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DR. ZACHARY SMITH'S LOST IN THE SPACE AT THE END OF SUMMER MOVIE QUIZ
Silence, you maladroit mental midgets! You lugubrious laggards! Now that I have your attention, I promise never to be so rude again. I didn’t really mean any of that. I just thought I’d grab your attention by getting you used to the kind of treatment typically offered slothful students under the watch of SLIFR’s latest professorial legend. Rather cranky after several decades drifting lost in space with America’s processed and pasteurized astronaut family the Robinsons, Dr. Zachary Smith makes up in salient cinematic investigation what he lacks in common courtesy and scruples. We have implored him to channel some of his impudent intelligence and arrogant approbation of concerns du cinema into quiz form. The results are the questions now set before you. Dr. Smith only asks that, as you complete your answers and post them in the comments column, that you include the questions along with your answers so that they are more easily paired and read. Failure to do so, the professor has asked us to remind you, may result in the kind of linguistic lashing and verbal violence often visited upon Will Robinson on the occasion of his and Dr. Smith’s inevitable entrapment in some mind-bending mire of mystery and miscommunication on an unknown, arid, foam-rock-strewn planetoid. Danger, danger, indeed! So now, as Labor Day approaches and the first rays of light at the dawn of the traditional school year draw near, it is our pleasure to impart to you Dr. Smith’s Lost in the Space at the End of Summer Movie Quiz. Tread faithfully and with great care, young Robinsons, for heaven only knows what traps of reason, nostalgia and personal prejudice await you, for the good doctor will out your cinematic passions at all costs. As he once so delicately put it, “Since you are obviously devoid of any mechanical aptitude whatsoever, I know this is difficult for you to comprehend, but let me assure you the system is foolproof!” Catastrophe then soon followed, right on schedule. (Access other smidgens of Smithian sagacity here!) ***********************************************************************
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
10) Most pretentious movie ever
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
28) Favorite William Castle movie
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
33) Your first movie star crush
72 comments:
After years of lurking at your site (and enjoying it immensely), I’ll take this first instance of finding one of your excellent quizzes sans comments as a sign to introduce myself.
So, hello, and thanks for all the fine posts.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
David Arkin’s funky little guitar riff in Nashville, completely missed by self-absorbed rock star Carradine.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Andrews, though it’s close.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
The Verdict. I caught The Offense on television once when I was 14 or so and remember being blown away, but can’t recall much of it now.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That while I hated Speed Racer and generally really liked The Dark Knight, the former led to some of the more interesting online discussions and the latter almost invariably devolved into the worst.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Tierney.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
Brand Upon the Brain. Tell No One.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Because I like the rapacious moneymen and their chipper faith in the gullibility of us suckers, probably when he saw a news report on killer bees and (I’d like to believe, though I’ve no idea) flashed on his next epic.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
I’m drawing a blank.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow predominately, though only Leung will suffice when I’m in the mood.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Two or Three Things I Know About Her. Which I love, but, come on.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Of the two I’ve seen, Faster, Pussycat! Kill!! Kill!!
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Impossible to answer, I think. Some days I can switch from The Passenger to The Man With Two Brains in 0 to 60, you know?
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Popcorn with jalapenos. Milk Duds (it’s a texture thing).
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
I think a lot of talented second-tier names would have popped out more forcefully with studio grooming: Ryan Reynolds, Carla Gugino, Orlando Jones. If you’re asking about which major star’s personality would have slipped into the system, I’ve no idea.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
No’s an option?
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Un chien andalou. Rear Window. Videodrome.
Resolved: Watching movies is bad for you. Discuss.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Can’t top Nabokov. The Argus.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
I refuse to choose between Duck Soup and Make Way for Tomorrow. So I won’t.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Linda Manz, for her pronunciation of “fur” alone.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Man on Wire.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Yeoh.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Critically, Hou Hsiao-hsien. Popularly, J. J. Abrams.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Critically, Luc Besson (as producer). Popularly, David Twohy.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Movie, no, save for the “Bo Diddley” transition.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Todd, though I’ve seen far less of him and might be influenced by the lure of further discoveries.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
To answer the second question first, almost nothing by this point if one considers the range of cinema; from pop to avant-garde, blockbuster to mumblecore, pretty much every option seems on the table for use. Which doesn’t exactly negate the possibility of answering your first question, but leaves me scratching my head as to selecting one example.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Does Rosemary’s Baby count? Strait-Jacket if not.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie.
Salesmen.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
If I actually get to see Kitano’s Achilles and the Tortoise or Denis’s White Material, great, they’re probably my favorite active directors. Go Go Tales would be nice too.
Of guaranteed bookings, probably The Changeling. On the Eastwood Great Classicist/Pretentious Slow-Paced Hack debate, I’m solidly in the former.
And Transporter 3, natch.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Welles.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Ron Howard.
33) Your first movie star crush
Jodie Foster and Tatum O’Neal in a dead heat.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie—The opening sequence in ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS. The rest of the movie is a waste of time.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews—Ray Milland. THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR. LOST WEEKEND. THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie—DOG DAY AFTERNOON.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season—Robert Downey, Jr.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth—Rita Hayworth. COVER GIRL. GILDA.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters? On DVD, Ford’s “cut” of MY DARLING CLEMENTINE. In theaters, DEATH RACE.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour? THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made? CAMELOT. FUNNY GIRL. LUCKY LADY. The list goes on…
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung—Chow Yun-Fat. No contest.
10) Most pretentious movie ever—Elvira Madigan.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie-BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA-VIXENS.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.” THE REMARKABLE ANDREW.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo—Marlene Dietrich. Come on—BLUE ANGEL, DESTRY RIDES AGAIN, WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, TOUCH OF EVIL—and this is just off the top of my head—the list goes on.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack? Best, Popcorn-I’m old school. Worst, Nachos.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system—George Clooney and Anna Faris.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no? No—up there with Elvira Madigan—see above.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night? THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. STALAG 17. THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…) MOONLIGHT MATINEE
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie—THE AWFUL TRUTH.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress—William Holden in GOLDEN BOY.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season—WAR INC.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung—Michelle Yeoh.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated—Ed Norton.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated—Jeff Bridges.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no? Absolutely not.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd—Trevor Howard.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?—Wes Anderson. Denying the audience the immediate satisfaction of the classic three act structure, to service another, perhaps more oblique and less direct idea.
28) Favorite William Castle movie—MR. SARDONICUS.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie—DO THE RIGHT THING.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why? BOTTLE SHOCK. I’m a big fan of both Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film? Billy Wilder.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively? Brett Ratner.
33) Your first movie star crush-Joi Lansing—the busty blonde who gets blown up in the opening sequence of TOUCH OF EVIL.
I have no time for this presently. Give me a few days. That way I can see what Bill puts up first and just steal most of the answers.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
The Danny Boy sequence in "Miller's Crossing".
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
My Mother's girlhood crush on him notwithstanding, I'd pick Dana.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
"12 Angry Men", hands down.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
"Kung Fu Panda" was actually quite entertaning. Years ago, a friend of mine showed me one of his favorite martial arts scenes where Jackie Chan and his Master fight over a dumpling with only their chopsticks. It was cool to see that scene replicated and kicked up to the next level via animation in "Panda".
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Gene Tierney. Hawkeye Pierce said it best while watching her being kissed: "If he straightens out that overbite, I'll kill him."
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD, it was "Death Race 2000", which I hadn't seen in quite a while. In the Theater, it was "The Dark Knight", which was great, but could have standed to be chopped up into a miniseries or something.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
"The Poseidon Adventure". Both remakes showed how much more FUN the original was compared to modern disaster films.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
I'd say the teaser poster of "The Phantom Menace" where young Anakin casts Darth's shadow. Too bad Lucas used up all his "Less is More" reserves for the poster.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Gotta go with Chow.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
I'm sure there are plenty of choices from the movies I've seen, but for the life of me I can't think of one right now.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Damn it all, I have yet to watch one (and Blockbuster online doesn't carry any of his films).
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
"The Lion In Winter" Eleanor: "We're jungle creatures, Henry, and the dark is all around us. See them... in the corners? You can see the eyes."
Henry: "And THEY can see OURS. I'm a match for anything. Aren't you?"
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Marlene (Professor Rath never had a chance).
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
If available, I go right for the Snowcaps. And though it's not necessarily vile, I don't care for overly complicated food during films (unless it's a dinner theater situation). I don't need to be worrying if the Nachos are going to be dripping on me while simultaneouly trying to watch the movie.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Tricky question. I'd imagine that the answer would have to be someone who (a) can do almost anything for a paycheck but (b) still has the acting chops to pull off any role that's given him. In that case, I'd have to go with Christopher Walken.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
I've yet to watch that crazy, whacky land-bound boat.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
It's Robin-palooza! "The Adventures of Robin Hood", "Ivanhoe" and "Robin and Marian".
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
That requires too much thought than I have time for while writing this out during work hours.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The name didn't ring a bell, so I just looked him up. Can there be any answer besides "Duck Soup".
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
My wife and I are both devoted to "Almost Famous" and thought Kate Hudson slammed it out of the park. Too bad everything else she's done since then is stunningly mediocre.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Oh, Indy. Indy, Indy, Indy.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Michelle.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Will Ferrell
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
I'll say Jeff Bridges, too.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Eh, Maybe (just to be contrary).
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
I just watched "Green for Danger" earlier this year and have fond memories of "Von Ryan's Express", so I'll go with Trevor.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Well, if the description of "Synecdoche, New York" is any indication (especially if he pulls it off), then I'd have to say Charlie Kaufman.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I saw "Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story" at the Florida Film Festival back in April and loved it. Does that count?
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
I'm copying off of Bruce's paper and saying "Salesman". I just watched that recently and loved it.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
"Frost/Nixon" if only because it seems the least likely to be a hit yet seems to me to be the most interesting.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Billy Wilder
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
M. Night Shyamamlan
33) Your first movie star crush
Winona Ryder, circa "Heathers".
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
i'd have to say in 'Tommy' when the television explodes and ann margaret gets completely douched by... um, baked beans. i've wondered if this is an homage to 'the who sell out' cover? anyone?
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Ray Milland
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
probably top three (in order for me) are: 'Network', 'Dog Day Afternoon' then 'the Verdict'. i'd like to give some love for his most underrated though: 'the Hill' with Sean Connery.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
The unending stream of super heros. yes, i have super-hero fatigue.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
close, as i love tierney as 'Dillinger' but what can i say? rita was "Gilda' and had the short hair in 'the Lady from Shanghai'.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: last night i watched both 'Ghost Dog: the way of the samurai' and "Klute'.
theaters: saw a revival house showing of 'Medium Cool' (if anyone has never seen HIGHLY recommend), and 'Vicky Christina Barcelona'
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
not overly familiar, so i'll say 'the towering inferno'.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
i liked 'the matrix' but i would like to see the S & M version the poster promised.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat
10) Most pretentious movie ever
of the movies already said, i am a huge fan of european art house so those types typically don't bother me. what does are movie that mainstream americans deem 'art'. so as such i'd have to say 'braveheart', paul haggis' 'crash' and something like say 'glory'... all these movies you'll get weird looks when you say this, but i believe all are way to vanilla for my taste. faux-seriousness to me is pretentious.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
i don't know his exact role but i've always like 'Targets'. as director i'd say 'Masque of the red death'.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
'le samourai' as i live by myself (but i do not kill anyone).
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
garbo.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
twizzlers and a bottled water. i've always thought adamame would make a great theater snack. vile: snocaps
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Rachael leigh Cook would be a HUGE star.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
third time: how is 'no' even an option?
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
i'd put three movies together for the simple fact that they do not have DVD release in america, 'Johnny Guitar' 'Lonely are the Brave' then 'Mickey One'. these need to be seen by many.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
the flicker
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
'Duck Soup'
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
i love julie christie in 'Billy Liar' and recently Sam riley in 'Control'
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
as i said earlier all the super heroes. i also thought 'pineapple express' disappointed.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
pass, unfamiliar with both.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
'the dark knight' (i tried to only included movies from 2008)
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
'paranoid park' (though this may change some award season, i hope), also 'in bruges'
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
movie is ok, books are pretty fun.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
richard todd
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Guy maddin, as he makes really whatever he wants to make. ignoring the rules today is kinda of tough as the don't really exist... i'd say when someone can get a following and be truly avant garde that to me is ignoring all the rules. i also think we are getting to the point where being under 10 million for a budget makes me get excited again (along these lines see 'youth without youth').
28) Favorite William Castle movie
wow, 'the tingler'
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
as said earlier 'do the right thing'
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
the new james bond... it has more to do with the movie night that comes with my father and bond.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
jean-pierre melville.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
brett ratner, kudos to whoever said it earlier.
33) Your first movie star crush
annie potts, as janine in 'ghostbusters' what can i say, i'm a child of the eighties. her uber-hot nerd secretary is pretty unbelievable. don't believe me? watch it again.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Johnny Boy walking into the bar in MEAN STREETS with "Jumpin' Jack Flash" blasting on the soundtrack. Even tracking De Niro in slow motion doesn't slow down the manic energy of his character captured so well by the Stones song.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews - if only for LAURA and ZERO HOUR!
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Tough call but if push came to shove, I'd go with NETWORK.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
All the quality comic book movies, from IRON MAN to THE DARK KNIGHT and HELLBOY II.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
No question: Rita Hayworth. She was absolutely gorgeous in GILDA and played an alluring femme fatale in THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: SON OF RAMBOW. In theaters: THE DARK KNIGHT
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
THE TOWERING INFERNO. Paul Newman AND Steve McQueen? I'm there.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
JAWS 2. With a cool, red-tinted color scheme, the actual film itself was no where near as good.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat. Does it get any better than him sliding down a banister with two guns blazing in HARD-BOILED? I think not.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
DANCES WITH WOLVES. A lot people like this film but I'm not one of them. A beautiful looking bore. Also, I liked it the first time when it was called LITTLE BIG MAN.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Easy one: FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! Tura Santana is simply breathtaking. Tough as nails and gorgeous as hell ta boot.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Probably BEFORE SUNRISE. It sums up a lot of my feelings about a lot of things.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Marlene Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: Reeses Pieces. Most vile: Popcorn with too much chemical butter on it.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Even though it's probably uncool to say, Tom Cruise. He's dabbled in pretty much every genre you can think of: fantasy, war, period piece, horror, crime film, etc. And he's successful at it... at least until recently.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
No.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
A splatstick triple bill with RE-ANIMATOR, EVIL DEAD II and DEAD-ALIVE (aka BRAINDEAD).
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
DUCK SOUP, one of the Marx Bros. finest.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Kate Winslet in HEAVENLY CREATURES - it would only be the beginning of a great career.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
TROPIC THUNDER. The trailers promised so much and the final product delivered so little.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Michelle Yeoh - she was sublime in CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and amazing in countless other films.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Nicolas Cage. Has he done anything good since LEAVING LAS VEGAS?
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Michelle Williams. So adorable in DICK and has gone on to give some incredible performances in ME WITHOUT YOU and THE BAXTER showing off quite a range. I think she has real potential to be a breakout star.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Yes, even though Robert Crumb hates it, I think it's pretty decent film.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I would say Paul Thomas Anderson who seems to go against the flow and make intensely personal films that constantly subvert our expectations. Who woulda thought THERE WILL BE BLOOD was going to be the success that it was?
28) Favorite William Castle movie
The Tingler
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
JUNGLE FEVER
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Probably BURN AFTER READING. It's the Coen bros. latest film, which is reason enough alone but also features a stellar cast. Let's hope its THE BIG LEBOWSKI to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN's FARGO.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Robert Altman. Man, I miss him.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
There's so many but I guess Brett Ratner tops the list, just narrowly beating out Michael Bay.
33) Your first movie star crush
Probably Winona Ryder. Fell in love with her in HEATHERS and have been digging her ever since, even if the movie is crap she's usually interesting to watc.
I missed the last quiz, so I wanted to make sure I got in on this one...
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
- In "Almost Famous" when young William Miller drops the needle on The Who's album "Tommy" and we transition several years ahead as Townsend's guitar kicks in.
- The fun and energy of "How could you believe me when I said I love you when you know I've been a liar all my life?" from Stanley Donen's "Royal Wedding".
- The moment a woman in a bathtub begins singing in "You, The Living" - I've only seen it once and it still gives me chills...
- Just about anything from "Young Girls Of Rochefort".
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Milland feels like a long time favourite friendly uncle that I might see at family gatherings once a year. Andrews is the new grumpy boyfriend of one of the aunts who won't speak to any of the kids unless it's to get them to bring him another beer. So if I'm watching a film, it's gotta be Andrews...
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
"Network" and "12 Angry Men" are (at least for the moment) tied right at the top of my favourite films of all time list. So I guess that makes them my favourite Lumet movies too.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That I managed to avoid having to go see "Clone Wars" with my son (he went to it as part of a friend's birthday party). Phew!
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Tierney is splendiferously gorgeous and always came across with a sense of mystery about her. Sorry Rita.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD, it was my first viewing of the Canadian classic "Mon Oncle Antoine". It starts a bit slow, but the middle section is chock full of wonderful slices of rural Quebec life. I was taken aback a little by where things ended, but after thinking it over for a bit it feels like an appropriate place to end his "coming of age" - he learns a great deal about love and trust.
In the theatre, I just saw "Man On Wire" which was a completely compelling amazing documentary about Philippe Petit's high wire walk between the World Trade Centre towers in 1974.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
"The Towering Inferno" - Newman, McQueen, Holden, Dunaway and thousands of gallons of water pouring over them...Without CGI!
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
"Detroit Rock City" promised a good time road movie with friends having fun on their way to see the band Kiss. I saw no evidence of any fun and certainly did not have a good time.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat was beyond all previously known limits of cool in John Woo's Hong Kong films, but Leung has spanned many different genres and is the superior actor.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Hal Hartley's "The Girl From Monday". Claptrap. Flapdoodle.
Of course, the Oscar winning "Crash" was a condescending lecture, so that probably belongs near the top as well.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
"Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill". Also the only Meyer movie I've seen. But it was quite a lot of fun if not, you know, good.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
"Airplane" or "Raising Arizona" - not that I'm overly funny or absurd myself, but I appreciate those qualities. Recently, "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" - I just feel like I'm all bundled up when I watch that film.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich, if only because she was the inspiration for Lili Von Shtupp.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
The very refreshing Junior Mints or anything with chocolate and mint together. As far as vile goes, those nacho chips with the thick gooey cheese dipping sauce make my stomach churn just thinking about them.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Edward Norton - then he couldn't be tempted to tamper with scripts and try change the director's intent. He could just act.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes. Even if the rest of it was terrible (and some of it is pretty slow), the sequence pulling the boat over the mountain is just fascinating - not just to watch it, but even just as a concept ("he did what?!?!").
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
"Midnight", "Ball Of Fire" and "One, Two, Three" - great rapid fire screenplays with elements of screwball to each of them. And they all just happen to be co-written by Billy Wilder. They're all dated to a certain extent, but that doesn't impact any of the laughs.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
I can't compete with Aydlette! Maybe something like "The Movie Parlour" - makes it sound inviting and relaxing.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
It's hard to go against "Duck Soup" ain't it? He may have had a stronger hand in directing the comedy in "The Awful Truth" though - and that was pretty terrific as well.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Jean-Pierre Leaud was likely just playing himself in "The 400 Blows", but his character was so strong that he played it again in three other feature films as the character grew up (technically, it may have been his second film, but are we really going to split hairs?).
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
That I haven't seen "WALL-E" yet.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung is the single most "watchable" presence on screen I've ever come across - not just because she is gorgeous (and dammit she is), but because she just radiates warmth. I love Yeoh too, but I can't take my eyes off Maggie when she's on screen.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
I don't understand the love for "Breakfast At Tiffany's" - and that's coming from someone who pretty much adores Audrey Hepburn.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Both "The Ox-Bow Incident" and "Royal Wedding" jumped to mind as, if not neglected, just not as praised as they should be.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
No. I'm glad it's out there and I love the fact they did something so anti-everything in a cartoon. There are some scenes that are pretty cool, but that style of animation just makes me slightly ill for some reason.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Richard Todd was in "Asylum" and "Stage Fright" which ain't too shabby, but Trevor Howard has "The Third Man", "Green For Danger" and "Brief Encounter" in his back pocket. What the hell would I do without IMDB?
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Steven Soderbergh and Richard Linklater seem to be two American directors that love to bounce between experimenting in artier realms and then doing something a bit more mainstream. Sometimes they do both at once.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
"House On Haunted Hill" - I thought it would be cheesy minor fun. I didn't expect to actually be scared and even jump during a few parts. When that old lady crept in off the side of the screen I think I actually said out loud "Oh shit!"
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Depending on how you read that question, it could really encompass a huge range of films that set themselves in specific times/places and have strong characters who exist within that scope. The above mentioned "Mon Oncle Antoine" is a great example of this - showing the culture and community of rural Quebec in the 40s.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
"Synecdoche, New York" - because it's Charlie Kaufman and I have no idea where it'll take me.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
There's so many of course, but the one that jumped to mind (and these quizzes are all about what comes to mind first - not long thought out perfect answers) is Jacques Demy. He left too soon and I'd like to think he had another "Bay Of Angels" or "Lola" in him (I'll skip mentioning his musicals, because you just can't reclaim that kind of magic).
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Is it too obvious to say Michael Bay? Yeah? OK, in that case I'll still say Michael Bay.
33) Your first movie star crush
I think it may have been Kristy McNichol...I seem to remember liking her in that awful TV show "Family" (or whatever it was) before she moved into awful movies.
1)Your favorite musical moment in a movie
“Miller’s Crossing”. “Danny Boy”.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews. I don’t really know what it is about the guy, apart from his obvious talent. Maybe it’s his ability to make me completely forget that his name is “Dana”.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Very tough one. It’s probably a tie between "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Network".
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
How quickly the "Dark Knight" backlash started. On reflection, I shouldn't have been that surprised.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD, it was “The General”. Finally, I watched “The General”. And mighty impressive it was, and funny, but to be honest at this stage, I’m just glad to have that one behind me.
In theaters, "The Dark Knight". I believe I’ve made my feelings about this movie clear.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
The scene in “The Towering Inferno” when Robert Wagner and his girlfriend are trapped in an office by raging walls of fire, and Robert Wagner wraps some wet blankets around himself, kisses his girlfriend, tells her he’ll be right back, or something like that, runs outside, and is immediately engulfed in flames. Irwin Allen’s reputation is secure based on that moment alone.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
This happens to me with trailers. I’m not sure it’s happened to me with a poster yet.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat. He’s the Asian Steve McQueen.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Probably “El Topo”.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
The one with all the boobs in it.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
“Night of the Hunter”
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
I don’t know Garbo well enough to pick her, but I gotta say, I’m not really a big Dietrich fan. I don’t know whose idea it was for her to do a Cockney accent in “Witness for the Prosecution”, but…bad move, whoever you are.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
I assume you mean in theaters. At home, the best would probably be cheese and crackers, or a sandwich, or something. In a theater, I don’t know…something quiet. A hot dog, I guess. Most vile would be “Mike-n-Ikes”. I hate those disgusting little bastards.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
This isn’t a very original thought, but both Clooney and Hanks would have fit right in.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes. It’s a tough “sit”, as they say, but still, yes.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
"Miami Blues"
"The Serpent’s Egg"
"Team America"
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Ultimate Movie Fun House
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
"Duck Soup"
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I was very impressed with Jason Schwartzman in “Rushmore”.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
I don’t know. I didn’t see more than two, and I liked them both.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Bertolucci. I just don’t like his movies. I keep expecting the world to start agreeing with me. Hasn’t happened yet.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
The original “Black Christmas”. That thing creeps the shit out of me.
PS – Every time you ask this question, months later I think of a film – the same film every time – that I should have listed. Then I forget about it by the time the next quiz rolls around. Whatever this movie is that I keep forgetting, I’m beginning to hate it, even though I apparently find it very underrated.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
I’ve never seen it, though, strangely enough, I have seen “The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat”. Based on that experience, absolutely not.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard, but only because I know his work better.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Paul Thomas Anderson. And I think in his case ignoring the rules means ending his films precisely as he sees fit, even if he knows the audience might react violently.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
“Rosemary’s Baby”
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
"Defending Your Life"
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I don’t really know. I’m looking forward to “Burn After Reading” for obvious reasons, but that’s all I can come up with right now. With “The Dark Knight” behind me, 2008 is looking like a pile of trash next to 2007. No offense, 2008.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
This is the easiest question so far. Kubrick in a walk.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Oliver Stone. Tony Scott. Michael Moore. Probably Richard Kelly, too, even though I liked “Donnie Darko” and haven’t even seen “Southland Tales”, because he seems like such an insufferable little twerp, but since his next film is an adaptation of a Richard Matheson story, I’ll give him another chance.
Oh, and Rob Zombie. I gave you three chances, Mr. Zombie, in my most weasly, indiscriminating horror-fan moments, and you have nothing to offer me. Good day to you. I said good day!
33) Your first movie star crush
Judi Bowker.
Okay -- I'll finally dive in and comment. Thanks, Dennis!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
As the trucks pull away with the gold in Kelly's Heroes, to the joyous strains of Burning Bridges . . .
has any film ever ended so sublimely?
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Ray Milland. He worked with Rickles . . . [see X]
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
12 Angry Men. He cast Klugman, and those other joys. . .
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
The depth of issues confronted by The Dark Knight . . .
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Hayworth. Hayworth Hayworth Hayworth
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: Van Wilder [Unrated]. Forgot to pay the cable bill. Theater: Elegy, with Cruz and Kingsley.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Getting Groucho Marx to bankroll Lost In Space . . .
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
The Meaning of Life
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow . . .
10) Most pretentious movie ever
I am personally responsible for that [thankfully] unidentified piece o' dreck. Hollywood? I could go on for days. . .
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, 'natch. . . .
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Kelly's Heroes . . .
