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David Lynch
   David Lynch enjoys a reputation as a man of remarkable talent because of  his sense for creative imagery. What he portrays are always the "abnormal characteristics that lie hidden in peaceful normality." His nightmarish imagery and logic-defying story development always captivates ardent fans.
 
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Personally, I think Twin Peaks is the best thing he's ever done. Also, I experienced a culture shock from the beauty of the visuals in Dune, which I saw when I was in junior high school.
(Masahiro Ito)
 
Lost Highway
Data: ● Available on DVD from Pioneer LDC ● 3,800 yen (excluding tax)
   A mystery that depicts psychological terror like a maze which the protagonist falls into after having lost consciousness from the shock of having seen a mysterious video tape.
Eraserhead
   The shocking feature film that Lynch debuted with, which depicts the figure of a man who enters a world of nightmares and insanity when his girlfriend gives birth to a deformed baby.
 
Blue Velvet
   A suspense film in which an ordinary young man becomes involved in affairs as a result of finding a human ear by chance. The scene in which the protagonist hides in a closet is suggestive of Silent Hill 2.
Twin Peaks  
   A twenty-nine episode tv drama that depicts the case of the murder of a female high school student that took place in an American country town. The story development, in which mysteries invite mysteries, has gained fervent popularity to the extent that it has become a social phenomenon.
Dune 
   A sci-fi action film that depicts a power struggle that unfolds on a desert planet. The film is unusual for the director David Lynch, and the viewer can experience spectacular visuals that make full use of the special effects.
 
Stanley Kubrick
   The master filmmaker Kubrick is known as a perfectionist. He has worked in a wide range of genres, but whichever it is, his works are always filled with an overwhelming feeling of tension and his imagery is full of philosophical suggestions.
 
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Full Metal Jacket is an unparalleled depiction of sadistic human beings.
(Masahiro Ito)
 
Full Metal Jacket
Data: ● Available on DVD from Warner Home Video ● 2,500 yen (excluding tax)
   A war film that depicts the Vietnam War. Scenes of training go on and on during the first half, depicting the way human beings are transfigured into weapons.
 
Lolita
   A controversial film that depicts the grief of a middle-aged man who suffers because of his forbidden love for a young girl and comes to bring ruin upon himself. The car driving through the fog in the beginning is reminiscent of the opening from the first game.
A Clockwork Orange 
   A unique science fiction film set in a chaotic near future. It depicts a juvenile delinquent who is devoted to being as bad as possible and gets arrested, and the way he is reformed as a result of experiments that are performed on him.
 
Alejandro Jodorowsky
   A Chilean visual artist who is said to be the father of the cult movie. With unique depictions that are like experimental imagery, he portrays violence and unearthly rituals, and throws the boundary between dream and reality into disarray.
 
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Although I can't recommend his films to people unconditionally, they are all strange works that leave behind a strong impression.
(Hiroyuki Owaku)
 
El Topo
Data: ● Available on DVD from SPO ● 4,800 yen (excluding tax)
   A road movie with a western motif. In this film, Zen ideology and freaks intermingle in bizarre events that take place in a desert.
 
Holy Mountain
   Guided by an alchemist, nine men and women head for a holy mountain that is home to wise men who are immortal and perpetually young. There, a shocking conclusion awaits them. Holy Mountain is said to be Jodorowsky's most esoteric work.
Santa Sangre
   Developed with visuals that are uniquely beautiful, Santa Sangre is a story about a parent and child in a circus troupe who hurt each other. The protagonist's mother, who is a devotee of a cult religion, was also a model for Claudia.
 
Jacob's Ladder
   A soldier who returns from the Vietnam War has horrifying hallucinations. The film has many settings in common with Silent Hill, such as the hospital and subway.

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I saw this movie when I was in high school and experienced terror psychologically for the first time.
(Masahiro Ito)

Data: ● Available on DVD from Pioneer LDC ● 4,700 yen (excluding tax)
 
Betty Blue integral version
   A controversial film that depicts the ultimate love of a man who devotedly supports his girlfriend who has gone insane and a woman who goes to ruin as a consequence of her passionate love.

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Silent Hill 2 was influenced more than a little by this last scene.
(Hiroyuki Owaku)

Data: ● Available on DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan ● 3,980 yen (excluding tax)
     
Alice
   Animated surrealist depiction of the strange Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from the extremely talented Czech director Jan Svankmajer.

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Among other things, the "canned lightbulbs" from the second game were influenced by this work.
(Hiroyuki Owaku)

Data: ● Available on DVD from Columbia Video ● 4,700 yen (excluding tax)
 
The Exorcist III
   The third movie in the series was personally directed as a legitimate sequel by William Peter Blatty, the original author of The Exorcist.

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Various aspects of this movie such as imagery and direction have been referenced since the first game.
(Masahiro Ito)

Data: ● Available on DVD from Pony Canyon ● 3,800 yen (excluding tax)
Event Horizon
   A spacecraft that vanished seven years ago appears again. Members of a rescue team board the ship and have hallucinations based on emotional wounds from their pasts.
Data: ● Available on DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment Japan ● 4,700 yen (excluding tax)
 
The Cell
   Directed by Tarsem Singh, who originates from the music video world, The Cell depicts the realm of the mind of a macabre killer with visuals that are vivid and beautiful.
Data: ● Available on DVD from Pioneer LDC ● 2,980 yen (excluding tax)
 
Gokumontou
   Kon Ichikawa's fascinating version of Kosuke Kindaichi portrays vivid terror and deep characters. The shots of crime scenes made up to look like Basho's haiku are shocking.
Data: ● Available for rental from Toho Video
 
Terry Gilliam
12 Monkeys
   A feature-length science fiction film from Terry Gilliam, a director who is known for his surrealist style. In order to prevent a virus from causing the downfall of mankind, a convict is sent to the past world.

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As for the asymmetry between Vincent's left and right eyes, Brad Pitt is the hint.
(Shingo Yuri)

Data: 12 Monkeys (DTS Edition) ● Available on DVD from Shochiku Co., Ltd. (Inc.) ● 4,700 yen (excluding tax)
 
Chris Cunningham
 
   The director Chris Cunningham, who is known for works such as Bjork's video "All is Full of Love," consistently treats the dissimilated human form as a motif.

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When I bought the Aphex Twin video, I was amazed at how good the visuals are.
(Masahiro Ito)

Data: Complete Volumen ● Available on DVD from Universal International ● 4,200 yen (excluding tax)

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