters in the film, while Ben argues that De-wei should have been hotter. Wilson leads us in discussing Christopher Doyle’s first feature work as a cinematographer and the stylistic choices of the film, and we very importantly discuss Sylvia Chang’s iconic perm, and whether girlbossing is an ideal ending for Yang’s female characters. Links:
That Day, On Our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (11:17) General Reactions (25:18) Natalie’s personal reaction to the film (29:47) Melodrama and female agency (34:35) Edward Yang’s “Women without men” + Digression into other Yang films (41:49) Ending of That Day (45:47) Qing-qing and Jia-sen’s roles in the story (50:52) Jia-li’s love interests (54:40) Tone and filmic style (01:02:55) Other films That Day relates to (01:07:15) Babies (01:10:32) The Perm and costumes (01:15:04) Yang’s early fascination with women’s stories (01:21:36) Wrap-up | |||
29 May 2023 | 064. HKIFF 2023 Dispatch | 01:02:38 | |
As Cannes wraps up in the South of France, we bring you a dispatch from another festival halfway across the world. An exhausted Wilson joined Ben and Eli in the middle of his festival marathon to dish about the movies he saw at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival, and talk about the experience of officially covering a festival for the podcast for the first time! Includes interviews with top Hong Kong directors Soi Cheang and Ann Hui. Check out Wilson's full HKIFF list here. What festival should we cover next? Let us know in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Films/Sections Previewed: A City of Sadness (4K Restoration) - dir. Hou Hsiao Hsien Plan 75 - dir. Chie Hayakawa Juzo Itami Retrospective New Blood - dir. Soi Cheang Egoist - dir. Daishi Matsunaga Stars at Noon - dir. Claire Denis Sparta - dir. Ulrich Seidl Our Body - dir. Claire Simon Saint Omer - dir. Alice Diop A Still Small Voice - dir. Luke Lorentzen A Holy Family - dir. Elvis Lu in water - dir. Hong Sang Soo Tótem - dir. Lila Avilés Dust of Angels (4K Restoration) - dir. Hsu Hsiao-ming | |||
18 Dec 2021 | 033. The Wachowskis: The Matrix | 00:53:27 | |
Right before one of the most highly anticipated 2021 releases, join the trio for a talk about the American action classic The Matrix. As well as their highly acclaimed directors, sisters Lana and Lily Wachowski. Wilson reminisces about the joy of watching The Matrix as a child. Ben ponders the romantic relationship at the core of the film, and Eli shows some love to the work of infamous action choreographer Yuen Woo Ping. Are you hyped for The Matrix Resurrections? Because we sure are. Jack in to our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
19 Feb 2025 | 093. Edward Yang: Mahjong | 00:56:50 | |
We prepare for Edward Yang’s game of Mahjong and all we’re looking for is a fourth player (you!). The last of his works to get restored, and possibly his most cynical film, we find much to discuss with A Confucian Confusion’s evil twin in Yang’s filmography. Ben explores Yang’s depiction of sexual relationships, Eli expounds on Yang’s fascination with intergenerational misunderstandings, Wilson compares its heightened depiction of violence, and finally we answer the question… why’s it called Mahjong? Join our gang at FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:29) General Reactions (08:35) Plot Summary; why’s it called mahjong? (12:10) Transactional relationships, East and West (16:07) Sex work (24:00) Narrative and thematic construction (31:30) Intergenerational misunderstanding (36:48) Violence (41:55) Romance and ending (54:45) Outro | |||
30 Nov 2024 | 085. Edward Yang: Terrorizers | 00:50:42 | |
Join us as we try to piece together Edward Yang’s most puzzling work, Terrorizers (恐怖分子) . Eli describes the harsher and more abrasive Yang in this 1986 film, Wilson recounts the transcendent feeling of watching a crucial sequence set to The Platter’s Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, and Ben makes links between this film’s ending and Godard’s Breathless.
