i was put onto the gospel of michael mann by a brilliant tumblr mutual bux (who’s writing on film & music, rock & power pop specifically, continues to influence & amaze me) . i love his impressionistic romances & the space & mood he creates in his work . i’d begin with miami vice (2006 - theatrical cut) it starts with an incredible club scene featuring numb/encore that brings you immediately & vividly into the digital noir world that mann creates , the romance is beautiful & emotional & incredibly believable & it leans into the feeling of the movie rather then the specific details of the plot (though he’s famous for his meticulously researched characters)
the wachowski’s are often overlooked in the auteur conversation maybe because of their genre filled catalogue , i’d start with speed racer (2008) because there is still literally nothing like it , ahead of it’s time on release & still is now . accompany your viewing of any of their movies with the essays from sensing transgender by cael keegan . i was lucky enough to see him introduce a screening of the matrix a few years ago & his examination of their full body of work is definitely worth reading
this video about satoshi kon changed the way i thought about editing & cuts in movies & the way his work flows & also how he revisits the same themes throughout his movies makes it rewarding to work through his catalogue . start with perfect blue (1997) it’s a classic for a reason , & then tokyo godfathers (2003) because it is sentimental & beautiful .
[i know this is 3 sorry 🙇♀️]
Sep 4, 2024
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this finnish fool gets it. if you like early jim jarmusch or win wenders this is next up in your cue. all of his 80s films are perfect. dry comedy, sad, romantic, slow, good music, relatable themes, meandering and mystical. what’s especially cool about him is that he mainly works with the same cinematographer and shoots only on film. so the movies he made in the 2000s feel and look the same as his early works. i love all his movies but i’d highly recommend starting with:
- SHADOWS IN PARADISE
- ARIEL
- THE MATCH FACTORY GIRL
- LIGHTS IN THE DUSK
- LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO AMERICA
Nov 18, 2023
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'Mozart in Love' and 'The Vanity Tables of Douglas Sirk' are particular favorites.
Dec 19, 2023
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In the last few months I have watched all of his films and read his book. While I have been obsessed with other artists, this has been my most intense and committed deep dive. I was first introduced to him through his more structured works (The Beach Bum and Mr. Lonely) then I started to unpack his more perverse and experimental projects. I found many of his films unbearable upon first watch (KIDS, Trash Humpers, Baby Invasion) but even then there is always a strong statement behind what he creates and these pieces proved to be constantly on my mind. One of the interesting aspects of his method is the fact that the harder something is to watch, the more it has an impact on you. He is more interested in creating viscerally poignant works than following the traditional conventions of cinema, and he has stated that he believes art to be perfect in the fact that it simply exists. What Harmony was able to create with Gummo is an amazingly unique directorial debut, and all of his projects since are impressively committed to his style and artistic vision. None of his works appeal to everyone, but none of his works necessarily seek to. Harmony Korine is a man that dropped out of NYU to skateboard and make movies. The more I have sought to understand what he creates, the more he has become an artist that I deeply respect.
May 19, 2025
Top Recs from @seiji
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there’s that little jolt of joy when you discover that you’re having the same experience as another person
Mar 8, 2025
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it’s the perfect length for me to watch after work , i can start a movie at 11 or even 12 & get to bed at the (mostly) reasonable hour of 1:30 at the latest . sometimes i will extend this to 100 or 110 min if i‘m feeling indulgent or ambitious .
i could watch an hour of tv but this gives me a whole story in only a little bit more time .
Sep 11, 2024
Jul 6, 2024