PROFESSOR BERTRAM POTTS' HELLA HOMEWORK FOR THE HOLIDAYS CHRISTMAS BREAK QUIZ
The bells have just chimed. Christmas Eve has officially rung in. And in just in time to be enjoyed for the holiday (or stuffed in somebody’s dangling sock), SLIFR’s Christmas present to you: homework. Some of you may be on official Christmas vacation, but that means precious little to the crack and hardy staff of SLIFR University, who have worked long and hard into the night before Christmas (Eve) to provide you with just the kind of distraction you’ll need during your time of rest, relaxation and holiday family refereeing. Yes, it’s the Christmas Break quiz, and here to present it is the latest member of our faculty, a stiff upper lip of a man who can nonetheless be undone by just the right combination of sass and sparkle as embodied by that straight shot of whiskey on legs (as she was so aptly described in the last quiz), Sugarpuss O’Shea. I’m speaking, of course, of none other than master linguist (See? I can pass up a bad joke if I really put my mind to it) Professor Bertram Potts. The good professor is proud to present to you for your delectation, frustration, delight and teeth-gnashing this latest batch of questions, which will hopefully be as fun for you to answer as it inevitably will be fun to read your answers. There is no grade. There is no curve. There is no right or wrong response. There is only, hopefully, much to keep your brain pleasantly churning in between unwrapping presents, dodging misteltoe and hastily gulping down nog. As always, Professor Potts would like to remind you to cut and paste the questions and include them with your answers in the comments column for everyone’s easier tracking and reading. If you’re ready, so is our esteemed educator. I’ll be taking a couple days off from the site (the occasional comment notwithstanding), but I’ll be back to ring in the new year with you all next week. Until then, happy head-scratchin’, and merry Christmas, everyone!
1) Your favorite opening shot (Here are some ideas to jog your memory, if you need ‘em.)
2) Tuesday Weld or Mia Farrow?
3) Name a comedy you’re embarrassed to admit made you laugh
4) Best Movie of 1947
5) Burt Reynolds was the Bandit. Jerry Reed was the Snowman. Paul LeMat was Spider. Candy Clark was Electra. What’s your movie handle?
6) Robert Vaughn or David McCallum?
7) Most exotic/unusual place/location in which you've seen a movie
8) Favorite Errol Morris movie
9) Best Movie of 1967
10) Describe a profoundly (or not-so-profoundly) disturbing moment you’ve had courtesy of the movies
11) Anne Francis or Julie Newmar?
12) Describe your favorite one sheet (include a link if possible)
13) Best Movie of 1987
14) Favorite movie about obsession
15) Your ideal Christmas movie triple feature
16) Montgomery Clift or James Dean?
17) Favorite Les Blank Movie
18) This past summer food critic Anton Ego made the following statement: “In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” Your thoughts?
19) The last movie you watched on DVD? In a theater?
20) Best Movie of 2007
21) Worst Movie of 2007
22) Describe the stages of your cinephilia
23) What is the one film you’ve had more difficulty than any other in convincing people to see or appreciate?
24) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth?
25) The Japanese word wabi denotes simplicity and quietude, but it can also mean an accidental or happenstance element (or perhaps even a small flaw) which gives elegance and uniqueness to the whole. What film or moment from a film best represents wabi to you?
26) Favorite Documentary
27) Favorite opening credit sequence
28) Is there a film that has influenced your lifestyle in a significant or notable way? If so, what was it and how did it do so?
29) Glenn Ford or Dana Andrews?
30) Make a single prediction, cynical or hopeful, regarding the upcoming Academy Awards
31) Best Actor of 2007
32) Best Actress of 2007
33) Best Director of 2007
34) Best Screenplay of 2007
35) Favorite single movie moment of 2007
36) What’s your wish/hope for the movies in 2008?
(Thanks in advance to all of you who look forward to participating in these quizzes as much as I do. And a special bow in the general direction of Jim Emerson, who provided even more inspiration than usual by outright providing two questions in this particular quiz. Professor Potts owes you a debt of gratitude, Jim, but he says it’s pistols at dawn if you ever look at Sugarpuss like that again. I think he’s serious, man.)
51 comments:
1) Your favorite opening shot (Here are some ideas to jog your memory, if you need ‘em.)