Terrorize us on our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
21 Sep 2024 | 080. All Shall Be Well: Interview with Director Ray Yeung | 00:56:15 | |
Buckle up Deep Cut fans! This week we have a special preview episode as Wilson got to sit down with director Ray Yeung to preview his new Berlinale premiering film All Shall Be Well, which is opening at Film Forum on September 20. Ray discusses his jump from law to filmmaking, and returning to his native Hong Kong to make films about the lives of older gay and lesbian characters in Hong Kong. We dive in deep as we talk about Ray’s two features set in Hong Kong; Suk Suk and All Shall Be Well as well as talking about Ray’s own film influences. Films/Directors Mentioned:
All is well at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
04 Feb 2024 | 071. Marilou Diaz-Abaya: Moral | 01:04:54 | |
Join us for a Deep Cut episode on the exceptional 1982 film Moral from director Marilou Diaz-Abaya. The trio are blown away by the intricate script work and editing within the film, and they finally help coin the acronym GFWTM (Go Fucking Watch This Movie) for Wilson to use in the future. Eli and Ben discuss how Diaz-Abaya and screenwriter Ricky Lee can achieve an impactful broader perspective in this web of life film. Will Ben ever add this film to his Best Friend Film Canon letterboxd list? Listen in to find out. Are you a fan of Filipino cinema? Tell us on our Discord server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
27 Mar 2022 | 038. Asghar Farhadi: A Hero | 00:38:30 | |
Deep Cut hits the panic button as our beloved Asghar Farhadi is embroiled in scandal! Iranian documentary filmmaker and former student of Farhadi, Azadeh Masihzadeh, has sued him over the claim that he stole the story for his 2021 release, A Hero, from her 2015 documentary, All Winners, All Losers and pressured her into signing over the rights to her film. Wilson, Ben, and Eli discuss the dismaying news before talking about A Hero itself. The conversation includes Wilson’s love for Amir Jadidi’s lead performance (what a smile!), Ben’s questions about the main character’s naivete, Eli’s classification of the types of Farhadi movie, and Farhadi’s unusual use of editing to convey emotion. Be *OUR* hero on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
13 Apr 2025 | 097. Bong Joon-ho: Mickey 17 | 00:49:16 | |
We can’t believe it’s finally here! After much anticipation, we finally have creepers on screen, A Minecraft Movie, starring Jason Mamoa and Jack Black is easily the movie blockbuster release of the year— wait wait wait Sorry, this is actually about the Robert Pattinson starring movie in which he plays the dual roles of Bruce Wayne / The Batman— wait wait wait Sorry, this episode is about the other big Robert Pattinson blockbuster Mickey 17. We return for another hit of the Bong (Joon Ho) but some of us are not vibing! Ben and Eli take turns using the film, the script, the cinematography, and the direction as punching bags. Wilson is left to fight for his life (and the lives of Mickey 1-18). Who will come out on top? Is this movie worth watching? Listen to find out. Creep up on our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Links: Deep Cut 012. Bong Joon-ho: Parasite & Mother GQ: Robert Pattinson and Bong Joon Ho on Mickey 17 Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (03:10) General Reactions (10:50) Plot Summary (11:40) Spoilers from here / Bong Career Moves (14:10) Theme / Reflecting Current Moment (19:40) Movie Enjoyability VS Thematic Coherence (22:55) Performances (25:30) Voiceover / First Act Problems (27:50) Narrative Drive / Goals / Stakes (33:29) Bong Humor (34:45) Bong Sci-Fi (36:35) Cinematography (39:29) International Cast (42:38) Voiceover (44:32) Wilson's Enjoyments (47:30) Outro | |||
06 Mar 2021 | 010. Johnnie To: PTU & Romancing in Thin Air | 01:25:01 | |
Come join us this week as we explore the work of Hong Kong cinema’s most prolific journeyman, Johnnie To. We talk about To's mastery of the visual medium in PTU (2003) and his elaborate work of melodrama in Romancing in Thin Air (2012). Massive spoilers for both movies so be warned!! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
16 Apr 2022 | 040. Wong Kar-wai: Chungking Express | 01:24:28 | |
Deep Cut launches into a new season with a mega-sized introduction to the cinema of Wong Kar-wai, and the film that shot him to international stardom: CHUNGKING EXPRESS. Wilson reveals why this is his favorite movie of all time, Ben establishes a scientific theory on Wong’s Magic Himbo Dream Boys in Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Eli spots Wong’s knack for transforming emotions by repeating objects, songs, and shots. Join our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com; the password is: "愛你一萬年" ("love you for 10,000 years"). | |||
