The Last Video Store – Details, episodes & analysis

Pop culture podcast royalty, Nick "Maso" Mason and James "Mr. Sunday Movies" Clement of the Weekly Planet take an esteemed tour of THE LAST VIDEO STORE. A journey through cinema that is less a Caravan of Garbage and more like a Battle for Endorphins because this episode is a pleasurable experience for the brain.

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s their combo on LB.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can’t be fricking denied, Missy Higgins is one of Australia’s most cherished singer/songwriters. Her new album The Second Act – “a kind of sequel” to her hugely influential debut The Sound Of White which is also celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Missy jumps into the Last Video Store and guides Alexei Toliopoulos through her weirdly perfect trilogy of films.

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s Missy Higgins combo!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Horror filmmaker Ti West sits down with Alexei for a short sharp bonus chat in the lead up to his new film MaXXXine, the third in a trilogy of horror films starring Mia Goth. One of the key settings of his latest film is a dank 1980s horror/porno video store, so we had to jump over to Ti for a catch-up about it all. Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. 

Music & sounds by Rowan Dix

Produced & Edited by Alex Jae and Xanon Murphy 

Art by Hollow Bones Studio 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an historic meeting of the minds, Walkley-winning journalist and documentary maker Marc Fennell steps into The Last Video Store. With season 2 of Marc’s factual tv show STUFF THE BRITISH STOLE currently airing, we asked him to get back to his roots of film criticism to talk about some of his favourite films with Alexei. 

Watch the full episode on YOUTUBE

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s Marc Fennell’s film combo on Letterboxd. 

Music & sounds by Rowan Dix

Produced & Edited by Alex Jae and Xanon Murphy 

Art by Hollow Bones Studio 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Aotearoa’s most celebrated actors, Rachel House (HEARTBREAK HIGH, MOANA) joins Alexei to talk about her directorial debut THE MOUNTAIN. A heartfelt NZ family adventure about three children on a mission to find healing under the watchful eye of Taranaki Maunga (Mountain), and discover the magic of friendship along the way. Coming-of-age cinema informs the combo today so think about the films that made you fall in love with movies when you pop this in your eyes and ears. 

Watch the FULL EP ON YOUTUBE

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s Rachel’s combo on Letterboxd. 

Music & sounds by Rowan Dix

Produced & Edited by Alex Jae and Xanon Murphy 

Art by Hollow Bones Studio 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A much-treasured star of the Australian comedy scene, Aaron Gocs is bloody electric on screen. Catch him and a bunch of your favourite Australian comedians in THE EMU WAR, screening all around Australia this weekend (FIND A CINEMA NEAR YOU HERE). The Emu War gave me some of the most fun I’ve ever had in the cinema. Huge and powerful grubby laughs. You have to see it. 

Gocsy is one of Alexei’s oldest mates in comedy, so he knows the fellas taste damn well. Might actually nail the recommendation on this one. 

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s Gocsy’s list. 

Music & sounds by Rowan Dix

Produced & Edited by Alex Jae and Xanon Murphy 

Art by Hollow Bones Studio 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Alexei’s best friends, Mitch Orr jumps in to talk his favourite films. Known as “the Prince of Pasta”, Mitch Orr has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting voices in the culinary world. You can currently savour his flavours at KILN at the Ace Hotel in Sydeny and St Kilda’s Prince Dining Room. He’s also co-hosting a Cuisine on Screen program of the best food movies with Alexei at Golden Age Cinema. 

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s MITCH’s combo on Letterboxd.

Catch Alexei hosting the incredible Sunburnt Screens weekend of screenings at The Sydney Opera House on June 27, 28 and 30 HERE

Watch the full episode on YOUTUBE

Music & sounds by Rowan Dix

Produced & Edited by Alex Jae and Xanon Murphy 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WAYNE’S WORLD, FOUR ROOMS, GAS FOOD LODGING and SAY ANYTHING… Ione Skye stars in all films that sat on Alexei’s staff picks shelf back in his days at Mondo Movies. Ione is not just an all-timer great actor, she’s also the co-host one of the best podcasts WEIRDER TOGETHER with Ben Lee (hear it on SPOTIFY and APPLE). 

In the midst of writing her memoir, Ione stopped by the Last Video Store. Ione is one of the best people to talk film with so we cover everything from one of the great modern epics, a hard noir and the film that kicked off 90s American Indie cinema. 

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s IONE’s combo on Letterboxd.

Catch Alexei hosting the incredible Sunburnt Screens weekend of screenings at The Sydney Opera House on June 27, 28 and 30 HERE

Watch the full episode on YOUTUBE

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. 

Music & sounds by Rowan Dix

Produced & Edited by Alex Jae and Xanon Murphy 

Art by Hollow Bones Studio 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you haven’t seen Aaron Chen’s YouTube special please remedy this ASAP

Beloved comedian and dearest friend Aaron Chen joins Alexei in the Last Video Store to reminisce and pick up a combo of his favourite films. Aaron selects one of the great martial arts comedies, an iconic masterpiece of dystopian speculative fiction and a newly returned New Release title PLUS Alexei slips in an Ozlpoitation staff pick for him.

Watch the full episode on YOUTUBE

Catch Alexei hosting the incredible Sunburnt Screens weekend of screenings at The Sydney Opera House on June 27, 28 and 30 HERE

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s AARON’s combo on Letterboxd.

Music & sounds by Rowan Dix

Produced & Edited by Alex Jae and Xanon Murphy 

Art by Hollow Bones Studio 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Witness me! Celebrating the release of the decade’s most exciting action spectacle FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA. Filmmaker George Miller + stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth have made their way through the wastelands of a post-apocalyptic Australia to find themselves in THE LAST VIDEO STORE. Alexei Toliopoulos sits down with them all to discuss the madness, the Greekness and the fury that goes into making an epic. 

Watch George Miller's interview HERE and Chris & Anya's interview HERE

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. 

Music & sounds by Rowan Dix

Produced & Edited by Alex Jae and Xanon Murphy 

Art by Hollow Bones Studio 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.