Well, there're are too many to pick. I do love the opening of "Repo Man," as I've written elsewhere, so I'll stick with that one as my definitive answer. But I'm a huge proponent of the trundling, menacing red truck that appears at the start of Arturo Ripstein's "A Place Without Limits" (so much more foreboding than any of the vehicles in, like, "Maximum Overdrive" or "Transformers"). I also adore the opening shot of "Werckmeister Harmonies." And if I can pick a TV show, I still think the crane shot at the beginning of the first episode of "Freaks and Geeks" is the best moment ever on the small screen (especially when the Van Halen tune kicks in).
2) Tuesday Weld or Mia Farrow?
Even though Ms. Weld was on "Dobie Gillis" and is gorgeous, Ms. Farrow wins by a nose. Few people could win the hearts of both Frank Sinatra and Woody Allen.
3) Name a comedy you’re embarrassed to admit made you laugh
Um... I'm pretty sure I laughed at "Big Daddy." And I'm pretty sure I was immediately ashamed of myself.
4) Best Movie of 1947
Man, what a good year for movies... I'll go with "Odd Man Out" (Carol Reed's great flick about the Irish Troubles that is criminally out of print on DVD). But I need to give honorable mention to the delicious Chaplin talkie "M. Verdoux" and Powell and Pressburger's "Black Narcissus."
5) Burt Reynolds was the Bandit. Jerry Reed was the Snowman. Paul LeMat was Spider. Candy Clark was Electra. What’s your movie handle?
"Mjolnir"
6) Robert Vaughn or David McCallum?
Kinda always like Robert Vaughn in "Magnificent Seven."
7) Most exotic/unusual place/location in which you've seen a movie
I saw "2001" at a theatre in Cork, Ireland, in 2001. Not terribly exotic, I know, but it was memorable (first time seeing it on the big screen).
8) Favorite Errol Morris movie
"Fog of War," for sure.
9) Best Movie of 1967
"Point Blank"--Another good year, but Boorman's masterpiece takes the crown easily.
10) Describe a profoundly (or not-so-profoundly) disturbing moment you’ve had courtesy of the movies
Well, there's always watching young men get turned on by the rape scene in "A Clockwork Orange" to curdle my blood. I've seen that happen more times than I'd care to remember.
11) Anne Francis or Julie Newmar?
Even though I was the appropriate age to fantasize about (or fetishize perhaps?) Michelle Pfeiffer in her plastic catsuit, Ms. Newmar has and always will be the only Catwoman for me.
12) Describe your favorite one sheet (include a link if possible)
The poster for "Star Wars" in which Luke and Leia look nothing like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher (http://www.nerf-herders-anonymous.net/images/StarWarsPoster.jpg)
13) Best Movie of 1987
"Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story" puts its competition from that year to shame and is probably Todd Haynes's best rock star bio yet (and it's got pretty stiff competition). That film should be no more than a trifling gimmick, but it somehow transcends the Barbie dolls to become a truly moving and harrowing portrait of Karen's decline. If I can't pick a banned movie, however, I'll go with the beautiful "The Cyclist" by Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
14) Favorite movie about obsession
"Obsession"? No, not really. Maybe "Little Otik" with its horrific and droll representation of a childless couple's obsession with having a child. The "Madonna" shot in that film still makes me smirk and shudder.
15) Your ideal Christmas movie triple feature
1. A Christmas Story; 2. Christmas in Connecticut; 3. The Wizard of Oz (I'm not sure it counts as a Christmas movie, but there's snow in it and it was on TNT the other night. That and I can't think of a third Christmas movie that I like.)
16) Montgomery Clift or James Dean?
Dean only became iconic because he died. Montgomery Clift is certifiably awesome. Always. And the Clash sang about him in a song. Take that James Dean.
17) Favorite Les Blank Movie
I've only seen "Burden of Dreams," but I think it's incredibly swell.
18) This past summer food critic Anton Ego made the following statement: “In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” Your thoughts?
I would agree, and hasten to add that the critic is essential not only for the defense (or support) of the new but also for the defense of the undefended. I think it's incredibly important to say that something that might be easily dismissed as meaningless entertainment (like, um, "Robocop" in film or the works of Raymond Chandler in literature) are in fact great works of art. I think that's as important if not more important than supporting the new.
19) The last movie you watched on DVD? In a theater?
Last movie on DVD was "Superbad." And I saw "I'm Not There" most recently in the theater.
20) Best Movie of 2007
"I'm Not There"--though I'm waiting to see several movies still (namely "Offside," "Eastern Promises," "There Will Be Blood," and "Sweeney Todd")
21) Worst Movie of 2007
"Elizabeth" is truly awful. It might have been a magnificent kitsch-fest but it decided part way through to take itself seriously. WTF?
