Film Survey a la Ninquelosse

I am giving you a break from the Trivia Questions (okay, so I am giving myself a break, but it is my blog). Today I am going to answer a film survey that I found on Cinecism, Emily's blog (You probably know her here as Ninquelosse). By the way, here are her answers. And you will also notice a lot of links in this post. I have linked every film to IMDb so that you have the choice to check out the film if you have never heard of it before or if you forgot who was in it. I highly recommend the movies I list below (except the bad ones). If I mention a name, I will link to a picture so you can look and say, "oh I know that guy", or "Yes, Natalie Portman is pretty." So without further ado on to the survey.

How old were you when you first went to the cinema and what did you watch?: Oh man, I have no idea. That was a long time ago.

Three films about films and/or cinema: Ed Wood, about the worst director ever, Shadow Of The Vampire, about the making of Nosferatu, and Tristram Shandy: A Cock And Bull Story, which is pretty hard to describe.

Favorite Actresses: I seem to bounce back and forth on this one as I watch new movies so here are a few: Natalie Portman, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Connelly, and Reese Witherspoon. And some that are close to my favorites: Keira Knightly, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

A film that changed your life and why: Wow, that is a hard question, I think I would have to say a single film would have to be Close Encounters Of The Third Kind because it started my love affair with movies. It was the first movie that I ever bought for myself. I remember one time Mom and Dad had gone to a dance and my brother was out of the house (I have no idea where he was, since he is 5 years younger than me and still in high school at the time, maybe he was at work) I put Close Encounters in the VCR, plugged in the stereo and cranked up the volume, (I am pretty sure you could have sat outside and listened to it clearly) and then the mother ship came rumbling toward the screen, the walls shook, it was awesome!

Great directors but which film of theirs is your favorite? Kubrick, Hitchcock, Powell & Pressburger, Kurosawa, Lang. Okay, let’s see, Stanley Kubrick, I have seen half of his films and I guess the best is A Clockwork Orange, but he also did 2001 and Dr. Strangelove which would both be real close. I have seen twelve of Alfred Hitchcock's films so out of those I would have to say Rear Window, North By Northwest, and Dial M For Murder are the top three. I really can’t say that I have seen any film by Powell & Pressburger. Akira Kurasawa has plenty of films in the top 250 so if I had to pick some I would saw Yojimbo, Rashoman, and Ran. It looks like I have only seen two Fritz Lang movies, and both were great, Metropolis, and M.

Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, who's the best? I’d have to say Charlie Chaplin based on how he controlled everything. The thing about his movies is they seem to still be relevant today. I have seen far too few movies by Lloyd, Keaton, and Laurel & Hardy.

You're remaking a classic, which one and who's your new stars? The Apple Dumpling Gang, with Bernie Mac in the Tim Conway role, and Chris Rock in the Don Knotts role…Okay, just kidding, I hate remakes. They are never as good as the original, especially the classics.

Miscast actors happens quite a bit, what's the worst you've seen? Charlton Heston as a Mexican Narcotics Official in Touch Of Evil. When I first saw it I was like “Huh? He’s Mexican? " He didn’t even try for a Spanish accent.

Most overrated good movie? I hate to say it, but the Godfather. It is a tremendous movie but at times it seemed a little slow to me and I had a few hard times getting through it.

Most overrated bad movie? Touch Of Evil, the plot didn’t make any sense at all and you could drive an aircraft carrier through the plot holes. Charlton Heston as the Mexican Official and Orson Welles looked like he was a day away from a coronary. The reason it is so highly regarded is four simple words, directed by Orson Welles.

Worst movie ever? Plan 9 From Outer Space, I know, it’s the safe choice, but have any one you ever seen it? It is hilarious, it is so bad it is good. There is a scene where Bela Lugosi walks through a graveyard, it is in the movie about 5 times, in five different places.

Favorite British films: Monty Python And The Holy Grail is classic. Snatch was pretty good. Shaun of the Dead was hilarious. A lot of times I can’t really tell you if a film is British or not.

Best road movies? The Wizard Of Oz, well, they had to travel to the Emerald City didn’t they? And how about Hidden Fortress, not your usual road movie.

Favorite Actors: Kevin Spacey, Sean Connery, Ed Norton, and yes, Kim, Johnny Depp.

Who Would Play You In A Biopic Of Your Life? John Goodman, but who would want to watch it?

Most Irritating Cinema Advert Ever: After reading Emily’s answer I figured out an advert is a trailer, or at least that is what she answered with, so…any recent movie with Leslie Nelson. Lately he has only been in movies like The Naked Gun and such, movies that depend on a lot of sight gags and quick one liners, the thing I hate is that they put all the good ones into the trailer, so basically, watch the trailer and save yourself some money, because nothing else in the movie is as funny as the trailer.

Which Film Magazines/Forums Do You Read? FilmWise.com It’s a great site.

