Four Favorites with Aaron Yap: Local Hero, The Brainiac and films both strange and gentle

If you follow any of our social channels, you’re about to meet the genius behind the team behind the TikToks. Letterboxd’s head of social, Aaron Yap, joins Gemma and Slim to tell us about childhood memories of Malaysian DVD stores, and his four favorites: The Brainiac; Footprints; Local Hero and Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession.

Plus: Aaron’s early memories of bodily reactions to ’80s horrors, Slim’s first DVD player, what Gemma got Aaron from the Criterion closet, Gemma’s memories of buying blank VHS tapes, the obsolete sound of the DVD snapper, why The Brainiac’s logic flaws don’t matter, fighting over Giallo, the restorative magic of Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero and the joys of movies without conflict, the wall calendar in Z Channel and the wild west of life before film recommendation algorithms, and Slim’s Rob Zombie blind-spot when it comes to the Halloween movies.

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by Searchlight Pictures and their new film, Empire of Light. Now playing in select theaters.

Lists & Links:
The Letterboxd list of films mentioned in this episode; Aaron’s essay about being a professional film reviewer; Aaron’s article on Come and See; House of Psychotic Women Rarities Collection Blu-Ray Box Set; Justin Hullinger’s The Almost Complete Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film; Edgar Wright’s 1,000 favorite movies; MewithYou’s list of Safdie Brothers favorite films; K Abeto’s list of Every film Taika Waititi has ever mentioned.

Reviews of:
The Brainiac by Amy Vorhees; Footprints by Sylvie J, Matt Winfield, WraithApe; Local Hero by Wes and Gemma; Z Channel by Gemma and SexRaySpex.

Credits:
This episode was recorded in Auckland and Philadelphia, and edited by Slim. Facts by Jack. Booker: Brian Formo. Transcript by Sophie Shin. Art by Samm. Theme: ‘Vampiros Dancoteque’ by Moniker. The Letterboxd Show is a TAPEDECK production.