The Last Thing I Saw

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. For a period in the 1980s and 90s, Oliver Stone directed movies as if somebody might stop him at any time. His movies tended to land like bombshells in American culture: Platoon, JFK, The Doors, Natural Born Killers, to name a few. I spoke with Stone recently on the occasion of the paperback publication of his latest book, Chasing the Light: Writing, Directing, and Surviving Platoon, Midnight Express, Scarface, Salvador, and the Movie Game. Stone’s global interests guaranteed that our interview would be a bit like lassoing a freight train. Stone kicks things off with some good-natured joking after I tried to explain away some background noise. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. Every year the True/False Film Fest puts together a terrific showcase of nonfiction film, and for several years I’ve headed out to Columbia, Missouri, to attend. This year I attended virtually and compared notes with someone who went in person, Screen Slate managing editor Cosmo Bjorkenheim. After our conversation, I talk with Theo Anthony, the director of the fascinating essay film All Light, Everywhere, which screened in True/False after premiering at Sundance and showing in New Directors New Films. All Light, Everywhere opens June 4. You can support The Last Thing I Saw and read show notes/links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. For his new book, Films of Endearment, critic Michael Koresky (Reverse Shot) watched 10 movies from the 1980s with his mother, a fellow movie lover. This simple premise becomes a way to talk about the decade’s bounty of great acting by women and reflect on the many facets of his mother’s life and their relationship together. Michael makes it look easy as he mingles film criticism, family biography, and social history, with his characteristic insight, sensitivity, and knowledge of film history. For this episode, Michael is joined by critic Molly Haskell, whose influential body of work has spanned The Village Voice, New York magazine, and Vogue, and includes the landmark critical work From Reverence to Rape. It’s a wonderful pairing of sensibilities and enthusiasms for the work of these actresses, spanning films from 9 to 5 to Mommie Dearest to Crossing Delancey. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host Nicolas Rapold. This week I talk with the one and only Manohla Dargis, a chief film critic at The New York Times. We chose a couple of movies to watch in advance -- one by a pioneering French female filmmaker who should be better known, another a Hollywood small-town picture with an intriguing pair of stars -- and discuss. We also talk about television aesthetics, life under the pandemic, and, taking a fresh audiovisual angle, AOC’s historic use of Instagram Live. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week the conversation starts with R.W. Fassbinder's serial drama Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day. My guest is a regular on the show, critic Beatrice Loayza (The New York Times, Reverse Shot, A.V. Club). Beatrice’s viewing leads us to two dramas with British star Dirk Bogarde and two comedies by the great Albert Brooks. We also take the measure of studio blockbuster filmmaking from recent months, including Godzilla vs. Kong and Nobody. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Streaming is a subject that’s often left weirdly opaque, but this week’s guests bring industry insights that are illuminating and informative. The starting point is a new series on the Criterion Channel called Close to Home in which filmmakers drew inspiration from their own homes and everyday lives, from Martin Scorsese to Maya Deren to Blake Edwards to Chantal Akerman. It was co-programmed by Nellie Killian, programmer at Screen Slate, and Chris Wells, who works at MUBI in distribution. They discuss what’s different about programming for streaming, and the specific challenges and opportunities posed by the past year’s upheaval and the reopening of movie theaters. Both are also voracious movie-watchers, so they also talk about their endless pursuit of titles on streaming and beyond. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. The film Collective is an investigation of corruption in the aftermath of a deadly fire in a Romanian nightclub that led to protests that toppled the prime minister. Director Alexander Nanau follows tenacious journalists as they expose wrongdoing at hospitals and in government dealings with the help of whistleblowers. He also gains access to a newly appointed health minister who is trying to reform the system. Like All the President’s Men or Citizenfour, the results make us feel as if we’re watching the process develop in real time, with basic freedoms at stake. I spoke with Nanau about the film, which he directed, produced, edited, and operated camera on. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week Genevieve Yue tells us about a film series she programmed at Metrograph called Implicit Movies. It's a fascinating selection of films, exploring a world of backgrounds, bit parts, and fragmented memories that lurk behind every image. Genevieve is an assistant professor of culture and media at the New School, and so we also talk about how she taught Uncut Gems in one of her classes. And as part of my “bring a friend” initiative on the podcast, Genevieve invited Nico Baumbach, an associate professor of film and media at Columbia University. We talk about the children’s classic The Red Balloon; Agnes Varda’s The Gleaners and I; and the new Adam Curtis series, Can’t Get You Out of My Head. Please note that to indulge my whim for spontaneity and mystery, Nico patches into our recording session partway through. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host Nicolas Rapold. For this special episode I talk with director David Fincher and production designer Don Burt about Mank, a black-and-white evocation of Hollywood through the jaded eyes of one Herman J. Mankiewicz, as he writes the screenplay for Citizen Kane. If you’ve seen any Fincher films since Zodiac, you’ve also seen Burt's beautiful work, which won him an Academy Award for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. We talk about the conception of Mank's particular spaces; the techniques behind designing for a black-and-white film; the eagle-eyed capabilities of digital cameras; and whether Mank is intended to be a political film. Mank has received 10 Academy Award nominations, including best picture, director, and production design. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host Nicolas Rapold. This week we begin with some films from the cult label Something Weird Video: the revenge drama Johnny Firecloud, and a couple of films from the one and only Doris Wishman. My adventurous guest is Adam Piron, Los Angeles-based programmer for the Sundance Film Festival where he's associate director of the indigenous program. Other movies discussed: Straight Time; Bless Their Little Hearts; The Exiles; and the silent movie The Daughter of Dawn, which led Adam to an incredible personal discovery. Adam is also a member of the Cousin collective, which supports indigenous artists and has a program featured in this year’s Documentary Fortnight at MoMA. You can support this podcast and read show notes with links at: rapold.substack.com Opening music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass