The Film That Changed My Life

…is a book about epiphany moments.

For filmmakers, it captures that first encounter with the movie that inspired them to direct movies. In The Film That Changed My Life, I talk with 30 directors about how this film influenced their own work and how it made them think differently about movies.

Author Robert K. Elder talks about the book here on NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly“:

In The Film That Changed My Life, 30 celebrated directors talk about 30 films that shaped their careers and, in turn, cinema history. This book is written for a wide audience – promoting the discovery and love of film.

Below is the chapter list:

1.) Edgar Wright  on  An American Werewolf in London
2.) Rian Johnson on Annie Hall
3.) Danny Boyle on Apocalypse Now
4.) Bill Condon on Bonnie and Clyde
5.) Richard Kelly on Brazil
6.) Peter Bogdanovich on Citizen Kane
7.) John Dahl on A Clockwork Orange
8.) Henry Jaglom on 8½
9.) Brian Herzlinger on E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
10.) Alex Gibney on The Exterminating Angel
11.) Kimberly Peirce on The Godfather
12.) Steve James on Harlan County U.S.A.
13.) Austin Chick on Kings of the Road
14.) Guy Maddin on L’âge d’or
15.) Michel Gondry  on Le voyage en ballon
16.) Michael Polish on Once Upon a Time in America
17.) Arthur Hiller on Open City
18.) Pete Docter on Paper Moon
19.) Atom Egoyan on Persona
20.) Gurinder Chadha on Purab aur Pachhim and It’s a Wonderful Life
21.) Richard Linklater on Raging Bull
22.) Jay Duplass on Raising Arizona
23.) John Woo on Rebel Without a Cause and Mean Streets
24.) John Landis  on The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
25.) Kevin Smith on Slacker
26.) Chris Miller on Sleeper
27.) Neil LaBute on The Soft Skin
28.) George A. Romero on The Tales of Hoffmann
29.) Frank Oz on Touch of Evil
30.) John Waters on The Wizard of Oz

Atom Egoyan on Persona :

“In some ways, it’s the quintessential art movie in that it is, on first viewing, quite mystifying and yet, at some level, deeply seductive. It is both simple and impenetrable. And it’s full of an unyielding sense of psychological complexity. It’s one of the most astonishing films about transference ever made. It’s probably the most self-referential work I can imagine.”

Rian Johnson on Annie Hall:

“Annie Hall is one of those legends of film lore that originally the film was written, made, and cut as a completely different film. Originally, it was a little less audacious in its storytelling, and it had more of a narrative hook.”

Michael Polish on Once Upon a Time in America:

“Whether a filmmaker or not, I can be a fan because it has so many symbols and situations that reflect life itself, growing up. Even growing up in the suburbs, you still have friendships the same way these kids have friendships.”

Edgar Wright on An American Werewolf in London:

“Every cliche setup from horror films is subverted with the mundanity of
the situation. It keeps putting these extraordinary scenes and really vivid,
graphic scenes in everyday settings. That’s what really makes that film.”