One thing I like to do is reverse engineer recent hits to "discover their DNA".

A recent example would be "The Fast and the Furious.
I came across a movie called, No Man's Land, made in 1987.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093638/

That older film is about an undercover cop that infiltrates a car theft ring.
He becomes seduced by the charismatic thief and falls in love with his sister.
Getting in too deep, the cranky handler cop, it's all there.
Sound familiar?

Beat for beat this movie got cribbed 15 years later to start a franchise.
Add the "hip element" of road racing to it and you're off to the boxoffice.

I try to find connections like this when I'm watching flicks.

Another recent example would be Drive.
A ton of that film comes from The Driver, a Walter Hill picture.
Wending Refn cribs specific shots from the 1978 Hill feature for this opener!

Treating movies like homework helps you see how they feed on themselves.
So, I can't recommend enough using movies for academic ends.
It's helped pull back the veil for me.

E.D.