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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

films that have influenced you.

Discussion in 'Fan Films, Fan Audio & SciFi 3D' started by Darth_Jerak, Aug 27, 2002.

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  1. MattesKrymsod

    MattesKrymsod Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jul 14, 2002
    Fight Club
    -The book more than the movie...the message it had

    Matrix
    -The message...a dream that asks..."what if?"

    Truaman Show
    -Another "what if?" movie

    Cube
    -A Matt Movie as I like to call it.

    Sphere
    -Another Matt Movie

    Signs, Unbreakable, 6th Sense
    -All Matt Movies

    Ferris Beullar (sp?)
    -Makes me want to do something crazy and out of the ordinary..."Pulling a Beullar."

    Moulin Rouge
    -The Best Romance Movie Ever

    Romeo and Juliet
    -The DiCaprio/Danes version...I love this director!

    Empire Records
    -The BEST COMEDY Ever

    But I'm really interested in this one style that I plan on keeping with most of the movie's I'm making in the future...it's the "What the hell?" style. Think how Neo felt when he was told his world was fake and that's the feeling I want people to experience when seeing my movie.

    I'm going to play around with time and instead of going forward in time and someone recognizing you, how the hell did your grandfather as a little boy recognize you?

    I'm going to play around with the dream world and how there might actually be a thing called a Dream Plane where everything in this strange universe is settled and "Dream Weavers" so-to-speak come into your dream to help you experience their world fully...:

    "A dream weaver came into my dream last night and had me and another dreamer race each other. The winner would have their alarm clocks go off later so we could sleep in later...I lost...I woke up 10 minutes earlier."

    And I'm going to play around with love and how that one special person...that soul mate...doesn't exist for you, so you're stuck in this hole, somehow you're going to live with it. And on that day you learn to accept it, you die, and are reborn with another chance.

    ...the makers screwing up, fixing the problems before your eyes resulting in this insanity seeing walls move and people's faces change...the sound of a garbage truck outside is suddenly replaced with a stadium roar when you go to take out your trash.

    What if the world was not what we think it is...and what if the world was run and not lived on? What if...?
     
  2. swepisodeii

    swepisodeii Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Feb 21, 2001
    ok , a few favs, eh? this thread will never end!

    let see, most of my favs are hollywood style movies, but quirky or "edgy" ones. you get the budget to actually fulfill the script, and occasionally you get a script worth fullfilling.

    don't get me wrong, I dig independent features, but the list of movies I watch in repetition looks like this:

    bottle rocket - independent maybe, but studio funded. I love this movie for the possibilities it represents to aspiring filmmakers, plus it's damned funny. I saw this in the theater and I still have the stub.

    dazed and confused - the "look" of it. what it chooses to capture as a "period" piece. pacing. a blatant rip off off graffitti for sure, though. could we call it an update?

    waking life - see this movie. it rules.

    the big lebowski - design and dialogue. character chemistry.

    fight club - the anti-marketing meaning beneath a very well marketed film. ha!

    dude #1 "let's go watch a fighting movie!"
    2 1/2 hours later
    dude #2 - "uh, I thought it was cool, except for all the talking."

    big - tom hanks glory days

    nightmare before christmas - how to sell the flatest story ever - style and design! I can watch this movie all day. It's amazing to see what they did without "digital"


    office space - economy of words. dialogue. comic timing.


    road trip - because sometimes you just want to feel stupid.


    thanks for reading!
    patrick









     
  3. Darth_Jerak

    Darth_Jerak Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 20, 2002
    "Off topic? I don't mean to bug or anything, but there have been A LOT of OT threads posted recently."

    - I wouldn't say this is off-topic. This is a thread that is directly related to the topic of fanfilm-making. Films that have influenced us (as directors/writers of FANFILMS) and could inspire other fanfilm-makers. Does my not writing OT affect your enjoyment of the thread? If so I apologize. Would you have prefered a title along the lines of:

    "OT: Films that have influenced/inspired you in your current of future fanfilm-making projects...(Warning OT! OT! Beware!)"

    Anyway, I'm delighted to see this thread has garnered such interest.

    I just want to repeat:
    Please do not post favs, top 10s, et cetera. Use the social thread for that, instead post films that have directly inspired you, or influenced your style of directing/writing/film-making

    Thanks all,
    -Kol.
     
  4. ChrisHanel

    ChrisHanel Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 2002
    You're asking for the impossible if you don't want this to become a fav's list. If a film's inspired me, it's probably because i enjoyed it more than i thought possible.

    Anyways, here's the films that drove me to become a filmmaker:

    The Usual Suspects- The film drew me in and took me for a ride on so many levels. I wanted to know what was behind that.

