We’ve talked before about how books and music influence my writing,
but inspired by today’s post over at Mythic Scribes, I thought I’d talk about
what Antonio del Drago describes as “which
fantasy movies have had the greatest impact on my writing, and why they are so
meaningful.”
These aren’t in any particular order.
Labyrinth. The music, the book reflecting the real
world, the music, Jim Henson’s puppets, the music, the story about being
yourself, did I mention the music? Labyrinth probably helped define my love of
the fantasy genre as both escapism and transformation. It is one of those movies where the heroine
realizes it’s okay to grow up and okay to still want for “childish”
things. Somewhere in my house I have a
bumper sticker that reads…”I break for Unicorns.” I’ve had it for more years than I can count,
but it, like Labyrinth for me, is symbolic of it being okay to dream/to believe
in the impossible. And, yes, I had the
biggest crush on David Bowie in that movie.
And the music!!!
Star Wars. Now, obviously, Star Wars is a space opera,
not a fantasy, but for the purposes of impact on writing…I have to keep it on
the list. Star Wars is all about the
Hero’s Journey. At the same time, it
tells the story of someone accepting responsibility for “something greater than
self.” I find that a lot of my short
stories and novel work focus on transformation.
I think a lot of that came out of Star Wars. I think it’s one reason Han is one of my
favorite characters. He really moves
from something of a mercenary pain in the @$$ to someone who believes in
helping others and the cause, even if he is going to be grumpy about it.
The Princess Bride. This is another one where the book and movie
intersect. For me, this is a love
story. It has Kisses! It is about
overcoming adversity to be with the one you love. I’ve read the novel and interestingly enough,
I still find the movie to be more impactful.
I don’t know if it’s the cast or what… but the movie is one of those
that I can stop and watch any time it is on.
It has a great ensemble cast.
While most of my stories center around one or two people, the paranormal
fantasy I’m writing is leaning more toward an ensemble cast and I want that
sense of reality and connection to appear in the work. And lines… I want to write a book that when
it’s made into a movie gets quoted everywhere… “Hello! My name is Inigo
Montoyo,” “As you wish,” “I do not think it means what you think it means.”
“Have fun stormin’ the castle!”
Sleeping
Beauty/Beauty and the Beast: I put these together as the “Disney
Films.” While they tell two different
stories, what appeals to me in both movies is Disney’s ability to capture the
essence of dreams. Sleeping Beauty is my
favorite of the Disney Princess’s – a girl meets the love of her life only to
be pulled away and sent into a magical sleep.
The love of her life turns out to be a prince who defeats the dragon and
rescues the girl. (Maleficent is the
perfect Evil. I want my BBEG to be like
her. No regrets just Evil.) Beauty and the Beast takes a “bookish” girl
and an “ugly” boy and they fall in love, seeing the beauty beneath each
other. I don’t know how many girls
loved Beast more for his Library than himself… but I was one of them. Both are completely different stories
written in different times. In reality,
it is Belle who rescues the Beast unlike Prince Phillip who rescues
Aurora. But something about both stories
is incredibly enchanting to me.
Later movies:
Lord of the
Rings/Harry Potter/PoTC: These are all epic stories told with Epic
descriptions and amazing visuals. I want
my stories to reflect that… but I have found it very challenging to write those
kinds of descriptions.
Stardust/Enchanted: This is another set of Love Stories where
what you expect to “love” isn’t really what you want/need/end up with. I like the twist.
While I am sure there are a ton of other great movies out
there, these are the ones that I think have had the most influence on my
writing style.
When I think about the connection between my favorite movies
and my stories, it seems that I like to write stories about
transformations. My heroes are people
who either change through the course of their actions or as a result of the
actions of others around them.
Clearly though…I need to write a love story. J
We don’t have to talk/We don’t even have to touch
I can feel your presence/ In the silence that we share
Got to keep moving/At the speed of love
Nothing changes faster/Than the speed of love
Got to keep on shining/at the speed of love
Nothing changes faster/than the speed of love
~Rush, Speed of Love
