The Monday Question: Impact!
With the weekend behind us, which I hope was good for everyone, it’s Monday Question Time! Recently I asked about your first cinema experience and it got me thinking about the impact movies have on you. It’s probably bigger when you are still young, but even now some of them still can have that effect. This week’s question:
Which movies have had an impact on you?
I must admit that there probably aren’t any movies that had a long term impact on me (like being afraid of something after watching a horror movie or something like that), but it’s usually that hour after the movie has finished. It’s those movies you get so caught up in that you actually feel like you were part of the world or identify strongly with one of the characters. These are some movie I can think of:
Bruce Lee movies
When I was a kid there was a time my mother wouldn’t allow me to see them when they were on TV as I would always act the fights out, usually ending with me fighting my sister. Looking back I can understand that 
Nico (or any of the early Steven Seagal movies)
Always if I walked out of these movies I felt like I was able to kick anyone’s ass and always was thinking that people shouldn’t mess with me. Never found out if that was true.
Limitless
The depiction of the way the drug worked, allowing you to use all of your brain, with its bright colors and the fact that you become a genius was a nice feeling. After seeing this I felt like that I had the ability to do anything.
Donnie Darko
The impact of this movie was a bit different. It just made me think for a couple of days what actually happened.
This documentary where Michael Ruppert talks about the future is one which I regularly think about hoping that he’s wrong about everything. The dependency of the world on oil and the consequences on the financial system once it runs out is basically frightening.
So which movies have had an impact on you?
Impact?
Probably have to say Fight Club. I knew nothing of the movie before the first viewing. I just thought it was a fighting club….literally.
When the big reveal happened I almost fell out of my seat!!
That must have been a big shock indeed. I can’t remember much of the first time I saw it. It is a great movie which I’ve already seen a couple of times.
Hi, all:
Intriguing topic for a Monday!
Being a child of the 60s. Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’ taught me what great cinematography and story telling are all about. It also imbued me with a healthy dose of cynicism towards the Cold War, Mutual Assured Destruction and politics, local to global.
Howard Hawks’ ‘The Thing From Another World’ planted the seed very early on that a good story, well excecuted can outlast any any Super Duper Mega Budgeted Blockbuster.
Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Conversation’ and ‘The Godfather’ seduced me into paying attention to details, both seen and heard in films and in real life. Which paid off in later films, like the Coen brothers’ ‘Blood Simple’ and John Dahl’s ‘The Last Seduction’.
Dave Zucker and Jim Abraham’s ‘Airplane!’ enlightened me to the delightful possibilities that humor, however lighthearted, blatant or raunchy can be found in any situation, anywhere!
I can imagine that Dr. Strangelove must have had a great effect at the time. I grew up at the end of the cold war myself, but when I see older movies you really feel what it was like at the time, with this threat covering the west with a blanket of fear (just like terrorism does now). That movie managed to really put forward a lot of interesting topics.
Haven’t seen The Thing from Another World, but looking at your description it is one to check out especially because you compare it to blockbusters
Conversation I only saw a couple of years ago and was not blown away by it, but that’s probably because it aged a bit. Godfather is one I enjoy and will be seeing on the big screen again next month.
Still planning to revisit Airplane, which I remember seeing when I was a lot younger.
Great list of movies!
movie that gave me an impact is ‘Up in the air’ among several others. for some employees they feel safe with their job, so they forget about their dreams. So it’s pretty much a kick for mind this movie.
That’s really nice to hear that it impacted you in that way!
This is a good question.
I’d have to answer with:
Crash
Hook
Schindler’s List
Patch Adams
Remember the Titans
An American Tail
It (i hate clowns now)
haha
I can understand you are scared of clowns after seeing It, that “Beep Beep Richie” is still something I remember and it has been so long ago since I last saw it….
In which way have the other movies impacted you?
Crash: People are alike, no matter race, creed, etc. and that, while a person may often be the victim of stereotyping, they oftentimes are committing it too.
Hook: It’s okay to never grow up. You can still have fun regardless of age.
Schindler’s List: A reminder that goodness can exist in a world of evil.
Patch Adams: Look to be a shining light in the lives of others. Share love, laughter, and life.
Remember the Titans: The impossible dream can be achieved
An American Tail: It just always stays in my mind as it was probably the most repeatedly watched animated feature of my childhood.
A great post question.
Nice to read that those movies gave you those lessons
You probably saw this coming – The Lord of the Rings. It was after seeing Fellowship that I really got into movies. By its nature it immerses you in this fantastic world, and I was completely immersed!
Great to hear that it had that impact on you!
I’ve got to think about this one… but the first thing that came to mind was Ben-Hur. The physical and spiritual journey Judah went through is just remarkable. I love the quote “I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand…” as he witnessed Christ dying on the cross and still forgave the people who did that to him. I always cried when I watched it.
Ooh. a good one! Ben Hur is one of my faves too!
It’s been such a long time since I last saw Ben Hur (I have the DVD), but it’s an impressive film with some classic scenes.