    Clerks- Anyone who's wanted to become a filmmaker has looked at Clerks and said "If a film THAT simple can be a success, then I can be a filmmaker."

    El Mariachi- This film was made for 7,000 dollars. Watch it and try to believe it. You won't.

    High Fidelity, Grosse Point Blank, Say Anything- My "Cusack Trilogy" that sustains me when i'm in a bad mood. Cusack is a brilliant actor and i wanna meet the man someday. The First two on that list were projects that *HE* spearheaded and got made. The man knows how it's done, and i salute him.

    -Chris
     
  5. Junfanman

    Junfanman Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 19, 2002
    Enter The Dragon - Best fight choreography. No crazy cuts in the editing room...just pure talent.

    Last of the Mohicans - Incredible cinematography and very realistic action. The characters were perfect (Wes Studi).

    Predator - Great characters and captivating suspense.

    Gladiator - Story, cinematography, acting, and action.

    Saving Private Ryan - Realistic action and effects! Great story.

    Forest Gump - Acting...Story.

    The Patriot - Acting! Realistic action! Great story and cinematography.

    Star Wars!!! CG, CG and CG.

    These movies have made me want to make movies. Their stories, cinematography and realistic action have influenced my style of movie making.

    Peace

     
  6. DorkmanScott

    DorkmanScott Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Someone else has seen Dark City?! That movie freakin rules!!

    Anyways, Ghostbusters for one directly inspired me. Way back in the day, 1998 this was, I wrote the very first online spec script for Ghostbusters 3. Adam Bertocci can attest to that (having also written his own). It was weird and random to run into him here again.

    My SW fanfilm directly evolved from this penchant for writing spec scripts. It started as a script just for kicks but then I decided to film it.

    As far as style goes, I'd say anything Spielberg's done (except maybe Duel), and I cannot and will not deny the effect of the obvious ones (LOTR, Star Wars, and Matrix). Peter Jackson is Gawd.

    Final Fantasy had some nice visuals too, but if it had been live action I would have considered it a waste of time overall. Well done for an animated film.

    If I ever get into animation, I'll be heavily influenced by and trying to emulate the works of Pixar. The visual stylism and the animation are much more than you'd expect from a kid's movie, Monsters, Inc. in particular.

    M. Scott
     
  7. Darth_Apporth

    Darth_Apporth Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 29, 2001
    Macho - Storm Ahead

    Er... FYI Macho, Storm Ahead hasn't been released yet and probably won't be out before the end of the year! How can it "have influenced you".

    Are you living in the future?



     
  8. JediDrew

    JediDrew Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 9, 2002
    I forgot forest GUmp

    BEST MOVIE......GREAT

    I can't beleive nooone is saying THE BEACH
    That MOVIE was the best!!!! OR does everyone think they are gay for seeing a leonardo di caprio movie?
     
  9. DorkmanScott

    DorkmanScott Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    That's not why I think I'm gay. :p

    None of us have probably seen the Beach. I didn't avoid it because of Leo (who was quite good in Titanic), I avoided it because it simply didn't look like a movie worth dropping $10 on. I have been considering renting it though.

    And a great musical with a great old-school film feel to it is the recent "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". It's hard to do musicals onscreen, and Hedwig is a triumph of editing, I think.

    Among other things it's a triumph of.

    M. Scott
     
  10. JediDrew

    JediDrew Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 9, 2002
    Well i wasn't mad or anything...haha....but yes...i would reccomend renting it...it is quite a good movie. WITH A GOOD STRONG MESSAGE!!, eheh
     
  11. MasterZap

    MasterZap Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 11, 2002
    Yes please someone make a movie of ENDERS GAME

    That would rock so hard it's almost... unfathomable.

    /Z
     
  12. andakin

    andakin Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 8, 2000
    Enders Game?

    He's working on it.

    They've found a director who'll do it after his film about the Trojan War. I forget his name, but he directed The Neverending Story, Air Force One, etc.

    It's certainly the STORY that has influenced me the most, but I'll have to hold out to say whether the film will be any good. Card's working on the 4th draft of the script at the moment.

    That said, whoever's making it is gonna have a heckuva tough time working with all those kids.
     
  13. Neszis

    Neszis Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    May 23, 2001
    Silver, I think we are the only 2 people in existence that liked AI.

    ~Neszis~
     
  14. SilverFox0440

    SilverFox0440 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2001
    I believe you are right. Haha, I thought it was QUITE provacative, and moving, because I'm very interested in all of the subjects that it dealt with. It might also have been the clever marketing that lead me to the website, aimovie.com, where I learnt about all the new developments in REAL AI sentients, which has inspired me to continue my programming and such. You should all take a trip to that site's forum some time, and ask people about the real AI they are building--interesting stuff.
     
  15. DorkmanScott

    DorkmanScott Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    I LOVED AI!

