Of late I feel myself moving away from lists. Their ubiquity and the vapidity of so many of them are all part of the reason why. But I also now have the sense that concentrating on one work per written piece is preferable, something that comports with my long-held belief that each mo-pic, even at its most blaringly derivative, is a specific emanation from a unique moment in time — thus distinctive, incomparable, and unrepeatable. I’d still like a place to catalog certain favorites, hence this living document, on which I list, in alphabetical order, with one exception, the works that mean the most to me. Titles will be added (and perhaps dropped) over time. I also intend to do site-specific write-ups for several of these selections, so entries and links will be added. The main criteria for inclusion is that all of these works haunt me in some way, have effectively taken up residence at a molecular level to the point that I’m inclined to rewatch them in life or replay them in memory. (02/16/2023)
The X-Files (1993-2018, Chris Carter, et al., TV series and Movies)
The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse) (1960, Fritz Lang)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)
24 Frames (2017, Abbas Kiarostami)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001, Steven Spielberg)
All That Heaven Allows (1955, Douglas Sirk)
All That Jazz (1979, Bob Fosse)
Almayer’s Folly (La folie Almayer) (2011, Chantal Akerman)
American Gigolo (1980, Paul Schrader)
And Life Goes On (Zendegi va digar hich) (1992, Abbas Kiarostami)
Andrei Rublev (Strasti po Andreyu) (1966, Andrei Tarkovsky)
Angel’s Egg (Tenshi no tamago) (1985, Oshii Mamoru)
Annette (2021, Leos Carax)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007, Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis)
The Assassin (Ciki Nie Yin Niang) (2015, Hsiao-hsien Hou)
Barry Lyndon (1975, Stanley Kubrick)
Belfast, Maine (1999, Frederick Wiseman)
Beloved (1998, Jonathan Demme)
Better Call Saul (2015-2022, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, et al.)
The Birds (1963, Alfred Hitchcock)
Black Narcissus (1947, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
Body Double (1984, Brian De Palma)
BoJack Horseman (2014-2020, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, et al.)
Boy Meets Girl (1984, Leos Carax)
Breakdown (1997, Jonathan Mostow)
Breaking Bad (2008-2013, Vince Gilligan, et al.)
The Brood (1979, David Cronenberg)
Bruce Springsteen: If I Should Fall Behind (2000, Jonathan Demme)
California Dreamin’ (Nesfarsit) (2007, Cristian Nemescu)
Canal Zone (1977, Frederick Wiseman)
Carlito’s Way (1993, Brian De Palma)
Celine and Julie Go Boating (Céline et Julie vont en bateau: Phantom Ladies Over Paris) (1974, Jacques Rivette)
Certified Copy (2010, Abbas Kiarostami)
Charulata (1964, Satyajit Ray)
Citizen’s Band (1977, Jonathan Demme)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977, Steven Spielberg, first cut)
Close-Up (Nema-ye Nazdik) (1990, Abbas Kiarostami)
The Cobweb (1955, Vincente Minnelli)
The Color Purple (1985, Steven Spielberg)
Cowboy Bebop (1998-2001, Shinichirō Watanabe, et al., TV series and Movie)
Deadwood (2004-2019, David Milch, et al.)
