Movies that impacted you

Saving Private Ryan. 'Nuff said.

Quite a few, but Roger Dodger is a big one to me.

I saw the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre when I was really young. I still have nightmares about cannibalism.

I know it's a tad cliche at this point, But The Dark Knight blew me away in terms of how a comic book film could be made. It was a thought provoking, suspenseful crime drama. and yes it has it's flaws, but it didn't stop me from seeing it 5 times at the theater.

Also, Drowning Mona is one of the most underrated and less talked about comedies ever made. Its a perfect film that I wouldn't change it in any way whatsoever.

Blade Runner. Never has a film made me question my own existence, made me question my own reality, made me question if the way I'm perceiving reality is correct or totally off base, and of course the major theme of Tears in Rain that, for most of us anyway, our experiences exit this world with our death, largely meaning everything, but nothing.

Sure, there is the fun ambiguity still lingering, after thirty plus years, of whether or not the main character is in fact a replicant or not, but that's really not the point. Roy and definitely Rachael present the question of what is life, what does it mean to each individual, and, when bouncing off of Decker, how much of our life do we take for granted?

I would say the other big one for me is Fight Club. Thematically, it makes you question everything you do with your life. Why do you buy what you buy, why do you tolerate your work environment, why do you follow the guidelines of social practice when there are literally no limitations on our existence? All of that, and then you get totally mind ed on what you're watching. What is schizophrenia, what is disease, do I exist within myself, and does that part of my psyche present itself when necessary? Should we destroy what is beautiful simply because we can, does that have ramifications, and at what level of chaos is right for the world? If you're not asking yourself a million questions after Fight Club, you aren't paying attention.

Some other films that I would put on some level of this topic:

- Limitless
- Dark City
- The Matrix (Hard to remember now, but the first time around, pre trilogy, this kind of rocked the ground I stood on. I feel it's been diluted over time, sadly.)
- Donnie Darko
- The Adjustment Bureau
- Primer
- Oldboy
- A Clockwork Orange
- Mulholland Drive
- Pi
- Vanilla Sky
- Dead Poets Society
- 12 Monkeys

Da Vinci Code, 1984, and Ender's Game, all fall into the same category but I prefer the books to the film adaptions.

I'm sure I have many, many, more, and I could probably write at least a few paragraphs on each. I know we live in an adhd society but movies and, to a lesser degree, books (because less people read) are the only medium we have left where we can share an ideology. Even then, people are so quick to jump online and sh*t all over everything it's a miracle people are still brave enough to make art. I would like to say the same thing about music, but unfortunately I haven't felt truly moved by music in a very long time.

We live in a very strange time imo. Mostly everything that a person can say has been said. I don't want to say we've run out of ideas, but we live in a time that's desperately short on originality, and that's largely environmental. So when something comes along that says something unique to the world, or maybe even just you personally, I feel it's extremely important to recognize and gravitate towards.

Sure is. Also has the most vile rape scene ever. On top of that, it was designed to literally give you motion sickness. 

Wow you read my mind. I opened up this thread planning to say something about this movie. I had a friend who loved this movie and told me I had to watch it. So aginst my better judgement I watched it at his house one night with him. When it was over I was like WTF. That was one of the most depressing movies Ive ever watched. I couldn't believe that someone made a movie about this and was even more shocked at how popular it is.

Braveheart
Lawrence of Arabia
Pianist
The Counterfeit Traitor
Interstellar

Those are regarded as my favorite films of all time. Not only are their stories just deeply personal, but they completely changed the way I looked at the creative process of making movies. I cite those as my primary inspirations for getting into this field in the first place, and let me dream all kinds of big.

Days of Thunder got me into Trucker hats since everyone in that movie wore one