Ep. 278: Sean Baker on Anora and its influences, and his recent viewing Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. We’re back with an extra-special episode that’s chock full of pure movie love! Written and directed by Sean Baker, Anora starring Mikey Madison keeps winning over audiences as it’s expanded to theaters across the country, with its New York story of a stripper (Madison) and her star-crossed relationship with a billionaire’s son (Mark Eydelshteyn). Baker is a voracious cinephile, so I jumped at the chance to sit down with him on The Last Thing I Saw and talk about the movie influences on Anora – plus some choice making-of details – and also what he’s been watching. His movie-watching range was an absolute delight to hear about, and I won’t spoil it here – so have a listen and enjoy! Anora won the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes film festival, where it premiered. Baker's other films include The Florida Project, Tangerine, Starlet, Prince of Broadway, Red Rocket, and another New York-set movie, Take Out. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 277: Shonni Enelow on Acting: We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Mid-to-Late Rohmer, The Beast Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week I’m happy to welcome back scholar Shonni Enelow for another thoughtful chat about acting and performance, and how they reflect or respond to changing times. Enelow, a professor at Fordham University who just published a new book on Joanna Hogg, writes an acting column at Reverse Shot. We talk about realism in 21st-century acting and direct address through her first column’s subject, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, as well as I Saw the TV Glow, both directed by Jane Schoenbrun. Then we discuss the distinctive performances and styles of self-presentation in Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast and two mid-to-late films of Eric Rohmer. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 268: Venice 2024: Jessica Kiang on April, Queer, Vermiglio, Happyend, 2073 Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 81st Venice Film Festival had a few more important films up its sleeve in its final days, and I was very happy to sit down in Venice with Jessica Kiang of Variety for a chat. Titles discussed include: April (directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili), Queer (Luca Guadagnino), Vermiglio (Maura Delpero), Happyend (Neo Sora), and 2073 (Asif Kapadia). This episode was recorded before the awards, where the honors included the Grand Jury Prize for Vermiglio and the Special Jury Prize for April. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 178: Cannes #6 with Jordan Cronk on Kaurismaki’s Fallen Leaves, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, an ACID pick Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 2023 Cannes film festival series continues, live from Cannes! This episode I talk with globe-trotting critic Jordan Cronk. We discuss Cannes premieres, including Aki Kaurismaki’s Fallen Leaves, the Directors’ Fortnight debut feature Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, a glimmer from the late Jean-Luc Godard, and one of Cronk’s picks from the ACID independent film showcase. Stay tuned for more episodes with a delightful array of brilliant critics. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 177: Cannes #6 with Beatrice Loayza on Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, The Delinquents, Killers of the Flower Moon Redux Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 2023 Cannes film festival series continues, live from Cannes! This episode I talk with critic Beatrice Loayza who writes for The New York Times, Film Comment, and other publications. We discuss some Cannes premieres, including Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Rodrigo Moreno’s The Delinquents, and Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, from another perspective. Stay tuned for more episodes with a delightful array of brilliant critics. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 176: Cannes #5 with Eric Hynes on Todd Haynes’s May December, Eureka, Pictures of Ghosts Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 2023 Cannes film festival series continues, live from Cannes! This episode I talk with Eric Hynes, curator of film at the Museum of the Moving Image. We discuss recent Cannes premieres, including Todd Haynes’s May December with Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton; Lisandro Alonso’s return to feature filmmaking, Eureka; and Kleber Mendonca Filho’s exquisite Pictures of Ghosts. Stay tuned for more episodes with a shimmering array of brilliant critics. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 175: Cannes #3 with Jon Dieringer on Zone of Interest, Wang Bing’s Youth, Occupied City Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 2023 Cannes film festival series continues, live from Cannes! This episode I talk with Jon Dieringer, editor and publisher of the one and only Screen Slate. We discuss recent Cannes titles of note, including Jonathan Glazer’s Zone of Interest, Wang Bing’s Youth, Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, and maybe even a glimpse of Scorsese's latest, Killers of the Flower Moon. Stay tuned for more episodes with a glittering array of brilliant critics. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 174: Cannes #2 with Mark Asch on Jeanne du Barry, Kore-eda’s Monster, Sweet East, The Goldman Case Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 2023 Cannes film festival series continues, live from Cannes! This episode I talk with critic Mark Asch about recent Cannes highlights (and otherwise), including Maiwenn’s festival opener Jeanne du Barry, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster, Sean Price Williams’s The Sweet East, and Cedric Kahn’s The Goldman Case. Stay tuned for more episodes with a glittering array of brilliant critics. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 173: Cannes #1 with Eric Hynes Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. And I’m beginning my reports from the latest edition of the Cannes film festival. For my first episode, I talk with Eric Hynes, curator of film at the Museum of the Moving Image, about the 2023 slate. We palaver about the highlights, “big” and “small” titles alike, offer a few anticipatory picks. We talk about what we expect to be seeing, and the enormous value, too, of seeing the unexpected. Stay tuned for more episodes with a panoply of brilliant critics. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 172: Amy Taubin on Dead Ringers, Warhol's Batman Dracula, High Flying Bird, Joie Lee, Elephant Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week I’m pleased as punch to speak with the critic Amy Taubin about her ongoing “Carte Blanche” series at the Museum of Modern Art, plus some recent viewing. Titles include: Dead Ringers (TV), Warhol’s unfinished Batman Dracula, High Flying Bird (directed by Steven Soderbergh), Fuller’s Pickup on South Street, shorts by Joie Lee, and Agnieszka Holland’s Washington Square, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh. I also ask Amy about interviewing Barbara Loden for the Soho News, and we chat about my latest pick for New Essentials at the Roxy Cinema in New York: Gus Van Sant’s Elephant. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 171: Beatrice Loayza on Erotic Thrillers + Dry Ground Burning + a NDNF pick Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week I talk with critic Beatrice Loayza (The New York Times, Cinema Scope) about erotic thrillers—the subject of a new series of films on the Criterion Channel. Loayza wrote an article thinking through the genre, and we discuss the titles available for streaming now from the 1980s and 90s: Ken Russell’s Crimes of Passion, John Dahl’s The Last Seduction, Nicholas Kazan’s Dream Lover, and Sollace Mitchell’s New York–set Call Me, among others. Loayza also talks about a recent stand-out among new releases, Dry Ground Burning, from directors Joana Pimenta and Adirley Queirós, and I offer a pick from the recent edition of New Directors / New Films. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 170: K.J. Relth-Miller on the VardaVerse, Neptune Frost, Pat Rocco, Titanic 3D, and more Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week I’m delighted to welcome the wonderful K.J. Relth-Miller of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. We discuss selections from the Academy Museum program “Enter the VardaVerse: Women’s Liberation Through Film, 1971–1977” including Agnes Varda’s One Sings, The Other Doesn’t and Julie Dash’s rarely shown UCLA film Diary of an African Nun. Relth-Miller also talks about the contemporary films she teaches at CalArts, and a couple of filmmakers who captured Los Angeles: Melvin Van Peebles and Pat Rocco. Plus: Titanic 3D! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Monserrate” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 169: Synecdoche, New York with Michael Joshua Rowin, plus Brakhage, Resnais, Duras Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. I’ve been hosting a screening series recently called New Essentials at the Roxy Cinema in New York. This weekend I’m presenting Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut feature, Synecdoche, New York (2008), the sprawling story of a playwright (Philip Seymour Hoffman) attempting to stage a truly world-sized drama while navigating his wrecked personal life. For the latest episode, I discuss Kaufman’s rich and strange and funny movie with critic Michael Joshua Rowin, who wrote about it for Reverse Shot. We also compare notes on the last things each of us has seen, including films by more adventurers in subjectivity: Stan Brakhage, Alain Resnais, and Marguerite Duras. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 267: Venice 2024: Edo Choi on Pavements, Familiar Touch, Mistress Dispeller, Israel Palestine doc, plus Joker 2 Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 81st Venice Film Festival is underway, and I’m podcasting from the Lido about the latest movies to screen. This time I chatted with Edo Choi of the Museum of the Moving Image who is writing up a couple of films for Reverse Shot. Titles discussed include: Pavements (directed by Alex Ross Perry), Familiar Touch (Sarah Friedland), Mistress Dispeller (Elizabeth Lo), Israel Palestine on Swedish TV (1958-1989) (Göran Hugo Olsson), and, before we had to run off, a smidgen from me on Joker: Folie à Deux (Todd Phillips). Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 168: True False 2023 with Eric Hynes on Hummingbirds, Art Talent Show, Time Bomb Y2K, more Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week I report to you from the True/False Film Fest in Columbia, Missouri, and its international showcase of nonfiction cinema. On a sunny day I sat down with Eric Hynes, curator of film at the Museum of the Moving Image, about a number of highlights, including Hummingbirds from Silvia Castaños and Estefanía “Beba” Contreras, Time Bomb Y2K from Brian Becker and Marley McDonald, and more. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 167: Berlin 2023 Six with Jordan Cronk: Hong’s In Water, Forum (incl. James Benning), Mal Viver + Viver Mal, The Echo, Samsara Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. We conclude (?) with the latest and greatest from the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival. To catch up, I chat with Jordan Cronk, critic, programmer, and co-founder of Acropolis Cinema in Los Angeles. We discuss Hong Sangsoo’s In Water, Forum highlights including James Benning’s Allensworth, Tatiana Huezo’s The Echo, Joao Canijo’s two-part hotel epic Mal Viver and Viver Mal, and Lois Patiño’s Samsara. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 166: Berlin 2023 Five with Inney Prakash: Notre Corps, An Atypical Orbit incl. Eduardo Williams, Kevin Jerome Everson, Mangosteen Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. We continue with the latest and greatest from the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival. For my latest episode, I chat with programmer Inney Prakash, founder/director of the festival Prismatic Ground. We consider discuss Claire Simon’s documentary Notre Corps; the Forum Expanded exhibition An Atypical Orbit which includes the Eduardo Williams work A Very Long GIF; a new short by Kevin Jerome Everson, If You Don’t Watch the Way You Move; and Tulapop Saenjaroen’s Mangosteen. Stay tuned for more from the Berlinale! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 165: Berlin 2023 Four with Jessica Kiang: Petzold's Afire, Reality, The Shadowless Tower, The Survival of Kindness Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. We continue with the latest and greatest from the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival. For my latest episode, I chat with critic Jessica Kiang who is writing for Variety and The New York Times. We consider this year’s festival and discuss Christian Petzold’s Afire, Tina Satter’s Reality starring Sydney Sweeney, Zhang Lu’s The Shadowless Tower, and Rolf de Heer’s The Survival of Kindness. Stay tuned for more from the Berlinale! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 164: Berlin 2023 Three with Jonathan Romney: Angela Schanelec’s Music, Limbo, On the Adamant, Superpower Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week I bring you the latest and greatest from Berlinale 2023. For my latest episode, I chat with critic Jonathan Romney (Screen, The Observer). We consider what’s special about this year’s festival and discuss Angela Schanelec’s Music, Ivan Sen’s Limbo, Nicolas Philibert’s On the Adamant, and Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s Superpower. Stay tuned for more from the Berlinale! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 163: Berlin 2023 Two with Jordan Cronk: Philippe Garrel’s The Plough, Totem, Here, Disco Boy, Dominik Graf's Melting Ink Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week I bring you the latest and greatest from the Berlinale. For my latest episode, I chat with festival stalwart Jordan Cronk, critic and Acropolis Cinema programmer. We discussed films from across the sections of the 2023 edition: Philippe Garrel’s The Plough, Lila Aviles’s Totem, Bas Devos’s Here, Giacomo Abbruzzese’s Disco Boy (starring Franz Rogowski), and Dominik Graf’s Melting Ink. Stay tuned for more from the Berlinale! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 162: Berlin 2023 One with Giovanni Marchini Camia: The Adults, Manodrome, Margaret Tait, Orlando Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week I bring you the latest and greatest for the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, aka the Berlinale. For my first episode, I connected with Berlin-based critic, programmer, and Fireflies Press co-publisher Giovanni Marchini Camia. We discussed films from across the sections of the festival: Dustin Guy Defa’s The Adults, John Trengrove’s Manodrome, Luke Fowler’s Being in a Place: A Portrait of Margaret Tait, and Paul Preciado’s debut feature, Orlando, My Political Biography. Stay tuned for more from the Berlinale! