

The Last Video Store
The Betoota Advocate & Alexei
The Betoota Advocate presents a chat show about the films you love. Join the movie maestro Alexei Toliopoulos in ‘The Last Video Store’ - located in the outback town of Betoota. Its a special hub of culture and memories with every single movie ever made lining its infinite shelves. Alexei talks with a guest about their most cherished cinematic selections, before he sends them of with a bespoke film recommendation based on their taste.
The rental combo is:1 x New Release2 x Weeklies1 x Staff Pick
Follow us on Instagram @lastvideostorebetoota
The rental combo is:1 x New Release2 x Weeklies1 x Staff Pick
Follow us on Instagram @lastvideostorebetoota
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 1, 2025 • 57min
Nina Oyama returns to talk about the most provocative comedy film
One of our favourite guests Nina Oyama returns to The Last Video Store to rate Alexei’s recommendation (the Korean film MICROHABITAT) and pick up controversial, dark, provactive and envelope pushing big screen comedies. Alexei’s screening at the Sydney Opera House - Saturday Film Club: Bram Stoker’s Dracula Nov 1 Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Hit up the Last Video Store on instagram for all of our guests picks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 24, 2025 • 45min
Zan Rowe TAKEs 5 Weeklies for $5
It’s finally happened, TAKE 5 meets THE LAST VIDEO STORE. Zan Rowe, one of Australia’s greatest broadcasters and minds on music joins the movie brain himself Alexei Toliopoulos for one of the very best conversations on film and cinematic tastes. The new season of TAKE 5 is out in its entirety on ABC iview NOW and includes Kevin Bacon and our very own customer Aaron Chen. Alexei’s screening at the Sydney Opera House - Saturday Film Club: Bram Stoker’s Dracula Nov 1 Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Hit up the Last Video Store on instagram for all of our guests picks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 17, 2025 • 50min
LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS star Gemma Chua-Tran loves volcano movies and hates singing
Heartbreak High student turned cosmic hero and star of the outrageously funny new Australian animated comedy LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS, Gemma Chua-Tran enters the Last Video Store. LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS is out NOW in Australian cinemas, alongside Gemma, the film stars so many of your favourite funny Australians like Aunty Donna and Demi Lardner. So listen to this great episode and then go see a sick flick. Alexei’s screening at the Sydney Opera House - Saturday Film Club: Bram Stoker’s Dracula Nov 1 Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Hit up the Last Video Store on instagram for all of our guests picks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 10, 2025 • 50min
SPLITSVILLE director Michael Angelo Covino and the Italian comedies that influenced his new film with Dakota Johnson
Splitsville, it’s a incisive comedy about modern relationships with particular style and a fight sequence most action movies would envy. It’s the second film from star/filmmaker Michael Angelo Covino who joins Alexei Toliopoulos in the Last Video Store to pick up a few of the films that influence his cinematic voice and style + he’ll get a couple of staff pick recommendations in the form of a pair of comedic oddities from Australian film history.SPLITSVILLE arrives in Australian cinemas on September 11th. Alexei’s screening at the Sydney Opera House - Saturday Film Club: Bram Stoker’s Dracula Nov 1 Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Hit up the Last Video Store on instagram for all of our guests picks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 3, 2025 • 56min
Dacre Montgomery and Samuel Van Grinsven are the biggest film nerds
Actor Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) and filmmaker Samuel Van Grinsven (Sequin in a Blue Room) might just be the two most passionate film lovers to enter the Last Video Store. They’ve just collaborated on the exquisite new film WENT UP THE HILL, a ghost story quite unlike any you may have seen before. Also starring Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), the film explores death and grief in inventively dreamlike way. It’s a fantastic episode with some of the best film talk we’ve had in the Last Video Store.WENT UP THE HILL arrives in Australian cinemas next week on September 11th. Alexei’s screening at the Sydney Opera House - Saturday Film Club: Children of Men, 6 September 2025 Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 1, 2025 • 23min
WEDNESDAY creators Alfred Gough & Miles Millar are experts of adaptation
From Superman’s origins in Smallville, to modern day Adams Family in Wednesday and a list of the most tonally diverse sequels (including Herbie: Fully Loaded and Spiderman 2), Al Gough and Miles Millar are Hollywood’s experts on adaptation and sequels. Alexei Toliopoulos sits down with the creators of Wednesday to talk video store memories, working with Tim Burton and hopefully sling a staff pick recommendation at them. Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Alexei’s screening at the Sydney Opera House - Saturday Film Club: Children of Men, 6 September 2025See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 27, 2025 • 55min
Col Needham, the founder of IMDb, has seen over 16,000 films
Recommending a film to Col Needham is no easy task… His personal film diary literally evolved into THE comprehensive catalogue of all films, the Internet Movie Database. The founder of IMDb and quite possibly the most supreme movie loving guest we’ll ever have on The Last Video Store to pick up his favourite films. Alexei joins Col on one of the great adventures of movie watching to find out how a mobile travelling video store van helped shape his love of film.Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Alexei’s screening at the Sydney Opera House - Saturday Film Club: Children of Men, 6 September 2025 Our huge thank you to the Melbourne International Film Festival for getting Col to visit the Last Video Store GUEST PICKS: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (action), Vertigo (thriller), Touch of Evil (crime)STAFF PICKS: Limbo (2023) (crime)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 20, 2025 • 42min
Amy Nicholson Unspools her Favourite Movie Musicals
She wrote the book on Tom Cruise (for Cahiers Du Cinema) and has examined cinema greatness with Paul Scheer on the great film podcast UNSPOOLED, now while in Australia for the Melbourne International Film Festival, Amy Nicholson enters the Last Video Store to talk big screen movie musicals with Alexei Toliopoulos. Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists and follow Amy here. Alexei’s screening at the Sydney Opera House - Saturday Film Club: Children of Men, 6 September 2025 GUEST PICKS: BETTER MAN (music), FOOTLIGHT PARADE (music), HAIRSPRAY (cult)STAFF PICKS: WOMEN HE’S UNDRESSED (Documentary)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 13, 2025 • 50min
The Surprising Film That Inspired The Fairbairn Brothers' Love Of Horror
Jaxon and Lachlan Fairbairn are comedians, creatives, brothers and huge film lovers, who you might recognise from their huge following on YouTube or Instagram. And we lied in the title; only one of them loves horror films. The other would prefer to cosy up with a classic action film (we'll leave you to find out which one).They join Alexei this week to chat about some of their favourite films, from the creepy ODDITY to the classic THE KARATE KID, and how the ball torture scene in CASINO ROYALE ties into it all. Listen to The Fairbairn Podcast Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. GUEST PICKS: SPIDERMAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (adventure), THE KARATE KID (adventure), ODDITY (horror)STAFF PICK: THE LAST DRAGON (action)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 6, 2025 • 1h 19min
TEX PERKINS, The Cruel Sea and Cool Movies
All-round icon and legendary frontman of THE CRUEL SEA, Tex Perkins steps into The Last Video Store to pick out some gritty classics, unexpected gems and the stunning new remake of a century old classic. We dig into the cinematic moments that shaped him, swap tales about VHS treasures, and explore how The Cruel Sea’s “The Honeymoon Is Over” found its way onto the soundtrack of EMPIRE RECORDS. It’s a rollicking conversation about movies, music, and the moods that connect them. Alexei has not stopped listening to the new album from Tex and The Cruel Sea, STRAIGHT INTO THE SUN, all year… it comes highly recommended. Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. GUEST PICKS: NOSFERATU (horror), MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (western), HELL IN THE PACIFIC (war)STAFF PICKS: FIRST COW (western)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


