The Wicker Man (1973) - my favorite movie ever. folk horror masterpiece. so beautiful visually, and such a rich text with so much to interpret and analyze its just one of those movies you think about for the rest of your life.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010) - unfortunately this movie has gotten a bad reputation so people make assumptions when you admit to liking it but I love this movie. I think its an insanely fun movie to watch, I love how itās done with the fun comic book/retro video game style, and at its core is a beautiful story about love, change, and growth.
Hereditary (2018) - I actually havenāt seen this movie in a long time but I really love the story, I think itās a haunting family tragedy that transitions into expertly-done horror. I love the occult elements and the symbolism and Iām badly due for a rewatch just for the richness and complexity of it all
Goodfellas (1990) - my favorite mob movie ever. Scorseseās masterpiece. like many of Scorseseās movies, itās about a guy hubristically ruining his own life, but its so beautifully shot and written and is so rightfully a staple of the genre.
Jan 6, 2025
Related Recs
1. The Three Caballeros (1945)
iām a big animation nerd, and i truly believe that this is visually one of the most creative and beautiful animated films ever. i know thereās not really much of a āplot,ā but i love how anarchical the flow of the movie is, disney has not and will never make anything like it again. the musical sequences/song numbers are so much fun and joaoaqin garay and josĆ© oliveira give amazing performances as panchito and josĆ© carioca
2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
this was my #1 favorite for the longest time, and itās now a *very* close second. this movie is just the epitome of expertly crafted film making on so many different levels, from the writing, directing, acting, practical effects, and animation. itās a perfect homage and combination to two of my favorite film eras, old film noir and the golden age of animation. richard williamās animation direction is also mindblowingly brilliant; so many insane shots in this movie that i know were almost impossible to animate.
3. A Clockwork Orange
i am aware that this is a starkly different pick from my first two, lmao. but this is genuinely such a fascinating film that speaks to me on so many levels. malcom mcdowell truly gives a performance of a lifetime, and the intentional setting of 60ās/70ās brutalist futurism is genuinely so iconic. obviously kubrickās direction and camera work is also genius, donāt have much to add there. i donāt necessarily agree with every point this film tried to get across, but the question if even the worst people in our society deserve the autonomy to choose between right and wrong is so fascinating.
4. Amadeus
perfect movie from beginning to end in my opinion. it is a master class in character writing, i can never get over how salieri and mozart are THE perfect character foils of eachother. the opera segments in this film are so beautifully shot, designed, and choreographe. this film is responsible for me genuinely falling in love with opera, where i now shoot/film my universityās operas as a consistent favorite gig of mine (and hope to professionally shoot operas as a part of my career in the future).
Jan 9, 2025
Parasite - Saw it 6 times in theaters and itās honestly a perfect movie in my opinion
Evil Dead 2 - I love Sam Raimi and the combo of horror and slapstick that I think a lot of people might find immature but also those people are no fun
Sorry To Bother You - This is a truly underrated gem in my opinion. Not for everyone but it has such a distinct style and comedy and I really love it. Warning for Armie Hammer jumpscare
Psycho - a classic to show the masses Iām a true cinephile. But for real amazing movie, and especially as a designer I love a good Saul Bass intro
add me on LB @allisonthompson
Nov 11, 2024
first is mulholland driveā a movie that i just adore to my bones. everything about it feels like it captures the contradictions and dream logic of being a human being.
next is cassavetesā opening nightā probably the best on screen performance ever given. after a certain point, it felt like I was going through the scenes with gena rowlands.
the conformistā beautiful, obscene, strange, kinda sexy? truly unique movie.
close-upā never have i ever cried as hard to a movie as i did to this final scene. it makes you question whatās real and isnāt, and then say you donāt care. such a beautiful thing.
Jan 7, 2025
Top Recs from @bisonspider
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study the folklore and myth of your actual local region. live your daily life under the logic of fairytales. communicate as heavily as possible in proverbs and riddles. humans are a storytelling creature and there is a reason these archetypes and motifs appear to humans across times/cultures/places
Feb 13, 2024
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Substack that emails you the entirety of Bram Stokerās Dracula in real time. since the novel is composed of diary entries, it sends you the diary entries day by day so you can read it on the same timeline in which it takes place. it started earlier this month but itās not too late to catch up!! or you could wait until next may. classics can be intimidating but this gives you the opportunity to read it in daily segments in your email and follow along in an immersive way :)
May 20, 2024
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lots of great recs here, but if you want horror that is more based in storytelling and has a bit more on its mind than just slashers or gore you should check out folk horror or older horror films from the 60s/70s. as others have recommended, The Wicker Man (1973) is a must. Rosemaryās Baby (1968) is also a classic. The VVitch (2015) is also fantastic as an intro to more conceptual horror. you said you wanted deeper cuts, so check out Viy (1967) or Alucarda (1977), both of which iāve posted more detailed recs for on my profile. also!!!! i donāt know how you feel about silent/b&w films but Nosferatu (1922) is an all-time genre mainstay that still holds up. Ari Asterās work is great but itās probably more gruesome than youāre looking for. have fun!!!
Apr 24, 2024