The Film That Changed My Life : 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark

The movie that inspired filmmakers to direct is like the atomic bomb that went off before their eyes. __The Film That Changed My Life__ captures that epiphany. It explores 30 directors’ love of a film they saw at a particularly formative moment, how it influenced their own works, and how it made them think differently. __Rebel Without a Cause__ inspired John Woo to comb his hair and talk like James Dean. For Richard Linklater, “something was simmering in me, but __Raging Bull__ brought it to a boil.” __Apocalypse Now__ inspired Danny Boyle to make larger-than-life films. A single line from __The Wizard of Oz__--“Who could ever have thought a good little girl like you could destroy all my beautiful wickedness?”--had a direct impact on John Waters. “That line inspired my life,” Waters says. “I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer.” In this volume, directors as diverse as John Woo, Peter Bogdanovich, Michel Gondry, and Kevin Smith examine classic movies that inspired them to tell stories. Here are 30 inspired and inspiring discussions of classic films that shaped the careers of today’s directors and, in turn, cinema history.

The movie that inspired filmmakers to direct is like the atomic bomb that went off before their eyes. The Film That Changed My Life captures that epiphany. It explores 30 directors’ love of a film they saw at a particularly formative moment, how it influenced their own works, and how it made them think differently.

 

Rebel Without a Cause inspired John Woo to comb his hair and talk like James Dean. For Richard Linklater, “something was simmering in me, but Raging Bull brought it to a boil.” Apocalypse Now inspired Danny Boyle to make larger-than-life films. A single line from The Wizard of Oz--“Who could ever have thought a good little girl like you could destroy all my beautiful wickedness?”--had a direct impact on John Waters. “That line inspired my life,” Waters says. “I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer.”

 

In this volume, directors as diverse as John Woo, Peter Bogdanovich, Michel Gondry, and Kevin Smith examine classic movies that inspired them to tell stories. Here are 30 inspired and inspiring discussions of classic films that shaped the careers of today’s directors and, in turn, cinema history.

The movie that inspired filmmakers to direct is like the atomic bomb that went off before their eyes. The Film That Changed My Life captures that epiphany. It explores 30 directors’ love of a film they saw at a particularly formative moment, how it influenced their own works, and how it made them think differently. Rebel Without a Cause inspired John Woo to comb his hair and talk like James Dean. For Richard Linklater, “something was simmering in me, but Raging Bull brought it to a boil.” Apocalypse Now inspired Danny Boyle to make larger-than-life films. A single line from The Wizard of Oz --“Who could ever have thought a good little girl like you could destroy all my beautiful wickedness?”--had a direct impact on John Waters. “That line inspired my life,” Waters says. “I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer.” In this volume, directors as diverse as John Woo, Peter Bogdanovich, Michel Gondry, and Kevin Smith examine classic movies that inspired them to tell stories. Here are 30 inspired and inspiring discussions of classic films that shaped the careers of today’s directors and, in turn, cinema history. "A great and provocative read. Elder begins with a simple question and leads a wide variety of filmmakers down all sorts of unexpected paths. Why do we respond so passionately, even irrationally, to the movies that change our lives? The wonderful thing about being a critic or a lifelong movie lover is that life changes all the time in relation to the spells being cast on the screen. Elder's book honors that alchemic relationship many times over. It's addictive."--Michael Phillips, film critic, Chicago Tribune "If, as John Huston once said, movies are the reigning art form of the last hundred years, then Robert K. Elder's idea of asking thirty directors to talk about the movie that most influenced their careers is a bonanza for film buffs and a wonderful recommendation to all who love movies. Elder has done us all a favor: read this book, then go see for yourself why these movies made the cut!"--Lawrence Grobel, author of The Art of the Interview --Book Jacket "If you love films and care about filmmakers, you'll have a hard time putting this book down. These lively conversations reveal just how much one generation of filmmakers influences the next--and how a single movie can change the course of a young person's life and career."--Leonard Maltin, author of Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide A single line from The Wizard of Oz--"Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?"--Inspired John Waters's life, he says. "I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer." Apocalypse Now introduced Danny Boyle to "the pure visceral power of cinema."