Most Influential Person. . .

holmes,I guess it all comes down to opinions about whether producers like Lucas and Speilberg were influential.I do like the list of directors you supplied. I really like the old Hitchcock movies. Good picks.Verzem

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to opinions about whether producers like Lucas and Speilberg were influential.

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This is true, but it is not just opinion on what they might have influenced. Neither of them did anything to influence movies themselves, only peripheral aspects of the movies.Both men, especially Lucas pioneered merchandising techniques that have definitely influenced (and in my mind adversely so) the movie industry.They have also influence the nature of special effects in movies. Once again Lucas more so, through his increased use of digital imagery.But as far as movies as movies ar concerned, both men are HIGHLY derivative. I don't even think they would claim otherwise. They both use the techniques founded almost a century ago in the cliff hanger serials (perils of pauline, flash gordon, etc etc). They also picked up story ideas and special camera techniques from men like Kurasawa and Hitchcock.This is not to say they are not skilled, and not entertaining. They are very very good directors. But what you see them doing on screen as directors is not new... just well done.My guess is Lucas would disagree the most because of his use of digital imagery. Having used both film and video and being an early pioneer (even if unknown and extremely low budget) of digital video for movies... I would debate that point. That is about making things easy for a director, not making a real change in something that audiences are watching.

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holmes
"...what a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.."(D. Bros)

What about D.W.Griffiths?I would also suggest Sergio Leone (for re-formatting the
western -- although Yojimbo was the basis for Fistful
of Dollars -- like almost scene-for-scene -- so that one
might be arguable ... but is later works ...)And Sam Pekinpah -- without whom we would liklely not
have Quentin Tarrantino (some might say 'no loss'), although
I'm guessing that Kubrick's 'The Killing' may have been
as big a factor.Orson Welles' impact on cinema shouldn't be overlooked either.

Bill Gates maybe ... he might not have done the work
but he sure got the marketing right.Spielberg or Disney -- I'd say not so much.What about Mikhail Gorbachov though?

I dunno -- George Lucas almost destroyed serious sci-fi
in movies -- which are only just recovering.Pre-star wars we have Farenheit 451, Soylent Green,
the omega man, the illustrated man, Planet of the apes,
The Andromeda Strain ... and a host of other hard-sci-fi filmsPost star-wars (until very recently) we had The Black Hole,
Battle Beyond the Stars, and a whole host of other space westerns.Not saying they are bad as films (necessarily) just that
after Star Wars no-one was interested in 'real' sci-fi.

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I dunno -- George Lucas almost destroyed serious sci-fi in movies -- which are only just recovering.

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I see what you are saying but that is more about influencing a fluctuation in a medium, instead if actually influencing the medium.In response to your earlier post regarding DWG and Sergio Leone etc etc...I do not necessarily disagree. Especially Sergio Leone. Not sure I'd agree with Peckinpah, but I'd probably be in the minority opinion saying that.There are still some others which deserve mention too (Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and Howard Hawks had great influence on horror films). I just think that the greatest influences on film stylewise as directors were Akira Kurasawa, Ford, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Scorcese, and perhaps Coppola.I agree that sci-fi has tanked since Lucas, but I think that this is because of his producer role and pioneering merchandising. Now almost all movies have to have merchandising and ESPECIALLY SCI-FI MUST have merchandising options. Got to have the action figure and the video game!Sometimes we get a PK Dick number which defies merchandising, but this is really a minority.I will have to mention a couple post starwars sci-fi pics which I think were real and influential: Alien, The Thing, and Blade Runner. The first two were influenced by Hawks and Dick respectively, but the first was wholly original and they all introduced new visions of science fiction, that unfortunately only got bastardized when combined with merchandising scifi.

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holmes
"...what a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.."(D. Bros)

Peter,you sure mentioned some great sci-fi movies. The Andromeda Strain was awesome!When you mentioned Leone, my thoughts immediately went to my all-time favorite movie: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. The soundtrack to that movie is fantastic. And it has Eastwood saying one of my all-time favorite bits of movie philosophy: "There are two kinds of people in this world; those with loaded guns, and those who dig."One thing that is certain is that people in the movie and television industries do have a broad influence upon us.How about Roone Arledge and television sports?Verzem

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I see what you are saying but that is more about influencing a fluctuation in a medium, instead if actually influencing the medium.

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True.

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Not sure I'd agree with Peckinpah

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Guess I just like his movies, and feel that his influence
on film is still felt at least in Tarrantino's work.

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I just think that the greatest influences on film stylewise as directors were Akira Kurasawa, Ford, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Scorcese, and perhaps Coppola.

