Angry Puppy
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The Film That Changed Your Life
- Thread starter pauljeremiah
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In the OP, it was stated by asking what film made you realize that cinema could be "magical", so I guess that's how.
mclaren777
Member
The Fellowship of the Ring viewed in a specialized IMAX/D-BOX theater that was designed to show a documentary about the eruption of Mount Saint Helens.
I didn't know anything about LOTR going in so it set the all-time benchmark for cinema in my eyes.
I didn't know anything about LOTR going in so it set the all-time benchmark for cinema in my eyes.
revolverjgw
Member
Batman 89, that incredible Anton Furst art direction, beautiful Gothic art deco and German expressionism... I couldn't articulate it back when I was 6, but I knew there was something special about this movie, it was the first time a film really resonated with me in an artistic way. I even thought about how Keaton was such an offbeat and eccentric Batman and that Nicholson was a fucking force of nature, and that was the first time I can remember thinking about the actual actors a movie. Before that I just kind of sat there and let movies entertain me without feeling much of anything about how they were made or who made them.
tycoonheart
Member
Pi.
Its one of those movies I can watch any time and still be amazed at how good it is. For me personally this movie is my favorite from Aronofsky.
Arcane Hayter
Member
I would say Memento really made me sit up and take notice. I remember sitting there thinking: "this is what the main character feels". I couldn't believe that the editing had that kind of impact in associating with the character's struggle.
pauljeremiah
Gold Member
For me it was a small collection of films that triggered certain emotions at the time. As I can't remember one film that really stands out.
My earliest film memory is going to see "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" in the tiny 2 screen cinema in Ennis (which is now a furniture store). I was 6 at the time. I remember it had a Looney Tunes short in front of it though I cannot remember which one, I do remember that Bugs was in it, I like to think that it was one of the "hunting trilogy" shorts.
I remember just sitting there in awe when they were walking through the garden and how amazing the effects were (though I didn't know what effects were). I remember getting really upset when the ant dies after self sacrificing itself to save the kids from a scorpion.
I remember that my older brother has to explain to me what the "French class" joke at the end was about.
The first film I ever had to leave early was "Ghostbusters 2", as the painting of Vigo scared the shit out of me and I told my mom I need to go to the bathroom and stayed there for about 20 minutes and refused to go out. Since this was only a small 2 screen cinema my mom asked the manager if she and I could go into the other screen and leave my older brother and our friend Richard (same age as my brother) in screen two.
The other film was the showing that night was "Back To The Future Part 2" he told my mother that it was a 15's certificate and my mother asked what it was about and he gave her a brief synopsis and the two of us went in. The manager also gave me a free Kit-Kat bar to help me get over the traumatic experience of "Ghostbusters 2". We enter the screening just as Marty and Doc arrive in the future. The image of the small pizzas going into the oven and then coming out a few seconds later as regular size ones is the earliest memory of me saying "whoa" out loud at something.
The other memory I have is the first time I cried watching a movie, I Was just after turning 6, it was during the mothers death scene in "The Land Before Time" I bust into tears and my brother and his friends bust into a Vesuvius of laughter at me and it was something they were quick to remind me for the next couple of months.
I still have strong memories of seeing films like TMNT, The Little Mermaid, All I want for Christmas, Ernest Saves Christmas (which I thought was the funniest film ever at the time).
A new cinema called the Savoy (which was later nicknamed "The Rats Nest" will explain later) opened in Limerick. I remember going in their which my brother and my Dad to see "Masters of the Universe" It's not a cinema I really went to as a child due to it been over a 30 minute drive away and the smaller cinema in Ennis was about 10 minutes away.
The next big film I remember seeing was Jurassic Park in the Savoy, I remember two very long Q's going into the cinema, one for JP the other was for The Crow and the cinema was super strict and was asking for ID's to make sure you were over 18. Jurassic Park scared me shitless, the T-Rex attack, and the Raptors in the kitchen left very lasting images and emotions in me.
The last film I watched in the old cinema in Ennis was Clueless, and the first film I watched in the new cinema (which is still there) was Michael Collins, it was around this time, when I was 13/14 that I started to really fall in love with cinema and started to collect films on VHS. Which is where I watched classic films like Gone With The Wind or Ben Hur, which my mother mistakenly bought the widescreen version, I remember getting the The Godfather boxset which had the films re-edited in chronological order, which was my first time to see any of The Godfathers.
Oh and the reason the Savoy was known as "The Rats Nest" was due to an urban myth that someone found a rat at the their feet during a screening. If I talk to anyone who remembers that cinema (it's now a show store as the whole street was redeveloped) I always get the response "The Savoy? Make sure you tuck your pants into your socks"
My earliest film memory is going to see "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" in the tiny 2 screen cinema in Ennis (which is now a furniture store). I was 6 at the time. I remember it had a Looney Tunes short in front of it though I cannot remember which one, I do remember that Bugs was in it, I like to think that it was one of the "hunting trilogy" shorts.
I remember just sitting there in awe when they were walking through the garden and how amazing the effects were (though I didn't know what effects were). I remember getting really upset when the ant dies after self sacrificing itself to save the kids from a scorpion.
I remember that my older brother has to explain to me what the "French class" joke at the end was about.
The first film I ever had to leave early was "Ghostbusters 2", as the painting of Vigo scared the shit out of me and I told my mom I need to go to the bathroom and stayed there for about 20 minutes and refused to go out. Since this was only a small 2 screen cinema my mom asked the manager if she and I could go into the other screen and leave my older brother and our friend Richard (same age as my brother) in screen two.
The other film was the showing that night was "Back To The Future Part 2" he told my mother that it was a 15's certificate and my mother asked what it was about and he gave her a brief synopsis and the two of us went in. The manager also gave me a free Kit-Kat bar to help me get over the traumatic experience of "Ghostbusters 2". We enter the screening just as Marty and Doc arrive in the future. The image of the small pizzas going into the oven and then coming out a few seconds later as regular size ones is the earliest memory of me saying "whoa" out loud at something.
The other memory I have is the first time I cried watching a movie, I Was just after turning 6, it was during the mothers death scene in "The Land Before Time" I bust into tears and my brother and his friends bust into a Vesuvius of laughter at me and it was something they were quick to remind me for the next couple of months.
I still have strong memories of seeing films like TMNT, The Little Mermaid, All I want for Christmas, Ernest Saves Christmas (which I thought was the funniest film ever at the time).
A new cinema called the Savoy (which was later nicknamed "The Rats Nest" will explain later) opened in Limerick. I remember going in their which my brother and my Dad to see "Masters of the Universe" It's not a cinema I really went to as a child due to it been over a 30 minute drive away and the smaller cinema in Ennis was about 10 minutes away.
The next big film I remember seeing was Jurassic Park in the Savoy, I remember two very long Q's going into the cinema, one for JP the other was for The Crow and the cinema was super strict and was asking for ID's to make sure you were over 18. Jurassic Park scared me shitless, the T-Rex attack, and the Raptors in the kitchen left very lasting images and emotions in me.
The last film I watched in the old cinema in Ennis was Clueless, and the first film I watched in the new cinema (which is still there) was Michael Collins, it was around this time, when I was 13/14 that I started to really fall in love with cinema and started to collect films on VHS. Which is where I watched classic films like Gone With The Wind or Ben Hur, which my mother mistakenly bought the widescreen version, I remember getting the The Godfather boxset which had the films re-edited in chronological order, which was my first time to see any of The Godfathers.
Oh and the reason the Savoy was known as "The Rats Nest" was due to an urban myth that someone found a rat at the their feet during a screening. If I talk to anyone who remembers that cinema (it's now a show store as the whole street was redeveloped) I always get the response "The Savoy? Make sure you tuck your pants into your socks"
megashock5
Member
I was six years old in May of 1977 when Star Wars came out. Seeing it in a theater at that age was magical, I couldn't believe something could be so awesome. So many years of my childhood revolved around it, and I played with the Kenner toys for years.
