Best Mostly Arthouse Podcasts (2024)

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077. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Pulse 56:57

3d ago56:57

56:57

Unlock the forbidden recording room with Wilson, Ben and Eli as the trio unpack Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2001 ghost film Pulse. Eli explains his love for his deep cut pick of a film that breaks its own rules and complicates its horror elements. Wilson zeroes in on his love for Kurosawa’s use of space and production design to bring on a feeling of despair…

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076. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: License to Live 57:53

17d ago57:53

57:53

In the first of our deep cut picks for our Kiyoshi Kurosawa series, Ben introduces the others to Kurosawa’s License to Live (1998) because he really needed to talk to somebody after a stunning ending. Eli digs into the film’s comedic sensibilities, finding similarities with fellow Japanese director Takeshi Kitano, while Wilson finds himself “so sad…

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075. Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Cure 1:15:14

1M ago1:15:14

1:15:14

In this episode, the Deep Cut trio delve into the captivating world of Kiyoshi Kurosawa with his breakout hit, Cure (1997). Tune in to the beginning of a mega series on Kurosawa: director for hire and the master of nightmares. Ben and Wilson find themselves at odds as Ben's annoyance with the film's villain fails to dampen Wilson's thirst for him. …

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074. Luca Guadagnino: Challengers 1:25:50

2M ago1:25:50

1:25:50

Game. Set. Match. The boys tackle the hottest movie of the season and kick off a Luca Guadagnino series with our review of his latest film CHALLENGERS. This episode (recorded pre BRAT) sees Eli comparing Guadagnino to the iconic Charli XCX, Wilson explaining how all roads that lead to Challengers also lead to his own life, and Ben saying he wants t…

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073. 2023 Film and TV in Review 1:37:46

5M ago1:37:46

1:37:46

The Oscars may tell us Hollywood’s popular picks, but what about the… Deep Cut picks? Deep Cut’s 2023 in Review is ready to give the last word on yesteryear’s best in motion pictures. Tune in for debates on the year’s biggest hits and hot takes on the year’s shabbiest flops. It all culminates in Wilson, Ben, and Eli’s top three favorites of the yea…

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072. Hirokazu Kore-eda: Monster 45:27

6M ago45:27

45:27

We go back to our Deep Cut roots with Kore-eda's latest, but don't call us Monster(s) for skipping out on the previously released Broker! Awarded the Queer Palm at Cannes in 2023, Monster is a return to form (and Japan) for Kore-eda, igniting a sprawling conversation about the film and its connections to his larger ouevre. We debate the film's visu…

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071. Marilou Diaz-Abaya: Moral 1:04:54

6M ago1:04:54

1:04:54

Join us for a Deep Cut episode on the exceptional 1982 film Moral from director Marilou Diaz-Abaya. The trio are blown away by the intricate script work and editing within the film, and they finally help coin the acronym GFWTM (Go Fucking Watch This Movie) for Wilson to use in the future. Eli and Ben discuss how Diaz-Abaya and screenwriter Ricky Le…

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070. Kelly Reichardt: Showing Up 38:59

7M ago38:59

38:59

Join us as we SHOW UP for Kelly Reichardt’s latest work: Showing Up. Reichardt teams up again with regular collaborator Michelle Williams in their portrait of a grumpy artist. Wilson analyzes the performances of Michelle Williams and Hong Chau, Eli appreciates the film’s humor and subtlety, and Ben is fascinated by the film’s focus on the ordinary.…

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069. Todd Haynes: May December 43:53

7M ago43:53

43:53

May you join us this December for a Deep Cutversation on May Deepcutber? Wait, this is confusing... what's NOT confusing is the moral clarity of American director Todd Haynes' latest pressure-cooker drama about the evils of our time. While Eli sees horror lurking beneath the pleasant cinematography of Christopher Blauvelt, Ben ponders the omission …

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068. Frederick Wiseman: Menus-Plaisirs - Les Troisgros 58:43

9M ago58:43

58:43

Bon appetit! The DC Trio are in for a treat this week as we savor Frederick Wiseman’s latest documentary, MENUS PLAISIRS - LES TROIGROS, a scrumptious looking film about three French restaurants, and the family that runs it. From the bustling kitchen to the tense moments shared between members of the Troigros dynasty, the trio immerses themselves i…

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067. Marilou Diaz-Abaya: José Rizal 58:42

