TCM's 15 Most Influential Films

[RobertR]

I'm coming, I'm coming. As for "trashy" films, Texas Chainsaw Massacre seems like a fairly obvious choice. Other good horror films that were hugely influential both to future directors and pop culture could be Night of the Living Dead or Halloween. Halloween pretty much started the slasher craze, and Night of the Living Dead is low budget Indie film making at its finest. I'm also partial to Black Christmas as it pretty much invented every modern horror cliche (faceless killer, first-person camera perspective, abrasive "protagonists" and probably a few others I am forgetting).

 

I think it is kind of odd that Metropolis or M aren't mentioned. M pretty much was the beginning of film noir and really showcased how directors could use sound in a film by have a distinct lack of sound. Pretty much every crime film and thriller pays something to M. And Metropolis is a hugely influential sci-fi film as well as a being filled with numerous technological achievements. Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam and Jeunet/Caro practically owe their careers to Metropolis, and it is clearly influencing films like the Alien franchise, Brazil and Bladerunner.

 

Then of course you have movies like The Rules of the Game, Ten Little Indians and Seven Samurai which are influential for their iconic stories which have been remade, reworked, redone and ripped off countless times.

 

And it might be considered cheating but I really think A Trip to the Moon should be on the list no matter what.

The only reason I didn't spitball Halloween earlier is because Carpenter is clearly referencing Psycho a lot. Sam Loomis is a prominent character name in both movies. Similar cars/license plates. And, of course, Janet Leigh's daughter. I agree that it's very influential, but Psycho is already on the list.

 

Metropolis is on TCM's original list. I agree with everything you mention. M certainly wouldn't be out of place, but two Langs and two Fords would be tough to justify.

 

Robert

[EdgarDiazRocks]

No Le Samourai love? Really?

[TooLiveBrew]

Go take a picture

 

*ducks*

[Katuluu]

The only reason I didn't spitball Halloween earlier is because Carpenter is clearly referencing Psycho a lot. Sam Loomis is a prominent character name in both movies. Similar cars/license plates. And, of course, Janet Leigh's daughter. I agree that it's very influential, but Psycho is already on the list.

Yet Peeping Tom came out before Psycho. Though I think an argument could be made that while Psycho wasn't first, it was done better. But you're right about Halloween paying homage to Psycho, and I think that kind of problem crops up with a lot of the modern films. They are so heavily influenced by older films that its hard to hold them up as influential themselves. Even something like Pulp Fiction is utterly dependent on Tarantino's obsession with exploitation films.

 

The original King Kong would probably be a good addition.