12 Movies that Changed Me

Recently, I was reflecting on films the have profoundly changed or redefined how I watch movies and approach filmmaking. I thought it would be interesting to assemble a list of the films that have been of most impact for me. So here is a dozen films, and reason why. But being a person that has a hard time making lists of such things, I hesitate to call these the definitive top twelve movies that have changed me. The top six certainly have been of such deep and lasting impact to me that I feel confident in listing them in such high ranks, and have indicated in italics the prime reason I feel they have been of such formative influence on me as a film viewer and filmmaker. There are, of course, a vast number of notable films that did not make it on to this list. That is not to say I haven't found profound value in them. But I thought I would put this out here for discussion and further exploration.

Is Your Movie Ticket a Vote for Lousy Cinema?

Summer movie season is upon us again. And, as has been the case off and on in years past, I find myself almost paralyzed with boredom by the offering of films this year. Yeah, sure, there’s a few movies that look interesting, and even a couple that look definitely worthwhile. But the majority of films coming out this summer have little appeal to me, or at least don’t seem worth paying the price of a first run movie theater ticket to see them. Now that’s just my opinion.

Children of Legend

Cultural Nightmares.


Last Friday night, sitting in the theater, watching I Am Legend, an idea struck me about three-quarters of the way into the film. I suddenly felt this incredible urge to draw some thematic comparisons between the film I was then watching, and another film, Children of Men. That urge gave birth to this blog. I should point out that I don’t think cinematically and artistically I Am Legend is of the same quality as Children of Men. Alfonso Cuaron’s directing and Emmanuel Lubezki’s camera work in Children are worthy of a whole entry of their own, which I’m sure I will get around to at some point. Back to the matters at hand: I had low expectations for I Am Legend, and as such was more or less pleasantly surprised with the film.