Village Voice Reunion: Manohla Dargis, Lisa Kennedy, and Amy Taubin

The latest podcast brings together three voices to talk about movies (and film criticism)

Dear Last Thing I Saw fans,

I came up reading the Village Voice and being inspired by its storied and influential history of film criticism. So it’s a special pleasure and honor to share the latest episode of The Last Thing I Saw, featuring an all-star reunion of three Voice alums: Manohla Dargis, co-chief film critic of The New York Times; Lisa Kennedy, who writes for many publications including the Times; and Amy Taubin, a critic and a contributing editor at Artforum.

We talked about their shared past at the Voice—where Kennedy edited work by both Dargis and Taubin—and the sense of possibility at that cultural nexus as they wrote at different points in their careers. Then the discussion turned to some highlights of their viewing so far this year, comparing notes on titles that have stuck with them from Sundance and beyond.

This was a lot of fun, andso energizing to talk to these three fearless critics! So I hope you’ll check out our conversation.

Thanks for listening and reading,

Nic

NEW PODCAST NOTES

Ep. 108: Manohla Dargis, Lisa Kennedy, Amy Taubin

An all-star reunion of Village Voice alums talking about recent highlights.

Manohla Dargis is the co-chief film critic of The New York Times. She started writing about avant-garde cinema at the Voice early in her career.

Lisa Kennedy has written for The New York Times, Essence, American Theatre, Variety, and the Denver Post, on both film and theater. She was an editor at the Voice for a decade, working on pieces by Manohla Dargis and Amy Taubin, as well as writing criticism (some available online, including essays and a Tarantino profile).

Amy Taubin is a contributing editor at Artforum and Sight & Sound. She wrote full-time at the Voice for 14 years, including the essential “Art and Industry” column and pieces such as this feature on Kids.

For more information on the podcast’s opening and closing music by The Minarets (gratefully used with permission), follow the band on Instagram

@theminaretsmusic

THIS CRITIC’S PICKS

Delectable selections for home viewing.

Drive My Car (HBO MAX) – the award-winning film from Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Trouble in Paradise (Criterion)

Je tu il elle (HBO MAX) – Chantal Akerman

The Spirit of the Beehive (Criterion)

All the President’s Men (HBO MAX)

THE END

Here I may end with a song.

ABOUT ME

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw! Nicolas Rapold speaking.

Besides hosting this podcast, I’m a writer and an editor. My features, interviews, festival dispatches, and reviews are published in The New York Times, Sight & Sound, Artforum, Filmmaker, and W Magazine (and appeared in dearly departed publications such as The Village Voice, Stop Smiling, The New York Sun, and The L Magazine).

I worked as editor-in-chief of Film Comment, where I was for 15 years. I assigned and edited both web and print editorial, hosted its podcast and talks and screenings, learned from brilliant writers, curated Film Comment Selects, and wrote a lot, including interviews with Spike Lee, Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, and Frederick Wiseman. Film Comment was subsequently awarded the Film Heritage Award by the National Society of Film Critics (an honor historically awarded to the Museum of Modern Art and other institutions).

Feel free to get in touch re: writing, editing, moderating, programming, podcasting, etc.

nicolas.rapold@gmail.com