Deep Cut: A Film Podcast

Step into 17th-century Italy as we dive into Paul Verhoeven’s BENEDETTA. The wild, true story of a Catholic nun experiencing religious visions while swept up in a passionate lesbian love affair. Why did Eli compare this historical epic to Love Island: All Stars UK? Why was Wilson advocating to free the nipple? And what specific insert shot did Ben feel was missing from the film? Tune in to find out! Show your devotion in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:43 Film context 00:04:39 General reactions 00:12:17 Exploring the divine and human social structures 00:18:11 Is Benedetta telling the truth? 00:24:04 Sister Felicita 00:31:58 Sex 00:43:01 Cinematography 00:46:40 The torture scenes 00:48:08 Bartolomea 00:50:27 Performances 00:59:08 Capitalism and money 01:01:06 Singaporean film classification 01:07:45 Verhoeven legacy

Eli sits down with friend of the podcast Russell Goldman (013. Zack Snyder's Justice League; 058. Sundance 2023 Dispatch) to discuss the making of his upcoming feature debut, Sender , starring Britt Lower, Rhea Seehorn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anna Baryshnikov, and David Dastmalchian. Russell tells Eli about overcoming obstacles during production, the movie’s journey at festivals, and the creative collaborators Russell worked with to bring Sender to life. Visit sendermovie.com to learn more about the film and find festival screenings near you before its Dark Sky Films release in Spring 2027! Place a Smirk order in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 06:31 The Journey to making Sender 12:30 Assembling the team 23:04 Overcoming obstacles on set 28:39 Sender’s relationship to evolving technology 40:53 How audiences may encounter Sender 44:06 Closing

Following his interview with Mary Stephen at the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival, Wilson has invited the storied director to return to Deep Cut to discuss her new hybrid documentary feature and her work editing the films of Éric Rohmer. As Palimpsest: Story of a Name garners praise around the international film festival circuit for its sensitive, witty exploration of her family’s history, Stephen dives into a different side of her personal history with the French auteur. Listen in as we ask Stephen’s thoughts on Rohmer’s process with actors on set, the authority Stephen had over the edit, and how parents tell–– or, don’t tell–– stories to their children. Tells us about your family history in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps 00:00 Intro 03:51 Melvil Poupad: Hot or Not 05:21 Rohmer’s personal and professional life 08:42 Working as a Rohmer collaborator 11:10 A Summer's Tale preproduction 13:02 The Rohmerian Type of Woman 14:40 Blocking and editing in A Summer's Tale 21:06 Creative input as an editor 25:10 Mary’s sense of time 27:52 An Autumn’s Tale 35:55 The themes of Palimpsest 38:19 The Ending of Palimpsest 45:29 Mary's Relationship with her father 51:11 Mary as a director 54:34 Advice for younger filmmakers and personal deep cut

Fall in love with three beautiful podcast hosts; fumble the bag with all three. To prepare for our upcoming interview with director Mary Stephen, we study her work editing Éric Rohmer’s A Summer’s Tale . Almost five years following our initial series on the French auteur, have our thoughts changed on his calm naturalism? We compare his work to more recent Deep Cut director Hong Sang-soo, discuss the structure of his scenes, and wonder about how Stephen helped sculpt time in this film. Most importantly: do we really find that pouty French twink hot? Spend your summer break in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:06:00 A Summer Tale context 00:10:38 General reactions 00:20:02 Film structure and opening 00:24:47 Gaspard’s conundrum 00:30:48 Margot 00:36:08 What is the film trying to say? 00:38:15 Naturalism and conversations 00:44:05 The passage of time 00:46:15 The audience’s trust 00:50:17 Hong v Rohmer, closing tangents