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 161: Sundance 2023 Six with Eric Hynes: Drift, Kokomo City, 20 Days in Mariupol, Mami Wata Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The Sundance Film Festival episodes come to their thrilling conclusion (I think) with a final selection of highlights, brought straight to your ears. I talk with Eric Hynes, curator of film at the Museum of the Moving Image, about Kokomo City, Drift, 20 Days in Mariupol, The Stroll, Iron Butterflies, Mami Wata, and last but not least, Talk to Me. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 160: Sundance 2023 Five with Jessica Kiang: All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt + The Disappearance of Shere Hite Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The Sundance Film Festival left me with a number of worthy movies that I couldn’t shake from my mind anytime soon. So I’m back with critic Jessica Kiang (Variety) for the second part of our discussion. This time we go into a couple of films that people will definitely continue to talk about: a debut feature with a strong and singular voice, Raven Jackson’s All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, and the revelatory documentary from Nicole Newnham, The Disappearance of Shere Hite. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 159: Sundance 2023 Four with Jessica Kiang: Past Lives, Passages, Notes on Hybrid Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The Sundance Film Festival has officially wound down but I still have good movies to share with you! This time I joined forces with critic Jessica Kiang, who was reviewing films for Variety at the festival. Our discussion spans two episodes. Part One begins with notes on the hybrid nature of this edition, then moves on to Celine Song’s wonderful debut feature Past Lives and Ira Sachs’s latest drama, the finely observed love triangle Passages. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 266: Venice 2024: Guy Lodge on Harvest, Babygirl Redux, Peacock, Diciannove (Nineteen) Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 81st Venice Film Festival is underway, and I’m podcasting from the Lido about the latest movies to screen. This time I chatted with critic Guy Lodge of Variety about a number of titles including Harvest (directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari), Diciannove (Giovanni Tortorici), Peacock (Bernhard Wenger), and one more time, Babygirl (Halina Reijn), starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 158: Sundance 2023 Three with Eric Hynes Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The Sundance Film Festival is back in action, returning to in-person screenings and events after two virtual years. I caught up again with Eric Hynes, curator of film at the Museum of the Moving Image, about some of Films of Interest at the festival, including The Tuba Thieves, Rotting in the Sun, Cat Person, and Fremont. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 157: Sundance 2023 Two with Amy Taubin Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The Sundance Film Festival is back in action, returning to in-person screenings and events after two virtual years. I sat down with Last Thing I Saw regular and veteran of Sundance, critic Amy Taubin, about some of the highlights (and otherwise) at the festival, including Past Lives, Polite Society, and a Nam June Paik documentary. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 156: Sundance 2023 One with Eric Hynes Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The Sundance Film Festival is back in action, returning to in-person screenings and events after two virtual years. To discuss the 2023 edition and some movie highlights so far, I spoke with longtime attendee Eric Hynes, curator of film at MOMI. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 155: Snubbed! with Michael Koresky, Eric Hynes, and Edo Choi Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This month the Museum of the Moving Image starts the series “Snubbed: Great Movies, No Nominations.” The rules are simple: very fine films that were ignored, overlooked, or snubbed (if you will) by the Academy. For this episode I’m joined by the delightful series co-programmers: Eric Hynes, curator of film at MOMI; Michael Koresky, co-editor of Reverse Shot; and Edo Choi, associate curator at MOMI. Each chose a couple of films to represent the varieties of snubbage that occur when the Oscars and the history of great movies fail to intersect. