Movies That Changed My Life

We all have favourite movies. I have many, including Lost in Translation, The Double Life of Veronique, The Thing ('82), The Wolf Man ('41), From Russia With Love, and Alien. But those aren't necessarily "important" movies to me, meaning they did not necessarily change me or my life. I'm talking about pivotal films, ones that truly affected me, changed me, made their mark... an impression... on me, and influenced my choices in movies... and maybe even in life... for years to come. 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.... I remember seeing this in the movie theater when I was a kid. It must have been a re-release or something. I remember being freaked out as Snow White ran through the spooky forest. But beautifully painted backgrounds, terrific classical animation, thrilling music... everything... cemented this as my favourite Disney feature of all. And I've been an animation fan ever since. I even worked in a studio for a time.

The Wizard of Oz.... a love/hate relationship here. This amazing adaptation from book to silver screen was magical. I have always loved the flying monkeys best, and those "realistic" (to my young eyes) tornado shots gave me nightmares and a life-long fascination and fear of twisters. Wonderful acting, direction, music, and visual effects... such a timeless classic! All I have to do is think about The Wizard of Oz and I smile fondly as I recall seeing it as a child. Twisters and all.

Frankenstein (1931).... the first horror film I ever saw, I believe... it made a huge impression, leaving me with a taste for fright films, especially the oldies, for the rest of my life. Today, I prefer Universal delights like The Wolf Man and Creature From the Black Lagoon over this - but ol' Frank was an important movie for me.

The Nutty Professor... the original, starring Jerry Lewis. I'm pretty sure this was the first Lewis solo picture I ever saw, and I do know that I wanted to be just like that goofy clown when I was a youngster. I mimicked Jerry's walk and talk and mannerisms for friends, but they just gave me puzzled looks in return. Bah, what did they know? But I recognized comic genius when I saw it. And I still crack up when I watch one of these oldies... and not necessarily this one, for I now consider The Bellboy and The Delicate Delinquent more durable comedies. 

A Hard Day's Night, and Help!... determined my life-long love of Beatles music. After seeing these two movies on TV, I was obsessed for several years as a young lad and teen, collecting their records and books about the band. Since I discovered the Mop Tops well after their break-up, I made a point of seeing the Beatlemania stage show when it hit Toronto in 1981. That was as close as I ever got to seeing the real thing. Pretty close. 

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)... the sea god Triton scene scared the daylights out of me when I first saw this as a child, and for months I had recurring nightmares of simply watching that scene on TV. Crazy... and crazy good. Still among my favourite movies of all time, and this, along with the Sinbad movies of that era, fostered a love of fantasy in films and literature (from The Hobbit to Pan's Labyrinth). 

Star Wars (episode IV - A New Hope)... Long-awaited and life-affirming. stunning and timeless, my favourite sci-fi/fantasy movie of all time. I read the fan magazines for months leading up to its release, and it far exceeded my hopes and dreams. Even today, after all those sequels and prequels and spin-offs, the very first Star Wars film remains both my favourite and the most influential in my life. 

A Clockwork Orange.... an ultra-violent "art" film with scope and vision by auteur director Stanley Kubrick, with memorable performances, a story brilliantly adapted from the novel, inventive camera-work, and powerful music (which led to my love of all things Beethoven). And an appreciation for the high-falutin' talents of the meticulous and wacky old Stanley. An important movie in my life, even if it does not make my Top Ten.