For a certain type of film nerd (and lord knows I’m one), Michael Mann is a god. The man (Mann!) has directed some of the most potent, ultra-macho dramas and crime thrillers of the last forty-plus years, including a whole laundry list of classics, including Thief, Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Collateral, and many more. Plus, he’s the guy behind one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Miami Vice, and its underrated 2006 big-screen remake (to which we recently paid tribute). His influence can be felt in everything from Sam Levinson’s Euphoria to, shockingly enough, the films of Wes Anderson.
And now, Mann has joined the Mecca of film worship, Letterboxd, opening an account that includes a list of fourteen of his favourite movies. The selection is quite eclectic, including works from Sergei Eisenstein to Martin Scorsese, Guillermo del Toro, Denis Villeneuve, and even Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things.
Mann joins a slew of other famous folks who’ve hit the platform in recent years, including indie actress Dylan Gelula, Mike Flanagan, Ayo Edebiri, and more. And, yes, let me include a shameless plug for my own Letterboxd account, too.
Michael Mann’s coming off the recent biopic Ferrari and seems poised to start shooting Heat 2, the long-awaited sequel to his 1995 masterpiece, pretty soon. Adam Driver will be taking over Robert De Niro’s role as Neil McCauley. At the same time, Austin Butler is the current favourite to take over for Val Kilmer as Chris Shiherlis, who is essentially the lead if they follow the book closely. Butler’s posted videos of himself undergoing weapons training, and has been cagey about whether or not he’ll be playing the role in the past. Hopefully, Heat 2 happens because the book is absolutely outstanding.