Edgar Wright’s 1000 favourite films and much more!Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ 
James Pillion
 

MY FAVOURITE THINGS | Better Change Your Mind

β€œWe need to make more original movies, and audiences would do well to support original movies for the future of the medium.”

β€” EDGAR WRIGHT
 

A 60-minute float tank, an impulsive gift to close out the year, induced a state of deep relaxation and weightlessness that left me feeling like speck of dust adrift in the vacuum of space. The magnesium-rich tub also made me painfully aware of just how much my body was craving some TLC. Taking time to β€˜replenish’, to allow the body intermittent periods of remedial R&R, goes a long way toward how we receive the present and shape the future.

I hope this β€˜best of’ newsletter, a compilation from the year that was, finds you in the best of company. Thank you for all the love and recommendations and wishing you a wonderful start to the year ahead. Happy New Year! Xo
 

Edgar Wright’s 1000 Favourite Films πŸ—ž

Edgar Wright’s comprehensive chronological list of film classics, a veritable filmmaker’s wet dream, has had me returning to some foundational pillars of cinema. Films like Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers (#152), John Frankenheimer’s Seconds (#277), John Boorman’s Point Blank (#291), and Peter Yates’s Bullitt (#306). Yet it was a viewing of Robert Altman’s M.A.S.H (#352) that takes the cake. How such a subversive black comedy was ever green-lit and went on to become a box office smash is unfathomable in today’s tentpole era. Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould head up a team of enlisted doctors operating on the front lines of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (I always wondered what it stood for!) and using their off-duty hours to flout every single rule in the military playbook. That their unruly behavior goes unpunished by journey’s end marks a fleeting moment when the β€˜long-hairs’ and β€˜kids with beards’ held the reigns taut over the studios. 
 

What We Gain From Pain πŸ“»

This episode of Hidden Brain offers a mixed bag of intellectual delights. Without revealing too many spoilers, Eranda Jayawickreme contends that trauma, and the very essence of suffering, has the potential to peel back the curtain on who we are. Helping us grow into our truest selves or else splintering the soul in irredeemable ways. Reflecting on my own relationship to pain, I was surprised to accept that my ability to weather and rise above personal tribulations stemmed from an unlikely outlook. When I started viewing every setback as a teachable lesson, I stopped taking things so personally and learned to appreciate the simple joys that Victor Frankl espouses in Man’s Search For Meaning.
 

Martin Eden πŸŽ₯

It’s a rather passΓ© tradition to set a film around the life of a budding writer, a young man from the wrong side of the tracks with a thirst to discover and uncover the world through the printed word. Yet Pietro Marcello’s faithful adaptation of Jack London’s book of the same name (available to download gratis straight to your kindle) elevates this class love story above mere clichΓ©. It’s lush camerawork and poignant casting giving the film a gravitas that is rare as hen’s teeth these days. There’s an ineffable magic in Luca Marinella who fills the shoes of its eponymous lead. Whose very nature, especially when juxtaposed against newcomer Jessica Cressy, is reminiscent of Italian cinema’s golden age. I’ve been obsessed with Marco Messina and Sasha Ricci’s original soundtrack too. 
 

Winning Time πŸ“Ί

I’m no basketball nutter but after getting hooked on The Last Dance, I was left with a newfound taste for juicy tales from the NBA vaults. Ths new HBO series is just what the doctor ordered and follows the adventures of Dr. Jerry Buss, chemist cum real estate mogul with dreams of turning the Los Angeles Lakers into a cultural phenomenon. Adam McKay spearheads this premium offering and captures the dawning of a new era through a curious blend of digital, grainy film stock and camcorder footage. Passion cuts deep in this laugh-out-loud dramedy and is exemplified through John C.Reilly who slam dunks every single scene. That Reilly, a Hollywood veteran (and my favourite living character actor), stepped into the lead role a week out from production is reason enough to tuck in.
 

The Big Switch πŸ–₯

It’s no easy thing to read how Australia’s leaders are deliberately delaying the adoption and importation of electric vehicles by refusing to incentivize international carmakers. While this in-depth conversation with Saul Griffith, hosted by The Australia Institute, doesn’t get to the root of the problem, it does offer an extraordinary way forward. Published earlier this year, The Big Switch unveils a comprehensive approach to replacing every facet of our personal and professional lives with green technologies. It’s a remarkably revolutionary idea to think that such a structural transition can be founded on love and community. A collective race-to-the-top instead of some frantic crisis of conscience. While this transition will require a war-time style effort, electrifying Australian life promises to put dollarydoos back in our pocket on top of decarbonizing the supply-chain of our export economy.