I've soured on SW for various reasons and it's not quite the same as it was before the prequels hit, unfortunately.
At 41, I finally got this same feeling watching the Avengers on opening weekend. I have always loved superheros and mainly grew up with the Marvel characters. Having seen it five times now, there are multiple scenes that still give me goosebumps. In some way, I still can't believe they did it. They pulled it off spectacularly. I almost tear up at the scene near the end showing everyone thanking them, paining murals, etc. It's beautiful.
I've soured on SW for various reasons and it's not quite the same as it was before the prequels hit, unfortunately.
At 41, I finally got this same feeling watching the Avengers on opening weekend. I have always loved superheros and mainly grew up with the Marvel characters. Having seen it five times now, there are multiple scenes that still give me goosebumps. In some way, I still can't believe they did it. They pulled it off spectacularly. I almost tear up at the scene near the end showing everyone thanking them, paining murals, etc. It's beautiful.
Agent Icebeezy
Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
The Matrix forced me to look at shit differently. My name here is a play on Agent Smith, as is my XBL/PSN names. Agent Ice/agentice.
How's about I go in a different direction?
The Good girl This essentially broke me of all dramas. Afterwards I was like "Why spend my time watching things where the sole purpose is to make me sad?"
The descendants reaffirmed the above.
The Phantom Menace: Made me realize that George Lucas was a product more of timing than of genius.
The Good girl This essentially broke me of all dramas. Afterwards I was like "Why spend my time watching things where the sole purpose is to make me sad?"
The descendants reaffirmed the above.
The Phantom Menace: Made me realize that George Lucas was a product more of timing than of genius.
TOP SHOTTA
Member
Poltergiest had a huge effect on me.
My mother was terrified at the movie and when we were little didn't allow us to see a single frame of it until we were a very specific age.
When we did see it, it scared the fucking daylights out of me and still gets my attention now. I think, for a movie that was frequently on television as a 9pm feature (network), it was very scary. At 36, I am a huge fan of horror movies and I attribute that in large part to the way I was introduced to Poltergeist, and the horror genre.
My mother was terrified at the movie and when we were little didn't allow us to see a single frame of it until we were a very specific age.
When we did see it, it scared the fucking daylights out of me and still gets my attention now. I think, for a movie that was frequently on television as a 9pm feature (network), it was very scary. At 36, I am a huge fan of horror movies and I attribute that in large part to the way I was introduced to Poltergeist, and the horror genre.
BaltimoreLarry
Member
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
User 100115
Banned
When I was tenish I saved up enough money and walked the two miles to the cheapy theater and saw my first ever theater movie. I loved the experience so much I went and saw the movie three more times.
I am very ashamed to say that it was the live action Super Mario.
I am very ashamed to say that it was the live action Super Mario.
Suburban_Nooblet
Banned
Movies are a pretty big/weird inspiration in my daily life but there are quite a few movies I think about on almost a daily basis.
1. The Matrix
2. Fight Club
3. Royal Tenenbaums
4. American Psycho
so many more I can't think of.
1. The Matrix
2. Fight Club
3. Royal Tenenbaums
4. American Psycho
so many more I can't think of.
Max Armstrong
Member
The Godfather
I was like 14 when I first saw it and I was like man, I didn't know movies could be this good and I've been interested in the business ever since and it's a pretty big part of my life now.
I was like 14 when I first saw it and I was like man, I didn't know movies could be this good and I've been interested in the business ever since and it's a pretty big part of my life now.
crazy monkey
Banned
Jurassic park
Candeldandel
Member
The Snowman has always stuck with me:
also, The Red Balloon (to a lesser extent).
Picking one is hard... my favorite movies tend to be comedies (or straight-up slapstick), so yeah.