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Hmmmm. Garbo. No easily-understood reason.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: Heavily-salted popcorn. Most vile: brie accompanying wine at the tony city houses. . .
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Demi Moore. If you could call her a "star."
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Sorry, but
yes.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
The Opening of Misty Beethoven,
Kelly's Heroes,
Duck Soup
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Half-Full . . .
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Why, we were just discussing that . . . .
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
JoAnn Pflug in M*A*S*H
Hubba hubba . . .
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
shouldn't this be "just-passed"?
Anyway -- Get Smart? Not sure.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
I'm not familiar with their fine work.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Martin Scorsese
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Gene Hackman
I know that he's wildly celebrated, but he's still underrated.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
No more. No.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Todd.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I would be a fool to comment: I don't know the rules, so I don't know who flouts them.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
The Night Walker
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Wanda Whips Wall Street
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
City of Ember
Interested in some applied Bill Murray. . . .
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
John Lennon. I would then encourage him to make a record or two during the resurrection . . . .
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Tim Burton
33) Your first movie star crush
The broad in the TV production of Babes in Toyland
Hubba hubba.
After that -- probably Hope Lange {I think I had a MILF thing going even then . . . ].
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
"Can't Buy Me Love" in A Hard Day's Night
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
I'm going with Milland because of X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes and Ministry of Fear.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Night Falls on Manhattan
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
How few films I saw theatrically.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Put the blame on Mame. Rita, Rita, Rita.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD - The Ambushers, Theater Re-Cycle.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I liked his version of The Lost World.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Boarding Gate.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung Chiu Wai, although Tony Leung Ka Fai is pretty good too.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Ryan's Daughter.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Did I tell you about the time I met the master? Anyways, I like BVD the best.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Ikiru
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich, mostly for her films with von Sternberg.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
I don't eat theater snacks since the time I worked in a theater, and saw a mouse jump out of the popcorn.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
George Clooney
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Voyage in Italy, Some Came Running and Contempt.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Theater at the End of the known Universe
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The Kid from Spain
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Even though she had been in a couple of films previously, I'll go with Julie Christie in Billy Liar, the film that really kicked off her career.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
The Aurora (Colorado) Asian Film Festival was cancelled.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie has proven her acting chops in both Chinese and English language films. Too bad she's retired.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
The year isn't over yet.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
pass
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Yes.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Howard, no contest here.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Julie Taymor. Across the Universe worked better than how it was described in writing.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
This man's Castle - Homicidal.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Savage Innocents
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela. It's an ethnographically oriented movie, and different from anything else.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
He's not dead, but it would have been nice to let Richard Lester make a film of his own choice. Otherwise, Stanley Kubrick is my first choice.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
I've read that Brett Ratner is a pretty good photographer.
33) Your first movie star crush
Yvette Mimieux in The Time Machine.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Gene Kelly & Jerry the Mouse
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews said “Prunes gave him the runes”
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
I have a tie: Fail Safe and Dog Day Afternoon
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
X-Files: I Want to Believe and how it was totally ignored. What a shame.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Are you kiddin’ me? Rita Hayworth baby!!
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
I re-watched Joss Whedon’s Serenity a couple days ago and last Saturday I was at the drive-in taking in an incredibly raucous piece of authentic drive-in crap called Death Race.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Undoubtedly it has to be The Towering Inferno
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Grizzly
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow baby
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Can’t think of one? But if your talking about Most Pretentious Movie Maker… now we’re talkin’
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Vixen!
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
There are actually two films that I identify certain parts of my life with. Looking back at my early childhood I can identify with, 1988’s Stealing Home and in my 20’s youth I completely identify with 1998’s Free Enterprise.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Garbo
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Flicks chocolate wafers! Worst has to be… hell, is there a worst kind?
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Meryl Streep
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
No Opinion
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
The Great Race
In Like Flint or Our Man Flint
Blazing Saddles
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Sal’s
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The Bells of St. Mary
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Damn you Dennis… This is just too hard. I’m just flippin’ a coin like two-face. Heads for Michelle, tails for Maggie. Michelle it is.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Snoop Dog
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Guitarist Robbie Robertson of The Band
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Definitely YES!
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor “Jor-El, be reasonable” Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I would have to say that Rob Zombie’s last two films “Halloween” and “The Devils Rejects” certainly fall into this category. The question you ask can be interpreted in a couple of ways but I believe your asking a technical question. The right to left & left to right rules have been broken many times in the past but because of elements like early MTV content and the most recent explosion of Youtube, the rules can almost be thrown out the door. But you still need to tell a good story. Or blow up a lot of shit!
28) Favorite William Castle movie
The Tingler
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
If I understand the definition of the word correctly, I’d have to say “Never Cry Wolf” with Charles Martin Smith
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Day The Earth Stood Still. The original is one of my all time top 10 films ever made and I’m very interested in what they do with it.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Sidney Pollack
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Paul W.S. Anderson
33) Your first movie star crush
Linda Blair
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Harry Lime revealed in The Third Man
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Milland's terrific in Dial M for Murder, but Andrews wins the day.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Prince of the City.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
Hellboy II
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth. But if I had to choose just one performance from either of them, I'd take Tierney in The Ghost & Mrs. Muir...
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: The Goonies
Theater: Pineapple Express
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
The Land of the Giants
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
From Hell. Wasted potential as a film, but the poster was cool.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Leung
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Titus
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill!
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
You Can't Take It With You
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: Gummi worms
Worst: Real worms
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
None of them, because they wouldn't get $20 million per picture plus 20% of th gross
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes!
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
1) Matinee
2) The Band Wagon
3) Jaws
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Driftwood
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Mr. Orson Welles in Citizen Kane is pretty tough to beat.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Pineapple Express. This is the type of movie my friends and I thought would be awesome... when we were ten.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Yeoh
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Iron Man, Tell No One
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Redbelt, Mad Detective
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Haven't seen it but why not?
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Woody Allen, because of the completely unique niche he's carved for himself - requiring neither critical acclaim nor box office success, demanding no compromises (but asking the occasional accommodation, i.e shooting in England or Spain), and drawing the top actors and actresses in the world to work for him. He's probably just floating on his rep, and you could argue that the rules are ignoring him more than the reverse, but what other American filmmaker works as prolifically as Allen does with as few constraints on his creative process?
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I plead the fifth.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
It's a cheat, but a necessary one, because The Wire blows everything else out of the water...
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons. Because Fincher's one of my favorite directors, it's got a terrific cast, and the trailer is absolutely beautiful.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Kubrick
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
No one. I could live without seeing another Ron Howard movie, but if he wants to keep working, let him follow his bliss. I just won't line up to see it.
33) Your first movie star crush
Not sure. River Phoenix, maybe.
Speaking of Tong Leung, both Tall Tony and Small Tony are in Ashes of Time, along with Maggie Cheung,
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
There’s thousands! You’re a nutter. One random sample is the “ha ha ha” song sequence from The Wayward Cloud.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
12 Angry Men. All downhill from there.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
Summer movies are for losers. My total tally of summer movies seen: zero.
This is the way to live. Unfortunately, in the line of duty at work, I saw two that I can recall (on a computer display): Hellboy 2 and The Rocker. The biggest surprise was I laughed a few times at The Rocker. (I still don’t recommend it though.) I enjoyed the heavy metal spoof song “Pompeii Nights” over the end credits. It is catchy and good, and satisifies as a well-executed example of that musical genre, and has very humorous lyrics.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Gene Tierney.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD was “Help Me Eros” by Lee Kang-Sheng, a poor shadow of mentor Tsai Ming-Liang’s work. I think in theaters it was “Tell No One”. Not very artsy, but a satisfying, well-executed American-style thriller (but a French film) for Friday night at the movies viewing.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
The hour he stopped making movies. Or ironically, the hour “When Time Ran Out…” ha ha ha ha. Most would say he should have stopped after “When Time Ran Out…” Somebody stop me.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Posters are ephemera to be discarded.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
There are two Tony Leung’s. You could easily dump Tony Leung Ka-Fai from this argument, so you must mean Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. I go with Chow Yun-Fat for his amazing Cary Grant-like versatility in the earlier Hong Kong years. Chiu-Wai is also loved.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
The quest for superlatives is the Achilles’ heel and irritating downfall of online blog film criticism, film Internet discussion groups and the like.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
They are all not that great.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I am me. You are a movie.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
I prefer Dietrich. More spunky. If Garbo loses does she get tossed out of the blogosphere? Quit with the head-to-head smackdown questions, quizzmaster! Move on!
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Ephemera.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Bizarre hypothetical = fan boy navel gazing.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
How about anyone who reads this question must go out and watch it or re-watch it.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
You asked this one before!!
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Bah!
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
I have not reached the stage of maintaining a mental list of Leo McCarey films and prioritizing them in order of preference. I maintain only a vague awareness of his work. (He made a lot of short silent films, including L&H classics.)
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Only answerable by those with a comprehensive mental grasp of the entire history of cinema coupled with an obsessive-compulsive proclivity for subdividing it sufficiently to extract and evaluate the specified performances.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
So many suckers went out to see them. Suckers!
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
I’m watching a Maggie Cheung movie right now!! As I write this!! (Irma Vep).
What a strange coincidence. They both have limitations. Again, what happens if one wins and who really cares?
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
This quiz!
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Try looking at 1988 or 1998 instead. People get lost and blinded in the immediacy of new movies and evaluate them poorly.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Never seen.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
I already told ya I don’t like these head-to-head “filler” questions. I don’t remember off the top of my head who Richard Todd is, and I’m not going to spend time researching it for your crazy quiz! Trevor Howard is fine I guess.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Blaargh. No one’s even close to Antonioni-like rule-breaking or simple exploration of the artistic possibilities of cinema in any of the mainstream movies that is all most people have awareness of. There are such filmmakers today, but it’s just ironic you bring up Antonioni since he was much more well-known than the ones who are worth watching today and instead we are awash in a load of Batman and Speed Racer discussion nonsense, instead of pages and pages of chat dedicated to the good foreign directors working today.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Not my cup of tea. I’m a pretentous snob. He doesn’t fit.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
I’d have to look up “ethnographically”, you pretentous fop!
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
You have been conditioned by marketing geniuses to ask a question as ridiculous as this. Fight the conditioning!! Anticipation has no place in a process of meaningful artistic evaluation. Unplug your TV from the cable or satellite and start living again! You are a slave!
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Fan boy question.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
You’re so mean. I do have answers for this, but I like to let go of my hate and anger and not dwell on it. I do have reactions like you suggest while watching (or being forced to watch at work) their films, but then move on.
33) Your first movie star crush
There were a couple, but I don’t remember. I’m not in touch with my youthful memories yet.
Yay! New quiz!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
"The Penis Song" from MEANING OF LIFE. I'll always turn into an 8-year-old when I hear it.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Andrews. I don't quite get the appeal of THE LOST WEEKEND. Of course, I don't get the appeal of THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES either, but that's what you get.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
NETWORK, but as of a few seconds ago I'm wanting to see this made-for-tv RASHOMON.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That there are otherwise sane individuals who seem to think that THE DARK KNIGHT was some kind of spectacular. Sure, I liked Heath Ledger as the Joker as much as the next guy, but come on.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Somehow I don't seem to have seen Gene Tierney in any films. Or Rita Hayworth for that matter. Heard of both. Tierney's cuter, though. We'll go with Tierney.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
In the theaters, THE DARK KNIGHT. On DVD, MISHIMA, A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Looking at his filmography, did he have a finest hour?
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Pick a bad movie, you have your answer. (Obviously I can't think of anything specific.)
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Pardon my cynicism, but somebody's got to explain to me what the appeal of either HERO or CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is. Seems like all art with no story, but it's got to be more than that, right? Right?
10) Most pretentious movie ever
I'll probably go with something like THE PATRIOT, though most pretentious, probably not. Just can't think of another answer at the time. Or how about THE RETURN OF THE KING. Just thought of that for #23, but you know, got to give these things some time.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. (Only one I've seen.)
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Time for my obligatory FANNY AND ALEXANDER reference. I suppose mostly because it's not highly accessible, and I don't know that an accessible film can really ever represent someone. (I would hope.)
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
You're kidding, right? Marlene Dietrich. Marlene Dietrich. Marlene Dietrich. It's not close.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best- Junior Mints. Most vile- I don't associate these with a movie theater, but somebody said hot dogs and we've got a winner.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
George Clooney.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Absolutely. One of my favorites.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
THE THIRD MAN
L'AVVENTURA
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
(long night)
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
No idea. I'll let someone else name it for me.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
DUCK SOUP.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Just to be different, and because I can't think of anything else at the moment, Falconetti in THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, even though I realize she was a well-known stage actress before that.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
I didn't see it, but INDIANA JONES AND THE KINDGOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL plummeted off the map after it was released, after almost 20 years of buildup.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
See #9. I think I saw Maggie Cheung in something else, though, that actually seemed to have a developed storyline, so I'll pick her.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
We'll go for a 10 year waiting period on these two (for which reason THE LORD OF THE RINGS will not appear in this space). Instead of a film, though, I'll go with Truffaut. Seen a handful of his films, can't find a one that I enjoy.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Just to mix things up a bit, SWEET MOVIE.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Or maybe. I really have no idea.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard played "Aggressive Man in Restaurant" in THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER. And he was in FATHER GOOSE. And that's enough.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Time for my always handy Peter Greenaway answer. I guess ignoring the rules of cinema means making a film because you really have the drive to make it, and the audience or the box office be damned.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I have seen zero of his movies.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
WALKABOUT.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I don't know anything that's going to be coming out, and I probably won't end up seeing anything else for months, so I abstain.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
I'm curious to see how Tarkovsky's dreamt-of HAMLET would have turned out.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
I don't mean to pile on, but if THE DARK KNIGHT is the highpoint of filmmaking for this guy, then Christopher Nolan is the answer.
33) Your first movie star crush
I don't know if it was a JAMON JAMON era Penélope Cruz, or pre 90s Jodie Foster (she's still crush-worthy, I just haven't seen her recent films), or someone else around that time, but you get the idea.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Band of Outsiders.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Ray-Ray.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Dog Day Afternoon. Gritty NY film features Pacino’s best role, and a great script.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
No critics actually lose their lives for failing to gush over The Dark Knight.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Laura vs. Gilda. Tierney’s the better actress.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
Shotgun Stories. Pineapple Express.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
The casting for The Towering Inferno. Can’t believe he got all those names together. As for the movie.....eh....
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Superbad. Smart People. Maybe it’s just a payoff on these titles that I want.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung. Either/both of them.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Battlefield Earth, baby.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill is the only one I’ve seen. And it’s totally trashy fun.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Local Hero.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Garbo for Ninotchka and Grand Hotel.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Jordan almonds, but only in an action flick. The crunching gets way too loud otherwise.
Most vile? Lemonheads, perhaps.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Matthew McConaughey
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Oh yes. Nobody does madmen like Kinski/Herzog.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
The General. M. The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Berle. I’ve heard tell it’s the biggest theatre in showbiz.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Just watched Claude Rains in The Invisible Man (1933).
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Another year without a Pia Zadora release.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Christian Bale.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
How about Dennis Cozzalio for his performance in Animal House? 30 years overdue!
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Not yet.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard. These A or B questions are easy when you’re really only familiar with one choice.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Director: Hmmm. Todd Solondz is an obvious answer, although he hasn’t directed anything since 2004.
What does it mean? Extra footage for the DVD.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Pass.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Seems like the answers are all over the place for this question. I’ll pass till I get a better definition than “the study of a specific human culture”. Isn’t that most movies?
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Brothers Bloom. Wanna see if Rian Johnson has more tricks up his sleeve.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Kubrick. Never made a dull one.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Has to be Woody Allen. Although I suspect you’ll see some George Lucas votes here.
33) Your first movie star crush
Jane Seymour, Oh! Heavenly Dog. Shut up, I was nine.
Q1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
A2) The dance sequence at the end of “Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion”.
Q2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
A2) Ray for his AIP-ness, though Dana was terrific in “The Curse of the Demon” (and “Airport 1975" just couldn’t have happened without him — Bam!).
Q3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
A3) “Network”.
Q4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
A4) “Indiana Jones and the Skulls of Whatever” wasn’t very good.
Q5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
A5) A toss up... how ‘bout Hayworth for appearing in Welles’ “Lady from Shanghai”, and for allowing Welles to appear in her.
Q6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
A6) DVD: “Sleepaway Camp” because I’d been reading about it and I wanted to revisit it... See what I thought of it 25 years later (Cheesy, funny, great shock ending and fine performance from Felissa Rose). Theater: “Tropic Thunder”.
Q7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
A7) “The Poseidon Adventure” undoubtedly. One of my childhood obsessions.
Q8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
A8) “The Devil’s Rain”, any “Jaws” rip-off.
Q9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
A9) Yun-Fat for Woo (Best. Sentence. Ever.)
Q10) Most pretentious movie ever
A10) I dunno... “Out of Africa”? Paul Haggis’ “Crash”? “Atonement”? I know I’m missing the real answer here.
Q11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
A11) “SuperVixens”... “Like I were saying, how does my beautiful body look today?”
Q12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
A12) “Ghost World”... God help me...
Q13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
A13) Garbo for “Camille”... I didn’t get her appeal until I saw this flick, my first Garbo movie.
Q14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
A14) Best: (Real) Buttered Popcorn. Worst: Anything in a package that rattles.
Q15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
A15) George Clooney.
Q16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
A16) Maybe... one day.
Q17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
A17) The Evil Dead, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Thundercrack!... because it’s that kind of theatre.
Q18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
A18) The Ant & The Aardvark.
Q19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
A19) “Duck Soup” makes me very happy.
Q20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
A20) Bruce Campbell in “The Evil Dead”.
Q21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
A21) Sorry everyone, for me it was “Wall-E”.
Q22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
A22) For the first time ever for me in one of these questions... a tie!
Q23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
A23) Paul Haggis .
Q24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
A24) Fabio Testi.
Q25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
A25) Sure, it’s a reflection of a decade.
Q26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
A26) Todd... ‘cause he’s still alive, isn’t he? Any he could Google his name and find this quiz. So yeah, Todd. Hi there, Mr. Todd.
Q27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
A27) David Lynch still... He’s making the movies he wants, and to me that’s ignoring the rules.
Q28) Favorite William Castle movie
A) “The Tingler”. It’s a lot of fun, even though I’ve never seen it in Percepto.
Q29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
A29) “The Long Day Closes”.
Q30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
A30) “Burn After Reading”, because like Hitchcock, everything the Coen Brothers do has something worthwhile in it.
Q31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
A31) No one, because it’s over when it’s over.
Q32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
A32) It’s not really fair to do this based on one film, but based on the (mis)direction of “Mama Mia!” I could do without seeing another Phyllida Lloyd movie. Then again, maybe she’s got something up her sleeve.
Q33) Your first movie star crush
A33) Eric Shea (I was 8-years-old, okay?! See A7)
Couldn't pass up such an interesting group of questions!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
The Madison in Band of Outsiders. I didn't know about it or expect it the first time I saw the film, and I was totally enchanted.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews. One of my first movie crushes!
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Network. Been a LONG time since I've seen it, though.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That Iron Man didn't suck.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD - Saawariya; theatres - The Last Picture Show. The last current release I saw in the theatre was Transsiberian.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Gotta pass this one.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Well, I loved Margot at the Wedding's poster and hated the film. Does that count?
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Anything by Jane Campion other than The Piano. Or, no! Van Sant's Elephant.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! Which is probably the only Russ Meyer movie I've seen, but it's awesome.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Wow, what a question. I identified pretty strongly with Parker Posey in Broken English. Except without the cute French guy part.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Garbo. Some days. No, Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Nachos. Best snack ALWAYS. Although I rarely eat during movies - it's distracting.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
I'd say George Clooney would fit best into the classic star mold, but he wouldn't be comfortable with the contract restrictions (probably wouldn't have let him direct). Would anyone today? So I'll leave out that consideration. Clooney, then, or Nicole Kidman.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Haven't seen it, so I guess...no?
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
It's tempting to choose an obvious set of movies the celebrate (or, uh, something) the movies: Sunset Boulevard, Singin' in the Rain, and The Last Picture Show. Or what about a great bad movie set? Reefer Madness, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Troll 2.
18) What’s the name of your theater?
I'm horrible at naming things. I'd leave that to someone else, while retaining veto power.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The Awful Truth
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I should have a ready answer for this; it's something I usually notice, but my mind's blank.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Too many sequels. Again.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Gong Li. What, that wasn't an option? My bad.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Kwaidan. It may just be my difficulty with Japanese film, but there was only one of the stories that remotely held my interest.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
In a Lonely Place. Okay, it's not really underrated, but for my 2c it's a much better film than either Rebel Without a Cause or Johnny Guitar and should be Nicholas Ray's best-known film.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Why not?
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
No strong feeling on this one.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
The answer to the last part of the question would be a book, or at least a lengthy article, not one I'm sure I could write. But the cinema does still have rules, more so than I think the quote from Antonioni indicates. Perhaps the rules are simply different. On one level, I'd say David Lynch is a fruitful rule-ignorer, following the call of emotional, thematic, and visionary unity (unity might be too strong a term, even) rather than conventional narrative. In another way, someone like Clint Eastwood breaks the current rules by using old Hollywood styles - longer scenes, greater focal length. (Gus Van Sant would be an ever more extreme example of that, but I tend to think he's pretentious, so...) Of course, that's leaving aside foreign directors, who have their own rules, some the same as ours, others different.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
House on Haunted Hill, by default.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
I'm not 100% sure what this means. People seem to be answering it as "favorite movie about an ethnic minority" or "favorite film set in a specific place among a specific group of people." Is any commercial film ethnographic in the sociological-study sense? And in a non-sociological-study sense, aren't most films?
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Synecdoche, New York. I've loved everything Charlie Kaufman has written, and I'm excited to see if he can direct, too.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Krzysztof Kieslowski.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Michael Bay.
33) Your first movie star crush
Humphrey Bogart. But he'd already been dead for 40 years, which is sorta creepy now that I'm thinking about it.
Ok, I'm a long time reader, just a few-time(s) commenter, but I couldn't resist the good Doctor's quiz.
So here goes:
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
The scene in “Day for Night” with George Delerue’s music accompanying Truffaut’s looking through his film books.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
"Dog Day Afternoon"
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That I actually went to see three comic-book movies.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Gene Tierney ... she just seemed more accessible. Probably not, though …
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: “Day for Night” In theaters: “The Dark Knight.” But I’m really going to get out more, really I am. I mean, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” will surely come here to bufu Alabama sometime real soon, won’t she?
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (the TV show, natch)
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
The only one I can think of is “Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull,” cause I really don’t pay a lot of attention to the posters.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung, but of course. Leung has a versatility that Chow Yun-Fat can’t touch.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
“Wild Strawberries” Put me to sleep, and I’m a Bergman fan.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Vixen!, because it’s so, so true to life. I mean, it’s like a documentary … and it’s the only one I can think of.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Well, it’s either “Superman” or “The Man With the Golden Gun,” if you know what I mean.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
God, what a choice, you are diabolical, Doctor . . . all right, all right: Garbo!
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: popcorn. Most vile: Gummy worms
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Tom Hanks, perhaps, or the obvious George Clooney on the male side, and Charlize Theron on the female.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Fitzcarraldo yes, a thousand times yes. Do you hear me, Werner? I vant to have your love-child!
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
“The 400 Blows,” because it’s the most affecting film ever made, and one of the most beautiful to boot
“Ikiru,” Kurosawa’s finest hour.
“The Player,” just because after the first two, we need a bit of bracing cynicism.
There’s not a lot of thematic coherency, here, just movies I love.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
“The Deserted”
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
“Duck Soup,”
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I have no idea.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
That they couldn’t shoehorn in just one more superhero movie
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
God, Maggie Cheung, who killed me along with Tony Leung (see answer above) in “In the Mood for Love”
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
“The Dark Knight”
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
I haven’t seen a movie yet this year that I liked that much.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
No. He always made me jealous.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
God, how would I know? But I’ll take a stab at it: I am always in awe of Wong Kar Wai’s syntactical brilliance; I think “Blueberry Nights” was underrated, it was as purely a cinematic experience as I’ve had in a long time. By the same token, I’m a real sucker for the contemplative cinema of folks like Hou and Tsai and Tarr; I just saw the opening scene of “Satantango” where the cows milled around for 5 or 10 minutes and was in ecstasy. Is all of this breaking the rules anymore, or is it “the rules” that are being broken. I don’t know. These things keep me up at night.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
“The Tingler”: definitely in the so bad it’s … bad category.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
What’s an ethnographically oriented movie?
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
“Synecdoche, New York,” because I want to see what Charlie Kauffman can do as a director, I love Philip Seymour Hoffman, and the concept – admittedly high – just seems so fruitful. Also, I like the word “synecdoche.”
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Francois Truffaut
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Brett Ratner
33) Your first movie star crush
Michelle Pfeiffer … I remember that autumn well, Michelle and I would walk hand in hand through the streets of Manhattan, heads turning to regard the perfect couple. Then she’d put on her “Catwoman” suit, and I’d put on mine, and we’d lap up bowls of milk, side by side … ah, puppy love …
Had so much fun with the Memorial Day quiz, so I'm back for more with less non-answers this time:
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
The opening credits of "Raging Bull". Always gives me chills when I see it.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Ray Milland, although with little enthusiasm.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
"Network" followed closely by "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Prince of the City".
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
Wall*E, which I thought would be a funny robot picture and turned into something considerably sophisticated and profound. The second time in a row this has happened with a Pixar film after "Ratatouille".
Also, I saw more documentaries than big-budget Hollywood movies.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
In theaters: "Frozen River" and "I.O.U.S.A." A double feature. One about family poverty and the other about our forthcoming national poverty.
