Deep Cut: A Film Podcast

Afleveringen

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  144. Interview with Kiyoshi Kurosawa: The Samurai and the Prisoner (2026) 09.08.2026 23min

  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?Special thank you to Ryanne Gordon, Benkei Golden, and Amaka Nwokocha from Divergent PR and translator, filmmaker, and artist Monika Uchiyama for making this episode possible.Get trapped in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:18 Interview begins04:13 Social structures and Murashige05:47 Chiyoho in a man’s world07:33 Plastic sheet09:41 Long takes and blocking12:47 Cinematic influences15:18 Comedic aspects17:02 Closing thoughts
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  143. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: The Samurai and the Prisoner 09.08.2026 58min

  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 socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:06:48 General reactions00:15:20 Kurosawaisms in The Samurai and the Prisoner00:20:55 Comedy00:31:05 Chiyoho’s version of Buddhist ideology00:36:00 Murashige’s mysterious motivations00:42:38 Kurosawa and tone00:49:20 Brainstorming questions for Kurosawa00:53:28 Our feelings on Kurosawa now
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  142. Christopher Nolan: The Odyssey (featuring Koh Zhi Hao) 03.08.2026 1u 48min

  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, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:02:40 Introducing film and Zhi Hao00:09:59 Formats we saw and general reactions00:40:35 Context and favorite moments00:55:12 Favorite technical aspects01:08:46 Phaeacia, Helen, and other details01:19:54 The gods' influence on characters01:30:37 Nolan's influence01:34:48 Odyssey viewing formats01:44:10 Closing
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  141. Christopher Nolan: Tenet (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) 26.07.2026 1u 18min

  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 Robert Pattinson abound. And listen to the very end for an easter egg…www.deepcutpod.com our socials and discord server with our FREE patreon go thereTimestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:02:56 Introducing Thanmye00:09:59 Introducing Tenet00:11:21 General reactions00:19:46 Guesteral pincer movement00:22:34 The bromance00:25:03 The Protagonist / Determinism00:30:00 Bond / le Carre comparisons00:33:45 Climactic / action scenes00:38:52 Emotional truth, vs Interstellar00:42:07 Ludwig Göransson score00:43:04 Editing with Jennifer Lame00:48:16 Thanmye's favorite things about Tenet00:54:25 "Indie" solutions / Tactile filmmaking00:59:45 Nolan as auteur 01:01:53 Nolan male archetype01:08:21 Hopes for The Odyssey01:11:43 Nolan as "Indian" filmmaker01:14:06 More from Thanmye
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  140. Christopher Nolan: Interstellar (Featuring Isadora Neves Marques) 12.07.2026 1u 27min

  “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 selections of Dora’s writing on their website.You don’t have to travel through a black hole to find our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:02:08 Introducing Isadora00:09:59 Our background with Nolan00:17:50 Christopher Nolan director background00:21:02 Interstellar intro00:24:24 Nolan vs Hong Sang-soo, as indie filmmaker00:27:57 Interstellar general reactions00:36:01 Editing00:39:58 Eli's theory00:42:10 Scriptwriting and plotting00:46:48 "Filmmaker for stupid people"00:51:34 A limited worldview00:56:38 Masculinity / Mann is bad01:00:33 Screenwriting lessons from Nolan01:03:44 Black hole / ocean planet01:06:25 Ending and masculinity01:10:19 Nolan film bros01:15:05 Lack of awe01:20:15 Craft01:24:31 More from Isadora
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  139. HKIFF50: Interview with Tsai Ming-liang 05.07.2026 27min

  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 socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 intro03:42 What do you hope new audiences will take from your films?04:43 Rebels of the Neon god06:20 Tsai and realism07:35 The Hole09:30 Tsai’s childhood11:13 Theaters, streamers, and art museums13:24 Video art versus narrative cinema16:15 Fruits and vegetables (props and crops)17:40 Abandoned buildings19:27 Pacing and directing actors21:22 Working with Lee Kang-sheng22:35 Tsai’s Deep Cut picks
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  138. HKIFF50: Mare's Nest (2025) - Interview with Director Ben Rivers 28.06.2026 33min

  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 film, and the intention behind his depiction of an adultless world.Speak the word for snow in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:03 Interview begins03:32 Origins of Mare's Nest06:07 Don Delillo09:52 Children performing adult routines13:14 Documentary versus fiction19:09 Film-within-film22:06 Moon walks into the past25:02 Location filming28:48 SEA filmmakers31:25 Outro
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  137. HKIFF50: Memory (2025) - Interview with Director Vladlena Sandu 21.06.2026 49min

