Deep Cut: A Film Podcast

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

“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

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").

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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