"I'm not really a fan of biographies, or of Francis Bacon's art. So why do I love this book? It brings mid-20th century gay London to life. And it helps me understand why people appreciate Bacon's work so deeply, even if I still can't say I'd hang his paintings on my living room wall."

"It’s a brilliant film about Mozart. If you don’t really know much about classical music, you hear the songs but you don’t think about the people behind them. This film turned that concept on its head, and turned him into this licentious part animal. The actor’s got this amazing high-pitched laugh that’s so funny.”"

"Strangelove was one of the reasons I called the Coen Brothers. I became a fan after their first movie [Blood Simple], because it had so much of my home about it — I’m from Texas and I knew people who’d worked on it. And it had a sound and style of storytelling I thought was great."

"The Sand Pebbles with McQueen is one of those films that shows more of his sensitivity. People tend to think of him as just the badass, and I love the fact that that film lets you see another side of him. And I also think it’s beautifully shot. So that’s another one on my list."