Your View: What is the Most Influential Movie?

1. heavybison - February 12th, 2008 at 3:50 am

I agree, Natural Born Killer was one of those movies that really come hard at you.

2. heavybison - February 12th, 2008 at 3:50 am

Killers rather..:-)

3. heavybison - February 12th, 2008 at 3:54 am

However, my choice for that one movie that made me fall in love with movies would be Taxidriver. Not necessarily the best movie you’ll ever see and i’m not great with words, i just loved it’s pace and ambience, not to forget, the wonderfully etched characters.

4. Lewis - February 12th, 2008 at 3:57 am

4th??crap!!!i wanna be first so bad, any way i’d say the godfather,though i haven’t seen it yet,

5. cheese - February 12th, 2008 at 4:04 am

scarface anyone?

NBK is definitely up there.

6. Cecile - February 12th, 2008 at 4:05 am

Luc Besson’s first movies “le grand bleu” & Leon. Great movies about love & friendship.

Lilja 4 ever

Pedro Almodovar’s all movies

Kramer vs Kramer , Mrs.Robinson

Akira Kurosawas’ s 7 samurai

7. dangorironhide - February 12th, 2008 at 4:09 am

Most influencial film for me? ‘The Hives, Hinduism and Me’

Well, not really. I don’t know which film has been the most influencial for me… There so many to choose from!

8. Topsmoke - February 12th, 2008 at 4:23 am

Blade Runner…..

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”

9. sid - February 12th, 2008 at 4:26 am

I agree with you about citizen kane its a masterpiece.

My personal choice is 2001:a space odyssey because it was realistic and so ahead of it’s time and stanley kubrick did a great job.A close second would be blade runner.

10. jfrater - February 12th, 2008 at 4:27 am

Lewis: definitely see the Godfather - it is brilliant - one of my favorite films.

Cecile: Nice pick on 7 Samurai!

11. jfrater - February 12th, 2008 at 4:27 am

sid: 2001 is a definitely contender - I agree - it never gets boring - even after 5 or 6 views!

12. Rob - February 12th, 2008 at 5:08 am

Well, if it’s not “Magnolia” (lol) then it’s the Star Wars movies.

13. jocsboss - February 12th, 2008 at 5:09 am

Star Wars, A Clockwork Orange and Blade Runner are all movies that stood out in their time as exceptions to the usual Hollywood drivel. Star Wars because of the innovative filming techniques that made the models seem believable. A Clockwork Orange and Blade Runner because they both have such a plausible future.

I have been influenced to varying degrees by a lot of different films. One that stands out is Damage, with Jeremy Irons and Juliet Binoche. It is a tale of obsession that ends badly and with the final realization that it was an obsession.

14. jocsboss - February 12th, 2008 at 5:12 am

PS We are all “affected” by movies, not “effected” by movies.

15. indiefreak19 - February 12th, 2008 at 5:53 am

I agree with Citizen Kane as the most influential ever, with its innovative shots, ideas and visual effects.

Personally…hmmm…either Rocky Horror Picture Show, as it just opened my eyes to a new world of underground alternative freaks and the ideas of fluid sexuality and to musicals!
But more recently, I saw Control and its influenced me tremendously! The film making technique and style of the movie has inspired me with numerous ideas and work since as well as spurring me to get into more music and try and carve my way into music as well…

16. Lorcan - February 12th, 2008 at 5:54 am

Hmm… tough one, but I have to say Magnolia was pretty amazing, it took interweaving story telling to a whole new level. The acting is top-notch, you can understand why it won a handful of Oscars.

After that, I have to agree with Natural Born Killers & The Godfather, but also, All About Eve. The script to this movie is intelligent, clever and funny. It’s probably one of the best written scripts I’ve ever seen committed to film.

17. manashiori - February 12th, 2008 at 5:58 am

hey, it’s my first time to comment but i’m a list verse fan for a long time now.

my choice, or choices rather, would be Schindler’s List.

Although documentaries - I think Supersize me and 9/11 were influential as well (IMHO). Well, if not influential, it really stirred up some drama and raised a lot of eyebrows.

18. jfrater - February 12th, 2008 at 6:12 am

Lorcan: I love Magnolia - it is a great film.

manashiori: Supersize Me put me off McDonald’s for a LONG time.

19. Mystern - February 12th, 2008 at 6:29 am

A lot of Your View lists recently. Getting lazy Jamie? Just kidding.
Geez this is an expansive topic. You want most influential ever? Actually, I don’t know. If you’re speaking strictly of the film industry I might be tempted to say Star Wars, simply because nothing like it had ever been done before.
I know that the most influential movie for me personally would likely be Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

20. jesse - February 12th, 2008 at 6:36 am

american history x

21. Late O’Day - February 12th, 2008 at 6:50 am

This is a bit silly; people are just naming movies they like. The question is about the most influential. That means it’s probably not gonna be something terribly recent. The obvious answer is indeed “Citizen Kane”. Before Kane, movies were largely done like filmed stage plays (yes, I’m generalizing). Welles taught Hollywood to use a wide variety of tricks he picked up from radio — simple stuff that we now take for granted, but was radical at the time. Stuff like adjusting the volume as someone walks into the distance, using wide angels to affect a mood, seamless camera movement, brilliant use of angels and shadows, jumbling timelines — I could go on and on (and we haven’t even talked about the movie’s story!).

Of course, one might ask: Which filmmakers influenced Welles. We know he was a fan of Ford, but he seemed to have a deep appreciation for Eisenstein, who really pioneered a raft of techniques that influence people through today.

22. marcus - February 12th, 2008 at 7:08 am

Citizen Kane. The way that Orson Welles used to make his movie was the most revolutionary ever.

23. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 7:24 am

Psycho; defined a whole genre; where would we be today without that shower scene? Not only straight horror movies, but suspense movies like 7, and pretty much every movie that delves into the mystery of the subconscious mind. It also was one of the first films that was originally panned by the critics, and popular acclaim forced a re-think. Ended up winning a bunch of Oscars.

24. OptimusChrist - February 12th, 2008 at 7:26 am

Movie: 300
What I Learned From This Movie: If I have the opportunity to kick someone down a bottomless pit, I’ll take it!

25. Csimmons - February 12th, 2008 at 7:29 am

Im saying Forest Gump, very influential.
and 300, i learned how to drop-kick someone into a pit thhanks to this movie.

26. Randall - February 12th, 2008 at 7:29 am

Depends on what you mean by influential. If you mean *artistically* influential, that’s difficult as hell because it’s different for every genre and you’d have tons of choices.

But if you mean economically influential, then there’s really no question whatsoever, and the choices come down to two, basically:

Jaws….. or

Star Wars. And more the latter, I’d say, if I had to choose between the two.

Why? Because these two films completely changed the economics of filmmaking. They made the blockbuster the standard for the Hollywood sales formula, and in my opinion ruined the industry artistically.

27. Mykel Valentine - February 12th, 2008 at 7:30 am

Influencial, I don’t really like the idea of saying the oldest classic is the most influencial.
Its true and makes sense but doesn’t make the conversation as fun.
With that way of thinking you can say well that was influenced by plays and books and it would just de-evolve.
So im going to list a few that had a big impact
Pulp Fiction-
The Matrix-
I think these were the biggest influences of there time.
Not in a profound enlightening way, but they had a huge impact on culture and they way films were shot and how a story could be told, the kind of stories that could be told.

But the movie that had the greatest influence on me was, without a doubt
Fight Club-
That movie has its own dogma

Aaahhhhhthankya
Mykel V.