9M ago58:42

58:42

The DC Trio takes a plunge into a new director and dives into the works of Marilou Diaz-Abaya, one of the leading figures of the second golden age of Filipino cinema. In the first episode, Wilson shares his love for a national cinema that is deeply tied to his roots. What better way to be introduced to Pinoy cinema than through a biopic of one of t…

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008 - QUEEN OF DIAMONDS (1991) Dir. by Nina Menkes 26:50

1y ago26:50

26:50

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd from our host. Join the club! Today, we discuss juxtaposition, pacing, and feminine alienation in Queen Of Diamonds (1991), direct…

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007 - SWEPT AWAY (1974) Dir. by Lina Wertmüller 25:12

1y ago25:12

25:12

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd from our host. Join the club! Today, we discuss storytelling, politics, and power in Swept Away (1974), directed by Lina Wertmülle…

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006 - Lost In London (2017) Dir. by Woody Harrelson 28:52

1y ago28:52

28:52

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd from our host. Join the club! Today, we discuss honesty, celebrity satire, and technical filmmaking in Lost In London (2017), dire…

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005 - TOMMASO (2019) Dir. by Abel Ferrara 27:49

1y ago27:49

27:49

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd from our host. Join the club! Today, we discuss addiction, sobriety, and honesty in Tommaso (2019), directed by Abel Ferrara (The …

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004 - LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (2018) Dir. by Bi Gan 28:51

1y ago28:51

28:51

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd from our host. Join the club! Today, we discuss dreams, movies, and memories in Long Day's Journey Into Night (2018), directed by …

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003 - EASY RIDER (1969) Dir. by Dennis Hopper 29:04

1y ago29:04

29:04

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd from our host. Join the club! Today, we discuss independent filmmaking, counterculture, and freedom in Easy Rider (1969), directed…

1
002 - DEAD MAN (1995) Dir. by Jim Jarmusch 33:38

1y ago33:38

33:38

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd from our host. Join the club! Today, we discuss death, poetry, and the American dystopia in Dead Man (1995), directed by Jim Jarmu…

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001 - TITANE (2021) Dir. by Julia Ducournau 28:05

1y ago28:05

28:05

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd. Today, we discuss gender identity, body horror, and the Virgin Mary in TITANE (2021) Dir. by Julia Ducournau (RAW). Follow on Ins…

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000 - INTRO 2:56

1y ago2:56

2:56

Welcome to Mostly Arthouse, a worldwide movie club dedicated to independent and arthouse cinema from around the globe. Each episode we select and discuss one film that received the coveted five star rating on Letterboxd. In this introduction, you will learn the nature of the show and what's to come. Hosted by Brian Austin. Music by beep.…

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066. Mani Ratnam: Ponniyin Selvan: Part II (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) 1:06:48

1y ago1:06:48

1:06:48

With special guest and friend Thanmye Lagudu we come together to crown a new king. Mani Ratnam completes his magnum opus with Ponniyin Selvan: Part II and we're back in the theatre again for more palace intrigue, romantic entanglements, and some of that signature Ratnam flair. Can Ratnam one-up himself with part two? We discuss PS2's visual glow-up…

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065. Egoist @ HKIFF2023: Interview with Director Daishi Matsunaga 25:15

1y ago25:15

25:15

As part of his coverage for HKIFF 2023, Wilson interviews Japanese director Daishi Matsunaga, a day after the Hong Kong premiere of his new film, Egoist. Director Matsunaga talks about the film's moving story, the specific visual language he uses, his thoughts on iPhone footage, and so much more. A massive thank you to dear friend of the pod Fumiko…

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064. HKIFF 2023 Dispatch 1:02:38

1y ago1:02:38

1:02:38

As Cannes wraps up in the South of France, we bring you a dispatch from another festival halfway across the world. An exhausted Wilson joined Ben and Eli in the middle of his festival marathon to dish about the movies he saw at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival, and talk about the experience of officially covering a festival for the…

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063. S. S. Rajamouli: RRR 1:07:43

1+ y ago1:07:43

1:07:43

Rise. Roar. Revolt. Review. Here it is. Our long awaited Deep Cut Upkeep episode on the S.S. Rajamouli worldwide phenom RRR, and it’s a doozy. Hear the Deep Cut Trio talk about why Rajamouli’s brand of action filmmaking has entranced audiences, and why Ben and Wilson have this film at the top of their 2022 year end lists, while Eli explains why he …