    I was weeping like a child at the end and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

    THAT'S the kind of movie I want to make someday.

    M. Scott
     
  16. Neszis

    Neszis Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    May 23, 2001
    Cept maybe a little simpler so the people who dont like underlying meanings will totally miss it. Like Shrek, for example. extremely funny, with a good moral message, but quite an archive of "adult" ish jokes that are so well placed that it flies right over kids' heads.

    ~Neszis~
     
  17. SilverFox0440

    SilverFox0440 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2001
    Oh, and lets not forget spielburg's latest: minority report. It was similar in theme to AI, but not exactly. ya know?
     
  18. Darth_Jerak

    Darth_Jerak Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 20, 2002
    AI was amzing. Minority Report was good, but I don't think it was all it was cracked up to be.

    -Kol.
     
  19. Animaster

    Animaster Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2001
    AI was amazing, I loved it. But then i got confused. I got it, but it was odd...

    All movies I've seen were influential to me. However, James Bond really got me into action movies. And the old classics are great, I love em. But the film that touched me most was Life as a House. That is possibly the most powerful movie to me. It really got me into drama as well. I want to make a film like that... After I make some Star Wars films. :p
     
  20. andakin

    andakin Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 8, 2000
    I saw Minority Report on opening day in Danmark.
    All I can say is... wow. It was an AMAZING theater. Projection was PERFECT. Sound was AWESOME. The print was totally unscratched. That certainly added a lot to the film's value, and created quite a bit of inspiration for me.
    It's not just how you make it, but how you show it. Lucas has it going right by pushing digital.

    And Minority Report was very tightly written, with witty twists (ESPECIALLY the Goodbye, Crow scene... I thought the film was ending.) and high style. It was very well done, and worth the hype.

     
  21. Cunard

    Cunard Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jul 12, 2001
    Moulin Rouge totally influenced my whole theory of filmmaking. The visuals and ideas in that film are so different and groovy that everything I seem to do now has a Moulin Rouge twist.

    And yes, Dac does have quite a bit of that image.
     
  22. Darth_Jerak

    Darth_Jerak Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 20, 2002
    I never did see Moulin Rouge, I don't know if it was the singing, or the funny makeup that drove me away, but somehow I managed to miss it. looks like it's time to see the movie. Thanks for the recommendation Cunard.

    -Kol.
     
  23. Kingleonard

    Kingleonard Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 18, 2002
    Fight Club: As the mags said at the time, "Edward Norton - the REAL star of Fight Club." Everything from the story to the acting to the direction is inspirational.

    The View Askew chronicles: In particular, "Dogma" for making my mother-in-law to be (a devout Catholic) laugh her head off from start to finish. "Clerks" gets high praise for the high quality on low budget (but loses points for Kevin Smith pussying out on his original ending) but I've got to pick out "Chasing Amy" as a particular favourite. I'm a sucker for romantic tragicomedy. Speaking of which -

    Romeo & Juliet (Baz Luhrman version) and Shakespeare in Love: The former for the direction, the latter for the dialogue. Very snappy writing.

    El Mariachi: The "Rebel without a crew" himself. Brilliant for the budget. Shot on a borrowed 16mm and edited on 3/4" tape. The unholy godfather of fanfilms everywhere. Robert Rodriguez should be shot for everything he's done since though (except "From Dusk Til Dawn." That rocked.)

    Alien, and Aliens: Best way to make something scary - turn off all the lights.

    Bladerunner: The only true cyberpunk film.

    Not films, but heavily inspired by the authors Neil Gaiman, in particular his "Sandman" series, Warren Ellis, in particular his "Transmetropolitan" series, and Garth Ennis, in particular his "Preacher" series.

    <edit> Don't know how I forgot this one.
    Eraserhead: I can still remember sitting at home, alone, in the dark, mouth open, eyes bugging out of my head as I tried to figure out what the HELL was going on on my TV screen. I'm not sure anyone knows exactly, but the fact remains that it is now indelibly printed in my brain. Now whenever I envision desolation, misery, and the wearing down of the human soul, it is my visualisation.
     
  24. predinator

    predinator Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2001
    Here are a few of my inspirational films other than the Star Wars Trilogy -

    HIGHLANDER 1 (This is the only one I like)- For its music and pace.

    LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS - For its style, comedy & real life feel.

    GOODFELLAS - For the amount of story it tells in a short time, and the brilliant cinematography.

    AMERICAN HISTORY X - For its visual style and the message it portrays.

    PLATOON - For its "fish out of water" style, plus telling a true story very well.

    PREDATOR - Action, Sci-Fi, and Horror all mixed in well without loss of story. I love this film!

    I could go on for ages, but narrowed it down to these 6.

    All the best,
    Pred
     
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