Deep Cut: A Film Podcast
A director-focused film podcast with deep-dive discussions on international, art-house, and independent cinema. Each episode looks at either a director's most popular film or a personal 'Deep Cut Pick' chosen by one of the hosts. Past episodes have covered filmmakers such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Agnes Varda, Éric Rohmer, Kelly Reichardt, Wong Kar-wai, S.S. Rajamouli, and Bong Joon-ho. The show aims to offer film recommendations beyond mainstream titles.
Episodes
145. Scary Movies XIV: Interview with Festival Programmer Madeline Whittle
Eli sits down with programmer Madeline Whittle to chat about this year’s edition of SCARY MOVIES, which showcases the latest offerings in horror from all around the world. Maddie talks about her relationship with horror films, the process of selecting films for SCARY MOVIES XIV, and previews some of the offerings at the festival! SCARY MOVIES XIV will run from August 12 - 20 at New York City’s Fil
144. Interview with Kiyoshi Kurosawa: The Samurai and the Prisoner (2026)
The Deep Cut team reaches a major milestone as Ben and Eli interview Deep Cut canon director Kiyoshi Kurosawa! The Japanese auteur generously answers questions about his latest film, The Samurai and the Prisoner: how does Chiyoho in this film link to Akiko in Cloud? Are the comedic moments intentional? And Eli finally gets to ask his most burning Kurosawa question: WHY ALL THE PLASTIC SHEETS?Speci
143. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: The Samurai and the Prisoner
Deep Cut director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is back with a sharp left turn in The Samurai and the Prisoner: Silence of the Lambs by way of Seven Samurai! On this Deep Cut Upkeep episode, we return to the director of Cure and Pulse to look for the director’s unnerving tone, restrained direction, societal interrogation, and… matcha-making techniques?Make tea in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socia
142. Christopher Nolan: The Odyssey (featuring Koh Zhi Hao)
Fresh off the opening weekend of Christopher Nolan’s latest blockbuster, the Deep Cut trio welcome friend of the pod Koh Zhi Hao to talk about The Odyssey. Listen to us break down the differences in Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s poem, discuss who gave a bad performance in this, and finally answer the question; Does Chris Nolan make movies for stupid people? Take an odyssey to our FREE patreon, dis
141. Christopher Nolan: Tenet (featuring Thanmye Lagudu)
Deep Cut welcomes back dear friend and frequent guest Thanmye Lagudu to share his love for Indian filmmaker Christopher Nolan (iykyk) and his twisty Tenet. Listen as we all get a headache trying to make sense of Nolan’s (overly?) complicated plot: protagonists, time travel, character archetypes, race, temporal sphincters, and Nolan’s new collaborators in Jennifer Lame and Ludwig Göransson, and Rob
140. Christopher Nolan: Interstellar (Featuring Isadora Neves Marques)
“MURPH! MUUUURPH!” Join us on a journey through the wormhole along with filmmaker Isadora Neves Marques as we discuss Christopher Nolan’s intergalactic adventure, Interstellar. Is love calculable? How does this compare to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: a Space Odyssey? When does Nolan intercut TOO much? And is Matt Damon’s performance good? All will be revealed… if you listen, that is.Links:You can find
139. HKIFF50: Interview with Tsai Ming-liang
The seventh and final director interview Wilson conducted at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the legendary Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang. Wilson asks one of his cinematic heroes about the state of filmmaking today, his methods for working with actors, and his decades-long collaboration with Lee Kang-sheng.Kiss a melon in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our soc
138. HKIFF50: Mare's Nest (2025) - Interview with Director Ben Rivers
The sixth of seven (6-7!!!) director interviews Wilson conducted at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the British, experimental director Ben Rivers, creator of the child-focused, post-apocalyptic exploration Mare’s Nest. Rivers speaks about giving child actors the freedom to be themselves onscreen, receiving Don Delillo’s blessing to stage his play The Word for Snow in the
137. HKIFF50: Memory (2025) - Interview with Director Vladlena Sandu
The fifth of seven director interviews Wilson conducted at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the thoughtfully impassioned Vladlena Sandu, director of the autobiographical drama Memory. Sandu shares her influences from Tarkovsky to Pajaranov, praises her collaborators on this film, how hypnotherapy helped her make this film, and her strong anti-war convictions.Remember our F