28. manashiori - February 12th, 2008 at 7:34 am

jrafter: haha, in a way it influenced me to go on a fast food hiatus.

Yes, back when I took up Film Studies, they made us watch Citizen Kane. It was poignant, moving, a true work of art.

There’s this short film (i know, i know,. it’s not a movie) I saw when I was a kid and as I got older, it has a political theme to it. The Telephone Booth.

29. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 7:35 am

Randall; good point, big business ruins everything. I imagine McDonald’s used to make good food too, and ice cream actually used to have cream in it. There used to be choice, not the same damn thing in different brand-name packages. Death to Mega-Corp!

30. KATIELOPEZ - February 12th, 2008 at 7:40 am

The Godfather, Scarface, A Bronx Tale, and Amadeus…..
to many others to name for me…….

31. W Tom - February 12th, 2008 at 7:44 am

Catch me if you can. Being based on a true story, it really shows a person that anything is in everyone’s grasp. Sure the main character was doing something illegal, but it opened many legitimate doors for him in the future after he was done cashing fake cheques.

32. SocialButterfly - February 12th, 2008 at 7:51 am

Ohh… ok for influential above all others I will say The Jazz Singer… because without it we would still have silent movies!

I have 2 most influential movies in my own life:

The first is Forrest Gump, this movie helped me understand how important I can be to someone else.

The main one though would probably be Dogma. This movie, in all of it’s crass humour, showed me that I could still disagree with the church and have faith at the same time. Who said I have to believe exactly what they tell me to. That moment changed my entire way of viewing the world and how I respond to it.

Besides who doesn’t love Buddy Christ!

33. bucslim - February 12th, 2008 at 7:53 am

I gotta agree with some folk who’ve mentioned Star Wars, Blade Runner and A Clockwork Orange. Reservoir Dogs and I believe Slacker and Clerks inspired a whole bunch of the current independent movies.

As far as me personally 2001 A Space Odyssey and Pulp Fiction are my most influential

34. donald_314 - February 12th, 2008 at 7:53 am

I would agree to Sid, except the other way around. 2001 was my first “artistic” movie and I felt in love immediately. I am a real SciFi fan so this was my movie until I saw Blade Runner. What I liked most about this movie was the strong philosophical and emotional subject. On top you can see this movie at least three times and you will each time discover new (important) aspects.

ps: My favorite director is still Stanley Kubrik for such movies as Barry Lindon or The Shining and my number three all time favorite Dr. Strangelove.

35. SoCalJeff - February 12th, 2008 at 7:56 am

If by influential you mean influencing public opinion or public sentiment…I’d say Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or Trufaut’s Les Quatre Cents Coups would top my lists

36. Joel - February 12th, 2008 at 8:05 am

Even before Blade Runner, there was Metropolis. You can see how it influenced almost every significant sci-fi movie ever since. But Citizen Kane was probably the most influential for all genres and directors.

For personally influential films, it would have to be Magnolia, Babel, and Crash–any movie that deals with the interconnected relationships and story of people in an artistic way.

37. Me - February 12th, 2008 at 8:10 am

if its influential to other movies iwould have to say Peeping Tom (1960) very well made film and quite possibly one of the most infuential horror/slasher movies

if its influential to me i have to say TRON just made me who i am today

38. Bigwig Rabbit - February 12th, 2008 at 8:11 am

I’m going to say Southern Comfort affected me most because it was the first intense action/adventure movie I remember seeing. I remember being glued to the screen during that one. The dogs were a really disturbing sequence.

39. DRay - February 12th, 2008 at 8:20 am

Jaws. It’s influence was short-lived, but massive. The country canceled it’s vacation plans that summer.

40. Roehrl - February 12th, 2008 at 8:21 am

Once upon a time in the west.
A lot of films mentioned already were also on my list - but no other picture made me dream so long of its scenes. its music. its dialogues. this incredible and very long intro - men waiting, nothing happens, flys are captured with a gun, water is dropping, nothing happens… it’s a kind of icecold suspense, if you know what i mean. bitter-sweet. wooden. unbearable. and then - this famous final with these two eyes of charles bronson on the screen - did you ever see this picture in an openair-cinema with a screen so big you can play football on it? these eyes… in every detail… and you know it’s gonna happen, inevitable… this consequence of sergio leone in telling a story to the end… while typing these words i remember another very influential movie from john woo, a better tomorrow - these people didn’t care about nothing - except friendship. a ballad & ballet. unbelievable gunfight action and coolness which beats even the marlboro man… both movies were the coolest cinema experiences i had in my life.

41. skipps - February 12th, 2008 at 8:53 am

It’s not the MOST influential, but An Inconvenient Truth is still worth the mention.

42. chershey - February 12th, 2008 at 8:56 am

I want to say so many movies that were influential to me but Star Wars I think would be way up there at the top for influencing film making. Just one example is that before Star Wars the film credits were always at the beginning of the movie with nothing at the end but “the end”, and there would also be an intermission in the middle of long films. George Lucas had the crazy idea of getting rid of the intermissions and putting the credits at the end to jump into the movie right off. Neither I’d say are a much better idea, (and I really wish some of those long movies recently had an intermission so I could pee!) but when has anyone seen a mainstream movie nowadays that still had either practice? No matter how past-his-prime he is now, George Lucas’ Star Wars series has been cinematically unsurpassed.

I have to add though that some early stuff like The General, Modern Times, Male & Female, Birth of a Nation, etc. should also be up there as those were some of the films that weren’t thinking outside the box, they were creating the box.

*cough* and Jaws is speciesism. It’s a good movie that made a horrible impression in everyone’s minds. I hate that movie. *cough*

43. chershey - February 12th, 2008 at 8:58 am

The Great Global Warming Swindle is just as influential as An Inconvenient Truth. They’re both biased propaganda pieces trying to make the viewer sympathetic to their opinion.

44. the midnight knight - February 12th, 2008 at 9:09 am

The Haunting. Even before I took two film class I was amazed at the camera angles used to create the sense of the main character descent in madness.

45. downhighway61 - February 12th, 2008 at 9:16 am

the first line should read “affected.”

anyhoooo…….
i haven’t seen any. ok, i have seen SOME, but really, i’m pathetic. i haven’t seen Pulp Fiction, or Citizen Cane (and the list jut goes on and on.)
i need to get watching.
but the movie that affected me the most when i saw it was the Basketball Diaries.

46. SocialButterfly - February 12th, 2008 at 9:26 am

Thank you for smoking is also really good… Really drives in how much consumers will believe if it is spun right.

47. JBaughn - February 12th, 2008 at 9:26 am

My choice is not a singular movie but a singular movie maker, Alfred Hitchcock. He did more innovative things with cameras, camera angles, lighting, and story telling than anyone in the history of movies. Many of the creative movie making techniques used to this day began with Hitch. I could go on and on about each of his movies and the things that He did. Vertigo, North by Norhtwest, The Rear Window, Rope, Notorious, Rebecca, and on and on. The great movie makers of the day found something in Hitchcock’s work that influenced them in some way.

48. Michelle - February 12th, 2008 at 9:31 am

OK - as far as emotionally affected, I think all the 80s Brat Pack movies not only affected me, but an entire generation of people. Say Anything was my introduction to Cameron Crowe and continues to be the standard that I hold guys too (pathetic maybe, but why are there not enough Lloyd Dobler’s in the world?) I guess I am destined to be alone.

As far as artistic value, I am continually amazed at computer technology and movie making. Disney, Pixar, etc…..what can be done with a computer for entertainment value is astounding.

