22 Jun 10+ visually influential movies
I love to advise movies to my friends. And sometimes it’s the same movies all over again…
Because of that I tried to make a long list of the “best movies alive” but it became too long too fast. And it’s extremely hard to pick how broad should I be in genre and popularity. For example: anyway everybody has seen The Matrix?
So I decided to break the list into different parts. And here’s the first one!
10 movies that influenced me, especially in a visual way
That’s also quite a broad category, so I tried to pick pretty different flicks and arrange them alphabetically.
Blade Runner
This is the best sci-fi/cyberpunk movie from the visual perspective. Period. If you have already seen it, then check out this 99 page sketchbook!
And if you haven’t, go and watch it right now. And yes, I know, it is a little long and slow, but totally worth it nevertheless.
Interesting fact: That Rutger Hauer iconic monologue at the end was improvised!
Also consider watching: Lexx (tv show), Johnny Mnemonic, Total Recall
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The best movie to start watching old silent black and white movies. This one in particular is in the style of German Expressionism. So everything is visually exaggerated and surreal and also the plot is twisted and psychedelic.
You can watch the full movie online on YouTube right here and now:
Also consider watching: Metropolis, Nosferatu
Dead man
And this black and white film is contemporary, created by Jim Jarmusch and features Johnny Depp and Iggy Pop.
Jarmusch films are ones of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, all of them. And Dead Man is his masterpiece, every shot is perfect, score by Neil Young is amazing, the movie itself is captivating and instant cult. Zen western road movie.
Also consider watching: The Limits of Control, Only Lovers Left Alive
District #9
The best modern sci-fi movie with aliens. With a relatively low budget it managed to get the best visual effects in such movie I’ve seen! You just believe in what you are watching and feel connected to all the characters. Their lives, feelings and stories are real. All the movie I sat with a jaw dropped down.
The Fall
And this is the most beautiful movie almost without CGI. If I ever have a big travel budget I need to find all the locations from this movie! It’s magnificent, easy to watch, moderately dramatic and above all just very very good looking.
Interesting fact: It was based on the bulgarian film Yo-Ho-Ho.
Also consider watching: Life of Pi
Her
Award for the most stylish movie goes to this one. Authors considered a lot of small details from the life in our near future when they made this film. So many ideas I was thinking about myself are casually hidden here and there. It creates the perfect atmosphere and tells one of the best stories of the last 5 years.
It’s not only just visually striking, but one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while.
Also consider watching: The Lego Movie
Moonrise Kingdom
Perfectly designed movie, where every shot is very well thought through and exquisite. I like this Wes Anderson movie the best because of the film itself and a story. May be his The Grand Budapest Hotel is even better visually speaking, but for me Moonrise Kingdom is certainly a better movie in general.
If I had to compare Wes Andersen with Jim Jarmusch I would say that Jim is artsy and snobby and Wes is more of a frivolous designer.
Also consider watching: All other Wes Andersen movies
Speed Racer
Speaking about designers… Wachowski siblings take visual craziness to a whole new level. I guess that what should LSD trip be like! These colors can almost literally pop of the screen or your eyes out!
Also consider watching: Cloud Atlas
Videodrome
And speaking about drugs, this is what a bad trip should be like. David Cronenberg is my favorite director from his old creepy horror movies to the contemporary dramas he makes now.
But this period of his creativity was the best in my humble opinion. When he just moved out of the body horror genre to explore and create psychedelic masterpieces!
Also consider watching: Existenz, Naked Lunch, John Dies at the End
Waking life
And if you want to explore yourself, get on this trip with Richard Linklater in his experimental animated feature redrawn from real filmed actors. May be you’ll find some new questions and answers about yourself.
Also consider watching: A Scanner Darkly
Outtakes
Of course there are a LOT more visually awesome movies I want to recommend. But I stopped myself here. Or almost stopped. Here’re some outtakes from the list that you should also consider watching if you haven’t.
P.S.
And I know that I’ve got to see Three Colors Trilogy.
P.P.S.
All recommendations for me and other readers are very welcome!