Not Just Movies: Films/shows that connected to me personally.
Not in any particular order (at least not yet). These films changed my life or reflected it, connected to it. So regardless of what others my think of them, or even my overall opinion of them, they mean something to me personally. Either entirely or through a significant part of them. A lot of these left an impression on me when I was growing up as a child.
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- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.I first saw it as a young teen and it made me reflect on my views on the existence of the spirit (aka "the ghost"), god, humanity, and religion. Partly thanks to this movie, I realized I don't believe in the existence of a spirit or ghost, or god, and stopped blindly following the religion I was raised to follow (I was still interested in studying it and other religions but became an atheist). It all just clicked and made sense to me, like a eureka moment. I instead refocused on learning more philosophy and how the mind works, as I came to realize the power of the mind and that we are our minds.
These aren't ideas exclusive to or originating from this film, but it was written, directed, and presented in a way that gave my teenage mind a jolt in the best way possible and is part of why I am who I am today. The idea that a human being and the mind can be recreated mechanically and technologically by humans themselves still blows my mind, and that ultimately we are simply biological machines to begin with.
Other scifi films have the robots, cyborgs, etc. but they fail to ask/present the important questions like this movie did for me. Not even the 2004 film adaptation of of the novel (Asamov's I, Robot) that originated many of these ideas was as affective. I saw Blade Runner and Metropolis after this movie, and partly because of this movie. - DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMatt DillonMickey RourkeDiane LaneAbsent-minded street thug Rusty James struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation, and longs for the days of gang warfare.Mickey Rourke's character of The Motorcycle Kid is probably my favorite character in all of cinema history, so far as I've seen of it. This movie gave me chills because of him alone. How he's written, how he acts... I can't believe he didn't get an oscar for it. I've never seen this level of relatable disillusionment, social and intellectual isolation, and alienation from another character before or since.
- CreatorJames L. BrooksMatt GroeningSam SimonStarsDan CastellanetaNancy CartwrightHarry ShearerThe satiric half-hour adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.What part of my life has this series not influenced? Maybe it's common for most kids who grew up in the 90s, lol. So many things I know or care about originated from something I learned about through The Simpsons, especially the early seasons of course. Part of the joy I had watching TCM starting in the late 2000s was to see if the next movie I watched was gonna be one that The Simpsons had referenced.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerJamie Lee CurtisTom ArnoldA fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.Watching this movie with my parents as a 6 or 7 year old, my mother did something during the lengthy Jamie Lee Curtis striptease scene that I never forgot - she covered my eyes. I wonder if I would have turned out completely different if she hadn't had done that, lol.
- DirectorBill CondonStarsLiam NeesonLaura LinneyChris O'DonnellA look at the life of Alfred Kinsey, a pioneer in the area of human sexuality research, whose 1948 publication "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male" was one of the first recorded works that saw science address sexual behavior.By the time I had seen this, I was a young adult who had been researching sexuality and asking a lot of questions, and this movie made me feel less alone because I learned that people like Kinsey and his wife existed, and the research Kinsey did. I had grown up in a different social environment, I wouldn't hesitate to study sexuality in school and do my own research and write papers... but maybe in a different social environment, I'd never even have the idea to pursue that, lol.
- DirectorRichard AttenboroughStarsBen KingsleyJohn GielgudRohini HattangadiThe life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.Helped form my views on colonization, Indian history, my ancestors, civil rights, protesting, justice, societal divisions, etc. Gandhi was flawed like any other human being but it is still easy to argue he was one of the greatest and most influential human beings in recent history. I think of moments depicted in this movie when I realize who is unfortunately now running the country he helped to save.
- CreatorGil GrantStarsTia CarrereChristien AnholtLindy BoothHistory Professor Sydney Fox and her linguistic assistant Nigel recover ancient artifacts from around the world, while battling rival hunters.Watching this as an 11-12 year old male, I appreciated the character of Nigel played my Christian Anholt. He's fine working for and respecting a strong woman as his boss and leader, even being physically weaker than her, but he's respected for his intellect and friendship. He also engages in relationships with other strong female characters. His own true strength comes from not physical strength or macho bravado, but his willingness to go above and beyond for the people he cares about. This is even subverted in one episode where Nigel gains supernatural strength and he tries to be the leading hero.
At first glance this show gives the impression of being another Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones, but it really isn't, and one of its key differences is that this isn't about a solo hero but really the whole series is about a duo. A female hero and her male sidekick. As a kid, this dynamic was rare... I can't even think of a similar example off the top of my head. I've always liked that a relationship like this is possible and wish morel ike it came up more often in media. - DirectorRam Gopal VarmaStarsSanjay DuttUrmila MatondkarParesh RawalNandu, a small-time thief, is assigned to smuggle an unknown packet for a petty amount. With the police pursuing him, Nandu has to elude them and deliver the packet on time.
- DirectorVittorio De SicaStarsLamberto MaggioraniEnzo StaiolaLianella CarellIn post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.
- DirectorStanley KramerStarsSpencer TracyFredric MarchGene KellyBased on a real-life case in 1925; two great lawyers argue the case for, and against, a Tennessee science teacher accused of the crime of teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.This movie helped me realize what is probably the most powerful division in humanity, one that is still as powerful today, if not more - Religion vs Science. As relevant today as it was then.
- DirectorPaul WeitzChris WeitzStarsJason BiggsChris KleinThomas Ian NicholasFour teenage boys enter a pact to lose their virginity by prom night.While I didn't like the movie and still don't, as an 11 year old it opened up a lot of things to me that Sex Ed either didn't try to teach me or failed to teach me. And that's beside the fact that I rewatched Shannon Elizabeth's scene 100s of times, lol. The first time I had ever seen anything like that.
- DirectorVincente MinnelliGeorge CukorStarsKirk DouglasAnthony QuinnJames DonaldThe life of brilliant but tortured artist Vincent van Gogh.Of all the few character on film I find myself relating to the most, I can't believe one of them turned out to be Van Gogh.
- StarsVic MignognaKira BucklandFelecia AngellePlug is a Charger Girl from a parallel dimension. Her job is to find people on Earth that are depressed and charge them up to restore their energy.
- CreatorYasuyuki UedaStarsKaori ShimizuBridget HoffmanDan LorgeStrange things start happening when a withdrawn girl named Lain becomes obsessed with an interconnected virtual realm known as "The Wired".
- CreatorNaoko TakeuchiStarsStephanie ShehKotono MitsuishiKate HigginsA group of schoolgirls discover they are incarnations of super-powered alien princesses, and use their abilities to defend the earth.
- CreatorSam RaimiJohn SchulianR.J. StewartStarsLucy LawlessRenée O'ConnorTed RaimiXena, a mighty Warrior Princess with a dark past, sets out to redeem herself. She is joined by small town bard, Gabrielle. Together they journey the ancient world and fight for the greater good against ruthless Warlords and Gods.