49. eimbrog - February 12th, 2008 at 9:39 am

Two Words!!! The Godfather

50. DiscHuker - February 12th, 2008 at 9:43 am

chershey: are you serious? speciesism? are you suggesting that it is morally wrong to depict a shark in that manner?

matrix has to be in the discussion with the development of the “bullet time” filming technique.

life is beautiful is very high on this list for me. deeply effected me. not sure if it is influential to the rest of the movie culture but for me personally it ranks high.

51. Ledo - February 12th, 2008 at 9:45 am

The Wizard of Oz, has to be the first movie that showed that the possibilities of what could be done with a movie were truely unlimited. The Wizard of Oz was the original “Star Wars”.

52. toolnut - February 12th, 2008 at 9:50 am

I’m gonna have to agree with you Ledo. . . Wizard of Oz definitely

53. Louis - February 12th, 2008 at 9:51 am

Love it or Hate it ‘Jaws’has set the tone for summer movie for the last 30 years.

54. crimsonchrissi - February 12th, 2008 at 10:08 am

Influential - Gone with the Wind and Star Wars - both opened up new visual avenues for their genre.

Mine- Reservior Dogs - I never knew a movie could be like that; so diverse, scattered, raw, yet so sparsely made. Brilliant!

55. chershey - February 12th, 2008 at 10:10 am

dischuker: Let me rephrase. The film itself isn’t speciesism but it implies that a shark could have a malicious grudge against (specific) humans and want to eat/kill them. The film gave no objective view and gave no motive, influencing people to think that sharks (especially white sharks) are nothing but man-hating, man-eating killing machines. Humans are the shark-hating, shark-eating killing machines. Also, if you want to throw in the “unprovoked attacks” statistics, mosquitos and hippopotami are by far deadlier - but who wants to make a monster movie about them?

56. Mystern - February 12th, 2008 at 10:23 am

Did anyone else notice that a list just got deleted?

57. Jim C - February 12th, 2008 at 10:24 am

Guess the ’science facts’ lists didn’t have enough facts.

58. SpookyMulder - February 12th, 2008 at 10:26 am

Jaws! I love it. Roy Scheider died on sunday. Very sad. I’d have to say a pretty influential movie was Crash.

59. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:28 am

Mystern; yes and I had just urged Jim C to write us a proper science list. I can do better out of my head….
and Jamie you should have left it up there for us to shred apart, nastiness every so often is kinda fun

60. DiscHuker - February 12th, 2008 at 10:28 am

you don’t think it is possible for a shark to want to eat humans? and in the long run, isn’t it better for humans to be afraid of great white sharks?

61. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:31 am

DiskHuker; sharks actually don’t want to eat humans. The bone to fat ratio (with some 400lb exceptions) is too high to be economically viable as a food source. Most times, they take a bite, spit you out, but of course you die anyway…..mouth is 3 friggin feet wide…

62. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am

see; cool science factoid, and I didn’t have to look it up…lol

63. Mystern - February 12th, 2008 at 10:35 am

I actually say some AMAZING footage of a 17 foot shark yesterday. Here’s the link.

64. chershey - February 12th, 2008 at 10:35 am

dishuker: The only scenario I can imagine (other than mistaking a human for seal/sea lion/penguin) is curiosity from a young shark. It is only rare that a shark will not give more than a bite and leave; they just don’t like the taste of us.

Why on earth would being afraid of sharks be beneficial? It would only gives us more reason to fish them to extinction.

65. doubtfull - February 12th, 2008 at 10:36 am

…and what is the scientific difference between a foot and a friggin foot?

66. Jim C - February 12th, 2008 at 10:38 am

Mom424 - challenge accepted! It will take a while - I don’t underestimate the amount of time it takes to prepare a good list.

67. Jim C - February 12th, 2008 at 10:39 am

Mom424- got the old list? I could use it as a basis for the new list…

68. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:40 am

Mystern; great link, locked up my sound card and all i hear is plinka plink plink plink
chersey; see my post, why we don’t taste good….

69. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:41 am

Good, teach me something I don’t know…
like string theory in 200 words or less….

70. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:42 am

nah gone, even disappeared from my cache….jfrater may give it to you if you promise not to re-publish it..

71. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:44 am

and Jim, it is time consuming, I’ve been slaving on one for days, then my hard drive failed, and I lost half of it….

72. Prozacsoldier - February 12th, 2008 at 10:45 am

citizen kane
metropolis
battleship potemkin
vertigo
a bout de suffle
the godfather
wild strawberries
2001: a space oddissey
spartacus

73. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:53 am

doubtful; about 300 teeth….

74. Phillies - February 12th, 2008 at 11:02 am

Most influential, I’d say, is either Citizen Kane or The Godfather…both pioneered movie-going in terms of techniques and methods used (Kane) and in terms of how realistic a movie can be (Godfather)

There are too many influential movies for me to name, personally. My favorite is Braveheart…it may not be the greatest, but it’s my personal favorite

75. eric - February 12th, 2008 at 11:09 am

The Hottie & the Nottie with Paris Hilton. The best!

/sarcasm

76. Mystern - February 12th, 2008 at 11:11 am

Eric: That has got to be one of the biggest opening weekend bombs of all time. It averaged $76 per location it opened in.

77. Mystern - February 12th, 2008 at 11:13 am

FYI that’s only about 8 tickets per theater for the entire opening weekend.

78. porobot - February 12th, 2008 at 11:13 am

Blade runner … post apocalyptic…retro…cyberpunk…detective movie, working well.

79. slipstick - February 12th, 2008 at 11:14 am

The Great Escape is a very well done movie. It brought together myself, who enjoys old movies, my roommate, who dislikes old movies, and our friend, who is a wanna be wigger.

My personal influential films would include Ghost Dog; Way of the Samurai, Yojimbo, Samurai X; Trust and Betrayal, and The Dirty Dozen.

80. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 11:16 am

Mystern; maybe she could just drop off the planet now. I was embarrassed to be female just watching her, sooo selfish, sooo 2 dimensional, sooo in need of a beatin’…

81. DiscHuker - February 12th, 2008 at 11:16 am

chershey: is it good for the average human, read non-fish scientist (ichtyologist, i think), to be messing around with a great white?

it is an immense, extremely dangerous creature that we have no natural defense against. yes, it is good to stay away from them in the water. they are beautifully magnificent in a terrifying way. i love watching video of them. but if i ran into one off the coast, it probably wouldn’t even need to kill me. i’d have a heart attack.

82. Randall - February 12th, 2008 at 11:28 am

Mom:
String theory in 200 words or less? Easy.

Instead of point particles, all matter and force, at the smallest and most fundamental level, is made up of incredibly small vibrating strings of energy. The frequency of the vibration determines what form the string takes. At these incredibly small sizes, and to function mathematically with their vibrations representing all the energy and matter we know, it is necessary that these strings move in 11 dimensions. (one of time). We cannot discern most of these dimensions because they are curled up, amazingly small, all around us. It is also possible that strings, remaining fantastically small in one or more dimensions, can become hugely vast in others—i.e., they can be the entire universe. A string thus oriented is called a membrane, or brane. countless such branes could exist “side-by-side,” beyond our ability to see or experience, but there nevertheless–universe upon universe. The collective of all this is called the multiverse or “the bulk.” All that we know as particles are really strings–and all “particles” have heavy counterparts called sparticles–and the secrets of the universe are awaiting us there, if we can prove they exist.