136. HKIFF50: Sleep No More (2026) - Interview with Director Edwin
The fourth of seven director interviews Wilson conducted at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival is with Edwin, director of the fantasy horror Sleep No More. Edwin shares his wide range of influences from Indonesian cinema history and beyond, speaks to his film’s commentary on labor rights, shares his own Deep Cut pick, and… shares a sing-along with Wilson?!Take a nap in our FREE
135. HKIFF50: Ah Girl (2026) - Interview with Director Ang Geck Geck
The third of seven director interviews Wilson conducted at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the outgoing, reflective Ang Geck Geck, director of the semi-autobiographical childhood drama Ah Girl. Wilson connects with the Singaporean director over the long road to producing Ah Girl, the research with social workers that informed the script, the parts of her own childhood and
134. HKIFF50: Silent Friend (2025) - Interview with Director Ildikó Enyedi & Tony Leung
The second of seven director interviews Wilson conducted at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the thoughtful, patient Ildikó Enyedi, director of the equally thoughtful and patient Silent Friend. Wilson connects with the Hungarian director over her pensive approach to the natural world, the special place that HKIFF holds in her experience as a filmmaker, and her admirati
133. HKIFF50: Palimpsest: The Story of a Name (2026) - Interview with Director Mary Stephen
The first of 7 director interviews Wilson conducted at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival. Mary Stephen is a legend in world cinema, having worked as an editor for Éric Rohmer and Ann Hui, and being a celebrated film director in her own right. Wilson chats with Mary about her latest film, the personal documentary PALIMPSEST: THE STORY OF A NAME — its twisty narrative structure,
132. Marina de Van: Don’t Look Back
Let’s, uh, frickin LOOK BACK at Marina De Van’s 2009 psychological thriller / body horror flick, Don’t Look Back. Sophie Marceau turns into Monica Bellucci; meanwhile, Eli tries to piece together the puzzle of De Van’s obscure career, Wilson notices the special effects, and Ben makes comparisons to soap operas.Links:Night Vision: Seeing Ourselves Through Dark Moods by Mariana AlessandriInterviews
131. Marina de Van: In My Skin
Not for the faint of heart, Marina de Van’s film In My Skin challenges our stomachs, hearts and minds. While Wilson squirms, Ben gets to the heart of why Eli loves sicko mode movies. Can one of the most underrated New French Extremism films secretly be deeply empathetic?Links:The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning by Maggie Nelson“The Goon Squad” by Daniel Kolitz (Harpers Magazine, 2025)Night Vision: See
130. HKIFF50 Dispatch (The Drama, Blue Heron, Silent Friend, We’re Nothing at All, and MORE!)
哈囉 from Hong Kong! Wilson recaps a busy edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, including meeting and interviewing the one and only Tony Leung Chiu Wai for SILENT FRIEND. Wilson also chats about the seven(!) soon to come director interviews he conducted for the podcast, and some interesting classic films shown at this year’s edition of HKIFF. The trio also discuss some exciting new r
129. Kelly Reichardt: The Mastermind
“[Reichardt] makes you love these dicks.” – WilsonHow on earth does she do that? Does she have the mind of a master? Join us as we find out how Reichardt’s idiosyncratic style in The Mastermind helps you love this one dick despite all the hairy situations he’s entangled in. We debate the film’s reception during the AMC secret screening debacle, Reichardt's constantly zagging career, and her pl
128. Lynne Ramsay: Die My Love
After an 8-year hiatus, Lynne Ramsay has returned with her latest feature, Die My Love, and we're here to keep up with the Scottish auteur!After an 8-year hiatus, Lynne Ramsay has returned with her latest feature, Die My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. On this Deep Cut Upkeep episode, we find out if it was worth the wait and consider what’s next for the Scottish auteur. Eli
127. Interview with Kani Releasing: Ariel Esteban Cayer and Pearl Chan
Wilson takes a trip to Peng Chau to visit Ariel and Pearl of Kani Releasing, a North American film distribution company specializing in Asian cinema, to chat about their work, the films in their catalog and the changing film landscape for theatrical/physical media distribution. Wilson takes a trip to Peng Chau to visit Ariel and Pearl of Kani Releasing, a North American film distribution company s
