A fun looking meme that first (as far as I can ascertain) appeared on Defiant Success and has made its way across that ole cyberspace. Looks like fun and I have nothing else to do right now - and I am a nerd after all - so why not. Here we go.
1) Movie you love with a passion.
2. Movie you vow to never watch.
There are two actually. The first one is The Goonies. I grew up in the right era and saw all of its contemporary popcorn flicks (Breakfast Club, Back to the Future, Gremlins, Indiana Jones, The Lost Boys, what have you) but for some reason never got around to The Goonies. No particular reason, just slipped by me. Well now here it is, more than twenty-five years later (I suddenly feel really old) and still no Goonies. Others of my generation call it a travesty. I call it fate. If I haven't seen it by now - I might as well never see it (famous last words, huh?).
The other cinema non grata is The Boondock Saints. I know, all the cool guys like it, but who wants to be one of them. So many people have told me that I must watch it (and comparing it to a bunch of films I do not like!?) so out of spite or some inherent antagonistic character flaw, I simply refuse. 'nuff said.
3) Movie that literally left you speechless.
Red Shoes? Okay, I won't use that one. I suppose my answer would be Leo McCarey's heart-wrenching Make Way for Tomorrow. When that film ended, I seriously could not say a word. Sure, I could blubber like a baby, but no words would come out. It is this same way each and every time I watch the film too.
Red Shoes? Okay, I won't use that one. I suppose my answer would be Leo McCarey's heart-wrenching Make Way for Tomorrow. When that film ended, I seriously could not say a word. Sure, I could blubber like a baby, but no words would come out. It is this same way each and every time I watch the film too.
I suppose I could (again) just say The Red Shoes and move on to the next question, but that would feel a bit like cheating (and I do love to hear myself pontificate) so I will pick something else. How about Rio Bravo. Quentin Tarantino uses this film as a barometer for potential girlfriends (if they don't like it they hit the road!) and I think it is as good a relationship barometer as any I can think of. So in that frame of mind, I recommend this film to all those out there looking for love in all the wrong places. Incidentally, I made my wife watch this movie and I can happily say we are still together.
5) Actor/actress you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie.
There can be only one answer to this one and that sir (and madam) is Nicholas Cage. I love Nic Cage, and I love Nic Cage most of all when he is being his batshitcraziest - which seems to be more and more often these days. The funny thing is though, Nic Cage has been in a lot of bad movies, but somehow because he is in them I get great giddy enjoyment from them, therefore turning them - for all intents and purposes - good movies. Okay, perhaps not good, but good-ish. Okay, perhaps not even good-ish, but they are so much damned fun to watch.
Oh god, where do I start and where do I finish. Allow me to list just a few. Jim Carrey. Wil Smith. Kate Hudson. Charlize Theron. Halle Berry. Tyler Perry. Jason Statham. Katherine Heigl (oh god I loathe that one). Jack Black. I could go on and on here. Granted, some of the aforementioned could be called talented thespians of one kind or another, but for some reason they just either bore me or get on my nerves. Either way, no thanks.
7) Actor/actress, living or dead, you'd love to meet.
Barbara Stanwyck, circa 1933. I would rock her world. Did I say that out loud, or rather did I type that out loud? Oh well. Seriously though, I would love to hang out with someone like Cagney or Bogart (with Bacall) or maybe Groucho. As far as the living go, I would say Michelle Williams (again, rocking her world) but my gut answer would be Quentin Tarantino. I know he is more a director than an actor, but to hang out with QT, Scorsese and Bogdanovich and talk cinema would be the veritable be all and end all. I could die happy then.
8) Sexiest actor/actress you've seen. (Picture required!)
Okay, let's face it, I have the biggest crush on Michelle Williams so there is no way I cannot say her.
Picking from just here and now: Kate Winslet, Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts, Marion Cotillard, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Helen Mirren, Isabelle Huppert & Penelope Cruz in a remake of Francois Ozon's 8 Women. Of course the greatest actor ever is Daniel Day-Lewis, so I would have to insert him in there as some sort of token male figure. Oh wait, I have already seen this (for the most part) as the ill-fated musical Nine - I film I wanted so much to love but just could not. Seriously though, any combination of the above (along with John Malkovich, Chris Walken, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Keener, Casey Affleck and of course Nic Cage) would make for great entertainment.
10) Favorite actor pairing.
The easy answer would be Bogie and Bacall. In fact it is such an easy answer that it is the one I am going with. Only four movies together but the chemistry they had from the very beginning (where the 45 year old Bogart swept the 19 year old Bacall off her feet on and off the screen in To Have and Have Not - incidentally while the director Howard Hawks was also trying to sweep the young ingenue off her feet) is palpable. One of the funnest Hollywood couples - on and off screen - ever.
11) Favorite movie setting.
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. Time to die.
12) Favorite decade for movies.
Why do I have to keep narrowing things down dammit!!? I suppose if one were to go to my all-time favourite list, the answer would be the 1950's, followed closely by the 1960's and 1940's and then the 1970's and 1930's. The 1980's, ironically the decade I became a man in (literally and figuratively if you know what I mean), is probably my least favourite overall.
13. Chick flick or action movie?
Really? This is a question? How about Thelma and Louise? It is both so I am going with that as my official non-answer.
14. Hero, villain or anti-hero?
I could say Darth Vader and in many ways he could be considered all three. So there!!
15. Black and white or color (and/or colour)?
An argument could be made for both. One one hand, films such as The Maltese Falcon or Casablanca or Citizen Kane would not have the power they do if they had been in colour. I mean really, imagine something like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in Technicolor. Film noir as a whole would have been erased from our memories. But on the other hand, a film like The Red Shoes (had to mention it again) or An American in Paris would not have worked as well in black & white. Then there is The Wizard of Oz that goes from sepia to glorious colour and that is part of what makes it work so well. But I suppose, my classic film side wins out, and if I must choose (I hate choosing dammit!) I choose black & white.
That's it for now. Go home.
6 comments:
Nice 15 questions meme answers! Hate Jack Black myself, he is really obnoxious and I can't see anyone else but Jack Black no matter what the role is.
Michelle Williams, great actress!
Thanx. I could go on for a long while more with my choices for unappealing actors/actresses.
Nice choices,
I loved The Red Shoes as well, such a tragically beautiful film.
As for Nic Cage, I'm a massive fan despite what most people say. I nearly always look forward to watchign a film of his, although I do try to avoid the really really bad looking ones like his most recent, or Bangkok Dangerous.
I also love that screenshot from Wild At Heart, he was great in that.
Awesome dream cast as well, I'd watch that film!
Thanx jack. Yeah, I love Nic even in the horrid ones. Even in Ghost Rider (believe it or not).
I had the same number ten as you, in fact I'm watching the four Bogart and Bacall movies again this weekend.
Sounds like a pretty good week-end to me.
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