Maybe Fellowship of the Ring? That was pretty epic.
Or Amelie <3
also, The Red Balloon (to a lesser extent).
Picking one is hard... my favorite movies tend to be comedies (or straight-up slapstick), so yeah.
Maybe Fellowship of the Ring? That was pretty epic.
Or Amelie <3
Ghost_Protocol
Member
The execution scene at the end of Braveheart was the first movie that had tears welling up in my eyes.
Im confused, OP. Change my life or the film that helped me appreciate films?
For the "change my life" movie, it would be Knocked Up. Don't laugh. Seeing how this loser of a guy clean up and get an ok paying job, get his own place and doing some general growing up made me reflect on my own situation at the time and got me to do the same. It has literally changed my life. I went and got a minimum wage office administration job, went back to school (though that was short lived), and started to make enough to move out of my parent's place and rent a room. After that, got a better paying job and things continue to look up.
Watching that movie is the one moment I can look back on, and pinpoint that as a turning point for my life.
Movie kind of sucked though.
For the "change my life" movie, it would be Knocked Up. Don't laugh. Seeing how this loser of a guy clean up and get an ok paying job, get his own place and doing some general growing up made me reflect on my own situation at the time and got me to do the same. It has literally changed my life. I went and got a minimum wage office administration job, went back to school (though that was short lived), and started to make enough to move out of my parent's place and rent a room. After that, got a better paying job and things continue to look up.
Watching that movie is the one moment I can look back on, and pinpoint that as a turning point for my life.
Movie kind of sucked though.
Macready1306
Banned
Can't exactly pin point which of these 3 films it was, but they all were extremely influential in my transition in becoming a film freak! They are- Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Terminator. Return of the Living Dead.
freenudemacusers
Member
Tetsuo The Iron Man. Dead serious.
Canis lupus
Member
Fight Club.
seventynine
Member
Fight Club. I was twenty when this came out in cinemas. Went in blind even though I was a fan of Fincher's prior movies. No other film has spoken to me like that one did, every scene felt original. Photography, sound design script performances and direction all top of the line. Can't say enough about it.
My little tribute to the "Raymond K. Hessle" scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E77N5pJqjbk&feature=share&list=UU13rLM3U5OTLFHxTnhnZOSA
Other films that mean something to me.
Dazed and Confused.
Rushmore.
Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Back to the Future.
The Goonies
2001
Full Metal Jacket.
My little tribute to the "Raymond K. Hessle" scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E77N5pJqjbk&feature=share&list=UU13rLM3U5OTLFHxTnhnZOSA
Other films that mean something to me.
Dazed and Confused.
Rushmore.
Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Back to the Future.
The Goonies
2001
Full Metal Jacket.
The Main Event
Member
Probably Predator. I was like 9 or 10 when I first saw it. Uncensored on cable tv. That movie stayed within me forever.
afternoon delight
Member
Jaws, The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, or Alien all resonated, and continue to resonate, with something inside me.
dummydecoy
Member
Elaborate please. I don't remember a thanking or painting mural scene in that movie. You're still talking about Avengers right?
+1 for The Fifth Element! I love that movie so much. Saw it first before any Starwars film or Bladerunner and now sci-fi is my favorite genre.
D
Deleted member 102362
Unconfirmed Member
blade runner easily
seeing this is the 90s on a crappy vhs blew my mind
If only you could see what I've seen
with your eyes.
International cut on VHS, director's cut on DVD, Final Cut on Blu-ray. I could marry this fucking movie.
Other films that made me enjoy film:
Apocalpyse Now
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Matrix
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
MrPink93485
Member
It would have to be Batman or Terminator 2, the first two VHS my family had (or at least the ones my brothers and I ever considered watching). Jurassic Park in a distant third. But Terminator 2 and Batman were revelations to us. I doubt I'd be as interested in films without them. We watched the VHS' probably 50 times each.
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