Al's Inspiration Shelf for Film

I've recently taken it upon myself to parse out some of my favorite things from my collections and put them on their own dedicated shelf. These will be my "inspiration shelves," containing media and things that will directly inspire and influence my own imagination and creativity. There's a shelf for books, one for music, but the one I organized first and foremost was for film.

My History With Film

Of all media, I seem to ingest films more than anything else. Music might be the next biggest thing I indulge in, but films seem to have the greatest lasting power. Like any kid born in the 80s, I grew up on a steady diet of new and exciting blockbusters: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Police Academy, E.T., Crocodile Dundee, Big Trouble in Little China, Beetlejuice, Beverly Hills Cop--even if I didn't grasp their stories, I knew them by their cover art, by select scenes, the performers, and the overall aesthetic. As a kid (and probably starting when I was youngest), I would have also been exposed to healthy amounts of Disney animated classics (especially Dumbo, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White) and a variety of other pre-1980s classics (such as the Wizard of Oz, The Music Man, Willy Wonka, It's A Wonderful Life, and more. My parents tell me that my first-ever movie was Gremlins--they took me to the cinema when I was just an infant. Even though I don't remember it, the movie is one of the essentials in my collection.

For a while, my mom worked at a video rental store, so I remember gazing at shelves and shelves of box art. Some looked exciting, some looked scary. I was always well-aware of ratings, and growing up I always felt that R-rated movies were strictly for adults. I always feared and respected those restrictions. While some kids sought to push the envelope early and see all the gangster and horror films, I avoided them like the plague. My parents were careful about their selections too. Some videos we watched may have pushed the edge a little--we didn't shy away from horror movies like Poltergeist, the various Stephen King adaptations, different versions of Dracula and Frankenstein--but we rarely divulged into slashers, zombie movies, exploitation, or anything extreme.

My parents had a respectable collection--about 300 VHS tapes and 150 LaserDiscs. They all caught my eye at some point or another, and they got a lot of plays. Growing up, I remember having days where we'd explore select movies and entire series for the first time: Star Trek II - V was a blast (and VI came out later on LD, it blew me away), the original five Planet of the Apes movies (I still consider it a classic), the first three Lethal Weapons (when I was older and more mature--I was quite smitten by the characters), and the first two Terminator movies (which remain all-time favorites to this day--the storytelling and character development are sublime). There were times when dad would borrow an LD from someone, so we got to experience some truly challenging films like Apocalypse Now and Runaway Train that way (both were reprehensible on the first viewing, but I'd learn to appreciate them deeper as an adult).

In 1998, we all marveled at the advent of DVD. Clean and sharp picture, menu selections, subtitles, alternate languages, chapter selection--it blew VHS out of the water and looked on-par with LDs. I got to admit that sound on LD might still be superior (I still remember how bombastic the LDs for Terminator 2, the Indiana Jones movies, certain Star Trek movies were--some collectors actually prefer LD over Blu-Ray because of the lossless sound). When Circuit City was still a thing, I remember browsing rows and rows of movies, new and old, in these thin plastic cases. We picked up a lot of good oldies like Logan's Run, Dune, The Stepford Wives, in addition to then-new films like The Shadow, Waterworld, The Sixth Sense.

Around this time, I saw the movie GoldenEye for the first time. It was my first exposure to James Bond, and after a huge six-year hiatus it couldn't be a better experience. Already familiar with action movies like Under Siege and Air Force One, I had a blast with GoldenEye's epic setpieces, raw fighting, and special effects. Above all, I was smitten by the characters and the underlying conflict between Bond and Trevelyan (a kind of conflict that would inspire me in other stories I'd attempt to write). The movie was a gateway drug--I would soak in all of Tomorrow Never Dies shortly thereafter, and then I saw The World Is Not Enough on the big screen (at the time, I called it the best one because of how it handled the characters). On TV, I'd catch all the other Bond adventures, thanks to a TBS special (the 15 Days of 007, it was great).

Another movie that had a big impression at the time: Braveheart. It aired on Sky TV when we lived in England. Naturally, the brutal battle scenes were the big draw, but it was the characters and potent filming style that really made it stand out. This might have been the first time I found myself deeply moved by a film, beyond mere aesthetics, action, or entertainment. I was able to resonate with the characters, and it made the experience a powerful and beautiful one.

