Random Influential Movies You Didn't Know Were Based on Short Films (16 items)

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  (#16) Sling Blade

  • Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, John Ritter, Dwight Yoakam, J. T. Walsh, Lucas Black, Jim Jarmusch, Vic Chesnutt, Mickey Jones, James Hampton, Brent Briscoe, Rick Dial, Col. Bruce Hampton (Ret.), Natalie Canerday, Sarah Boss, Kathy Sue Brown, Jamie Stewart, Jackie Stewart, Christine Renee Ward, Judy Pryor Trice, Wendell Rafferty, Scott Stewart, Bill Glasscock, Lacy Bailey, Betty Lynn Hall, Stacy Barrow, Ian Moore, D.J. Royston, Raymond Lewallen, Tim Holder, Tom Kagy, Gary Don Fletcher

  Short Film It's Based On: Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade (1994)

  Billy Bob Thorton has emjoyed such a storied career as an actor it's easy to forget he wrote and directed Sling Blade, earning an Academy Award for his script. The movie was adapted from Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, a 29-minute short Thorton starred in and wrote. George Hickenlooper, known for Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, the famous making-of Apocalypse Now, directed the short, about a mentally challenged man released from a care facility after serving 25 years for murdering his mother and her lover. The short also starred Molly Ringwald and JT Walsh.
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  (#15) Napoleon Dynamite

  • Haylie Duff, Jon Heder, Diedrich Bader, Tina Majorino, Efren Ramirez, Aaron Ruell, Jon Gries, Emily Tyndall, Sandy Martin, Ellen Dubin, Shondrella Avery, Trevor Snarr, Brian Petersen, Carmen Brady, Sarah Owen, Walter Platz, Pat Donahue, Bracken Johnson, Yuka Ruell, Lisa Rodríguez, Kyle Hansen, Samantha Marsden, James Stevens, William Fetzer, J.C. Cunningham, Thomas Lefler, Sara Phillips, Brady Stokes, Sami Dalley, Adam Higley, Cody Abrams, Shelbee Call, Jenny Seamons, Tyler Waters, Lynette Phillips, Vanessa Stratton, Eden Hamblin, Lacey Johnson, Jake Visser, Jenna Packer, Mary Heers, Roy Esplin, Rachel Talbot, Brianne Richardson, Amy Christiansen, Radine Harris, Dakotah Gordon, Mary Downs, Stephen Rallison, Josh North, Kelsey Stockdale, Frederick Atkins, Brooke Beckstead, Charles Sparrow, Hayley Bowen, Braden Hablin, Derik Atkinson, Christina Child, Chantel Talbot, Preston Slaughter, Debbie Hugie, Taylor Bosen, Daniel Brewer, Connie Owen, Jessica Koller, Sabrena Smart, Nano De Silva, Shonee Alder, Colton Hirschi, Jacob Linderman, Marlene Prouse, Nanetter Neilson, Kristen Gibby, Patrick Zook, Keri Kelley, Kim Demke, Brett Taylor, Marla Jensen, O'Leah Corcorran, Kimberley Nicholas, Arianna Crosland, Shantell Parsons, Aaron Demke, Parker Rawlings, Kevin Jensen, Laura Oliverson, Sean Hobie, Cory Waters, Gloria Talbot, Megan Haslam, Arlando Larsen, Jamen Gunnell, Kate Keller, Amber Larsen, Tyler Drury, Trevor Mendenhall, Isaac Demke, Tiffany Cole, Sean Richmond, Madison Beckstead, Paula Yeates, Kayla Hirschi, Skyler Ostler, Allison Gamble, Cody Hobbs, Becky Demke, Cherone Call, Jon Bliss, Elisabeth North, Mandi Dalley, Ashley Jackson, Matt Porter, Justin Mason, Evan Harris, Levi Morrison, Elizabeth Miklavcic, Jane Christiansen, Alyssa Harrison, Summer Coburn, Crystal Wright, Karenina Jones, Brandon Ostler, Shontae Alder, Matt Hinrichs, Marc Roberts, Tyler Martin, Cierra Talbot, Dale Critchlow, Leatrice Esplin, McKell Peterson, Shane Pulsipher, Amanda Austin, Shawnee Call, Jenna Griffeth, Thedora Peeterborg, Tara Nicole Jackson, Tony Adams, Justin Poppleton, Lindsey Saxton, Annette Jensen, Scott Thomas, Mario Mainini, Ashely Buck, Megan Earley, Tyler Hansen, Rosie Thomas, Randi Roberts, Jade Christiansen, Jake King, Heather Benson, Cassie Galloway, Paige Christensen, Katrina Stocks, Hannah Gibby, Jessica North, Becki Yeates, Katie Seamons, David Sharp, Cindy Biggs, Skylar Carver, Paul Adams, Brigham Wilcox, Brian Davis, Shawn Oliverson, Michael Brewer, Kolton Bosen, Alison Downs, Audrey Hinricks, Kayleen Jones, Emily Gamer, Jaclyn Olsen, Tyler Dodge, Perrie Sagers, Damon Hull, Nate McBride, Lacey Saxton, Lindsay Wilson, Lauren Womack, Marie Nelson, Alisha Wakley, Jesse Stocks, Lacey Smith, Jason Linderman, Shanda Call, Christina Nicholas, Ryan Jensen, Eli Wheeler, Cara Alder, Elaina Horne, Christina McBride, Nanette Young, Telecia Stockdale, Katherine Gibby, Cheryl Hobbs, Kylie Larsen, Jeremy Burns, Brittany Foster, T.J. Adams, Brittney Cole, Kolby Talbot, Loria Badali, Rionnie Love, Shane Christiansen, Christy Checketts, Timothy Colvin, Eldean Holliday, Jake Higley, Dayne Keller, Michael Kelley, Landon Bell, Kai Fetzer, Arturo De Silva, Charles Fetzer, Kelsey Roach, Jake Adams, Kacie Thompson, Tami Auger