126. Hong Sang-soo: What Does That Nature Say To You?
Flowers bloom at night… it’s not scary. With our first of presumably many Deep Cut Upkeeps on prolific South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo, we explore What Does That Nature Say to You? We flesh out our theory of how Hong achieves authenticity and immediacy while eliding simple meaning, unpack the latest Hong male lead, and catch Hong’s reference to 6-7.Bow at our grandmothers’ trees at our FREE patr
125. Hong Sang-soo: Hill of Freedom (featuring Ryan Swen)
Film critic and Events Chair of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Ryan Swen joins us to discuss his Hong Sang-soo Deep Cut Pick, Hill of Freedom. Swen has had a huge hand in shaping our Hong series through his ongoing criticism project, Hong Sang-soo Notarized. We all take a look at the non-chronological narrative of Hong’s meditation on misogyny, Japan and Korea, and the unsurprising conse
124. Hong Sang-soo: The Novelist’s Film (featuring Dennis Lim)
Writer, film curator, and leading Hong Sang-soo scholar Dennis Lim brings a personal favorite from Hong’s oeuvre–– 2022’s The Novelist’s Film–– to Deep Cut. As the DC trio and their esteemed guest enjoy the luxuriate in Hong’s complex, joyous depiction of collaborating artists-in-exile, Dennis shares his background with Hong, this film’s shape, and the model Hong sets for young, independent filmma
123. The Best Movies of 2025, according to Deep Cut (with discussions on Sinners, Wake Up Dead Man, Left Handed Girl, Sirat, Magellan, It Was Just an Accident, Sentimental Value, Black Bag, and MORE!)
Sorry Baby, but it’s One Battle After Another, as we clash and debate our favorite films of 2025! We’re covering obligatory mentions of the biggest films of the year and picking up our Weapons to dunk on some that we’re Regretting You watched. Which of these films will we look back on with strong Sentimental Value, 28 Years Later? Which are winners, which are Sinners? I’m afraid you’re going to ha
122. Hong Sang-soo: Yourself and Yours
In this episode, we get into Ben’s favorite Hong film of all time, Yourself and Yours. If On The Beach At Night Alone is Hong’s first reflection on the scandalized reception to the reveal of his relationship with Kim Min-hee, Ben shares the theory that Yourself and Yours is secretly the one about its beginning. In our discussion, we try to pin down Minjung’s slippery personas, pick apart the film’
121. Hong Sang-soo: On the Beach At Night Alone
What do Inception, Tim Robinson, Luis Buñuel, Woody Allen, and Chantal Akerman have in common? They all get compared to Hong Sang-soo’s On the Beach at Night Alone in this episode of Deep Cut! Listen on as we unpack the movie that’s loosely about Hong’s and Kim Min-hee’s career-changing relationship, digest more awkward dinner scenes, and discuss the merits of going to the beach in the winter.Link
120. Chantal Akerman: The Meetings of Anna
Is traveling through Europe too expensive? Then hop aboard a train with the Deep Cut trio and Chantal Akerman for another sensitive, lightly autobiographical story of a surrogate character experiencing ennui and/or despair. Along the road trip, there’s sex, ‘70s outfits, and… windows. Ultimately, we struggle to decide: how well can we know Akerman through her work (or, for that matter, anyone)?Mee
119. Chantal Akerman: Je Tu Il Elle (featuring Justina Yam)
We are joined by none other than friend of the pod and the artist behind all of our DC covers, Justina Yam! Justina comes on the podcast to take us back to the works of Chantal Akerman, with her first feature Je Tu Il Elle. Justina talks about her personal connection to Akerman’s films, and discusses how she continues to play with time in her filmography. Wilson and Eli talk about expressions thro
118. SGIFF36: A Useful Ghost (2025) - Interview with Director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
Ben got a chance to interview director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke for his film A Useful Ghost (2025) that played at the 36th Singapore International Film Festival, where it also won the Special Mention Prize for the Asian Feature Film Competition. Learn about Boonbunchachoke’s creative process, how he developed the story, and his approach to filmmaking as a whole that tends towards artificiality,
117. 36th Singapore International Film Festival (2025) Dispatch (Resurrection, Silent Friend, Two Seasons Two Strangers, Amoeba, and MORE!)
Another festival coverage episode? We’re back to back with Asian film festivals and Ben returns to Singapore to cover the hottest films from the festival circuit and the region for the 36th Singapore International Film Festival. Our film coverage spans the most hotly contested tickets (Silent Friend, Girl, Resurrection, Sentimental Value), cinema classics (Matador, Water, Bye Bye Love), and promis
116. TIFF38: Morte Cucina (2025) - Interview with Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and Bella Boonsang
While attending the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival, Ben was able to interview director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and lead actress Bella Boonsang for their film Morte Cucina.Morte Cucina follows Sao as she takes an unconventional path toward revenge against a man who has wronged her.Listen in to hear about Ratanaruang’s candid thoughts on his approach to filmmaking, Boonsang’s initial trepidation
115. 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (2025) Dispatch (Hamnet, Love Massacre, Palestine 36, The Mastermind, and MORE!)