Even though Braveheart set the bar for me, I became a movie fiend from high-school onwards. No film could do me wrong. Literally. I paid attention to movies in all genres, and I watched them regardless of whether they were good or bad. I was even able to watch Battlefield Earth on the big screen--I didn't care about the horrid acting, plotting, writing, or anything back then, I was smitten by the special effects. And special effects did interest me a lot back then--they blew me away in Independence Day, the Star Wars Special Editions, and countless others. I was intrigued by how they brought new characters and creatures to life, how they could make things happen that couldn't be shown otherwise. At one point, I wondered if a career in special effects would be possible.

What I did do often and obsessively was use a Hauppauge video capture card to record favorite clips, dialogue, and take screenshots. And I did it for just about every movie in my parents' library, filling up CD-Rs with media. I used an old desktop program (came with Star Wars source clips and sound effects, but there's also one for Terminator 2) to play movie lines and sounds at everything Windows did (open a program, maybe Han Solo would say "How you feeling kid?" Close a program, maybe Schwarzenegger would say "Goodbye." Empty the recycle bin, Hansel from Zoolander might say "Where did all the files go?" (and I think I still use that clip). Move a window, maybe some theme song would play. Shut down the computer, an epic movie scene would play. You get the idea). I think this thing might have annoyed my parents. My hobby especially sucked up a lot of time as I would go back and forth in movies, edit sound and video, and find the best balance between preserving the files and saving space through compression.

I think this hobby helped me appreciate films on a more technical level. I find myself enjoying films that have different camera angles and editing techniques.

After high school, I continued to gravitate towards the usual mindless action flicks, blockbusters, sci-fi, and everything. I started my own movie collection--my humble beginnings would have included The Matrix, Total Recall, Charlie's Angels, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and a few others. Money was tight and I couldn't splurge on much. But Lord of the Rings was a big hitter at the time, and Return of the King in particular stirred a sense of awe I haven't experienced since Braveheart. Once I learned that extended editions were coming, I held out and bought each part of the trilogy in their separate, four-disc editions. For another three bucks, I was able to get a box to house them all later.

Star Wars prequels and Matrix sequels were other big events that kept me hyped and psyched throughout the early 00s. They may not have held up for many people, but I appreciated them as experiences in their own right.

By the late 00s, I had a bigger movie collection going, and I started exploring new territory. Anime was a big thing for a time--I think I started on that once I saw the Animatrix shorts and learned the Matrix was inspired by Ghost in the Shell. Inevitably, I'd seek out Akira. Then Ninja Scroll. I was impressed that these movies existed--animation for adults, with no limit on violence or sex. I had ceased watching kid's films by then, so I was curious to keep digging into anime. This would lead me to discover things like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hellsing, Berserk, and more.

For college courses, I took a few good classes on film. One was a class on comparing novels to films--this curriculum would have included Apocalypse Now, compared to the book Heart of Darkness. Once I understood where the movie came from, it clicked with me and I appreciated the film on a deeper, more academic level. We also would have studied two different versions of Romeo and Juliet (the 1968 version and the jazzed-up 1996 version), another adaptation of Heart of Darkness (the Nicholas Roeg film, found it kinda dry), and I think two different adaptations of I'm A Fool (one with James Dean, the other I think was Ron Howard). Later on, I'd take Film 101, and we studied films from an array of genres. Through this, I got to see Shane, The Gold Rush, Gone With the Wind, and The Exorcist for the first time. I did my report comparing and contrasting Spirited Away with Disney's Alice in Wonderland. It was the first time I saw a Disney film in years--I was floored by how well it held up, watching it as an adult. I was proud of my report--the professor liked it and went on to use it as an example in other classes.

Around that time, I also discovered the Criterion Collection for the first time. Biggest draw was the foreign films I heard about or saw clips from on TV. First and foremost, I dived into a collection of Akira Kurosawa films: Seven Samurai, Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, and Sanjuro. The whole lot of those impressed me immensely. I would have also picked up the Sergei Eisenstein Sound Years box set--I was intrigued by Ivan the Terrible. Through these, I'd learn that there's still a whole world of film worth exploring. In time, I'd embrace a ton more Asian films--martial arts, historic epics, wuxia, horror, revenge thrillers, mostly from Japan, China, and South Korea. I'd also embrace a lot more experimental films (including more works by David Lynch and a whole range of oddities).

