George R. R. Martinhas created a legacy inside the fantasy genre. His book seriesGame of Throneswas adapted to the small screen by HBO back in 2011. The last episode aired in 2019, generating a lot of big emotions around the world, as it was considered one of the biggest television shows of all time. Fast-forward to 2022, and the prequel series,House of the Dragon, is also making history with astronomical viewership.
Storytellers are influenced by the stories they love the most. From books to movies and television shows, everything can become a source of inspiration. The same happens with George R. R. Marin. The authorlikes sci-fi classics, such asAliensandBlade Runner. However, he has made a list of his favorite movies that are inside the genre he adopts the most, and the one which has been most influential to him: fantasy.
Here are Martin’s favorite fantasy movies, and how their influence can be seen in his own stories.
10Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Indiana Jones' first movie (and all installments in the franchise) may appear to be more in the action/adventure genre, but there is no denying that inRaiders of the Lost Arkthere are fantasy elements. AsMartin himself has said, “Yes, of course it’s a fantasy film. Unless you believe that the Ark of the Covenant really does have the power to melt Nazis.”
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This adventure by professor Jones is the one Martin enjoys the most: from the funny action sequences to the bad guys, every element makes this movie fresh and enjoyable to watch. Another element was how strong the leading lady was, which is not something (at least according to Martin) that can be found in the sequels.
9Beauty and the Beast (1946)
The black-and-white French version of this famous tale is the one Martin most admires, even if he worked on the CBS version of the same story. The author appreciates the inventiveness of the director and writer, Jean Cocteau; showing blood was almost prohibited at the time, but Cocteau wantedBeauty and the Beastto be darkand intimidating. So, every time the beast came back from a hunt, smoke would involve him – creating a beautiful image. Martin is lucky that he wroteGame of Thronesso many years later, as there wouldn’t probably be enough smoke in Hollywood to shoot the infamous Red Wedding.
8Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
It’s not surprising that Martin likesPan’s Labyrinthby Guillermo Del Toro. The White Walkers are the most well-known creatures inGame of Thrones, so his love for Del Toro’s weird and scary creatures and the fairy world inside the labyrinth makes a lot of sense. Martin goes as far as showing some similarities in the creatures created by a horror author, Clive Barker. It does help that there is a political thriller arc in the movie, which is right up Martin’s alley.
7Dark City (1998)
Martin likesDark Cityso much that he said he could also place this on his ten favorite sci-fi and horror lists; itsan underrated sci-fi masterpiece. The elements that stand out for him are the grotesque visuals, which makes sense; disturbing and violent imagery are not lacking in Martin’s own stories.
There are some creative choices that do evolve the story, which is very similar to noir classics. This movie is not a fantasy like the others with dragons and magic — the main fantastical element is that the city is in a perpetual night. Nevertheless, for the author, the ending feels like a fantasy.
6Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Comedy is not a recurrent element in Martin’s literary creations. Satires and dark humor may appear now and then, mostly in his books rather than in their adaptations. However, he still has a deep appreciation forMonty Python and the Holy Grail. He highlights theportrayal of King Arthur, which he considers a character that has not had a great representation in other productions. Martin also expresses how he likes most characters in the film, not only King Arthur.
5Dragonslayer (1981)
Dragonslayeris a fantasy tale that is surprisingly dark, considering it was co-produced with Disney.Martin has statedthat Vermithrax Perjorative is “the best dragon ever put on film,” alongside what he considered one of the best wizards in a movie of all time, Frank Morgan — at least until Ian McKellan appeared inLord of the Rings. The characters' motives are strong and clear in this film – even the villains.
Related:5 Parallels Between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones
An interesting parallel withDragonslayeris that its characters considered themselves heroes, an element also seen in Martin’s characters. If you take every character inGame of Thronesor its prequel, they truly believe that they are doing the right thing — or at least the right thing for them to get to achieve their goals.
4Ladyhawke (1984)
While Martin really likes this particular movie, he has some very strong opinions about the soundtrack: he hates it. It is safe to say thatGame of Throneshas one of the best opening songs of the recent past, so Martin’s opinion on fantasy music probably matters. One of the few romance-orientated stories in Martin’s list,Ladyhawkeportrays star-crossed lovers in a unique way. Revenge, curses, and love are what move this narrative, and as fans of the author know, these are some centric themes in Martin’s stories.
3The Wizard of Oz (1939)
There are some classic movies that don’t really need an explanation as to why it is on someone’s list of favorite movies. The beautiful production ofThe Wizard of Ozis definitely one of them. The cast and soundtrack blend together so well that it’s not possible to forget this magical movie. Any typeSomewhere Over the Rainbowstarts to play, anyone who watched the movie is transported back to the magical world of Oz. While the story is beautiful there are some creepy moments, created mainly by a witch and her flying monkeys, which was impactful to Martin.
2The Princess Bride (1987)
The ’80s fantasy adventureThe Princess Brideis also high up on the author’s list. This is another adaptation that the author cherishes and can be subtly seen as an influence on his works. Martin has stated how much he liked the duel scenes, especially the iconic one with Inigo Montoya. Duels and honor appear quite a few times in Martin’s stories, even if they are a lot bloodier than the onedirected by Rob Reiner.
1The Lord of the Rings
It’s no surprise thatThe Lord of the Ringsmovie trilogy is in the number one position, at least for Martin’s fans or anyone who has seen an episode ofGame of Thrones. Martin said he created his most famous book series by writing the political dynamics that are missing in Tolkien’s books.
But that is not all he learned from the author by readingLOTRbooks. Martin said he tried to learn everything he could bystudying what Tolkien did; for example, how to deal with magic and the structure of the books — starting small following one family and then proceeding to become bigger and explain the world.
