So! Typically game industry types talk about release dates, number of characters and stuff like that. While it's good info, it really doesn't shed any light on them whatsoever. At all. This does. Well. Sorta. Here's a list of three videos BioShock creator Ken Levine owns and why he owns them. Ken?
Miller's Crossing: Because it's the best written movie, like, ever. And if you've seen it and played BioShock, you can see the influence it had on me.I Claudius: Blood, political intrigue and nudity. Also, insanely well written. What else could you ask for?
Return of the Jedi: Because it came with The Empire Strikes Back.
What we really what to know is what the hell Ken Levine is squinting at.
One and One [Game|Life]


















Comments
Eww. Get my Miller's Crossing away from your Bioshock! Coen bros. rule, Levine blows!
No, he's a nice guy. Just Bioshock was meh. I can't think of much parallel. Same general era, that's it.
So... Isn't that 4 movies? Miller's Crossing, I Claudius, and two Star Wars flicks?
I should Check out Miller's crossing, that's in my cousin's library. All I remember is that it's a Coen Brother's film.
He kind of looks like Ben Stiller, with a beard.
The squint is for dramatic effect.
And I still think that shot makes him look like david duchovny.
He's squinting at the future.
I see a lack of Dr. Strangelove.
Big love for Miller's Crossing. It blows every other mafia movie out of the water.
I, Claudius isn't a movie!
@cringer8: indubitably so, but the Coen brothers tend to reshape genres just by looking in their general direction.
@ph15h: "So... Isn't that 4 movies? Miller's Crossing, I Claudius, and two Star Wars flicks?"
wow, way to miss a "joke"
@cringer8: Amen to that. Miller's Crossing is fantastic.
Coen Brothers FTW!!!
@Heartwork: he looks more like steve carell.
No The City of the Lost Children? I'm shocked.
@Ludwig:
Me too.
Miller's Crossing is amazing and ranks 3rd on my Coen's list, used to be 2nd till No Country came out :-)
If I ever made a totally awesome game that everyone loved, my "Three Movies abstractBzooty Owns." post would read:
Big Touble in Little China: Because it's the greatest movie ever made.
Clockwork Orange: Because I love music and Stanley Kubrick.
Blue Velvet: Because , uh, I love music and David Lynch.
Been meaning to find I Claudius. Hurt, Blessed.. It can only be awesome
Everyone love lists, I will make one.
Unfortunally, I don't remenber the "best", i remenber some, so I remenber these that are "memorable" to me.
Movies:
- The Grapes of Wrath
[www.imdb.com]
- Groundhog Day
[www.imdb.com]
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers
[www.imdb.com]
Books:
- "Cien años de soledad"
- "Memorias en una caja a prueba de hormigas"
- "Dune"
Anime:
- Elfen Lied
- Naruto (before fillers killed it)
- Toki wo Kakeru Shojo
[www.imdb.com]
Manga:
- Gunm
Oh dawn,... I forget Chobits.
Pantsu, Pantsu, pantsu, pantsu... hahahaha :D
Lord of War
Blood Diamond
The Kingdom
3 current favs.
I would think a man like Mr. Levine would be watching more movies though?
@Witzbold: Lord of War was amazing, really made you think about things, didn't it?
I would like to hear Levine's answer concerning "new" movies.
Coen Brothers are so good. Raising Arizona/Fargo/O Brother, Where Art Thou...Hell I even like The Hudsucker Proxy. I've not seen the more violent movies (Millers Crossing, No Country) but perhaps it's time to "man up".
PS. It's 3 DVDs Ken owns. Not 3 'movies' and obviusly not his 3 favourite 'movies'.
:)
I could relate with Return of Jedi.
Empire Strikes Back, A New Hope and T2 is my top 3 favorites of all time.
@Witzbold:
They are three movies in his collection, not the entire collection, but not bad choices if you could only have three.
Miller's Crossing is such a good choice. It is one of those movies that I used to show to people when I found out that they hadn't seen it. (Oh how I miss college.) I might just watch it this weekend.
Funny I watched Miller's Crossing for the first time last week and for some reason the totting tommy guns reminded me of Bioshock
Ken Levine photo.....
George Segal - "Is he taking a dump?"
Kirstie Alley - "No, he' thinking real hard"
parp
Bruce Willis - "Nng, too much fruit!"
@Heartwork: I was thinking more david duchovny with a big jaw
Here is the basic list of movies that I used to show to people when I found out that they hadn't seen them (different reasons for showing each of them):
Natural Born Killers
Xanadu
Miller's Crossing
Mary Poppins
MST3K: Pod People
The Maxx
Electric Dreams
On Deadly Ground
Primal Instinct (a non-graphic documentary about animals having sex)
After college, I added Moulin Rouge, Dancer in the Dark, and Fritz the Cat. Also, I found out last year that my wife had never seen The Goonies, which I had never expected that I would need to show to someone my age.
I can say that out of the above listed movies, if I had to choose one to share with every person possible, I would choose Miller's Crossing.
I'm not much of a "Miller's Crossing" fan. I consider "Barton Fink" to be their best. I've noticed over the years that Coen Bros. fans seem to be divided into these two camps . . . with everyone coming back to hug over "The Big Lebowski." As long as we're all making lists, my three fav movies are:
"The Conversation" by Francis Ford Coppola
"Cries and Whispers" by Ingmar Bergman"
"Magnolia" by Paul Thomas Anderson
Oh, and I LOVED Bioshock.
