Artistic Diversity (Miscellaneous)  »   Influencial Films

Let's talk about film. I love movies, and many have affected my life in major ways. Here's a few:

Legend:
Mia Sara and Tom Cruise, 1986. The whole mythological, pagan world in all it's light and darkness. It was like a revelation to me when I was 16, and has been a favorite since then.

Logan's Run:
Also saw in my teen years. Wow, the greater world outside the bubble! That was really poignant, as was...

Planet of the Apes.

The Wizard of Oz:
I'm sure it influenced many a young child. The power is within you, and always has been there, and the wizard is just a man behind the curtain. Wicked witch, good witch, and those awesome red sequin slippers, which in my mind were one and the same as David Bowie's red shoes in Let's Dance!

Brother Sun, Sister Moon:
was a great movie. I never knew christians could be so pagan. Beautiful film.


Metropolis: 1922?
A really clear environmental and sociological message. Saw it in school, really spoke to me.

Nell:
is another one that really moved me, about a girl whose grown up alone in the woods without anyone after about the age of 5.

Dances With Wolves,

Citizen Cane,

The Mission:
brutal truth.

Black Robe:
same thing set in Canada, where I live.

1492 Conquest of Paradise,

Lord of the Flies: (B&W original),
saw it in high school too. Wow, we saw some great films in high school including:

In the Name of the Rose:
Christian Slater plays a young monk who discoveres the harsh reality of his chosen religion vs. heathenism in medieval times. Another good one along those lines is:

The Sorceress:
One of the last witches in medieval France.


So what are some of your favorite, and/or most life changing films?

Some films that come to mind:

Orlando;

Monty Python And The Holy Grail;

Far From The Madding Crowd (the 1960s film is great and there was a 1990s tv adaptation that was also very fine);

The Secret Of Roan Inish (a nice Irish childrens film that somehow captures the essential elements of myth beautifully, and while I haven't travelled in Ireland I find it very evocative of a favourite haunt of mine from years passed, the Outer Hebrides).

Most of my favourites are on the happier side, I'm not one for horror, and I often get frustrated by over-indulgence in computer graphics (though subtle use is fine).

Some more very poignant films:

The Magdalene Sisters;

The Killing Fields;

One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest;

Baraka.

TV and film didnt play much part in my adult life until the last decade, and now I have a tv but only to play dvd and vhs on, and have been making up for lost time as far as films go, but for some reason, whilst I have a good memory for music, I am having difficulty remembering titles of films, so I know there are many more than this, and no doubt some will be mentioned by others in later entries and I will want yo concur...

Whatès Matilda about(question mark doesnèt seem to be working, nor does the apostrophe!...)

Monty Python...of course! I love all their films.

Reminds me of Carrie and Firestarter, but if it is not a horror film then I would want to see it! Sounds interesting.

Bladerunner, I think Iève seen it. I need to refresh my memory! Excellent Vangelis theme song of cource! I might be confusing the film with Tron...

Aelfleda,

No it's not a horror film, it for children! But it's very good - I'm 20 & I enjoy it, as do my parents :)

Yeah, hubby and I like Bergman films too. The Wicker Man eh! Uh, huh. I bought that one cause I had to see it and it wasnèt available to rent. I thought Christopher Lee was excellent in it.

Anyone seen The Fountain (question mark) Quite depressing, very profound. Probably good for someone whose suffering the loss of a loved one.

Well, this is a healthily eclectic array of films listed so far, lots of great titles. As a child I too was in awe of the original Star Wars trilogy and queued round the block in the rain to get into the Odeon...

Good to see musicals mentioned, I grew up with The Sound Of Music and other musical soundtracks playing frequently on the record player (as did millions of others, no doubt) and it gets under your skin, they were always lots of fun, in a twee sort of way! I remember my pals and I being in complete disbelief when the deep-voiced guy sang I Was Born Under A Wandering Star in Paint Your Wagon on the telly, we had never heard such a deep voice and it led to much mirth for weeks after, trying to do impersonations of it in our high 8 year-old voices. I like Fiddler On The Roof the best, though that is one I did not see as a child.

Another cool film came to mind: Zorba The Greek.

Well, in no special order....

In the mood for love and 2046, Wong-Kar Wai (The acting, the music, the photography...ohmy....)

Hana-Bi and Sonatine, Takeshi Kitano

Vertigo, Alfred Hitchcock (the music and the overall mood....and Kim Novak!)

The Draughtmans Contract, Peter Greenaway ( Michael Nymans music)

Cul-de-sac, Roman Polanski

Heavenly Creatures, Peter Jackson

Hero, Zhang Yimou ( Those colors....)

Simple men and Trust, Hal Hartley ( Maybe haven´t aged too well....but I adored them in the 90´s....)

And of course almost everything by Mr Lynch, just because his movies always get my mind racing....

Yeah, totally. Too bad we can't get together for film nights.

I see several in here that I need to see. I'll be renting Bladerunner pretty soon. I have Matilda at the telly, ready to go. I've been wanting to see The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser for a couple years now. Think I'll have to buy it. Read a book about Wild Children.

