Home General Chat
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

books and films that have impacted on you

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
After reading the old thread I made and finally getting round to ordering Lilya 4-Ever and The Women's Room by Marilyn French I wanted to to make another one! I find it really interesting and it makes me want to read/watch everything.

Here are a few of my favourite films I'll add books on later.

Dancer in the Dark - Bjork at her best. Amazing ending.
Once Were Warriors- Intense and a look at Maori culture.
Oldboy- Wow
Sympathy for Lady Vengence- Difficult to watch in some places but worth it.
Pan's Labyrinth- I envy some people's imaginations..
Secretary- An unconventional kind of love. Maggie Gyllanhael rules.
Dead Man's Shoes- Just brilliant. And the soundtrack.
Kidulthood...then Adulthood- Shocking but with an important message.
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I once read a book called "Hannah's Gift" and that truely touched me like never before.

    I was reading the end when I was on a coach in Crete and I was sat next to my mum (this was like 2/3year ago) and I started crying. My mum was like what's up?

    It was about a little girl with cancer and how she came to terms with it and faced it full on. It ended with an account of her passing away, wearing a new pair of red shoes she so desperatly wanted. I'm welling up now. I must get it again and re-read it. Amazing book.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lilja 4-Ever's a great choice. Not exactly an easy watch though, but since you're a fan of Dancer In The Dark, that shouldn't be an issue.

    I also liked Together by the same director, although it's not as good as Lilja imo.

    And by Lars von Trier, Breaking The Waves is outstanding, as is The Idiots. Dogville is interesting. Good, but not as good as the other two.

    But anyway, a list:
    Chungking Express
    In The Mood For Love
    The Scent Of Green Papaya
    Grave Of The Fireflies
    Blade Runner
    The Bicycle Theives
    Late Spring
    8 1/2
    Eraserhead
    Inland Empire
    Ghost World
    The Breakfast Club
    Fargo
    A Clockwork Orange
    Apocalypse Now
    Do The Right Thing
    Seven
    Annie Hall
    Lost in Translation
    Princess Mononoke
    A Short Film About Love
    Taxi Driver

    I've included a few there that are just there because I thought they were great films, rather than because they impacted on me.

    As for books, I don't really read fiction, only non-fiction. Maybe that impacts on you more though, I dunno.

    But did I write all that shit in the previous thread? I don't remember. I haven't watched much since then. Juno was okay and No Country For Old Men was pretty good. The best film I've seen recently was probably The Assasination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Some of those. I think it was you who reccomended Lilja 4-Ever :) I have Lost in Translation. I need to get around to watching it.

    I can reccomend Across the Universe if you love The Beatles. Which is just about anyone. Candy with Heath Ledger is brilliant and under-rated. For comedies I love Knocked Up. Cruel Intentions...The Devil's Rejects.

    Watched Monster last night, Charlize Theron was brilliant in it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Second Star to the Right was a book that meant a lot to me at the time. It's about a young teenage girl with an eating disorder, written in the first person. I guess it slightly helped me understand what was going on with a good friend of mine.

    There was also a kids picture book that was read to me when my grandad died and I was a small child. About a Dragonfly, who started life as a little creature who lived in the water with his pond life friends, then one day he turned into a crysallis then came out of the shell and flew into the sky. He was much happier flying in the sky as a dragon fly than he had been in the crysallis but his friends from the pond were still in the pond so they could never see him again but he was still there looking down on them.

    Best explanation of death for children (or adults) I have ever come across.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Try reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; it's a bit of a cliché to recommend it these days, but it really did open up my mind.
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    You might think it's a strange one to mention, but Bicentennial Man touched something deep inside. Mainly his need to be as human as possible, and how he had to "change on the inside" (character) to do it, but also the theme of people growing old and dying and that he tried to stop death.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Requiem For A Dream - there is no other film that ive seen that has the impact of this. Perfectly crafted to tear your heart out and roughly fist it back in the wrong way round. Its beautiful and horrendous all at once. Love it/hate it.

    aside from that, i think the only other film i can think of that had a huge impact on my life was Gladiator. not in the same sense as something like "Requiem", but it was the first film that my first film teacher in college showed in class and taught us how to dissect and analyse film. it was a new experience and ive been studying film ever since. given that thats my major passion in life i think that qualifies as a film that has impacted upon me.