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062. 2022 Film and TV in Review 2:25:48

1+ y ago2:25:48

2:25:48

Another year has wrapped production, and the production assistants are here to clean up! Just in time for the 2023 Oscars, Ben, Wilson, and Eli mop up the mess left by superheroes and conductors, stop motion shells and Na’vi, interdimensional travelers and cannibals, mourners and partiers. By breaking down the year’s big trends–– directors fictiona…

1
061. Miranda July: The Future 51:02

1+ y ago51:02

51:02

We conclude our series on Miranda July's filmography with her divisive sophomore feature, The Future. Tune in for a feisty episode where Ben tries desperately to defend his deep cut choice while Eli and Wilson have their limits tested by July's storytelling tendencies. See the future in our free Patreon, discord server, and all our links @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

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060. Miranda July: Me and You and Everyone We Know 59:29

1+ y ago59:29

59:29

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059. Miranda July: Kajillionaire 1:13:10

1+ y ago1:13:10

1:13:10

Deep Cut returns to regularly scheduled programming with the decidedly irregular films of American independent director/writer/actor/multi-hyphenate Miranda July. You might even call them quirky. We begin our series by learning about her long list of artistic endeavours and discuss the connotations of "quirk" in the context of July's films before d…

1
058. Sundance 2023 Dispatch (featuring Russell Goldman) 31:15

1+ y ago31:15

31:15

Wilson, Ben, and Eli are once again joined by director and friend of the podcast Russell Goldman to talk about his experience and the best movies he saw at this year’s Sundance Film Festival! We get a chance to preview this year in independent American and international cinema, talk about the state of Sundance in its first in person year, and dig i…

1
057. Interview with Frederick Wiseman 45:45

1+ y ago45:45

45:45

Listen up Wiseman-heads, oh do we have a treat for you! The Deep Cut trio are joined by the man himself, Frederick Wiseman, to talk about his new film A Couple (2022) and his expansive documentary filmography. The discussion topics include Nathalie Boutefeu’s arresting performance as Sophia Tolstoy, the secret meaning behind filming in a garden, an…

1
056. Frederick Wiseman: A Couple 52:14

1+ y ago52:14

52:14

Can you say "Deep Cut Upkeep A Couple" ten times fast?? Legendary, prolific American documentarian Frederick Wiseman has returned with one of only 3 fiction films in his 55 year career. A Couple finds Nathalie Boutefeu performing monologues from the letters of Sophia Tolstoy in the beautiful Brittany coast. The DC Three admit defeat to the literary…

1
055. Deep Cut 2022 Summer Movie Roundup 1:39:21

1+ y ago1:39:21

1:39:21

In a long-awaited bonus set of episodes, Ben, Wilson, and Eli go over their 2022 movie-watching summers, where each of our co-hosts maintained an audio diary of all the films we saw over the summer. Come along on our summer movie adventure, as we cover watching highlights from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, to Jurassic World Dominion. List of films (and TV) dis…

1
054. Eli's Summer 2022 Film Diary 40:59

1+ y ago40:59

40:59

Welcome to Eli's summer film watching audio diary! Over the summer of 2022 each of us recorded little audio snippets reviewing every film that we watched, and these are Eli's! You can listen to our combined discussion of our summer movie watching in our roundup episode. We recommend you start there! Wanna tell us about the films you're watching? Co…

1
053. Ben's Summer 2022 Film Diary 1:25:44

1+ y ago1:25:44

1:25:44

Welcome to Ben's summer film watching audio diary! Over the summer of 2022 each of us recorded little audio snippets reviewing every film that we watched, and these are Ben's! You can listen to our combined discussion of our summer movie watching in our roundup episode. We recommend you start there! Wanna tell us about the films you're watching? Co…

1
052. Wilson's Summer 2022 Film Diary 55:12

1+ y ago55:12

55:12

Welcome to Wilson's summer film watching audio diary! Over the summer of 2022 each of us recorded little audio snippets reviewing every film that we watched, and these are Wilson's! You can listen to our combined discussion of our summer movie watching in our roundup episode. We recommend you start there! Wanna tell us about the films you're watchi…

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051. Mani Ratnam: Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) 1:16:07

2y ago1:16:07

1:16:07

After a brief summer hiatus, the gang (and special guest Thanmye Lagudu) are back to discuss India’s biggest box office draw of the season, and the first part of Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus: Ponniyin Selvan: I. Our first Mani Ratnam Deep Cut Upkeep episode gets heated, and battle lines are drawn between hosts. Is this movie Ratnam’s bold execution of…