β€œAbout f*cking time we have an actual plan written down that can be executed and financed. In a decarbonised world, Australia is a winner. The opportunity now is ours for the taking.” β€” Mike Cannon-Brookes
 

Red Rocket πŸŽ₯

Sean Baker’s lo-fi storytelling first came to my attention while living in Los Angeles. Tangerine, his 2015 release, focuses on the life of Sin-Dee, a transvestite hooker searching the streets of Hollywood for the pimp that broke her heart. I’ve never seen a filmmaker explore the intricate dynamics of donut stores quite like Baker. As he reveals, these establishments are a sanctuary to the marginalized, from transvestite hookers to cash-strapped tradies. I love that a bare-bones Texas donut stand is the meet-cute for this frenetic comedy, introducing our down-on-his-luck hustler protagonist to the promise of youth. Red Rocket is the first film to shed some much-needed humanity on Trump’s America and I was thrilled to see Simon Rex receive his dues at this year’s Spirit Awards.
 

Rabbit Hole πŸ“»

I binge-listened to this eight-part series on a drive to Brisvegas a couple weeks back. The NY Times production, a modern examination of the internet and its aberrations, is equal parts chilling and compelling. It’s terrifying to accept that the most trusted news publication in the world lays the blame for much of the world’s turmoil at the feet of Silicon Valley. I found myself listening to Episode 5 on the rise of YouTube phenom Pewdiepie (I’d never heard of him) with my mouth hanging open. It’s hard to fathom the unprecedented power of these online celebs, whose fanbases eclipse many sovereign nations combined. It’s even harder to accept that the latest king of the jungle, TikTok, willfully lures it’s teenage audience to keep swiping for up to 6-8 hours a day.
 

An Unmarried Woman πŸŽ₯

Watching Paul Mazursky’s 1978 classic in the aftermath of a break-up was not only tortuous but positively riveting. As the American filmmaker unveils, the true potential of an individual can often only be discovered in the face of unimaginable loss. Jill Clayburgh is a most excellent audience surrogate, a proud intelligent woman with an innate self-belief in her right to a life well lived. Mazursky crafts a compelling story out of the minutia of modern life, taking aim at the patriarchy by accusing its middle-aged subjects of being far more emotional, impetuous and dramatic than their better halves. That I found myself rooting for a middle-aged stranger’s happiness and independence proves the power of this heartwarming story.
 

The North Water πŸ“Ί

In a month of otherwise unrelenting sadness, Mensun Bound’s unlikely discovery of Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship after a century of searching left me feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. It also inspired me to get my eyes on this brooding HBO series. An all-star cast of English thespians top-lines this 1860s period drama that follows a whaling vessel hunting for fresh meat in the Arctic. While the show features one of the most compelling portrayals of a whale hunt put to film, Andrew Haigh takes a wider perspective in examining the true opportunity cost of the emerging capitalist marketplace. Colin Farrell is sublime in the well-worn boots of Henry Drax, a harpoon specialist with a grudge against the world at large. I love the way he keeps Jack O’Connell on his toes at every turn.
 

Notebook On Cities and Clothes πŸ“Ή

Jonathan Taplin’s new book turned me onto this 1989 documentary on Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. Wim Wenders (Alice In The Cities, Paris, Texas) and his unique brand of storytelling played a vital role in my development. I love how Yamamoto expands on his childhood, confessing that his earliest memories were forged in the company of women, his father having died on the battlefields of WWII. It’s strangely comforting to note that the doco’s two principles, the filmmaker and his subject, are the offspring of former Axis nations yet whose outlook remains staunchly globalist and humanist. In some strange way Yamamoto’s sentiments on Paris brought the below quote to mind, which was incidentally plastered on top of a van in the depths of the Sydney CBD. You can stream the film in its entirety here.

β€œCities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created for everybody.” β€” Jane Jacobs
 

Issey Miyake πŸ‘€

I was oblivious to Issey Miyake’s pervasive legacy, from his technological innovations in the rag trade right down to the ubiquitous black turtleneck that became a symbol of innovation. One of the most potent discoveries reading his obituary was the fact that Miyake was a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. That he was able to overcome such trauma, especially after own mother died from radiation poisoning, to harness his true calling is something special. I loved this short but sweet 2009 op-ed piece in response to Obama’s historic visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Park, back when the United States was still committed to leading by example.

β€œWhen I close my eyes, I still see things no one should ever experience: a bright red light, the black cloud soon after, people running in every direction trying desperately to escape. I remember it all.” β€” Issey Miyake
 

SaΓ’da Bonaire πŸŽΆ

I was posted up at Freaking Out The Neighborhood, a new vinyl bar deep in the backstreets of Bangkok, when this album started spinning. While the place was just about empty, the laconic pulsing melody and gravelly vocals of this German new-wave band made me feel right at home. Made up by the duo Stefanie Lange and Claudia Hossfeld, the early-eighties project was ignited by Ralph β€˜von’ Richtoven, a Bremen club DJ with a burning desire to realize a singular vision. While EMI would shelve the LP to devote their full attention to Tina Turner’s Private Dancer, this favourable Pitchfork review is further proof that they were hard done by.
 

Thanks for reading. To show your support, forward it to someone who’d like it or treat yourself to one of my books.

If you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can read previous issues and subscribe here.
 

WRITING | @jamespillion
FILM | @jamespillionfilm

8 Stephen St
Bondi, NSW,
Australia

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