American History X was pretty jarring for me. Fight Club too. More subtly: Primer, Upstream Color, White Oleander, The Virgin Suicides - those 4 films gave me a lot to think about as a young man.
Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
111–120 of 237 posts
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#112The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#113Good Will Hunting
I grew up in a rough neighborhood, in high school my view was limited and I thought there is no going out of trouble, being a black sheep of the family, etc. I saw that movie, and I felt hope for the first time and started making changes for myself.
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#114"Come and see" and "20 Days in Mariupol". Both are about wars and both affect you the way nothing else does. The last one is a documentary about the war in Ukraine. The actual raw uninterpreted reality of things that we read about in history books or in the news changes your perspective on many things, from politics to simple things in life that we often take for granted. News stories force an agenda on you. History…
I was nearly catatonic after I left a screening of "Come and See", I have never seen such a raw and unflinching story told about the war, nothing held back. Just indescribable the mood that it sets and how it unfolds the story. Hard to even put down in words my feelings on it.
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
At just under three hours it's still shorter than Peterson answering a Y/N question.
Is that intended as a snide criticism? I see so often an attempt to force “controversial” commentators into answering “yes or no!” as some sort of “gotcha”. Often the argument is that simplistic reduction of a nuanced stance is the actual problem being argued against . I see no issue with refusal to engage in the game as rigged by an opponent.
Nothing snide there at all, he's a straight up mediocre waffling university house chair warmer.
After 40 odd years avoiding such time wasters in AU, the UK, the US, Canada, etc. it was kind of odd to see a small part of the zeitgeist latch onto and elevate him.
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#116The Man From Earth Can't describe this without giving it away.
This one has moved me a lot, and talked to me in so many ways.
I came here to post this movie, that HAD to be in the list.
No spoiler.
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#117Threads (1984), while it was made for TV in the mid-80s and some of the effects are dated, there's an almost visceral, gnawing, devatastaing, haunting (choose your adjective because not one does it justice) feeling that attaches to yourself that has yet to leave me, I think about that film every few days, especially now with some of the more recent, insane developments in politics and international relations. It reinforced how absolutely fragile everything in this world is and how close a situation to today that film showed might really be. One viewing is enough for one lifetime.
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#118The movies Okja and Earthlings. Made me realize I could not continue to support the exploitation and abuse of animals.
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
Oh my. I love Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP), but I found Synecdoche, New York to be sooo incredibly anti-interesting in its multiple layers of ironically unironic self-indulgence that I really truly hated the film. I have never had such a strongly negative reaction to any other movie. I'm having trouble thinking of a somehwat-close second. Maybe Blue Velvet ? If I heard someone else say that, I'd imagine that they had…
Wow I love both Synecdoche and Blue Velvet! What didn’t you like about Blue Velvet?
The first revulsion that leaps to mind is Dennis Hopper and the gas mask rape scene.
There are others, but it's been a while, and my memories of it are mercifully fading. I prefer to not interfere with that process!
If the goal of art is to induce thought and make an impression, these are both successful projects. :)
Re: Ask HN: What movies changed your perception of reality or life?
#120Dead Man 1995 I dont know, but probably the last great American "film". Shot on monochrome and depicting American history in raw and surreal way. The industry soon moved on to mainly digital video. Although many contemporary directors still shoot on film. Nolan for one.
I was in the second group that went through only digital film program in my whole country in, I was about to give you shit for saying "soon after" till I realized it was less than 10 years between Dead Man and me graduating.. getting old is weird.
I was there and quit my career to keep shooting film the way I wanted to. We all thought film was dead! (close by made a come back) I have mad respect for the big directors shooting on film today, keep it up!