Death Proof (2007, Quentin Tarantino)
Der Tiger von Eschnapur (1959, Fritz Lang)
Diary of a Country Priest (Journal d’un curé de campagne) (1951, Robert Bresson)
Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge (1924, Fritz Lang)
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924, Fritz Lang)
Domain (2009, Patric Chiha)
Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler) (1922, Fritz Lang)
Dressed to Kill (1980, Brian De Palma)
The Duchess of Langeais (Ne touchez pas la hache) (2007, Jacques Rivette)
Duck Soup (1933, Leo McCarey)
Duck, You Sucker! (Giù la testa) (1971, Sergio Leone)
Duelle (Duelle (une quarantaine)) (1976, Jacques Rivette)
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019, Vince Gilligan)
Empire of the Sun (1987, Steven Spielberg)
EO (2022, Jerzy Skolimowski)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982, Steven Spielberg)
eXistenZ (1999, David Cronenberg)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999, Stanley Kubrick)
Face (Visage) (2009, Ming-liang Tsai)
Fearless (1993, Peter Weir)
Femme Fatale (2002, Brian De Palma)
Five Dedicated to Ozu (2003, Abbas Kiarostami)
The Fly (1986, David Cronenberg)
The Fog (1980, John Carpenter)
Forty Guns (1957, Samuel Fuller)
Foxy Brown (1974, Jack Hill)
The Fury (1978, Brian De Palma)
The Gang’s All Here (1943, Busby Berkeley)
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Inosensu) (2004, Oshii Mamoru)
Godzilla (2014, Gareth Edwards)
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Gojira vs. Kingu Gidorâ) (1991, Ohmori Kazuki)
The Green Fog (2017, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson and Guy Maddin)
Halloween (1978, John Carpenter)
Halloween (2007, Rob Zombie, director’s cut)
Halloween II (2009, Rob Zombie, director’s cut)
Hannibal (2013-2015, Bryan Fuller, et al.)
Harsh Realm (1999-2000, Chris Carter, et al.)
Hellraiser (1987, Clive Barker)
Hi, Mom! (1970, Brian De Palma)
High and Low (Tengoku to jigoku) (1963, Kurosawa Akira)
Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959, Alain Resnais)
The Hole (Dong) (1998, Ming-liang Tsai)
House of Bamboo (1955, Samuel Fuller)
The House of Mirth (2000, Terence Davies)
I Could Go on Singing (1963, Ronald Neame)
Imitation of Life (1959, Douglas Sirk)
In the Mouth of Madness (1994, John Carpenter)
The Indian Tomb (Das indische Grabmal) (1959, Fritz Lang)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, Steven Spielberg)
Inland Empire (2006, David Lynch)
Ivan’s Childhood (Ivanovo detstvo) (1962, Andrei Tarkovsky)
Jackie Brown (1997, Quentin Tarantino)
Je t'aime, je t'aime (1968, Alain Resnais)
Joan the Maid 1: The Battles (Jeanne la Pucelle I - Les batailles) (1994, Jacques Rivette)
Joan the Maid 2: The Prisons (Jeanne la Pucelle II - Les prisons) (1994, Jacques Rivette)
John From Cincinnati (2007, David Milch, et al.)
Jurassic Park (1993, Steven Spielberg)
Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids (2016, Jonathan Demme)
Juvenile Court (1973, Frederick Wiseman)
Knight of Cups (2015, Terrence Malick)
La Flor (2018, Mariano Llinás)
L’Age d’Or (1930, Luis Buñuel)
L’Argent (1983, Robert Bresson)
The Last of the Mohicans (1992, Michael Mann, theatrical and director’s definitive cut)
Last Year at Marienbad (L'année dernière à Marienbad) (1961, Alain Resnais)
Léon Morin, Priest (Léon Morin, prêtre) (1961, Jean-Pierre Melville)
The Limey (1999, Steven Soderbergh)
Line Describing a Cone (1973, Anthony McCall)
The Lone Gunmen (2001, Chris Carter, et al.)
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003, Joe Dante)
M (M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder) (1931, Fritz Lang)
The Mad Songs of Fernanda Hussein (2001, John Gianvito)
Margaret (2011, Kenneth Lonergan)
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003, Peter Weir)
Memoria (2021, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang)
Miami Vice (2006, Michael Mann, theatrical cut)
Millennium (1996-1999, Chris Carter, et al.)