22) Describe the stages of your cinephilia
Ok, this is a BROAD overview. My tastes have always been muddled to a degree, so I'll just base this off of the films I decided I loved during those periods.
Ages 3-11--"Star Wars," "Jaws," "Batman," "Ghostbusters," and, um, "Cocktail"
Ages 12-15--"Pulp Fiction," Empire Strikes Back," "Clerks," and "A Clockwork Orange"
Ages 16-18--"2001," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," "Boogie Nights," and "Taxi Driver"
Ages 19-22--"Chinatown," "Rules of the Game," "Nashville," and "Vertigo"
Ages 23-25--"In the Mood for Love," "Pierrot le Fou," and "Shock Corridor"
Ages 25-27--"Au Hasard Balthazar, "Underground," and "Deep Red"
23) What is the one film you’ve had more difficulty than any other in convincing people to see or appreciate?
I've been trying to convince my friends and relations of Brian DePalma's greatness for years. Although some have enjoyed certain films ("Sisters" and "Dressed to Kill" get good reactions), no one has yet bought my arguments in favor of "Body Double" or "Hi Mom!" or "Black Dahlia."
24) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth?
Rita.
25) The Japanese word wabi denotes simplicity and quietude, but it can also mean an accidental or happenstance element (or perhaps even a small flaw) which gives elegance and uniqueness to the whole. What film or moment from a film best represents wabi to you?
I'll tackle the "simplicity and quietude" angle and say that the odalisque at the beginning of "Lost in Translation" fits that definitiion to a "T."
26) Favorite Documentary
"Sherman's March" by Ross McElwee.
27) Favorite opening credit sequence
"Velvet Goldmine"
28) Is there a film that has influenced your lifestyle in a significant or notable way? If so, what was it and how did it do so?
I'd have to say that my lifestyle has not been influenced to any significant degree by a film that I've seen.
29) Glenn Ford or Dana Andrews?
Glenn Ford. I really like "Gilda."
30) Make a single prediction, cynical or hopeful, regarding the upcoming Academy Awards
I will laugh at least four times.
31) Best Actor of 2007
Josh Brolin in "No Country for Old Men." Bardem and Jones are good as usual. But Brolin was excellent, and he deserves some respect. Especially when you see how far he progressed from "Goonies."
32) Best Actress of 2007
NOT Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There." She was good. Christian Bale and Heath Ledger were better. I would like to air that grievance right now. Now, the best actress was Marian Cotillard.
33) Best Director of 2007
Todd Haynes
34) Best Screenplay of 2007
"Zodiac"
35) Favorite single movie moment of 2007
The moment in "The Lives of Others" when Dreyman chooses not to approach Wiesler. If they had actually spoken to one another, it would have destroyed the film for me.
36) What’s your wish/hope for the movies in 2008?
1) Your favorite opening shot (Here are some ideas to jog your memory, if you need ‘em.)
That blonde, Bo Hopkins looking dude's ugly mug filling the landscape, "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."
2) Tuesday Weld or Mia Farrow?
Mia Farrow.
3) Name a comedy you’re embarrassed to admit made you laugh
"Freddy Got Fingered."
4) Best Movie of 1947
"Out of the Past," though it's no "Against All Odds."
5) Burt Reynolds was the Bandit. Jerry Reed was the Snowman. Paul LeMat was Spider. Candy Clark was Electra. What’s your movie handle?
"Iceman. That's how he flies. Ice cold. No mistakes." Brilliant.
6) Robert Vaughn or David McCallum?
Vaughn. WEBSCOE 4 LIFE.
7) Most exotic/unusual place/location in which you've seen a movie
The Thai prison full of smoking-hot WB chicks who get to just sit around whining without much incident in the masterpiece "Brokedown Palace."
9) Best Movie of 1967
"You Only Live Twice," because Connery-as-Japanese = comic gold.
10) Describe a profoundly (or not-so-profoundly) disturbing moment you’ve had courtesy of the movies
The "Satan's Alley" finale of "Stayin' Alive." The direct/choreographer dude in the big sweaters and RIDING BOOTS really sells the magic.
11) Anne Francis or Julie Newmar?
I like Jordana Brewster.
12) Describe your favorite one sheet (include a link if possible)
"Scarface."
13) Best Movie of 1987
1987 is second ONLY to 1985 as the worst year of the 80s. '87 is one of the most depressing years ever in general-- bad hair, bad HAIR METAL, and a bunch of depressing, forgotten movies like "No Man's Land," "Secret of My Success," "Three for the Road," etc.