  Short Film It's Based On: Peluca (2003)

  Jared Hess made the nine minute black-and-white 16mm short Peluca for an assignment while attending Brigham Young University. It starred Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder), though the character's name in Peluca (which means wig in Spanish; buying a wig is an essential part of the narrative) is named Seth.

  Peluca was good enough to screen at the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival, where got encouraging reviews. Hess decided to turn the short into an indie feature, Napoleon Dynamite (2004), and feature Heder as the titular character and embodiment of a socially awkward nerdy teenager. It earned nearly $50 million at the box office on a $400,000 budget, and received instant cult classic status.
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  (#7) 12 Monkeys

  • Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Christopher Plummer, Madeleine Stowe, Christopher Meloni, David Morse, Frank Gorshin, Jon Seda, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Annie Golden, Chuck Jeffreys, Matt Ross, Simon Jones, Aaron Michael Lacey, Bill Raymond, Richard Stanley, Phillip V. Caruso, Irma St. Paule, Michael Chance, Stephen Bridgewater, Rick Warner, Vernon Campbell, Sal Mazzotta, Roger Pratt, Joey Perillo, Charles Techman, Thomas Roy, Joseph McKenna, Felix Pire, Joe Gerety, Drucie McDaniel, Ernest Abuba, Nell Johnson, Frederick Strother, Allelon Ruggiero, Carol Florence, Raymond Mamrak, Johnnie Hobbs Jr., Janet Zappala, Julie Mabry, Adam Hatley, Stan Kang, Charley Scalies, Korchenko, Bruce Kirkpatrick, C.J. Byrnes, Kevin Thigpen, Bonnie Loev, Robert O'Neill, Tiffany Baldwin, Rozwill Young, Faith Potts, Jann Ellis, Jeff Tanner, John Hagy, Lee Golden, Louis Lippa, Lenny Daniels, Joilet Harris, Lisa Talerico, Ray Huffman, Karl Warren, John Blaisse, Thang, Pat Dias, Joseph Melito, Jodi Dawson, Larry Daly, Barry Price, John Panzarella, Carolyn Walker, H. Michael Walls, Paul Meshejian, Bob Adrian, Wilfred Williams, Herbert C. Hauls Jr., Arthur Fennell, Harry O'Toole, Laura Glas, Michael Ryan Segal, Tom Detrik, Anthony 'Chip' Brienza, Jack Dougherty

  Short Film It's Based On: La Jetée (1962)

  French New Wave director Chris Marker's 28-minute, black and white short, which consists of still shots and voice over, is a film school staple. La Jetée takes place in post-apocalyptic Paris following WWIII, where everyone is forced to live underground. A POW is selected to travel back in time in order to try to prevent the war.

  Director Terry Gilliam has admitted his 1995 sci-fi feature Twelve Monkeys, starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, was heavily influenced by Marker's short. You could less kindly say it's a blatant rip off. In Gilliam's film, the protagonist must stop a deadly virus unleashed by terrorist organization The Army of the Twelve Monkeys, not World War III, in order to save the world. Otherwise, it's more or less exactly the same. 
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  (#6) Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