  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 FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:15 Interview starts04:03 Making Sandu happen07:47 Childhood trauma through film10:25 Personal truth17:34 Motifs and repetition23:48 Child actors30:14 Production design35:54 Influences: Tarkovsky, Parajanov, Pasolini40:19 Ending of the film
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  136. HKIFF50: Sleep No More (2026) - Interview with Director Edwin 14.06.2026 28min

  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 patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:04 Indoneisan horror film history07:30 Edwin's influences09:00 Indonesian politics and labor15:38 Scary scenes17:57 Casting20:34 Special effects23:12 Edwin's future horror24:39 Edwin's Deep Cut Pick25:57 Sing-along
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  135. HKIFF50: Ah Girl (2026) - Interview with Director Ang Geck Geck 07.06.2026 31min

  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 family that are in the film, and her own Deep Cut Pick.Speak in Mandarin, English, or pretty much any other language in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:32 Interview begins07:03 Research with social workers10:56 Child actors15:09 Language19:55 Personal history26:00 Ending of the film27:44 Next film28:53 Deep Cut Pick30:05 Outro
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  134. HKIFF50: Silent Friend (2025) - Interview with Director Ildikó Enyedi & Tony Leung 31.05.2026 30min

  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 admiration of star Tony Leung… whose interview with Wilson is also at the end of this episode!Befriend a tree in our  FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 - Intro03:03 - Enyedi interview04:16 - Working with Tony Leung06:15 - Enyedi's relationship with trees07:32 - Academia and science09:36 - Intercutting timelines12:25 - Dreams, psychedelics, ecology15:02 - Production process17:08 - Casting a tree19:41 - Other Enyedi films21:34 - Further explorations23:13 - Enyedi's Deep Cut25:48 - Tony Leung Interview28:13 - Outro
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  133. HKIFF50: Palimpsest: The Story of a Name (2026) - Interview with Director Mary Stephen 24.05.2026 41min

  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, its relationship to memory and family, and her deep ties to the city of Hong Kong. They also dig into her remarkable career as an editor, from switching between film and digital, to her creative collaborations with Rohmer, Ann Hui, and Jessey Tsang, and what she carries from that work into her own filmmaking.Links:Trace your roots in our  FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Introduction03:08 Mary presenting her film to Hong Kong audiences05:03 Palimpsest's twisty narrative07:04 How being an editor influenced her filmmaking 08:25 Narration and narrative in the film10:27 Unused archive footage 12:27 Mary's relationship with her family15:11 Mary’s relationship with Hong Kong17:33 Editing: Switching from film to digital19:20 Working with Eric Rohmer30:13 Collaborations with Ann Hui and Jessey Tsang35:41 Working with collaborators as a director herself38:43 Closing
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  132. Marina de Van: Don’t Look Back 17.05.2026 44min

  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 with & articles on Marina de Van:Rotterdam, 2019Screenslate, 2022Dread Central, 2022The French Review, 2010The Guardian, 2004Pinnland Empire, 2012Look at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:39 Introducing Don't Look Back05:21 General reactions15:17 Context17:55 Comparing with In My Skin21:59 What the heck is happening in this movie28:06 Performances31:34 De Van career arc33:52 De Van's filmmaking38:51 Wrapping up De Van... for now?42:20 Outro
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  131. Marina de Van: In My Skin 03.05.2026 1u 20min

  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: Seeing Ourselves Through Dark Moods by Mariana AlessandriInterviews with & articles on Marina de Van:Rotterdam, 2019Screenslate, 2022Dread Central, 2022The French Review, 2010The Guardian, 2004Pinnland Empire, 2012Get in our skin (ew?) at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:03:23 Introducing In My Skin00:06:13 General reactions00:11:29 Body fascination00:14:37 Is it horror?00:18:34 Eli goes sicko mode00:26:04 Director background00:32:12 Addiction / self-discovery00:40:38 Characters00:46:08 Female horror00:49:45 Splitscreens and artmaking00:55:12 The ending01:00:28 g00ning01:04:44 Dinner scene01:12:16 Additional crew on In My Skin01:16:31 Closing ideas
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  130. HKIFF50 Dispatch (The Drama, Blue Heron, Silent Friend, We’re Nothing at All, and MORE!) 26.04.2026 1u 43min

