Above image: The Sopranos, created by David Chase

Oscar-winning Spanish director Guillermo del Toro has kickstarted the mother of all recommendation lists via Twitter, prompting contributions from the likes of Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsomnar), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Mother!) among many others.

What began with a suggestion from del Toro to discuss things that he loved quickly snowballed into an extensive Twitter thread with industry heavyweights revealing which books and films they’ve turned to in the last few weeks of lockdown. The Pan’s Labyrinth director has been revisiting the work of mid-20th century American director Mitchell Leisen, highlighting Easy Living (1937) and Hold Back the Dawn (1941) as two must-sees.

British director Edgar Wright meanwhile has been re-visiting post war films he first saw as a boy, as much for inspiration as escape. From The Battle of Algiers (1966) to This Happy Breed (1944), Germany Year Zero (1948) and It Always Rains On Sunday (1947), a subject that seems a heavy choice in these times “has actually been one of solace and hope.”

Horrorphile Ari Aster has been reading the works of Walter Benjamin, Robert Walser and Jack Handey while re-watching the third season of The Sopranos (which he regards as “a supreme work of art) and highly recommends Reds on Amazon Prime which has made him want to, “cut off my hands and replace them with my feet.” We assume that’s a good thing.

Read the full Twitter thread here.