Thurston Moore’s favourite movies of all time
Among the most iconic American bands to transcend the experimental frameworks of the no wave movement, Sonic Youth had an almost unparalleled impact on the contemporary musical landscape. Guitarist Thurston Moore was one of the major contributing factors behind the band’s incredible success, aiding the development of a unique sonic identity that challenged the prevailing rock conventions of the time.
On multiple occasions, Moore has commented on the various musical influences that shaped Sonic Youth’s artistic sensibilities. Ranging from the groundbreaking experimentations of The Velvet Underground to the politically charged ethos of hardcore punk, the band drew from an eclectic mixture of sources while crafting their own approach. However, music wasn’t the only art form that inspired them on their own journey.
During an interview with Criterion, the band members sat down to discuss some of their favourite films that continue to have a lasting impact on their personal and creative lives. While Kim Gordon cited Terrence Malick’s masterful Days of Heaven and Steve Shelley included Billy Wilder’s dark and gritty Ace in the Hole as a top pick, Moore went down a completely different direction when it came to whittling down his own list.
Moore began with Masahiro Shinoda’s incredible 1969 historical epic Double Suicide, claiming that he was a huge fan of the Japanese auteur. He said: “One of Shinoda’s most beautiful epics—desire, obsession, love, and death—heavy, emotional, all-or-nothing melodrama made propulsive by the amazing musical genius of Toru Takemitsu. All of Shinoda’s films are essential viewing (Pale Flower, Silence, The Assassination, Owl’s Castle).”
The acclaimed guitarist also included George Sluizer’s fascinating 1988 thriller The Vanishing, once referred to by Stanley Kubrick as the most horrifying film he had ever seen. Moore commented: “Totally unnerving psychodrama where a man’s girlfriend is abducted and, after searching for her for three years, he begins to receive messages from the abductor. And then it gets veeerrry weird. Sluizer also directed a film called Dark Blood, which would be interesting to find.”
Check out the full list below.
Thurston Moore’s favourite movies:
- Double Suicide (Masahiro Shinoda, 1969)
- The Vanishing (George Sluizer, 1988)
- Mamma Roma (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1962)
Moore’s list is an interesting selection that draws on the rich and varied traditions of world cinema. In addition to Masahiro Shinoda and George Sluizer, the musician also cited the transgressive Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini as a source of inspiration. Pasolini’s famous works, such as Teorema and Salò are widely known, but Moore went with a different pick.
Titled Mamma Roma, the 1962 was one of the first features Pasolini ever directed. It stars Anna Magnani as the titular character, a sex worker who attempts to build a better life. Moore gushed: “Anna Magnani is one of the great actresses of the twentieth century, and this 1962 Pasolini film exhibits her talent in its most sophisticated beauty.”
