26 Things that Inspired Movies - mental_floss List Show Ep. 429

TL;DR

Classic movies draw inspiration from various sources, including art, music, literature, and real-life events.

Transcript

hi I'm Elliott Morgan and welcome to the salon this is mental philosophy do and did you know that the screenplay for Groundhog Day was inspired by vampires Danny Rubin who wrote it has cited his main inspiration as being an Rice's The Vampire Lestat which made him think about vampires who were just like normal people except they lived forever and t... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥰 Classic movies like Jurassic Park and Psycho drew inspiration from music and art.
• 🛟 Directors like Spielberg and Zemeckis integrated real-life elements into famous films.
• 🤫 The influence of literature can be seen in movies like The Dark Knight Rises and Silence of the Lambs.
• 🖐️ Real-life events and family connections play a significant role in inspiring movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and The Sixth Sense.
• 🎥 Magazine articles and news stories have inspired films like The Fast and the Furious and Ghostbusters.
• 🎥 Iconic movie moments, such as in Pulp Fiction, reflect popular TV and film tropes of the time.
• 💦 Religious references and classic works also inspire famous film quotes and scenes.

Questions & Answers

Q: How was ET's design influenced by various sources?

ET's design was influenced by photos of Einstein and others, a painting, and the special-effects artist's pet cat, which shaped the alien's appearance.

Q: What inspired Christopher Nolan's Inception?

Inception drew inspiration from MC Escher's art, shown in the dream city design, and the paradoxical Penrose stairs used in the film.

Q: How did real-life connections inspire The Dark Knight Rises?

The film was influenced by A Tale of Two Cities, featuring secret societies, secret identities, and characters like Moritz Cornelis Escher from the novel.

Q: What real-life events inspired the creation of Ghostbusters?

Dan Aykroyd's family history of spiritualism influenced the writing of Ghostbusters, as several generations were interested in the paranormal, leading to the film's development.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Groundhog Day screenplay inspired by vampires, ET's design influenced by paintings and a cat, Jaws shark named Bruce after Spielberg's attorney.

• Inception based on MC Escher's art, Psycho's house inspired by a painting, The Dark Knight Rises and A Tale of Two Cities connections.

• The Fast and the Furious from a magazine article, Nightmare on Elm Street inspired by news articles, Ghostbusters influenced by Aykroyd's spiritualist family.

• Pulp Fiction's iconic scene influenced by TV and film tropes, and Samuel L. Jackson's Ezekiel 25:17 quote from The Bodyguard.