"Many slashers have been made since with diminishing returns, and I think a lot of this film’s power, to me, relies on its honest channeling of the political and cultural violence endemic in the U.S. at the time. On an aesthetic level, the opening credits’ invocations of black-and-red sun flares are such a thrilling cosmic omen for the violence to follow, and the final shots of Leatherface spinning in circles before a setting sun are, to me, sublime."

"In Worse than War, Goldhagen lays out the elements; in order for genocide to take place, certain key components must be present: a leader with a political agenda who is able to use people’s existing fears, grievances, convictions or prejudices to convince them that another group poses a threat to their own security and well-being. Details are organised and put into action. Ordinary people choose to participate. Those with the power to halt the killing choose to do nothing."

"Tarkovsky is my hero, and the hero of Russian cinema—a man who found a way to make transcendent, transgressive films that went beyond his political circumstances and captured something far more primordial and enigmatic about the world itself. For this and many other reasons, he’s considered to be one of the great directors in cinema history, which is no small feat for a Soviet artist. If you’re a newcomer to his films, start with Ivan’s Childhood and go from there."

"This was the first political film I ever saw that had strong genre elements. I saw it when I was a teenager, so the story was quite obscure to me, and yet I fell into it because I was so enthralled by the pacing. It’s a brilliant portrait of what it means to be pushed into telling something other than the truth. I found myself riveted by all the different perspectives that can inform how we understand a single event."

"Because I wanted to be her! She remains the greatest political interviewer of all time. I did not agree with her fierce post-9/11 diatribes, but no one can touch her for the fearlessness and deep knowledge she brought to all her important interviews. I wish I had been there when she ripped off her headscarf during an exclusive interview with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini. This book should be required reading for all journalists today! (This title is currently unavailable.)"