Ty Segall’s 10 favourite movies of all time
Ty Segall quickly asserted himself as one of indie’s serial creators during a career which has spawned countless songs, volumes of albums and a catalogue capable of squashing a small city. As completely devoted to creation as he is to respiration, Segall is considered one of the finest guitarists of his generation. However, it would seem that it’s not only music which inspires the performer.
Speaking with Criterion, Segall was happy to pick out ten of his favourite movies of all time and it includes some of cinema’s finest contributors. Within his list are noted filmmakers such as David Fincher, Brian De Palma and David Lynch, as well as a few rogue choices.
However, most of his selections have a nod to his musical career, as Segall picks out Martin Scorsese’s epic The Last Waltz, a movie which captured the legendary final performance of The Band, featuring songs from Bob Dylan, Neil Young and more. About the movie, Segall said: “As a music junkie, I think this documentary is essential just because you get to watch them play. (Levon Helm is my favourite.) There are parts that feel like music videos, and it’s completely different from, let’s say, a fly-on-the-wall, Dont Look Back–style documentary that follows a musician over a period of time. The Last Waltz is a great example of blending more traditional documentary elements with the staged performances of a concert film. Side note: One of my dogs is named Fanny, which I took from ‘The Weight.'”
It’s not the only musical pick, however, as Segall pays tribute to one of the greatest comedies of all time, This Is Spinal Tap. “This choice is a little on the nose,” Segall confesses, “but I had to include it. I’m a touring musician, so it’s a must. This Is Spinal Tap is one of the funniest movies ever. Christopher Guest and his crew have a great track record of hilarity, and it started here. And the music is actually pretty great.”
Famed for his transcendent on-stage performances, Segall hints at his penchant for the psychedelic as he picks one of the trippiest movies of all time Fantastic Planet. Segall said of the René Laloux picture: “The visuals are amazing, but it made my list because of the soundtrack. It’s pretty much one musical theme played fifteen different ways, which is a cool exercise. I would love to do a score like this one day.”
Picking Brian De Palma’s Blow Out, Segall once again shows his hand as a musician. “I just love the use of sound in Blow Out,” he explains. “More films need to use sound as a driving force of the plot. In Blow Out, sound is put under a sonic magnifying glass, so to speak. Maybe I’m extra sensitive to it, but it’s a lot of fun.
Elsewhere on the list, Segall selects Terry Gillam’s Brazil, which includes “one of my favourite endings in a sci-fi film, or any film for that matter,” and David Lynch’s Eraserhead. About the latter, Segall notes: “The images are terrifying and wild, but the sound design is by far the most interesting part.”
Find the full list of Ty Segall’s favourite movies below.
Ty Segall’s 10 favourite movies:
- Brazil – Terry Gillam
- Grey Gardens – David Maysles, Albert Maysles, Ellen Hovde, Muffie Meyer
- Blow Out – Brian De Palma
- Scanners – David Cronenberg
- The Last Waltz – Martin Scorsese
- This Is Spinal Tap – Rob Reiner
- Eraserhead – David Lynch
- Koyaanisqatsi – Godfrey Reggio
- Fantastic Planet – René Laloux
- The Game – David Fincher
