Bill Hader names the only movies he watches at least once a year: “It has everything”
There have been many great entertainers to pass through the hallowed halls of the Criterion building, with everyone from Michael Cera to Pamela Anderson revealing an eclectic and thoughtful taste in cinema. But one of the earliest people to take us through their favourites, while wearing a t-shirt that referenced the great Japanese horror House, was Bill Hader, highlighting his love for films like Salo (a great date movie) and Amarcord.
But after this, Hader established himself as somewhat of a connoisseur, with his knowledge of the medium only exploding after directing Barry, an HBO original series about a professional assassin who falls in love with acting. Since then, he has continued to draw attention to the works that sustain his creative appetite and most inspired his directorial career, listing two movies as his undisputed favourites that he returns to every year.
For many people, Steven Spielberg is the ultimate symbol of Hollywood and all that it can achieve, with each of his awe-inducing spectacles proving to children and adults alike that magic can be found through the big screen and making us feel through stories about wars, dinosaurs and everything in between.
But many of us were first introduced to his work through the terrifying story of a great-white shark who terrorises a picturesque beach town, despite the fact that the film was expected to make no splash at all. During the disastrous production, Spielberg stuck to his grand vision and didn’t compromise at all, even though the crew were reluctant to carry out his grand ideas.
While the creative team might have been surprised when it became a global blockbuster, Spielberg perhaps wasn’t, knowing its potential from day one and sticking to his guns, no matter how difficult. As a result, it became one of the biggest cinematic hits of all time, with Hader saying, “I watch it every 4th of July. It has everything you’d want in a movie. It’s what we’ll show the aliens when they land: ‘This is called a movie.’”
It’s a story that has it all, with intrigue, suspense and gore as the central trio are ravaged by the shark and persevere despite all the odds stacked against them. His other favourite yearly watch also has similar qualities to Jaws, with a group of characters who persist with their mission despite having very little chance of success.
Waiting for Guffman is a perfect movie about the highs and lows of show business, a mockumentary about an amateur theatre group staging a performance in the hopes that a big-shot Broadway agent will be there to scout for new talent. With a stellar cast consisting of Christopher Guest, Parker Posey, Catherine O’Hara, Larry Miller and Fred Willard, the story is a wonderful concoction of everything we love about show business, following the spirited attempts of this group to pull off their performance.
Hader described his love for the film, saying, “I watch this once a year. Everyone in this movie is perfect. Every performance is beyond inspired. Watch the DVD extras to see Parker Posey’s character’s audition. It’s genius”. It’s a wonderful and life-affirming story that reminds us of why we try to entertain in the first place, and one that speaks to Hader’s own experiences in this industry.
