Like many cinephiles around the world, I love Letterboxd. And I love the interviews Letterboxd’s journalists do with cast and crew. Asking people their four favorite films or the films that inspired their work isn’t just a fun opportunity to pass judgment on people’s tastes — it’s also a way to introduce people to movies they may have never seen! In fact, much of my early film education was thanks to Martin Scorsese‘s commitment to frequently discussing his favorite films and which films inspired his work.
Their latest video finds Mia Lee Vicino interviewing Love Lies Bleeding director Rose Glass and stars Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian about the movies that Glass assigned the actors before filming. This eclectic selection of five films makes perfect sense for anyone who has seen Love Lies Bleeding. And if you loved that film, you should check these out!
Showgirls (dir. Paul Verhoeven, 1995)
Watch on The Criterion Channel
Showgirls is having a moment! Just this week the film screened at the Academy Museum and star Elizabeth Berkley thanked the LGBTQ community for understanding the film when no one else did. It’s also a perfect companion for Love Lies Bleeding due to its over-the-top tone, ambitious main characters, and bursts of sex and violence.
Crash (dir. David Cronenberg, 1996)
Since it’s not streaming on any official services, I recommend buying the excellent Criterion Blu-Ray edition. But if you need a test drive first, the film is available for free on the Internet Archive. David Cronenberg’s masterful adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s novel is about a group of people who get turned on by car crashes. Blurring the lines between eroticism and frigidity, this steel cold work is one of Cronenberg’s very best.
Saturday Night Fever (dir. John Badham, 1977)
Best known for John Travolta and “Stayin’ Alive,” Kristen Stewart points out that the film is actually much darker than its reputation. Like Stewart before working on Love Lies Bleeding, I haven’t seen this since I was a teenager, and I’m so curious to revisit it as an adult. Sometimes films are obscure, because no one has heard of them, but other times they’re obscure, because they’re so popular they get turned into cultural artifacts far removed from their substance.
The Night Porter (dir. Liliana Cavani, 1974)
While Charlotte Rampling certainly looks hot in short hair and suspenders, take a closer look at the poster and you’ll see she’s also wearing an SS hat. Rampling plays a Holocaust survivor who years later encounters the Nazi who tortured her in a concentration camp. Pushing the boundaries of BDSM, Liliana Cavani’s most famous work is a kinky, unpleasant, and worthwhile film.
A Snake of June (dir. Shinya Tsukamoto, 2002)
This is the only film on the list I haven’t seen and I’m so excited to change that! Shinya Tsukamoto is the visionary director behind Testuo: The Iron Man and if that film is any indication this is sure to be a weird, challenging, and horny cinematic experience. You can access Kanopy with most library cards and I’m always so delighted by all the gems of cinema hidden within their collection. Let’s all watch this 77 minute movie and then meet back here to discuss, yeah?
And check out the video of Glass, Stewart, and O’Brian discussing the films below!
Director Rose Glass and stars Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian walk @miavicino through the films that were homework watches to prepare for Love Lies Bleeding. 💪🩸 pic.twitter.com/raHQGCMX41
— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) March 21, 2024
Different access points here in the UK but i can’t wait to dive in!