Jamie Santamore's TOP 20 Favorite Movies
These are the movies I watch over and over again, the ones that inspire me the most when I'm writing. I will write a small blurb under each one explaining why I like the film.
1. John Carpenter's Halloween
I love this film because it was my first horror film and because it really has stood the test of time. Halloween is often called the Gone with the wind of the horror genre.
2. Halloween II
Halloween II is a great film because of the way it was shot as well as because it picks up right where Halloween left off.
3. Scream
Scream was a real game changer in the horror genre, it took the rules and turned them upside down. great story amazing cast and just an all around great movie.
4. Friday The 13th (1980)
This film was a really well made film and a female killer was an awesome touch to the story.
5. Terminator
This was an amazing film and really the first HUGE action movie in my lifetime (That I can remember)
6. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
ANOES was another horror film that broke new ground in many ways and gave us an ICON in the Genre Freddy Kruger.
7. I Love You Beth Cooper
This movie I'm sure surprises alot of fans being that it's not a horror movie I love romantic comedies also they are a great source for the romance found in the Horror genre.
8. Rob Zombie's Halloween
While Rob Zombie's Reboot/Reimagining isn't well received by many fans I thought it was a good film and gave new meaning to the franchise and really gave a great backstory to Michael.
9. Rob Zombie's Halloween II
This movie gets trashed for many reasons and I attribute that to fans not understanding the point of the twisting storyline with the white horse (which is explained in the opening of the film) The character development was great in this film and I think fans really missed out on this because they were too wrapped up in the white horse stuff. This movie shows the decent into madness by Laurie Strode/Angel Myers. that's another thing I liked that Zombie did he renamed Laura Myers (original name) Angel to be the opposite of Michael. (pure evil)
10. Clerks
This is another movie that might surprise people, I love Kevin Smith he is a film maker I look up to the story is funny and my wife and I quote the film almost daily .
11.Clerks II
Clerks II was an awesome funny film that makes me laugh every time I watch it again I love Kevin Smith and his writing style.
12. Child's Play
This movie is a fun little film because it's something interesting with the voodoo and the killer doll (while not the first killer doll movie) it really gives that type of film a kick in the ass.
13. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Kevin Smith is a funny person, writes funny lines and does a great job casting his films as well Ladies, Ladies, Ladies, Jay and Silent Bob are in the HIsouse !
14. Prom Night (2008)
While this isn't a remake of the 1981 film of the same name alot of fans treated it as such, I loved the writing of this movie, the storytelling and the pass the kills were something that worked well I think.
15. T2 Terminator 2
This was an amazing film visually striking and the SFX were incredible.
16. Limitless
This film took time to grow on me (My wife loves Bradley Cooper) I really enjoyed the intertwining storyline of this film and the script was amazing.
17. Dear John
This is another movie that might surprise readers it's a classic romance film and really pulls at the heart strings again I use this movie as a reference for romance in a horror movie.
18. Curse of Chucky
This film was long awaited and DELIVERED an amazing installment that really brought the Childs Play series back to the original scary killer doll it started out as.
19. House of 1,000 Corpses
What can I say about this movie shot to look like a gritty 70's style film (which it does nicely) this is a greta little piece of film. Raw, rough, well put together Rob Zombie really has a great eye for talent as well.
20.The Devil's Rejects
This is the sequel of House of 1,000 Corpses a brilliant film in many ways I love the character development in sequels (You really get to know characters better the second time around) This film has one of the best ending scenes I have ever seen.
Who are my influences in writing & film making ...
John Carpenter is a man I have learned so much from as a film maker and writer I used Halloween as a reference many times while writing the Sins of Man Trilogy.
2. Wes Craven (RIP)
We Craven inspires me to push my limits all the time as a writer, write what scares you and then take it one step further to stuff that scares you more.
3. Kevin Smith
I learned how to put humor into a script by watching Kevin's work,He taught me that a simple funny line can change an entire scene into something it was never supposed to be.
4. Rob Zombie
Watching Rob Zombie's films has taught me to do whatever the hell I want to do with my script, story and movie because it's just that my movie.
5. Kevin Williamson
Kevin Williamson wrote an amazing script to Scream and changed the Horror genre forever the thing I have learned most from Kevin's writing is to always leave doubt in the audience as to who the killer could be.
6. Sean S. Cunningham
Sean is the creative force behind the classic Friday The 13th, what I learned from Sean is that its okat to take an idea from another film and make it your own (Which is done alot)
7. Todd Farmer
Todd Farmer is the writer of Jason X as well as the remake of My Bloody Valentine I have received alot of pointers from Todd on Twitter about writing and storytelling and for that I am forever grateful.