The Film That Changed My Life ─ 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark

Rebel Without a Cause inspired John Woo to comb his hair and talk like James Dean.

For Richard Linklater, "something was simmering in me, but Raging Bull brought it to a boil."

Apocalypse Now introduced Danny Boyle to "the pure visceral power of cinema."

A single line from The Wizard of Oz---"Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?"---inspired John Waters's life, he says. "I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer."

"If you love films and care about filmmakers, you'll have a hard time putting this book down. These lively conversations reveal just how much one generation of filmmakers influences the next---and how a single movie can change the course of a young person's life and career."---Leonard Maltin, author of Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide

"A great and provocative read. Elder begins with a simple question and leads a wide variety of filmmakers down all sorts of unexpected paths. Why do we respond so passionately, even irrationally, to the movies that change our lives? The wonderful thing about being a critic or a lifelong movie lover is that life changes all the time in relation to the spells being cast on the screen. Elder's book honors that alchemic relationship many times over. It's addictive."---Michael Phillips, film critic, Chicago Tribune

"If, as John Huston once said, movies are the reigning art form of the last hundred years, then Robert K. Elder's idea of asking thirty directors to talk about the movie that most influenced their careers is a bonanza for film buffs and a wonderful recommendation to all who love movies. Elder has done us all a favor: read this book, then go see for yourself why these movies made the cut!"---Lawrence Grobel, author of The Art of the Interview

Robert K. Elder is a film columnist and a regional editor of AOL's Patch.com in Chicago. His work has appeared in the New York Times, MSNBC.com, Salon.com, Time Out Chicago, and elsewhere. For more than a decade, he served as a staff writer at the Chicago Tribune. His other books include Last Words of the Executed and John Woo: Interviews. Visit his website at www.robertkelder.com.