You Have To Swap Your Life With A Movie Plot, Which One Do You Choose? Oh man, this is a hard one, how about Airplane! Guy saves the day, gets the girl and massive hilarity ensues.

A film that scared you at the cinema/home? I tend to stay away from scary movies because I don’t like the feeling of being scared so I will relate two different events with my sister. When my sister was in High School she was in the band and one night after going to a football game in another city to see her, some friends brought me home and we passed a drive in movie theater that was showing Cujo. It was the scene where Cujo attacks the car and was on top of the hood barking at the two people inside the car. When I got home I was the first one back and the house was pitch black and I made one of the adults with me go inside and turn on some lights. Then the summer after I graduated from High School I went with my brother and stayed with my sister. She convinced us to watch the Nightmare On Elm Street movies. So, because of her, I have seen all the movies through Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, which was subsequently followed by two more movies that I haven’t seen.

Your favorite silent movie? I have a few. Metropolis is fantastically futuristic. Nosferatu is just plain creepy, one of the creepiest vampire movies I have seen. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari really shows off German Expressionism.

A crap film that you know is crap but you love? Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, with Kevin Costner. It is unintentionally hilarious. And then there is Battlefield Earth, I have no idea why I like this one, probably another case of unintentional hilarity (and I am all about hilarity), I mean really, a group of humans who have never went to school learn how to fly Harrier Jets in a day, and did I mention that the jets haven’t flown in a thousand years.

Favorite Directors: I have been thinking about this question for a while and I don’t usually watch a film based on the director. So I thought what movie have I watched because of who the director was and I came up with one name, Tim Burton. I just like his quirky style. Have I seen all of his movies? Well, no, but as I am looking at the movies he has made I can tell you that I have seen his last 12 (Pee Wee’s Big Adventure through Corpse Bride, and no, I have not seen Frankenweenie, that was pre Pee Wee).

Recommend three films that will change the way you view film: Requiem For A Dream, Hard Candy, The Sixth Sense (but this one you have to watch once, and then watch a second time with the director’s commentary).

On Screen Love Stories: Brokebac…umm…sorry I just can’t do it. I’m a dude, give me action! Now if you can get a good love story in amid the explosions, all the better. Seriously, Breakfast At Tiffany’s was pretty good, and this one might puzzle a lot of people but Leon was a pretty good love story.

Met Any Movie Stars? Well, no, but my sister’s aunt’s brother’s nephew’s brother’s father’s sister-in-law once sold a ticket for alcohol to Sandra Bullock at the rodeo.

What's your favorite period of cinema? e.g. 20s German expressionism, French New Wave etc. The Summer of 1989. During that Summer my brother and I stayed with my sister in Virginia. We watched so many movies that summer. It was the best. I mean we saw Batman, Dead Poet’s Society, Star Trek V, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and a lot of other ones.

Favorite Soundtracks: O Brother Where Art Thou? Excellent! And I am kind of embarrassed to say, Little Shop Of Horrors.

What Films Need A Sequel: Sequels as a rule, are bad. If I was forced to pick one I would have to go with a Prequel not a Sequel and go with The Hobbit directed by Peter Jackson. Come on people, iron out your differences and make the move already!

The film you’ve seen the most times: There is no way I can answer this one so I am going to list the movies that I can sit down and watch over and over again: The Hunt For Red October, A Few Good Men, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Airplane!, Murder By Death, Ghostbusters, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Jaws, and there are others.

The films you can quote ad infinitum. Airplane! (“I’m serious, and don’t call me Shirley”, “A hospital? What is it?” “It’s a big building with sick people, but that’s not important right now.”), Ghostbusters (“Back off, man, I’m a scientist.”), A Few Good Men (“You can’t handle the truth!”)

Who’s your favorite cult film hero? Mary Lane (Kristen Bell) and Jimmy Harper (Christian Campbell) from Reefer Madness: The Musical, that is a funny movie, you should watch it.

Pick one genre and give us five of your favorites from it e.g. Comedy, film noir, romance, musical etc: How about foreign, is that a genre? In no particular order, Run, Lola, Run, Hero, Spirited Away, Nosferatu, Talk To Her.

Two scenes that flood your tear ducts: It’s a cliché but it is true, Old Yeller. As for another scene, come on, I’m a dude, I don’t reveal these things.

You're an interviewer, who do you interview and about which film? Okay, a guy and a girl. Johnny Depp, any one of his films, but I think I could use some help from my sister (How about it Kim?). Mainly just to see how he comes up with the characters he comes up with. Natalie Portman, just because.

Three great acting performances: Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects, F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus, Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense.

Who is your sex god/goddess? Geez, my parents read this blog! And it is definitely goddesses. Umm…see favorite actresses, add Lea Thompson, Denise Richards, Leah Remini, Kristen Bell, and Traylor Howard.

So, what do you think? Can you think of any questions like this that you would like me to answer?