18 Mar 2025 | 095. Edward Yang: A Brighter Summer Day | 02:07:57 | |
We’ve finally done it: all seven Edward Yang films discussed on Deep Cut. The only podcast to give Edward Yang the time and space he deserves as one of the all time greatest directors (and Wilson’s favorite director)! We end our coverage on Yang with what is considered to be his magnum opus, 1991’s A Brighter Summer Day, an intimate epic of teenage angst, romance, and rebellion that also captures Taiwan in a specific era of political and social turbulence with incredible detail. Together, we discuss ABSD’s unique visual palette compared to Yang’s other non-period work, and go in depth into its thematic concerns regarding Taiwan on a scale both personal and national. Wilson highlights the virtuosic blocking in large crowd scenes, Eli makes a case for proper education as the salve for social ills, and Ben asks, can a film be “too perfect”? Are you lonesome? Join our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Links:
Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (17:57) Synopsis and background (25:16) Directorial style (32:09) Subjectivity and Chang Chen’s performance (39:14) Misogyny and control (47:07) Ming’s characterization (52:48) Historical context (55:35) Tribalism and nihilism (59:53) “Novelistic” (01:04:57) Si’r as spectator (01:07:39) What is the movie about? (01:13:26) Education (01:18:54) Individual vs societal responsibility (01:23:09) Gang violence (01:30:41) Blocking (01:34:56) The film studio (01:42:39) The Little Park Boys (01:48:07) Favorite moments (01:52:14) “Perfect” films (01:55:11) Scale (01:58:10) Yang series wrap-up | |||
16 May 2022 | 043. Wong Kar-wai: 2046 | 00:59:18 | |
Welcome to 2046: a place that you can never leave, and an era in Wong Kar-wai’s filmography that will never return. Wilson opens up about how his Deep Cut Pick is a forlorn love letter to Hong Kong, his "city of heartbreak." Meanwhile, Eli shares the pop music playlist that Wilson made the DC trio, and Ben shocks them both with his opinion on what may be Wong's last great film. Tune in for the grand finale of Deep Cut’s epic, tender, four-part series on the world of Wong Kar-wai! Recapture lost memories in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
14 Aug 2021 | 017. Joel & Ethan Coen: Raising Arizona | 00:59:09 | |
Deep Cut concludes its four-episode series on the Coen brothers with Ben's old favorite, Raising Arizona (1987). Ben considers the power of the movie's marriage of humor and sentiment, Wilson praises the once-in-a-lifetime couple casting of Nic Cage & Holly Hunter, and Eli presents his final Skip Lievsay Corner... for now. To finish, the trio discusses the virtues of the Coens, compares their cinematographers, and looks ahead to Joel Coen's upcoming solo outing. We got us a family here on our Discord server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
18 Sep 2021 | 021. Eliza Hittman: It Felt Like Love (featuring Isabel Sandoval) | 00:52:12 | |
Deep Cut is visited by the Queen of Sensual Cinema herself, writer/director/actress Isabel Sandoval (Lingua Franca, Señorita, Apparition) to discuss her favorite Eliza Hittman feature, It Felt Like Love (2013). Isabel describes her personal connections to Hittman’s sensitive presentation of adolescence and presents her big theory about debut features. Wilson extols Hittman’s confident direction and Ben asks Isabel about the challenges that come with directing one’s own performance as a director/actor, while Eli and Isabel detour to praise Jane Fonda’s performance in Klute (1971). And Isabel teases her next feature, Tropical Gothic... Follow Isabel on Twitter and Instagram! Feel the love on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
23 Jan 2021 | 005. Kelly Reichardt: First Cow & Old Joy | 01:24:15 | |
This week we’re discussing the films of Kelly Reichardt: A24 darling, First Cow (2019) and her second film, Old Joy (2006); both kind and gentle films about male friendship. We talk about their different approaches to depicting male friendship, the allure of micro-budget filmmaking, and heap praise on a beautiful cow and an incredible dog. SPOILER WARNING for both films. You can watch Reichardt's 'Wendy and Lucy' on OVID.tv (in the USA) and make sure to use the promo code ‘DEEPCUT’ for 50% off your first three months! Cover art by Justina Yam Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
06 Dec 2024 | 086. Happyend: Interview with Director Neo Sora | 01:10:49 | |
Join Wilson on this special episode of Deep Cut where he interviews Director Neo Sora about his new film, Happyend. Neo Sora discusses how his first narrative feature came about, his love of Edward Yang, as well as his ongoing pro-Palestine activism on the festival circuit, amongst a host of other things! SPOILER WARNING: We speak briefly about Happyend’s ending. | |||
