The Last Video Store

With his new film HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS arriving in cinemas this week, Goran Stolevski has proven himself to be one of the very best contemporary Australian filmmakers. A modern master of the close-up, each of Goran’s films are distinctly textured cinematic works worthy of your exploration. 

A rental combo that includes a screwball classic, a powerful journey through Seoul and one of the best from Pedro Almodóvar. Without a doubt, Goran Stolevski is far and away the biggest cinephile we’ve had in the Last Video Store so Alexei has to work extra fricking hard to find a staff pick rec off the beaten path.

Watch the full ep on YOUTUBE

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

BONUS EPISODE! In an attempt to not overstate things, let's just say Alexei is a tremendous fan of all things PLANET OF THE APES… so of course we had to sneak in a quick chat with WES BALL, the filmmaker behind the new film in the franchise Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ahead of its Australian release this week on May 9th. 

Watch the full episode on YOUTUBE

More from the Last Video Store later this week! 

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.

Grab your popcorn and settle in for some scintillating cinematic discussion with the great Peter Helliar. A true lifelong lover of all things film Pete is the perfect guest for The Last Video Store. He’s been on our screens in everything from Rove [Live], Skithouse, The Project and the feature film he wrote I LOVE YOU TOO (2010). Helliar now even contributes to cinema in the most noble way possible… by being a comedian with a great film podcast with YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET.

Right now, Pete is in Sydney playing the Narrator of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW live on stage.Alexei goes through some of Pete’s favourite films including a future classic romantic drama, the all-timer of hybrid sci-fi comedy cinema and the greatest Thanksgiving road comedy. Alexei of course weaves his magic to find the perfect Staff Pick for Pete… what could it be?

Watch the full episode on YOUTUBE

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.

Not just the expert on North Korean cinema and hoax authors, Dr Anna Broinowski is one of Australia’s greatest investigative documentarians. Her riveting works include FORBIDDEN LIE$, AIM HIGH IN CREATION and PAULINE HANSON: PLEASE EXPLAIN. Through these and more she’s won a Walkley, 3 AFI/AACTAs, the Al Jazeera Golden Award and even a fricking WGA prize. Anna’s latest work is her memoir DATSUN ANGEL: A true-story adventure inside the savage heart of 1980s Australia - “it’s a feminist Mad Max on really bad 80s speed”. 

Alexei’s never had a bigger hero than his mentor Anna Broinowski so it’s an honour to walk her through the shelves to pick out a rental combo of a recent Oscar-winning gothic oddity, a cult classic of experimental Danish documentary cinema and a North Korean Kaiju monster flick with the wildest backstory you’ve never heard + a staff pick recommendation from Alexei for all those looking for a great hoax.

Watch the full video on YOUTUBE

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

Announcing Top End Bub, the follow-up to one of the best Australian romantic comedies ever, Miranda Tapsell stops by The Last Video Store. Turning in incredible performances in THE DRY, THE ARTFUL DODGER and so much more Miranda has cemented her reputation as one of Australia’s finest actors. And as you’re about to learn, Miranda Tapsell can even do a dead-on Nicolas Cage impression. 

Miranda’s rental combo includes a future holiday classic, an Oscar-winning performance from one of the great music icons, a breakout hit of French cinema that inspired a global bob haircut epidemic and an underseen New York rom-com staff pick from guru Alexei Toliopoulos.

Watch the full ep on YOUTUBE

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

Celebrating the release of some homegrown horror we’re joined by the directors and star of LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. With memorable turns in modern classics THE DARK KNIGHT, DUNE, PRISONERS and THE SUICIDE SQUAD, David Dastmalchian has cemented his reputation as one of the great character actors. Now he steps into the shoes of a late night talk show host in the midst of possession horror for his first leading role. Alexei talks to the horror aficionado all about it. 

Then, we’re joined by the filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairnes to talk through 3 weekly film titles that inspired and influenced different aspects of LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL. 

GIVEAWAY: Cinema Passes to see Late Night with the Devil in Australia. To go in with a chance to win a double pass give us a 5 star review on Apple pods and send us a screenshot to our instagram @LastVideoStoreBetoota

Watch the full ep on YOUTUBE

Follow ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS on Letterboxd for all the rental combo lists. Here’s the films we talked about 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.

John Leguizamo enthusiast and children’s television antagonist Zachary Ruane steps into the Last Video Store. Even more important than his mind-melting comedy work in the legendary sketch comedy group AUNTY DONNA, Zach is a lover of film presenting cinema with his ​​FUN TIME FILM CLUB at the Lido in Melbourne. So this is a real meeting of the cinematic minds. 

Zach’s picks include Alexei’s shared favourite film of 2023, a comedy with style, an Aussie Hitchcockian thriller and a surrealist masterwork from David Lynch. AND of course Lex has cooked up the most fricking weirdly perfect pick of the series so far. Like it’s nuts how he linked them up.

Watch this episode on YOUTUBE

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

Comedian/actor/writer/director/close personal friend Nina Oyama steps into Betoota Video. Fresh off AACTA nominations for her enthusiastic performance of Abby in Deadloch and Taskmaster Australia, Nina is about to embark on her Comedy Festival tour of her new show Nina Oyama is Coming at Melbourne Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival, Brisbane Comedy Festival and Perth Comedy Festival.

A true lover of cinema, Nina’s picks range from a Norwegian body horror comedy, an indie classic in modern monochrome and one of the greatest revenge thrillers that just celebrated its 20th anniversary with a huge cinematic re-release. Somehow, Alexei weaves these together for the rarest staff pick recommendation.

Watch this episode on YOUTUBE

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

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 true Renaissance man whose multifaceted career continues to surprise us all. Tony Armstrong kicked things off in AFL playing for the Sydney Swans, then he won 2 Logies back-to-back as a presenter on ABC News Breakfast and now he’s in Betoota for his new foray into story-driven documentary with his upcoming ABC series TONY ARMSTRONG'S EXTRA-ORDINARY THINGS. 

With picks like one of the great masterpieces of surrealist anime, a grounded gritty crime epic and an inventive heist film that sits somewhere right in the middle… Alexei Toliopoulos has the perfect staff pick to pop into Tony’s combo.

Watch the full video on YOUTUBE

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

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.

The passionate journalist and Betoota local Clancy Overell welcomes Alexei to the desert town he now calls home. Stopping by to pick up a rental combo and settle some overdue late fees from a bygone era. 

It’s up to Betoota’s registered cinephile to form the perfect staff pick from an Australian classic comedy, one of Scorsese’s grandest crime sagas and a warm melancholic hug from contemporary Irish cinema.

Watch the full video on YOUTUBE HERE

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