Xavier's Prayer, you and I have several in common. I love the Princess Bride, and Conan, the Holy Grail, Dragonslayer, LOTR and especially The New World. It's so gorgeous and heartbreaking. I also love:

Tristan and Isolde. (Blew me away. Purchaced it within days.)
Romeo and Juliet (Zeffirelli)
Girl With a Pearl Earing (like a painting come to life, just perfect.)
Pride and Predudice (both of them)
The Innocents (b&w)
Peter Pan (PJ Hogan, I've always loved Peter Pan)
and
The Neverending Story (loved it at 12, still love it.)

and for funny...Airplane!

Just remembered: Duel

Ah yes, Pride and Predudice, and lots of films based on Jane Austen and similar novels. I know... I know... but I love some of those classics.
And definately, Never Ending Story. Thanks for reminding me.

A couple more I just thought I'd mention to see if anyone else liked the following:

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Pulp Fiction

and

A Christmas Story

LOL

Thanks Silentwake, I'll look that up. Withnail and I is on my list to see also. The local video stores don't have it, so looks like I'll have to buy that one too, or rent it in the city...

Ahh, film. How I love it.

We just watched On The Beach, and Suddenly Last Summer. Both absorbing and thought provoking black and white 50's movies. The first about the death of all life on earth due to a nuclear war, quite Twilight Zoney. The second about the mysterious death of a rich snobby poet. Catherine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor were excellent in it.

I also really like Marlene Dietrich. The Blue Angel and Golden Earrings were pioniant and memorable.

One film I saw last year I think it was,

Into The Wild

Man, that one really got to me, it being a true story and all... guy of my own generation... influenced by the same ideas...but he ended up dead. I guess when it comes to courage, how fortunate the (wo)man with none, or not that much courage anyway!

Yeah, Into The Wild really hit me hard like that too.
What a downer.
But, it is interesting to note that this kid who didn't need or want human interraction, so much, but to be alone in the wild, found... as he lay dying, that human relationships finally seemed very important to him.

Here's just a few of mine favs...

~Feature Films~
-Star Wars series (All 6 but especially the original 3)
-Naked (with David Thewlis)
-Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
-A Nightmare Before Christmas

~Short Films by~
-Brothers Quay
-W?adys?aw Starewicz
-Jan Švankmajer.

Movie lists are always fun. In no particular order & without looking at my movie collection:

Darren Aronofsky films (specifically Pi, The Fountain)
Tim Burton films
original Star Wars trilogy
Ingmar Bergman films (Winter Light, The Seventh seal, Wild Strawberries)
Memento
Flatliners
Dead Poets society
Fantastic Planet
Pink Floyd The Wall (Yes I have excellent tickets for the upcoming Roger waters concert :)
Jacob's Ladder
Quentin Tarantino films (Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs)
Donnie Darko
Butterfly Effect
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Shawshank Redemption
Pan's Labyrinth

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence with Bowie
Nighthawks and Inferno with music of Keith Emerson
Sorcerer with Tangerine Dream

Czech animations are amazing eg Jan Svankmayer's Alice
Yuri Norstein animations: Tale of Tales, Hedgehog in the Fog etc.
All Brothers Quay films, esp Street of Crocodiles. Are We Still Married? got me into the music of His Name is Alive.
(Nearly) all Terry Gilliam films
Many Chinese films are so painterly - Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, Hero, farewell my Concubine, The Last Emperor
Sally Potter's Orlando and Yes
Woody Allen's Love and Death and Annie Hall
Peter Greenaway's Prospero's Books and The Draughtsman's Contract
Guy Maddin's Careful
Dead Man (excellent Neil Young soundtrack too)
Wings of Desire
2001: A Space Odyssey
Elizabeth
A Man for All Seasons
Life of Brian
Withnail And I
Derek Jarman's Blue and The Tempest
Tarkovsky's Mirror
Interview with the vampire
The Piano
The Company of Wolves
Don't Look Now
La belle et La bete
Silent Running

The most recent influencial one I've seen is Scream of Stone.

Ah yes, Dead Poet's. And 2001, for me too. Love Orlando.

Rabbit Proof Fence is another one.

Haven't seen Borat yet. Watched Withnail and I not long ago. I can see how that could be life changing. Good educational film. Saw Herzog's Nosferatu recently and really liked that.

Flatliners is great. Lost Boys was an influencial one for me. A lot of the stuff you see in your early teens ends up shaping who you are. I suppose we continue to be influenced as adults, but not as much.

I have most recently (the past 5 years) been influenced by:
A Woman of Substance
Billy Elliot
Catch Me If You Can
Shawshank Redemption

Gotta admit, the LOTR and Harry Potter films have been influential too.

Saw a kids film recently that was on my mind for a few days and I thought was really really good: Bridge to Terrabithia.

I still haven't got hold of Kaspar Hauser. : ( No credit card so I have to wait for a gift certificate to buy from Amazon, pathetic, I know. I've been watching out for it wherever I go. I found Nosferatu at Value Village thrift store for $3!

The Deer Hunter
Frantic
Rosemary's Baby
Taxi Driver

... and some Polish titles by Krzysztof Kieslowski ...

The Three Colours Trilogy
La Double Vie De Veronique

Hi Silentwake, are You referring to my post, or the earlier one ( about Tarantino ) ?

Brazil