Even the big "good" movies of that year aren't very rewatchable-- anyone linin' up for that "Pelle the Conqueror" 3-disc set, or throwing "Last Emperor" into regular rotation on the BluRay?
I guess there are some well-remembered "geek"-- movies that year: "Evil Dead 2," "Near Dark," "Lost Boys," "Predator."
So I'll take one geek, "RoboCop," and one AWESOME: "Wall Street."
"Teldar Paper" 4 Life.
14) Favorite movie about obsession
"Sharky's Machine."
15) Your ideal Christmas movie triple feature
"Black Christmas," "Die Hard," and "Eyes Wide Shut."
16) Montgomery Clift or James Dean?
Dean by a mile.
18) This past summer food critic Anton Ego made the following statement: “In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” Your thoughts?
All I know is, Kenneth Turan annoys me. God, is he annoying.
That had nothing to do with the question, I know.
19) The last movie you watched on DVD? In a theater?
On DVD: I rewatched Rob Zombie's "Halloween," the first hour of which is beyond brilliant.
In theaters, I saw "I Am Legend" yesterday. I was surprised it was so small, B, minor, and uneventful. It almost made last summer's truncated, slipshod "The Invasion" look like a rich epic.
20) Best Movie of 2007
"Into the Wild," then "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" and "No Country For Old Men."
Of course, I'll watch "Zodiac," "American Gangster" and "Halloween" about 50 times each before I ever watch the "best" movies a second time, so, well, you know.
21) Worst Movie of 2007
I like pretty much everything. Examples: I liked "Revolver," "I Know Who Killed Me," and "Captivity." But "Wendell Baker Story" was pretty sloppy and dull, and some DTV I caught with Paul Walker called "Bobby Z" was damn near unwatchable.
23) What is the one film you’ve had more difficulty than any other in convincing people to see or appreciate?
The entire oeuvre of the greatest filmmaker in the entire history of cinema, SIR TONY SCOTT. Tony Scott movies aren't just what all movies should be like. They're what LIFE should be like.
Yeah, I like Altman and Kubrick just fine, but at the end of the day, I just want GOOD-LOOKING PEOPLE IN AVIATOR SUNGLASSES doing AWESOME THINGS and HAVING SEX and SHOOTING AT PEOPLE with VENETIAN BLINDS and BLOWING CURTAINS in the background, and THREE-DAY SHADOW and WOMEN LOOKING HOT with TINKLY PIANO MUSIC DURING THE SERIOUS SCENES and a FILTERED TOP QUARTER OF THE SCREEN DURING SUNNY EXTERIOR SHOTS and GLOWERING VILLAINS who drive AWESOME CARS and FRENETIC PACING and EVERYTHING LOOKING ALL BLUE AND GRAINY.
He is the MASTER.
24) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth?
Jessica Biel.
26) Favorite Documentary
SOME KIND OF MONSTER!!!! Now they need to do one about SLAYER!!!!!
27) Favorite opening credit sequence
Chevy's roll call of humiliation in "Modern Problems," with that awesome Tubes song playing.
28) Is there a film that has influenced your lifestyle in a significant or notable way? If so, what was it and how did it do so?
"Scarface," "Boogie Nights," "Domino," "GoodFellas," and "Fight Club" all get me TEMPORARILY pumped up to go out and be AWESOME IN LIFE, then I just revert back to being a neutered suburban dork.
29) Glenn Ford or Dana Andrews?
Glenn Ford.
30) Make a single prediction, cynical or hopeful, regarding the upcoming Academy Awards
That 13-year-old kid from "Atonement" will get the annual "shock" (that isn't shocking at all) supporting nomination of a kid, amateur, newcomer, unknown foreign actor/actress... who will then go on to do NOTHING else, ever.
Er, well, at least after the Peter Jackson movie she's toplining next.
31) Best Actor of 2007
I'm sure it's gonna be Daniel-Day Lewis, but I haven't seen that yet.
32) Best Actress of 2007
Jessica Alba, "Awake."
33) Best Director of 2007
The Coens. Then Fincher. And the dude who made "Jesse James" whose name I can't remember.
34) Best Screenplay of 2007
"No Country."
35) Favorite single movie moment of 2007
Any moment with Josh Brolin sporting a mustache, though Ben Foster's impromptu karate moves in "Alpha Dog" were a DELIGHT.
36) What’s your wish/hope for the movies in 2008?
That the Brothers Scott do their own version of "Grindhouse" called "Awesomehouse."