Pulled all that out of my ass. 186 words according to Word. Of course there’s a lot more to it, but you set a rather low limit. 1000 words could cover the entire theory… how there isn’t really a “big bang” in the usual sense of the term, or rather that there have been many, and there will be more… why strings need 11 dimensions. What gravity most likely is. How this theory settles the rancor between quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. How it means space can in fact be torn—which Einstein said was impossible… and yet how String Theory vindicates Einstein in his belief in the possiblity of Unification of all forces.

But why get technical?

83. Mystern - February 12th, 2008 at 11:31 am

Randall: You’re such a smartass sometimes. But I love you for it. I like how you keep the rest of us in line (in your opinion).

84. TMo - February 12th, 2008 at 11:32 am

Hey… where’d that science list go? I got all excited…

85. chershey - February 12th, 2008 at 11:40 am

dischuker: I think anyone “messing around” (i.e. without a cage, etc.) with a great white is either not quite there in the head or has a death wish. You said however, that it should be better for humans to be afraid of them; that’s completely different. I’m not going to swim out and say “put ‘em up” to a shark because I’m not afraid of it, so why should we be inbred to be afraid of them?

86. Smerkis - February 12th, 2008 at 11:44 am

The Jazz Singer, the first film to have spoken dialogue. A true proneer in the film industry.

First spoken lines

Jack Robin: Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet! Wait a minute, I tell ya! You ain’t heard nothin’!

87. GingerLee - February 12th, 2008 at 11:50 am

Triumph des Willens- no contest. Hitler’s best PR/propaganda film, I may abhor everything he stands for, I may not understand German, but this movie showed his charisma to the world.

Also I’d say Birth of a Nation. I agree w/ jfrater’s Citizen Kane even though I wasn’t a fan of the movie. Toy Story and Myazaki’s flicks reinvented animated film.

88. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 11:51 am

Randall; I understand a little better now, and I understand how strings occilate, and can fold over and over upon itself or do the mobius strip thing. and it helps explain the missing matter thing, but now I’m confusing myself…lord I wish I had Farraday’s brain, he saw mathematics as 3 dimensional images…
(another amazing factoid I pulled outta my ass)

89. Mystern - February 12th, 2008 at 11:54 am

Mom424: Wait. Other people don’t see math as 3 dimensional images? That’s interesting, I’ve always done that. Matter of fact, my IQ type is a visual mathematician.

90. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 11:55 am

Mystern; fuck off!

91. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 11:58 am

Mystern; seriously though, you’re lucky. You best take advantage of it….maybe you can make a stable wormhole, or answer the unifying theory thing…

92. Mystern - February 12th, 2008 at 12:02 pm

Mom424: Ouch. That was a serious question. I never realized that other people don’t do that. I’ve always been able to conceptualize more than three dimensions. The most I ever got to was 5. I can see the way the lines are supposed to fit together. I knew other people couldn’t follow past the 3rd dimension because when I tried to explain what a tesseract looked like they got lost, but I seriously thought people looked at math as 3 dimensional shapes.

93. SlickWilly - February 12th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

I don’t even pretend to have even a basic understanding of quantum mechanics. It’s all very cool, but it is so much to wrap your head around. I wish I could visualize how string theory might work in my head, but I’m completely lost. Maybe there is some kind of visual representation on the internet somewhere.

94. ktk420 - February 12th, 2008 at 12:04 pm

Too many movies were influential, I can’t choose just one.

300, the original Star Wars trilogy, and the original (much better) War of the Worlds.

Or for the horror buffs, Dementia 13, Horror Hotel, and (I’ll probably catch hell for not saying Night of the Living Dead) the much underrated Day of the Dead.

95. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 12:05 pm

No, i said fuck off because I’m jealous. I truly wish I was wired a little more that way. And no, most people don’t. My son does, he excelled in Discrete mathematics, my Grandfather as well, he was a math Phd from McGill University. But no, most people are lucky if they can see geometry in 3d…actually that’s the one area of math I aced. Because it obviously translates into images…..

96. ktk420 - February 12th, 2008 at 12:08 pm

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Grindhouse…

97. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

SlickWilly; Nova on PBS did a wonderful show on string theory, actually its why I half-assed understood Randall….

98. magnolia_snooze - February 12th, 2008 at 12:16 pm

go FORREST GUMP!!! AND CLOCKWORK ORANGE!!!

does spirited away count???

99. toolnut - February 12th, 2008 at 12:26 pm

jeez, I leave for an hour for some stupid webinar for work and you guys go all existential on me.

100. Flaghead - February 12th, 2008 at 12:31 pm

Amelie, Children of Men and Little Miss Sunshine are probably the most influential movies I’ve ever watched. If by influential you mean that they inspire you to be a better person or to reevaluate priorities and the sanctity of life.

101. Flaghead - February 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

Influential as in it influenced how films are made? Hands down Citizen Kane.

102. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

Mom424 - “sharks actually don’t want to eat humans. The bone to fat ratio (with some 400lb exceptions) is too high to be economically viable as a food source.”

You sure about that? My understanding is that the human-kill ratio is much less to do with taste or aggression on the part of the shark…but more to do with the nature of shark attacks; specifically, they like to hit-and-run (multiple times if given the chance). That is to say, they will take a bite at a time. And the reason that there are so many survivors of shark attacks with only one bite taken out of them is not due to the shark not liking the taste…or the shark merely showing who’s boss, but because most attacks happen in shallow water which means that the human is able to escape.

In fact, the same happens with divers…sharks will apparently happily feast on a diver; but…like the shallow water that allows non-divers to escape, the buddy system (or an alert boat crew) enables the attacked diver to escape further injury.

As for human meat not being a viable food source for sharks…I wouldn’t know. Then again, I doubt that humans would be their staple diet - there are plenty of fish in the sea from which sharks could get their essential nutrients.

103. bucslim - February 12th, 2008 at 12:44 pm

Scuse me, but is this about Oceanography or influential movies? We could get Matt Hooper from the institute to explain it all, and maybe he could tell us it’s a Tiger Shark where the bite ratio is too small, and that it wasn’t a boating accident. I’m sure Chief Brody could help us chum while Hooper drives the boat.

We’re gonna need a bigger boat.

104. DiscHuker - February 12th, 2008 at 12:49 pm

forget those pansies, buc. so long as quint is around, i feel safe. at least from the sharks. he’s kinda creepy though.

105. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

actually; Kiwiboi, yes I am sure, and they can’t feel with their hands, they feel with their mouth. You are not incorrect about their attack techniques though. Thats why the surfers get away, not cuz the shark is afraid of other surfers…they spit us out…

106. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 12:53 pm

bucslim - whatever way the wind blows This list brought up the topic of sharks..and going off on a tangent is part of Listverse I guess…

107. Kelsi - February 12th, 2008 at 12:57 pm

I didn’t read all of the comments because there are mad of them, but I’d have to say The Motorcycle Diaries really…reaffirmed a lot of my beliefs and hopes and such. I just thought it was a really touching and possibly life changing film. =)

108. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

Mom - I’m reluctant to labor the point with someone who obviously knows more about sharks than me…but I am quite sure that there is no scientific basis for the assertion that “sharks don’t want to eat humans”. The reason that sharks often spit the first bite out (which is often the only bite they get from a human) is a defensive measure - they do the same to seals and walruses etc. - because they are firstly attempting to cause shock injuries to nullify any counter-attack or threat from the prey.

109. Angelina - February 12th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

Bucslim: You wouldn’t know an influential movie if it swam up and bit you on the ass!!

