MARC said: The following article originally appeared as the last in the series of Hideo Kojima’s “Interview with the Inspired” articles in the UK’s “Official PlayStation 2 Magazine”. I decided to retranslate this particular one, however, because I was very disappointed with how the magazine edited and presented Mr. Kojima’s original writing. The majority of the films were cut, as were most of his comments on the ones that remained. In fact, they only included less than two-thirds of his initial 30 picks, and left out the introduction and final section (with the exception of Nikita) altogether. I am happy to now be able to share with everyone the complete article here.



– Marc Click to expand...

So I was going through my main email account deleting years worth of MGS/TUS crap (*** TUS, it's dead bitches) and I stumbled upon so much crap I either forgot to put up on the site or got too lazy about or never got on the site because of some bull*** dealing with the site.Anyway, lot of the crap is useless stuff like like OMGZ ACID MUSIC REMIXESS, but I came across a 35 emails worth of conversation I had with Marc Laidlaw (the translation dude who did MGS3 gameplay translation etc) and found few files that has not been put up on the site yet.But I think the most interesting of all of them is his translation of Kojima article "My Favorite Films" from Metal Gear Naked book. I don't think Marc is on AIM at the moment so I can't get his permission to post it on here, but hey I don't think he would mind. I personally ****ing love this article and I can't believe I forgot about this article. Re-reading it again after a year and half reminds me just how f-ing awesome of a movie fan Hideo is. This btw was originally translated around 8/15/06 because that is the E-mail date.So anyway here is his orginal intro to the translation, followed by the article:by Hideo KojimaEnglish translation by Marc LaidlawThis will be the final article in my column about the films that have influenced MGS[1]. Throughout the previous seven articles, I’ve introduced to you some of the films that have played a part in shaping the series. Here’s a recap of them:The Great Escape, Dir. John Sturges – US (1963)The Guns of Navarone, Dir. J. Lee Thompson – US (1961)Escape from New York, Dir. John Carpenter – US (1981)North by Northwest, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock – US (1959)Planet of the Apes, Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner – US (1968)Dawn of the Dead, Dir. George A. Romero – US (1978)The James Bond filmsI’ve said over the years in interviews throughout the world, “Just like the human body is 70% water, I’m 70% film.” While this is an exaggeration, it isn’t completely untrue. I learned, or rather was taught, many things from films, including things I didn’t learn in school or from my parents. Through film, I encountered different races of people and cultures, transcended generation gaps, and adopted ideologies. I went to parts of the world – countries, exotic lands – I’d never seen before, and traveled to outer space as well – not to mention the ancient past and distant future, too. I fought in age-old conflicts and fictional wars, and even experienced what it was like to be something other than human. One of my sources of sustenance growing up was the virtual experiences I had through film. There’s nothing unique about this. I’m sure everyone else is the same. Films are no longer simply entertainment. All the films I’ve seen during the course of my life, regardless of their content, are a part of my virtual life. I’ve been shaped by my actual experiences as well as by my virtual experiences from film. However, the seven films listed above are by no means the only ones that had a hand in creating MGS. Countless films have influenced this human being called Hideo Kojima, with the current me a result of their relationship with reality. Even if they aren’t directly connected to MGS, they are without a doubt a part of my chromosomes, DNA and memes. That’s how I’d classify my “favorite films”. So for this final article, I’d like to try and list my all-time top 30 films (not including the previous seven). There are some films that will always appear in anyone’s list of top films. There’s no need for me to discuss these classics, so I’ve left them out. I narrowed the list down to personal favorites that I think best suit me. If any of them peak your interest, why not check them out?Omitted all-time classicsCitizen Kane, Dir. Orson Welles – US (1941)Tokyo Story, Dir. Yasujiro Ozu – Japan (1953)The Road (La Strada), Dir. Federico Fellini – Italy (1954)Lawrence of Arabia, Dir. David Lean – US/UK (1962)The Godfather, Dir. Francis Ford Coppola – US (1972)With that said, here are my top 30 films, in order of release.Favorite foreign filmsCity Lights, Dir. Charles Chaplin – US (1931)No other film has ever made me cry as hard as this! Chaplin is amazing!Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête), Dir. Jean Cocteau – France (1946)I prefer Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast to the Disney version. The surreal visuals surprised me.The Third Man, Dir. Carol Reed – UK (1949)The direction, visuals and music are forever burned into my brain. I’d mistakenly thought until I was an adult that Orson Welles directed it.Singin’ in the Rain, Dirs. Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly – US (1952)I like the Hollywood musicals of the “good old days”. This is my favorite among them. When I was a child, I was in love with this era of America.The Wages of Fear (Le Salaire de la Peur), Dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot – France (1953)I was taken aback by the extreme realism in the film. It’s got its own Mario and Luigi in it. Yves Montand has good presence.12 Angry Men, Dir. Sidney Lumet – US (1957)This film made me think about how uncertain one’s faiths and convictions can sometimes be. I also learned about the workings of the American jury system from it.Kanal, Dir. Andrzej Wajda – Poland (1957)A lot of people would probably pick Ashes and Diamonds as Andrzej Wajda’s greatest work, but I like this one the best. It had a large influence on MGS.The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg), Dir. Jacques Demy – France (1964)A sad, but beautiful film. Catherine Deneuve is cute in it. These types of love stories, where two people are kept apart from one another, always get to me. I didn’t find out until much later that Deneuve’s singing was dubbed.The Pink Panther films, Dir. Blake Edwards – USThe Pink Panther (1963)A Shot in the Dark (1964)The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978)My favorite comedy actor would have to be the late Peter Sellers. I like nearly all of Blake Edwards’s and Sellers’s films together, though The Pink Panther films are the best (apart from the ones that don’t feature Sellers). This is where MGS gets its sense of humor.Django, Dir. Sergio Corbucci – Italy (1966)I also love spaghetti westerns. This love is where characters like Ocelot come from. This is my favorite out of all of them. Django’s songs are good, too. This is where Boktai’s main character comes from as well.Fantastic Voyage, Dir. Richard Fleischer – US (1966)This never gets old for me. I’ve also read Asimov’s original novel. This popcorn flick combines science fiction and espionage mystery to great effect. The art direction and photography of the internal anatomy of the human body are also amazing, and scientifically accurate as well. My biology teacher gave it his enthusiastic approval.2001: A Space Odyssey, Dir. Stanley Kubrick – US (1968)There’s nothing left for me to say about this film. To me, it isn’t a film, but an experience.Deep Red (Profondo Rosso), Dir. Dario Argento – Italy (1975)This is the greatest of all Argento’s films. This is my number one horror movie. Goblin’s music is cool, too. The revelation at the end (the bit with the mirror) is scary.Taxi Driver, Dir. Martin Scorsese – US (1976)This film totally surprised me. I had no idea that Americans, who seemed so outgoing, felt lonely in the middle of the city. It really matched the loneliness I was troubled by during my adolescence, which is why it’s one of my favorite films. At the time, I bought the same jacket and pair of boots to try to be like Robert De Niro. Of course, I didn’t get a Mohawk, though.Somewhere in Time, Dir. Jeannot Szwarc – US (1980)This is based on Richard Matheson’s novel, which I love very much. This is such a wonderful film. Jane Seymour is particularly beautiful in it. I’m a sucker for these types of love stories. John Barry’s music is good, too.Das Boot, Dir. Wolfgang Petersen – Germany (1981)This is my favorite submarine film, even though it doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s a powerful depiction of a group of men caught under extreme conditions.Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Dir. George Miller – Australia (1981)The setting, the characters, the action, the violence, the suspense, the direction – it’s outstanding in every way. A classic that goes in my top 10!Blade Runner, Dir. Ridley Scott – US (1982)Its world and visuals are incredible. There’s nothing else I can say about this film, either. More than science fiction, it’s a part of our generation’s culture.Streets of Fire, Dir. Walter Hill – US (1984)A coming of age rock ‘n roll film packed with action, romance and violence. It’s New Wave à la MTV. I became a fan of Diane Lane when I saw this. There was a time in my life when I would watch its ending every morning.Bad Blood (Mauvais Sang), Dir. Leos Carax – France (1986)This is my favorite film of Carax’s, whose works I like a lot. It’s just a really cool movie.A Better Tomorrow II (Ying Hung Boon Sik II), Dir. John Woo – Hong Kong (1987)This is one of my favorite John Woo films, right up there with Hard-Boiled. I cry every time I watch it.Cinema Paradiso (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso), Dir. Giuseppe