I am a movie addict–both old an new.  Movie affect my perception and my writing on a level unlike most other mediums.

American Beauty
This is probably the most beautiful movie I’ve ever seen about the internal plight of every human being.  What I especially like about this movie is that it means something different to me each time I watch it.  No matter the message, it is always profound.  I want to be able to produce something this subtle and beautiful.  A story without at least a hint of the human condition isn’t worth it to me.

Remember Me
This movie is on my list for several reasons.  For one, I love the characters.  The character that Robert Pattinson plays is absolutely incredible.  The other aspect I like is the hidden storyline.  I am a junkie for twist endings.  However, I know they cannot come out of nowhere.  Remember Me is genius in it’s placement of subtle clues.  Even if you do realize what the twist is before the end, the tension will make it impossible to look away.  I need to learn how to do this.

Lost In Translation
This movie has long been one of my favorites.  I saw it with my father when I was a teenager.  It stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson (before she was famous).  This movie holds a beautiful balance between plot and character-building scenes.  The development of romance is impeccable.  I hope to be able to write like this some day–holding onto tension to build romance and allowing for the plot to flow freely.

Children of Men
Another one of my favorite films–but for vastly different reasons.  I love near-future fiction.  If you have never visited FurtureTimeline,com, it is well worth the visit.  Anyway, the important thing to remember in near future fiction is that you can only account for certain details.  Certain inventions, disasters, or events cannot be predicted.  Children of Men not only takes this into account, but makes it a central theme–creating a semi-dystopian society in the process.