I've dabbled in writing movie reviews on and off again all this time. I used to put up many reviews on Amazon. Then I drifted some over to imdb. Inevitably, I'd start posting on Blu-Ray.com (and I started a mighty Blu-Ray collection from 2008 onwards--high-def picture and sound made it the perfect medium for my eyes and ears). I stopped reviewing things after a while--I found it difficult keeping up with it, and it's especially hard trying to write a review people will actually read and appreciate. However, I did become more heavily involved in the forum side of Blu-Ray.com, talking with members from all over about movies. I'd discover a plethora of films this way. Lots of insightful conversations came and went, and still go on there.

At this point, I have seen over 3,700 films. It's no longer the case where "no film can do me no wrong" like when I was younger--I've become more critical of late, for various reasons. I simply can't like every film that's out there--I certainly can't own every one. I've also come to realize that once you've seen the best films it's hard to be continuously impressed. 2016 was an especially disappointing year for me with new releases--it made me realize that there are many ways to regard a film. For years, I always thought my favorites were a sublime combination of experience, storytelling, and craftsmanship. But maybe the best possible way is to examine the whole as a collective package of storytelling, showmanship, performances, script, and overall craft. Lots of movies fail in one thing or another, but it takes a very special combination to make it all align in a way that truly moves me beyond mere entertainment value. It's practically impossible to quantify the parts of a movie to try and grade it, especially on the scale of emotional resonance.

Movies, good or bad, have shaped my imagination. Every story I conceive of is a movie playing in my head, where I actively build a character and push them through some incredible story just like in my favorite films.

What's On The Inspiration Shelf:

Regardless of what score I give a movie, I will put movies on this shelf that have moved me personally or stirred my imagination in some way. This isn't the same as merely enjoying a film--it has to be something that's lingered in my conscious long after the credits roll. Most of these films are about character more than plot or action. Most of these have nuances in the script, production, or performances that I can appreciate as top-notch experiences or stories. These days, I've also been focusing a lot on movies that show more and tell less--scripts with less dialogue and exposition, but maybe performances or visual cues do all the storytelling instead. These are movies that not only stick with me longer, but could be good influences on my imagination and the way I craft a story in my head. There are also some movies here that have important messages or insights that could be inspiring for life in general.

I've also included certain documentaries that stir my mind on deeper levels. There's also some videos, especially music-related ones, that I feel I can watch while I write to help in the creative process. Hopefully, you might find something that catches your interest among this sliver of my library, and maybe you'll be inspired too. I definitely encourage seeing most of these at least once in a lifetime.