Mirror (Zerkalo) (1975, Andrei Tarkovsky)
Moses and Aaron (Moses und Aron) (1975, Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub)
Munich (2005, Steven Spielberg)
The Naked Kiss (1964, Samuel Fuller)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (Shin seiki evangerion) (1995-1996, Hideaki Anno, et al.)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijô-ban: Air/Magokoro wo, kimi ni) (1997, Hideaki Anno and Kazuya Tsurumaki)
New Order: The Perfect Kiss (1985, Jonathan Demme)
The New World (2005, Terrence Malick, all versions)
Night and Fog (Nuit et brouillard) (1956, Alain Resnais)
No Bears (Khers nist) (2022, Jafar Panahi)
The North Water (2021, Andrew Haigh)
Nostalghia (1983, Andrei Tarkovsky)
Not Fade Away (2012, David Chase)
Once Upon a Time in America (1984, Sergio Leone)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, Sergio Leone)
Out 1 (Out 1, noli me tangere) (1971, Jacques Rivette)
Paths of Glory (1957, Stanley Kubrick)
Pauline at the Beach (Pauline à la plage) (1983, Éric Rohmer)
Peeping Tom (1960, Michael Powell)
Perceval (Perceval le Gallois) (1978, Éric Rohmer)
Personal Problems (1980, Bill Gunn)
Pickup on South Street (1953, Samuel Fuller)
Pierrot le fou (1965, Jean-Luc Godard)
Playtime (1967, Jacques Tati)
Prince of Darkness (1987, John Carpenter)
Providence (1977, Alain Resnais)
Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock)
Queer as Folk (1999-2000, Russell T. Davies, et al.)
Rabbit of Seville (1950, Chuck Jones)
Ready Player One (2018, Steven Spielberg)
The River (He liu) (1997, Ming-liang Tsai)
The Romance of Astrea and Celadon (Les amours d'Astrée et de Céladon) (2007, Éric Rohmer)
The Sacrifice (1986, Andrei Tarkovsky)
Secret Defense (Secret défense) (1998, Jacques Rivette)
Sense8 (2015-2018, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, et al.)
Shin Godzilla (Shin Gojira) (2016, Anno Hideaki and Higuchi Shinji)
The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme)
Solaris (Solyaris) (1972, Andrei Tarkovsky)
Something Wild (1986, Jonathan Demme)
Song to Song (2017, Terrence Malick)
Speed Racer (2008, Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski)
Spider (2002, David Cronenberg)
Spies (Spione) (1928, Fritz Lang)
Stalker (1979, Andrei Tarkovsky)
The Steel Helmet (1951, Samuel Fuller)
Step Up 3D (2010, Jon M. Chu)
The Store (1983, Frederick Wiseman)
The Sun (Solntse) (2005, Aleksandr Sokurov)
Swing Shift (1984, Jonathan Demme, director’s cut)
The Steamroller and the Violin (Katok i skripka) (1961, Andrei Tarkovsky)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974, Joseph Sargent)
The Tales of Hoffmann (1951, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
Targets (1968, Peter Bogdanovich)
Ten Mornings Ten Evenings and One Horizon (2016, Tomonari Nishikawa)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse) (1933, Fritz Lang)
The Thin Red Line (1998, Terrence Malick)
They Live (1988, John Carpenter)
Through the Olive Trees (Zire darakhatan zeyton) (1994, Abbas Kiarostami)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, Tomas Alfredson)
To Sleep with Anger (1990, Charles Burnett)
To the Wonder (2012, Terrence Malick)
The Tree of Life (2011, Terrence Malick, all versions)
The Truth About Charlie (2002, Jonathan Demme)
Twin Peaks (1990-1991/1992/2017, David Lynch, et al., TV Series and Movie)
Unfaithfully Yours (1948, Preston Sturges)
The Venture Bros. (2003-2023, Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer, et al., TV Series and Movie)
Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock)
Videodrome (1983, David Cronenberg)
Vitalina Varela (2019, Pedro Costa)
Where Is the Friend’s House? (Khane-ye doust kodjast?) (1987, Abbas Kiarostami)
White Dog (1982, Samuel Fuller)
Wild Grass (Les herbes folles) (2009, Alain Resnais)
Written on the Wind (1956, Douglas Sirk)
Yearning (Midareru) (1960, Naruse Mikio)
You Only Live Once (1937, Fritz Lang)
The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les demoiselles de Rochefort) (1967, Jacques Demy)
Youth Without Youth (2007, Francis Ford Coppola)