Armed with a press pass and the Japanese language level of a 3 year old, Ben took to the cinemas of Tokyo during the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival. Ben’s coverage spans a varied 17 films over 10 days of the festival: buzzy and fresh Japanese films (Bring Him Down to a Portable Size; The Last Blossom; All Greens…) international film festival darlings (Lost Land; Palestine 36…), and a handf
114. TIFF38: Sato and Sato (2025) - Interview with Director Chihiro Amano
While attending the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival, Ben was able to interview director Chihiro Amano for her film Sato and Sato.Sato and Sato covers the 15 year span of a relationship as it slowly unravels, covering marriage, parenting, and the ways relationships morph over time. In our short interview, we talk about changing gender dynamics as depicted in Amano’s film, how she worked with
113. Steven Spielberg: A.I. Artificial Intelligence (featuring Lee Isaac Chung)
We have a very special guest this week: Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, Twisters) brings one of his favorite movies of all time, Steven Spielberg’s Artificial Intelligence, to the podcast as his Deep Cut Pick! Isaac chats about his awe and love for the film, what he’s learnt as a filmmaker from working with Spielberg on Twisters, and his own transition into blockbuster filmmaking. We also discuss Hayley
112. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Cloud
“Kurosawa, you dog.” – Eli.’“It’s like edging, in cinema.” – Wilson“What is this, looney tunes?” – BenKurosawa can only make the kind of movie that leaves us both perplexed, impressed and dropping memorable reactions. Listen on as we unpack the film’s critique of the next generation of hustlers and entrepreneurs, figure out what it’s trying to say through its allegory, and finally answer if anythi
111. 63rd New York Film Festival (2025, NYFF63) Dispatch (No Other Choice, The Mastermind, A House of Dynamite, One Battle After Another, and MORE!)
Eli joins the other boys hot off of his Lincoln Center press screenings to tell us the must-watches and the maybe-skip-overs of this year’s New York Film Festival. But before that, Wilson and Ben briefly get their words in for the latest Paul Thomas Anderson joint, One Battle After Another. Catch Eli talk about other NYFF titles like Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, Olivier Laxe’s Sirāt, and poss
110. T'ang Shushuen: The Arch (featuring Lisa Dombrowski)
We are very excited to welcome Prof. Lisa Dombrowski to our podcast! She is a Professor of Film Studies and East Asian Studies at Wesleyan University. She’s the author of the books: The Films of Samuel Fuller: If You Die, I’ll Kill You! (2008), the editor of Kazan Revisited (2011), and co-editor of ReFocus: The Later Works and Legacy of Robert Altman (2022). (Ben worked on that last one!) We took
109. Luca Guadagnino: Call Me By Your Name (featuring Alex Heeney)
We are joined by special guest Alex Heeney, the founder and editor in chief of Seventh Row, to dive into Luca Guadagnino's 2017 coming-of-age masterpiece, Call Me By Your Name. They talk about their deep personal connections to the film, with Alex recounting her experience at the world premiere at Sundance and Wilson sharing his obsessive journey preparing for the New York Film Festival premie
108. Chantal Akerman: News from Home & No Home Movie
We continue our series on Akerman with a double-bill of personal documentaries about her mother, and of home. News from Home immediately follows her seminal Jeanne Dielman, and No Home Movie is the final film of Akerman’s filmography. In this episode, we thread the throughline across Akerman’s career in comparing both films, see the influence of structural and slow cinema, and marvel at her capaci
107. Chantal Akerman: Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
It’s about time. We tackle Chantal Akerman’s Sight and Sound topping Jeanne Dielman, and begin our series on her singular career. Ben introduces Akerman’s career, spotlighting her fierce conviction and crystalline vision, Eli loops in a melodramatic reading, and Wilson zeroes in on an ending that explosively caps off a 3.5h opus. And if you’re struggling with how to approach this film, as entertai
106. Pablo Larrain: Maria
After a rocky relationship between Deep Cut and Mr. Pablo Larrain, we come back to the final film in Larrain’s “important 20th century white women” trilogy (as Ben describes it). Will Larrain redeem himself with a portrait of the final days of Maria Callas’ life? Or will he and Stephen Knight sh*t the bed again? Wilson praises Angelina Jolie’s comeback performance, Ben praises how pretty the film
105. Hong Sang-soo: Night and Day (featuring Alexander Lee)
We are joined by Asian Film Archive programmer Alexander Lee for our second installment in our Hong Sang-soo series! Alex talks to the guys about pairing Hong Sang-soo deep cuts with Eric Rohmer classics, and specifically the pairing of Night and Day with Love in the Afternoon. Eli chats about the narrative motifs that are on display in this film, Wilson tries to unlock the secret of Hong’s use of
104. Hong Sang-soo: Woman on the Beach
Deep Cut partners with Asian Film Archive which is presenting Twin Tales: Éric Rohmer and Hong Sang-soo, a special programme featuring six pairings of films by French New Wave director Éric Rohmer and prolific Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo. Buy tickets here!We’ve teased this for YEARS! And it’s finally here. The DC Trio break the ice by introducing notorious Korean director Hong Sang-soo to the c
103. Luca Guadagnino: Queer
I want to podcast with you. Without speaking. On this episode of Deep Cut Upkeep we step into 1950s Mexico City and dive into the lush world of Luca Guadagnino’s Queer. Wilson expands more on his love for the film and why it topped his 2024 film list. Eli talks about the narrative constraints of this (bio)pic about William S. Burroughs. Ben draws links between Queer and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A S
102. Kelly Reichardt: Meek’s Cutoff
As voted for on our Patreon, we return to Kelly Reichardt with her 2010 Western, Meek’s Cutoff. Ben argues that no discussion of the American Western is complete without Reichardt’s film, Wilson highlights the film’s fraught production that miraculously led to its poetic ending, and Eli frames the film within the larger context of America’s problematic Manifest Destiny. We get serious, analytical