110. Lizim - February 12th, 2008 at 1:10 pm

You are all gonna hate me. Schindler’s List. It came out at a time in my life when I was learning about the Holocaust and had a huge impact on me. We took a field trip to see it. There was a guy in our class who was obviously not a fan of Jews. He left feeling horrible about it. Another one I’ll get slammed for and I’ll deserve it. The Passion. OK OK just hear me out. When it came out I was pregnant with my first child and I watched that film through the eyes of the Virgin Mary. It made me feel fiercly protective of my child for the first time. (As I was not exactly stoked about being pregnant at the time.)

111. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 1:17 pm

Lizim - nice story

112. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 1:24 pm

Kiwiboi; have you ever seen a shark eat an elephant seal? If they wanted to ingest you, you would be eaten. And I won’t labour the point either…

113. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 1:31 pm

Mom - heh…cool

114. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

Kiwiboi; see’n as you don’t trust mom (probably a good thing, I have made many mistakes in this life) have a read….
http://www.livescience.com/ani.....ttack.html

115. Another Kiwi - February 12th, 2008 at 1:38 pm

Kiwiboi: I’m assuming you’re living overseas. You and
Mom424: may be interested in these pics. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/mult.....d=10487087
We had lots of sharks lurking very close to our favourite swimming beaches this summer in NZ.
BTW: Figures just out today - 71 shark attacks globally in 2007; one fatal. Volusia County, Florida, where Daytona Beach is, … 17 attacks!

116. SlickWilly - February 12th, 2008 at 1:41 pm

Lizim: The only time I felt any real emotion besides disgust during the Passion is the part where Jesus collapses under the weight of the cross and calls out for Mary, and she is right there and obviously wants to help but knows she can’t. That was heart-wrenching; I might have choked up a little bit. The last time that happened to me in a movie was the end of Homeward Bound. Haha

117. Randall - February 12th, 2008 at 1:46 pm

Mom:

Unfortunately you miss a major point about shark attacks. The shark may or may not want to eat you. Probably he doesn’t. Or more likely, probably he’s so stupid, he doesn’t really care what you are, seal or not a seal. We are not indigenous to the sea, and therefore are not on his regular menu. Point taken. However, people have sustained fatal injuries from sharks–and we can therefore belabor this point back and forth, but the bottom line is–sharks are dangerous motherfuckers and will bite you horrendously and kill you if it’s their desire to do so.

NO LESS an authority on the sea than Jacques Cousteau made it his lifetime policy to not fuck with sharks. If you read all his books on diving, going all the way back to The Silent World, he and his team *always* maintained an on-alert and ARMED posture against sharks, and he would not hesitate to kill one if it came too close. He understood that they were near-mindless eating machines, and if we aren’t their preferred prey, so what? They’re too dumb to de-select us, unlike orcas, for instance. Upshot of this is, Cousteau had a record of diving ALL his adult life–some 60+ years–with not a single injury from a shark–because he did not take the slightest chance with them. Whereas some smartalecks (including Cousteau’s own grandson I believe) have dived in with sharks thinking they can be handled like other predators—and gotten their asses bitten off for it.

Cousteau once forbade a famous photographer from diving off the Calypso into a mass of feeding sharks, and stated he would have used force if necessary to prevent the man from going in. The photographer (whom Cousteau never named) stormed off and refused to ever ship out with Cousteau again. Ungrateful prick, I say. Cousteau probably saved his freakin’ life or at least saved the man from grievous injury.

118. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 1:49 pm

Randall; look at my comment #61, I agree completely. I didn’t say they weren’t dangerous, or that they didn’t kill humans. I said we are not their food, I wouldn’t fuck with them either….

119. Randall - February 12th, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Mom:

I realize this, but I think your point, while well taken, still makes a dangerous suggestion—that we are not their food. Oh yes we are. No, they’re not on the *hunt* for us as soon as we step in the water–but this hardly matters to the issue. If you are there, and a shark or sharks find some reason to go for you, they will do so. They are not analogous to land predators like wolves and big cats, who fear us. You cannot depend on broad statements like “we are not their food” to ease your mind about the situation. Our fellow mammals are smart enough creatures to be scared off if we play our cards correctly, or to know that we aren’t that great to eat (though we can still be eaten, particularly by big cats and bears) but sharks are dumb fish with only predation on their mind.

120. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

Yes but we still are not their food. We are but insignificant little deaths in their search for nutrients. I did not intend to say that they won’t bite you if you are in their environment, but that they tend to spit us out…we are still just as dead, just not entirely consumed and digested….

121. byrneman - February 12th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

For me, The Karate Kid was the most influential movie

122. chershey - February 12th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Randall: But sharks won’t go for us *because* we’re their food. They are dangerous and will attack us if they *think* we’re something else that’s their food or if we act offensively toward them, but sharks don’t suddenly decide they feel like eating human for lunch.

123. bucslim - February 12th, 2008 at 2:03 pm

Angelina - why don’t you go out further so I can give it some scale?

124. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 2:13 pm

Randall; no worries about me…I know exactly where I would fall in the food chain without the benefit of society and a strong hulled boat. I’m 5′ 1″ and 115lbs. Animals do not think, at least in ways that humans do. Scent, kill, taste, decide.

125. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 2:14 pm

I’m an appetizer…

126. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

Mom - thanks for the link. Though I don’t place a great deal of authoritative credence in “popular science” articles, at least they quoted some scientists, which is good.

I’m still not convinced, though that sharks “don’t want to eat humans”. Whilst we may not be their snack of choice, and realising that we both agree that most shark attacks consist of hit-and-run, if we picture a scenario of a hungry shark faced with a juicy human - I think we know what the outcome would be. There are certainly accounts of feeding frenzies involving shipwrecks and plane crashes.

127. Randall - February 12th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

I gave my answer above to this question, but it was kind of a cop-out…. so dragging film history into this:

Most influential films of the early years:

Any of Georges Melies films, particularly his biggest, “A Trip to the Moon.” Melies’ films opened up the then-unrealized possibilities of visual effects.

“The Great Train Robbery”–in one single shot, showed that films do not have to allow action to simply play from stage left or stage right, passively, but that the action can come out to the camera. Films ever after were different from the act of watching a stage play.

“The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari” –popularized not only the horror film as a genre, but mainly brought us Expressionism in film, which remained a staple of horror, suspense and crime films for the next three decades–reaching a peak with the dark film noirs of the Forties.

“Birth of a Nation,” “Greed” and “Intolerance” - DW Griffith set the standards for modern filmmaking.

“The Last Laugh” - brought German Expressionism out of horror and into the mainstream of storytelling.

“The Battleship Potemkin,” and “The Man with a Camera” - montage and other camera arts used artistically for the first time, inspiring generations.

128. Angelina - February 12th, 2008 at 2:28 pm

Bucslim: You got city hands, Mr. Bucslim.

129. Angelina - February 12th, 2008 at 2:30 pm

If you couldn’t tell, I really, really like Jaws. RIP Roy Scheider.

130. Randall - February 12th, 2008 at 2:31 pm

chershey:

And exactly how do you know this?

I understand–the recent generation of marine biologists have tried to teach us not to fear sharks. And no, we shouldn’t be afraid to get in the freakin’ water—but being blase about sharks, even slightly, is to me foolish.

And in fact, despite what you say about sharks not just up and deciding to eat us…. sharks *have* been known to make sudden and unprovoked lunges towards humans, attacking them. It’s the fact that they *can’t* make the sort of “decisions” that mammals make that makes sharks particularly dangerous.

131. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 2:33 pm

Another Kiwi - cool pictures - thanks. I’m in London (originally from Wellington). How about you ?

