Inspiration: The Virgin Suicides (1999)

The fact that I watched this film when at a very depressive era of my life made it look and made me feel even more melancholic. Brilliantly directed by Sofia Coppola, this moving masterpiece was her feature film directing debut with  her own screenplay. The cinematography of The Virgin Suicides is beyond delightful, with its ethereal, evocative editing. The entrancing portrayal of love, life and death in the Lisbon family really captures all the nostalgia that was clearly need to achieve such nostalgic feeling.
Visually dreamy, this film proved to be inspiring: the warm tones, the lens flare, the soft focus, complemented by the perfect sense of aesthetics and lighting.

This is a tale about teenage tragedy, a bittersweet story that explores the lifestyles of mid 1970s suburbia, along with the angsty, ephemeral and intoxicantingly beautiful girlhood. 

The five blonde sisters feel doomed and seek help in their young neighbours, a bunch of boys who absolutely obsessing over the Lisbon girls. Eventually, the desperate urge to escape their lives finds a way out.

Miss Coppola has also created the perfect soundtrack, with a modern twist: a mellow and dramatic score by Air and carefully selected 70's tunes, contributing to a memorable experience.

Inspiration: Natural Born Killers (1994)

Forgive me if I tend to glamourize, romanticize and/or glorify violence but Natural Born Killers is one of the best films I've ever seen. Lovers, outcasts, and serial killers: Mickey and Mallory Knox are the coolest American psychopaths (sorry, Patrick Bateman!) ever portrayed by the film industry. This hypnotic and controversial movie has to be one of the best of the 90's, with its satirical purpose to showcase America's fascination with violence. It's beyond chaotic, wild and insane!

Glorified by the media, the twisted pair become legendary folk heroes; their story told by the single person they leave alive at the scene of each of their slaughters. Their vicious crime spree across the country had made them into media superstars.

Armed and dangerous, Mickey and Mallory (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis in ultra-convincing roles - needless to say, the acting is great!) begin their sickly macabre and epic journey down Route 666 after falling in love with each other and killing her abusive father and neglectful mother. They both experienced traumatic childhoods and are now rampaging America on a killing spree. Their MO: attacking people and always leaving one person alive to tell the tale. They hit the road and soon become a media sensation thanks to the TV Show American Maniac, hosted by Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr. with a British accent!).

As you know, I have a penchant for films that depict runaway lovers with a sadistic streak (Lonely Hearts, Badlands, Bonnie & Clyde). Combining the brilliant early writing skills of Tarantino, Oliver Stone's addiction to violence and all the cast performances, Natural Born Killers is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it flick. Unflichingly violent and graphic, with an intense (to say the least!) cinematography, this movie is not for the faint of heart and the weak of stomach. Let's just say this is a film to die for - literally. Last but not least, the soundtrack is awesomely, insanely cool.

Oh, and trust me in this one: when sexually harassed by a disrespectful man, just react like Mallory Knox in the diner scene.