101. HKIFF49 Dispatch (Youth Trilogy, Phantosmia, I'm Still Here, Dreams (Sex Love), and MORE!)
Wilson comes on the podcast to talk about all the films he saw at the 49th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Come listen to us talk about the newest films from around the world, including Wang Bing’s Youth Trilogy, Lav Diaz’s Phantosmia, Andrea Arnold’s Bird, and many more. Join our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.comTimestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:03
100. Hirokazu Kore-eda: Still Walking
Released as an exclusive Patreon post at the end of 2024, we’re now releasing this video podcast to publicly to commemorate ONE HUNDRED EPISODES! What a milestone. See you at 1000! 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 special video episode. It's time to go all the way back to th
099. Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
We’re back in West Wallaby Street to discuss the latest adventure in the Wallace and Gromit universe: Vengeance Most Fowl, directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham! This time around, Wilson finally feels seen as the film tackles the inequality in the Wallace and Gromit relationship head-on. Ben argues that the film functions as a surprisingly relevant anti-AI fable and Eli explains a joke that
098. The Wedding Banquet (2025): Interview with Director Andrew Ahn
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
097. Bong Joon-ho: Mickey 17
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 waitSorry, this is actually about the Robert Pattinson starring movie in which he plays the dual roles of Bruce Wayne / The Batman— wait wait waitSorry, this episode is about the other
096. The Best Movies of 2024, According to Deep Cut
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)
095. Edward Yang: A Brighter Summer Day
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 T
094. Edward Yang: That Day, On The Beach (featuring Natalie Ng)
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 inve
093. Edward Yang: Mahjong
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 co
092. Edward Yang: A Confucian Confusion
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 Confusi
091. Nick Park & Steve Box: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
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
090. The People's Joker: Interview with Director Vera Drew
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.
Timestamp
089. Nick Park: Wallace & Gromit - Original Shorts
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 W
088. Ethan Coen: Drive-away Dolls
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, a
087. SGIFF35 Dispatch (feat. No Other Land, An Unfinished Film, By The Stream, Viet and Nam, and MORE!)
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
DONATE to Singapore Red Cross Fundraising Campaig
086. Happyend: Interview with Director Neo Sora
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.
PACBI (Palestinian Campaign
085. Edward Yang: Terrorizers
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.
Ben’s Big Face Letterboxd list
Wilson’s Smoke G
084. Edward Yang: Taipei Story
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 p
083. Edward Yang: Yi Yi
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 link
Deep Cut: A Film Podcast Trailer
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 Pi
082. Luca Guadagnino: I Am Love
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 melodrama
081. NYFF62 Dispatch (Anora, Queer, The Shrouds, Eephus)
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 fa
080. All Shall Be Well: Interview with Director Ray Yeung
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 d
079. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: To The Ends of the Earth
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 th
078. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Tokyo Sonata
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 narrativ
077. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Pulse
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
076. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: License to Live
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 acr
075. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Cure
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, thin
074. Luca Guadagnino: Challengers
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”
073. 2023 Film and TV in Review
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 Disco
072. Hirokazu Kore-eda: Monster
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 Rashom
071. Marilou Diaz-Abaya: Moral
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
070. Kelly Reichardt: Showing Up
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 liv
069. Todd Haynes: May December
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'
068. Frederick Wiseman: Menus-Plaisirs - Les Troisgros
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
067. Marilou Diaz-Abaya: José Rizal
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?
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