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 154: Avatar 2, Michael Mann, Nope, Casa Susanna, Rosa von Praunheim, World Cup Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The thrilling conclusion of 2022 has arrived, starring critic Mark Asch in a discussion about all of the pressing matters of the moment in the film world: Avatar 2: The Way of Water, digital cinema and Michael Mann, Nope, Casa Susanna, Rosa von Praunheim, and the 2022 World Cup. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 153: Bruce Bennett on Blue Collar, Canyon Passage, Ragtime, Ken Burns Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This episode I continue my conversation with writer Bruce Bennett, who’s back on the show with a new garden of cinematic delights. In the first half, we talked about Chabrol and Skolimowski and British rarities, and now in the second half, Bruce takes us deep into the heart of America on film through Paul Schrader’s Blue Collar, Jacques Tourneur’s Canyon Passage, Milos Forman’s Ragtime, and Ken Burns’s recent series The U.S. and the Holocaust. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 152: Amy Taubin on Godard, Greatest Films, and more Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m Nicolas Rapold. Critic Amy Taubin joins the podcast for another delightful year-end discussion. She shares her thoughts on Godard by way of See You Friday, Robinson, a remarkable film that connected the late French master in a correspondence with Iranian writer-director Ebrahim Golestan. Then it’s on to the ever-vexing issues and omissions involved in selecting the greatest films of all time, viewed from Taubin’s career-spanning vantage point. Also: a TV recommendation. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 151: Adam Nayman and Beatrice Loayza on Eternal Daughter, Genre, Recent Listing Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m Nicolas Rapold. It’s been about a year since I was last joined by critics Adam Nayman and Beatrice Loayza, so it felt like high time to get the band (i.e., the two of them) back together. We discussed some recent viewing which inevitably meant talking about the Greatest poll we had all participated in, as they share some of the criteria behind their ballots. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 150: Laura Poitras on All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m Nicolas Rapold. One of the year’s best films is All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, directed by Laura Poitras. It’s about the life and work of photographer Nan Goldin, and her successful activism against the Sackler Family, whose company PurduePharma produced Oxycontin. Poitras and Goldin were collaborators on the film, which is a deeply moving work of art itself, featuring Goldin’s candid photography and her tough and evocative voiceover. Goldin speaks openly of traumas in her past, including the tragic story of her sister, Barbara. I’m a huge admirer of Poitras’s films, and as she generously pointed out, I first interviewed her in 2010 about her film The Oath, which was followed by her features Risk and Citizenfour, winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary. It was an honor to talk with her again about All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, winner of the Golden Lion in Venice and more recently Best Documentary from the New York Film Critics Circle. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 149: Bruce Bennett on Skolimowski’s Deep End, Baby Love, Chabrol Freakout, and more Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This episode I had a wonderful time talking with the inimitable Bruce Bennett, who’s back on the show with a new garden of cinematic delights. We start with Deep End, a past hit from director Jerzy Skolimowski, who’s enjoying a renaissance with EO. From there, we delve into unsung British rarities from the turn of the 1970s and the wildest Claude Chabrol film you ever did (or did not) see. But wait, there’s more! So much more, in fact, that I will publish the second half of our jampacked chat separately. Stay tuned! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 265: Venice 2024: Glenn Kenny on The Room Next Door, I’m Still Here, Wolfs, Separated, Finally, The Brutalist Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 81st Venice Film Festival is underway, and I’m podcasting from on site about the latest movies to screen. This time I chatted with critic Glenn Kenny (Roger Ebert, The New York Times) about a number of titles including The Room Next Door (directed by Pedro Almodóvar), I’m Still Here (Walter Salles), Separated (Errol Morris), Wolfs (Jon Watts), and Finally (Claude Lelouch), with notes on a couple of restorations. Glenn also weighs in on The Brutalist and One to One: John & Yoko. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 148: IDFA #2 with Julian Ross: Manifesto, Documentary on Stage, and more Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. To discuss another sampling of the slate at IDFA (the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), I sat down with Julian Ross, a curator and critic based in Amsterdam. Among the works we discuss are a provocative prize-winner, Manifesto; a live multimedia work, Between Nothingness and Infinity, I Began to Weep; Rea Tajiri’s Wisdom Gone Wild; and a special medium-length pick. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 147: Eric Hynes on IDFA 2022: Apolonia, Apolonia and beyond! Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. Every year I take in a new crop of nonfiction films from around the world at IDFA (the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam). Many of them will wend their way to festivals, theaters, and streaming, and I’m happy to select a few highlights with Eric Hynes, curator of film at the Museum of the Moving Image, who is also a regular IDFA attendee. Among the films we discuss is the top prize-winner of the international competition: Apolonia, Apolonia, which was 13 years in the making. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 146: Fun City with Margaret Barton-Fumo and Jonathan Hertzberg, from Morvern Callar to Heartbreakers Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. Critic and ol’ pal Margaret Barton-Fumo clued me in on the Fun City Editions label, founded and run by Jonathan Hertzberg. It’s a Blu-ray and music imprint with a particular penchant for 1980s movies that have fallen through the cracks over the years—such as Heartbreakers, starring Peter Coyote, or Cutter’s Way, with Jeff Bridges and John Heard—as well as other fine films such as Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar (which by coincidence I recently introduced at the Roxy Cinema). We talk about all of these titles, plus others, and at the end, Jonathan and Margaret (who hosts the show No Pussyfooting on kpiss.fm) have some cool recent viewing to share. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 145: Elvis Mitchell on Is That Black Enough for You?!? Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. Elvis Mitchell is a critic I read early on in my career, and with this episode, I was delighted to talk with him about his new movie, Is That Black Enough for You?!? Mitchell’s essay film is a rich and multilayered history of Black cinema, full of insights on micro and macro levels. We talked about the movie and follow the threads of his inspirations and ideas, which trace influences across film and music and crosscurrents in society and culture. He also relates encounters with Harry Belafonte and other luminaries that influenced his thinking. Our conversation took place during the New York Film Festival, where his film premiered, and at times reminded me of the flow of the movie itself. Is That Black Enough for You?!? starts streaming on November 11 on Netflix. Elvis Mitchell has been the host of KCRW's The Treatment since its creation in 1996. During that time, he has served as a film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The New York Times, and hosted the TV series "Elvis Goes There" on Epix and "Elvis Goes There" for Turner Classic Movies. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 144: She Said, Women Talking, Aftersun, Catherine Called Birdy with Alissa WIlkinson Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This week for the first time on the podcast I talk with Alissa Wilkinson, who is senior culture reporter and critic at Vox as well as an associate professor of English and humanities at The King's College. We talked about some films coming out now, or soon, including She Said, starring Cary Mulligan and Zoe Kazan; Sarah Polley’s Women Talking; Aftersun, Charlotte Wells’s acclaimed debut feature starring Paul Mescal; and Lena Dunham’s medieval comedy Catherine Called Birdy. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 143: Park Chan-wook on Decision to Leave Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave is one of the best films of 2022, hands-down, showing the Korean master at the height of his powers with this dazzling, seductive thriller. I was fortunate enough to sit down with director Park during the New York Film Festival, where Decision to Leave screened, following its world premiere at Cannes in May. We discussed the origin of the story, his filmmaking decisions from the micro to the macro, the casting of Tang Wei and Park Hae-il, his collaboration with the screenwriter Jeong Seo-kyeong, and, naturally, the last film he saw. Special thanks to translator Jiwon Lee, who is also heard on the audio. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Amy Taubin on Eo, Master Gardener, Alcarras, Tar, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Kira Muratova Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. As the New York Film Festival continues, I spoke with the one and only Amy Taubin about some of its selection of movies assembled from the year’s highlights. She shares her thoughts on a wide range, including Jerzy Skolimowski’s Eo, Paul Schrader’s Master Gardener, Carla Simon’s Alcarras, Todd Field’s Tar, and Laura Poitras’s All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, plus the long-suppressed work of Kira Muratova. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

