IN THE CINÉMA CLUB OF… EZRA KOENIG
Two-time Grammy Award Winner Ezra Koenig—founder and frontman of Vampire Weekend—has long been at the forefront of contemporary American music. His witty writing, melodious voice, and natural charisma are key to his identity as an artist—as heard in his live performances and vivid lyrics, seen in his television show Neo Yokio (2017), and experienced on his long-running internet radio show Time Crisis. Koenig is currently touring Vampire Weekend’s new album, the delightfully genre-bending Only God Was Above Us (2024), which has received rave reviews from Pitchfork and The New Yorker, among many other publications.
Ezra Koenig shared a list of five films he loves.
THE DRAUGHTSMAN’S CONTRACT, Peter Greenaway, 1982
One of my all-time favorite soundtracks. ‘80s English period pieces are so vibey.
REPO MAN, Alex Cox, 1984
Nothing captures LA better than Repo Man. Intense and weird and funny. Holds up. Maybe have watched this more than any other film.
SCANNERS, David Cronenberg, 1981
Exploding heads. The Howard Shore score. Canada. Taps into archetypal reality.
RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER, Lau Kar-leung, 1980
I love all those Shaw brothers kung-fu movies. This is my favorite because it involves scaffolding.
THE LONELIEST PLANET, Julia Loktev, 2011
I saw this movie alone at the IFC center in 2011 knowing nothing about it. More people should see it. Strong, eerie imagery as a couple travels through the green, Georgian countryside. It pre-dates Force Majeure but similarly focuses on how a single act of cowardice can dramatically alter the course of a relationship.