On DVD: Akira Kurosawa's "Ran". A great movie about how being a not-so-good man or father can come back to haunt you. And if you act like a tyrant, don't be surprised when most of your sons inherit those tendencies.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
"The Swarm". A movie built on the notion of killer bees has to make you laugh just a little. There's nothing more inspiring than watching Michael Caine trying to class up the joint by acting like a pro. He almost makes you believe he didn't do a killer bee movie to pay the mortgage.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Paul Haggis' "Crash" has striking poster art, but...um...I'll pass on issuing another elaborate internet beatdown of this movie. But I will say that the image it depicts is powerful, but the same moment in the film is the lowest of many low points.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung. Mostly due to relating a little too closely to "Hero" and "In The Mood For Love". Chow Yun-Fat is awesome in his own right and we'll all just agree to forget his American movies, okay?
10) Most pretentious movie ever
"Contempt" or anything by Godard.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Saw about a half hour of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" and gave up. Haven't seen the others.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
"The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" Seriously. If you watch it and see just an action movie, you won't get me. If you see a great satire about New York City, you'll know where I'm coming from. The forthcoming remake is movie blasphemy.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich, just for the delivery of the line: "You're a mess, honey."
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best movie snack: Popcorn with real butter.
Most vile movie snack: Nachos with Cheese. The sight of melted cheese makes me want to vomit.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
George Clooney.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes. Definitely. A truly inspiring movie.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
"Bullet in the Head", "The Killer" and "Hard-Boiled". Classic John Woo always gets the right crowd experiencing the joys of cinema.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Chopin, named after the defunct second-run house that was the only theater where I grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn until the mid-80's and is now a Starbucks, of course.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
"Duck Soup"
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane". His performance is often underrated considering how daunting it is for a 26-year old to play an entire life. That he also directed his own performance makes it even more impressive.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Critical debate was just shameful. Every movie involved two sides of group think among critics who, for the most part, didn't bother to make persuasive or thoughtful arguments. It involved either critics raving or panning according to preconceived notions and consensus building or contrarians who spend most of their reviews insulting the other critics and then the audience for loving movies they hate or not getting the movies they love.
Things started out bad with critics giving a pass to the bland "Iron-Man" because of Robert Downey Jr. to both sides of the critical debate exuding pure arrogance for "Speed Racer" to the "Indiana Jones" flip-flopping from fairly well-reviewed movie to completely dismissed once internet fanboys called it "The Worst Movie Ever". Let's not forget the Spielberg apologists coming out in force even when he seems to be doing work that's beneath him.
And, then, finally, "The Dark Knight". Yes, there were critics overpraising the movie. Of course, those internet fanboys who loved that movie and threatened any critics who didn't were, let's face it, insane. With that, you would expect the alternative points of view on the movie to be thought-provoking as opposed to how embittered and resentful of the movie's success they were. I still don't think I've seen anyone review "The Dark Knight", but have seen endless reviews of the idea of "The Dark Knight" that seems to exist in each person's preconceived notions based on the hype but do not actually resemble the movie that Christopher Nolan made.
Anyone want to discuss that movie?
Nuance goes missing. Hyperbole is king. Opposing views on movies turn into high school cliques. I weep a little on the inside. When did my beloved movies get dumped into the same bottomless pit of polarization and irrationality as politics?
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
I'm in love with both women. Maggie Cheung just a bit more than Michelle Yeoh. Cheung and Leung were the couples in two of my favorite love stories. Yeoh is a goddess herself, so let's also try to forget the American movies Yeoh did.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
From 2008: Iron-Man. Forgettable comic book hero cliches bolstered only by the great Downey Jr.
Lifetime: "The Deer Hunter". Thought it was a great movie until watching it again last year. The movie spends the first hour depicting a believable and realistic community and becomes cartoonishly absurd afterwards. Has as many ridiculous coincidences as "Crash".
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
From 2008: "Mad Detective". Johnnie To is putting out 2 movies a year and never seems to run out of imagination.
Lifetime: "Munich" is unfairly maligned and misunderstood. One of Spielberg's best and most complex films that resists his usual tendency to wrap things up too neatly at the end. Sadly, I've seen more people defend his other 2005 movie "War of the Worlds" (which I think is a complete misfire) than this one. I still think "Munich" may be the best movie that deals with the aftermath of how our country reacted to September 11th without actually being about it.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Not really.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
David Lynch, for better or worse. He makes the films he wants, uncompromisingly and with little regard to audience expectations. So, even when he fails and I barely made it through his last movie, I admire him for making it.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Never seen one of his movies. I'll just go sit in the corner now.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
"Kundun". Speaking of criminally underrated movies.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Fincher is one of the rare directors pushing and challenging himself with every film. Also, "Religulous" because we need to get that topic on the discussion table.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Stanley Kubrick. Especially because he didn't make enough films during his last 20 or so years.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
The Three Stooges of Cinema: Roland Emmerich, Brett Ratner and Michael Bay.
33) Your first movie star crush
It's between me, her and the protection order.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
The short list would include Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon drifting in and out of "I'm a Little Bit in Love" in It Should Happen to You; the "Isn't It Romantic?" sequence of Love Me Tonight; Eric Cartman singing "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch" in the South Park movie; "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" and nothing else in At the Circus, Judy Garland singing "Shining Star" in Summer Stock, or "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in Meet Me in St. Louis or "The Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe" and "It's a Great Big World" in The Harvey Girls; and then you get into Fred Astaire and it seems like the sort list is never going to end . . .
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
The Man with the X-Ray Eyes. Actually that picture's probably the main reason.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
To my mind like asking my favorite variety of spinach, but Dog Day Afternoon, I suppose.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
How funny Tropic Thunder was. You go into any Ben Stiller movie with trepidation, knowing how few compunctions he has about reaching for the lowest common denominator, but that was a real belly laugh picture.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Having recently watched the Lubisch Heaven Can Wait I'm particularly Tierney conscious now, but even so, Rita Hayworth. Keeping in mind that in my mind these actress stand-offs tend to devolve into which one would you rather take to bed.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD Payback, if only to get some use out of the HD DVD machine I bought last year. In theaters, Tropic Thunder. See above.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
If it actually happened, getting slugged by Harlan Ellison. I loved The Time Tunnel when I was a little kid. I also loved the first Smothers Brothers Show, the one where Tommy was an angel. This I think tells you more about little kid taste than anything.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
An uncountable number imply that you will be seeing a lot more naked women than you actually will be, and all of these movies would be improved by more nudity.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat, the Chinese James Bond. Of course, Tony is at a disadvantage if you don't watch a lot of movies whose titles don't have English translations.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
The only way Alejandro Jodorowsky loses this is if the Holy Mountain and Santa Sangre vote cancel each other.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster Pussycat, without any great enthusiasm.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
For the first time in years recently I saw Steambath, which was a TV adaptation of the Bruce Jay Friedman play, and I was struck by how much my sense of humor was shaped by it. If you mean something that was actually made to be shown in movie theaters, Chuck Jones cartoons.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich was in two of my favorite movies, Touch of Evil and Witness for the Prosecution, and her performance "You've Got that Look Again" would fall in the long short list of question 1, and I don't think I've ever actually seen a Greta Garbo movie from beginning to end (not even Ninotchka), but Garbo wins the which-do-you-want-to-go-to-bed-with portion of the competition.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
In the theater you can't do better than popcorn, though that has something to do with the limitations of what you can eat sitting in the dark without a table. At home the best movie snack is pork ribs from Phillips' Barbecue. The worst is red vines.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
George Clooney.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
I suppose so.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
My sense of economy says I should make it Duck Soup, It's a Gift and The Awful Truth and poll the audience for the answer to number 19.
A question for a future quiz is, what is your favorite standard revival house double bill? You know, Harold and Maude/King of Hearts, The Big Sleep/The Maltese Falcon, Jules & Jim/Shoot the Piano Player, Dr. Strangelove/Lolita, Lavender Hill Mob/Man in the White Suit, and so on. The most inspired pairing I can recall was Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast and King Kong.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
As a matter of fact I do run my own revival house, in which the programming is brilliant, the hours are very convenient, and the snack bar serves ribs from Phillips. If I had one with a name I'd call it The Hidden Fortress. If I had a baseball blog I'd call it "Throw the Ball to Naturally."
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The revival house results not being in yet, I would pick The Awful Truth as being the one most particularly McCarey's.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Salma Hayek in From Dawn Til Dusk, in a split decision over Uma Thurman in Baron Munchausen, the impressiveness having little to do with acting ability.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Honestly it's been the best summer movie season that I can remember right offhand, not being a big summer movie guy for the most part. More meets or exceeds expectations than otherwise. The Dark Knight didn't impress me, but I wasn't expecting that much out of it, plus it was full-on IMAX in spots and Heath Ledger was as good as advertised. I guess based on reviews Pineapple Express and Death Race (haven't seen either yet), having high hopes for the latter mostly because Ian McShane was in it. Last year was the summer of disappointments, wasn't it? Spider-Man 3, Pirates 3, Shrek 3, all pretty dire in their own way.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Haven't seen a picture with either. Maggie Cheung by the standard criteria.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Frank Miller, who's going to fuck The Spirit up all to hell.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Speed Racer, but of course.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Bakshi is better when he's plagiarizing Vaughn Bode.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Either one could fill a frilly shirt adequately if the need arose. Trevor Howard gets extra credit for figuring in an obscure Lorenz Hart lyric.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Tarantino seems to be a law unto himself. The rules that constrict the most these days seem to be more oriented towards how smart or deep you can be, as opposed formal conventions.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
If he had something to do with Rosemary's Baby, Rosemary's Baby.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
The Gods Must Be Crazy, but I wouldn't call it a particular favorite.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Burn Before Reading, I suppose. Any Coen brothers movie is likely to be fun the first time around, and John Malkovich is in it.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Preston Sturges. Orson Welles if he could also bring back from the dead the footage he'd need to finish Ambersons properly.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Change it from director to auteur in general practice and I'd say Jerry Bruckheimer.
33) Your first movie star crush
"Some time ago I don't know when/I was watching a movie with a friend/I fell in love with the actress/She was playing a part that I could understand . . . " That's Neil Young of course, and from memory. To be honest my own youthful imaginings would more likely revolve around women in dirty magazines than movie stars. I did develop a thing for Kathleen Quinlan based on I Never Promised You a Rose Garden for reasons I don't quite recall. For one reason and another this year one was reminded of Karen Allen of the eyes and the freckles. And I always had a bit of a thing for Mercedes McCambridge in Johnny Guitar, and Joanne Greenwood in the Ealing Studios pictures. This is getting like the musical one.
For the record, I appear to have confused Trevor Howard with Leslie Howard. I just watched Green for Danger myself, too.
Full answers:
http://harpo84.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-slifr-quiz.html
Condensed:
1) The family sings "Fire and Rain" in Running on Empty, James Mason monologues to "Pathetique" in The Seventh Veil, and too many runners-up to count.
2) Milland. I don't know what Andrews looks like.
3) Until a few months ago, Fail-Safe. Now, Long Day's Journey Into Night. Both lie in my top 5 favorite films of all time -- and Running on Empty and Dog Day Afternoon are my top 10.
And yet, he's made so much crap.
5) Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven is perfection.
7) The Towering Inferno
8) Heh: http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/16/161593/13_2008/flirting.jpg
9) Neither.
10) The Seventh Seal. Bring on the arrows ...
13) Never liked the former; never seen the latter. (Yes, yes, I know.)
14) The thing I love most about the PFA Theater is the ban on eating during movies.
15) It's a cliche, but a true one: George Clooney. Female, equally cliche: Nicole Kidman.
19) The Awful Truth
20) Can't think of anything better off the top of my head, so: Truman Capote in Murder By Death.
21) The Dark Knight. The banality of evil, indeed.
22) Prefer Chingamy Yau to both.
23) Since The Departed is already solidly in there, I shall place Raging Bull alongside it.
24) Scorpio (1973)
25) Not seen it.
26) Howard, for same reason as #2.
27) Rejecting "intensified continuity" and holding shots for over two seconds. As for who does it, no names spring to mind ...
28) That he acted in? The Day of the Locust. That he directed? The Tingler (the only one I've seen).
29) Sans Soleil
30) Frost/Nixon, though I'm willing to give Quantum of Solace a try.
31) Yasujiro Ozu.
32) Ken Loach. And please, take John Woo and Jean-Luc Godard with you.
33) I crushed much more on TV stars (mmm, Barbara Bain) than on movies, for some reason. But I will go with Kirsten Dunst in Jumanji -- and no, that's not creepy, as I was 11 when it came out!
Did I miss the announcement that this was coming, or was this meant to be a pop quiz? Either way, here goes:
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
It's tough to beat the moment in Once Upon a Time in America when Henry Fonda's acid guitar riff melds with Charles Bronson's harmonica theme right when they finally come face to face.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
I like them both, but only one appeared in movies with both Anna May Wong (as an extra in Piccadilly) and Rosey Grier (The Thing With Two Heads, of course). Milland wins.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
I love Dog Day Afternoon, Prince of the City and The Verdict, but to my eyes it's all been downhill since 12 Angry Men.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
Given my general disdain for Dreamworks animation, I had almost no expectations for Kung Fu Panda. But I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Sure, it's predictable and fluffy, but it's also a lot of a fun, and a perfect vehicle for Jack Black's outsized personality. It's no WALL*E, but as family entertainment, it'll do just fine.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Still Gene Tierney, just like it was last time you asked.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
Theatre: John Crowley's Boy A. The movie boasts a star-making lead performance by Andrew Garfield and yet another fine turn by one of my favorite character actors, Peter Mullan. Yet it felt too timid in coming to grips with the main character's violent past, as if it was too eager to make him sympathetic to go to the effort of making him complex.
DVD: Death Becomes Her. I watched it for a When Good Directors Go Bad column, and man was it well-suited to the feature. Unfunny and shrill, with lead performances that aren't half as diva-like as they need to be, and effects that were groundbreaking in their time but now come off as dated.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I'm sure Dr. Smith would like me to say Lost in Space, but I can't not pick The Swarm.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Much as I love Fargo, I'd be curious to someday see a movie that was animated entirely with needlepoint.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow's pretty cool, but Tony's one of the great stars of our time- just as cool as Chow, but a much more versatile actor, and with star charisma to burn. And as badass as Chow can be, let's see him pull off the moment in Hero where Tony snatches the arrow out of the air.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
I'd say Cremaster 3, except that Matthew Barney vehemently insists that his movies are actually filmed sculptures or what have you. Which is in itself almost unspeakably pretentious.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Nothing against Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill!, but for me, the only choice is Up!, which is both totally insane and shit-hot brilliant. How can you not love a movie that begins with Hitler getting sodomized then killed with a piranha in his bath? You'd think it would be all downhill from there, but Meyer somehow maintains the madness throughout. It's as close as Meyer came to recreating his id cinematically, and if he made a masterpiece in his career, Up! is it.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I used to recommend Annie Hall to friends as a movie that finally "got" who I was, and I haven't found a better choice since then. So Annie Hall it is.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Garbo was great in her prime and never overstayed her welcome, but imagine what iconic turns we might have gotten out of her in middle age. Marlene wins this one.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Whenever I'm out with my girlfriend we get Buncha Crunch, but when it's just me I'm partial to Peanut M&Ms. I can't abide the Plain, er, "Milk Chocolate" M&Ms, however- without the peanuts the magic is gone.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Well, there are plenty of stars today who might have succeeded as old-school studio stars, but how about a couple who might even have done better under the old Hollywood system? The first that springs to mind is Annette Bening, a fine actress who usually seems slightly ill at ease in her movies, largely because her acting style is more stylized than today's more "realistic" female parts generally call for. It's hard not to imagine her career following a similar trajectory as Rosalind Russell, from whip-smart characters such as Hildy Johnson in her younger years to tart middle-aged character roles as her career progressed. Another possibility is Hugh Jackman, who is generally far better than the action roles he's usually called upon to play. He would have been well-suited to unapologically rugged man's man roles such as those played by Clark Gable in his heyday. If nothing else, working during the golden age of screen musicals would have given him ample opportunity to show off his hoofing and crooning skills onscreen.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes, with a Burden of Dreams chaser.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
If my theatre has a 70mm projector- which of course it will- opening night would be 2001, Lawrence of Arabia, and Vertigo, although not necessarily in that order.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
An obvious one, but I like the idea of naming my cinema "The Lumiere."
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
McCarey directed Duck Soup, but I've always considered that more of a Marx Brothers movie with McCarey manning the camera. For a better representation of his talent, check out the sadly-unavailable on DVD Make Way For Tomorrow, which demonstrates a real sensitivity with actors and a thematic complexity that's rare from any director of any period. That he made The Awful Truth that same year only speaks to McCarey's versatility.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I'm guessing you mean big-screen debut, right? Falconetti is obviously the right answer here, but I'd also like to stump for Andy Griffith's revelatory turn in A Face in the Crowd, which is even more of a shock today than it was when the film was first released. As Lonesome Rhoades, Griffith tempers the character's naked ambition with a cornpone charm (not for nothing is his theme song called "Just Plain Folks") that scarily anticipates this current presidency. It's scary stuff, and I've heard that playing the character so frightened Griffith that he promptly retreated to the safer, more cuddly Andy persona we all know today.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
That in spite of a new studio and a less constricting R rating, M. Night Shyamalan continued his downward spiral with The Happening.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Much as I like Michelle, I'd have to say I've gotten more overall pleasure from Maggie's performances, especially in her work with Wong Kar-wai and Olivier Assayas. Sadly, she appears to be on indefinite hiatus now, so Michelle has plenty of chances to catch up, provided she makes more good movies and fewer The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperors.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Scarlett Johansson must have an awesome agent, because considering how many movies by talented filmmakers she's stunk up in recent years, it's amazing she still has a career at all. Dear Hollywood- can we please make her go away, or at least start casting her only in bad movies so I won't be forced to suffer through any more of her "acting"?
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
I can count on exactly two fingers the movies of movies I've liked in which Anna Faris appears (I'm not a Lost in Translation fan, sorry). But I don't I've seen her give a performance I haven't enjoyed. While I do wish she'd make more Brokeback Mountains as a way to throw a bone to those fans who aren't into the Scary Movie franchise, she's a damn fine comedian, with a sunny and endearing presence. Hell, I'd buy a ticket to see her in House Bunny if I wasn't afraid that would simply encourage her to make more garbage, but that's what Netflix is for, right?
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Uh... not yet?
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Haven't seen much of Todd's work, so Howard by default.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Cinema, especially American cinema, has become so homogenized that most of the movies have had all of their rough spots smoothed out. And while this certainly makes for easier going when you're watching a bad movie, it also makes movies in general far less interesting. So here's to Spike Lee, a director who follows his impulses even when they're not so good. A director who followed a popular comedy concert film with a TV satire that included copious amounts of blackface. Who made the first major Hollywood movie to address 9/11, only to follow that with a misbegotten issues-driven comedy combining such disparate plot strands as Enron, corporate whistleblowing, and fatherhood among African-American men. And who followed his biggest hit to date with a four-hour Katrina documentary that actually pointed fingers and named names. A number of directors nowadays have kept a similar maverick spirit, but of these, Lee's career is easily the most fascinating.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I Saw What You Did is pretty amazing in its way. My jaw still drops every time I see the scene where John Ireland throws the knife at the girl. Part of me wonders how this scene could be real- how it could have possibly slipped past the arbiters of good taste. But thank goodness it did.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman, a movie that takes the archetype of the "noble savage" and turns it on its ear. Director Nelson Pereira dos Santos' film tells the story of a French sailor who's taken hostage by a Brazilian tribe, and as we follow him, dos Santos encourages the audience to identify with the white hero instead of his captors. Consequently, our urges to see him rescued by a formulaic turn of events grows the more indignities the tribe visits upon him. We want him to escape, or for the "savages" to turn noble in order to spare his life, rather than subjecting him to the tribal ritual to which the film's title infers. But it never happens, which makes the movie a gloriously wicked joke on us, as we question the reasons behind our desire to see the white man triumph over his darker-skinned captors, when they were mostly minding their own business until the white man came along.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
With last year's Zodiac, David Fincher made his best film to date, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button seems perfectly suited to his style and sensibilities. In addition, Brad Pitt grows as an actor the more adventurous his roles become, and the character of a man who ages in reverse should give him plenty of opportunities to show off new facets of his talent. There's a small chance this could fail, but I wouldn't bet on it being anything less than awesome.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Orson Welles. Throughout his career, Welles was always experimenting with the possibilities of film, even in his later years with the jazzy editing and kooky fiction/fact hybrid of F for Fake. The mind reels at the thought of Welles surviving to become a godfather to the indie film movement instead of just a patron saint, to see him examining the possibilities of digital video and newfangled editing software, and to have the opportunity to finally make movies in a film culture that revered him as a master instead of merely a has-been who slummed in wine commercials and voiceover work.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Say what you will about Dr. Uwe Boll or Michael Bay- at least with their films you get a sense of the guys making them. Instead, I'd go after the kind of uninspired big-budget hackwork, Stephen Sommers. Remember when he called Van Helsing his dream project because he considered himself "a horror buff"? No self-respecting fan of the horror genre would ever be caught dead enjoying a movie like Van Helsing, much less making it.
33) Your first movie star crush
I didn't start to really get into movies until I was in high school, and back then I didn't really go in for having crushes on the leading ladies. But all that changed my senior year, when a kindred spirit behind the counter at the local video store- one who knew of my adventurous, omnivorous palate- recommended a movie to me and my friends. "It's French," he said, "and you know what that means." The movie was Betty Blue, and from the beginning I was blown away not just by all the sex, but also by the actress who was having all of this sex- Beatrice Dalle. Yeah, I know- I was a weird kid even then. But something about her- whether it was her feral presence, her tempestuous emotions, or her untempered carnality- seemed completely new to me, and therefore terribly exciting. There simply weren't women like that in my world, and that she was in a movie promised something wholly different from my experiences up to that point. Betty Blue was also my first subtitled film, so I suppose I have Beatrice to thank for sending me down the rabbit hole of world cinema. But I'll also be grateful for helping me get through those lonely, anxious teenage years when it seemed like everyone but me was getting action. Even if the world I thought she was promising never quite made it to my neck of the woods, it nevertheless gave me something to help for.
Paul! Does the reissue of the Rita/Gene smackdown qualify as a senior moment?! There are questions I have deliberately done over, but I think this is the first one I've accidentally repeated. And to offer up the same combination-- weird.
And your M&M reverie reminded me of my friend Don, who must have peanut M&Ms during a movie. Just as Tropic Thunder was starting, he held up an M&M that he'd decapped of its candy shell so I could see it silhouetted against the screen and said, "Look, it's Ray Liotta at the end of Hannibal!" A perfect way to get primed for Tropic Thunder laughs, to be sure-- and what other movie candy can do celebrity impressions?
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
First musical number for Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews - Milland was always too British proper for me
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Murder on the Orient Express
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
Didn't see anything but Batman
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Both dressed like cigarette girls in a heart-shaped bed
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
The Ruins/Dark Knight
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
The water scene in Towering Inferno
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
The League of Extraordinary Gentleman
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Who?
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Magnolia
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Criss Cross with Burt Lancaster (I don't think I'm Lancaster but I feel like he does in the movie)
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Rasinettes/chocolate covered gummi bears
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Catherine Zeta-Jones
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
who?
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
The Postman Always Rings Twice, Criss Cross and Out of the Past
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Steve's
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
An Affair to Remember
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Edward Norton
Burt Lancaster
Lauren Bacall
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Dark Knight was cool but just too damned overrated.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Yeoh!
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
The Dark Knight
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
The Bank Job
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
No
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
David Lynch. He's an artist that answers to no one.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
The Whistler
tie
When Strangers Marry
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Planet of the Apes
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
New Bond movie with the forgettable title
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Jules Dassin
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Steven Spielberg
33) Your first movie star crush
This is tough because I grew up having crushes on TV stars. Michelle Pheiffer would be it - but I'd take Wonder Woman first.
oh crap...
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
An Affair to Remember
I didn't think of Duck Soup. That would be the one...
A lot of these questions seem familiar.
It's kind of funny how these quizzes get so many responses. Your fellow bloggers (me included) obviously love talking about themselves, Dennis!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
I've got countless "favorite musical moments" but since I've got Nick Cave on my mind a lot lately (he's on tour at the moment) I guess I'll mention the wonderful scene in Wings of Desire when Cave & The Bad Seeds perform The Carny and From Her to Eternity.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Ray Milland by miles. He was gorgeous and incredibly charming when he was a young man and he could be very funny as well as a great dramatic actor when he needed to. He was in so many terrific (and not so terrific) horror movies and sci-fi flicks that I couldn't possibly list them all but a a few favorites off the top of my head include The Uninvited, Premature Burial and X. He also played one of Hitchcock's greatest villains in Dial M for Murder. I could make the case for Milland all day. He's a favorite.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Out of ones I've seen I'd have to say Equus followed closely by Dog Day Afternoon. I also have great respect for Network and The Pawnbroker but the imagery and performances in Equas have really haunted me over the years and I'm not sure that Al Pacino or John Cazale have ever been better than they were in Dog Day Afternoon.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
I haven't had the opportunity to see any big "summer releases" but in all honesty, besides The X-Files flick and the new take on Brideshead Revisited I haven't had much of an urge to.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Gene Tierney. I like Rita but Gene is otherworldy and one of my favorite actresses.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: Anton Corbijn's Control
In theaters: Sergei Bodrov's Mongol
I liked both movies but I'd probably only recommend them to other Joy Division or Tadanobu Asano fans.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
In television with shows like Lost in Space, Land of the Giants, Time Tunnel, etc.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Independence Day
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun Fat but It's a shame that he hasn't made a good movie in years.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
"Pretentious" is such a loaded and purely subjective term that I flinch when I see it. With that said, I guess I'll mention Wild at Heart even though I like a lot of Lynch's other films. I think he was trying much too hard to say something and show audiences just how ""wild" he was with Wild at Heart and the whole empty enterprise really turned me off. I was so turned off that I stopped paying attention to Lynch's work for a long time but I've warmed up to him again in recent years.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (tie)
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
This could change on any given day but The Misfits (1961) remains close to my heart for many reasons.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Both
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Call me predictable but it has to be popcorn with butter. Without butter popcorn looses it's edge. But I also have a deep love for Red Vines and Hot Tamales.
