Inspiring Films

S

shackelfurt

I'm new to this site, so I do not know if this has been done or not. (Or if it even belongs here...) But I've been collecting a list of movies I find exceptional for a few years now and wanted to share it and see what other filmmakers think. Does anyone have any films they would add to this? Is a movie on here you think doesn't deserve to be? I'd like to hear what you all think.

12 Monkeys
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
A Scanner Darkly
About Schmidt
Across the Universe
Adaptation
American Splendor
Art School Confidential
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters
Be Kind Rewind
Being John Malkovich
Blade Runner
Borat
Bottle Rocket
Brazil
The Breakfast Club
Broken Flowers
Cashback
Children of Men
The City of Lost Children
Dante’s Inferno
The Darjeeling Limited
The Dark Knight
Donnie Darko
Down By Law
Eagle Vs Shark
Edward Scissorhands
Electroma
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Equilibrium
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The Fifth Element
Forest Gump
The Fountain
Full Metal Jacket
Garden State
Genghis Blues
Ghost World
Harold and Maude
Heavy Metal
Hot Rod
Human Nature
I Am Legend
Idiocracy
Juno
King Kong
Kung Fu Hustle
Labyrinth
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Little Miss Sunshine
Lost in Translation
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
Motorcycle Diaries
Nacho Libre
Napoleon Dynamite
Office Space
Pan's Labyrinth
Paprika
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
Powder
Religulous
Requiem For a Dream
Robocop
The Royal Tenenbaums
Run Lola Run
Rushmore
The Sasquatch Gang
The Science of Sleep
The Shining
Sideways
Sin City
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Spirited Away
Star Wars: A New Hope
Steal This Movie
Stranger Than Fiction
Superbad
Tekkonkinkreet
The Terminator
The Triplets of Belleville
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
V for Vendetta
Waking Life
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit
What the Bleep Do We Know!?
Year of the Dog
Yellow Submarine
 
It's funny you say that. I've actually just rented Memento, and I've been trying to find the time to watch it. It sounds as though I'll like it.
 
The Crow would be on there for me, very dark story but a kinda sweet love story in there and a great hero who could be so friendly and caring but so baddass when it was needed. Love it.

Also the mariachi films for showing what you can do with a small budget and any of tarantino's stuff particuarly reservoir dogs for being so entertaining yet essentially being about a room of guys arguing.
 
28 days later.

Cashback? Seriously? It was an awesome short film, then it got theatrical treatment, and then it sucked.
 
Last edited:
Just taking the thread title as literal... ie: inspiring films...

Cinderalla Man
City of God (the sequel City of Men was so-so)
Maria, Full of Grace
Once Were Warriors
Osama
Water

_______

I see the Science of Sleep there in your list. That was rather quirky and enjoyable. :)

I'm not sure what to make of your list, tbh. Looks like a list of personal faves, maybe? I mean... Heavy Metal is a fun flick, but it ain't exactly up there. For me, at any rate.
 
I would have to add

Mean Creek
Anchorman
American Beauty
Jersey Girl
Fight Club
Dawn of the Dead

I had to delete a few that I realized were already on your list.

[I think this is my first post! I've been lurking around here for a while, but never posted anything.]
 
Danny:
I've never seen The Crow, but now I'll have to. I'll also have to view Reservoir Dogs. I've read things that said good things about both, but now I want to see them. Thanks.
MacV:
28 Days Later is another one I've been wanting to see but haven't yet. Now that you recommend it, I'll have to check it out. Cashback was a good short film, but I saw the short after I saw the extended feature film. I guess I like the idea of making time go by faster by freezing time for entertainment.
ZenSteve:
I began watching City of God and really liked it, but the DVD copy of it I borrowed from a friend was so scratched up it became unwatchable. I really want to finish seeing all of it. I really like the Science of Sleep. I'm an instant fan of anything Michel Gondry directs now. The list is a lot of personal favorites, but I think all of them have some sort of quality that makes me want to make movies myself. In Heavy Metal for example, I really liked the collage feel of the whole thing, with all the different artistic styles, linked by a pretty cool story arc.
spunkybdub:
I'd like to know which movies we had in common. (Fight Club is another one I'm sorry to say I've never seen yet... but I want to.)
 
Last edited:
barnaclelapse said:
I was re-watching To Kill A Mockingbird last night.

That's pretty damn inspiring.
Click to expand...

Everytime I think of that movie, I think of when Peck shoots the dog- the scene is dramatic, but isn't overly built up with music and tension, he simply lifts his glasses, aims and fires. All done within a minute and effective without being overwrought.
 
I'm glad that you've got Edward Scissorhands there. I'd also have to add Sweeney Todd.
My other inspirational films include the wonderful Billy Elliot, A Hard Days Night, Finding Neverland
 
You can replace I am leg-end with 28 days later no offence to americans but the studio that done 28 weeks later really ruined it. 28 days later was a great British film that focused on the depression of a post apocolyptic world(or country). in 28 weeks later in come the US army, have a bit of fun shooting the infected and thats about as far as the story goes in weeks later.
 
These are just ones off of the top of my head...

Cinderella Man
Slumdog Millionaire
City of God
The Shawshenk Redemption
American History X
Forrest Gump
Edward Scissorhands
 
Motorstorm said:
You can replace I am leg-end with 28 days later no offence to americans but the studio that done 28 weeks later really ruined it. 28 days later was a great British film that focused on the depression of a post apocolyptic world(or country). in 28 weeks later in come the US army, have a bit of fun shooting the infected and thats about as far as the story goes in weeks later.
Click to expand...

Very interesting. Can anyone affirm this?
 
Seven is an amazing movie and I think deserves to be on the list just because of its amazing performances and big twist. To me that alone is inspiring enough to add to the list.
 
the crow is not good, but to each his own i guess. i would definitely add the darjeeling limited and mister lonely. the life aquatic is my favorite wes anderson film, but the darjeeling limited is a close second. also mister lonely is in my opinion an amazing amazing film. harmony korine is a genius, and very eccentric.
 
kgasser2 said:
quick question: how exactly is nacho libre an inspiring film? just curious.
Click to expand...

It's inspiring because, if they can release *that*... there's hope for us, too.
smiley_toot.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top