This music video changed my life as a kid. Green Day has been one of my favorite bands since I was 8 years old, and I remember scouring YouTube and repeatedly watching all of the videos from the American Idiot album in my suburban childhood bedroom. To this day, I revisit this video frequently and fondly.

I actually first came across this video on Director’s Library, and was completely enthralled. The unapologetic nature of Keith Flint’s performance has captivated me to no end. This video is a wonderful demonstration of what can be achieved with a slim budget and an incredibly inspiring level of passion and talent from all sides.

Everything about this short beauty film is just superb.

I’m a true romantic and the ways in which Todd Haynes explores queer characters is so influential for me. The scene in Velvet Goldmine of them on the carnival ride (to Satellite of Love) ignites my heart every time.

Brilliant, wonderfully written film. The two boys strikingly capture the honesty, whimsicality and vulnerability of adolescent friendship.

Intense and all-encompassing. The storytelling is refreshingly original and impactful. Such a thrilling take on an evolution of the pressures that women have dealt with since day one.

I love David Lynch’s entire uncanny universe dearly. I first watched Eraserhead in high school, at a time when I was primarily creating analog black and white photographs and writing down my dreams each day upon waking.

The vivid cinematography and colors in this masterpiece of a film are some of my favorite ever. Hong Kong in this era is a sight to behold, and I’m eternally grateful that Wong Kar Wai blessed us with so many beautiful films and stories.

The scene with the woman stretching beside her cats exists rent free in my mind. The dystopian, dark and deeply unsettling psychology of this film is commanding. I treasure the cinematography, with Kubrick’s signature wide, symmetrical frames. Don’t even get me started on the production design.