Actually, this post could have a longer title:
Follow up your tangents and watch weird stuff.
Pretty crap title. Glad I stuck with the original.
I was watching Donnie Darko for the umpteenth time, a couple of weeks ago. It’s weird, it’s creepy, it has a decent soundtrack, it involves giant bunnies and time travel – what’s not to like?
Anyway, sometimes when I watch a film (even one that I’ve seen many times before), I’ll suddenly look up the director and think; ‘why haven’t I watched anything else that they’ve made?’
This can lead to me buying a whole load of other films from that same director, on a whim, or going off on a complete tangent and finding other similar films by different directors.
I buy nearly all of my films and books in this way: spin-offs from what I’ve just been watching or reading.
Having watched Donnie Darko again, I looked up the director and found him to be a chap called Richard Kelly. In turn, I read the synopsis of another film he’d directed: Southland Tales.
It seemed kinda quirky, so I had a little peek on IMBD… and it didn’t have great reviews. However, ‘people who liked this, also liked’ a film called Brazil.
I had a look at Brazil, and it was directed by Terry Gilliam, had decent reviews, seemed really weird, and had a cast which included; Bob Hoskins, Robert De Niro, Jonathan Pryce, Michael Palin, Ian Holm, and Jim Broadbent.
I bought it and watched it a couple of days ago, and it’s one of the strangest films I’ve ever seen. It’s funny, satirical, dark, creepy, even nonsensical at points.
It filled my head with all sorts of crazy ideas. It was just what I needed. I guarantee I’ll come up with an idea for a client that’s been influenced by that film, in the near future.
That’s why I like filling my head with weird stuff.
I’ll leave you with a clip from the film so you can see just how odd it was (it’s a long clip. The first minute should give you the gist):