Eli flies in from his foray into his favorite film fest, the 64th installation of the New York Film Festival. It’s a year full of delicate, considerate, humanistic films: Sandra Wollner’s Everytime , Ira Sachs’ The Man I Love , Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid , and Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care . Ben and Wilson share their thoughts on two more films in the lineup, Hong Sang-soo’s The Day She Returns , and William Greaves’ Once Upon a Time in Harlem . Also, just for the heck of it, hear what Wilson thinks about Kore-eda Hirokazu’s latest, Look Back . Join the club, kid: find our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Keep walking in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 06:40 Everytime (2026) dir. Sandra Wollner 13:05 The Man I Love (2026) dir. Ira Sachs 23:17 Club Kid (2026) dir. Jordan Firstman 27:31 Tender Loving Care (2026) dir. Mike Leigh 32:37 For The Moon (2026) dir. Eric Baudelaire 38:44 The Day She Returns (2026) dir. Hong Sang-soo 44:07 Once Upon a Time in Harlem (2026) dir. William Greaves, David Greaves 47:25 Look Back (2026) dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda 50:59: Upcoming festival coverage

Before Paul Verhoeven was Hollywood’s pervert-auteur of choice, he was making massive hits in Dutch cinema like this episode’s focus, Katie Tippel . Ben’s main question for this episode: what is Paul Verhoeven’s worldview? To answer, the Deep Cut trio explores the economic and sexual exploitation of Tippel ’s world, the surprisingly modern-feeling period filmmaking, and lots of nudity. Links: Adam Nayman on Katie Tippel Ben’s review of Mahjong Jump rope double dutch style in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:51 Summary, context, and general reactions 00:19:08 Verhoeven's worldview 00:33:43 Prostitution and sexuality 00:48:47 Historical films and the feeling of modernity 01:04:00 Exploitation?

Sex, violence, and metanarrative critiques of the audience! Our series on the films of Dutch auteur Paul Verhoeven begins with several bangs in 1992's Basic Instinct . After getting to know the thrilling perv, Wilson gets grossed out by Michael Douglas, Ben gets enthralled by Sharon Stone, and Eli gets confused about the ending. What big ideas lie beneath this spectacular erotic thriller? Listen on… Interrogate us in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:50 Introducing Paul Verhoeven 00:10:00 Moral complexity 00:17:08 Context on Verhoeven 00:27:15 Introducing Basic Instinct 00:33:00 Nick as the protagonist; Michael Douglas as an actor 00:41:25 The interrogation scene 00:52:30 The end of the movie 01:02:29 Car chases and murder 01:06:15 Themes and big ideas 01:14:30 Closing thoughts

Following his conversation with Film at Lincoln Center programmer Maddie Whittle, Eli returns from watching the series she programmed, Scary Movies XIV, to tell Ben and Wilson about fright, fear, thrill, chill… you get it. Stay tuned for Eli’s thoughts on new films Buddy (dir. Casper Kelly) and Something Real (dir. Evar Anvelt) and revival screenings of Cam (dir. Daniel Goldhaber), Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (dir. John McNaughton), and Wendigo (dir. Larry Fessenden), plus exclusive insights from directors during their Q&A sessions. Links: The full slate of films at Scary Movies XIV Scare us in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:42 Festival intro 09:30 General horror discussion 12:13 Buddy (2026) dir. Casper Kelly 17:00 Something Real (2026) dir. Evar Anvelt 21:09 Revivals 21:34 Cam (2018) dir. Daniel Goldhaber 34:31 Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) dir. John McNaughton 42:56 Wendigo (2001) dir. Larry Fessenden 50:31 Wrap-up

Eli sits down with programmer Madeline Whittle to chat about this year’s edition of SCARY MOVIES, which showcases the latest offerings in horror from all around the world. Maddie talks about her relationship with horror films, the process of selecting films for SCARY MOVIES XIV, and previews some of the offerings at the festival! SCARY MOVIES XIV will run from August 12 - 20 at New York City’s Film at Lincoln Center. Links: Film at Lincoln Center: Scary Movies XIV Maddie’s Twitter Spook us in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:45 Maddie’s relationship with horror films and the festival 05:54 Programming the Scary Movies festival 09:25 Festival highlights 15:27 Why do we watch scary movies? 19:12 Maddie’s Deep Cut Pick