    and as for books.....Hunter S Thompsons work has had a huge impact in a more general way but as for a work of fiction that always carries a punch for me it has to be Stephen Kings "Hearts in Atlantis". its a bizarre read as you dont expect such delicate emotion from the guy who scares you witless so often. Its impressive stuff.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    rach did you read the womens room yet? :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    rach did you read the womens room yet? :)

    Nooo not yet. But I have ordered it :) It should be coming this week. Is it really good then?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Nooo not yet. But I have ordered it :) It should be coming this week. Is it really good then?

    well, i did the same and ordered it after a few people raved about it on here (especially briggi hehe) im really interested in feminism and womens literature but i really, really, couldnt get into this book :[ in fact iv read about...3 quarters of the way through but its just been sitting on my book shelf since then, it was boring me. well disappointed! oh well, you probably will like it though, i hope so!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    well, i did the same and ordered it after a few people raved about it on here (especially briggi hehe) im really interested in feminism and womens literature but i really, really, couldnt get into this book :[ in fact iv read about...3 quarters of the way through but its just been sitting on my book shelf since then, it was boring me. well disappointed! oh well, you probably will like it though, i hope so!

    Mm I hope so! Yeah I remember Briggi raving about it. Haha. Have you read The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman? You might like that. It's really short but I love it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Quite a few films have had an impact on me but the one I remember as being the first, was 'Dead Poet's Society'.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru

    Watched Monster last night, Charlize Theron was brilliant in it.

    Having never been a fan of Charlize Theron before i was really impressed with her in that film. I thought she really got into the character and found the film really interesting.

    Strangely i watched p.s i love you last night (okay complete load of fluff) but for some reason it really made me sit there afterwards and think. Maybe because it was about grief and we've all been there at some point. Don't know. Maybe i was just in a melancholy mood and maybe because there was a high count of my sort of totty in it (older rough sorts ;) )
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd say La Haine is the most powerful film I've seen.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mm I hope so! Yeah I remember Briggi raving about it. Haha. Have you read The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman? You might like that. It's really short but I love it.

    Nope but, I've read herland and that changed me, for a bit anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Boy Called It - Dave Peltzer
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    :heart:.

    That is all I have to say ;o.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lilja 4-Ever's a great choice. Not exactly an easy watch though, but since you're a fan of Dancer In The Dark, that shouldn't be an issue.

    I also liked Together by the same director, although it's not as good as Lilja imo.

    And by Lars von Trier, Breaking The Waves is outstanding, as is The Idiots. Dogville is interesting. Good, but not as good as the other two.

    But anyway, a list:
    Chungking Express
    In The Mood For Love
    The Scent Of Green Papaya
    Grave Of The Fireflies
    Blade Runner
    The Bicycle Theives
    Late Spring
    8 1/2
    Eraserhead
    Inland Empire
    Ghost World
    The Breakfast Club
    Fargo
    A Clockwork Orange
    Apocalypse Now
    Do The Right Thing
    Seven
    Annie Hall
    Lost in Translation
    Princess Mononoke
    A Short Film About Love
    Taxi Driver

    I've included a few there that are just there because I thought they were great films, rather than because they impacted on me.

    As for books, I don't really read fiction, only non-fiction. Maybe that impacts on you more though, I dunno.

    But did I write all that shit in the previous thread? I don't remember. I haven't watched much since then. Juno was okay and No Country For Old Men was pretty good. The best film I've seen recently was probably The Assasination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.

    I watched Lilja 4-Ever tonight. It was brilliant. So sad but brilliant.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Stephen Kings "Hearts in Atlantis". its a bizarre read as you dont expect such delicate emotion from the guy who scares you witless so often. Its impressive stuff.

    :yes: I love Stephen King books... most of his stories that I read aren't horror at all. Some other great stories of his are The Shawshank Redemption (also a good film, one of the few good adaptations of his), The Green Mile and The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon.

    Another book which really made me think was "We need to tak about Kevin"... I think I might have mentioned it before in these sorts of threads :p
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    Maybe I should give a try to some King books that aren't horror... :chin: Any of his that I've read was and they all make me feel sick.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    animal farm & 1984, about a boy, and high fidelity are the books, films don't really impact me as much.
Sign In or Register to comment.