White Noise with Christian Lorentzen Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The opening movie of the New York Film Festival was White Noise, which also opened the Venice film festival just a few weeks ago. To grapple with Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of the 1985 Don DeLillo classic, I spoke with the critic Christian Lorentzen about everything from the novel’s place in the literary tradition to the minute details that distinguish the adaptation to what the 1980s look like. White Noise opens later this fall through Netflix. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Toronto 2022 #3: No Bears, Knives Out 2, The People’s Joker, The Menu, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, with Sam Adams Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The Toronto International Film Festival showed several more movies worthy of discussion that we hadn’t yet discussed on the podcast, and so I brought on a special guest to wrap things up with his insights: Sam Adams, senior editor of Slate. He shares his thoughts on an array of films including Jafar Panahi’s No Bears, Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (aka Knives Out 2), Vera Drew’s The People’s Joker, Laura Poitras’s All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, and The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Toronto 2022 #2: How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Wendell & Wild, Eventide, Life, Victim, Cine-Guerrillas, The Fabelmans, with Eric Hynes Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The new movies keep on coming with the latest from the Toronto International Film Festival! This time I chat with Eric Hynes, curator of the Museum of the Moving Image, who shares his thoughts on Daniel Goldhaber’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Sharon Lockhart’s Eventide, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild (with Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key), Emir Baigazin’s Life, Mila Turajlić’s Ciné-Guerrillas: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels, Michal Blaško’s Victim, and more on The Fabelmans. Check back for more films to keep an eye on! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 264: Venice 2024: Jordan Cronk on The Brutalist, Cloud, Baby Invasion, The Day the Clown Cried, Three Friends Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, with your host, Nicolas Rapold. The 81st Venice Film Festival has just begun, and I’m podcasting from the festival about the latest movies to screen. This time I chatted with critic and programmer Jordan Cronk. Among the titles we discussed are The Brutalist (directed by Brady Corbet), Cloud (Kiyoshi Kurosawa), Baby Invasion (Harmony Korine), Three Friends (Emmanuel Mouret), and a documentary about Jerry Lewis’s unfinished film The Day the Clown Cried, From Darkness To Light (Michael Lurie and Eric Friedler). Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Toronto 2022 #1: Women Talking, The Fabelmans, The Inspection, Concrete Valley, with Mark Asch Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. The new movies keep on coming with the latest from the Toronto International Film Festival! I kick off my reports with this streetside chat with critic Mark Asch. We discuss Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, Elegance Bratton’s The Inspection, and Antoine Bourges’ Concrete Valley (which is in fact set in Toronto). Check back for more films to keep an eye on! Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Venice #5: Blonde, Athena, Beyond the Wall, The Happiest Man in the World, Casa Susanna, with Jonathan Romney Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. As this year’s action-packed Venice Film Festival draws nearer to the end, I return to the airwaves with veteran critic Jonathan Romney. We discuss the much-anticipated Marilyn Monroe picture Blonde, from director Andrew Dominik, starring Ana de Armas; Romain Gavras’s Athena; Beyond the Wall, from Iran’s Vahid Jalilvand; Teona Strugar Mitevska’s The Happiest Man in the World; and Sebastien Lifshitz’s documentary Casa Susanna. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass

Ep. 136: Venice: Master Gardener, Dead for a Dollar, A Couple, Sergio Leone doc, with Glenn Kenny Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw. I’m your host, Nicolas Rapold. This time at the Venice Film Festival, I talk with critic Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.Com and The New York Times about Paul Schrader’s Master Gardener, Walter Hill’s Dead for a Dollar, Frederick Wiseman’s A Couple, and documentaries about Sergio Leone and Richard Harris. Please support the production of this podcast by signing up at: rapold.substack.com Music: “Tomorrow’s Forecast” by The Minarets, courtesy of The Minarets Photo by Steve Snodgrass