Deep Cut: A Film Podcast

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

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).

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

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

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.