Films

• Akira [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• American History X [Blu-Ray]
• Apocalypse Now! [Full Disclosure Edition Blu-Ray]
• Apocalypto [DVD and Blu-Ray in Steelbook]
• Back to the Future Trilogy [Blu-Ray]
• Bitter Films Volumes 1 - 2 [DVD]
• A Bittersweet Life (Dalkomhan Insaeng) [Nova Media Blu-Ray]
• Blade Runner [DVD and Blu-Ray in Briefcase]
• Braveheart [Blu-Ray]
• Brazil [Universal and Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-Ray] 
• Breaking the Waves [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• The Butterfly Effect [DVD and Blu-Ray] 
• The Cell [American DVD and Canadian Blu-Ray]
• Children of Men [Blu-Ray]
• City of God [Blu-Ray]
• City of Life and Death (Nanjing! Nanjing!) [Blu-Ray]
• A Clockwork Orange [40th Anniversary Digibook Blu-Ray]
• Cloud Atlas [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Conan the Barbarian (1982) [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Dancer in the Dark [American DVD and German Blu-Ray]
• The Dark Knight Trilogy [Blu-Ray]
• Donnie Darko [Arrow Blu-Ray]
• Dune [DVD in Steelbook, French Blu-Ray, German Collector's Edition Blu-Ray, German 3D Blu-Ray] 
• Eraserhead [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray and British Blu-Ray]
• Ex Machina [Blu-Ray]
• The Fan (Der Fan) [Mondo Macabro Blu-Ray]
• La Femme Nikita [Blu-Ray] 
• The Fifth Element [DVD and Remastered Blu-Ray in Steelbook]
• Fight Club [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• The Fountain [Blu-Ray]
• Ghost in the Shell [2.0 and 25th Anniversary Blu-Rays]
• Gravity [3D Blu-Ray and Diamond Luxe Blu-Ray] 
• Hero (Ying Xiong) [Blu-Ray]
• Indiana Jones Collection [Blu-Ray]
• Inglourious Basterds [British Blu-Ray]
• It's Such a Beautiful Day [Kickstarter Blu-Ray]
• James Bond Collection [Ultimate Edition DVDs and Bond 50 Collection Blu-Ray] 
• John Wick [Blu-Ray]
• The Kid [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2 [DVD and Blu-Ray] 
• La La Land [Target Exclusive Blu-Ray]
• Lawrence of Arabia [DVD and Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-Ray]
• Leon: The Professional [Remastered Blu-Ray]
• Life of Pi [DVD and 3D Blu-Ray]
• The Lion King [DVD and 3D Blu-Ray]
• Lord of the Rings Trilogy [DVD and Blu-Ray, Theatrical and Extended Editions]
• Lord of War [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Love Exposure [Blu-Ray]
• Mad Max: Fury Road [3D and the Black White and Chrome Edition Blu-Rays]
• The Matrix Collection [DVD and Blu-Ray] 
• Memento [DVD and 10th Anniversary Blu-Ray]
• The Mist [Blu-Ray]
• Mother (Madeo) [Blu-Ray]
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion [DVD]
• The Neon Demon [German Mediabook Blu-Ray]
• The New World [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray] 
• OldBoy (2002) [Plain Archive Steelbook Blu-Ray] 
• One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest [Digibook Blu-Ray]
• One Hour Photo [Blu-Ray]
• 127 Hours [Blu-Ray] 
• Only God Forgives [Blu-Ray]
• The Passion of the Christ [Blu-Ray]
• Requiem for a Dream [Blu-Ray] 
• The Revenant [4K UHD and Blu-Ray] 
• RoboCop Trilogy [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Schindler's List [Blu-Ray]
• Sicario [Blu-Ray]
• Silence of the Lambs [Blu-Ray]
• Skyfall [DVD and Blu-Ray in British Steelbook]
• Star Trek (2009) [Blu-Ray]
• Star Wars Collection [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens [3D Collector's Edition DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Sucker Punch [DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Taxi Driver [Blu-Ray]
• The Terminator [Remastered British Blu-Ray]
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day [American DVD and Blu-Rays and Japanese Blu-Ray]
• Tomorrowland [Blu-Ray]
• Tree of Life [Blu-Ray] 
• Under the Skin [Blu-Ray]
• Wall*E [Blu-Ray]
• Whiplash [Blu-Ray]

Documentaries

• Atmospheres: Earth Air & Water [Blu-Ray]
• Baraka [Blu-Ray]
• Cronos [Blu-Ray]
• Home [Blu-Ray] 
• The Man With a Movie Camera (Chelovek s Kino-Apparatom) [Blu-Ray]
• Microcosmos [Canadian Blu-Ray]
• Mysteries of the Unseen World [3D Blu-Ray]
• The Qatsi Trilogy [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Koyaanisqatsi
• Samsara [Blu-Ray] 
• 3D Rarities [Blu-Ray]
• Visitors [DVD and Blu-Ray]

TV

• Battlestar Galactica (2003 - 2007) [Blu-Ray]
• Berserk [DVDs in Steelbook and British Blu-Ray] 
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Seasons 1 - 9 [Mixed DVD and Blu-Ray]
• Fullmetal Alchemist [Blu-Ray]
• House MD [British Complete Collection Blu-Ray]
• Neon Genesis Evangelion [Platinum Edition DVDs]
• Star Trek: The Next Generation [Blu-Ray]

Music

• Animusic [Blu-Ray] 
• The Beastie Boys - Video Anthology [Criterion Collection DVD] 
• Blue Man Group - How To Be A Megastar Live! [Blu-Ray]
• BT - This Binary Universe [DVD]
• Celldweller - Live Upon A Blackstar [Blu-Ray]
• Led Zeppelin - Mothership [DVD]
• Lichtmond [German 3D Blu-Ray]
• Moby - 18 [DVD]
• Moby - Play [DVD]
• Therion - Celebrators of Becoming [DVD] 
• Therion - Live Gothic [DVD]