a'tris

Often I look to film as a source of inspiration when writing songs for a’tris so I thought it would be fun to write a bit about a few of my favorite movies. Some of these have directly influenced me as a writer. Others (in my humble opinion) are just plain awesome. Hope you enjoy this list!

My Top 10 Favorite Movies:

10. Princess Mononoke – I’m a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki [Wikipedia, IMDB] and honestly could have simply copied and pasted his filmography here and called it a day. Miyazaki‘s works are incredibly beautiful and imaginative and Princess Mononoke is one of his best. I thought a lot about the themes of this film when writing “Symbols in the Legend”.

9. The Untouchables – Sure, most people if presented a lineup of Brian De Palma [Wikipedia, IMDB] films would have picked Scarface, but honestly I think that The Untouchables was his most shining achievement. Plus, how can you go wrong with a film starring Sean Connery, Kevin Costner, Andy Garcia, and Robert De Niro?

8. All The President’s Men – I watched this film for the first time after reading that Chris Carter was inspired by it. I was a huge fan of the X-Files growing up; but let me tell you, I revisited them recently and they don’t stand the test of time. All The President’s Men, however, only becomes better with each viewing.

7. Big Fish – Few book to film translations seem to work for me but Big Fish is definitely one exception. Tim Burton [IMDB, Wikipedia] did an incredible job of taking Daniel Wallace’s novel and running with it. No director could have done a better job.

6. The Blues Brothers – If you haven’t seen this before, please watch it now. Seriously. I believe it would be impossible for any musician to have not been influenced by this film or the incredible music embodied within it.

5. The Fountain – Darren Aronofsky [IMDB, Wikipedia] is the man. When I saw his film, Pi, for the first time it blew my mind. It also got the attention of Hollywood too and I can see why. The Fountain embodies the kind of obtuse story telling that I aim to achieve with a’tris’ lyrics.

4. The Crow – Brandon Lee’s tragic death during the shooting of this film may be partly responsible for its cult status; but the life Brandon breathed into his performance of Eric Draven really made the movie one of my favorites. I’m sure James O’Barr was proud when he saw the final cut.

3. Blade Runner – The execs at Warner Bros. really botched this up when it was first released. Does anyone remember Harrison Ford‘s voiceover? Thankfully Ridley Scott’s [IMDB, Wikipedia] Final Cut is awesome. If you haven’t seen this version you’re missing out!

2. Brazil – Many people recognize Terry Gilliam [IMDB, Wikipedia] for being the American member of Monty Python. I recognize him for being one the greatest directors of all time. My co-writer, Michael Kreher, first introduced me to his work and I will forever be grateful for that. Watch Brazil; ’nough said

1. Ghost in the Shell – What can I write about this film that hasn’t already been written? Mamoru Oshii’s [IMDB, Wikipedia] futuristic police thriller, based on Masamune Shirow’s seminal work is one of the most often imitated but never bettered stories of all time. It continues to influence me in ways I cannot quantify.

What are some of your favorite films? Drop us a line!

Hope this finds you feeling healthy!
-Mason