1) Your favorite opening shot.
The overhead pan across New Guinea, Jean-Pierre Kalfon’s narration and Pink Floyd’s music in La Vallée (1972).
2) Tuesday Weld or Mia Farrow?
Which begs the question: does poor Mia have a fan base at all? Tuesday’s been one of my favorites for most of my life; Wild in the Country, Pretty Poison, The Cincinnati Kid, Who’ll Stop the Rain?, I Walk the Line, Thief and Heartbreak Hotel I’d watch anytime just for her.
3) Name a comedy you’re embarrassed to admit made you laugh
Embarrassment for me began dissipating years ago…at this stage of the game, who cares?…so I’ll fess up to having seen Blake Edwards’s S.O.B. more than a dozen times. Recently I’ve grown quite fond of The Sweetest Thing. In fact, I’m a sucker for Cameron Diaz movies.
4) Best Movie of 1947
Beats me: that was a watershed year, no? For what it’s worth, at the age of twelve I could recite all the dialog from Dark Passage (1947).
5) Burt Reynolds was the Bandit. Jerry Reed was the Snowman. Paul LeMat was Spider. Candy Clark was Electra. What’s your movie handle?
‘Apathetic.’ Quack, quack!
6) Robert Vaughn or David McCallum?
Stephanie Powers.
7) Most exotic/unusual place/location in which you've seen a movie
The Mummy’s Hand in 16mm, after hours in a gift shop specializing in American Revolution and Civil War trinkets, presented as part of a fund raiser for a Baptist church.
8) Favorite Errol Morris movie
I’ve never made it through one without falling asleep.
9) Best Movie of 1967
There are probably ten that would tie for ‘the best,’ and it would take me a month for me to figure out which would come first.
10) Describe a profoundly (or not-so-profoundly) disturbing moment you’ve had courtesy of the movies
It was in 1976 at a theater showing That’s Entertainment Part II, and there were these women in the row behind us who just wouldn’t keep quiet. They were around my mother’s age, all yapping about Doris Day and Esther Williams and stuff. People did the ‘shhh’ thing and asked them to keep it down, but they kept on chatting away like they were having tea at the bridge club. After twenty minutes of this nonsense, I stood up and screamed loud enough to drown out the movie, “Shut up—NOW!” Never heard a peep out of them again. But the people I was with began sizing me up for a straightjacket.
11) Anne Francis or Julie Newmar?
Anne’s a better actress, but Julie…oh! Julie!
12) Describe your favorite one sheet (include a link if possible)
In 1965 I stood in theatre lobbies for eons staring at the poster for Thunderball…it prompted me to pursue a career in design and illustration. Runner-up: You Only Live Twice.
13) Best Movie of 1987
Funny: there was so much in 1947 and 1967, but by ‘87 we’re really reaching.
14) Favorite movie about obsession
There are several. One I keep going back to is Barbet Schroeder’s Tricheurs, a modest but knowledgeable examination of compulsive gambling. It’d make a splendid co-feature with Jacques Demy’s La Baie des anges.
15) Your ideal Christmas movie triple feature
Any three Michelle Pfeiffer movies with a bottle of Dewars, a freezer full of ice, two fine cigars, and my wife away at her sister’s house…preferably overnight.
16) Montgomery Clift or James Dean?
Monty in The Misfits touched me deeper than all of Dean’s work combined.
17) Favorite Les Blank Movie
It’s a tie between Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers, Gap-Toothed Women and In Heaven There Is No Beer?.
18) This past summer food critic Anton Ego made the following statement: “In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” Your thoughts?
I’m hungry. I think I’ll order a pizza.
19) The last movie you watched on DVD? In a theater?
DVD: Mann’s Border Incident. Theatre: Charlie Wilson’s War.
20) Best Movie of 2007
I haven’t seen them all.
21) Worst Movie of 2007
See #20.
22) Describe the stages of your cinephilia
1) Mildly screwed up. 2) Increasingly screwed up. 3) All screwed up. 4) Adjusting. 5) Somewhat comfortably screwed up.
23) What is the one film you’ve had more difficulty than any other in convincing people to see or appreciate?
Aside from my love for the universally maligned Catwoman, I’m also a big fan of Spun (2002). But other than an old ‘reformed’ junkie I know, no one else seems interested in seeing it. It’s kind of like National Lampoon’s Requiem for a Dream, with some outstanding jittery work by Brittany Murphy, Jason Schwartzman, Debbie Harry, and Mickey Rourke as The Cook. Back in the days of Johnny Handsome and Barfly, Mickey was one of my favorites.
24) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth?
Rita was glorious (dig that slow pan up her legs in Lady from Shanghai), but Gene was a more interesting actress and a unique beauty. Her overbite and pouty lips often remind me of the cartoon of Don Knotts as a fish in The Incredible Mr. Limpet, but that’s a personal quirk that shouldn’t concern you.
25) The Japanese word wabi denotes simplicity and quietude, but it can also mean an accidental or happenstance element (or perhaps even a small flaw) which gives elegance and uniqueness to the whole. What film or moment from a film best represents wabi to you?
When the lights accidentally dim in Pop Leibel’s bookshop in Vertigo; when the lights accidentally go out at the end of I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang.
26) Favorite Documentary
While writing a recent review of Stuart Samuels’s Midnight Movies, I watched it four times in two weeks, so it’s my favorite at the moment. Stuart says there’s a deluxe DVD of Midnight Movies coming out next year; and he’s currently making a documentary titled 27, about Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, who all died at the age of 27.
27) Favorite opening credit sequence
Leo McKern throwing darts at The Beatles in Help!.
28) Is there a film that has influenced your lifestyle in a significant or notable way? If so, what was it and how did it do so?
After I saw The Animals Film (1981), I didn’t eat meat, poultry or dairy products for more than ten years. Don’t be too impressed: I just called in for a pizza with extra cheese, sausage and pepperoni.
29) Glenn Ford or Dana Andrews?
I’ve equal respect for both. But Ford is from a safer, cleaner place. Dana is nervous, on guard, his eyes know fear; he’s aware that the ground could swallow him up at any moment. This makes him a more interesting actor, especially in the decadent corners of Preminger and Lang.
30) Make a single prediction, cynical or hopeful, regarding the upcoming Academy Awards
Kathy Bates and John Williams will present the Award for Best Adapted Screenplay stone naked.
31) Best Actor of 2007
See #20.
32) Best Actress of 2007
See #20.
33) Best Director of 2007
See #20.
34) Best Screenplay of 2007
See #20.
35) Favorite single movie moment of 2007
Was it that great a year? Did I actually miss something? Somehow, I don’t think so.
36) What’s your wish/hope for the movies in 2008?
That it won’t seem like more of the same, as it has for too long.
1) “Yojimbo”
2) Tuesday Weld (Poor Dobie Gillis).
3) I wouldn’t say I was embarrassed by it, but I think “Clue” Doesn’t get nearly as much praise as it should.
4) “Out of the Past”
5) Until either Martin Brest or Yaphet Kotto come after me with crowbars, it will remain Alonzo.
6) David McCallum. We miss you Ashley-Pitt. (It’s a shame the Germans didn’t).
7) Not many of those, though I do recall my wife and I watching “Sideways” on my laptop in a D.C. Bed and Breakfast several years ago.
8) “The Thin Blue Line”
9) “Cool Hand Luke”
10) Seeing “Sloth” in “Se7en”, and then filling in the backstory in my head before the Doctor had a chance to.
11) Anne Francis, just because I watched “Bad Day at Black Rock” for the first time last summer.
12) I don’t know if I have one, but I remember seeing the poster for “Life Stinks” when it first came out and inexplicably laughing my ass off. It’s kind of brilliant. http://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/mel-brooks-biography-by-james-robert-parish/
13) “The Princess Bride”
14) I was pretty damn impressed with “Zodiac” earlier this year. I’m far from having a short attention span, but it’s rare that a movie that long will hold me that rapt and oblivious of time passing (I can remember the original “Solaris” doing the same thing).
15) “The Ref”, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Lion in Winter”.
16) Montgomery Clift.
17) Never seen one, I’m afraid.
18) It’s a lesson that was beaten into my brain while pursuing my Library Science degree, but it doesn’t make it any less true: We all bring different thing to the table and all those things, no matter our backgrounds or experience, can be valuable. So I agree with Mr. O’toole … er … Mr. Ego.
19) On DVD: “The Good German”. In the Theater: “No Country for Old Men”.
20) Again, “No Country for Old Men”.
21) As far as the ones I saw in the theater, I would have to say “Spiderman 3”.
22) Whoa. That’ll take more time to answer than I have on Christmas Eve, I’m afraid.
23) My wife is a particularly hard nut to crack in terms of new film experiences, but I hold out hope that I can get her to watch “Being John Malkovich” one day.
