Legendary director Peter Jackson has a body of work that spans many genres: horror, comedy, fantasy, drama and, most recently, documentaries. As a kid, he was influenced by Classic Hollywood epics like King Kong and the special effects crafted by Ray Harryhausen. His own films – especially his magnum opus The Lord of the Rings – combine top-notch special effects and fantastical premises with clever writing and emotional weight.
Over the years, Jackson has recommended many movies, and listed the works that inspired him. His favorite films provide some insight into his development as a director. His picks include a few blockbusters from yesteryear that are still worth a watch.
‘The 7th Voyage of Sinbad’ (1958)
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is a classic fantasy adventure directed by Nathan H. Juran. It’s a loose retelling of the Middle Eastern legend of Sinbad the Sailor, who travels the world and encounters all sorts of magical creatures and deadly enemies.
The film is notable for its stop-motion special effects, which were groundbreaking for their time. Animator Ray Harryhausen handled the stop-motion and designed the film’s monsters, which include a cyclops, a dragon and a giant predatory bird. Jackson has cited Harryhausen as a major influence on his own work. Echoes of Harryhausen’s creature design are all over The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ (1966)
This sci-fi movie is a spinoff of the TV series about a team of five brothers who pilot ‘Thunderbird machines’: high-tech fighter vehicles which they use for rescue missions. The Thunderbirds franchise had a big impact on pop culture, and its influence can be seen on subsequent shows like Voltron and Power Rangers. Peter Jackson has said that he loved the film as a child.
Thunderbirds Are Go uses marionette puppets and scale models rather than traditional animation. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone used the same technique for their 2004 film Team America: World Police. They have said that their film’s style was directly influenced by Thunderbirds.
‘Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter’ (1974)
Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter is a horror adventure about a vampire hunter (Horst Janson) investigating a series of alleged vampire attacks in a small town. His search brings him to the estate of the mysterious Lady Durward, where all sorts of B-movie madness breaks loose.
Captain Kronos is whacky and light-hearted, packed with tons of action and some pretty good swordplay. It was one of the last Hammer Horror films, before the production company shut down in 1979. Captain Kronos was a box office bomb but has since developed a cult following. Jackson remade the film on Super 18 when he was 15, casting himself in the lead role.
‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978)
Dawn of the Dead is the second zombie flick from George A. Romero, released ten years after the iconic Night of the Living Dead. Dawn of the Dead doubles down on everything that made its predecessor great: a fast-paced story, creepy makeup and innovative special effects. The exploding head scene, in particular, was ahead of its time.
As a kid, Jackson adored Dawn of the Dead. His first feature, Bad Taste, is an overt homage to Romero. His gory zombie comedy Braindead is also very much influenced by the Night of the Living Dead series. “That was an unbelievable film at that time,” Jackson has said about Dawn. “And really it did shape my sense of humor and splatter style of filmmaking that I did.”
‘The General’ (1926)
The General is a silent film from master of physical comedy Buster Keaton. Set during the Civil War, the movie is loosely based on a real military raid where Confederate troops took control of a train. It features all sorts of crazy scenes involving train chases, cannon fire and an even a real locomotive falling from a bridge to a canyon below. Keaton performed all these stunts himself.
The General was a flop on release but has since come to be widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of the silent era. It’s worth it just for Keaton’s impressive composure. Even as mayhem and explosions go off all around him, his face remains expressionless. He was not known as ‘The Great Stone Face’ for nothing.
‘Goodfellas’ (1990)
Goodfellas is one of Martin Scorsese‘s mob masterpieces. Based on a true story, it follows the exploits and downfall of mobster Henry Hill. Goodfellas fires on all cylinders, from the script to the performances to the energetic soundtrack. It succeeds in serving up great entertainment while also delving into complex themes of violence, morality and identity.
Jackson has cited Goodfellas and Casino as major influences, saying, “the way Martin Scorsese just fearlessly rockets his camera around and has shot those films that I can watch those movies and feel inspired.” Speaking to the DGA, Jackson explained that, “[Scorsese’s films] inspired and re-energized me, telling me what my job is: to come up with interesting ways to shoot scenes, interesting camera moves, and interesting ways to show the performance. “
‘Jaws’ (1975)
Jackson has a soft spot for creature features, so it’s no surprise that he was a big fan of Jaws. He called it “the height of suspense filmmaking.” It’s a testament to his success that he went from devouring Spielberg movies as a teenager to collaborating with Spielberg as an adult.
“I have an enduring memory of being at Pukerua Bay beach when I was 14 years old and suddenly being terrified of a bloody big white shark coming out of the seaweed and biting me in half,” Jackson said during an interview. “That was a nice way to spend the summer.”
‘The Fall’ (2006)
The Fall is a wild fantasy film about a paralyzed stuntman (Lee Pace) recovering in a hospital. There, he tells a story about Alexander the Great to a fellow patient (Catinca Untaru), who imagines it in vivid detail. What follows is a thoroughly meta, visually striking adventure that blurs the line between dreams and reality.
Not all viewers will enjoy The Fall‘s madcap energy, but a few will definitely be intrigued. Pace’s performance in the lead role is especially worthy of praise. Jackson reportedly decided to cast Pace as the elf Thranduil in the Hobbit movies after seeing him in The Fall.
‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)
Jurassic Park is undoubtedly one of the landmarks of ’90s cinema. It set an exceptionally high bar for action blockbusters, which its sequels and spinoffs have unfortunately failed to meet. The other Jurassic Park movies might have more modern visuals and more fearsome dinos, but they just can not seem to capture the wonder of the original.
Jurassic Park‘s computer-generated special effects were especially innovative for 1993. After watching Jurassic Park, George Lucas decided that CGI was developed enough that he could begin work on the Star Wars prequels. Jackson had a similar reaction. Jurassic Park prompted him to re-explore his childhood love of fantasy films, which eventually led him to adapt The Lord of the Rings.
‘King Kong’ (1933)
Jackson has ranked the original King Kong as one of his five favorite movies of all time. He has said that it was the film that first got him interested in filmmaking when he was 8 years old. Jackson’s career came full circle in 2005, when he released his remake of the classic.
Although quaint by today’s standards, King Kong remains one of the most influential films ever in terms of its special effects. The crew used stop-motion, miniatures and matte painting to create scenes and monsters that were unlike anything 1933 audiences had seen before. The special effects were primarily handled by Willis O’Brien, the mentor of Ray Harryhausen. On top of that, the filmmakers stitched together live-action footage with the stop-motion clips – a painstaking process in the 1930s. King Kong paved the way for so much cinema, not least Jackson’s own filmography.