The worst would probably be Milk Duds. I've just never really liked Milk Duds, but I'll eat just about any kind of candy.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Branjelina. Everything they do in life and on screen seems manufactured, invented and totally contrived to me. I personally can't see their charisma or award winning acting abilities but a whole lot of people seem to love them so I suspect they'd do just fine in the old Hollywood system.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Of course and preferably more than once.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
I'd call my triple bill "A Triple Shot of Fumetto Films" and I'd show the following movies:
Danger: Diabolik (1968)
Baba Yaga (1973)
Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)
18) What’s the name of your theater?
No Cellphones or Children Under The Age Of 12 Allowed
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
I'm not a big McCarey fan and out of the films I've seen he's only made two movies I've enjoyed - Duck Soup and The Awful Truth.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
How about Marlon Brando in The Men (1950)? The role of a paraplegic veteran would be demanding for any actor but it was his first film and you can easily see that he was an incredible talent that was shaking up his costars.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
I had no expectations so I suffered no disappointments.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung. I like Michelle a lot but I love Maggie and she's made better movies.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
My apologies to its legion of fans but I'm going with Bonnie and Clyde (1967). The film has gotten a lot of press this year but I'm still not convinced that it's worthy of all the praise.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Jason Stathom. Someone needs to give that man better roles. Yes, he can kick some serious ass and for my money he's the most believable action star making movies right now but I'd like to see Stathom in more complex roles besides resident ass-kicker.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Of course, but Fritz isn't really my cup o' tea.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
I like them both a lot and Richard Todd's voice makes me weak in the knees, but I've got to go with Trevor Howard.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
These days I think ignoring the "rules of cinema" probably applies to directors who take full control of their films and have very little regard for studios, the publicity machine, audience expectations, critics, the dollar return, etc. Stylisticaly speaking, cinema should be without rules and without boundries.
As for who is ignoring the rules these days, I'd say Peter Greenaway is probably a good example.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Only one? I guess I'll go with Let's Kill Uncle (1966) because someone needs to release it on DVD and I'm hoping that someone with some studio clout reads this and gets it released.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
This question is much too far reaching for me to answer it with one film title.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The horror movie Vinyan is at the top of my list because I absolutely loved Fabrice Du Welz's first film (Calvaire) and I'm eager to see what he does next. This clips I've seen for Vinyan look good and the story seems to have echoes of Don't Look Now (1973) but with a very original premise and feel.
I also have hope for Transsiberian, The Road, Sukiyaki Western Django and Transporter 3. My hopes for Transporter 3 include Stathom kicking lots of ass and showing some ass.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
This is a tough question since I'd like to resurrect a lot of directors so the question becomes what director would WANT to be resurrected and if they were, would they make a good film? Maybe François Truffaut would be my choice. I'd like to see an 80 year old Godard spar with an 80 year old Truffaut over the direction modern cinema has taken. Truffaut died too young and he seemed to love life so I expect that he'd enjoy being resurrected and make the most of his opportunity to shoot another film.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
At the moment, Judd Apatow and he can take Seth Rogen with him.
33) Your first movie star crush
Elvis Presley. He's not a typical movie star but he's the first male I ever wanted to kiss (besides my dad and grandpa). I think I first saw Elvis in Speedway where he was always wearing these cool racing jackets that made him look like Speed Racer and I loved that toon when I was a kid. The leap from cartoon crush to real boy crush was probably an easy one for my little mind to make.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
-Christopher Walken singing "Let's Misbehave" in Pennies from Heaven
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
-Ray Milland
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
-Network. But that may be my favorite Paddy Chayefsky
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
-That someone gave M. Night Shyamalan money to make another movie
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
-Rita Hayworth. Ella es mucho caliente!
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
-DVD: The Princess Bride 20th Anniversary
-Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (I have two daughters, alright!)
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
-Land of the Giants. That show freaked me out as a kid.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
-Star Wars Episodes I,II, and III
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
-Definitely, Mr. Chow
10) Most pretentious movie ever
-Titanic
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
-Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
-Raising Arizona
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
-Dietrich. Don't believe the hype on Garbo.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
-Vive la Popcorn!. Snowcaps are ass-nasty.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
-George Clooney
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
-Fitcarraldo, yes, yes, YES!
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
-Double Indemnity, The Seven Year Itch, and Sunset Boulevard. All Billy. All the Time.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
-Los Feliz
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
-Going My Way
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
-Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
-Hancock
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
-I've had a crush on Michelle Yeoh for 20 years.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
-Seth f*****g Rogen
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
-Believe it or not, Robert Downey, Jr.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
-Not really
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
-Trevor Howard. You've seen Mutiny on the Bounty, right?
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
-Charlie Kaufman. Unfortunately, today it just means making a movie with Brangelina in it. But Charlie has his own set of rules. Even when just the writer, you can spot a Charlie Kaufman film a mile away.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
-Mr. Sardonicus
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
-I'm a big fan of almost all Blaxploitation movies. Cotton Comes to Harlem really stands out.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
-Synecdoche, New York. Charlie of course!
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
-John Houston
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
-Tarantino. Been there. Done that.
33) Your first movie star crush
-Has to be Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher
I love these quizes... I, too, have been lurking for years and had not commented until your last exam.
This time, I posted the answers on my own blog, partly to try and draw a little traffic my way, but mostly so that I could upload a picture of the lovely Brooke Shields to accompany my response to question 33.
I hope you will swing by and take a look:
what-did-i-miss.blogspot.com
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Rebekah del Rio singing the Spanish-language version of "Crying" in Mulholland Dr. I could watch that over and over and over again. And I have.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Pass.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
I have to say Network. Screw subtlety.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
The surge of patriotism I felt on the Fourth of July while participating in "AMERICA, F*** YEAH!": THE TEAM AMERICA WORLD POLICE SING-A-LONG AND CURSE-A-THON - only in Tucson, and only at the Loft Cinema.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Hayworth, not that I know either's work well but because every time I've seen an image of Hayworth I nearly fall down.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
I've been catching up with The Wire on DVD, because I don't do cable or satellite.
We went out for martinis last night then saw Goldfinger which was playing as part of the United Artists 90th Anniversary Celebration - only in Tucson, and only at the Loft Cinema. (I receive no form of recompense from the Loft Cinema; it's just my second home.)
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Wow. I haven't watched any of his stuff in years, but The Poseidon Adventure seems to be the one that sticks out at me.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
I don't know. Do they have one of those really cool Polish movie posters for a really crappy movie?
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Pass. Seen some of their work, but not enough.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
The Dark Knight, to hear the way some tell it.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
A most embarrassed pass.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
According to A.O. Scott, most critics could say this about Sideways.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Pass.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
I'm happy to live in a town with a theater where I can get a slice of pizza and a beer - only in Tucson, and only at the Loft Cinema.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Seems like it has to be Clooney, but maybe your readers will come up with some really clever, insightful ones the like of which I can't come up with.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Still haven't seen.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
I guess Pulp Fiction, Seven Samurai, and 2001, which are pretty much my three favorites (in alphabetical order - though that's going to be a pretty long night...).
18) What’s the name of your theater?
The Discovery.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
OK, Duck Soup is the only one I've actually seen.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
This is one of those questions where I turn my head to desperately peruse my DVD shelves and the first thing I see that qualifies is Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures, which actually isn't a bad answer.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Everything kind of played out the way I thought it would, so there really weren't any big disappointments for me. I expected nothing from Indy 4 (beforehand, I compared it to Michael Jordan returning to the NBA in a Washington Wizards uniform, and I was right), but it was a good excuse for tailgating at the drive-in. My expectations were mostly met: Iron Man was as entertaining as I'd hoped it would be; Hellboy 2 gave me the lighter side of del Toro, with a few touches that only an artist of his caliber could come up with (specifically, the wonderful and dazzling aftermath of the death of that giant tree monster); and The Dark Knightkept me in its grip, but I wonder whether it will hold up in a few years, since I believe the nay-sayers have made a lot of good points.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Yeoh. Leos make me crazy.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Even critics who didn't have too much love for Hancock praised Will Smith's acting in it, but I don't get it - I mean, I always see him doing it - acting, that is.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Hellboy 2 showed us once more the amazing things that Ron Perlman can do while buried under wheelbarrowsful of latex and body paint. And Doug Jones, for that matter.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
The fact that I haven't felt compelled to see it yet, together with Crumb's disdain for it, perhaps says enough.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard was another one of those stalwart character actors whom I remember from every other old movie on basic cable when I was growing up. And then a friend and I went to see Windwalker in the theater, and I remember being blown away by that (though I haven't seen it again since I was 10, so I don't know whether it holds up). And then he was in The Third Man, so I'll say Howard.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Why are you trying to hurt my brain?
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Pass.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Merian C. Cooper's Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life. Simply amazing.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I see a lot of good ones coming up, but since I don't live in NY or LA, I doubt they'll even make it here before next year, so I'm not going to answer.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Whit Stillman - oh, wait...
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Ron Howard, since his EXTRA SCENT TURBO DOUGH OSCAR BAIT always takes attention away from far worthier films.
33) Your first movie star crush
I must have been only 11 when I clipped a small, black and white version of this image out of the newspaper and stashed it away, so even though I wasn't old enough to see her movies, I guess it was Bo.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
The "On Broadway" opening to All That Jazz.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Milland
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Network.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That I only saw one film in the theatres.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Hayworth, I guess. Tough call.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: Lubitsch's The Marriage Circle (working my way through the list of top 1000 films at They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?)
In theatres: The Dark Knight
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I saw The Poseidon Adventure in the theatre as a child, and it's still so vivid, I have to choose that one.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
I'll borrow someone else's line: MOST of them.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tough ones this quiz. I should probably say Leung, but I'll go with Chow.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Ever? Don't know, but Dances With Wolves and The Sixth Sense should be on the list.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!,
extra credit for the title.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
The Philadelphia Story, and Broadcast News.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Again with the impossible! Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: popcorn
Vile: anything that's more properly a meal
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Cate Blanchett
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Sure.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
I don't know if it's ultimate, but the political paranoia trifecta of The Manchurian Candidate, The Parallax View, and Winter Kills
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Can't beat The Demarest. Uncle.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The Awful Truth.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
In recent memory, Kate Hudson. What happened?!
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
The death of Sidney Pollack.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Michelle Yeoh
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
The Judd Apatow repertory company. Good, but really, come on now!
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper, forever and ever.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Oh, sure.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Sadly, not well-viewed enough to say.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Ignoring the rules means lots of bloggers writing about how cool you are for ignoring the rules.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
House on Haunted Hill
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
I don't know, but now I have to go look up that word.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Burn After Reading, because of that cast, and because it's the Coens. Frozen River because it's about time Melissa Leo got her due.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Billy Wilder, although only one more wouldn't be enough.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Ron Howard, who smooths all the rough edges off good material.
33) Your first movie star crush
First, probably Han Solo. But that was before I discovered William Holden.
Hi Dennis,
I've posted my answers at my own site, but I've also copied and pasted them below. I've been reading your online quizzes for some time now, but this is the first one I've answered.
Here goes:
1. Your favorite musical moment in a movie.
The scene in Jacques Audiard's The Beat That My Heart Skipped when Romain Duris drives through Paris at night while listening to The Kills' "Monkey 23".
2. Ray Milland or Dana Andrews.
Milland.
3. Favorite Sidney Lumet movie.
Dog Day Afternoon.
4. Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season.
How I wish I could answer this, but I spent most of my summer locked in a classroom and not in movie theaters.
5. Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth.
This a tough one, but I'd have to go with Hayworth.
6. What's the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
The last film I saw on DVD was Arnaud Desplechin's Kings and Queens, which I found remarkable, particularly in terms of its methods. The last film I saw in theaters was Chris Carter's The X-Files: I Want to Believe. I wanted to believe too, but the film made this difficult.
7. Irwin Allen's finest hour?
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, which I liked a lot as a kid.
8. What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Virtually everything George Lucas has made.
9. Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung.
Leung, because he's the better actor.
10. Most pretentious movie ever.
Difficult to say. As much as I like it, perhaps Anthony Minghella's The English Patient, which received a great send-up in a classic Seinfeld episode. Elaine: "Stop telling your stupid story about the stupid desert and just die already! Die!" Peterman: "Elaine, do you not like this movie?" Elaine: "I hate it! It's so long." (The audience then shushes her.) "Oh go to hell!" Peterman: "You're fired." Elaine: "Great. I'll wait for you outside."
11. Favorite Russ Meyer movie.
I've yet to see one.
12. Name the movie that best reflects yourself, a movie you'd recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, "this is me."
Godard's Breathless.
13. Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo.
Another tough choice. At an earlier point in my life I would have said Dietrich, but now it's Garbo.
14. Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: popcorn. Most vile: after about ten minutes of eating it, popcorn.
15. Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system.
Among bona fide stars, George Clooney. Among others, Randy Quaid.
16. Fitzcarraldo -- yes or no?
Yes. C'mon, it's Herzog.
17. Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
I think this is the toughest question on the quiz. At the moment, I'd select Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel, Godard's Breathless, and George Miller's Mad Max. They are, in one way or another, partly about the surface texture -- the very visualness -- of film.
18. What's the name of your theater?
The Good, the Bad, and the Unseen.
19. Favorite Leo McCary movie.
I've only seen The Bells of St. Mary's, so I can't select a favorite.
20. Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Emmanuelle Riva in Alain Resnais' Hiroshima mon amour.
21. Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season.
That films about superheroes still draw the largest crowds.
22. Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung.
Cheung. See Irma Vep and you'll know why.
23. 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated.
Judd Apatow.
24. 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated.
Jonathan Glazer.
25. Fritz the Cat -- yes or no?
Haven't seen it, so ... maybe?
26. Trevor Howard or Richard Todd.
Howard.
27. Antonioni once said, "I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules." What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Hou Hsiao-hsien, Tsai Ming-liang, or Lucrecia Martel because they can all be wonderfully anti-classical. I think that ignoring the rules of cinema, even now, means partly this, but also such things as confounding audience expectations, fulfilling personalized visions, and continually trying to alter the visual language of cinema.
28. Favorite William Castle movie.
I've yet to see one, but House on Haunted Hill is on my to-see list.
29. Favorite ethnographically oriented movie.
George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead. It's not just about zombies.
30. What's the movie coming up in 2008 you're most looking forward to? Why?
Lucrecia Martel's La mujer sin cabeza, mainly because Martel is more or less my favorite contemporary filmmaker.
31. What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that he/she might make one more film?
Louis Malle.
32. What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
McG.
33. Your first movie star crush.
Karen Allen in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Sorry for the quick answers, but I'm just too busy and your questions are too complicated for me, hubby. But since I missed the last quiz, I thought I'd at least give it a try.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
"Can't Buy Me Love" A Hard Day's Night
"Your Song" Ewan's earnest and sweet rendering of Elton John's song in Moulin Rouge.
"Singing in the Rain" Gene Kelly, pure bliss
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
I am literally afraid of Ray Milland.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Dog Day Afternoon
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
I LOVED "Wall-E." I went to see "Hancock," and it had a superhero in it.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita, only because I can't remember who Gene Tierney is.
6) What's the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD - Joy Division documentary. Amazing.
Theater - Clone Wars with my little girls.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Only Poseidon Adventure
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Space Chimps. Actually, I don't know.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow! Round-headed, sexy, cool.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Distant Voices, Still Lives - zzzzz
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
I'm not going there.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I wish "My Dinner with Andre"
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
No opinion on this.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best - good cookie. Worst - anything with nuts.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Zac Efron.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Not tonight, thank you.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
"Blue Velvet"
"Trainspotting"
"24-Hour Party People"
18) What's the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Comeoninandseethreemovies Cinemas.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
This is the kind of question that makes me feel like I shouldn't even try.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Sam Riley
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Too many superhero movies kept me from the cinema most times.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Yeoh!
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Any superhero movie
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Walker
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Why, no.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Again, why even try?
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Anybody who does only what they want to do and ignores what audiences want would be a true renegade. I agree Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson to some extent. Steven Soderbergh too. Other people mentioned these filmmakers already.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
(Sigh)
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
I'd have to look up "ethnographically" to be sure what you mean, so I'm gonna have to pass.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
"High School Musical 3" because my little girls are so excited about it.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
I don't believe in reanimation.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Michael Bay is the easy answer.
33) Your first movie star crush
Probably either Al Pacino, mostly from movie posters for Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico, because I was too young to see them in the theater. Or maybe Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws. Also had a same-sex crush on Tatum O'Neal, who's about my age.
My first quiz!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
-Tough call, I have a soft spot for musicals and musical sequences. I'll have to go with the epic ballet sequence in Powell & Pressburger's The Red Shoes. It really elevates the musical experience to something more than song and dance, more than theatre. Most of my other favourite musical moments that came after, owe so much to this beautiful and daring sequence. I watched the film often as a child, and rewatching it for the first time in nearly a decade a few years ago, I realised how clearly these images had been branded in my memories. It inspired my love for musicals, fusing fantasy, memory and the horrors of reality in one singular and beautiful sequence.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
-I don't have anything against Milland, but he's one of those actors that I easily forget. Never particularly bad, he's also never particularly memorable. Dana Andrews though is a wonder to behold. Masculine and neurotic, he is refreshingly modern in whatever context you put him in. Some performers seem to fit their time period, and Andrews is one of the few who always managed to trascend it. His best performances highlighted his strong blue-collar looks, with that aching neurosis boiling under the surface. He's the everyman with brains and imagination, and he always seemed to have a deep understanding with his character's struggles and dillemas. Though Laura is my favourite of his performances, he's equally good in Preminger's Where the Sidewalk Ends, where he plays a cop who accidentally kills a murder suspect. Also with Tierney, it's often overlooked, though it ranks among the best film noirs I've seen.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
-I've seen very few Lumet's surprisingly, and none jump out at me as being among my own personal favourite... hopefully that'll change sometime. I'll choose Dog Day Afternoon because it's my favourite Pacino performance and it's coursing with this incredible rebellious and "I'm not gonna take it anymore" (pun unintended), attitude. It's a very simple story, not only narratively, but in terms of location and scope elevated by the filmmakers passions. I think it still speaks to a great deal of people who are struggling, or somehow unsatisfied with their below/middle class existence.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
-The cult following Speed Racer seems to have acquired, despite it's lackluster performance at the box-office.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Both are beautiful, but I'm giving the edge to Tierney... though, I haven't seen Hayworth's signature performance yet, so take it with a grain of salt. Tierney is not only the sexiest woman with an overbite, but she could play with poison when she wanted. Though held up as the ideal woman in Laura, there is always something disquieting about her perfection and actions that scream vanity. I also love her twisted, almost campy turn in Leave her to Heaven. Throwing herself down some stairs was great, though my favourite scene has to be her on that little boat with her sunglasses. ICY! She's also sweet and perfectly loveable in Heaven Can Wait, it's no wonder Don Ameche fell for her so hard.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: On the Town
In Theatres: The House Bunny
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I don't know who he is :(
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Though I appreciate and understand Haneke's efforts with his recent American reboot of Funny Games, the film is very cold and lifeless. The poster is more heartwrenching than any moment in the film, and I almost wish the film itself could have tapped into that humanity.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tough call, so tough, I'm choosing Tony Leung because I have a crush on him.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Ummm... no idea
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
I love Russ Meyer, and though Up! is his most fun venture, I adore Beyond the Valley of the Dolls beyond any reasonable or rational levels. It's brilliant.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I've actually wondered a lot about this, it would be much easier if I could choose ten films, but alas! I think if pressed, I'd choose Band of Outsiders. It embodies both the people and lifestyle I exist, and one I almost aspire to. Of course, I don't engage in pety crime, but the style, the adventure and the sheepishness of the characters never fail to remind me of myself. A lost lamb guided by cinema. I feel so much kinship with Odile, though I could only hope to be as pretty as she is.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Impossible to choose, I think I have to say, I choose Garbo the actress, and Dietrich's films. There are maybe 2 or 3 actors in the history of cinema who can compare to the presence and beauty of Garbo. Her films could never live up to her presence though, and while she has a few great films (Queen Christina, Camille, Flesh and the Devil), none are true masterpieces, and would no doubt be forgotten were it not for her spellbinding screen presence. Dietrich is no less an actress, missing only that one in a trillion quality that Garbo had. Her films are better though, luckily for her, Sternberg a master of light and oppulance to a liking to her. Films like The Scarlet Empress, eclipse anything Garbo has done, though she never had the chance. I'd have credited this solely to Sternberg, who himself was entranced by her, but she would prove (especially later in her career), that she was not a one trick pony. I especially lover her performance in Welles' Touch of Evil, so delicious. I think I could watch Garbo comb her hair for hours, and be entranced, but I think I have to give a slight edge to Dietrich, who just made better films.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
I love popcorn, even though I hate how it gets stuck in my teeth. I hate most candy, so that.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Interesting question, I'd put two, George Clooney (the Cary Grant comparisons work, I see him doing screwballs, serious dramas and war films, he might only be out of place in a western though I'd be happy to be proved wrong), and Carice Van Houten (she has the look, and I love my classic stars with a foreign edge).
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
I haven't seen it :(
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
In high-school, me and a friend would waste away science class planning the ultimate revival theatre. It was tons of fun, and I wish I could remember what our opening night was.
The first night is tricky, I think I'd start with a big name film that would draw a wider audience, and then move to films more representative of my own taste, and desire to create a repertoire that skirts away from the obvious contenders.
I'd open with The Third Man. It's popular enough to garner interest, and balances darkness with a sly and ironic sense of humour that is very appealing. It's a good way to start an evening, in fact, I think I'd be a better person if I could start every night with The Third Man.
Second up, something a little more bouncy, filled with a joie-de-vivre that is incomparable, I'd go with Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise. The film is sophisticated, smart and has wonderful visual touches. It's a light comedy about the complexity of human relationships, and it works on both levels. It seems like a fitting middle-ground.
Third up, ooo... I don't know what I'd finish off with. Something dark? Scary? Sexy? Sexy :p Baby Doll, the best of the best when it comes to Tennessee William's adaptations the film is hot and heavy. I know if I were on a night on the town with my loved one, I'd love to end off my evening with a sharp comedy, matched with some of the steamiest love scenes to hit the screen. I know I'd be in a good mood leaving the theatre, a lovely evening on the town, and an equally good evening at home.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Blue Angel
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Another favourite director of mine, on some days, the Awful Truth is my favourite film so I have to go with that. It's just so vibrant, clever and beautiful. It's a classic comedy about misunderstanding and relationships, but it handles the comedy with so much humanity that it feels more real than real. It's perfect.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Another toughy, I think I'll go with Q'orianka Kilcher in the New World. Especially considering how young she was, she brought the film to a new level. The nuance and intelligence of her performance is incredible, especially the growth she makes as a woman.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Pineapple Express.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung, if only for In the Mood for Love.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
I never know what to say for this
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Ditto.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Another I haven't seen, but I've been meaning to.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
I have to abstain, I haven't seen any of Todd's work.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Tough call, and so dependent on what avenue and continent you're working with. What is taking risks and breaking rules in mainstream American cinema compared to European, or Asian arthouse? I'd argue a film like The Dark Knight, is breaking the rules of the conventions of comic book films, and general mainstream cinema. Then again, compared to something like Inland Empire, that breaks all the rules of a popular "conventional" filmmaker (I say conventional, excluding experimental filmmaking), it's so trite and by the books. I'd have to give this a lot more thought, very difficult question.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I'm surprised to say, I haven't seen any of his work.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Again, seems so broad, not quite sure how to answer it... Grey Gardens seems somehow appropriate.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Curious Case of David Button, for many reasons. I was first grabbed by the trailer, which is positively enchanting, the fact it's based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of my favourite authors certainly helps. Finally, Fincher's Zodiac really put him on the map for me, an incredible film, I only hope he achieves the same level of intelligence and interest as he does there, perhaps even surpassing it.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Michael Powell
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Frank Miller.
33) Your first movie star crush
Paul Newman
Ah, once more into the breach...
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
This answer varies from day to day, but for right now it's the part in Once when the guy is singing "When Your Mind's Made Up" and goes into that wordless keening part, with the girl's voice right there alongside. Never fails to make me shiver.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana, but only due to my being a Laura fan. But hell, that's as good a reason as any, right?
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
I like the one involving the court case.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
I wasn't expect Ben Stiller to take a back seat in his own movie. His movie career is full of "guy stuck in wacky situation" type films, but in this one, that wasn't so much the point - I was more into the situation than the Stiller character's reaction to it, and that was a truly welcome surprise.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
How is it possible for me to praise Laura in an earlier post and then side with Rita on this question? Two-word answer: "Me, decent?"
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: Sweet Smell of Success. Fantastic cinematography of '50s New York, never more Big Apple than here. The best work of Tony Curtis's career. And dialogue that's too bent to ever get old.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Getting Paul Newman and Steve McQueen to agree to be in the same movie, something George Roy Hill couldn't do when they were casting Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
The Last Woman on Earth - http://www.oldies.com/i/boxart/large/40/089218409294.jpg
The Sin of Nora Moran - http://www.internationalposter.com/pimages/USL09535.jpg
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Last Year at Marienbad. It's foreign, it's black and white, it's got dialogue like this: "Empty salons. Corridors. Salons. Doors. Doors. Salons. Empty chairs, deep armchairs, thick carpets. Heavy hangings. Stairs, steps. Steps, one after the other. Glass objects, objects still intact, empty glasses. A glass that falls, three, two, one, zero. Glass partition, letters." And people who love it are often smug about doing so. I refuse to believe any other film could be more full of... uh, pretense.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
BVD
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I suspect that in twenty years I'll be Lost in Translation. Until then, I guess I'll be High Fidelity.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Marlene. She looks better in a tux.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
I'm partial to Junior Mints and cannot for the life of me understand the appeal of Twizzlers.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
I think Brendan Fraser. He's eye candy who performs with dignity in trash, can surprise you on occasion, and keeps his head down and his mouth shut and his mug off the gossip pages.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes! If no Fitzcarraldo, no Burden of Dreams and the chance to see among other things, Mick Jagger acting on the big screen once again.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
"What's Opera Doc," "A Night at the Opera," and "Phantom of the Paradise." THAT oughta get the toes a-tappin'.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Dollarodeon.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
It can't not be Duck Soup. Anyone who could cut out the piano solo, the harp solo, AND Zeppo's love interest knows exactly what he's doing.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Orson Welles in Citizen Kane. Absolutely no contest.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Pierce Brosnan's singing voice in Mamma Mia.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie, for being named Maggie.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Sh-Sh-Sh-Shia!