1
050. S. S. Rajamouli: Eega (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) 1:14:58

2y ago1:14:58

1:14:58

How does the king of beeg cinema go small? Trick question, he don’t! Small in scope but still big on imagination, we’re (mostly) abuzz with praise for Wilson’s Deep Cut pick for Rajamouli, 2012’s Eega. Eli praises the positively fly performance of Sudeep, a villain you love to hate, Thanmye highlights Rajamouli’s overlooked talents as a director of…

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049. S. S. Rajamouli: Baahubali: The Beginning & Baahubali: The Conclusion (featuring Thanmye Lagudu) 1:34:47

2y ago1:34:47

1:34:47

Long live Deep Cut! The DC Trio welcomes back distinguished guest and friend Thanmye Lagudu to launch a discussion on the legendary Masala blockbuster director S. S. Rajamouli (of this year’s international hit, RRR). There’s no better a popular pick than the renowned historical fantasy duology, Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion…

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048. Abderrahmane Sissako: Waiting for Happiness & Life on Earth 55:49

2y ago55:49

55:49

Deep Cut rounds out its study of Malian/Mauritanian master director Abderrahmane Sissako with his first two fiction features: Life on Earth (1998) and Waiting for Happiness (2002). The documentary-fiction hybrids provide an illuminating keystone in understanding Sissako’s later, more complex works. Wilson prefers the deep well of sadness in Waiting…

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047. Abderrahmane Sissako: Bamako 42:02

2y ago42:02

42:02

Abderrahmane Sissako sets his late father’s backyard as a courtroom for the injustices of economic neocolonialism in his 2006 drama Bamako, our second of three forays into the work of the Malian/Mauritanian master director. In a work that inextricably binds the political and the personal, Wilson notes how Sissako creates a sense of place that makes…

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046. Abderrahmane Sissako: Timbuktu 52:46

2y ago52:46

52:46

Deep Cut begins a special three-episode run on Malian/Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako with his poetic, vibrant tragedy Timbuktu (2014). Wilson contextualizes Sissako’s most well-known work within Sissako’s varied and inventive filmography, Ben considers the humanizing characterization of the film’s jihadist characters, and Eli breaks down…

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045. Andrew Ahn: Fire Island (featuring Andrew Ahn) 1:02:13

2y ago1:02:13

1:02:13

Stock up on some rosé and lose the shirt because we're going to FIRE ISLAND, baby! We are so delighted and honored to have director Andrew Ahn (SPA NIGHT, DRIVEWAYS) back on the podcast to preview his upcoming feature FIRE ISLAND. Coming to Hulu on June 3. Andrew shares with us his experience directing a studio rom-com, fighting to keep the film’s …

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044. Paul Fejos: Lonesome (featuring Graham Brown) 1:12:38

2y ago1:12:38

1:12:38

We’re not on our Lonesome anymore with special guest and friend, Graham Brown. Graham is an Assistant Preservation Officer at the George Eastman Museum and he has graced the pod with his extensive knowledge on the process of film preservation. Join us as we learn about Lonesome’s film preservation journey, and discuss the first silent film (okay… p…

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043. Wong Kar-wai: 2046 59:18

2y ago59:18

59:18

Welcome to 2046: a place that you can never leave, and an era in Wong Kar-wai’s filmography that will never return. Wilson opens up about how his Deep Cut Pick is a forlorn love letter to Hong Kong, his "city of heartbreak." Meanwhile, Eli shares the pop music playlist that Wilson made the DC trio, and Ben shocks them both with his opinion on what …

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042. Wong Kar-wai: In The Mood for Love 1:05:06

2+ y ago1:05:06

1:05:06

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, …

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041. Wong Kar-wai: Happy Together 52:16

2+ y ago52:16

52:16

“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 …

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040. Wong Kar-wai: Chungking Express 1:24:28

2+ y ago1:24:28

1:24:28

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 W…

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039. Joel Coen: The Tragedy of Macbeth 34:23

2+ y ago34:23

34:23

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 …

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038. Asghar Farhadi: A Hero 38:30

2+ y ago38:30

38:30

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 h…

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037. 2021 Film & TV in Review 2:17:25

2+ y ago2:17:25

2:17:25

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, dir…

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