12 Mar 2022 | 036. Pablo Larraín: Spencer | 00:29:36 | |
After adoring director Pablo Larraín’s Jackie and Ema last season, the Deep Cut Trio had high hopes for his follow-up, Spencer, but not as high as Steven Knight was when he wrote the script. On this episode, Wilson, Ben, and Eli ask one simple question: what the heck happened here? Ben sees it as a narrative problem, where we don’t get access to Diana’s perspective. Eli thinks it’s a lack of empathy for a real-life figure, where the movie gawks at Diana. And Wilson? He’s got a thought or two about the color timing. We only talk about beloved British character actor Timothy Spall on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
02 Jun 2022 | 045. Andrew Ahn: Fire Island (featuring Andrew Ahn) | 01:02:13 | |
Stock up on some rosé and lose the shirt because we're going to FIRE ISLAND, baby! We are so delighted and honored to have director Andrew Ahn (SPA NIGHT, DRIVEWAYS) back on the podcast to preview his upcoming feature FIRE ISLAND. Coming to Hulu on June 3. Andrew shares with us his experience directing a studio rom-com, fighting to keep the film’s gayness, collaborating with Joel Kim Booster (STAR and screenwriter), and MUNA’s cover of an iconic Britney song. SPOILERS incoming, so watch the film before taking a listen. Also, Andrew selects a FIRE ISLAND adjacent Deep Cut pick, Alice Wu’s brilliant SAVING FACE, another wonderful queer AsAm romantic comedy to chat about alongside his film. There's your perfect Pride month double bill. Andrew Ahn's Instagram, Twitter. (@andrewahnfilms) Fire Island Socials (@fireislandmovie): Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Take a trip to our very own Pines (the Deep Cut Discord server) to talk more Fire Island! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
04 Dec 2022 | 052. Wilson's Summer 2022 Film Diary | 00:55:12 | |
Welcome to Wilson's summer film watching audio diary! Over the summer of 2022 each of us recorded little audio snippets reviewing every film that we watched, and these are Wilson's! You can listen to our combined discussion of our summer movie watching in our roundup episode. We recommend you start there! Wanna tell us about the films you're watching? Come join our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com List of Films Discussed:
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10 Aug 2024 | 077. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Pulse | 00:56:57 | |
Unlock the forbidden recording room with Wilson, Ben and Eli as the trio unpack Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2001 ghost film Pulse. Eli explains his love for his deep cut pick of a film that breaks its own rules and complicates its horror elements. Wilson zeroes in on his love for Kurosawa’s use of space and production design to bring on a feeling of despair for viewers. Ben heralds Kurosawa as a prophet of how computer usage makes us feel in our current era.
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21 Feb 2023 | 060. Miranda July: Me and You and Everyone We Know | 00:59:29 | |
))><(( We continue our journey through Miranda July's filmography with her debut feature, Me and You and Everyone We Know. With a large cast of supporting characters, Ben finds the thematic ties across the film's vignettes, Eli praises its winning child performances, and Wilson investigates the film's place within the realm of the "web-of-life" film. Find connection on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
23 Oct 2021 | 026. Éric Rohmer: Boyfriends and Girlfriends | 00:50:27 | |
Another Rohmer film, another incredible ending. We end our series on Rohmer with Ben’s second Deep Cut pick and favorite Rohmer film, the effortlessly loveable and relatable Boyfriends and Girlfriends (1987). Listen to us swoon as we recollect our favorite moments from this classic romantic tale. Wilson celebrates the film’s reverence for young people in love, Eli dives deep to find undercurrent themes in Rohmer’s anthropology of young professionals in France in the 80s, and Ben makes a case for ~vibey~ directors. Do you, like us, think there should be a queer reimagining of this? Who should direct it? Let us know in our discord server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
21 Jun 2022 | 047. Abderrahmane Sissako: Bamako | 00:42:02 | |
Abderrahmane Sissako sets his late father’s backyard as a courtroom for the injustices of economic neocolonialism in his 2006 drama Bamako, our second of three forays into the work of the Malian/Mauritanian master director. In a work that inextricably binds the political and the personal, Wilson notes how Sissako creates a sense of place that makes an intellectual argument emotional and Eli suggests that the movie can be viewed as a testimonial. Meanwhile, Ben asks if a fiction narrative is the most cogent mode for Sissako’s argument. Tell it to the judge in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
31 Jul 2021 | 015. Joel & Ethan Coen: Inside Llewyn Davis | 01:01:57 | |
Deep Cut’s first ever musical episode (featuring two songs performed on-air!) takes your co-hosts deeper into the world of the Coens. Their discussion on 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis sees Wilson gush about his love for musicals, Eli drop some knowledge on folk music history, and Ben ruminate on the cyclical plot structure’s reflection of Llewyn’s personality. Come for our cover of Please Mr Kennedy, stay for our coverage on Llewyn Davis' Insides! Strum the guitar with us on our Discord server. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
07 Aug 2021 | 016. Joel & Ethan Coen: Burn After Reading | 00:42:18 | |
We’re better; we’re back... Deep Cut’s investigation into the Coen brothers continues with Eli’s favorite comedy, 2008’s Burn After Reading. As Eli makes the case for the movie’s inane combination of national security and physical fitness, Wilson extols John Malkovich’s shout-acting and Ben contemplates how dumb a character can be written before it’s just plain mean. Appearances can be deceptive... be a Good Samaritan and join our Discord server. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
13 Feb 2021 | 008. Nicolas Roeg: Don't Look Now & Walkabout | 01:29:08 | |
Hey friends, Don't Look Now (1973) as we take a Walkabout (1971) through the stylish, experimental films of Nicolas Roeg! We step into Roeg's aggressive cinematography and editing, contend with his off-kilter sense of storytelling, and discuss the implications and ethics of Roeg's use of sex and nudity. Buttcheeks on film! Spoiler warning for both films! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
01 Jan 2022 | 034. The Wachowskis: Bound | 00:50:39 | |
On the season 2 finale of Deep Cut, the Wachowskis stage a heist to steal the DC Three's hearts with their directorial debut, Bound (1996). As they skirt the perils of accursed Film Twitter Discourse (where'd unironically horny cinema go???), Ben explores each type of thrill sequence that coheres into a tight script, Eli is wowed by the Wachowskis' subversion of the noir genre, and Wilson can’t keep the words "Paul Verhoeven" from escaping his mouth. What are the seeds of The Matrix that the DC Three find in the Wachowskis' prior film? Pick up your phone and listen: "the walls here are just so thin." So long, farewell, we’ll see y’all next season. Stay in touch between seasons on our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
28 Dec 2024 | Special Episode Preview: Hirokazu Kore-eda: Still Walking | 00:16:03 | |
The summer of 2024 saw Ben, Wilson, and Eli all together in the same place for the first time in six years! To mark the momentous reunion, we recorded a very special video episode. It's time to go all the way back to the start by revisiting the work of the podcast's first director, Hirokazu Kore-eda, with 2008's Still Walking. Listen to the first 15 minutes of our very FIRST video podcast discussing Hirokazu Kore-eda's Still Walking here, or WATCH it in its entirety on our Patreon. Available to all subscribers for FREE! Learn about our history together, hear our musings on the complications of family, and watch as Wilson gets six pounds of blueberries. Walk on over to our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
11 Sep 2021 | 020. Juzo Itami: Supermarket Woman | 00:54:55 | |
Deals deals deals. The trio discuss Juzo Itami’s underseen workplace treatise. The comedy draws light talk of women in the workplace, artisanship, and big ol’ capitalism. Wilson goes down a real life true crime rabbit hole, Ben adorns Nobuko Miyamoto with more laurels, and Eli discovers hentai culture. Fresh produce over at our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
24 Aug 2024 | 078. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Tokyo Sonata | 00:59:21 | |
In this episode, we’re laughing and crying to the sweet melodies of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2008 film Tokyo Sonata, and its social commentary on the Japanese nuclear family in the midst of a financial crisis. We explore the film’s construction of a patriarchal nuclear family, discuss Kyoko Koizumi’s unique role as the mother of the family (taking care of all her boys), and go long on her wild narrative journey in the film’s second half with a surprising supporting actor… Eli finds parallels in Kurosawa’s choices with classic films like King Vidor’s The Crowd and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Wilson highlights Kurosawa’s selective cinematographic change-ups, and Ben shares some behind the scenes discoveries of the film’s making. Links:
Get secret piano lessons at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