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Jeff Bridges once again, for being a believable bad guy in Iron Man and not getting a tenth of the credit Robert Downey Jr. (deservedly) got.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Hell yes! It's got two uninterrupted minutes of "Bo Diddley," plus the title cat is voice by Skip Hinnant, who was one of the lead actors on The Electric Company. You haven't lived until you've heard Fargo North, Decoder, saying, "Go **** yourself."
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Try as I might, I just can't bring myself to care. So shoot me.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I think it's a toss-up between Richard Linklater and Steven Soderbergh, who seem to be able to juggle eye-candy movies with movies truer to their hearts and give them both some meaning that doesn't show up in other films.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
This is totally cheating, but I'm going with one he produced, Rosemary's Baby.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Could you please repeat the question?
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I guess Revolutionary Road, on account of I think Richard Yates (who wrote the novel it's based on) is such a great writer.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Charles Laughton. The Night of the Hunter was his only film, and it was so wonderful, but he reacted badly to the bad reviews it got. If he could come back now and see how much it's praised, I'd like to see what he'd do to top it.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Joel Schumacher could have died a quarter century ago and American culture wouldn't have suffered a bit. He's late into his career now, but you know what they say about it never being too late to quit smoking.
33) Your first movie star crush
Remember Michelle Meyrink, the girl in Real Genius? I sure do...
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
In an effort to include as many choices as possible, I shall categorize.
Music score – The swell as Judy is revealed looking like Madeline in Vertigo.
Opening credits music -- Anatomy of a Murder, Duke Ellington
“Found Music” moment -- The Gipsy Kings playing “Hotel California” as we are introduced to Jesus Quintana in The Big Lebowski.
“Found Music”, newly performed – “Colonel Bogey March” in The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Movie musical – “But Mr. Adams” from 1776. Wish they were in better tune, though.
Hypothetical musical moment – I would love someday to see The Passion of Joan of Arc along with a score using the Albinoni “Adagio in G Minor” that it says is supposed to accompany it.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
I’ve only seen Ray Milland in roles as heavies, and he seemed fine in them, but he has never made much of an impression on me. Perhaps it’s just my inexperience, but I’ve liked Dana Andrews a lot in several films (especially Laura), so Andrews it is.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
I don’t know that it’s his best, but my favorite has to be Twelve Angry Men. It’s a simple idea, with a simple legal case (it includes most of the top 10 clichés of court case movies), but it’s wonderfully acted and brilliantly filmed. The room feels like it’s 5’x10’!
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That it wasn’t hot enough for me to rationalize spending 3 hours in an air-conditioned theater more than once.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Still going with Gene Tierney – but added Rita Hayworth to the queue.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Someone mentioned their dislike of Ken Loach’s films – this is the only one I’ve seen, and if it’s any indication, I’d vote for lots more!
In theater: The Dark Knight, last night! (Really, it was awfully hot yesterday!) I enjoyed it, and have trouble understanding both those who have placed it on a pedestal and those who think it’s trash. I was a little surprised at the writing – when I can guess the next line of dialogue several times in a film, I figure it needed a little more thought.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I don’t know if he has a whole hour, but I can think of a couple of good moments in The Poseidon Adventure -- the guy falling through the glass ceiling (and there’s a Christmas tree that falls too, isn’t there?), and finding the upside-down urinals. I saw this film with some German friends once, and there was one point during the scene where they have to swim underwater to go on when my friends all started laughing because Pamela Sue Martin straightened out her skirt before swimming in front of the camera – apparently they don't do that in German films.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
I just don’t pay enough attention to posters, I guess, so I’ll go with one from my childhood I’ve mentioned before -- Island at the Top of the World.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Apparently I have never seen a Tony Leung film, either one of ‘em. So, Chow by default!
10) Most pretentious movie ever
The Tango Lesson, directed by Sally Potter, written by Sally Potter, starring Sally Potter. In a world filled with great tango dancers, you get to watch – Sally Potter.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
I have not seen any, and would probably not admit to it if I had. : )
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I am proud to say that no film I have seen has ever come very close to reflecting who I am. Lately, though, I’ve been feeling an awful lot like Stephen Root’s character in Office Space.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
I haven’t seen enough of Garbo, and I’ve liked Dietrich in everything (most recently Stage Fright), so Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
My favorite is popcorn, with just a little of that stuff they call butter on top. Never understood the appeal of Good & Plenty – do they still make that stuff?
I had totally forgotten about Flicks! Used to love those things …
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Cate Blanchett is consistently great and versatile, plus she’s already played an iconic studio era actress – so Blanchett it is!
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
“Ich will mein Opernhaus!”
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Last time, I believe it was two – so I can add one more to my Evening of Ealing pair, Genevieve and The Ladykillers! Hmm … The Captain’s Paradise should be seen more.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
It looks like the Whiteside (my answer from last time) might just come back from the dead! So I need a new one. How about the Santa Maria? Always looking for new worlds here …
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup seems like it’s in orbit to me, so I shall pick my favorite from the rest -- Ruggles of Red Gap. Yeehaw, yip yip yip!
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Julia Roberts in Ocean’s Eleven.
Oh, OK – it looks like, apart from a small role in Popeye, Linda Hunt’s first film role was in The Year of Living Dangerously.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crushed Dreams
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Once again, Yeoh by default.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
According to IMDb’s Top 250, the best film of all time is The Shawshank Redemption. I enjoyed it, but come on. It doesn’t have the “just released” boost either – almost 15 years old now.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Joe Flynn. He was so good in those Disney films in the 70s, admittedly playing the same character every time – but he did it awfully well.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Never seen it. According to the IMDb page, if I like it, I’d probably like City of God -- so maybe.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
With Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney already options in this quiz, I can’t help but think that Clifton Webb ought to be one here! I like him a lot, but I’d still have to go with Trevor Howard, one of my favorite character actors, with his role in The Third Man being the one I think of first.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Ignoring the rules – using live action when you could do it with CGI.
Does anyone do that any more?
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Haven’t seen any – but he was an associate producer of The Lady from Shanghai?
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
I suppose The Wizard of Oz doesn’t count. Hmmm … West Side Story.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I don’t even know what’s coming up except for Burn After Reading, so I guess that’s it, although the previews have me worried. Someone mentioned Burn Before Reading, which actually sounds like a better movie to me. : )
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Alfred Hitchcock.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
No one, really – I seem to be pretty good at avoiding films I don’t want to see. But that’s not much of an answer, is it? How about whoever directed Norbit? … Ah, it is Brian Robbins, and an unimpressive resumé it is. I’ll vote for him.
33) Your first movie star crush
What can I say? It was Julie Andrews, spinning on a mountaintop.
Dennis,
I missed the last one of these so God help me, I won't miss 2 in a row. Answers follow:
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Equally divided between two non-traditional and pretty batshit musical moments- Denis Lavant's timed run down a city street to the tune of Bowie's "Modern Love" in Carax's "Bad Blood" and the quick break into song in "Southland Tales" with Justin Timberlake lip-synching The Killers "All These Things I've Done" while candy stripers move in unison in the background. Both are bold and brilliant.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews for "Battle of the Bulge" alone.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Funny question. I just spent the last 5 months or so catching up on 38 of Lumet's 45 films. Best of the bunch has gotta be "Prince of the City". It justifies my love for the police procedural and gives so much detail about working class cops that it bleeds off the screen. No one has done police corruption quite as magnificently.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That some of my local theaters were able to spare at least ONE screen for films like "My Blueberry Nights"and "Inside".
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Hayworth.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD- Working my way through the canon of Louis Malle, so watched his 1963 film "The Fire Within". "Tropic Thunder" was in theaters.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Wow.. digging up some cinema obscura here, huh Dennis? Of the ones I've seen "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" was a fav as a kid.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Great question, but I've pondered on it for over an hour now and can't recall one. I don't pay attention to movie posters very much.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Yun-fat will probably get lots of love on this one, but damn Leung is so f'in cool on film its not even funny. And c'mon... he's gotten to tangle with some of the most gorgeous Asian women on-screen- Wei Tang in "Lust Caution", Gong Li and Zizi Zhang in "2046" and Maggie Cheung in "In the Mood For Love". Ooops, did I give a later answer away already?
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Anything by Bela Tarr. I'm all for the long shot, but holding a camera on a dog as it eats trash in the street for 6 minutes is insane. I could do that and win awards.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
"Mudhoney" Caught this on TCM Underground and loved it.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
"The Adventures of Sebastian Cole"-it captures the time and place that I grew up in so vividly with some family drama thrown in for good measure.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich. Mmmm.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Whoppers. I'd buy them more often if they weren't $7 a box at the theater. I improvise and bring in my own sometimes.
Most vile- pickles. PICKLES! Why would anyone want to munch on a smelly, juicy cucumber thing in a movie theater. It's beyond me. Even the smell when someone walks in with one makes me sick. Theaters really need a pickle section and a non-pickle section. I could go on for hours about this...
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
I'm a fan of Charlize Theron and could certainly see her all dolled up in MGM musicals and westerns. I bet she has one helluva femme fatale role in her as well.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
One of my least favorite Herzog.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Films That Time Forgot-
The 60's: The Naked Kiss (Sam Fuller)
The 70's: Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa)
The 90's: Laws of Gravity (Nick Gomez)
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Let's go with the obvious as above: Films That Time Forgot Revival and Draft House
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Well jeez... I feel so uncultured now. Of the 110 films he apparently made, I'll go with "Duck Soup"
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Emily Watson in "Breaking the Waves"
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Indiana Jones and the blah blah blah movie
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Already tipped my hand on this one, but Maggie Cheung. I dare anyone to see "Clean" and not come out blown away by her sexiness and intelligence.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
So far, it would have to be comic book movies. Please....enough.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Great supporting, I mean LEADING, actor turn by Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor". I highly doubt he'll get anything for it though.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Yep.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
This one had me scampering to IMDB. Based on film credits, Howard.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
First, ignoring the rules today means going out on a limb for your artistic visions. Some directors are lucky enough to be confined within the studio system (Fincher, Aronofsky, Anderson) and still able to spin a personal vision on-screen, however sucessful or unsuccessful they may be. Other directors have to claw and fight for every scrap of independence- so I guess not much has changed in 70 odd years? By those standards, directors like Richard Kelly and Steven Soderbergh would be the rule-breakers IMO. Directors that face adversity in distribution ("Che" and "Southland Tales") and come away with small victories by keeping a majority of their vision intact.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
"The Old Dark House". Still gives me chills
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Anything from Ousmane Sembane. You feel immersed in the cultures and rituals of his native Africa like no other filmmaker. Renoir's "The River" is a close second.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I haven't been a fan of Baz Luhrmann before, but "Australia" looks terrific.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Truffaut. In this day and age of some pretty damn good French cinema (which he contributed directly to), I'd love to see what he'd do with a film starring Mathieu Amalric.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Kevin Smith.
33) Your first movie star crush
First one I can remember was Elizabeth Shue in "Adventures in Babysitting". And lucky for me she looks just as good today as she did twenty years ago!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Do rock 'n' roll concert movies count as movies? Then: a) Rick Danko and Janis Joplin, drunk off their asses, singing "Ain't No More Cane on the Brazos" w/ Gracia on guitar in "Festival Express" or b) Neil Young slurring, "I got it now Robbie" and reeling into "Helpless" in "The Last Waltz" - with Joni Mitchell singing backup in silhouette.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Ray Milland. He did handsome but tortured like nobody's business. He was Bulldog Drummond, for goodness sake!
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Not really my thing, but I'll go with "Serpico".
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
I didn't see any of it - that's not a surprise - so I'll have to wait until the season comes out on DVD.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth. Gene may have been a better actor, and was in "Shanghai Gesture", she was a touch too swank. Rita seemed more down-to-earth - "Covergirl"!
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD, "Stardust", which I liked more than a lot of fantasies I've seen lately. In a theater, "The Maltese Falcon", which is the same answer as the last time I took this quiz. I don't go to theaters often.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I guess I'll have to say "Lost in Space", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "Time Tunnel", or one of those Sunday night SF TV series. I don't think I've seen any of his disaster films, but I watched all of the series, even "Swiss Family Robinson".
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
I don't see many movie posters these days. Shouldn't this be about the movie promised on the cover of the DVD?
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow, for superior gravitas. Leung seems like more of a pretty boy.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Andy Warhol's "Empire" is a single 8-hour shot of the Empire State Bldg. Is that pretentious enough?
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
All of them! But I've only seen BVD.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, "This is me."
You know, "Almost Famous" could be my life story, if, like, nobody was fact-checking.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich. Garbo can be such a stick.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Since I don't go to theaters much, I'll take this to mean at home. The best is ice-cream - I like butter brickle with a shot of bourbon on top. The worst is salad or guacamole dip. Not really vile, but the salad is too noisy to hear the movie over, and you have to look away from the screen while dipping, or you get guac all over yourself.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
George Clooney - he just looks like a classic studio star. He's even related to classic studio stars.
16) Fitzcarraldo - yes or no?
To date, no.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Didn't we do this? Guess I'll open a chain of theaters. My last theater featured obscure and hard-to-find movies. This one will do crowd-pleasing slapstick, romantic comedy, action and kung fu. Let's see:
* Mad Wednesday (Sin of Harold Diddlebock)
* Prisoner of Zenda (w/ Ronald Coleman)
* Come Drink with Me (early Shaw Bros. Kung Fu)
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in)
The Local
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Probably "Duck Soup", but I'd like to say "Ruggles of Red Gap".
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Did Christina Ricci debut as Wednesday in "The Addams Family"? Her looks were perfect for the role, and it set the kooky yet dark tone of her future career.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
That I didn't see any of it?
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Ms. Yeoh. Her beauty has a depth and dignity that Maggie can't match. It is close, though.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Going to see movies in the theater.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Keanu Reeves - no wait, Keanu Reeves in "Johnny Mnemonic". Not as dumb as everyone says he is.
25) Fritz the Cat - yes or no?
Not the movie, no.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
I don't think I've seen Richard Todd, and I always get Trevor Howard confused with Leslie Howard, and, for some reason, Roland Young (who I get mixed up with Ronald Coleman). Pass.
27) Antonioni once said, 'I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules." What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
It seems like the only rules that don't get broken these days are technical, like continuity, eyeline matching, synched dialog. To see these rules broken, you have to look to the work of the old masters like Ed Wood, Coleman Francis, Ray Dennis Steckler...
28) Favorite William Castle movie
"New York City World's Fair" - wait, that a Castle Films film, not a William Castle. OK, "The Tingler", even though I saw in on a bootleg tape that cut off the last few minutes.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
You know, almost anything shot on location more than 25 years ago could be ethnographic. For example, "Gidget Goes to Hawaii" has some great shots of Waikiki's growing skyline, and "Ma and Pa Kettle go to Waikiki" has a nice hula by Hilo Hattie. But I think "The Valley (Obscured by Clouds)" fits the bill best, an almost documentary look at New Guinea and Hippie tribes.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
"Forbidden Kingdom" (Jet Li/Jackie Chan) or "Mummy III" (Jet Li/Michelle Yeoh/that big dumb guy). And all the other summer films I didn't see in the theater.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Can I get Buster Keaton? He didn't really get to direct anything after sound, and I'd love to see it. Also, I just want him alive again, even if the film stunk.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
You know, I don't have to watch the ones I don't like, and anyone might make a good film, if only by accident...
33) Your first movie star crush
Am I the first one to say Haley Mills? There can't be many men my age answering, or it would be unanimous. I watched "The Castaways" recently and she was as gorgeous as I remember.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
The circular kiss in 'Vertigo' carried by the Bernard Herrmann score.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Milland is a lot more fun. Most underrated actor ever.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
'Dog Day Afternoon', also the best and most nuanced Pacino performance.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
The enormous quality of 'Iron Man'. I expected to like it, only not that much.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Hayworth.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
Last movie I saw on DVD was 'Haxan: Witchraft through the Ages'. On theaters, it was 'Doomsday'.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Who's Irwin Allen?
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Tough one, but I came up with the perfect answer - 'Cloverfield'.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
'Donnie Darko'.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
'Faster, Pussycat, Kill, Kill!'
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
'Vertigo'.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Nachos are the best. Movie candy is usually not very good. I'm kind of hungry right now.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
George Clooney, definitively. See, in 'The Good German', he's the only one who blends well into the era.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes, it's great. What's there to argue?
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
'Psycho', 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'Audition'... Slow descent into madness.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Barton Arms.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
'Duck Soup'. Pretty much goes without saying.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I always loved Shirley McLaine in 'The Trouble with Harry'.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
That thing they tried to pass as an Indiana Jones movie.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Well, if someone liked it, then 'The Happening'. I'm pretty sure none did, though.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
'X-Files'. Good reunion movie.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
The movie? Yes!
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
I had to look these guys up - Howard because of 'The Third Man'.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Takashi Miike is the most rebellious director working today. I think the rules of cinema that can be broken don't have anything to do with defying the narrative aspect of movies anymore. It has to do with our expectations about what can and cannot happen in a movie. David Lynch, too, challenges our idea of how to approach movies. Even while making a narrative, he makes movies that are in fact puzzles and demand second and third viewings.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I'm partial to 'Mister Sardonicus'.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
What the hell does that mean?
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I really want to see 'Burn After Reading' lately. And 'W', of course.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
I'd love guys like Otto Preminger or Sam Peckinpah to take advantage of the more permissive aspects of Hollywood nowadays. What I'd really like to do, though, is ask Hitchcock if he likes 'Silence of the Lambs' and how does he feel the thrillers have evolved.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
M. Night Shyamalan, of course.
33) Your first movie star crush
Michelle Pfeiffer.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Shaun of the Dead -- the use of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now." Effing brilliant.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews. YUM. Didn't I say "Dana Andrews, Yum" in the last quiz too? Well, it bears repeating. I don't mean to be shallow about it, either -- I also happen to think he's a much stronger actor than Milland.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
I'm going to go with Running on Empty.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
Aaron Eckhardt's performance in Dark Knight. I had heard how good Ledger was in it, but wasn't prepared for how impressed I'd be with Eckhardt. Between the two of them, they made it worth sitting through the movie.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Tierney
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Theatre: Dark Knight.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
With respect to Dr. Smith, probably The Poseidon Adventure.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
This foreign poster for the disappointing Steve Coogan B-movie "Lies & Alibis" looks way better than the actual movie: http://impawards.com/2006/posters/alibi.jpg
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung
10) Most pretentious movie ever
What an awesome question! The Trial, directed by Orson Welles, based on a novel by Franz Kafka (great recipe for pretension right there, if only Sean Penn could have starred in it!).
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
I don't have one.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Probably Cinemania.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Garbo, by a very slim margin.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: Junior Mints. Worst: Movie theatre hot dogs.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
An easy answer, everyone says it, but that's because it's true: George Clooney
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Sure.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Well, we would probably open on Christmas Eve, so of course the triple feature would be It's a Wonderful Life, followed by The Shop Around the Corner, and capped off late in the evening with Bad Santa, after the kids and old folks have gone home.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
I'm not sure I can top the Demarest, frankly. I may have to steal it.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The Awful Truth
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Victoire Thivisol, the little girl in Ponette
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
The Dark Knight -- too long, and yet for all its length, not enough time with Batman.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Nicolas Cage. Was he my answer last time? Why is he still making movies? Why do people still go to see them?
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Damien Lewis
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
These yes-no questions are always asked about movies I have not seen, so my answer is always "Yes" because I don't feel right vetoing a movie I haven't seen. So again -- sure.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I don't think I watch enough current cinema to answer this question, so I recuse myself.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I don't have one.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Do the Right Thing
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Burn After Reading. Why? The Coens! Can't go wrong! Or rarely can go wrong.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Lubitsch
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Ben Stiller. Enough already.
33) Your first movie star crush
Oh, how embarrassing. It was John Travolta, circa 1978 and Grease. What did I know, I was only 10. This was way before Scientology, Perfect and Battlefield Earth.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Here's a few: The fake avant-garde piano concerto in The World of Henry Orient; Fred Astaire virtuosoing up "I've Got My Eye on You" in Broadway Melody of 1940; Groucho's "booga-booga" gloss on Trovatore in A Night at the Opera; Aretha in The Blues Brothers; pretty much all of Singin' in the Rain (and, by extension, Gene Kelly singing over the final credits of A Clockwork Orange, which always makes me grin like a banshee).
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
I like 'em both, but maybe Andrews; Laura and Boomerang! is a pretty good one-two combination.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Network, although I will admit to enjoying Deathtrap probably a lot more than it deserved.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
How little I went to the movies. Ten bucks? Doesn't anybody do second-run anymore?
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
I'll stick with Rita. Judy's lost her equilibrium!
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: Sweeney Todd, fantastic, although I wish Marni Nixon had dubbed Helena Bonham Carter's singing.
Theater: Wall·E, which achieved the rare feat of being awfully sweet in a good way.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I'll say Five Weeks in a Balloon, just since someone should mention it.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
I remember the poster for For Your Eyes Only made it look like Roger Moore was going to be battling a 20-foot-tall woman. I, for one, was disappointed.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow-Yun Fat. I mean, I liked Tony Leung in A Better Tomorrow III, but I only saw it because Chow Yun-Fat was in it.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Is this supposed to be bad pretentious? Because 2001 is an order of magnitude more pretentious than almost anything in the universe, and I love it. Come to think of it, Return of the Jedi is pretty impressed with its own mythology as well. Hmmm. OK, let's go with Mississippi Burning. I guess it's not even really all that pretentious, but it did annoy me.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster, Pussycat, &c. I've only seen two others, but Faster is enough to make you realize you're looking through a wormhole into a completely different reality.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
The last time I thought about movies that way, it was still Lawrence of Arabia.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Garbo. She had, like, what? Five stock acting tics? And yet every movie she's in is a blast. Here's to efficiency.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: Whoppers. Worst: Sno-Caps. What a gyp.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Pierce Brosnan always has a nice old-school studio vibe, I think. Can't you just see him playing the determined Royal Navy captain in a whole string of WWII cheapies?
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Oh, yes, yes, hell, yes. A te o cara, amor talora!
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Three Amigos, The Three Caballeros, and 3 Women. Spliced together at random.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
I dunno. "Jolly Screen Giant"? Is that a bad enough pun?
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The Awful Truth, though I keep meaning to give Ruggles of Red Gap a chance. Duck Soup is genius, but I have the feeling that McCarey was just trying to keep his hands inside that ride.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Does anything top Citizen Kane? For most everybody involved?
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Yet another year without a musical version of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Liza Minnelli isn't getting any younger, people!
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Michelle Yeoh. For the motorcycle-train outtakes from Supercop alone.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Beach volleyball. Those women play in burkas, there's no way that's an Olympic sport.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Oliver Stone's JFK, reconsidered as a movie about movies. Also, George Roy Hill, because I just saw The Sting again. Is George Roy Hill considered underrated?
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Sure, why not? If the fabric of space-time can withstand a movie version of 300, Crumb should have a place at the table.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard. Hey, according to IMDB, he played both Handel and Wagner.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
If the first rule of filmmaking is to actually make films, then I'm breaking the rules right now! OK, that's not so funny. OK, OK, Woody Allen.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Shampoo. Now that's stunt casting.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Raiders of the Lost Ark.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Is Beverly Hills Chihuahua out yet? I want to experience the sort of pride in American achievement that people felt when the atom bomb was developed.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Hitchcock. Hollywood needs some schooling on how to put together a thriller.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
I'd love to see Michael Bay make a silent movie.
33) Your first movie star crush
Michelle Meyrink in Real Genius. How's that for a personality giveaway?
Re: Question 33—I see Patrick above was similarly smitten with the lovely and sleepless Jordan. If your world domination plans get off the drawing board before mine do, feel free to give me a call.
This one only took most of a week, not most of a month! Away we go:
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
- This is simple - Night and Day in Gay Divorcee. Though if "musical moment" is meant to mean specifically to exclude "musical number", then I think I might vote for the moment in Something Wild, as Charley and Lulu head for home, when the Feelies song on the soundtrack, Slipping (into Something), slips into something and out of something else - it's after the end of the second verse, the guitars have done their intro and started to intertwine and the drums do a little hitch and the song starts speeding up - the song heads off for the guitar solos, and the film turns into a Ray Liotta picture.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
- Andrews I think
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
- It turns out that Before the Devil Knows You're Dead was the first I had ever seen. I could not believe that either, and had to look up a bunch of films - Tootsie, say - to prove he did not direct them. It is also possible I have seen Dog Day Afternoon, though I don't remember ever sitting through it start to finish. Though if you add up the clips I might end up having seen the whole thing... I have read 12 Angry Men, though. And - wait! wait! I have seen Fail Safe! way back in college. I don't remember anything about it except that Henry Fonda was in it and New York gets it.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
- Did anything surprise me? Speed Racer? I certainly enjoyed it, which didn't seem likely before I saw it... The biggest surprise MIGHT be that I have no interest at all in seeing The Dark Knight. Nothing about it seems worth knowing about. I'd rather see Batman and Robin again than see it the first time. I'll probably like it, modestly, when I see it, but I couldn't care less if I do. That attitude does surprise me.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
- Rita
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
- This changes all the time. The answer when I started was King Kong on DVD; The Girl Who Leapt Through Time in a theater. It looks like I am going to finish it with the answers, The Boy With Green Hair on DVD, and (I'm sure Dennis will approve), Once Upon a Time in the West.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
- No clue. Airplane?
