Deep Cut: A Film Podcast

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.⁠ Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, and ⁠Letterboxd⁠. 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)

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. Jessica Yeung's Review Kore-eda Interview with Filmmaker Magazine (2009) Ben's Video Essay on Still Walking (Spoilers!) Find refuge from the storm in our ⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠ server! Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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!~ Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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 Discord⁠⁠⁠ server, come see! Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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 Discord⁠⁠⁠, but we might not have enough hot dogs. Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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 #food channel on our discord⁠!~ Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠.

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!~ Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠.

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 Discord server⁠. Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, and ⁠Letterboxd⁠. Follow Thanmye on ⁠Letterboxd⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠. Read his essay on PS2 here. CAST: Vikram - Aditha Karikalan Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - Nandini Karthi - Vanthiyathevan Jayam Ravi - Arulmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selvan Trisha Krishnan - Princess Kundavai Sobhita Dhulipala - Vanathi Aishwarya Lekshmi - Poonguzhali Prakash Raj - King Sundara Chola R. Sarathkumar - Periya ⁠P⁠azhuvettaraiyar R. Parthiban - Chinna Pazhuvettaraiyar Jayaram - Alwarkadiyan Nambi Rashin Rahman - Madurantaka Chola CREW: DIRECTOR Mani Ratnam PRODUCERS Mani Ratnam Subaskaran Allirajah Sivakumar Ananth WRITERS Mani Ratnam Jeyamohan Elango Kumaravel Original Novel: Kalki Krishnamurthy EDITOR Sreekar Prasad CINEMATOGRAPHY Ravi Varman PRODUCTION DESIGN Thotta Tharani VISUAL EFFECTS Sanjiv Anand Naik COMPOSER A. R. Rahman MAKE-UP Vikram Gaikwad

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 Check out our Discord server⁠!⁠⁠ Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠.

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: https://letterboxd.com/wilsonlai/list/hkiff-47/ 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 What festival should we cover next? Let us know in our Discord server!⁠⁠ Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠.

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: https://buttondown.email/riteshwriter/archive/6-unpacking-rrr-indian-politics-and-cinema/ Read Wang Bing’s State of Cinema 2022 writeup: https://sabzian.be/text/state-of-cinema-2022-0 Join our ⁠Discord server!⁠ Keep up with Deep Cut on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, and ⁠Letterboxd⁠.

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 Discord server. Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Facebook, and Letterboxd. Movies discussed on this episode: Aftersun (dir. Charlotte Wells) Ambulance (dir. Michael Bay) Armageddon Time (dir. James Gray) Autobiography (dir. Makbul Mubarak) Avatar the Way of Water (dir. James Cameron) Babylon (dir. Damien Chazelle) Banshees of Inisherin (dir. Martin McDonagh) Bardo, False Chronicles of a Handful of Truths (dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu) The Batman (dir. Matt Reeves) Benediction (dir. Terrence Davies) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (dir. Ryan Coogler) Bones and All (dir. Luca Guadagnino) Broker (dir. Kore-eda Hirokazu) - Listen to our Kore-eda episode here. The Cathedral (dir. Ricky D’Ambrose) A Couple (dir. Frederick Wiseman) - Find our episode on this here, and our interview with Wiseman here! Crimes of the Future (dir. David Cronenberg) Decision to Leave (dir. Park Chan-wook) Deep Water (dir. Adrian Lyne) Everything Everywhere All At Once (dir. Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, a.k.a. The Daniels) The Fabelmans (dir. Steven Spielberg) Fire Island (dir. Andrew Ahn) - Find our episode on this here. Girl Picture (dir. Alli Haapasalo) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (dir. Rian Johnson) Hit the Road (dir. Panah Panahi) Il Buco (dir. Michelangelo Frammartino) Joyland (dir. Saim Sadiq) Leila’s Brothers (dir. Saeed Roustayi) Low Tide: A Newly Restored Work by Thomas Wright (dir. George Matthews) Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (dir. Dean Fleischer Camp) Memoria (dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul) The Menu (dir. Mark Mylod) No Bears (dir. Jafar Panahi) Nope (dir. Jordan Peele) The Northman (dir. Robert Eggers) The Novelist’s Film (dir. Hong Sang-soo) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (dir. Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson) Ponniyan Selvan Part 1 (dir. Mani Ratnam) - Find our episode on this here. Return to Sender (dir. Russell Goldman) - Watch Russell's short here! Return to Seoul (dir. Davy Chau) RRR (dir. S. S. Rajamouli) - Our extended coverage on this forthcoming! Small, Slow But Steady (dir. Sho Miyake) Tár (dir. Todd Field) Teenage Emotions (dir. Frédérick Da) The Territory (dir. Alex Pritz) To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self (dir. Mabel Cheung & William Kwok Wai-Lun) Top Gun Maverick (dir. Joseph Kosinski) Trenque Lauquen (dir. Laura Citarella) Triangle of Sadness (dir. Ruben Östland) Under the Fig Trees (dir. Erige Sehiri) The Whale (dir. Darren Aronofsky) When the Waves Are Gone (dir. Lav Diaz) White Noise (dir. Noah Baumbach) The Worst Person in the World (dir. Joachim Trier) 2022 TV Mentions: Better Call Saul (created by Vince Gilligan & Peter Gould) Irma Vep (created by Olivier Assayas) The Rehearsal (created by Nathan Fielder)