132. Another Kiwi - February 12th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Kiwiboi: No worries. I’m a Hamilton (NZ) resident who spends far, far too much work time cruising listverse.

133. chershey - February 12th, 2008 at 2:53 pm

Randall: I know this from being a chondrichthyology fan since I was in third grade and complained to my mother when I came home one afternoon that I had not learned anything new in the new marine biology curriculum.

I am in absolutely no way saying that anyone should assume that sharks are not dangerous, that an attack cannot be fatal, or that we should be free to swim near sharks because they’re not there to eat us. I was simply saying that sharks do not attack humans *because* they are hungry for human meat and want to eat a human.

134. DiscHuker - February 12th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

chershey: but that is what jaws showed us.

135. chershey - February 12th, 2008 at 3:00 pm

dischuker: *headdesk* LOL

136. Borg - February 12th, 2008 at 3:02 pm

Citizen Kane. Hands down.

As for most personally influential, I would choose between these three films from my childhood, when my mind was still being shaped. My love for cinema is due in large part to being so awed by the depth, theatricality and technique of these 3 films.

1. E.T.
2. Jurassic Park
3. Radio Flyer

137. DiscHuker - February 12th, 2008 at 3:02 pm

what happened to the science facts list?

138. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 3:03 pm

Another Kiwi - Hamilton ? I have good memories of a school trip to Hamilton when I was 15. The guy I was billeted with had 5 sisters

139. Borg - February 12th, 2008 at 3:04 pm

And fuck sharks.

140. Taylor - February 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm

American History X was pretty influential.

It was a very powerful movie with a lot of depth and emotion..
or that’s just my take.

141. Bob - February 12th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

The most influential movie ever made was “Get People to Creat Content for your Website.”

142. sharks - February 12th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

and fuck you too Borg.

Next time you get in the water…I’ll be waiting…

143. sharks - February 12th, 2008 at 3:13 pm

…then we’ll see who likes humans and who doesn’t

144. kiwiboi - February 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pm

145. Angelina - February 12th, 2008 at 3:17 pm

You tell’em, sharks!

146. Em - February 12th, 2008 at 3:17 pm

American History X. It was just so powerful, even despite how graphic it was at times.

147. Chelsea - February 12th, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Big Fish definetly.

148. Borg - February 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Oh Shit! Sharks have learned to read???!!! Well, just as long as they haven’t figured out how to open doors…

149. Angelina - February 12th, 2008 at 3:29 pm

Candygram!?!

150. bucslim - February 12th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

Yall know what I do for a livin’ Not like catchin blue fin or tommycats! Fish like that, swallow ya whole. I’ll catch this bird for ya, but I value my neck a lot more than 3000 bucks. 3000, catch him, 10000 I’ll kill him. For that, you get the head, tail, the whole damn thing.

151. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 4:04 pm

kiwiboi; i don’t think the world of popular science either, that would be why the article i sent had actual scientific credentials. You shouldn’t be too dismissive about the word “popular”. Just because something is made accessible doesn’t make it less true. Isn’t that the point of this website?

152. Csimmons - February 12th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

My top 10 influentials are
10)Big Fish
9)American history X
8)300
7)Titanic
6)Diary of a mad black woman
5)E.T.
4)Birth of a Nation
3)Citizen Cane
2)The Color Purple
1)Forest Gump

There, thats all i have to say

153. Mom424 - February 12th, 2008 at 4:12 pm

Csimmons; why Titanic? just curious, the story or the scale or the cool effects?

154. codman - February 12th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

Akira is important for popularizing anime in the U.S. The Star Wars trilogy made sci-fi what it is. Seven Samurai pioneered the samurai genre. The Good, Bad, and the Ugly is probably the greatest western ever. Black Christmas is the father of modern slasher films. Super Mario Bros. was important because it told us that virtually all licensed movies are garbage. What I’m trying to say is that there are a ton of influential movies for a ton of different reasons.

155. Cambrex101 - February 12th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

I honestly don’t know what the most influential movie would be. I’m fourteen, and right now, I’m insanely busy with “most influential/famous music”, but I’m working my way into the film genre.

As for what influenced me personally, I’m not sure.
I have to be honest, the Disney (?) cartoon Anastasia most definitely influenced me. I used to watch that movie when I was like 5, and it made me realize that I don’t have to dress trashy or throw myself at guys to find love. =]

Pretty much, Anastasia showed me that not ever girl has to be a Damsel In Distress that needs to be saved by a guy.
Which is pretty big, when you’re 5.

156. Aldo - February 12th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

I am legend. It made me want to hug somebody afterwards.

157. Csimmons - February 12th, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Mom424: The story, it made realize that death can happen at any moment and to live life to its fullest, plus that one scene where Dicaprio is painting Rose was awesome

158. jake ryder - February 12th, 2008 at 4:38 pm

Battleship Potempkin, how can it be otherwise.

159. chsrocket47 - February 12th, 2008 at 4:38 pm

as an athlete, even more as an undersized athlete, i say rudy really got to me. but one that really affected me in a completely different way was dawn of the dead(2003). for like a month i was paranoid that there were zombies lurking around every corner lol

160. Dana - February 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm

Gah, you are really trying to drive us crazy, aren’t you, Jfrater? I think you’re right about Citizen Kane but for a more recent picture I’d choose Jaws. I mean, how many movies have aped the “big thing in the water”, three men bonding with different personalities, and “Ba dum…ba dum…” music?

161. Joss - February 12th, 2008 at 5:10 pm

Finding Neverland made a pretty big impact on me. But, as far as impact on the film industry goes…I dunno, I have to agree with JBaughn - Hitchcock did a lot for films.

162. riley - February 12th, 2008 at 5:16 pm

For the general public there’s a few that I think stand out. Crash, Fight Club, Hotel Rwanda, Schindler’s List, and Forest Gump to name a few…

As for me personally…

Rumour Has It (although kinda bad, had a subplot that pertained to my life, and a line that made me realize I had to fight for the man I loved)

Requiem for a Dream (displayed the power of addiction and how vulnerable we all are at any point in our lives)

Little Children (something beautifully imperfect about all of our lives)

Across the Universe (wove art and music into a beautiful representation of the 60’s in the US and how a whole generation changed everything, plus it had really powerful imagery)

Love Actually (true love can come in many forms, and you should fall as hard as you can, as often as you can)

I think thats the top few… although I do love movies so this list could go on forever…

163. Yondofan12 - February 12th, 2008 at 5:26 pm

-Woodstock documentary
-Harold and Maude
-Field of Dreams-the most beautiful movie, but especially for a baseball fan.
-Across the Universe
-DAZED AND CONFUSED!!!!

164. ProgRapture - February 12th, 2008 at 5:40 pm

I love movies that can inspire me to write music. Those include:
1. V for Vendetta
2. Samurai X
3. Requiem for a Dream

165. jfried620 - February 12th, 2008 at 5:45 pm

United 93 was incredibly moving, as was John Q, possibly Denzel’s best performance. A movie called Mask with Eric Stoltz and Cher is really impacting and a movie called The World According to Garp with Robin Williams is probably the best book-to-film movie created, or at least that I’ve seen. I strongly reccommend all these movies as I guarantee you will be moved and emotionally impacted by them. Superb.

166. jfried620 - February 12th, 2008 at 5:46 pm

ProgRapture: V for Vendetta was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, by far Natalie Portman’s best screen performance.