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
- This is the kind of question that drives me crazy. I can't think of a good answer - but I will. I se enough posters like that - I just can't think of them on command. I'm completely stumped.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
- It’s a question of peak vs. longevity - or depth vs. breadth. Chow has a perfect sweet spot - in those John Woo films and most of his films (actioners, a couple comedies, and quite a few in between) from the late 80s early 90s, he is unbeatable. But he hasn't done much since, and less worth caring about, while Leung, who was always a fine actor, has kept on going. He's had a long, varied, downright majestic career when you think about it, covering a much wider range of roles, types of films, everything, than just about anyone, anywhere. Program pictures to Hou Hsiao Hsien, and all the time seeming committed to the work he's doing. So maybe he can't match Chow at his charismatic best, but he's kept his career moving, taken more chances, done more to advance serious and challenging filmmakers, and done all of it well. In this, he's less like Chow Yun Fat than like Leslie Cheung, though Cheung was better than either of the at anything any of the three tried. But that's another matter.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
- This is tough - I would have to define pretentiousness to answer it well. So I will stay obvious - Bertolucci is the grand champion - and The Last Emperor is the worst kind of bloated nothing. Felt like they shot it in real time. Yuck.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
- Boring answer, but, Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill!
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
- In some moods, Rushmore - though all rather plowed under by the demands of a Paying Job. Or maybe Waking Life - with its sense of a world of consciousness existing alongside the world of the world. In fact - Waking Life is probably about right.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
- “It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily.” I can't say there's any contest, really.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
- I don’t eat at the movies, so this is not easy. Milk Duds are a vile concoction, I'll say that. A good bucket of popcorn has its place....
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system.
- George Clooney seems obvious; Tony Leung probably has, as much as anyone - Hong Kong still is (or was, through the 90s) pretty darned close to the old Hollywood system.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
- Hell yeah.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
- This is beautiful - this is one of those questions that’s almost worth a post itself. What would I show, if I won the lottery and bought a theater and could show any three films? Rushmore, the Maltese Falcon and It's a Wonderful Life. I might try to resist it, but I doubt I could.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
- All right - another one I could brood about for a month... probably could do worst than "Playtime"...
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
- Duck Soup of course. Though since that is really a Marx Brothers film - Make Way for Tomorrow (or The Awful Truth? this question is a lot harder - after the Marx Brothers - than it used to be, now that I’ve seen bunch of these films.) (Hey! The Awful Truth 24 Times A Second! how's that for a movie theater name?)
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
- James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause? Orson Welles in Citizen Kane? Bruno S in The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser? IMDB ruins my hope that Full Metal Jacket was Vincent D'Onofrio's first film... alas!
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
- I didn't see any high profile releases, at least since Speed Racer. Smaller films - The Tracey Fragments turned out to be pretty bland, for all the hype and promise, though it's almost too mall to complain about... Maybe Mr. Lonely, which kept promising things and delivering incoherence and sentimentality....
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
- Cheung Man-yuk. This is even less of a contest than the first actress show down. (Though again - neither one holds up to Brigitte Lin, who’d give Marlene a run for it.)
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
- Nobody's bugged me this year. And I haven't seen the films that are getting all the (probably) undeserved praise - Batman, etc. So - until someone drags me to see the Batman film, and I am confirmed in my suspicions about it, I have nothing really.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
- You know what? I am feeling perverse: the Joel Schumacher Batmans. The scripts probably are as bad as they get credit for, but I'll take that campy overacting and over directing over - well - over Batman Begins, no question. So there.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
- Haven’t seen the movie, but, yes, in general.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
- Probably Howard, though I'm rather hot to see the Robin Hood film Todd was in...
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
- I don't know what the rules of cinema are - "rules" sounds so rigid, like it's possible to make mistakes making films. "Conventions" maybe... either way, there probably comes a point in the development of an art form where it ceases to have right and wrong ways of doing things, and just competing sets of rules (or conventions, or whatever.) That point has probably passed for film - anything you do, however strange by the standards of one type of film, will make sense within some other branch of filmmaking.... All that said - I don't know if anyone else really looks like Luc Moullet, to this day. He pays as little attention to the things that do approach being rules - treat the world you make as if it were real; try to either achieve technical competence or hide technical limitations; or make self-conscious art of them - as anyone. So I'll say Luc Moullet.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
- Goodness. I don't think I've even accidentally seen one of his films, unless you count Rosemary's Baby. Probably the kind of director I'll decide to take in a bunch somewhere along the line. Maybe now... in compensation, I'll say that The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus might be the most underrated LP of all time. Which has nothing to do with Castle that I know of except a reference to a title...
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
- I'm not altogether sure what counts. Killer of Sheep might be the answer - Several Friends might be even better, as it's even more directly focused on a specific group of people just living their lives.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
- For wide release, it's probably the Coen brothers film; for more specialized releases - not sure what's coming. There's an Edward Yang retrospective coming to Harvard in September - that's bigger than anything else I know of.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
- Edward Yang is a good bet.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
- Woody Allen and Whit Stillman should switch career tracks.
33) Your first movie star crush
- This is one I will remember somewhere along the line - I will see something and go - holy cow, I was a wreck for her in 19[redacted]! What I'm coming up with right now are Talia Shire or Debra Winger but that can't be right. Though I certainly felt unwholesome things for Ms. Winger.... TV Star crushes are another matter - Barbara Feldon and, as my brothers continue to mock me for, Lady Elaine Fairchild. Pop culture crushes are something else entirely.
It just occurred to me that my triple feature is almost verbatim the answer I gave to the Christmas triple feature in an earlier quiz. So I'll revise my answer to a Movies About Movies retrospective: Sherlock, Jr., Sullivan's Travels, and 8½.
Also I don't really know how I came to choose Running on Empty over Network or Dog Day Afternoon. Maybe because I thought no one else would mention it. But upon further reflection, there's a reason for that. Network it is.
Dennis - thank you so much - LOVE these quizzes.
Late to the party! Here are my answers!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
I love "Come What May" - the secret song scene in Moulin Rouge.
But I also love the nightclub number with Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire in Silk Stockings. When she throws her whole body backwards, arching her back, head dropped down to the floor? GOOSEBUMPS.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Running on Empty
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
The latest Indiana Jones. I was apprehensive going to see it ... just because. But I loved every second of it. Well, wasn't wacky about Cate Blanchett ... but everything else? Including (most importantly) the spirit of the thing ... I loved it.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Hayworth. Love that woman.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: "The Girl in the Sneakers"
Theatres: "The Dark Knight"
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
The Poseidon Adventure. That movie freaked me out so much when I was a kid.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
The poster for Funny Games - with a closeup of Naomi Watts' teary-eyed face is one of the best posters i've ever seen. It literally stopped me in my tracks when I was coming out of another movie. Hated the movie.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat
10) Most pretentious movie ever
36 Fillette
I'm still mad about that movie and I saw it, what, 20 years ago?
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster Pussycat Kill Kill
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
The Double Life of Veronique
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
I enjoy putting peanut M&Ms into my unbuttered popcorn. That's my favorite movie snack.
And vile? I would never eat those nachos with the rubbery cheese.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Jim Carrey
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Sure. I love Herzog.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Only Angels Have Wings
Airplane!
Fearless
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Hippodrome Redux
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Awful Truth, no question.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I have to mention two:
Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not and Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People.
I can't really choose - both of those performances are so extraordinary in their own way. Amazing debuts.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
The Dark Knight.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
I must choose Maggie Cheung because she gave what I consider to be one of the greatest performances ever given by an actress (no exaggeration) in 1992's Yuen Ling-yuk - it's a biopic of silent film star Ruan Ling Yu - the Greta Garbo of China ... and my GOD it's an amazing film. Maggie Cheung is unbelievable in the lead role. The interesting thing about her is because she is so beautiful she is often underestimated, or just hired as "the pretty girl". There was a similar thing going on in Yuen Ling-yuk (American title is The Actress) - where Ruan Ling Yu had to convince people she was more than a pretty face. There are moments in that film (and I have not seen it since 1992) that have stayed with me, like indelible ink. It's difficult to find - I have it on VHS, thank goodness.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Kevin Spacey
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Rachel McAdams. Future Oscar winner, that one.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
I don't really care.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Paul Thomas Anderson.
Frogs falling from the sky.
A sweet movie about the porn industry.
A 4 hour movie about oil - where the first HOUR has maybe one line of dialogue.
I don't think he's always on target, and sometimes he misses the mark ... but I appreciate way more his risk-taking than others who play it safe, only doing what they think an audience of the lowest-common-denominator will want. Now, look, I loves me some typical Hollywood fare, if it works. But I love, too, that there are wild-card artists out there - Robert Altman (well, not anymore, but ...), and Almodovar, and Wes Anderson ... who have their own vision and are relatively uncompromising about bringing it to fruition.
I cherish those film-makers who are not so worried about explaining everything, who leave a vast landscape in their film up to MY interpretation.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Oh my God, I must go with Strait-Jacket - brilliant campy ridiculous film - with random boxes of Pepsi placed strategically (for no reason) through the set because of Crawford's connection with Pepsi. My favorite moment (maybe ever) is when Crawford, wearing Bettie Page bangs and a flowered dress, begins to act in a vaguely slutty and inappropriate way towards the psychiatrist and she lights her match off a turning record on the turnstile, shrieking the music to a halt. It is delightfully nuts. Love that movie.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Zodiac
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Burn After Reading
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Howard Hawks
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Robert Zemeckis
33) Your first movie star crush
Harrison Ford as Han Solo - particularly in Empire Strikes Back. I was 12. Yowza.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Jeanne Moreau singing in "Jules et Jim." Hypnotizing
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
I love "The Lost Weekend," so I'm going with Milland.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
"Network"--by default.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
"Speed Racer" tanked.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Gene. I loved "Laura"
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
Theater: "Revenge of the Sith"
DVD: "Grave of the Fireflies." (Even though they don't mention that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor first).
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour? "The Story of Mankind." Vincent Price as the Devil. Groucho selling Manhattan Island. Dennis Hopper as Napoleon. Total win
10) Most pretentious movie ever
"American Beauty." Worst Best Picture ever.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
"Five Easy Pieces."
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
I try not to eat while watching a movie. Can't concentrate.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Jim Carrey.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
"Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century."
"The Odd Couple"
"Saturday Night Fever."
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
"The Doug Puthoff." (Yes, I am an attention whore. Deal with it."
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Orson Welles "Citzen Kane."
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
"The Dark Knight" was a megasmash."
"Speed Racer" wasn't.
"Simple Jack: wasn't real movie (Preferably directed by Tom Green.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Christopher Nolan
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Paul Giamatti--and he will be until he wins an Oscar.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Richard Todd stank as QB for the Jets--oops! wrong Richard Todd. I loved him in "A Man Called Peter."
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Not making a movie intended for emotional imbeciles.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
"My Left Foot."
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
"The Spirit." One of the few superheroes worth a fig. I just hope Frank Miller doesn't mess it up.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Robert Altman. I wanted him to make a movie based on the "Badger" comic book.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Any director, besides Tim Burton, or Ang Lee, who wants to make a superhero movie--unless the superhero is The Spirit, The Hulk, or Badger.
33) Your first movie star crush
Shirley Jones.
To save space, I posted my answers & comments here:
http://tinyurl.com/5gldgn
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
In Masculin Feminin, after Paul rants about his love for Madeline into a “make your own record” booth, he steps out and “Tu M’as Trop Menti” starts to play. Paul goes into an arcade and a thug threatens him with a switchblade, the music stops. The thug walks up to Paul and then, inexplicably, stabs himself in the stomach. The music starts again. Oh my god.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Network. While it can be legitimately said that it is more a work of Chayefsky, how many truly great films did Chayefsky write? Lumet’s invisible hand is all over this movie, making sure that the script it used to its full potential. Plus, who can refuse those monologues when performed to such grandiose perfection?
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That I didn’t watch more.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
You keep asking and it is still Hayworth.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: Hard Boiled. Confirms to me that John Woo is the greatest director of action there ever was, even in some of his lackluster films there is at least one scene that gets your heart pumping.
Theatres: The Dark Knight, just like everybody else. Batman’s the weak point of the film, surprisingly enough, and it only truly shines when the villains are onscreen, but ultimately a positive experience. Still not as good as the first two Spider-Man’s (men?) and hell, only a bit better than Spider-Man 3.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Irwin Allen did not have a finest hour.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Walk the Line
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Both have their strengths, and are really around even in my book. But because I’ve seen a Yun-Fat film more recently I’ll go with him.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus is so pretentious it twirls around and becomes one of the most purely entertaining films of all time. Cocteau obviously holds his profession in high esteem (“but you’re not a man, you’re a POET”) and the whole thing oozes self-satisfaction which, it turns out, is completely justified.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
I Like the IDEA of Russ Meyer movies more than Russ Meyer movies themselves. They all look great and wild in trailers and promotional videos, but when I watch them I end up looking at my watch far too often. I guess Faster Pussycat has the best cinematography of them all.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I don’t think I have enough insight to truly see myself as I am now in anything, but Spirit in the Beehive so perfectly encapsulates what childhood felt like to me and my sibling relationship it’s not funny.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
This is the hardest question ever.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Lightly salted popcorn, heavily “butter”ed popcorn.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Really any comedian is working within similar situations, defined by an overall star persona more than anything else. I think Ben Stiller would work pretty well in a Jerry Lewis mold
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
God yes. Him listening to opera while sailing down the river, everything about him exuding determination? God yes.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Spirit in the Beehive, Killer of Sheep, The Crowd. Three films that I saw very close together and became permanent favorites and permanently linked in my mind.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Revelator
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup. C’mon.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I would like to say Orson Welles, but then I remembered that he starred as “death” in his mock-experimental film “The Hearts of Age” (which is actually pretty good) So I’m really at a loss. Oh! Robert Duvall as “Boo Radley” in To Kill a Mockingbird maybe?
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
That I didn’t see that many. (Speed Racer was especially missed)
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Yeoh.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Judd Apatow, not because I think he’s untalented (try to tell me that after you’ve seen Freaks & Geeks) but because any sort of involvement on his part gets a film labled “a Judd Apatow film” no matter his actual involvement. I’d like to see more attention given to the respective directors and writers, and wait until Apatow picks up a camera before he becomes a de facto auteur.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Nathan Malone. I doubt even the few people who watch his work will agree with me, he’s a flash animator on the internet (I hope that counts) working under the unfortunate title “Zekey Spacey Lizard.” Although his technical skills are not the best (mostly due to the limitations of the program) he has shown a great deal of imagination and willingness to probe the form in his best works, and his Polypeptide is actually one of my most anticipated movies of the year. I wonder what he could do with an actual budget.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Haven’t seen it yet.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Howard.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Breaking the rules means in many ways a willingness to reinvestigate the old forms and methods of storytelling of the days of old, with new eyes and often with new techniques. I’ll add (and most won’t agree with me) Mel Gibson to this list. With his last two films I have completely changed my opinion of him from a intolerant, mediocre actor and director to an intolerant, mediocre actor and fascinating director. His movies harken back (I’m sure without him even realizing it) to the silent films of De Mille and Griffith in strange ways. Yes, his cutting is far faster and gore much more visable, but he really gets to this strange core that I haven’t seen in any mainstream American films in quite some time. Passion of the Christ reminds me of the multitude of Jesus stories, with its focus no longer stretched “From the Manger to the Cross” but remaining, and riffing on one week, in many way on one MOMENT. Apocolyto is an even better movie, the second half essentially being one chase scene, little dialogue, frantic action. It feels PRIMAL in ways that few films do. I’m worried that he may never go behind the camera again because of his revelation of his utter ignorance, but I really want to see what he can come up with next.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
File William Castle with Meyer, Russ.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Tabu is beautiful and unbelievably tragic.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Australia. Baz Lurmann’s spastic editing and unabashed sentimentalism obviously aren’t for everyone, but it sure is for me.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Murnau died at 41, just ten years after beginning a string of masterpieces starting with Nosferatu and ending with Tabu. I honestly believe that if he had lived for ten, fifteen more years the face of movies today would be wholly different, and if he could tap into that genius again, he would surely make another masterpiece for us.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Chris Columbous. Although he seems like he may already be there.
33) Your first movie star crush
I honestly can’t think of one.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Awesome Mix Tape #6 serving as a perfect Greek chorus to a drug deal gone terribly wrong at the end of Boogie Nights.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
The Man with X-Ray Eyes.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Dog Day Afternoon, easily. Lumet's always great at directing actors, but the heavyhandedness that occasionally creeps into otherwise great movies like 12 Angry Men and Network is totally absent in Dog Day Afternoon. It's a pitch-perfect character study, one of the most entertaining movies ever made, with an ending that breaks my heart.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
I can't honestly say there were any surprises. While I enjoyed all of the big movies I'd been highly anticipating to varying degrees, this summer really lacked an out-of-nowhere sleeper for me to get excited about. And, as an art house projectionist, I can't remember a summer in at least five years with such a dearth of interesting indie counterprogramming. I did love Encounters at the End of the World, but that's Herzog, so hardly a surprise.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD, Amelie - I've been testing out different movies with my one-year-old daughter (she loved the Amelie-as-little-girl opening, but lost interest with Audrey Tautou). In theaters, Encounters at the End of the World (still thinking about that poor, crazy penguin).
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Gene Hackman cursing God as he does a parallel bars routine in the upturned bowels of the Poseidon.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
The teaser poster for Jaws 2, with the sun setting over a blood-red sea, is far creepier and more atmospheric than anything in the movie.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Pretentious is one of the most horribly misused terms in talking about movies. I might not like all the movies of Michael Haneke or Oliver Assayas, but they're still intelligent and coherent enough to be worthy of argument. A truly pretentious movie is Aria - a murderer's row of directors making shorts scored to famous Arias for NO APPARENT REASON.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, but I really need to see more.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
You're asking someone who personalizes the movies he watches to an unhealthy degree. I think of of the reasons that Blue Velvet is my favorite movies is because it's like watching my psyche projected onto the screen. Make of that what you will.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Marlne Dietrich
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best - Reese's Pieces. Most vile - any form of malted milk balls.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
When Vanity Fair did that Hitchcock gallery earlier this year, Naomi Watts made an absolutely perfect Tippi Hendren.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Absolutely!
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Pretension alert: lately I've been realizing that most of my favorite movies - and, by extension, my cinematic ideal - are movies that render the divide between high art and pop meaningless. So, three movies that do just that: Psycho, Chinatown and Altman's Popeye.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Well, I already used the Vista. I'd love to be the one in charge of programming the Mohawk, an old movie house that my town is gradually raising funds to renovate. I think I'd keep the name.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Malcolm McDowell in if...
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Well, Mamma Mia was terrible, but I can't say I was disappointed, exactly...
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Smiley Face
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Not really.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I think the most meaningful examples of this today don't happen in alternative cinema, but in mainstream films that deviate from the rules in meaningful ways. Three of the best films of the past few years - There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, No Country For Old Men, The Dark Knight - were partly defined by their defiance of expectations. And the response to their left turns, particularly in the case of No Country For Old Men, continue to reverberate not only in the cinephile community but among everyday moviegoers who were geniuinely shaken.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
The Tingler
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
One of my favorite things about the work of Jim Jarmusch is its unspoken study and celebration of cultural diversity in microcosm. Down By Law is probably the best example of this.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Fincher's coming off Zodiac, and the trailer's a beauty.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
That's sort of a sad question, isn't it? Reminds me of the ending of A.I. Hey, let's go with zombie Kubrick's Napoleon.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
It's reassuring to see so many people citing Brett Ratner before I did. Just rewatched Red Dragon - only Ratner could take that cast and source material and make something so hacky.
33) Your first movie star crush
I wish I had something cool to say, like I was really into Anna Karenina at five. But really, Molly Ringwald.
Karenina = Karina. I always confuse the two.
Gah! I just realized I mistakenly referred to Once Upon a Time in the West as Once Upon a Time in America. You'd think the former wasn't one of my favorite movies or anything. Or the latter, for that matter...
Thanks, Dennis. I've posted my responses on my blog here.
Dennis - thanks again for the quiz. I put up my responses (with images and video clips) on my site.
I totally thought the repetition of the Gene Tierney/Rita Hayworth question was deliberate! Ha! I thought: I don't care HOW many times the question is asked ... I'm still going with Hayworth!!
Thanks again.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Well, the one that gives me chills is when "Needles in the Camel's Eye" comes on at the beginning of "Velvet Goldmine."Every time. Goose pimples everywhere. Actually, I'd take any musical interludes in that film. Great, now I'm gonna have to go watch that tonight.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Probably Dana Andrews, because of "Laura" and "The Ox-Bow Incident," but Ray Milland was in "X: The Man with X-ray Eyes" and "Panic in Year Zero." That's pretty impressive.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
It's been years since I saw "Dog Day Afternoon", the only film of his I've remotely enjoyed, and having since seen the abysmal "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" I wonder if I would like his movies these days at all. So, short answer: Not sure I have one.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That I actually went to see anything. I've become remiss in going to the movies in the theatres since returning to school.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
You make me choose? I guess Rita because of "Lady from Shanghai" and "Mulholland Dr."
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
I think I watched "Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One" most recently on DVD. No, wait, I watched "The Onion Field," and that was pretty impressive. Nothing quite like a young James Woods getting a BJ in the prison shower. And in theaters? I saw "The Wackness," which was better than bad.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I really liked "Swarm" when I saw it on TV 21 years ago. A seven-year-old's opinion should probably be ignored, but I'm willing to stand up for that flick if pressed.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Wow. Good question. Hard question... The embarrassing answer is "Blowing Smoke," which had a scantily clad woman on the poster but nothing similar in the film. This is embarrassing because it means I actually watched the movie. And chose to based solely on the prospect of nudity. Oy. The mind of a teenager is warped. "Xtro" and "Krull" also come to mind as films that didn't quite live up to the wonderfulness of their poster-design.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
I have occasionally argued that Tony Leung is the greatest living actor. Chow's not bad, but, really, this isn't even close to a contest.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Good pretentious: "Zardoz" and "The Lickerish Quartet"
Bad pretentious: "Adaptation" and pretty much all of Lars Von Trier, but especially "Manderlay"
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Having only seen "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," that'll be my choice, but I can't imagine anything else he's done topping its bizarre brilliance.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Probably Lukas Moodysson's "Together." Maybe. Don't ask me to explain it, though, because it has more to do with tone than the actual story.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich. Always Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Respectively: Junior Mints! Jujubees!
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
George Clooney--but is that only because he LOOKS like one? Probably.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Definitely.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
"Velvet Goldmine"---> "Head"---> "Nashville"
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Mjöllnir
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
I'll go for the easy one: "Duck Soup."
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I always liked Tatum O'Neal in "Paper Moon."
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
That I've yet to see "Pineapple Express."
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
"Irma Vep" and "2046"? How could I not go with Maggie.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Ridley Scott made his name with two of the most overrated films ever and went on to create several other ignoble flicks.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
I think Karel Reisz is sadly under-known. "Morgan!" and "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" are pretty wonderful British films from the 1960s that I fear are overshadowed by the work of, like, John Schlesinger and Richard Lester. Not that their work is not deserving of attention, but... And Reisz did a nice adaptation of "French Lieutenant's Woman."
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
I do like 1970s-era animated softcore, so, even though I've never seen it, why not?
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
I love "Brief Encounter" and don't know Richard Todd. Trevor Howard it is.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I'm not sure what ignoring the rules of cinema means. I don't really know that there are too many rules. I think that someone like Werner Herzog (especially in his current work) fruitfully ignores conventions. I'm as grateful for his recent "documentary" work as the fiction films he put out in the 70s and 80s. "White Diamond" in particular seems to take a lot of liberties with what we've come to think of as narrative in both a documentary and fiction film sense. It may also be my favorite film of his. So whatever that movie does, that's rule-ignoring.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I liked "House on Haunted Hill", but if "Matinee" works (I always sort of assumed was about him) I'll go with that.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
"Dazed and Confused"
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I'm looking forward to Linklater's new movie because I never know what I'll get with his work. He's so spotty (but never un-interesting), it makes watching his movies a bit of an adventure. And "W"--because the only Oliver Stone movies I like beside "Born on the 4th of July" are his presidential ones.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Francois Truffaut--it's a travesty that JLG's been allowed to go on making movies and Truffaut was cut down in his prime.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
I could do without Todd Field. Talk about pretentious... And seriously, he's considering adapting "Blood Meridian"? Please no... I thought Ridley Scott was a bad choice... Incidentally, I could also see Ridley entombed, as if that were not apparent from an earlier comment.
33) Your first movie star crush
It was probably Natalie Portman in "Beautiful Girls."