I Claudius? Wow. Respect.
@kingofallcosmos: That has got to be the most eclectic movie lover's list I've ever seen and my students come up with some pretty wacky top ten lists (I teach at a film school). If you were in my class, I'd either have to give you all A's or the yardstick. The inclusion of "On Deadly Ground" is throwing me for a loop. I even saw that one in the theater. I can't believe Joan Chen was exiled from China for "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl" but not for co-starring with Seagal in that tragedy. If you had said "Under Siege," that I could at least understand (Andrew Davis's taut direction, Erika Eleniak's juggies, Seagal saying the line, "Get my pies out of the oven!"). But "On Deadly Ground?" I"m kind of speechless.
I think he looks like Jason Sklar, really.
@kingofallcosmos: Natural Born Killers is a poor imitation of Badlands.
I'd never have thought of it off the top of my head, but I can see Miller's Crossing really informing BioShock. Fontaine and his goons would be right at home in that film. Ditto some of the weaponry, as someone else already mentioned. Not to mention all the scenes of firing off automatic weapons while old timey music plays.
Anyhow, if I made a game, the movies that would probably be the biggest influence would be Brazil, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Goonies. But if I just had to pick three films that are basically canon for me, I'd go with Band of Outsiders (aka Bande a Part), Grey Gardens and City of Lost Children.
I, Claudius is like 15 hours worth of miniseries, no?
So with the two Star Wars films, the list is only three movies long.
@kingofallcosmos: I still gotta see that movie. A lot of my friends told me good things about it. Just didnt have the chance to go out and rent it. D:
@DigiMish: Ive also read the book about the real "Merchant of Death" Viktor Bout.
Interesting how he finally got caught reciently after all these years of him evading almost all types of law enforcement that have been trying to track / arrest him.
City Of Lost Children? Not on the list? I loved BioShock, but talk about some creative appropriation....
I like vileda sponges, my dishes are so clean.
Cyclone hoovers are also a boon.
I'm influenced equally by neither of these.
Take me seriously, I've judged some films.
Millers Crossing is awesome but I'm not sure I see the influence, aside from the fact that there's revolvers and Thompson sub-machine guns in both.
@DJ-KINETIC: Whoa..an Ingmar Bergman fan.
*respect*
'The Seventh Seal' is my favourite Bergman movie.
Regarding the list...if I had to pick up favourites
'Wild Strawberries'
'El Topo'
'The Piano Teacher'
'The Seventh Seal'
'Week end'
'Le Samourai'
'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'
'Stranger than Paradise'
'The 400 Blows'
gawd...too many to choose from..
My List of Movies That Have Had Zero Influence on Me:
1. The Covenant.
The End.
Oooooo...Miller's Crossing is brilliant.
If you haven't seen it, rent it. Awesome.
@osiris83:
Holy shit, French films-wise, I love Le Samourai. Ditto for Week-end (that tracking shot is insane). Likewise, adore "The 400 Blows." Really, really love "The Soft Skin." Also, *heart* Chabrol.
While I, Claudius most definitely isn't a movie, I'm very impressed he listed it. Didn't expect that at all.
@Heartwork: I was thinking Matt Lauer with hair, myself.
As for BioShock influences, none are more evident than the Batman episode Deep Freeze:
[dcanimated.wikia.com]
A rich genius disillusioned with society creates an underwater city. Oceania creator Grant Walker even looks like Andrew Ryan!
@Balius: yeah, it was more of a tv show than a film. though if you have the opportunity and can rent it (as it's something like $200 to buy) and have even a passing interest in Rome, holy crap is it good.
got into that during high school, but never finished it. i should really go see if rogers video has it...
@Pombar: HAHAHAHAHA :P
Miller's Crossing... nice! I'd like to suggest he buy more Coen brothers movies as well, but yeah... that's probably my favorite.
@osiris83: Criterion fan, eh? Five of your nine have been released by them...
"The 400 Blows" is my favorite film of all time. Truffaut > Godard.
Bela Tarr is my favorite current filmmaker. Do yourself a favor and pick up "Werckmeister Harmonies."
Curse you, Levine!.
No I have to watch that "Miller's Crossing" movie :(
@Brian Ashcraft:
I love Claude Chabrol although I have not watched much of his stuff, its not easy getting hands on these masterpieces here (in India). I love The Butcher :) .
The tracking shot in Week-end is simply amazing. You should probably check out 'Timecode' by Mike Figgis in case you are a fan of extended takes.
And yeah, Truffaut. One of the masters of the French-new wave. *bows down*
By any chance have you watched 'Last Year at Marienbad'?
Also, Im sure you'll be a fan of 'Yasujiro Ozu' (Tokyo Story), Kaige (Farewell My Concubine), Kurosawa and a lot of others.
Gods, really.
@osiris83:
i just saw "the seventh seal" recently, i enjoyed it. my favorite bergman films are "scenes from a marriage" and "saraband".
@DJ-KINETIC:
"barton fink" is definitely one of my favorites,though i've only ever seen bits and pieces of "miller's crossing" on tv. time to juggle my netflix list...
as for my little list:
tarkovsky's "solaris"
"blue velvet"
the third is a toss-up between "rififi" and hitchcocks "shadow of a doubt"