The Deep Cut team reaches a major milestone as Ben and Eli interview Deep Cut canon director Kiyoshi Kurosawa! The Japanese auteur generously answers questions about his latest film, The Samurai and the Prisoner : how does Chiyoho in this film link to Akiko in Cloud ? Are the comedic moments intentional? And Eli finally gets to ask his most burning Kurosawa question: WHY ALL THE PLASTIC SHEETS? Special thank you to Ryanne Gordon, Benkei Golden, and Amaka Nwokocha from Divergent PR and translator, filmmaker, and artist Monika Uchiyama for making this episode possible. Get trapped in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:18 Interview begins 04:13 Social structures and Murashige 05:47 Chiyoho in a man’s world 07:33 Plastic sheet 09:41 Long takes and blocking 12:47 Cinematic influences 15:18 Comedic aspects 17:02 Closing thoughts

Deep Cut director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is back with a sharp left turn in The Samurai and the Prisoner : Silence of the Lambs by way of Seven Samurai ! On this Deep Cut Upkeep episode, we return to the director of Cure and Pulse to look for the director’s unnerving tone, restrained direction, societal interrogation, and… matcha-making techniques? Make tea in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:06:48 General reactions 00:15:20 Kurosawaisms in The Samurai and the Prisoner 00:20:55 Comedy 00:31:05 Chiyoho’s version of Buddhist ideology 00:36:00 Murashige’s mysterious motivations 00:42:38 Kurosawa and tone 00:49:20 Brainstorming questions for Kurosawa 00:53:28 Our feelings on Kurosawa now

Fresh off the opening weekend of Christopher Nolan’s latest blockbuster, the Deep Cut trio welcome friend of the pod Koh Zhi Hao to talk about The Odyssey. Listen to us break down the differences in Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s poem, discuss who gave a bad performance in this, and finally answer the question; Does Chris Nolan make movies for stupid people? Take an odyssey to our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:40 Introducing film and Zhi Hao 00:09:59 Formats we saw and general reactions 00:40:35 Context and favorite moments 00:55:12 Favorite technical aspects 01:08:46 Phaeacia, Helen, and other details 01:19:54 The gods' influence on characters 01:30:37 Nolan's influence 01:34:48 Odyssey viewing formats 01:44:10 Closing

Deep Cut welcomes back dear friend and frequent guest Thanmye Lagudu to share his love for Indian filmmaker Christopher Nolan (iykyk) and his twisty Tenet . Listen as we all get a headache trying to make sense of Nolan’s (overly?) complicated plot: protagonists, time travel, character archetypes, race, temporal sphincters, and Nolan’s new collaborators in Jennifer Lame and Ludwig Göransson, and Robert Pattinson abound. And listen to the very end for an easter egg… www.deepcutpod.com our socials and discord server with our FREE patreon go there Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:56 Introducing Thanmye 00:09:59 Introducing Tenet 00:11:21 General reactions 00:19:46 Guesteral pincer movement 00:22:34 The bromance 00:25:03 The Protagonist / Determinism 00:30:00 Bond / le Carre comparisons 00:33:45 Climactic / action scenes 00:38:52 Emotional truth, vs Interstellar 00:42:07 Ludwig Göransson score 00:43:04 Editing with Jennifer Lame 00:48:16 Thanmye's favorite things about Tenet 00:54:25 "Indie" solutions / Tactile filmmaking 00:59:45 Nolan as auteur 01:01:53 Nolan male archetype 01:08:21 Hopes for The Odyssey 01:11:43 Nolan as "Indian" filmmaker 01:14:06 More from Thanmye

“MURPH! MUUUURPH!” Join us on a journey through the wormhole along with filmmaker Isadora Neves Marques as we discuss Christopher Nolan’s intergalactic adventure, Interstellar . Is love calculable? How does this compare to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: a Space Odyssey? When does Nolan intercut TOO much? And is Matt Damon’s performance good? All will be revealed… if you listen, that is. Links: You can find selections of Dora’s writing on their website . You don’t have to travel through a black hole to find our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:08 Introducing Isadora 00:09:59 Our background with Nolan 00:17:50 Christopher Nolan director background 00:21:02 Interstellar intro 00:24:24 Nolan vs Hong Sang-soo, as indie filmmaker 00:27:57 Interstellar general reactions 00:36:01 Editing 00:39:58 Eli's theory 00:42:10 Scriptwriting and plotting 00:46:48 "Filmmaker for stupid people" 00:51:34 A limited worldview 00:56:38 Masculinity / Mann is bad 01:00:33 Screenwriting lessons from Nolan 01:03:44 Black hole / ocean planet 01:06:25 Ending and masculinity 01:10:19 Nolan film bros 01:15:05 Lack of awe 01:20:15 Craft 01:24:31 More from Isadora