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Maybe This Time, Cabaret, the close up, where york and minelli refuse to look at the camera, the gauzy vaseline window shot, of him shirtless, the camp moments made earnest by new discoveries, and how languid is, how the cuts between stage, and boudiour are seamless, becaue its all grist for the mill, that minelli is hopeful and devastated by it, makes excellent work of her limited skills (she does false bravado better then her mother, who did it better then most) (and then at the end, where confusion in the audience, who is not used to earnestness, is not used to whores falling for love)
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
DAna Andrews for the Oxbow Incident, though Milliands pulp trash work thru the 70s is something to admire (Frogs! Gold! both Battlestar and the Loveboat)
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
full points to the tightness, and the paranoid construction of 12 angry men, but that said,
the group might be my favourite. a sort of cracked and broken cukor film, like a downgraded The Women, (and really one of the last womens pictures), much more restrained, and less neurotic then other loonie bin pix, with a glacial, tight, and almost frozen over performance by bergen--what suprised me, was how good he was at the biological politics, the gender construction of women, even in the mostly conventional views of their neuroisis...(plus the set design, the costumes, the lighting, it was all immaculate)
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
how boring batman with heath ledger was. the barthes joke in hamlet two. how little american movies shock anymore. chose one.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Tierny was the better actor. Hayworth had Put The Blame on Mame. That 5 seconds of taking off her gloves in Gilda, not only erases Tierny's talent from memory, it reminds us how medicore the rest of Hayworth's performances were. So it's got to win. (also, the intimacy of the rheseral, and how it was kind of meta before its time, in the same film)
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
I'm Not There. Hamlet 2.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?\
Swiss Family Robinson
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Anaconda.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Marienbad (all robbe gillet's fault)
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Fanny Hill, because it is hysterical to figure out how Meyers handles restraint, how he handles having to work for a studio, and how he has to adapt and work around a system that will collapse v. soon. For the same reasons, his Pandora Peaks film, is fascinating because his desire for craft, for the construction of visual narratives, for mad comedy is no longer needed, and he knows that all is left of his rep is a taste for huge tits and his own legend.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Pinnochio.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Mercedes D'Costa
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
I dont get dots, but junior mints dumped in a vat of popcorn, with rootbeer on the side is my favourite.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Lohan would do the best with it, because she would be controlled and contained. Clooney could do some excellent work in it, but would feel stifled by the lack of autonomy, and his own politics. Ron Pearlmen (157 tv and movie roles since 1979), who isnt a movie star, or Scarlett Johannssen (30 since 1994), who is, work so fucking much, and have so little quality control, that they would not collapse at all under the pressure.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
yes. (kinski and herzog deserve each other)
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
1) secret cermony
2) butterfield 8
3) the sandpiper
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
the silver fox
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup, but that had nothing to do with LEo McCarey at all.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
shirley booth in come back little sheba.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
heath ledgers joker
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Batman
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Hamlet 2
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no
doesnt really work as a film.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Richard Todd for Dorian Grey (fashionably bisexual, and tawdry, sort of a back alley version of the high street performance, Todd claimed later that he didnt know it was soft core)
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Mumblecore, most likely, bad and indulgent mostly, but refusing of spectacle for some kind of emotionally authenictiy, which breaks the rules of cinema, but adheres to the ongoing obsessive documentary culture.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
STraight Jacket. because whats scarier then an eldery, desperate Joan Crawford, esp with an axe.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Mondo Cane. It does not pretend to be anything but honest explotation, plus cargo cults.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Miracle of St Anna, because it has a great cast, because Spike Lee knows how to shoot film, because it looks entertaining, that he has hidden his politics, under an obvious mcguffin.
Burn before Reading the Coens back to goofy comedy, and because i'm liking the little collective that is gathering around Clooney. (TILDA, Pitt, JK Simmons)
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Dorthy Azner.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Ron Howard (he can produce television)
33) Your first movie star crush
Tom Cruise or Michael J Fox
Sergio Leone Quiz.
Keep 'em coming, Dennis - I love these!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
In ONCE, as Glen Hansard's Guy teaches, tentatively at first, his song "Falling Slowly" to Markéta Irglová's Girl, their growing passion for the song echoes their entire arc of the film. And it made this 35-year old man, sitting in an airplane 34,000 feet above the ground halfway across the country, cry as he thought of his wife back home waiting for him.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Really a toss-up, but I give the edge to Milland for THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES and the rumor about the alternate ending: "I can still see!"
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
My head tells me DOG DAY AFTERNOON but my heart tells me 12 ANGRY MEN. Either way you win.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-passed summer movie season
I think the biggest surprise was just how surprisingly good the season was, for a change. Good comedies (PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, TROPIC THUNDER, good action (IRON MAN, DARK KNIGHT), good drama (THE VISITOR), and finally, a good Woody Allen movie (VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA). Argue all you want about SPEED RACER and THE DARK KNIGHT (oh, I believe we already did), but there's was a lot to talk about this season as opposed to the typical bloat that comes before the Autumn award season.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Just the thought of Rita Hayworth causes shortness of breath anndd unsteddie hands viw dd /. glug ir hot....glove...f kwodfdj vda (collapses on floor in a swoon)
6) What's the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD I watched THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES and was shocked that such a wonderfully written, smartly executed family film was essentially swept under the rug this year (well, maybe no so surprised). In theaters I saw PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and thought the montage scene between Seth Rogan and James Franco in the woods was worth the price of admission. One word, folks: leapfrog.
7) Irwin Allen's finest hour?
The only thing I remember from THE TOWERING INFERNO: when Paul Newman and Steve McQueen meet at the end.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES. Such as great poster...such a disappointing movie.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung just blows my mind. Chow-Yun Fat's got the charisma of a Hollywood movie star, but Leung (Chiu Wai, I'm assuming) is fascinating, and there's the Jackie Chan connection, so....
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Gus Van Sant's re-shot of PSYCHO. Understand the motivations behind remaking that film shot for shot, and we might just get that "world hunger" thing under control.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. I still can't believe that film came out of the mind of Roger Ebert. That's a compliment, by the way.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, "This is me."
It's the movie that plays in my head, a B&W film about a old man made of the bits of paper and refuse found in the streets who slowly peeling away layer by layer due to the negligence of the world and his inability to make a difference or even an impact in someone else's life until he comes upon a Depression-era circus and a young child sitting against a fence plastered with fading posters advertising the failing circus and she's holding a rose which is the only thing with any color in this world and the old man realizes there's still magic in the world and...
Oh crap, I think I just created the answer to "Most pretentious movie ever."
In that case it would be a 3-way tie between CASABLANCA, AMELIE, and MANHATTAN.
13) Martlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich, for an incredible life that stretched outside her film work.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
The only snack I ever buy at the movies is a pack of Strawberry Twizzlers, with the rule that I must eat them all before the movie actually starts. Most vile? What's the name of those fruity snacks that stick to your teeth and require nothing short of pliers to remove them? Those things.
15) Current movie star who would be the most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Oliver Platt. Which gives me an opportunity to say how wonderful THE IMPOSTERS is. Actually, you could put the whole cast of THE IMPOSTERS in the studio system and I think they'd work beautifully. Did I mention how much I love THE IMPOSTERS?
16) Fitzcarradlo - yes or no?
Lord, yes. Werner Herzog is an insane giant and God Bless him for it.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
STARDUST MEMORIES, SHADOWS AND FOG, and MANHATTAN. We'd probably close after that, but what the Hell.
18) What's the name of your theater?
(Welcome to) The Monkeyhouse. You get monkeys and a Vonnegut reference all in one.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Who? Let's see...after looking him up it's hard not to say DUCK SOUP, but I'll go with THE AWFUL TRUTH.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress
Even though it really was his second feature (I don't think he was much more than an extra in his debut), you gotta give it to Peter Lorre for M. So if we're strictly going on "debut" performance? Jaye Davidson in THE CRYING GAME...frickin' sensational.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-passed summer movie season
All the petulant whining by 'Net hacks who not insist the entire world think THE DARK KNIGHT is the greatest movie of all time, but actively spew hate to those that dare have an alternative opinion. For shame, people...for shame.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
For years the running joke with my family and friends is my utter love for Michelle Yoeh, which manifests itself by my repeatedly referring to her as "Michelle YEEEOOOOWWW! (ha-cha)"
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
I think just going on the sheer number of projects he's been involved with over the last couple of years, how about Judd Apatow? Yeah, dude's funny, but personally I hated KNOCKED UP, and quite a few films he's had his hand in - DRILLBIT TAYLOR, WALK HARD, KICKING AND SCREAMING (he wrote FUN WITH DICK AND JANE? Really?)...even THE TV SET left me less than satisfied.
Now, before the enormous flames commence, I loved ANCHORMAN and really really liked FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Brad Anderson, who I think is making really great little films that should get more exposure. Same with Shane Meadows and literally dozens of other directors doing their thing with an imprint all their own. Now get out and go see TRANSSIBERIAN!
25) Fritz the Cat - yes or no?
FRITZ THE CAT is one of those movies you die to see when you're a kid, only (I think) to be left with feeling "that was it?" at the end. That said, sure, although I'd greatly prefer Felix the Cat.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard. It is my shame that I don't think I've seen a film with Richard Todd.
27) Antonioni once said, "I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules." What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean today in 2008?
(leans back in his rocking chair with a tall glass of lemonade) The problem nowadays is, once someone ignores the rules and the movie works, everyone and their uncle does the same thing, making the "break" the new rule. Recently I'd love to say Werner Herzog, Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman, Guy Madden, Lars Von Trier, Michael Leigh as examples of people giving a huge finger the the rules of conventional film wisdom and still finding an audience. Well, maybe Leigh so much anymore. Oh, and Takashi Miike. Holy crap that guy...
28) Favorite William Castle film
For Vincent Price and the scene with the tiny caskets on the table I'll go with HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
TRAINSPOTTING and its depiction of the disaffected drug-addled youth in late 80's Edinburgh.
30) What's the movie coming up in 2008 you're most looking forward to and why?
Probably THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. I love David Fincher's direction, and used correctly I think Brad Pitt can be brilliant. Plus you get that whole "magical realism" thing going on that always hits me fore-square in the heart.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that he/she might make one more film?
Stanley Kubrick. And while we're in fantasy-land, give him a great budget, final cut, and the time to make the thing.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Maybe it's a cop-out, but if these guys (and I have them in mind, believe me) are making money, that tells me that somehow, someway, they're fulfilling a need. It may be lowest common denominator, but it is what it is. Instead of silencing them, let's give the true artists more visibility, more screens, and more voice in print, on TV, and elsewhere. I think given the true choice people will choose the quality if they can only be exposed to it.
Or not. It would explain Desperate Housewives.
33) Your first movie star crush
And still my greatest. Jamie Lee Curtis. "Nuff said.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
The piano exit from Layla being forever associated with frozen corpses thanks to "GoodFellas"
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
12 Angry Men
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
Iron Man was both good and made money!
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: Robin & Marian. Theaters: Tropic Thunder
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Towering Inferno
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Every single monster movie from 1945-1970.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow!
10) Most pretentious movie ever
2001, everything by Gus Van Sant
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Tough call between Vixen and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. I guess I'll go BVD.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Can't think of one; I have used the original "Producers" as a humor litmus test for decades, though. If you like "The Producers," we're cool. May have to find a new one now that it's been popularized/dumbed down.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: Caramel Corn. Worst: Black licorice
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Cate Blanchet
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes, but the behind the scenes footage is more interesting.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Diner, Matinee, The Tingler : A "Bad Things Happen in Theaters" theme.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Lina Lamont
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The Awful Truth
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Kate Winslet, "Heavenly Creatures"
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Indiana Jones IV. But considering George Lucas' track-record of the last, oh, decade, I shouldn't have
been "appointed" to begin with.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Michelle Yeoh
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Quentin Tarantino's dialogue
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Kurt Russell
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Some bits manage to be OK, but it's mostly just wasted potential.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Art cinema is so far up its own ass, I don't think there's such a thing anymore. Sneaking genius into big-budget mainstream stuff is more "rule breaking" than anything.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
The Tingler. Totally.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Witness
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Frost/Nixon is going to be '08, right? Frank Langella is chronically under-rated and underused.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Hal Ashby
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Chris Columbus (runner up: Joel Schumacher) - but one could argue they've always been silent creatively.
33) Your first movie star crush
Paul Newman. I discovered my heterosexuality at 13, when home sick one day I watched "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" on AMC.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
At the risk of being completely unoriginal, the "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" sequence in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Milland, definitely, one of the great workmanlike actors. I'm being completely sincere when I say I think he's just as great in The Thing with Two Heads as he is in Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Sadly, here's a great director of whose work I have seen embarrassingly little.... although I was really amazed with Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
I was fairly certain that The Dark Knight would be a blast, but I was wholly unprepared for it being as great as it was.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Smolderingly sexy and very potentially deadly Tierney all the way - the deciding factor being the canoe scene in Leave Her to Heaven. Shit gives me chills.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD - Before Sunrise, a long-time favorite of mine, which I watched with my girlfriend who had never seen it before. In theaters - Elevator to the Gallows, at Film Forum's recent French crime series.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
You know, I really like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. It ain't great, but it's a nostalgic childhood favorite.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
The poster for the Corman-produced The Killer Shrews, which depicts a big, wormy, phallic shrew's tail squirming over a bloodied woman's shoe, is a simple and direct in its ability to illicit terror as the one-sheet for Alien. The movie itself, though, is pretty silly. Fun, but not the least bit scary.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Not really a fair contest if you ask me - Yun-Fat is a wonderfully badass, charismatic action star, but I don't think he's ever reached the level of closely guarded and complex emotion Tony Leung has in movies like Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Lady in the Water.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Probably Rushmore.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Gotta be Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best - turkey and swiss sandwich that I sneak in myself. Yeah, I'm bad. Worst - hard to decide between red Twizzlers and radioactive gunk-covered movie theater nachos.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
I'm probably not the first person to note this, but I can very easily picture George Clooney palling around, drinking scotch, and pinching waitresses on the ass with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
A resounding yes - my favorite Herzog film.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Carnival of Souls, The Last Waltz, and Harry Smith's Heaven and Earth Magic, for the purely selfish reason that I've always wanted to see them on the big screen (and in the case of Heaven and Earth Magic, to see it at all, period.)
18) What’s the name of your theater?
I love romantic, old-fashioned sounding theater names like "The Ziegfeld," "The Egyptian," "The Beacon," et al, although I'd hopefully play a mix of old-time studio product and more psychotronic cult films. In honor of Kenneth Anger, I might call my theater "The Hollywood Babylon."
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
It's a tie between Jason Schwartzman in Rushmore and Fred Tuttle in Man with a Plan.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Without the slightest shadow of a doubt, Argento's Mother of Tears.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung fo' sho'.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Iron Man - I enjoyed it, but seemingly not quite as much as everyone else.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which I think people will remember with a lot more fondness in the next ten years.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
In terms of influence and its place in history, an enormous yes - without it we'd never has seen Bakshi's later, more fiercely personal films (of which Heavy Traffic is my favorite), and without those, we'd likely never have seen "The Simpsons," "South Park," or indeed any adult-geared animation here in the West. Having said that, though, it's not exactly a great film - a little too boorishly crass and obvious in its satire for my tastes, although there are a handful of moments of brilliance throughout.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
As the great Gene Hackman once said, "There are no rules!" In all seriousness, though, I don't really think it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules. You look at a lot of films today of both the mainstream and indie variety and see a lot of them are the same; a checklist of cliches and second-guessed notions of what viewers want to see. What a great filmmaker realizes is that these rules are merely in place for hacks who lack the confidence to make a movie their own way - more guidelines than anything else. The films that deviate from the rules, and do it successfully, are the ones we end up remembering.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
The House on Haunted Hill.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
I'm going to say To Kill a Mockingbird, although I'm not really sure what this question means.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Road - the novel left me unable to speak after I'd finished reading it, and I'd be hard pressed to think of a better filmmaker to helm it than The Proposition's John Hillcoat.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Truffaut.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Scott Derrickson - preferably literally entombed, and preferably before his remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still is released.
33) Your first movie star crush
Ariana Richards in Jurassic Park.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
This question is insane.
Musical: Judy Garland sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. Grown men weep.
Score: the Morricone cue “L’Arena” from Corbucci’s THE MERCINARY, as used in KILL BILL, VOL. 2. The Bride claws her way out of the tomb, reclaims her name, and when the solo trumpet kicks in, it sighs like the golden voice of her guardian angel. I don’t know another instrumental track that makes me cry every time, even divorced from any cinematic context.
Concert: David Byrne dances with a lamp, “Naïve Melody”.
TV (which is not “movies” but whatever): Elvis dumps sweat all over “Trying to Get to You” and is so worked up he can barely keep his foot planted, ’69 “COMEBACK” SPECIAL.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
I’m dialing M for Milland. Because: of his AIP era, which is where I prefer to wallow in my spare time. Mr. Andrews’ nearly scores here because he was not above projects like the dumbfounding HOT RODS FROM HELL… But the Milland trifecta of PREMATURE BURIAL, PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO!, and X cannot be touched.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
I’d rather get punched square in the mouth! SERPICO, I guess?
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
IRON MAN! Is!! Awesome!!!
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Neither one looks like a real human being to me. SHANGHAI GESTURE beats LADY FROM SHANGHAI, advantage Tierney.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: JANDEK ON CORWOOD (2004) – Because: I like the Jandek. A fine introduction for the uninitiated; those few who already count themselves as Jandek fans will get to hear some choice cuts played over attractively mournful footage of storm clouds and dead trees.
THEATER: TROPIC THUNDER – Because: I had faith in the director of THE CABLE GUY. Unlike that nasty piece of work, THUNDER, unfortunately, constantly undermines its own nastiness.
Then I saw I KNOW WHO KILLED ME right before I posted this. And it is now my 2007 Academy of the Underrated nominee.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
NO smart-ass answers for the man who brought us LAND OF THE GIANTS!
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
FRIDAY THE 13th PART VIII – JASON TAKES MANHATTAN… Yeah, for about three minutes, he does!
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Prof., I think Weepingsam pretty much nailed this one, and if I could copy off his paper, I would. The classic period Woo actioners paint Chow as a movie bad-ass of James Dean/Bruce Lee/Humphrey Bogart proportions. But he hasn’t walked in that arena since.
Meanwhile, all evidence says Leung is the better actor, or at least has chosen roles where he can show off more.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
THE GREAT DICTATOR. Go little man! Stop the war!
Pretention and short-falling ambition here do not stop GREAT DICTATOR from being a good movie.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
You sho’ do drive a hard bargain.
But really. The keystone to all Meyer’s work (and yes, my favorite) is… Vivid! Voluptuous! Volcanic!... VIXEN!
MUDHONEY is the most underrated.
FASTER, PUSSYCAT! and BVD are full-throttle genius, but slightly atypical and “apart” from the body of work; no demerits for being special, but VIXEN! hits on every level, sexy, disgusting, hilarious, color-saturated, ADD edited, histrionic, political, cartoony, raging.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE. Hedonism, solipsism, romantic excess, melancholy, existential crisis, morbidity, erotic obsession, death fixation, rain, wine, white button-ups.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich like you have no idea. (So here’s something I wrote on the subject a few years ago…
This is a dichotomy I’ve considered at length, though at a glance Dietrich and Garbo don’t seem like totally dissimilar as actors, cultural icons, cult objects or unchecked superpositions.
It’s a choice about who you are and how you see the world. Garbo is perverse Nordic detachment. Garbo is a thin sheet of ice over the night, the howling wind above our heads, the sexiness of cool, sarcastic veneer. Lemon bars with chilled icing.
Dietrich is the deal you make with the Devil. The roiling, fevered sexuality of Weimar burlesque, of a vineyard on a hot summer night, of stuffing your soul on the rich meats of carnality. Devil’s food cake with warm frosting. Make the choice: QUEEN CHRISTINA or THE SCARLETT EMPRESS? A crystalline palace of cool perfection, or Garden of opulent delights? How do you see the world?
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: Junior Mints and coffee. Almost always. At home it’s usually cold pizza and coffee.
Worst: Jujubes, I love candy, but you are gross. I like Sno Caps, but the chemical aftertaste is terrible.
Most pretentious snack: those sausage baguettes with watermelon barbecue sauce they sell at the Arclight.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
It’s not the stars who would be in a better waters but character actors.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes. In obvious ways it becomes a film about its own production. In other ways, it becomes a film about Terry Gilliam.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Opening night is probably less grungy and outré than normal programming, and designed to whip the audience into a frenzy of aesthetic joy! Tonight’s show is one of turgid cinematic excess of laughs, monsters, music, color, girls and style!
One chapter of THE PHANTOM EMPIRE, Bob Clampett’s “A Gruesome Twosome” (for the kids!) and our features, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (for the families!), THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT (for the teenagers!), and PARTY GIRL (1958) (for the grownups!).
18) What’s the name of your theater?
The Exploding Kinetoscope.
But should I be lucky enough to run a drive-in, it’s being called: The Big Sky.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
THE AWFUL TRUTH. The things we all love about DUCK SOUP probably have less to do with McCarey than does the hilariousity of AWFUL TRUTH.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Hayley Mills, TIGER BAY. Then she topped it next time out.
Re: Orson Welles: The world knew what kind of actor Mr. Welles was when CITIZEN KANE opened. It’s not that he’s not pulling off a remarkable performance, just that he’d already been showing off in a very public, nationwide way for a long time already.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
I try not to have great expectations of the summer movie season. INCREDIBLE HULK was kind of a letdown after IRON MAN’s promise that Marvel Studios was making extra-special product.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Anna May Wong.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
His initials are TDK. Seriously needed some Bat Shark Repellent.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
a) SPEED RACER
b) X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
c) SPEED RACER
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Comix, yes, Bakshi: Do not want. Look Bakshi, stop taking other people’s freakshow work about their own repellant sexual neuroses and using it to explore your own slightly different repellant sexual neuroses.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Young Richard Todd, old Trevor Howard.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Tim Burton successfully exploits the “Rules” in violation most frequently. Somehow Burton dismantles the visual language of popular cinema and stymies expectations of narrative structure at every turn while working in the studio system and making films received as conventional H-town entertainments. Really, I don’t know how anyone gets away with turning in something as royally chemically-imbalanced as BATMAN RETURNS as a summer blockbuster.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
THE Motherfucking TINGLER, yo! Don’t watch it on acid! Or do!
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Academy Award nominee MONDO CANE. It’s a dog’s, dog’s, dog’s world.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
BURN AFTER READING. Of all their films, I’m least interested in the Coens’ out-and-out comedies, but in this case “least” is still obsessively interested.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Steven Spielberg. Hyuck!
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Todd Solondz. But he’d probably do something creepy and gross in the tomb before he ran out of air, then expect me to see the fragile humanity in it, so I don’t want to think about it.
33) Your first movie star crush
Winona Laura Horowitz in BEETLEJUICE. The Alpha, the Omega.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie.
If by "favorite" you mean "most jaw-dropping," then I'd have to pick the last scene from Monty Python's "Life of Brian" -- not for the song, for the immortal image of twenty guys tied to crosses singing about the bright side of life.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews.
Ray Milland, but only because I haven't seen any Dana Andrews movies.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie.
Probably "12 Angry Men" or "Dog Day Afternoon," but I like all of Lumet's movies.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season.
Maybe I just don't think very highly of multi-million dollar summer blockbusters, but I didn't expect "The Dark Knight" to be half as good as it was.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth.
Rita Hayworth was hot.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: The 1952 version of "The Thing" (which wasn't as good as John Carpenter's remake, but that's a subject for another time).
In theaters: "Tropic Thunder" (which was amazing).
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
As much as I love John Carpenter, I have to say that the "Escape from New York" poster is about fifty times cooler than anything in the actual movie.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung.
Neither man could have cleared out that hospital in "Hard-Boiled" without the other, so to your question, I pose another question: Why not both?
10) Most pretentious movie ever
I can't name the most pretentious movie ever made, but I can tell you why "Crash" and "Babel" define the word better than any other pair of movies I know: Because they think that they have more to say than they actually do.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" and not just because it's the only one I've seen (sadly).
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
In my dreams, I'm probably a combination of "Rambo 2" and "John Carpenter's Vampires." In reality, I'm "Almost Famous."
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Garbo wasn't in "Touch of Evil."
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
George Clooney. Every time I watch him, I also catch myself imagining how good he'd look standing behind Humphrey Bogart.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes times a thousand! Even if you hate the movie, you have to admire Herzog: few directors have the balls to drag an actual steamship over an actual mountain.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
"F for Fake," "The Sweet Hereafter" and "They Live." Three incredible movies that don't get nearly enough respect.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Would it be cliched to talk about Renee Falconetti? Yes? What about Peter Lorre in "M?" Or Bill Goldberg in "Santa Slays?"
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
"Pineapple Express." Maybe I'm just too pretentious, but I think that David Gordon Green is way to waste time directing pothead buddy movies.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Michelle Yeoh
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
"Pineapple Express." Ignore what I just said about David Gordon Green; the movie just wasn't very funny.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Tarsem's "The Fall," the most incredible, awe-inspiring movie I've seen since ... well, I can't remember. Too bad nobody saw it.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
General rule of thumb: always say yes to Ralph Bakshi.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Breaking the rules means writing ridiculous stories about aliens who disguise themselves as rich people, casting ex-wrestlers in key roles and generally using movies as an excuse to do whatever the fuck you even if every moviegoer in America - no, the world - thinks that you're "wasting everybody's time." That director, for me, is none other than John Carpenter.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
"Do the Right Thing."
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
"Body of Lies." I'm a huge Ridley Scott fan.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
I'm tired of waiting for Orson Welles' lackies to finish editing that "official" version of "The Other Side of the Wind;" if we resurrect the guy, we'll get to see the movie at least twice as quickly.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Paul Haggis. Repeat after me: No more bad movies like "Crash" that go on to win at least four more Oscars than they deserve. (I say that knowing full well that "Crash" only won three Oscars.)