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I'm not sure about including Coppola -- except that I love
Apocalypse Now!

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I will have to mention a couple post starwars sci-fi pics which I think were real and influential: Alien, The Thing, and Blade Runner. The first two were influenced by Hawks and Dick respectively, but the first was wholly original and they all introduced new visions of science fiction, that unfortunately only got bastardized when combined with merchandising scifi.

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Alien was 1979, The Thing and Bladerunner about '81/'82
so probably in pre-production before Star Wars (1977) really took
hold -- but point taken any how.Except that Alien isn't that original -- look at It! The Terror
from Beyond Space (1958) and Planet of the Vampires for instance.Ridley Scott basically made Alien exceptional.

I love the 'dollars' trilogy, but my favourite
Leone film is still 'Once Upon a Time in the West' ...
and anything with Ennio Morricone music is OK by me Dunno who Roone Arledge is, and I don't actaully watch
any sport on television ... sorry. Last time I really
took any interest was the 1980 World Cup ... that's soccer
to those non-europeans

I don't think soccer will ever be popular here in the USA. It is just way too boring for us. There is a problem in watching a game that can be played for an hour and a half and end up 1-0, and only then because of a penalty kick. Curling is more exciting!I don't know why (maybe it is because for soccer, you don't have to buy lots of equipment) but they seem to make our kids do soccer. But, as can be esxpected, most of them lose interest when they hit their teens.And I will say this, for those suffering from insomnia, watching soccer does provide good sedative effects.Roone Arledge was an innovative sports television executive. He didn't invent it personally, but he brought us the use of instant replay amongst other things.Verzem

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Guess I just like his movies, and feel that his influence on film is still felt at least in Tarrantino's work.

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Yeah yeah, and Peck may have influenced Rodriguez and John Woo (who was also an obvious influence on Tarantino). I'd rather switch than fight on Peckinpah... I know I'd be outgunned.

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I'm not sure about including Coppola -- except that I love Apocalypse Now!

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Believe it or not, he's the guy that came up with tinting film yellowish to make it seem older in flashbacks, or movies about other time periods.

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Except that Alien isn't that original -- look at It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) and Planet of the Vampires for instance. Ridley Scott basically made Alien exceptional.

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While Alien had many influences including Planet of the Vampires (liked that movie), and Queen of Blood (which was aka Planet of Vampires, not sure which one you meant but probably this second one), as well as the story Flight of the Space Beagle.But its origin really seems based most in the movie Dark Star which was made by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon (the screenwriter of Alien) back in 1974. Not sure if you've seen that but its got a section where crew member (I think it's O'Bannon) has to go searching the ship for an alien they picked up on a planet. It is much more humorous but the idea is the same and one "locker area" appears nearly identical to one they put into Alien (perhaps as an homage). O'Bannon says he wrote Alien as a blowup of that idea... so in this Alien predates Star Wars, which I guess proves your point!PS--- I agree with your assessment that Leone's greatest western was Once Upon a Time in the West. Fonda as a cold blooded killer? Oh man.[This message has been edited by holmes, 02-25-2004]

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holmes
"...what a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.."(D. Bros)

Ah, yes. Part of the classic "Once Upon a Time" trilogy (Once Upon a Time in The West, Once Upon a Time in America, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.)Just kidding. I guess I think it's fun to "find" trilogies that aren't really, like the "Get" trilogy: "Get Smart", "Get Shorty," and "Get Carter."Anybody think of a few more?Oh, and how come nobody's mentioned Eisenstien as a film influence? Didn't he invent the montage, or something? ("Battleship Potemkin"?)

How about the illusive Deep Throat? One other non-named person has ever had the notariety that Deep Throat has and that's Jack the Ripper.There's a lot to be said for mystery celebrities.

Deep Throat? Are you talking of the Deep Throat of Watergate fame?Isn't mystery celebrity an oxymoron? I guess you could call superheroes such a name, but they aren't real. Can you think of a real life modern day mystery celebrity?Verzem

Deep Throat brought down a president and instilled the phrase "government corruption" into all levels of society. Corruption finally got forced out of the closet, if you will. Average Joe American knew what was going on, but had no 'proof'. The young scamps in this forum may not realize the level of corruption exposed during Nixon was scandelous then.Mystery celebrity an oxymoron?No. Both Deep Throat and Jack the Ripper have established their places in history without a name, face, or birth certificate or 5 minutes on Larry King. But wouldn't the whole world just love to finally get proof of the real identity and full story.Can I think of a real life, modern day mystery celebrity? Hummm. How about Deep Throat or Jack the Ripper.