The seventh and final director interview Wilson conducted at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the legendary Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang. Wilson asks one of his cinematic heroes about the state of filmmaking today, his methods for working with actors, and his decades-long collaboration with Lee Kang-sheng. Kiss a melon in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 intro 03:42 What do you hope new audiences will take from your films? 04:43 Rebels of the Neon god 06:20 Tsai and realism 07:35 The Hole 09:30 Tsai’s childhood 11:13 Theaters, streamers, and art museums 13:24 Video art versus narrative cinema 16:15 Fruits and vegetables (props and crops) 17:40 Abandoned buildings 19:27 Pacing and directing actors 21:22 Working with Lee Kang-sheng 22:35 Tsai’s Deep Cut picks

The sixth of seven (6-7!!!) director interviews Wilson conducted at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the British, experimental director Ben Rivers, creator of the child-focused, post-apocalyptic exploration Mare’s Nest . Rivers speaks about giving child actors the freedom to be themselves onscreen, receiving Don Delillo’s blessing to stage his play The Word for Snow in the film, and the intention behind his depiction of an adultless world. Speak the word for snow in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:03 Interview begins 03:32 Origins of Mare's Nest 06:07 Don Delillo 09:52 Children performing adult routines 13:14 Documentary versus fiction 19:09 Film-within-film 22:06 Moon walks into the past 25:02 Location filming 28:48 SEA filmmakers 31:25 Outro

The fifth of seven director interviews Wilson conducted at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the thoughtfully impassioned Vladlena Sandu, director of the autobiographical drama Memory . Sandu shares her influences from Tarkovsky to Pajaranov, praises her collaborators on this film, how hypnotherapy helped her make this film, and her strong anti-war convictions. Remember our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:15 Interview starts 04:03 Making Sandu happen 07:47 Childhood trauma through film 10:25 Personal truth 17:34 Motifs and repetition 23:48 Child actors 30:14 Production design 35:54 Influences: Tarkovsky, Parajanov, Pasolini 40:19 Ending of the film

The fourth of seven director interviews Wilson conducted at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival is with Edwin, director of the fantasy horror Sleep No More . Edwin shares his wide range of influences from Indonesian cinema history and beyond, speaks to his film’s commentary on labor rights, shares his own Deep Cut pick, and… shares a sing-along with Wilson?! Take a nap in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:04 Indoneisan horror film history 07:30 Edwin's influences 09:00 Indonesian politics and labor 15:38 Scary scenes 17:57 Casting 20:34 Special effects 23:12 Edwin's future horror 24:39 Edwin's Deep Cut Pick 25:57 Sing-along

The third of seven director interviews Wilson conducted at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the outgoing, reflective Ang Geck Geck, director of the semi-autobiographical childhood drama Ah Girl . Wilson connects with the Singaporean director over the long road to producing Ah Girl , the research with social workers that informed the script, the parts of her own childhood and family that are in the film, and her own Deep Cut Pick. Speak in Mandarin, English, or pretty much any other language in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:32 Interview begins 07:03 Research with social workers 10:56 Child actors 15:09 Language 19:55 Personal history 26:00 Ending of the film 27:44 Next film 28:53 Deep Cut Pick 30:05 Outro

The second of seven director interviews Wilson conducted at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the thoughtful, patient Ildikó Enyedi, director of the equally thoughtful and patient Silent Friend . Wilson connects with the Hungarian director over her pensive approach to the natural world, the special place that HKIFF holds in her experience as a filmmaker, and her admiration of star Tony Leung… whose interview with Wilson is also at the end of this episode! Befriend a tree in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 03:03 - Enyedi interview 04:16 - Working with Tony Leung 06:15 - Enyedi's relationship with trees 07:32 - Academia and science 09:36 - Intercutting timelines 12:25 - Dreams, psychedelics, ecology 15:02 - Production process 17:08 - Casting a tree 19:41 - Other Enyedi films 21:34 - Further explorations 23:13 - Enyedi's Deep Cut 25:48 - Tony Leung Interview 28:13 - Outro