167. Shortomoney - February 12th, 2008 at 5:51 pm

When I was a kid the most influential movie was Old Yella
youth, it was Easy Rider
adult, it was Used Cars

168. Yondofan12 - February 12th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

I know its not technically a movie but Band of Brothers was incredibly moving.

169. frozenmidwest - February 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pm

For me, the most influential are:

Casablanca, Fantasia, Rashomon, 2001, and Hollywood Shuffle

170. JMAC - February 12th, 2008 at 6:30 pm

mine would have to be legally blond

171. goof_ball - February 12th, 2008 at 6:43 pm

I DONNO!

172. jocsboss - February 12th, 2008 at 7:01 pm

162 riley: I like your choices. Have you seen Lives of Others? Judging by what you have selected I think that you would really like it.

173. John - February 12th, 2008 at 7:10 pm

Influential? That’s different than best movie ever.

I’ll go with Easy Rider, Animal House, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Seventh Seal, Stop Making Sense, Godfather trilogy, Rushmore, Vertigo, Silence of the Lambs and Wizard of Oz. Each of those was very influential to their genre or were pioneers in some kind of way.

174. Jigsaw911 - February 12th, 2008 at 7:18 pm

Shawshank redemption, Godfather, maid in Manhattan(kidding), Taxidriver

175. Borg - February 12th, 2008 at 7:19 pm

I’m trying to sign up for the forums. Did it take long for anyone else’s verification e-mail to come?

176. Jigsaw911 - February 12th, 2008 at 7:19 pm

Shipping news

177. Ben Heitzman - February 12th, 2008 at 7:55 pm

Most influential would have to be “The Great Train Robbery”

178. Jason - February 12th, 2008 at 7:57 pm

Hotel Rwanda

179. riley - February 12th, 2008 at 8:07 pm

jocsboss: No I haven’t, but thanx for the recommendation, I’ll have to check it out.

180. Ravenous - February 12th, 2008 at 8:10 pm

Depends. I can’t say with authority what film was the most influential, but I must say almost anything done by Alfred Hitchcock is a worthy contender.

Blockbusters: I agree with Randall about Jaws and Star Wars. Not only was Jaws one of the first summer blockbusters, it single-handedly made the world even more terrified of sharks. But by showing inaccurate behavior of sharks, alot of people today still think that sharks are huge slow-moving vengeful beasts whose presence are preceded by cello music.

Romance: I can only think of Love Story. Yeah it’s a corny tear-jerker, but EVERYBODY went to see it. They ALL came out crying. In my opinion I think this one set the standard for rich-dad-disowns-rich-boy-who-loves-poor-terminally-ill-girl and-they-struggle-to-make-ends-meet kind of movie.

Science Fiction:
2001: A Space Odyssey - Surprisingly accurate portrayal of vacuum and 0 gravity. Lead the way with using front projection for special effects.
The Matrix - Human batteries, mind-blowing action/FX sequences (bullet sequence), re-imagining of virtual reality.

Horror/Slasher/Splatter:
Psycho - Twist ending, early ridding of main character, and music. (think TEENG TEENG TEENG!)
Exorcist - Pea soup, revolving head, dubbed scary voice, subliminal images, profanity from a child actor.
Alien & Halloween - Whittling down of doomed victims/preys to move the story forward, a single WOMAN survivor.
Alien - Hidden/unclear view of menacing creature, shocking element of gore (chestburster).
Night of the Living Dead - Trapped victims in claustrophobic setting and ZOMBIES! Although there were earlier zombie movies, this was one that everyone saw, remembered, and influenced a horde of other horror movies.

181. Yondofan12 - February 12th, 2008 at 8:19 pm

Well, most influential means it influenced people and I think that one movie that has stayed in pop culture forever, everyone knows the songs, characters, actors, scenes is…….Grease?

182. anandaji - February 12th, 2008 at 8:45 pm

Clockwork Orange, SO 2001, Battleship Potemkin, Citizen Kane and the Godfather have been the most influential on movies in general. Naked, Bladerunner, Trainspotting, I am Sam and the Grey Zone have affected me personally the most. Naked struck a primal nerve in me and it stills gives me chills to think about it. The Grey Zone also had a similar effect on me; I literally felt sick by the end. Bladerunner was mind-blowing and is my favorite film of all time, except for Trainspotting. The only movie that has ever suceeded in making me cry except for Ol’ Yella when I was 9 years old is I am Sam. Say what you will about Sean Penn, but that was fucking heartbreaking.

183. DiscHuker - February 12th, 2008 at 9:10 pm

if you wanna cry, watch life is beautiful. a movie about the holocaust but the tears aren’t from what you would expect.

184. DiscHuker - February 12th, 2008 at 9:12 pm

but yeah, ol yeller made me go get the kleenex.

185. poop - February 12th, 2008 at 9:12 pm

2 girls 1 cup

186. Yogi Barrister - February 12th, 2008 at 9:18 pm

A HARD DAY’S NIGHT
THE GRADUATE
M*A*S*H
GODFATHER I&II
THIS IS SPINAL TAP

187. Maggot - February 12th, 2008 at 9:27 pm

Jurassic Park really brought the use of CGI technology to the forefront. Special effects in movies would never be the same.

Toy Story then took it to yet another level, spelling the end of traditional animation for feature length films.

188. kcmartin - February 12th, 2008 at 9:29 pm

Seven Deadly Sins, It stared Brad Pitt and Morgan Freedman. I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie. At the ending climax scene I even became sick to my stomach, and the final ending was something to ponder. I also thought American Beauty was an emotional roller coster.

189. lightningclash - February 12th, 2008 at 9:50 pm

I agree with Citizen Kane and also I’d have to say pulp fiction or reservoir dogs. Before those films people were afraid of showing brutal violence in film. Now it’s everywhere.

190. McGinn - February 12th, 2008 at 9:54 pm

poop-

2 girls 1 cup definitely! what a masterful piece of art!

191. JSJ - February 12th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

Citizen Kane; it is just a matter of fact. The stylistic techniques, the plot device of Rosebud, and numerous other aspects of the film are incorporated today in every film we see.

192. Lynn - February 12th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

Not sure if this is right, but…

the very short short called The Kiss from Edison (first “movie” ever)?

everything else has been possible (and therefore influenced by) because of that humble beginning

just my 2 cents.. don’t yell at me too loudly…

193. jardojo - February 12th, 2008 at 10:02 pm

Shawshank Redemption
Braveheart
Alien

194. Smashpro1 - February 12th, 2008 at 10:14 pm

V for Vendetta

195. sue - February 12th, 2008 at 11:04 pm

It depends on what u mean by ‘influential’.But I guess I would say Crash,the Academy Award best picture winner 2006,I think.Not so sure what year it was.Great movie,made a strong impression.

196. arbee - February 13th, 2008 at 12:20 am

i think dead poet society and Shawshank Redemption are very gud movies and also Jaws

197. kittym - February 13th, 2008 at 2:11 am

The most influencial movie in my life would definitely be “To Kill A Mockingbird” with Gregory Peck. I saw that movie for the first time when I was fourteen, and since then I have been absolutely obsessed with the older classics. It opened up a whole new era of film for me to love and adore, and also introduced me to one of my favourite American stories.

198. kiwiboi - February 13th, 2008 at 3:02 am

Mom424 - I am mildly skeptical of “popular science” generally, in the context of the (often underwhelming) authority or gravitas it possesses. With an internet connection and some intellectual curiosity there is a wealth of authoritative information out there for all to study if one has the inclination.