Aloha, Mr. Hand. I've finally weighed in over at my site.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
You know, I really love the montage of Gong show acts set to “If I Had a Hammer” in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. With all those dreamy dissolves and that last shot of Barris realizing how trapped he is. That was the moment where I really realized that I loved this movie. Director George Clooney’s finest hour so far.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
I think I would slightly rather see a Dana Andrews movie.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Dog Day Afternoon just a bit over Network. Just a livelier picture, has dated much less. One of my all-time favorite titles, too-- Dog Day Afternoon.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
Not trying to kiss up, but I wasn’t expecting much from Speed Racer and I was delighted to find it one of the more interesting films of the summer. Worth it for the ice cave sequence, Christina Ricci’s anime eyes, and the gag where the kid wears pajamas with monkeys on them and the monkey wears pajamas with humans on them.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth. I just find her more iconic.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
As of this very moment, the last movie I saw on DVD was If…. from Lindsay Anderson. Great film, there’s just so much happening in it. A text shouldn’t be complex, an experience should be complex. Man, the sixties were great. In theaters, it was Adam McCay’s Stepbrothers. Much better than I was expecting, but it still can only get so good. Easier to appreciate if you work with (or I’m sure if you have) 14 year old boys.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
This is the climax of The Towering Inferno where they put out the fire with a flood of water. They actually had to do that in order to film it, no easy CGI short cuts. Surely, disaster movie spectacle at its best.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
By far, the award for greatest gap between quality of poster and quality of movie goes to the Killer Shrews (http://www.impawards.com/1959/killer_shrews.html). The poster makes it look like kinky campy fun, but the movie is a talk fest. Second, I would say that Teenage Caveman (1958) (http://www.impawards.com/1958/teenage_caveman.html) looks better than it is. Not a bad movie, but the near naked girl, the giant lizard, the tagline “Prehistoric Rebels against Prehistoric monsters”, it all promises a lot more than it delivers.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung. I haven’t really understood the attraction of Chow Yun-Fat as an action hero. He seems too cherubic and sweet to be a convincing bad-ass. Leung strikes me as considerably more authentic along those lines.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
I’ll put my vote in for Last Year at Mabriend. It’s not exactly boring and I can tell that it’s made by a real filmmaker, but yeah, very very cold. Like it was made by a space alien. And it’s not something that I think would reward the effort you need to put into it.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
I’ve only seen two, but Mudhoney struck me as sexier and less self-conscious than Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Don’t have a strong preference for that one though and neither one really impressed me terribly much.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I still love Taxi Driver and it’s still very much a part of me, but I’m not quite as angst-ridden, self-hating, or angry as I once was. Lately, I’ve found myself appreciating Gummo more and more. It’s a much broader angst piece. More about a mood than a specific type of person and in a way, it’s more cerebral as well. Increasingly, I find that film reflects my worldview.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Garbo. Mostly because she doesn’t lend herself quite as well to self-parody and caricature as Dietrich.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Pickles are a great movie snack! Cheap and salty, they make me very happy when sitting through a bad movie. A good cup of coffee helps too. Most vile movie snack would be those popcorn seasonings. Sounds like a good idea, but it’s not a good idea. Just thinking about them turns my stomach.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Want to say George Clooney in that he doesn’t seem to be acting most of the time and he got me to kinda enjoy Mimi Leder’s The Peacemaker.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
I’ve been putting off seeing it. Would probably be a yes though, as I have loved all of Herzog’s 70s work that I’ve seen so far.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Swoon (1992, Kalin), Return of the Jedi (1983, Marquand), Touch of Evil (1958, Welles). Oh yes, that’s a triple feature that won’t alienate anybody! But I need a lot of variety and if anybody rejects any one of those three films, I say fuck ‘em!
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Stewirktarian Church.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
I’ve only seen Duck Soup, but Duck Soup is pretty fucking good and that strikes me as a good enough answer.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I’m having a really hard time answering this. Is there a database somewhere listing all the notable debut performances by actors and actresses? Wanted to say Maria Falconetti in Passion of Joan of Arc, but nope that was her second film. Then really pretty obscure and say Edie Sedgwick in Andy Warhol’s Vinyl, but that was her second film too!
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Mamma Mia. I mean, I’m serious, there’s a real darkness to songs like “Save All Your Love for Me”, “S.O.S”, and even the titular song “Mamma Mia”, but the film scrubs that all away. What a horrible ugly film! It reminded me of a bad Italian film from the seventies dubbed into English. Know what I mean? The comedy was like that of a foreign culture that cannot be successfully translated overseas.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
I haven’t seen enough to judge.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Easy. It’s Iron Man. Claiming both the military industrial complex and the terrorists as the villains just struck me as playing too much in the middle. I found it a dull movie, falsely inflated with it’s political content, and with a terribly dull villain to boot.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Easy. It’s Chapter 27 (the Mark David Chapman biopic). I saw it at Sundance last year and I’m hella upset it got ripped apart so badly by the critics and never saw much of a distribution. I found the film very complex and then profoundly disturbing in its complexity. The more you look at the film and its parallels with The Catcher in the Rye, the further you go on that downward spiral with the protagonist.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Yes. Uneven film, but there are some really great sequences. And I love the takedown of the counterculture. I’d actually even hold it up as the good version of Brian DePalma’s Hi, Mom.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Haven’t seen enough to judge.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I don’t like the question. The statement “it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules” is self-contradicting. Once it becomes standard practice, a new system of rules has developed.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Only one I have seen is House on Haunted Hill. It was OK, of note mostly because I learned that Bill Paxton’s Frailty borrowed one of its more memorable visuals from it. William Castle certainly seems like something that would have been more fun to watch in a theater.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
My default answer would be Gummo, but I’m a big fan of the Harmony Korine written Ken Park and I think you can learn a lot about incest from that film. About the lack of sexual boundaries and role confusion within the family et cetera. I work with adolescent sex offenders and, I think this probably sounds a little naïve even in reference to a film like Ken Park but still, in a number of ways the film seems to accurately mirror their actual histories.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Just because the trailer was amazing. I also really want to see Mister Lonely and Synecdoche, New York and I would probably enjoy them even more than Button, but they aren’t as much a part of the “scene” and it’s more difficult for me to get geeked out over them.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
I’m really sorry for giving such a boring answer, but I’ll have to say Stanley Kubrick.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Francis Ford Coppola is the easy answer. Wasn’t a big fan of Youth Without Youth, but it did
33) Your first movie star crush
It was either Anne Heche or Christina Ricci. I think it was Ricci.
As usual, I'm only answer the questions that I've been able to come up with a reasonable answer.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
For impact, Jennifer Hudson singing “And I Am Telling You” in Dreamgirls. The audience applauded at the end of the song. I had goosebumps.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
The Verdict
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
How truly entertainly Wanted was. I’d see it again in a heartbeat!
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD: There Will Be Blood All I can say is – really? Theater: Tropic Thunder Get some!
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
The Poseidon Adventure
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
The posters for the Star Wars prequels.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Closer comes to mind
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Favorite: the ubiquitous popcorn. Most vile: nachos. If you’re not the one eating them, the smell is just.. no.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Like many others, my first thought was George Clooney. But almost immediately I mentally backpedaled. I think he would have been frustrated by the studio system. So instead I’ll go with Angela Basset who I’d like to think would have worked more under such a system.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
I decided to go with three of my favorite films in three different genres. Comedy: Soapdish. Drama: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Western: The Big Country.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Easy - The Dark Knight. A muddled mess served up by Chris Nolan that did not serve the marvelous performances by the cast at all.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
I’ve got two – Woody Allen and Will Ferrell
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Before this summer, I would have said Robert Downey, Jr. But now I think I’ll go with David
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Joy Luck Club
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
The Soloist because of the aforementioned RDJ.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Orson Welles. I really would like to see what he would do with one more try.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
That hack Christopher Columbus who ruined the first two Harry Potter adaptations.
33) Your first movie star crush
Sean Connery
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
There's a lot of them, but for posterity's sake, let's say the "Sodomy" number from Meet the Feebles. It's... mind-blowing.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Milland. He had X-ray eyes!
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
Finally caught up with 12 Angry Men recently. Can't go wrong with that, can ya?
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
I walked into The Strangers expecting a solid genre offering. I walked out 90 minutes later trembling from sustained anxiety and desperately in need of alcohol.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Gene Tierney never worked with William Grefe, so she gets my vote by default. Plus, Night and the City, yo.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: Brand Upon the Brain!. Which was expectedly awesome.
In a theater: Momma's Man. Which was unexpectedly awesome.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Did he have one?
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
This practically demands an exploitation title as an answer. I'll go with Happy Birthday to Me, if only because the poster promised nothing more than "Six of the most bizarre murders you will ever see," and it would have been nice to see them without the rest of the movie getting involved.
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Ten or fifteen years ago, that's a no-brainer for Chow. But Tony Leung wins on the virtue of having not done a lot of the crummy English-language features that Chow's done.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Andrew Repasky McElhinney's Georges Battaile's Story of the Eye, if only because it appropriates the name and reputation of one of the 20th century's most extraordinary works of art to try and lend some air of legitimacy to its weary, washed-out porno-loop footage. This, to me, seems like the very definition of empty pretension.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is probably his best, but Up! is his purest, grandest statement. I'll take them both.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
I saw more of myself than I'd like to admit in the protagonists of Punch-Drunk Love and Sideways. But nowadays, I'm starting to feel a kinship with Frederic in Chloe in the Afternoon. Except I don't know any Chloes, which is good.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Recently had my first taste of both of them. I liked Ninotchka more than The Scarlet Empress, but Dietrich... wow. I kinda got a funny feeling in my tummy.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
The old stand-by popcorn never fails, but I also have to express an undying love for the increasingly-rare Good 'n' Plenty. The worst is any food item that doesn't come in a candy box or a huge cardboard tub. If you eat a movie theater hot dog, you have a death wish. That's all there is to it.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Haven't read any other answers yet, but I have to imagine that George Clooney is running away with this question. He could have easily taken the roles given to Clark Gable or Cary Grant.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
I'll let you know when I see it. But generally, Herzog is a big fuck yes for me.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Since this is, after all, my revival theater, I gotta let the public know how I roll. I imagine a rather large amount of transgressive and/or disconcerting material would screen. But we can't forgo culture, after all. So why not kick things off with a three-pack dedicated to wayward women: GW Pabst's Pandora's Box followed by Lars Von Trier's Breaking the Waves, capped off by a midnight show of Stanley Brassloff's amazing pile of sick Toys Are Not for Children.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
Son of Celluloid.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
How does one top Duck Soup? Answer: One doesn't. (Though I'll admit I haven't yet seen Make Way for Tomorrow.)
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Does Citizen Kane count? 'Cause, in addition to being a grand technical/storytelling achievement, it's got one hell of an introduce-yourself performance by Welles.
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
Indiana Jones and the Big Ball of Suck. Thanks to Patton Oswalt, I am now incapable of thinking about this movie without hearing the phrase, "I don't trust that Mexican kid who parked our car..."
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Give Yeoh the edge because she was a Bond girl. Bond girls always get the edge.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Tell No One is a overwhelmingly inane piece of claptrap that's managed to fool a lot of people into thinking it's sharper and classier than it is simply because it's French. Don't be suckered!
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
The Ruins, a terrific, starkly crafted and ruthlessly physical horror flick that's been inexplicably dismissed by a whole bunch of people who, I guess, can't get past the premise.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
In theory, sure. In practice... dunno. Haven't seen it.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard made a lot of terrible films late in his career. He was also in both Brief Encounter and The Third Man, and that pair forgives any sins.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
As ever, Werner Herzog subscribes to a set of cinematic rules that apply to himself and nobody else. Also, in terms of the breaking of storytelling rules, I've been impressed by Christopher Nolan's acuity with achronology utilized for a philosophical bent.
Ignoring the rules, though... I'm not sure there really are any subvertable and/or ignorable rules any longer, if only because everything that can be subverted or ignored has been enough times that it seems common. We're kind of in an atmosphere that says, "You must do things this way... unless you don't want to or know a better way, in which case do that instead."
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Sight unseen, I'm going to say Shanks. Just because it sounds so goddamn weird.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Luis Bunuel's Land Without Bread, in no small part because it's half-pisstake.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
I don't see how The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will be anything but awesome.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Rob Reiner. I can hear you now: "Wait, he's not dead..." Like hell he's not. Some time around North, he was murdered and replaced with an evil robot double a la Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, a double committed to churning out useless middlebrow pap. We need to rescue his soul!
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Paul McGuigan's hollow flash is only as good as the material he chooses, and he invariably chooses the worst material he can find. After Lucky Number Slevin, I'd kinda like to see him beaten with a sack of doorknobs.
33) Your first movie star crush
Given the chance, I would totally stalk Emily Watson. I just dig here is all, and have since '96. That's the one that sticks out for me.
This is the first time, I think, that you've posted your answers before me, Dennis. I tried not to look at them (too much) before filling this out.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
Okay, so I went through and answered the easy questions already and now I'm going back to work on the hard ones. This is one of the hardest- impossible really, so what I'm going to do is arbitrarily think back to the last sound-era masterpiece I saw - in this case 2001: a Space Odyssey, possibly my favorite film of all time anyway - and pick the waltzing spacecraft sequence.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews is terrific in the Best Years of Our Lives but Milland takes it for his career.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
12 Angry Men is terrific, but from what I've seen it's all been downhill since.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
That I saw all of the top three moneymakers of the summer. It's the first year since 2005 that I've seen any of the top three. Almost as surprising: I actually liked two of them pretty well, for the most part.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Last time around I picked Hayworth, but having since then seen Leave Her to Heaven for the first time, I'm going to switch to Tierney, at least for now. Maybe once I rewatch Gilda I'll switch back again.
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
On DVD: rewatched the Man With a Movie Camera, this time with the excellent Alloy Orchestra score.
In theatres: Just got back from Man on Wire. Wow.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
I wouldn't know, unless it was "Lost in Space". I haven't seen any of his theatrical movies.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
James Bond comes to mind. Even in my most ardent Fleming-worship days I felt the movies never quite lived up to the Robert McGinnis artwork. Who wouldn't want to see a film with a six-armed Maud Adams, or with an alligator large enough to swallow a speedboat, or with Sean Connery cooly standing perpendicular to the lip of the entry to Blofeld's secret lair?
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow Yun-Fat was once (circa Hard-Boiled) the clear winner in the "badass" department, maybe acting too, and he's definitely been in the better Ang Lee movie. But Tony Leung has the good sense to stay away from Hollywood crap like the Replacement Killers, Anna and the King and God knows what else since. Plus, he's been terrific in masterpieces like Flowers of Shanghai and In the Mood For Love. Little Tony takes it.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
Possibly Venom & Eternity from 1950. Isadore Isou's manifesto-film begins with the longest introductory titles I've ever seen. Then it weds a voiceover praising a few canonized great filmmakers such as Flaherty and Eisenstein and railing against all others as total trash, to appropriated newsreel images that have been split, turned upside-down, or otherwise altered. Finally the film devolves into an expression of "lettrist" poetry incanted on a soundtrack accompanying completely abstract images. I loved it.
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Gotta be Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, if only because that's the single solitary one I've seen so far (it does seem rather hard to top, I must say).
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
Either Jacques Tati's Playtime or Tod Browning's the Unknown. I'll quote Walt Whitman: "Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself." I am a Gemini after all.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Solomon's Choice. You're not going to trick me into picking between The Face and that voice- snubbing either is grounds for removal of my classic film buff's membership card! So I'm going to cheat: Garbo in the silent period and Dietrich after sound arrived.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best: Pizza and beer, at a theatre like the Parkway in Oakland which has a license to provide such decadence.
Most vile: Twizzlers. I'm a (practically) lifelong vegetarian and I think I'd rather eat a hot dog than these foul-tasting, sticky contaminants.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Uh, Laruen Bacall.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
Yes. Not my personal favorite Herzog, but an important one in his oeuvre for certain, for numerous reasons. And I'm trying to answer this question without mentioning Les Blank, but there I've gone and done it.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Sunrise (Murnau, 1927), Birth (Glazer, 2004) and the New World (Malick, 2005). Gonna look great on the marquee.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
It can't top the Demarest, I know. But along the same lines, why not the Mifune?
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
As much as I love The Awful Truth and Ruggles of Red Gap, this has gotta be Make Way For Tomorrow, which pretty high up there in my currently-theoretical all-time personal canon.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
She'd been on TV before, but how about Lily Tomlin in Nashville?
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
The Happening. I'm the biggest Shyamalan apologist I know these days, but I couldn't figure out what to do with this one.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
On the distaff side of the Hong Kong international superstar showdown, I'm going to go in the same direction as I did above, with the one with stronger arthouse credibility: Maggie Cheung. I love Michelle Yeoh but her filmography is more limited and doesn't contain a single Irma Vep or Center Stage on it.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
The first half of Wall-E (which is still quite good, but came oversold)
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
The second half of Wall-E (structurally Hollywood, but thematically completely fascinating)
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
I'm afraid not. My Bakshi phase ended a while ago, and I don't think I'll be looking back any time soon.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
I find it impossible to compare the composer of Jewz in the Hood with the former quarterback for the Jets.
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
The hardest question of the quiz; I had to decide how to answer the second part before the first. It occurred to me that, whether a director's camera is showily roving, or classically static, whether her rhythms approach Bruce Conner fast or James Benning slow, and whether her thematic material pushes envelopes or is a deliberate throwback, it's always in the service to her own ego and fabricated reputation as an auteur. No surprise- it's the way to get jobs in a world where free-floating production companies have replaced the studio system.
Ideally the answer to part A would be a director who is happily and steadily working almost anonymously in some corner of the industry where selling himself and his film is not part of the job requirement. Only a small circle of professionals are likely to know his name. So there's no way I'm going to know it.
Ready to leave my answer at that, I think of another angle: a filmmaker, perhaps relatively well-known, perhaps not, but whose work is so clearly in service to the building of other filmmakers' reputations that there can't help but be a certain sheen of auteurist humility present throughout his work. I thought of Kevin Brownlow, who abandoned his days of making absolutely singular period films (It Happened Here and Winstanley) to immerse himself in the work of chronicling the past achievements of others. His documentary tributes to filmmakers like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Cecil B. DeMille and Merian C. Cooper, often made with collaboraters (who due to their lower profile might be even better candidates for my answer, in a way) ignore the most basic rules of me-first filmmaking so prevalent today.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Strait-Jacket has the edge.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
Because it was filmed not so far from the region of Thailand where I spent a year and a half as a teacher, I'm sentimentally attached to Cooper & Shoedsack's Chang (though I recognize Grass as the more accomplished, less problematic documentary). It's also really exciting and fun!
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
There must be something, but it's slipping my mind right now.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
This is one reason I'm not compulsive about tracking down every last film by a director, no matter how much I love his or her work. I don't ever want to get to that point where I have no more new work to discover of theirs. As long as there's a Countess From Hong Kong or the French, They Are a Funny Race or Fear and Desire out there, no matter how poor these films' reputations might be, I don't have to wish filmmakers back from the dead. One day I'll probably see those movies and then who knows what will happen. But in the meantime, I'll pick a guy who made only one feature-length film, a masterpiece, and then was struck down far too early in life: Jean Vigo. And a sensibility like his is sorely lacking these days!
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Tough question. I'm tempted to take the high road and say that I don't want to become a censor for anyone's creative work (I just won't watch it if it doesn't appeal- my approach toward your answer of Ridley Scott these days).
But that feels like a cop-out. I gotta have something. I'm tempted to go with George Lucas but I'd honestly like to see him try to get out of his Midichlorian-induced creative rut one of these years, even if I'm doubtful he ever will.
Instead I'll put down Mel Gibson- his films may or may not have redeeming aesthetic value but I think it's pretty clear that the world is overall a bit worse off for having certain ones of them in existence than it would be otherwise- and there are very few filmmakers I'd be willing to say that about. I honestly wouldn't mind at all if he never directed another one.
33) Your first movie star crush
It might have been, of all people, Shannon Doherty. I'd better explain. I remember being a nine-year-old in 1982, coming across in some childrens' magazine like Dynamite or Hot Dog or something, an article interviewing the four child actors who provided the voices for Mrs. Frisbee's litter in the upcoming Don Bluth release The. Secret of NIMH This article made a huge impression on me at the time- I think it was the first time I really considered the people who provided the voices for cartoon characters, and because the examples in the article were kids around my age, I remember thinking about them a lot. I kindof obsessed about that article to the point that I nurtured something of a pre-adolescent, non-sexual crush on both of the girls interviewed (and I wanted to be the boys). Turns out that the voice of Teresa would go on to star in my sister's favorite TV show. (And the voice of Martin was a pre-Stand By Me Wil Wheaton).
Better late than never...
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
the "Daddy's Boy" sequence in HEAD - still impressive today; the '1812 Overture' sequence in THE MUSIC LOVERS; the 'Acid Queen' and 'Pinball Wizard' sequences in TOMMY; Jessica Harper singing "The Me of Me" in SHOCK TREATMENT, and the performance of the title song
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
DOG DAY AFTERNOON; though I also have a soft spot for FIND ME GUILTY.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
SPEED RACER
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
Last movie watched on DVD was THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND - I do have to say without Forest Whitaker's well desevered Oscar winning performance, the film wouldn't have worked.
In theaters, THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN. My town happened to be one of the podunk locations that they buried this in... hope that people will pick up the DVD.
Also discovered that an acquaintance worked on this film and he filled me in on the sordid story of what really happened... it's a miracle that the film is actually pretty good.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. As two lousy remakes 30 years down the road proved, Irwin was hitting on all cylinders on this one, probably the best marriage of a good, solid story with strong performances and the visuals not overwhelming everything else.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
N/A
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Chow, of course
10) Most pretentious movie ever
hmmn... is there enough room on the Internet to properly answer this question?
Sometimes pretentious is entertaining... but pretentious AND boring?!
What movie am I talking about?
YOU'RE RIGHT!!
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS/FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL!!! KILL!!!
Pretty much the core Meyer.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
In terms of attitude, outlook and sense of humor, THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST.
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Marlene
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Not really into movie snacks... though I got turned on to popcorn with real butter &
nutritional yeast while attending shows at the Red Vic in SF.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Anne Hathaway would be pretty comfortable in the studio system... they'd probably have better roles for her.
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
I'm a big fan of BURDEN OF DREAMS... have never managed as of yet to make it through FITZCARRALDO, but due to recent Herzog viewing over the past couple of years, I'll probably give it another try.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
I've thought about such things, if ever I were in the position to program a theater...
to kick things off, Zulawski's THE THIRD PART OF THE NIGHT, and top it off with Jodorowsky's THE HOLY MOUNTAIN.
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Blackrose.
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie.
Ashamed to say that I have not seen a Leo McCarey movie as of yet.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I don't think I've seen enough debut performances to really give a good answer to this. This doesn't really answer the question - but having watched a lot of vintage 60's TV, it's rather amazing to see early perfs. of people who would eventually become stars
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
That's a tall order, with so many candidates... but I'll choose INDIANA JONES AND THE CHEAP PINE BOX (my title for the Last Indiana Jones adventure... I'm certain it would've been a lot better than CRYSTAL SKULL.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Michelle Yeoh.
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
THE DARK KNIGHT. It may be a good film, but COME ON. IT'S A WELL DONE BATMAN MOVIE!! THAT'S IT, FOLKS.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
IN BRUGES. I envy the people who are going to discover this film.
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Never have seen any of the Fritz movies... they may have matched the times, but I feel that both Bakshi and Crumb's creation were overrated.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
28) Favorite William Castle movie
I have a fondness for STRAIGHT-JACKET - I also like THE OLD DARK HOUSE with Tom Poston and Robert Morely.
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
No answer to this.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
To be truthful, I'm not really looking forward to anything on the major schedules coming up... I hope to be surprised by something, but the surprises are getting pretty few and far between... and there's no longer, in my life, any sense of urgency. It's great to share some discovery that you've found on DVD, but that communal feeling diminishes every year.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Kubrick.
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Again, there's so many... SO MANY with absolutely NOTHING to say or to ADD creatively. Who am I talking about?
YOU'RE RIGHT!
33) Your first movie star crush
Kristy McNicoll in LITTLE DARLINGS.
It took me almost a month, prof -- but I finally finished it!
Adam's answers
Well I'm way late to the party, but here goes:
My Answers
Thanks, Adam and Mark! I really appreciate you guys taking the time to do this! Great lists both. I'm sure you'll be well represented in the Dr. Smith roundup coming just before the next big quiz!
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie
“Good Morning” from Singin’ in the Rain
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews
Easy! Ray Milland- If you just look at their “Zero” movies it’s clear. Panic in the Year Zero > Zero Hour!
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie
The Pawnbroker
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season
I found laughs in a pot movie.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth
Gene Tierney- Laura > Gilda
6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
DVD- Day Night Day Night Theater- A Girl Cut In Two
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Ahh, the first question that asks for serious contemplation. It is hard to find a more consistently luminous career in Hollywood than Irwin Allen’s. I’ll have to go with the film where he showed that he was a true triple threat, The Lost World.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Inseminoid, Def Con 4, Nightbreed
9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung
Tony Leung Chu Wai. Chow Yun-Fat is strictly a piker’s choice- for dabblers only.
10) Most pretentious movie ever
The Godfather
11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie
Mudhoney
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.”
The Wild Bunch
13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo
Dietrich but I’d have to pick Hedy Lamarr over both of ‘em.
14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack?
Best- Gummi Worms Worst- Jujy Fruits
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system
Penelope Cruz
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no?
No- dreamers are social bores and if given proper latitude, can be quite dangerous.
17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
Vampyr, A Page of Madness, I Walked With a Zombie
18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
The Theater near me is called The Mayan. My made-up theater would be called the Rondo Hatton
19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
The only one I have seen, Duck Soup.
20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
Makiko Esumi- Maborosi
21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season
CJ7
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung
23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Paul Thomas Anderson for the film There Will Be Blood. Good cinematography cannot cover up all of the idiotic choices made in this movie. Daniel Day Lewis doing John Huston's Gandalf from the Hobbit cartoon is Oscar worthy? WTF?
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
Kenji Misumi- He did more than the Lone Wolf and Cub series and has a couple of heavy hitters in his catalogue like "Sword" (written by Mishima).
25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
NO. The same goes for Wizards, Heavy Traffic, and Street Fight.
26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd
Trevor Howard of course, but shouldn’t this be Trevor Howard vs. Michael Redgrave?
27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
I’d put my money on Apichatpong Weerasethakul as the quintessential modern day rule breaker. I feel that getting rid of the character, plot, story structure and directional development people demand from a movie and creating a new way of developing and shaping an idea that retains a natural feel to the mass of viewers is the way to break rules today. Movies are way to accomodating to peoples' predjudices in taste today.
28) Favorite William Castle movie
Homicidal
29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie
The River (Renoir)
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
Still Walking- Kore-eda is one of the living greats.
31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Hiroshi Teshigahara
32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Ed Zwick or Ken Burns. Sometimes I think they are the same person.
33) Your first movie star crush
Mary Poppins
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