In his latest adventure, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV attempts to pull of his most daring mission yet, saving cinema from the brink of desolation. Top Gun: Maverick is it cool or does it rule? Blake Howard joins Alexei to answer that question. 

NEXT in {HEIST}: SET IT OFF (1996)
Join our Patreon for just $5 to get access to our spin-off TOTAL RESPECT, sign up HERE. We're going weekly on patreon covering everything from coming attractions, what we have watched and bonus movie episodes.
BUY the After Dark: Neo Noir Cinema boxset featuing our commentary from IMPRINT or JB Hi-Fi
FINDING DRAGO / FINDING DESPERADO - Subscribe on APPLE PODCAST or SPOTIFY See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top Gun: Maverick {NEW RELEASE}

The Betoota Advocate presents a chat show about the films you love. Join the movie maestro Alexei Toliopoulos in ‘The Last Video Store’ - located in the outback town of Betoota. Its a special hub of culture and memories with every single movie ever made lining its infinite shelves. Alexei talks with a guest about their most cherished cinematic selections, before he sends them of with a bespoke film recommendation based on their taste.
The rental combo is:
1 x New Release
2 x Weeklies
1 x Staff Pick
 
Follow us on Instagram @lastvideostorebetoota

TV & Film

Comedy

One of Australia’s greatest storytellers, Troy Cassar-Daley holds the record for most Golden Guitar Awards cementing the proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung as one of country music’s greatest icons. Troy’s new album BETWEEN THE FIRES is out now, recorded at his late mother’s home, it is a powerfully moving collection of songs and stories. 
Without hyperbolising, this may be one of the best conversations Alexei has ever recorded. Troy has picked some films that resonate deeply with him and those emotional connections prove to be fertile ground for laughs and some top-tier cinematic celebration. Complete with a staff pick of a western that needs to be crystallised into the canon of cinema’s greats, the TCD visit might be the perfect episode of THE LAST VIDEO STORE.
Watch the full episode on YOUTUBE

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

Troy Cassar-Daley, the Country Music Luminary

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.

Goran Stolevski, the filmmaker of OF AN AGE, HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and YOU WON’T BE ALONE

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.

Wes Ball, director of KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

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.

Peter Helliar, Iconic Comedian, Writer and Film Buff

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.

Top Gun: Maverick {NEW RELEASE}

Download our free app to listen on your phone