19 Jan 2025 | 091. Nick Park & Steve Box: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | 00:53:05 | |
The classic genres… horror, rom-com, monster film, bunny-comedy? In our preparation for the recently released Vengeance Most Fowl, join us as we cover Nick Park’s 2005 Wallace & Gromit feature, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, co-directed with Steve Box. Eli recounts the experience he had watching this in theaters as a kid. Wilson talks about why stop motion animation scares him. And Ben leads us into an interesting conversation about genre, and how comedy operates in this film and in our lives Paul Santilli: Culture, Evil and Horror Bunny hop over to our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps (00:00) Intro (06:49) Plot summary (08:58) General reactions (13:17) Types of humour (20:55) Genre (28:30) Payoffs (35:30) Stop-motion and humanity (41:42) Margin of safety (45:35) Comedy and horror (47:57) Childhood movies and tragedy (51:27) Outro | |||
02 Feb 2025 | 092. Edward Yang: A Confucian Confusion | 01:09:38 | |
Girl, so Confucian. We sit down to unpack Edward Yang’s dark horse masterpiece, 1994’s A Confucian Confusion. Eli talks about his first time watching this zany comedy and how it reminded him of a lot of college friend groups. Wilson explains why he thinks this is Yang’s true deep cut film, and doubles down on the film’s belief on ‘emotional work’. Ben discusses how Yang injects A Confucian Confusion with an easy relatability and argues that this is a great starting point to Yang’s filmography. Is this a comedy of errors, a biting critique of modern society, or both? Join us as we unravel the layers of Yang’s underappreciated classic.
Timestamps (00:00) Intro (04:43) General reactions (11:57) Plot summary and context (15:51) Character discussion (30:30) Themes discussion: capitalism and emotion (43:00) Behind the scenes documentary with Hou (48:33) More character discussion (55:00) Ending of the film (58:50) Yang’s career | |||
27 Jul 2024 | 076. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: License to Live | 00:57:53 | |
In the first of our deep cut picks for our Kiyoshi Kurosawa series, Ben introduces the others to Kurosawa’s License to Live (1998) because he really needed to talk to somebody after a stunning ending. Eli digs into the film’s comedic sensibilities, finding similarities with fellow Japanese director Takeshi Kitano, while Wilson finds himself “so sad” contending with Kurosawa’s trend of nihilism across his body of work. By the end of the episode we ask ourselves: what does it mean to have lived “enough”? Join our dude ranch at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ deepcutpod.com Links:
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17 Jun 2023 | 066. Mani Ratnam: Ponniyin Selvan: Part II (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) | 01:06:48 | |
With special guest and friend Thanmye Lagudu we come together to crown a new king. Mani Ratnam completes his magnum opus with Ponniyin Selvan: Part II and we're back in the theatre again for more palace intrigue, romantic entanglements, and some of that signature Ratnam flair. Can Ratnam one-up himself with part two? We discuss PS2's visual glow-up, the challenges of adapting a literary classic, and bicker about who put in a better performance: Vikram or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan? Once again we are asking you to join the Church of Ratnam in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Follow Thanmye on Letterboxd and Twitter. Read his essay on PS2 here. | |||
01 May 2022 | 042. Wong Kar-wai: In The Mood for Love | 01:05:06 | |
Shhh, don’t tell the neighbors we cheated… because Ben’s Deep Cut pick isn’t really a deep cut at all! We enter the forlorn, romantic world of Wong Kai-wai’s most critically acclaimed film: In the Mood for Love (2000), starring the incomparable Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. Ben tries his darndest to find the flaws in his favorite film of all time, Wilson admires the impeccable craft of Wong and all his key collaborators, while Eli finally tries his turn at being the villain (!!) in our discussion. Send noodles in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
24 Jul 2021 | 014. Joel & Ethan Coen: No Country for Old Men | 01:02:29 | |
The Deep Cut trio returns for season 2 with the first of four whole episodes on the renowned American writer/director/editor brothers, Joel & Ethan Coen. First up is the popular pick, No Country for Old Men (2007). Ben, Wilson, and Eli track down knowledge on sound designer Skip Lievsay’s focused audio, appreciate the menace of Javier Bardem (and his wig), and begin to piece together the Coens’ themes on the consequences of American greed and violence. Flip a coin and join our Discord server. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