24) Gene Tierney (I think Hawkeye Peirce put it best: “If Vincent Price straightens that overbite, I’ll kill ‘em”.)
25) “The Lion in Winter” has held my top spot for as long as I can remember, though I would be first to concede it’s not a perfect film. Amongst it’s many great lines is one that kind of echoes the question. Henry touches a strand of Alais’s hair and says “Let us have one strand askew. Nothing in life has any business being perfect”.
26) “The Civil War”
27) By far, “Catch me if you Can”.
28) Again, “The Lion in Winter”. Henry’s response to Eleanor when she speaks of the eyes in the darkness is such a touching moment for me, and speaks of his love for her despite all that has preceded it..
29) Dana Andrews
30) Despite my success this year in creating a clipshow, there remains too many of them every year and I predict that 2008 will be no different.
31) Not an original choice, but I’d say Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men”.
32) Cate Blanchett seemed to have a great year, though on the whole I was underwhelmed by the one film of hers I saw this year (“The Golden Age”).
33) Joel and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men”.
34) Ditto.
35) The first duet in the music store in “Once”.
36) My wife’s Christmas present to me was a week’s worth of passes for the Florida Film Festival in April, so my hope is for a rich selection of movies for my week in Maitland.
1) Your favorite opening shot.
This is cheating, since I’m basically stealing from Jim Emerson, but “Barry Lyndon”. Just looking at that screen shot on his site makes me unable to think of anything better.
2) Tuesday Weld or Mia Farrow?
Strangely enough, Mia Farrow. I don’t know, she’s just been in more movies that I’ve liked. “Rosemary’s Baby” alone puts her over the top.
3) Name a comedy you’re embarrassed to admit made you laugh
Well, I think both “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore” are funny, but I’m not really embarrassed about that. But I am embarrassed that I laughed once or twice during “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”, because that movie is awful.
4) Best Movie of 1947
Hell, I don’t know. Probably “Out of the Past”. “I don’t wanna die either, baby, but if I have to I’m gonna die last.” You can’t beat that. Nice try, “Love Laughs at Andy Hardy”, but you didn’t quite get there.
5) Burt Reynolds was the Bandit. Jerry Reed was the Snowman. Paul LeMat was Spider. Candy Clark was Electra. What’s your movie handle?
People call me “The Boondock Saint”. I walk around quoting that movie all the time, and I dress in black t-shirts and beat-up jeans all the time, and I have a crucifix tattooed on my chest. Nobody likes me, and I have shitty taste.
6) Robert Vaughn or David McCallum?
Ashley-Pitt kind of screwed the pooch near the end of “The Great Escape”, so I’ll go with Robert Vaughn. I currently have no need for a personal injury attorney, but if I ever do I’ll go with whoever Vaughn recommends, in whichever city I happen to be in at the time.
7) Most exotic/unusual place/location in which you've seen a movie
Um…downstairs?
8) Favorite Errol Morris movie
”Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred Leuchter, Jr.” is one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen. No fooling.
9) Best Movie of 1967
Tough one. I am extremely partial to both “Cool Hand Luke” and “Hombre”, but if we’re going with what I actually think was “best”, that would probably have to be “Le Samourai”.
10) Describe a profoundly (or not-so-profoundly) disturbing moment you’ve had courtesy of the movies
I had a strange experience when I saw “Schindler’s List” in the theater. The liquidation of the ghetto sequence had begun, and it had reached the moment where several German soldiers are herding people from their rooms into the hallway. One man struggles slightly, is pushed down, and shot in the head. At that moment, a woman screamed. I was positive, at the time, that the woman was in the audience, and I felt flushed, looking around for this hysterical person, but I saw nothing. On subsequent viewings, I’ve realized that the scream is in the film, but it didn’t sound that way at the time.
11) Anne Francis or Julie Newmar?
Newmar. Best cat suit ever.
12) Describe your favorite one sheet (include a link if possible)
I like the Kafka-esque nightmare that is this “Weekend at Bernie’s” poster:
http://www.polishposter.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1020&Category_Code=
13) Best Movie of 1987
“Stakeout”. Okay, “Empire of the Sun”, but I want to give an award for Best Movie of 1987 That Far Too Few People Have Seen to “Five Corners”.
14) Favorite movie about obsession
I don’t know what it would have been before “Zodiac”, but I don’t need to figure that out because the answer is “Zodiac”. I know I’m supposed to say “Vertigo”, but that’s not my favorite. My favorite is “Zodiac”.
15) Your ideal Christmas movie triple feature
“A Christmas Story” twice in a row on TBS, then “Auto Focus”.
