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Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2009 > May > 06 > Entry
What are the movies that most influenced you?
A few weeks back, I wrote a post about Turner Classic Movies’ list of the 15 most influential movies of all time. I was astonished and delighted at the response. That was a great conversation, and I offer a belated thanks to you all for reading and/or commenting.
Obeying the laws of Hollywood, I have decided a hit demands a sequel, but this time I would like to ask a different question:
What films have influenced you the most personally?
Most everyone has at least one film that had a big impact on their life, whether it made them fall in love with movies, or it gave them a new outlook on life, or whether it introduced them to someone special.
Me being the film nut I am, I have several.
Yellow Submarine: I have pointed out more than once on this blog that this was the first movie I could clearly remember seeing in a theater. It turned me on to the two things that gave me my claims to fame - the Beatles and movies. (In school I was famous for being the Beatlemanaic - so much so I can do things like name the seventh word of the ninth song on the sixth Beatles album - which, for the record, is “story.”)
Also - I first saw the film at the Victoria Theatre, which was then known by the slightly less regal name “Victory.” Note to the programmers of the just-announced classic film series there: I WOULD LOVE IT if you could book the film in your theater some year!
2001/A Clockwork Orange/Taxi Driver/After Hours: I list these all in a group because these were the ones that kicked my interest in movies into high gear in the late 1980s. These were the movies that A) Made me aware of what a director does, and B) Made me recognize different directors’ styles, so I could like at a movie and say “That’s a Scorsese” or “That’s Kubrick.”
The Fisher King: The film itself didn’t influence me per se, but it did give rise to my alias. I was so taken with the movie - one of my favorites of that year - that I wrote my review using ye olde medieval language, on the order of a night. I called myself Sir Phil M. Critic. The name stuck and has been my moniker ever since.
Hercules: Most people don’t rank this 1997 Disney film all that highly, but I do. It brought me to two very special people. When I first saw it, I was absolutely dazzled by the female lead Megara, who had this wonderful, femme fatale voice you normally didn’t hear from a Disney. Here’s the scene that really wowed me:
“Who IS that? I’ve GOT to find out!” I said.
And so I did. Her name is Susan Egan. I got in touch with her, told her how much I loved her work and was lucky enough to get to be friends with her. That’s what she calls me on her Web site. See?
And Hercules’ influence doesn’t stop there. Because I became a fan of Susan, I met fellow fan Angela Allen, who has been a dear and loyal friend for 10 years. You may remember her as the co-author of the review of the American Girl movie. So anybody who cracks on Hercules deals with ME!
I could name many more, but I want to turn this over to you. What films have had the most impact on your life?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Ask the Audience
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By D
May 11, 2009 12:57 PM | Link to this
I’m sure there are others, but right now the movie that screams ‘influential’ to me is, wait for it, Blade. Yes, an action flick with a vampire protagonist that kills his ‘own’ kind that is itself based on a comic book series. But it took this film to mix vampires with live action combat, and change the rules of vampires as we knew it, to influence a short-story that I wrote many years ago. Now that writing has become an increasingly enjoyable hobby of mine, that short story crossed my eyes once again, and I’ve taken the idea and ran with it since. I owe so much ‘influence of the mind’ to Blade.By Erica
May 7, 2009 10:08 AM | Link to this
Definitely “Sabrina,” because I really got that whole Audrey Hepburn thing. She fascinates me. When I was a kid, I really enjoyed watching ridiculous comedies, like “Murder by Death,” “Clue,” and “Airplane!” I think it was fun to learn the sheer delight you can get from a movie. But probably the most influential movie for me has been “The Sound of Music,” which introduced me to the idea of transporting cinematography and the wonder of musicals.By Brother Phil
May 6, 2009 3:36 PM | Link to this
I think some of the early films (at least in my lifetime) that sparked my social conscious were: “To Kill a Mockingbird,” The Grapes of Wrath,” and “Dr. Strangelove.” One of my earliest personal favorites was “Rebel Without a Cause. “In my teen years I was culturally blown away by Beatles movies: “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!.” Approaching the end of adolescence and early counter-cultural adulthood, I was certainly influenced by: “Woodstock,” Easy Rider,” “2001,” Catch 22,” and “MASH.” The first movie that really grabbed me as a budding film aficionado was “Taxi Driver.” I might add that my interest in cinema certainly rubbed off on one certain film critic I know.By ME
May 6, 2009 10:48 AM | Link to this
I think this can be tough to narrow it down. I think there were so many that have influenced me. To Catch a Thief/North by Northwest - these two movies were some of the first old movies I ever saw. These two movies opened me and my hubby up to appreciate other old movies and helped us both appreciate Cary Grant and caused us to see and buy every Hitchcock movie. This happened as a result of our friend Sircritic and TCM. Another film I must include is Modern Times - this movie helped me understand just how certain movies can be so relevant today - especially Charlie Chaplin movies. He was so far ahead of his time. In the 80s I was influenced by Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. Why - they were my teen favorites and represented rebels and those who were different trying to fit in at school. The Women (old version) - A fantastic understanding of women and what they love to do and what gossip and rumor do to relationships. Those are just a few … there are so many its tough to pick a few.