27 Jan 2024 | 070. Kelly Reichardt: Showing Up | 00:38:59 | |
Join us as we SHOW UP for Kelly Reichardt’s latest work: Showing Up. Reichardt teams up again with regular collaborator Michelle Williams in their portrait of a grumpy artist. Wilson analyzes the performances of Michelle Williams and Hong Chau, Eli appreciates the film’s humor and subtlety, and Ben is fascinated by the film’s focus on the ordinary. Together, we also reflect on what it means to live a life of art-making. We're digging a big hole in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com. Come see! | |||
19 Oct 2024 | 082. Luca Guadagnino: I Am Love | 00:48:39 | |
Join us as we reenter the lush and sensual world of Luca Guadagnino and discover “il costo dell'ecstasy” in his 2009 film I Am Love. Wilson savours the intentional mistakes in technique that feel like a part of the world of the film. Eli gives a brief lesson on editing, drawing parallels all the way back to the Eisenstein method of montage. Ben directs attention to the powerful scenes of melodramatic realisation across Guadagnino’s work. Why not dine with us? Become love at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
30 Jan 2021 | 006. Frederick Wiseman: City Hall, In Jackson Heights & Titicut Follies | 01:18:45 | |
This is it, the big one. We're covering not one, not two, but THREE Frederick Wiseman documentaries: Titicut Follies (1967), In Jackson Heights (2015), and Cahiers du Cinéma's TOP FILM of 2020: City Hall (2020). We talk about our favorite scenes, the pleasures of watching how things work , and why we insist on calling the director of these seminal works "Mr. Wiseman". These three films have a combined runtime of 546 minutes but we promise you watching just one of these will be worth it. These are fly-on-the-wall documentaries of daily life in different institutions so there'll be no spoiler warning for the episode, but we can convince you to give living legend Mr. Wiseman some of your time, if you haven't already. Mad at us for asking you to watch these behemoth docs? Come scold us on our discord server! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
13 Dec 2024 | 087. SGIFF35 Dispatch (feat. No Other Land, An Unfinished Film, By The Stream, Viet and Nam, and MORE!) | 01:37:22 | |
Ben recently attended the 35th Singapore International Film Festival and watched a whole lot of films, and made a few new friends along the way. Listen in on his thoughts about the films, the festival programme’s overarching themes, and how beauty is a trap!! This episode is generally spoiler-free, spoilers are marked with timestamps below! Links
Timestamps
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06 Nov 2024 | 083. Edward Yang: Yi Yi | 01:26:09 | |
We hit our white whale and begin our series on one of the greatest directors of all time, Edward Yang, and one of the greatest films of all time, Yi Yi (一一). Listen to how this genuine masterpiece has affected each of us as we’ve grown with it. Wilson brings nuggets of wisdom from watching the director’s commentary. Eli talks about how this movie has changed for him on this rewatch. Ben draws links from his own life to the Jian family at the center of this story. Hop a One and a Two over to our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com P.S. Refreshed cover art design by Justina Yam!! | |||
28 Oct 2024 | Deep Cut: A Film Podcast Trailer | 00:01:37 | |
It’s about time, after 3 and a half years we got a brand spankin’ new trailer. If you’re new to Deep Cut, welcome! If you’re a long-time fan, share this with your friends! Deep Cut: A Film Podcast is a director-focused film podcast featuring deep-dive discussions about international, art-house, and independent cinema. Each episode we discuss either a director's most popular film or a "Deep Cut Pick": a personal favorite chosen by one of us: Wilson Lai, Benjamin Yap, and Eli Sands. We've covered movies from filmmakers like Hirokazu Kore-eda, Agnes Varda, Éric Rohmer, Kelly Reichardt, Wong Kar-wai, S.S. Rajamouli, Bong Joon-ho, and more! Looking for film recommendations off the beaten path? This is the pod to follow! Available wherever you get your podcasts! Find our FREE patreon, discord server, and all our socials @ http://www.deepcutpod.com | |||
23 Apr 2022 | 041. Wong Kar-wai: Happy Together | 00:52:16 | |
“Let’s start over” with Eli’s Deep Cut Pick from the filmography of arthouse legend Wong Kar-wai, Happy Together (1997). With lushly experimental cinematography and a quick temper, Happy Together tangos the Deep Cut Trio into a tizzy of passion. Wilson details why Wong’s film about gay main characters was groundbreaking for both 1997 Hong Kong and its stars, Ben unpacks the toxic romance at the movie’s center, and Eli opens up about his personal experience with getting lost in Argentina. Weep softly in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