  • Sting, Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, Jason Flemyng, Rob Brydon, Steve Collins, Matthew Vaughn, Alan Ford, Nick Moran, Danny John-Jules, Dexter Fletcher, Steven Mackintosh, Stephen Marcus, Andrew Tiernan, Nicholas Rowe, Frank Harper, Victor McGuire, Vas Blackwood, Lenny McLean, P. H. Moriarty, Huggy Leaver, Jimmy Flint, Steve Sweeney, Vera Day, Elwin Chopper David, Richard Vanstone, Tim Maurice-Jones, Mark Mooney, Ronnie Fox, David Reid, Sid Golder, Jake Abraham, Peter McNicholl, Nick Marcq, Bal Jusar, James Tarbuck, Derek Howard, Suzy Ratner, Stephen Callender-Ferrier, Charles Forbes, Graham Stevens, Alex Hall, John Houchin, Tony McMahon

  Short Film It's Based On: The Hard Case (1995)

  Londoner Guy Ritchie earned money directing music promos and commercials in order to fund his 20-minute short The Hard Case, which he wrote and directed. Lucky for Ritchie, Trudie Styler, Sting's wife, saw the short and decided to finance Ritchie's feature adaptation Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Sting took a small role in the film which made Statham an international star, paved the way Snatch, and helped usher in a new wave of post-modern, post-Tarantino crime films. 
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  (#1) Saw

  • Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Shawnee Smith, Dina Meyer, Michael Emerson, Cary Elwes, Tobin Bell, Ken Leung, Leigh Whannell, Makenzie Vega, Benito Martinez, Mike Butters, Paul Gutrecht

  Short Film It's Based On: Saw (2003)

  Australian filmmakers James Wan and Leigh Whannell couldn't get funding for their horror film, Saw, Down Under, so they flew to Los Angeles to make a nine-and-a-half-minute proof-of-concept short centered around the horrific jaw trap. Lionsgate liked the script and short enough to give the pair $1.2 million to make the feature, which basically takes place in a single location with just two actors. The gamble paid off: Saw (2004) made more than $100 million at the box office and spawned six sequels (and counting.)
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  (#3) Boogie Nights

  • Julianne Moore, Mark Wahlberg, Heather Graham, Burt Reynolds, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, Alfred Molina, William H. Macy, Nina Hartley, John C. Reilly, Thomas Jane, Luis Guzmán, Philip Baker Hall, Nicole Ari Parker, Summer Cummings, Veronica Hart, Tom Lenk, Melora Walters, Ricky Jay, Joanna Gleason, John Doe, Michael Penn, Michael Jace, Robert Ridgely, Jon Brion, Skye Blue, Diane Mizota, Anne Fletcher, Jack Riley, Laurel Holloman, Robert Downey Sr., Tony Tedeschi, Kai Lennox, Stanley DeSantis, Allan Graf, Channon Roe, Rico Bueno, Don Amendolia, Brian Kehew, Greg Lauren, Jack Wallace, Israel Juarbe, Sebastian La Cause, Sharon Ferrol-Young, Eric Winzenried, Eddie Garcia, Theo Mayes, Grace Bustos, Mike Gunther, Darrel W. Wright, Jami Philbrick, Jamielyn Kane, Melanie A. Gage, Jason Andrews, Lil' Cinderella, Coleman McClary, Laura Gronewold, Sean Welch, Nathan Prevost, Jonathan Quint, Dee Dee Weathers, Tom Dorfmeister, Patricia Forte, Lance MacDonald, Samson Barkhordarian, Lisa Ratzin, Melissa Spell, Alexander D. Slanger, Vernon Guichard II, Jose Chaidez, Michael Stein, Scott Fowler, Tyrone D. Dixon, Lexi Leigh, Jason 'Jake' Cross, Tim Soronen, Gregory T. Daniel, Dustin Courtney, Michael S. Stencil, Joe G.M. Chan, Goliath, Lawrence Hudd, Audrey Wiechman, Misty Tamburelli, Brad Braeden, Raymond Laboriel, George Anthony Rae, B. Philly Johnson, Leslie Redden, Selwyn Emerson Miller, Michael Raye Smith, Robin Sharp

  Short Film It's Based On: The Dirk Diggler Story (1987)

  A lot of acclaimed feature film directors got their start making shorts. When Paul Thomas Anderson was just 17-years-old, he shot a Spinal Tap-influenced mockumentary The Dirk Diggler Story, which was inspired by the rise and fall of porn legend John Holmes. Anderson used a standard video camera and VCR editing (he hooked up two VCRs to his TV, showing raw footage on one and recording segments onto the other) to create his 32-minute short film.

  After making his feature debut as a writer/director with Hard Eight in 1996, Anderson revisited Dirk Digger, writing and directing the now classic Boogie Nights (1997). His sophomore effort instantly put him in the discussion of rising film auteurs and launched the career of Mark Wahlberg, who played Diggler. Check out the engrossing oral history of Boogie Nights for a great behind-the-scenes tale of the making of a classic. 

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