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Films Influenced by The Holy Mountain

posted 8 years ago by therealbpilgrim
5 replies | jump to latest

The Holy Mountain and Alejandro Jodorowsky in general are often overlooked in regards to their influence on the more off kilter entries in the film world. Here, we compile a list of filmsand scenes inspired by this surreal classic.

I'll get this started.

Toys (1992): The premise of desentizing children with war toys is offily similar to the Saturn segment in HM.

Goodbye 20th Century (1998): Mean spirited and nearly incoherent post apocalyptic Macedonian film that contains much of the baroque
visuals and cruel satire found in the planets sequences of The Holy Mountain.

Beyond the Black Rainbow(2010): Psychedelic horror film that moves at the pace of a glacier with a visual aesthetic highly reminiscent of the sets used during the Thief's initiation.

Natural Born Killers (1994): A cowriter on this film was Richard Rutkowski who played Neptune. Arguably contains an offshoot of the psychedelic visuals and satire of HM but with a more obvious David Lynch and Paul Verhoeven influence.

Irreversible (2002): Again, another off shoot, but hear me out. Towards the end of the film (or the beginning if you're going chronologically), there is a large poster of "Captain Captain"on the wall or at least the artwork in its original form. Out of all of the comic illustrations they could have used, it's usage here seems too specific.

[–] kittylove15 8 years ago

Not sure about movies, but apparently Kanye West was inspired by this film and watched it when he recorded his yeezus album.

Also when I was watching the movie "Belly", I felt that some of the imagery was somewhat Jodorowsky influenced.

[–] sionxxii 8 years ago

The point of the film was totally lost on him.

[–] nicolevabre 8 years ago

[–] alkimia4 8 years ago

Almost all of N.W. Refn's films have been inspired by The Holy Mountain and Jodorowsky's other films, especially Bronson, Drive and Only God Forgives.
Refn dedicated Only God Forgives to Jodorowsky. Jodorowsky has even baptized Refn as his "spiritual son".

There are also two French-Danish films by the same directors/writers highly influenced by The Holy Mountain: The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears from 2013 and Amer from 2009.

Under the Skin also looks at least partly influenced by The Holy Mountain.

There's also the 2012 film Simon Killer.

There's also a film from 2006 with Vincent Gallo called Moscow Zero, if you have the patience for it.

Also, D. Lynch's Mulholland Dr. and Blue Velvet

Enter the Void also (same director from Irreversible).

Terry Gilliam's films (The Zero Theorem, 12 Monkeys, etc.).

Jarmusch's The Limits of Control and Only Lovers Left Alive (sort of).

Even Dario Argento's films like Suspiria and Deep Red are seemingly influenced by The Holy Mountain.

Lars von Triers's Antichrist carries influences by the film.

I agree that Beyond the Black Rainbow was highly influenced by The Holy Mountain. What a superb little film, even if it the pacing is molasses-like.

[–] musicbymartin 7 years ago

I just watched Refn's Neon Demon, which is steeped in Jodorowsky's imagery and cosmic mystery.

The Greasy Strangler, despite its gonzo comedy, has jungian themes, especially in the bizarre ending, which reminded me very much of the Holy Mountain.

Ken Russell's movies remind me a lot of The Mountain, but he's probably a contemporary rather than a protege. Electra My Love from 1974 is also influenced by Jodorowsky or the same things he was (theatre, panic, psychedelia, occultism, spirituality)

Some of the U.K. indie scene reminds me of it, too, particularly a movie called Aaaaaaaah! In which people speak in grunts and sub-vocalisations instead of language, Ben Wheatley (Kill List and A Field in England) and Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio and The Duke of Burgundy).