So far I've only gotten one blog in on time but really I'm trying,
This week both Jo and my bro graduated and are now officially out of high school and thrust into the world. Congratulations and the best of luck to both of you.
In smaller news I start my summer film boot camp this week and I hope it will kick my butt into gear so I can start making more films. I plan on using this blog to have updates on all of our future productions.
This week was already eventful enough for me so I never got around to seeing a movie although I plan on seeing Up next and then hopefully Away We Go. Instead of a film review I've decided to post:
10 FILMS THAT INFLUENCED ME THE MOST:
1. THE IRON GIANT (1999)
This movie was my favorite movie as a child. I remember sitting in my room watching it over and over again, all day, every day. A brilliant animated classic from the likes of Brad Bird. The Iron Giant is a boy-and-his-dog story of a kid named Hogarth Hughes who finds and befriends the mechanical behemoth. The Giant is chased after by a cold war crazy military who suspect the giant to be of Russian origin. Bird never does tell us where the giant comes from, but we never truly need to know. With beautiful animation, fleshed out characters, a classic story with some new twists, and one of the most unforgettable heart breaking endings, Iron Giant stands along side some of Animations best.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: Iron Giant was one of the first films I watched for its story. It was intended for kids but it does have some adult themes. It showed that even a kids film doesn't have to sacrifice story in order to entertain. Everyone has his or her favorite coming of age movie and this one is mine.
2. THE MATRIX (1999)
The matrix has you. With those famous words we are thrust into the world of The Matrix. A mind-blowing futuristic world, where are lives are all a computer program. The matrix may barrow some elements from other stories but it was still something no one had seen at the time. Although the sequels didn't have the same heart, the original will always stand out in my mind as not only an amazing sci-fi but a well-rounded action movie as well. I will never be able to forget the confrontation between Neo and Smith in the subway. This movie had the world saying 'Whoa'.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: The Matrix helped to stretch my imagination. It shows that no matter how crazy the idea film can still easily convey it. It ushered movies into to the age of special effects, which personally I'm not all for. Though when the matrix used special effects it did it to help progress the story. The Matrix's steam punk-kung-fu style was a much-needed breath of fresh air in the rom-com dominated '90s. When writing action I still refer to The Matrix for inspiration.
3. FIGHT CLUB (1999) The third (and last) film on my list from 1999. Fight Club is a pure adrenaline rush. The movie was one for the Gen-X crowd. As Tyler Durden says, "We are a generation of men, raised by women." Those words ring true in our modern OMG, Hills dominated culture. Fight Club is a beautiful adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel by master filmmaker David Fincher. Fight Club is about one man's journey to break out of the norm and discover himself. Fincher creates a rotting, archaic world with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton at their best. It is a world that many of us can relate to, not from experience but of wonderment. Plus, it boasts one of the craziest twist endings in history.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: Fincher madcap style sets this movie apart from much of his other work. It has beautiful cinematography, lighting, set design, and direction. It is a visual and visceral work of art. Fincher's direction (which seems to have toned down a lot since this movie, especially in Benjamin Button) helps to give a noir feel to a hard-hitting, self-destructive world. Fight Club was one of the first films that made me truly think. It also has amazing writing and some of the most inventive narration in years (especially since narration is a big no-no in filmmaking). Now I must move on before some realizes I just broke the first and second rules for writing this.
4. DONNIE DARKO (2001) Why are you wearing that bunny suit? Maybe because your Frank from Donnie Darko. Now synonymous with teenage Goths around the world as being their favorite film, Donnie Darko is a movie that stands out among the other indie flicks around the world. Donnie Darko's truly didn't come into its own until 2003's director's cut. Donnie Darko is about a young man living in a 80s suburb who gets caught up in time travel and parallel dimensions after a near death experience. Boasting one of the best soundtracks this side of Pulp Fiction, Donnie Darko sucks you into the lives of its middle-sex residents.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: Donnie Darko has a great combination of teen angst and sci-fi. Enough so that you actually forget you’re watching a sci-fi film. The score of the film is great and really puts you into that 80s vibe. It has a great atmosphere about it. It's also my favorite film to have on in the back ground while I right. Donnie Darko showcases what some good writing and a small budget can do.
5. OLDBOY (2003) His name is Oh-daesu and this is his story. One of the most disturbing and suspenseful films in history, Oldboy is a tale of a wreck of a man who is kept imprisoned for 13 years only be set free. Oh daesu sets out to seek revenge on his unknown captors in one of the most violent revenge films of all time. The second chapter in director Chan Wook-Park's trilogy of revenge films, Oldboy stands out as one of the most brutal, surrealistic movies ever made. It is a heart breaking film that proves that some men will go to no lengths to destroy themselves.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: Wook Park showed in this movie that action scenes don't need to be directed with mtv style camera work, as proven with the breath taking hallway one take. Oldboy also shows a man's self-loathing digression to nothing but a killing machine. It's hard to argue that Oldboy is one of the best action films ever. Just remember smile and the world smiles with you, frown and you frown alone.
6. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) A simple man (Cary Grant) is thrust into a world of espionage over being mistaken for another man. It's a classic Hitchcockian plot from the man himself, which set the stage for many of the thrillers we see now a days. Hitchcock proves in this movie that he is a master of pacing and a wizard with the camera. Hitchcock again brought us a horrifying fear of the unknown that shook up a tired genre. Although his other movie such as Psycho and Vertigo are considered his best, North by Northwest stands out of Hitchcock's enormous resume as one of his finest crafted works.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: The film had amazing composition in every one of its shots, sort of a Kubrick before Kubrick. It had a simple man thrust into a mysterious and complicated world. It has one of the most intense chase scenes as well as endings ever. It also has some of the best elements from every part of Hitchcock in it. Plus it has Marin Landau in his first role! What's not to love about this movie?
7. NETWORK (1971) You've got to get mad! With that all to famous speech we are thrust into the world of Network. Sidney Lumet's best film in a history of amazing films. Network is the story of a small news station that becomes huge after one of its anchor's looses his mind on live television. Network brings us into a dark and gritty world in the '70s age of paranoia. Boasting some of the best-written dialogue in the world, by the great Peddy Cheyefsky no less, Network draws you in and never lets go.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: In all honesty Network is probably one of the best-written screenplays ever. It is a movie considered way ahead of its time, and that's easy to see. Network did predict the future of network television with its advice talk shows and obsession with reality TV. Network is truly a movie that makes you think and also drives you mad. It is probably one of the most chaotic, anarchaic movies I've ever seen. Sidney Lumet wonderfully handles the movie with a master hand. Now go to your windows and shout I'm Mad as Hell, and I'm Not Going to Take it Anymore!
8. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Quite simply one of the most breath taking movies ever made. Many directors have tried but none have brought such a realistic take to the space genre like Stanley Kubrick. When a weird artifact is discovered on the surface of the moon, one man is sent along side other astronaut's on a journey to Jupiter in order to discover its origins. But soon things go awry as the ships intelligence system becomes sentient and begins to fight for it's own survival. Stanley Kubrick takes you on a journey like no one else can ever do.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: In my opinion, this movie is flawless. Every shot in this movie is perfect. Every scene is breath taking, and every twist and turn is handled master fully. Stanley Kubrick is simply the best there is and this is his masterpiece. A beautiful space opera that brings us on a journey through life, and our crippling mortality. This is probably one of the only movies that I watch and still wonder how they pulled off some special effects. It doesn't get much better than this.
9. 8 1/2 (1963) Federico Fellini's wonderful romp through the life of a screenwriter as he struggles with writer’s block. Fellini may only consider this a 1/2 movie but it is truly one of his best. This movie is a wonderful celebration of life and cinema itself. Beautifully brought to life by Marcello Mastroianni's performance as the writer. Fellini's masterpiece shines among its peers and looks and sounds great thanks to a Criterion Collection HD transfer.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: 8 1/2 is undeniably a beautiful movie that stands the test of time. Great writing, direction, acting, and cinematography are some of its highlights but Fellini's spirit is what truly makes the movie. This was one of the first foreign films that I had ever seen and it had opened me up into a wonderful world of cinema. This movie was remade by Wes Anderson into The Life Aquatic, which was another great film as well. 8 1/2 stands out as a great moment in filmmaking.
10. EVIL DEAD (1981) The grand daddy of all modern horror films and Sam Raimi's first picture. Evil Dead is a vicious force of a film that helped create a cult genre of films. The movie is about a group of young people who decide to go camping out in the woods only to unleash an unspeakable evil. This film boasts some of the craziest and creepiest moments in horror history. The ever-charming Bruce Campbell and a young energetic Sam Raimi bring the film to life. This film birth a generation of horror fans and set the stage for the now heartless gore films to try and live up to.
HOW DID IT INFLUENCE ME: Honestly, this is the film that made me want to be a filmmaker. It has some of the best shots in horror history and proved that you can make a solid film with a tiny budget. Sam Raimi and crew set out to make a movie at a very young age, and they ended up turning the genre on its head. This is simply the one film that made me realize that I want to do this for the rest of my life. Like the deadites, it is an unforeseeable force that drives you. Well that's it for this week. Hope to see you next time.
P.S. Happy Anniversary Jo. -Ko