Tornatore – Italy/France (1989)This film also makes me cry, particularly the final scene (but in an impressive way). A must-see for movie lovers. The child in it is good, too.Favorite animeFantastic Planet, Dir. René Laloux – Czechoslovakia/France (1973)The originality of its world and mode of expression left me speechless.Wicked City (Yōjū Toshi), Dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri – Japan (1987)One of the premier works of Mr. Kawajiri’s, whom I respect very much. It has an amazing sense of speed to it! Seeing it now, it’s like watching The Matrix.Crayon Shinchan: The Adult Empire Strikes Back (Kureyon Shin-chan: Arashi wo Yobu Mōretsu! Otona Teikoku no Gyakushū), Dir. Keiichi Hara – Japan (2001)This is the most recent film on the list. A tearful, painful, yet inspiring film for our generation. Anyone who writes it off as just a kids’ movie is making a big mistake. It’s an amazing film that a family can watch, laugh and cry at, and cherish together.Favorite Japanese filmsYojimbo, Dir. Akira Kurosawa – Japan (1961)One of Kurosawa’s best films, along with Heaven and Hell and The Seven Samurai. In Japan, the film Ronin of the Wilderness featuring the character Kujūrō Tōge (Sanjūrō in Yojimbo and Sanjūrō) was made into a TV series.Play (Asobi), Dir. Yasuzō Masumura – Japan (1971)This is based on Akiyuki Nosaka’s novel. It’s not the best of Masumura’s films, but I just like it a lot for some reason. When I was a child, I was a fan of Keiko Sekine.The Castle of Sand (Suna no Utsuwa), Dir. Yoshitarō Nomura – Japan (1974)I’m a fan of Seichō Matsumoto as well. I saw the film after reading the book. The film has great direction, and moved and amazed me in ways only film can. Yasushi Akutagawa’s music is incredible, too.Burst City (Bakuretsu Toshi), Dir. Sōgo Ishii – Japan (1982)This is Sōgo Ishii’s greatest work!! It has incredible energy and soul! Mr. Ishii is my spiritual mentor. When I first saw it, I thought, “I want to be like him some day!”Favorite documentaryNight and Fog, Dir. Alain Resnais – France (1955)This documentary belongs in my top 30 list. My father made me read Viktor E. Frankl’s original novel (which was recently republished) as well. Marc LaidlawAt the beginning of this article I said I’d try and list my top 30 films, but in reality it’s not only difficult, but impossible. That’s why I’ve always avoided, even refused, to answer the question, “What are your favorite films?” in interviews over the years. I can’t pick my favorite films. I thought I’d try and do it here, but it’s just too hard. My choices would change depending on the day, and even my physical condition and mood. So below are some films, in no particular order other than chronological, which unfortunately didn’t make it into my top 30. As before, the ones that had a large influence on MGS that I wasn’t able to talk about in-depth in this series are featured in bold. I included these films in this next section more because they had an influence on MGS (as was the theme of this series), rather than because they belong in my top 30.The rest (runners-up)Casablanca, Dir. Michael Curtiz – US (1942)I didn’t really understand what this film was about when I was a child, but that painful final scene and the music, and especially the beauty of Ingrid Bergman (my mother was a big fan of her), are forever etched into my memory.The Thing from Another World, Dirs. Christian Nyby & Howard Hawks (uncredited) – US (1951)Carpenter’s 1982 remake The Thing was striking all the same, but Hollywood pioneer Howard Hawks’s original is a good film, too. Its outstanding direction done under a low budget makes it a must-see.A Deadly Invention (Vynález Zkázy), Dir. Karel Zeman – Czechoslovakia (1957)The composition of its world still amazes me. So do its special effects, which were all done by hand and accomplish things CG can’t.Elevator to the Gallows (Ascenseur pour l’Échafaud), Dir. Louis Malle – France (1958)This is Malle’s masterpiece. This had a big impact on me when I saw it on TV. I’ll never forget the music. I didn’t get the chance to ride on many elevators back then.Jason and the Argonauts, Dir. Don Chaffey – US/UK (1963)This is my favorite of all Ray Harryhausen’s films.Alphaville, Dir. Jean-Luc Godard – France/Italy (1965)Probably not many people would choose this film out of Godard’s works (I also like Breathless [1960]), but it really makes you think. This is where the ‘80s German synthpop band Alphaville (I was a fan of them) got their name.One Million Years B.C., Dir. Don Chaffey – US/UK (1966)The dinosaurs in this looked incredible, but it was really all about Raquel Welch. She has a great body in Fantastic Voyage, but in this she’s wearing a bikini (made out of pieces of animal hide) for the entire thing. This film over-stimulated my young mind. Another production from Hammer Films.The Last Adventure (Les Aventuriers), Dir. Robert Enrico – France (1967)When I was a child, I thought the strange relationship between the three main characters was cool. I also loved French people, like the way they can be uninhibited.Barbarella, Dir. Roger Vadim – France/Italy/US (1968)Erotic and vulgar camp science fiction. The young Jane Fonda is amazing. Like Alphaville, the British synthpop band Duran Duran got their name from the doctor that appears in the film.Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Dir. George Roy Hill – US (1969)Katharine Ross was so innocent back then. Burt Bacharach’s songs are good. The ending has such a huge impact on you. I was sorry to hear about George Roy Hill’s passing late last year (2002).The Mole (El Topo), Dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky – Mexico/US (1970)A two-part film that’s gathered a cult following. The way the boss characters appear one-by-one and reveal their ideologies had a sizeable influence on MGS.Silent Running, Dir. Douglas Trumbull – US (1972)One of Trumbull’s, the god of the special effects world, directorial outings. The design and movement of the drone robots, Huey, Dewey and Louie, are cute. The film can be a tad plain, but it has an outstanding story.Papillon, Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner – France/US (1973)The cinematic version of a piece of non-fiction based on real events, starring Steve McQueen. It had an influence on MGS, along with The Great Escape, because of the keyword “escape”. The expression on Dustin Hoffman’s face at the end is great. So is Goldsmith’s music.The Spirit of the Beehive (El Espíritu de la Colmena), Dir. Víctor Erice – Spain (1973)Ana Torrent, who plays the child, is adorable. I’ve always been a sucker for kids’ films, from Chaplin’s The Kid (US [1921]) to My Life as a Dog (Sweden [1985]).The Towering Inferno, Dir. John Guillermin & Irwin Allen – US (1974)A masterful disaster film produced by special effects wizard Irwin Allen. You’d be hard-pressed to gather such a spectacular cast as this today. Like Dawn of the Dead, its closed environments had an influence on MGS. A lot of the ideas for devices using elevators, shafts, air ducts and stairs came from here.Rollerball, Dir. Norman Jewison – US (1975)This was the first film I went to see at a movie theatre by myself. It was the OS Theater in Osaka. I have a lot of memories of this film. I was a big fan of Cletus for a while after I saw it. There was a “game” involving bicycles and roller skates that was popular at my elementary school around the time.The Bullet Train (Shinkansen Daibakuha), Dir. Junya Satō – Japan (1975)A Japanese disaster film masterpiece. Not only does it have an interesting story and good suspense, but it also deals with contemporary issues, like the noise problem[2], depicting an accurate portrait of society. It was a big hit overseas as well. It also showed us a side of Ken Takakura that we hadn’t seen before.The Cassandra Crossing, Dir. George P. Cosmatos – UK/Italy (1976)A classic from the peak of the disaster film era. Its great cast, the suspense on the train, and its grand disaster set-piece at the end are its standouts. Goldsmith’s music is also good. This was released at the end of 1976, during a time when a lot of other big films, like King Kong and The Spy Who Loved Me, were also playing. I was in my first year of middle school, and went and saw King Kong. I ended up seeing this film many years later on TV. Naturally, I was really annoyed with myself for not having gone to see it.Alien, Dir. Ridley Scott – US (1979)Cameron’s Aliens (1986) is also a classic in a different sense, but I like the first one better. When I first saw it at the time of its release, that feeling of dread throughout it shook me to the bone.The Right Stuff, Dir. Philip Kaufman – US (1983)A must-see for anyone who likes astronauts.The Name of the Rose (Der Name der Rose), Dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud – France/W. Germany/Italy (1986)Its 14th century world, as well as its art direction and photography, are incredible.Bad Taste, Dir. Peter Jackson – New Zealand (1987)The directorial debut of Peter Jackson, who’s now gone on to much bigger things with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The source of MGS’s humor – the jokes that appear among all the tension – can also be found here, with bits like the vomit scene in the alien base.Die Hard, Dir. John McTiernan – US (1988)A classic from the height of McTiernan’s career. It has great direction and camerawork, in addition to a solid story complete with good use of foreshadowing. This had a big influence on ‘90s action films.Nikita, Dir. Luc Besson – France (1990)This is my favorite Luc Besson film.1 Following the end of the series in the “Official PlayStation 2 Magazine” in June 2003, the series was continued in the Japanese video game magazine “Hyper PlayStation 2” starting in January 2004.2 “Noise problem” refers to the noise pollution generated by trains, particularly the bullet train.-----------Source material © 1987 2004 Konami Computer Entertainment JapanTranslation © 2006 Marc Laidlaw