13 Nov 2021 | 029. Pablo Larraín: Jackie | 00:52:17 | |
Just in time for the release of Spencer, the Deep Cut trio revisits Jackie, the dreamy 2016 biopic that made Chilean director Pablo Larraín an (art)household name. Eli entrees the film by looking at construction of Jackie the character as purposefully distinct from the real Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, while Wilson remarks on Larraín’s use of physical space to reflect the character’s emotions. Ben goes into the felt pleasures of the score, production design, and compelling performances. Come for the Jackie Kennedy-Onassis voices, stay for the tangent about Doctor Who. Take a live, televised tour of our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com –– it’s the people’s house, after all. | |||
04 Dec 2022 | 053. Ben's Summer 2022 Film Diary | 01:25:44 | |
Welcome to Ben's summer film watching audio diary! Over the summer of 2022 each of us recorded little audio snippets reviewing every film that we watched, and these are Ben's! You can listen to our combined discussion of our summer movie watching in our roundup episode. We recommend you start there! Wanna tell us about the films you're watching? Come join our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: (01:33) Donkey Skin | |||
05 Mar 2023 | 061. Miranda July: The Future | 00:51:02 | |
We conclude our series on Miranda July's filmography with her divisive sophomore feature, The Future. Tune in for a feisty episode where Ben tries desperately to defend his deep cut choice while Eli and Wilson have their limits tested by July's storytelling tendencies. See the future in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
27 Mar 2021 | 012. Bong Joon-ho: Parasite & Mother | 01:33:00 | |
For the final episode of our first season, we're unlocking the basement of the South Korean master director himself, Bong Joon-ho. First up is his internationally renowned masterpiece, Parasite (2019) for a look at Bong's thoughts on capitalism, violence that's as shocking as it is comedic, and Bong's efficient shot construction. Then, we discuss Mother (2009), featuring one of the greatest performances in a Bong film. Sorry, folks: no CGI super-pigs this time around. Get metaphorical with us on our Discord! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
02 Jan 2021 | 001. Hirokazu Kore-eda: Shoplifters & After-Life | 01:23:46 | |
In our very first episode, we’re discussing Hirokazu Kore-eda and his films: the Palme d’Or winning Shoplifters (2018) and After-Life (1998). Kore-eda is one of our favorite filmmakers, and one that brought the 3 of us together! We discuss his humanistic filmmaking (one of the best in the biz), figure out which movie is better (they're both great!) , and diss Spielberg a little (in good fun). SPOILER WARNING for both films. Cover art by Justina Yam Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
09 Jan 2021 | 002. Agnès Varda: Cléo from 5 to 7 & One Sings, the Other Doesn't | 01:20:42 | |
This episode we’re discussing the “godmother of the French New Wave” herself, Agnès Varda, and her two films: Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962) and One Sings, the Other Doesn't (1977). We discuss Varda's incredible ability to make you empathize with her subjects, her approach to depicting women and their relationships, and unfortunately butcher the pronunciation of a few French names and words... Varda passed away recently in 2019 and we miss her presence dearly, but at least her incredible films will live on forever. SPOILER WARNING for both films. Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
16 Jan 2021 | 003. Marlon Riggs: Tongues Untied & Black Is... Black Ain't | 00:47:10 | |
This week we’re discussing the groundbreaking documentaries of American filmmaker Marlon Riggs with his two films: Tongues Untied (1989) and Black Is… Black Ain’t (1995). We talk about Riggs’ experimental editing, his amplification of black/queer voices through his filmmaking, and, of course, the joys of Snapthology! You can watch both films on OVID.tv and boy do we have an exciting deal for you: use the code ‘DEEPCUT’ for 50% off your first three months! Cover art by Justina Yam Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com | |||
16 Jan 2021 | 004. Marlon Riggs Bonus: Interview with Christiane Badgley | 00:32:43 | |
Eli got the chance to interview the co-director/editor for Black Is… Black Aint (1995), Christiane Badgley, and we’re excited to share it with you. Badgley was crucial to helping complete the film after Riggs’ death. Also, you can watch Riggs’ films on OVID.tv and we have an exciting deal for you: use the code ‘DEEPCUT’ for 50% off your first three months! Find our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ www.deepcutpod.com |