  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 releases including new films from Hong Sang-soo, Carla Simon, and Anthony Chen. Links:Tony Leung InterviewThe Blade Video EssayRadu Jude on Hong reelTake the MTR to our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00: Intro00:07:34 Meeting Tony Leung00:14:23 Silent Friend (2025) dir. Ildiko Enyedi00:16:27 Sleep No More (2026) dir. Edwin00:20:04 Ah Girl (2026) dir. Ang Geck Geck00:23:33 Memory (2025) dir. Vladlena Sandu00:30:48 Palimpsest: The Story of a Name (2025) dir. Mary Stephen00:36:37 Mare’s Nest (2025) dir. Ben Rivers00:39:40 Vive L’amour (1994) dir. Tsai Ming Liang00:43:48 Panelstory or Birth of a Community (1981) dir. Věra Chytilová 00:45:54 Ah Ying (1983) dir. Allen Fong 00:49:13 The Horse Thief (1986)dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang 00:51:03 Unknown Pleasures (2002) dir. Jia Zhangke00:53:30 Days and Nights in the Forest (1970) dir. Satyajit Ray 00:54:55 Final Victory (1987) dir. Patrick Tam 00:59:20 We Are All Strangers (2026) dir. Anthony Chen01:06:37 We’re Nothing at All (2026) dir. Herman Yau01:10:40 My Father’s Shadow (2025) dir. Akinola Davies Jr.01:11:45 The Day She Returns (2026) dir. Hong Sang Soo01:18:20 Magellan (2025) dir. Lav Diaz01:22:15 Romeria (2025) dir. Carla Simon01:24:40 The Voice of Hind Rijab (2025) dir. Kaouther Ben Hania01:27:50 Writing Life – Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students (2025) dir. Claire Simon01:31:00 Blue Heron (2025) dir. Sophy Romvari01:36:00 The Drama (2026) dir. Kristoffer Borgli01:40:15 Outro
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  129. Kelly Reichardt: The Mastermind 19.04.2026 51min

  “[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 place in the American cinema landscape amidst dwindling cultural literacy.Links:Filmstage interviewMind of a master videoMaster your mind at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:18 General reactions13:55 The ending19:28 Reichardt films and public reactions28:19 Parts we liked about the movie32:24 Josh O’Connor 36:03 More on the public’s reaction44:16 Alana Haim49:51 Outro
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  128. Lynne Ramsay: Die My Love 05.04.2026 48min

  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 helps define the subgenre of “mommy horror,” Ben questions the depth of the movie’s characters, and Wilson draws comparisons to Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch and Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!.Links:Kelsey E. Henry, “Monstrous Motherhood” from The PointDon’t die, my love, at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.comTimestamps:00:00 Intro03:30 General reactions14:03 Maternal madness pictures19:14 Linearity22:19 Why Ramsay for this film26:02 Comparing with Ramsay's other works28:31 A good trailer29:58 The ending32:07 Mommy horror40:34 "A crazy love story"44:26 Last words / outro
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  127. Interview with Kani Releasing: Ariel Esteban Cayer and Pearl Chan 29.03.2026 1u 27min

  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 specializing in Asian cinema, to chat about their work, the films in their catalog and the changing film landscape for theatrical/physical media distribution. The chat about select titles in the Kani library, including Deep Cut favorite Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Moral (Ep 71) and Karnal, Patrick Tam’s My Heart is That Eternal Rose, and Nao Yoshigai’s Shari. Links:Kani ReleasingCrabwalk over to our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:42 Introducing Kani Releasing00:10:37 Path to Kani Releasing00:20:01 Karnal / Moral (dir. Marilou Diaz-Abaya)00:30:06 Archiving in the Philippines 00:33:19 Bona (dir. Lino Brocka)00:38:17 Kisapmata (dir. Mike de Leon)00:44:13 Changing Filipino film culture00:50:07 Kani's geography00:53:07 Shari (dir. Nao Yoshigai)01:02:21 My Heart is That Eternal Rose (dir. Patrick Tam)01:11:47 Bye Bye Love (dir. Isao Fujisawa)01:14:16 Looking for an Angel (dir. Akihiro Suzuki)01:15:46 Amiko / Desert of Namibia (dir. Yoko Yamanaka)01:21:00 Batang West Side (dir. Lav Diaz)01:22:48 What's next for Kani Releasing
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  126. Hong Sang-soo: What Does That Nature Say To You? 22.03.2026 1u 4min

  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 patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:12 General reactions12:20 Glazing the boyfriend14:30 Context20:50 Dong-hwa as a Hong man29:50 Girlfriend's family 38:58 Hong surrogacy: where is he in WDTNSTY?44:12 Hong's image quality (or lack thereof)51:22 Other notable scenes57:35 Last words on Hong for now
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  125. Hong Sang-soo: Hill of Freedom (featuring Ryan Swen) 08.03.2026 1u 6min

  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 consequences of drinking too much.Drop your letters at our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:40 Ryan Swen introduction00:04:29 Hong Sang Soo Notarized Project00:12:21 Hill of Freedom introduction and general reactions00:21:29 Lost (and Found) in translation00:27:21 Japan and Korea00:32:53 Narrative structure00:39:41 Mori and Misogyny 00:45:47 Hongisms00:52:57 The ending01:00:40 Actors01:03:11 Outro