Guillermo del Toro Creates Massive Quarantine Watch List With Aronofsky, Aster, and More
Zack Sharf
Guillermo del Toro has been unusually quiet on social media during his quarantine, but that all has changed with the publication of a giant Twitter thread revealing the many books he’s been reading and films he’s been watching while on break from filming his new movie, “Nightmare Alley.” The “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Shape of Water” Oscar winner encouraged his fellow filmmakers to weigh in with their own watch lists, and the result is an incredible thread featuring the likes of Darren Aronofsky, Ari Aster, Ava DuVernay, Sarah Polley, Edgar Wright, Rian Johnson, Brad Bird, Scott Derickson, James Mangold, and a lot more. Click here to begin the Twitter thread.
It should not be too surprising to hear del Toro has been streaming a lot of titles on The Criterion Channel, including Gustaf Molander’s “A Woman’s Face,” Ermanno Olmi’s “Il Posto,” and Celine Sciamma’s “Girlhood” and “Tomboy.” The director is even using the streaming platform to show his kids the “bulletproof stuff” such as “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Rear Window.” As for the television shows taht del Toro is watching, the director singled out critical favorites such as “Ozark” and “Better Call Saul,” plus guilty pleasure classics like “Chopped.”
“Doctor Strange” director Scott Derickson replied to del Toro and said he’s obsessed with Alex Garland’s “Devs,” which just ended its run on FX on Hulu. “It is a compelling thriller built upon some very advanced science/philosophy many-worlds theories and the the visuals are gorgeous,” he wrote. “Just an amazing show.”
Ava DuVernay admitted to having some strange tastes while in quarantine, mentioning her one day back-to-back binge of “Notting Hill” and Béla Tarr’s “The Turin Horse.” Ari Aster has been re-watching the third season of HBO’s “The Sopranos.” Rian Johnson checked out Robert Altman’s “3 Women,” which won Shelley Duvall the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Darren Aronofsky listed some of the films he’s watched in his 40 days of quarantine and counting: “Barton Fink,” “Amelie,” “Rashamon,” and “Total Recall.” The “mother!” director added he’s also been reading classic works from Henry David Thoreau and Pablo Neruda.
Check out highlights from the Twitter thread below. Read del Toro’s full chain here.
When you find someone with a small but incredibly deep output (on film, I can think of Jean Vigo, on books, Harper Lee or, in a different way, Capote and on painting, perhaps Vermeer) then the promise, the temptation, is to dwell longer on each piece you can access.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) April 20, 2020
Or explore Sciamma along with her GIRLHOOD and TOMBOY.
Or watch REDES or Columbia Film Noir (some Joseph H Lewis in there!) or THE EXECUTIONER by Berlanga. SO much!! In my opinion, HD and Bluray are pure honey when viewing B&W films.
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) April 20, 2020
I loved the third season of OZARK
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) April 20, 2020
The TV show that I cannot recommend more strongly is Alex Garland’s DEVS on Hulu. It is a compelling thriller built upon some very advanced science/philosophy many-worlds theories — and the the visuals are gorgeous. Just an amazing show.
— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) April 20, 2020
gdt nice to be talking. i’ve been catching up on a lot of classics. watched so far: barton fink, amelie, roshaman, total recall (original). reading: thoreau walden and pablo neruda. listening to: KMLN and schubert. been in quarantine for 40 days. https://t.co/sv2XtVsWbO
— darren aronofsky (@DarrenAronofsky) April 20, 2020
I’ve been rewatching Sopranos season 3, which is a supreme work of art. Also been rewatching the TV version of ‘Scenes from a Marriage.’ It’s been a comfort to watch two morbidly disenchanted people decimate each other in the comfort and privacy of THEIR homes.
— Ari Aster (@AriAster) April 20, 2020
And “Notting Hill.” I mean, need I say more? Caught it last night on insomnia-time cable. Delicious. “I just a girl, asking a boy…” Horse + Hound Magazine. His odd, great group of friends. Her smile where you can see every tooth. Bill Withers montage in the middle. I mean… pic.twitter.com/nrN18GbUKs
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 20, 2020
In the first watch category: Altman’s 3 Women. I had always imagined this was an impenetrable artsy slog… it is insane and hilarious, and ultimately touching. Duvall is great in it but Spacek is the real MVP for me. It’s stuck with me.
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) April 20, 2020
