Movies That Inspired "Knives Out" Jan 21, 2020

Rian Johnson Director

Rian Johnson is a longtime fan of the murder mystery genre. Here are a few of his favorites that helped inform this delightful whodunit.

CLUE

Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, and Professor Plum all come to life in this movie based on the classic board game.

GOSFORD PARK

This black comedy tells the story of an old-fashioned country house in England thrown off-kilter when one of their own is found dead. Come for a cup of tea and lots of secrets. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

Famed detective Hercule Poirot is put to the test when a murder on, you guessed it, his train demands his particular obsessive skillset. A classic whodunit with a large cast of interesting characters.

DEATH ON THE NILE

Hercule Poirot is back at it, this time an heiress is found dead on his boat while sailing through Egypt. POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU

That’s right, Pikachu and Hercule Poirot are found on the same list. Will Pikachu have what it takes to help his partner Tim find out what happened to Tim’s dad? Movies That Influenced Joker Jan 22, 2020

Todd Phillips Director

Todd Phillips admittedly needed to fill big shoes when making “Joker.” (RIP Heath) Luckily he had several movies to draw from as he re-interpreted the Clown Prince of Crime.

TAXI DRIVER

A disturbed New York cab driver befriends a teenage hooker and frees her from her pimp.

RAGING BULL

Another Scorsese classic with Robert De Niro, a violent, obsessive boxer slowly ruins everything he has in and out of the ring. THE HANGOVER

Yes, Phillips did work on it. But there was plenty to draw from this ridiculous comedy about three guys dealing with a patchy memory of a bachelor party in Vegas.

THE MAN WHO LAUGHS

A man disfigured with a large smile permanently on his face, Gwynplaine is hopeless as a freakshow star until he meets Josiana. The Joker character in the comics was based off Gwynplaine, but Phillips was able to pull a bit of his own inspiration from this drama-horror.

SERPICO

NYPD officer Frank Serpico is out to expose corruption, but ends up being targeted by his friends on the force in this 1970s neo-noir. Movies That Inspired "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood" Jan 23, 2020

Quentin Tarantino Director

This throwback to the Hollywood of yesteryear makes us all nostalgic for the good old days. Here's what inspired this retro classic.

BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE

This comedy released during the events of OUATIH highlights a bit of the transitional time in Hollywood by featuring two middle-aged couples who become “enlightened” in love.

CACTUS FLOWER

Things get complicated, and funny, when a man pretending to be married falls for a woman he’s been casually seeing. EASY RIDER

Two bikers head from LA to New Orleans, meeting a few interesting people along the way. They end up riding right into the counterculture hall of fame.

ARIZONA RAIDERS

The team used this Western to inform DiCaprio’s character. In it, ex-gang members are hired by the Arizona Rangers to help find the rest of their old gang. GETTING STRAIGHT

This dramedy about a recent graduate who is drawn to the world of social radicalism helped set the stage for New Hollywood when it was released. Movies That Inspired "Little Women" Jan 24, 2020

Greta Gerwig's take on "Little Women" breathes fresh life into the source material, and the filmmaker invites you to look into the movies that inspired her vision.

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS

The similarities to "Little Women" are immediately noticeable. While this one takes place before the 1904 World's Fair and involves several musical numbers, it's still hyper-focused on four sisters dealing with their own hopes and dreams.

HEAVEN'S GATE

Set in America soon after the Civil War, this movie captures some of the tensions present between Americans and European immigrants in a small county of Wyoming. TWO ENGLISH GIRLS

Two sisters from England both fall in love with the dashing Claude from France. What follows is a contemplation on the complicated effects of love and separation.

JULES AND JIM

This tender adaptation of a novel written by Henri-Pierre Roché (who also wrote “Two English Girls”) captures the intimate story of a doomed love triangle. THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

This historical drama leans more heavily into romance than “Little Women,” but the young characters facing oppressive tradition and blooming love are definitely relevant.