16) Montgomery Clift or James Dean?
Clift. He was a really great actor, and The Clash wrote a song about him.
17) Favorite Les Blank Movie
How many has he made? “Burden of Dreams” and “Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe” are the only ones I know about, and the only one I’ve seen is “Burden of Dreams”, so that’s what I’ll be going with. But it would probably be that one anyway, because it captured on film for all eternity Herzog’s speech about nature’s murderous impulses.
18) This past summer food critic Anton Ego made the following statement: “In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” Your thoughts?
I agree with Ego 100%, and that is one of my favorite moments from one of the best movies of the year. In addition, I would like to quote something I read in a book earlier this year, “The Lecturer’s Tale” by James Hynes (I didn’t like the book, but I liked this quote): “A literary work is any work of imaginitive writing – prose, poetry, or drama – that is inherently more interesting – rich, complex, mysterious – than anything that could be said about it.”
19) The last movie you watched on DVD? In a theater?
On DVD, “Bug”. Can’t imagine why that one didn’t put asses in seats, but what can you do?
In the theaters, “Sweeney Todd”. With that combo, the only other thing I can say is, “Merry Christmas!”
20) Best Movie of 2007
So far, “No Country for Old Men”. But I haven’t seen “There Will Be Blood” yet.
21) Worst Movie of 2007
Probably “The Number 23”. It’s one of those movies that you watch late at night, and if you doze off for ten or fifteen minutes you wake up and think, “Fuck it, I didn’t miss anything.”
22) Describe the stages of your cinephilia
Like every male of my generation, I started out with you various “Star Wars”-es and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”-ses. Also, because I’m the youngest of seven boys, I saw a lot of Ray Harryhausen movies, the original “King Kong”, and that sort of thing earlier than most kids my age.
I did watch a fair amount of Hitchcock as a kid, but a lot changed for me when I was twelve and I saw De Palma’s “The Untouchables”. I’ve cooled on that movie, but it led me to a lot of other crime films of that basic type. Three years later, “Miller’s Crossing” knocked me for a loop (I haven’t cooled on that one.) I then got on board with Tarantino.
The strange thing is that all this time I know I’d seen a lot of other movies that informed my appreciation for films. I’d seen quite a few Kurosawa films, for instance, and a lot of old Westerns. Now that I’m thinking about it, it’s difficult to chart. But my big three moments are probably the aforementioned experiences with “The Untouchablse” and “Miller’s Crossing”, and then later when I saw “2001” on a huge screen in Washington, DC (hey there, Jonathan!)
But it’s always really been a hodgepodge, as is this answer. For instance, over the last four days, here are the movies I’ve watched: “Sweeney Todd”, “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”, “Bug”, “The Bourne Ultimatum”, “Who Can Kill a Child?”, Tod Browning’s “The Unknown”, “The Girl Next Door” (NOT the ex-porn star comedy), “Shampoo”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “Crawlspace” with Klaus Kinski, “Once”, …and before I have to go back to work on Wednesday I will also have watched the new “Halloween” and Michael Haneke’s “The Seventh Continent”. And it’s been like that for as long as I can remember.
23) What is the one film you’ve had more difficulty than any other in convincing people to see or appreciate?
I’m not sure, but there are some, like “Dead Man” and “The Ninth Configuration” that I don’t even bother recommending to people, because I’ll just end up getting smacked.
24) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth?
Rita Hayworth.
25) The Japanese word wabi denotes simplicity and quietude, but it can also mean an accidental or happenstance element (or perhaps even a small flaw) which gives elegance and uniqueness to the whole. What film or moment from a film best represents wabi to you?
You’ve asked this before, in another form. You’re trying to trick us.
Anyway, I can’t answer the “accidental” part of this, which is what I believe you’re going for. I can answer the “simplicity and quietude” part, at least I can give you the first good example that came to mind, which is the ending of “Big Night”.
26) Favorite Documentary
”Mr. Death” (see above).
27) Favorite opening credit sequence
I would never be able to pick one, so I’ll just go with one I really like that no one else will mention: “Spider”, with that strangely beautiful hymn, and the water stains on wallpaper that look like Rorschach inkblots.
28) Is there a film that has influenced your lifestyle in a significant or notable way? If so, what was it and how did it do so?
“Friday the 13th, Part II” taught me that murder is wrong. Since seeing that film, I haven’t murdered a single person.
29) Glenn Ford or Dana Andrews?
Dana Andrews. “Curse of the Demon”,