Zach's 2018 Favourites
2018 marked my fifth year writing for Screen Anarchy and I can’t tell you what an honour and treat it has been sharing my impassioned, oft-fevered cinematic opinions alongside a community of like-driven souls whom I’m proud to call colleagues.
Beginning my Anarchistic adventure in Austin, TX back in 2014, I’ve since covered five consecutive SXSWs, NYFFs, TIFFs (though since TIFF is my hometown fest, I’ve been unofficially covering it for my personal records since 1998), and in a few weeks I’ll embark on my fifth Sundance.
While ScreenAnarchy has blessed me with a public platform, I still consider my work here to be an extension of my personal records. As far as lists are concerned, I believe I made my first Top 10 in the miraculously good cinematic year of 1999. I vividly remember being reprimanded later in high school for passing notes in class and having said note confiscated. What Mrs. Minor discovered was my Top 10 Films of 2001 and after class, rather than being reprimanded, the conversation turned to the year’s quality output... which I’m getting to, I swear.
It is now exactly twenty years since my first list and I’m not remotely shocked to find myself continuing the beloved pastime with striking continuity. All of my favourite films from 1999 are still my favourite films, perhaps more so, and I’m quite confident that all of my favourite films from 2018 would also be my favourites had I encountered them at 15 years old. In the words of one of my all time favourite song-writers, Doug Martsch, “Hard to believe / That after all this time / That after all this I’m / Still me”
Forgive the gravity of it all, but in the spirit of my five year anniversary writing for this fine outlet, if my tone smacks of wistful retrospect, it is because I will no longer be doing these year-end debrief articles. By no means will I stop making lists - hah! - however, I will be taking the proverbial chill pill in terms of my penchant for hooplah.
I’m flattered and humbled by anyone who gets something out of these year-end articles - or any of my articles for that matter - so to you, dear reader, I say, thank you, my friend. Above all, on this happy new year, I bid a loving thank you to all the auteurs, the music-makers, and the dreamers who dream. To those who dare to express at all costs. May 2019 bring works of innovative storytelling that scintillate, entertain and positively stain our brains for years to come. In the words of Takeshi Kitano, Glory to the Filmmaker! Thank you for continuing to make life interesting when oftentimes it is so very boring. Thank you, Mrs. Minor.
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/header pic-thumb-80x80-73689.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/tv tales mall-thumb-80x80-73690.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/Next Five -thumb-80x80-73691.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/carmine small-thumb-80x80-73692.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/futile, stupid small-thumb-80x80-73693.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/9 Thunder Road-thumb-80x80-73694.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/blacKkK small-thumb-80x80-73695.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/7. blaze-thumb-80x80-73696.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/6. mandy-thumb-80x80-73697.jpg)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/scruggs small-thumb-80x80-73698.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/roma small-thumb-80x80-73699.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/3. The Favourite-thumb-80x80-73700.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/you were never really small-thumb-80x80-73701.png)
![](https://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2019/01/lords small-thumb-80x80-73702.png)