Films that made an impression on you

IF you want to see A LOT more of Jack O'Connell check his movie Starred Up. At times I felt like I needed subtitles, but overall the film was very okay.

Studio 54 with Ryan Phillippe, and Party Monster with Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green. They showed me that even perfect people, from my perspective, can hit rock bottom in a very short time. Somehow they left a mark on me. Both films initially received very negative reviews, but by now they've become cult films.

Pi and The Fountain. It's about my obsessions and how easy it is for me to enter a never-ending cycle of self-destruction.

There are other films and even more books, but I'm too lazy to write about that today.

 

Inception. End of.

 

Believe it or not, Sucker Punch. I thought it did a great job exploring the different layers of unreality and dissociation that can occur in power dynamics, particularly sexual ones.

 

Lots of black and white films including Sunset Boulevard, The strange love of Martha Ivers, The roarin' 20s, The night of the Hunter...

The only modern film that I never get tired of is Blade Runner. Some scenes are unforgettable, and the OST is pure perfection.

 

The Breakfast Club. It made me laugh and it also made me cry. I love this film!

 

The perks of being a wallflower.

love that one.

 

There was this Hong Kong film called Lan Yu that I watched almost ten years ago. I've seen many, many gay films from different productions, etc., but only the memories of this one have stuck with me through the years.

I found the film to be a realistic portrayal of their life together. Only a few modern day gay films can compete with this masterpiece(*). The fun thing is, the movie was shot in mainland China.

(*) masterpiece in the gay cinema.

 

Jaws. It's not only my favorite movie, but it made me realize what I want to do for the rest of my life: study sharks. Whether that be a paid thing or not, Jaws made me fall in love with sharks more than I already was.

 

The original Star Wars. There had never been any type of scifi such as that before. Most scifi before Star Wars was cheesy B-rated type stuff, even when they were trying to make serious stuff.

Star Wars changed the "face" of science fiction movies for ever.

Born Free. You just have to watch to understand.

Victor Victoria. I watch this movie when I am depressed, sad, or feeling really alone.
I don't know what it is about this movie, but it just makes me feel all better.

Star Trek the Motion Picture. Again, a new face of scifi movies, but more on the technical side, as opposed to the gritty side like Star Wars.

Blade Runner. A mesmerizing look at the future.

The Wedding Banquet. A gay movie without being "gay" or having to depend on sex to sell the storyline or movie.

To Wong Foo with Love, Julie Newmar. A fun, and very non-stereotypical view on drag queens. Best thing Patrick Swayze ever did.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. And oldie but goodie. A different look on falling in love, with a twist.

The Crying Game. Well, you gotta watch it to understand.

Pandoras Box. A silent film from 1929, excellence beyond anything.

The Passion of Joan of Arc. Silent movie from 1928. Probably the most exquisite piece of film art ever created.

Romper Stomper. A look at NeoNazi kids from the early 90's. A very well made film. Russell Crowes "break through" film. It will stick with you for a long time.


Anything Doris Day has ever done has completely amazed me to no end. She is class and beauty all the way. She is, was, and forever will be, the epitome of what fine cinema is. A real blond, who has never played a dumb blond.

 

Pulp Fiction...It changed my view of cinema...At first, I thought movies were long, and boring, but then I saw it, and I realized that creative people exist in this world...

 

Not really a movie per se, but Star Trek: The Next Generation has probably had the greatest impression on me since I was a little kid. It's what first got me into science fiction and I've never turned back since. I think what fascinated me the most was thinking "wow, this is what our future could be!"

And, of course, the original Star Wars trilogy. Groundbreaking special effects for its time and some good story telling to boot. My favorite has to be The Empire Strikes Back.

 

Star Wars.

First time I fully watched it, we had just gotten our first 5.1 system installed. Holy crap, it was an experience. Lasers everywhere, and then Darth Vader steps out. his voice is coming from EVERYWHERE. From the front, back, sides, I mean it left a huge impression on me. I wasn't watching a film, I was watching a MOTHERFUCKING MOVIE.

It's kind of weird, because I used to think the scariest scene in Star Wars was when Leia was being threatened by the droid with the syringe. And now, I see that's not the climax. But it definitely left quite an impression.

 

To keep it as condensed as possible, I'll have to do segments...




Jaws made me interested, not only in sharks, but in the dynamics of characters. See, there is some hidden depth to this film. Most see a killer shark movie, and there is that. But the three main characters: Quint (experienced but uneducated), Hooper (educated but inexperienced), and Brody (compromise), each represent something about life, and the shark represents challenge. This film taught me to have chemistry with characters, which inspires my writing or role-playing.




Easy. Aliens is the epitome of science-fiction, to me. And the Colonial Marines is a fuckin' awesome concept.




As a child, I had issues with... empathy. When it came to people. Animals, well, it was a bit different. King Kong always made me sad... I know, it seems silly, but hear me out... he's taken from his home, put on display to be gawked at, is madly in love with somebody who doesn't want him... then he gets shot, falls, and dies... his final moments, realizing he is heartbroken and alone. That always stuck with me.




Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a personal favorite of mine, just for the concept itself. But when it comes to impressions, the special effects already stand out. Animated characters interacting with real-life people. Jessica Rabbit is probably also one of my first triggers for dysphoria, too. That alone justifies it's placement.




12 Angry Men is the reason I question court cases. Yeah, that's all that needs to be said. Though, it is also worth pointing out, 95% of the film takes place in one room, but it doesn't matter. You're caught up in the dialogue. That made the impression that characterization is important, so much so, it could be the sole element of a story.




A Bronx Tale. It's a mob-like story, with an interracial relationship added. I'm a fan of interracial relationships, and this is a cute one. Of course, it being an Italian family movie, you know things aren't going to stay cute, LOL.




All Quiet on the Western Front. It's tragically fascinating to watch a group of young boys go through the First World War, dwindling off one by one, and the impact this, and other things, has on idealism and youth. Those final moments... there's a reason it is all quiet.




Aside from Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Returns is the epitome of what Batman is, to me. Also, the penguin funeral scene is sadly cute.




Black Dynamite is in-your-face satire, particularly on black exploitation films. Not everybody can handle this movie, but it firmly solidified satire for me. It's offensively funny and socially aware, and it plays it up in the most comically brazen ways.




Coffin Joe is Coffin Joe. You can't... explain these films, but that is what made them impressionable to me. To take a swing in the dark here, it's Victorian evil on an acid trip in the darkest realms of Hell.​

 

This Korean film made such an impact for me because it truly is remarkable and it's a heartbreaking plot where it features an old woman who is struggling with an illness, the trials of the youth, gang rape, the question of your morality, and death.

 

What's the name of the film?

 

Oh sorry, I forgot to put it. The movie is called Poetry.

 

Beaches

Steel Magnolias

American Beauty

Goodbye Mr. Chips

The Sixth Sense

Buried

Soylent Green

Fight Club

Saw

Collateral (LOVE this movie)