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 Discord server. Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Letterboxd. CAST Sophie/Paw-Paw: Miranda July Jason: Hamish Linklater Marshall: David Warshofsky CREW Director/Writer: Miranda July Producers: Sue Bruce-Smith, Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul, Gina Kwon Editor: Andrew Bird Cinematography: Nikolai von Graevenitz Production Design: Elliott Hostetter Art Direction: Ruth de Jong Composer: Jon Brion Sound: Lars Ginzel, Rainer Heesch, Dominic Fitzgerald

))><(( 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 discord server. Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Letterboxd. Cover art by Justina Yam Director/Writer: Miranda July Producers: Jonathan Sehring, Caroline Kaplan, Gina Kwon, Holly Becker, Peter Carlton Editors: Andrew Dickler, Charles Ireland Cinematography: Chuy Chávez Production Design: Aran Mann Art Direction: John Wyatt, Erinn McCormack, Emily Bulfin Set Decoration: Bryan Venegas, Lauren Rosenbloom, Elizabeth Leister, Andrew O'Melia Visual Effects: Scott M. Davids, David Sosalla Composer: Michael Andrews Sound: Meg Taylor Costumes: Christie Wittenborn

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 Discord server. Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Letterboxd. CAST: Old Dolio: Evan Rachel-Wood Robert: Richard Jenkins Theresa: Debra Winger Melanie: Gina Rodriguez CREW: Director/Writer: Miranda July Producers: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Megan Ellison, Youree Henley, Sarah Esberg, Jillian Longnecker, Evelyn Fredrich Editor: Jennifer Vecchiarello Cinematography: Sebastian Winterø Production Design: Sam Lisenco Art Direction: Jessica Shorten Composer: Emile Mosseri Sound: Kent Sparling, Bjorn Ole Schroeder, Doug Winningham, Tony Villaflor Costumes: Jennifer Johnson Make-Up: Kathleen Karridene, Jeremy Bramer

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 DC Discord. Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Letterboxd. Check out the letterboxd video we talked about here: https://twitter.com/wilstuf/status/1618710341038522368

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 the DC Discord. Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Letterboxd.

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 the discord. Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Letterboxd. A Couple Crew DIRECTOR Frederick Wiseman WRITERS Nathalie Boutefeu, Frederick Wiseman EDITOR Frederick Wiseman CINEMATOGRAPHY John Davey COMPOSER Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy SOUND Jean-Paul Mugel A Couple Cast Nathalie Boutefeu as Sophia Tolstoy

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 Discord server. Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Letterboxd.

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 Discord server! Keep up with Deep Cut on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Letterboxd. (2:50) - Hamlet (2018, dir. Rhodri Huw, Robert Icke) (6:47) - Kairo (Pulse) (2001, dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa) (9:50) Videodrome (1983, dir. David Cronenberg) (11:21) - Memoria (2021, dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul) (13:23) - Crimes of the Future (2022, dir. David Cronenberg) (15:11) - O-Bi, O-Ba, The End of Civilization (1985, dir. Piotr Szulkin) (20:27) - Lost Highway (1997, dir. David Lynch) (23:05) - Mad God (2021, dir. Phil Tippett) (27:20) - Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022, dir. Dean Fleischer-Camp) (29:41) - The Poseidon Adventure (1972, dir. Ronald Neame) (30:21) - Court (2014, dir. Chaitanya Tamhane) (32:17) - Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005, dir. Park Chan-wook) (35:38) - The Fly (1986, dir. David Cronenberg) (37:21) - Resurrection (2022, dir. Andrew Semans) (38:55) - Ishtar (1987, dir. Elaine May)