Also, and not withstanding my remark to you that “at least they quoted some scientists”…I was being conciliatory, because for every scientist who proffers an opinion, the chances are very strong that a second scientist could be found who would offer a diametrically opposed view. But…after all, this is Listverse, and having a little fun outweighs my getting anal over such matters (as would normally be my tendency). I try and keep a perspective - maybe I should try a little harder

Now…let me add a disclaimer to what I just wrote : to be fair, I am generalising. And I read and enjoy a *lot* of popular science myself; but, for the most part, I see it as entertaining and informative (as opposed to authoritative).

199. BigOzbowski - February 13th, 2008 at 3:47 am

Anything by Uwe Boll……he has influenced many that you need absolutely no talent to make a movie.

200. brendan - February 13th, 2008 at 4:08 am

there’s no answer besides citizen kane

201. BrettC - February 13th, 2008 at 4:30 am

I think Metropolis is the most influential of all movies: one of the first science-fiction films (although Aelita predates it), but artistically and technically you can see bits of Metropolis popping up in many, many later films. Half the influence of Blade Runner is its environment, pulled almost straight from Metropolis.

Another Lang film was also extremely influential: M. Possibly the first police/forensic film, very early use of sound and music. Terrific.

Of course, The Story of the Kelly Gang has to be pretty influential, too: the first feature (>1hour) drama. And from Oz, too, with not a kiwi in sight.

Citizen Kane, undoubtedly a major film, dramaticaally and technically. Sinc the 1940s, probably the most influential.

Three last ones:

1. The Kid, Chaplin’s first real feature, a melodrama that shows itself years ahead of its time.

2. Nosferatu, horror/monster movies start with this one (maybe with a touch of Cabinet of Caligari, too)

3. Birth of a Nation, the original blockbuster (but I prefer Intolerance as a film).

Cheers!

202. JMurf - February 13th, 2008 at 4:43 am

The film that influenced me the most was Fight Club, I just thought everything about it was brilliant and everytime you watch it again, more things make sense.

Most influential movie? Not sure but would Triumph of Will By Leni Riefenstahl be worthy? Shame about the subject of the movie but it was many years ahead of its time.

203. V - February 13th, 2008 at 6:49 am

I really can’t believe that Fritz Lang’s M is not mentioned. I haven’t watched Metropolis, but many hail it as the film that started the Sci-Fi genre.

@JMurf: Leni Riefenstahl practically invented documentaries.

204. V - February 13th, 2008 at 6:51 am

Whoops, my bad, I didn’t notice BrettC’s comment.

205. Csimmons - February 13th, 2008 at 7:13 am

I think Fritz Lang’s M would be #11 on my top 20.

206. Mom424 - February 13th, 2008 at 7:30 am

Kiwiboi; damn internet, can’t tell tone. Mind you I have the a similar feeling for wikipedia. Wikipedia is only authoritative if you take the time to check sources….same with “popular” science….

207. SlickWilly - February 13th, 2008 at 7:40 am

Kiwiboi: I think I actually agree with you about Popular Science. I don’t think I ever entrusted any real authority to that magazine; I always viewed it more as entertainment than cutting edge science. I think a lot of this had to do with the fact that the first time I was exposed to Popular Science was in middle school. The particular magazines were about 20 years old, and they had those silly adds in the back section for homemade hovercrafts, bicycle-cars, and do-it-yourself laser guns. The same ads you would see in the back of a comic book or Boy’s Life

208. kiwiboi - February 13th, 2008 at 8:49 am

Actually, one of the more valuable “life lessons” I learned at university was not to trust something just because it is written in a book or newspaper (a lesson I try and instill in my children).

As Ronald Reagan used to say (ad nauseum) when paraphrasing an old Russian proverb : “Trust…but verify!”

209. SocialButterfly - February 13th, 2008 at 8:53 am

Have any of you seen the recut trailer for Jaws… soo funny!

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92yHyxeju1U

These guys are brilliant… do me a favour and look up the Mary Poppins recut as well.. it is classic!!

210. alseye - February 13th, 2008 at 11:21 am

That’s an easy one. The most influential movie of all time was BIRTH OF A NATION by D.W. Griffith. There are a number of reasons for this.
Firstly, it brought together and introduced a number of innovations in film that changed the very nature of film making. At least as many as were displayed later in Citizen Kane.
Secondly, it made more money than any film in its time and was responsible for the great growth of the film industry after that time. While not the first feature length film, it was the first to make so much money that investors started to turn to the film industry and feature films for big profits.
Third, a very negative effect, for its negative portrayal of black people during the reconstruction, it set civil rights back by decades. It is still banned by many organizations.
In addition, it should be noted that a small theater operator in Massachusetts got exclusive rights to distribute the film in New England, cheated Griffith out of much of his profit, and with that Louis B. Mayer began his ascent to head of Metro Goldyn, Mayer studios, where there were “more stars than there are in the heavens.”

211. BrotherMan - February 13th, 2008 at 11:25 am

I have been thinking about this topic since yesterday. Here are a few that I came up with so far:

The Shawshank Redemption
Pay It Forward
American Beauty
Fight Club
The Basketball Diaries

and one of my childhood favorites: The Secret of NIMH (a lot due to the Flying Dreams song)

212. ktk420 - February 13th, 2008 at 2:19 pm

Another horror great:

Last House on the Left

213. DiscHuker - February 13th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

social butterfly: i love those. have you seen the shining recut? holy crap that is funny. especially the use of salisbury hill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmkVWuP_sO0

imagine if someone saw this trailer and went to see it expecting a feel good comedy about father and son. wow, would they be freaked!!

214. Genesis105 - February 13th, 2008 at 4:35 pm

I don’t know what the most influential of all time is, but the one that’s most influential in my own life is The Godfather. This is the movie that got me into the ‘classic’ movies. If I hadn’t watched The Godfather, I wouldn’t have touched old movies with a barge pole, and I certainly wouldn’t have a fixation on Al Pacino. XD

215. TayKay - February 13th, 2008 at 5:03 pm

across the universe

216. TayKay - February 13th, 2008 at 5:06 pm

its an excellent movie
but influential movies, arent whats seen as society, its wat influences each of us to do something.
if jaws inspires you, then good
if star wars influences you to become a film maker then even better.
the should be no control over what we see as influential, as it is what affects us individually,
so therefore there is no such thing as the most influential movie of all time

-taylor

217. Pumpelly - February 13th, 2008 at 6:50 pm

“The Big Parade” the 1925 silent starring John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, and directed by King Vidor; one of the greatest anti-war films ever made.

“Lonely Are The Brave” starring Kirk Douglas, my favorite Kirk Douglas film (his favorite as well). Douglas was a very underrated actor in my opinion, but looking back over his career he made some very fine films (The Bad & The Beautiful, Lust For Life, The Paths of Glory (another great anti-war film), to name a few. It’s a shame he never won an Oscar.

“Elmer Gantry”, starring Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons - Lancaster’s only Oscar win - Out of all the characters that Lancaster played in his career, he said that the Gantry character was the closest character to his own personality - I could go on and on here - “From Here To Eternity”, The Sweet Smell of Success” - but I won’t. You can probably surmise that Lancaster is one of my favorite if not my favorite actors - I loved his charisma and energy.

“The Public Enemy” - starring James Cagney. One of the greatest of all gangster/social commentary films.

“Little Caesar” - Starring Edward G. Robinson see above.

“The Best Years Of Our Lives” - Fredric March, Myrna Loy

“The Man With The Golden Arm” - Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak

“The Last Detail” - Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, Randy Quaid

“Midnight Cowboy” - Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight

“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” - Bogart, Tim Holt, Walter Huston

“The Caine M