December 2010
38 posts
1 tag
Do you find it difficult to watch scenes of drug...
Difficult only in the sense that I’ve known drug addicts and seen the devastation addiction can cause, so it makes me sad. In terms of physically seeing the act of IV drug use on screen, that doesn’t really freak me out.
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I kept reading comments that Girl With a Dragon...
At first, the movie seemed to have some Oscar buzz for star Noomi Rapace, who was excellent as Lisbeth Salander. With the arrival of Portman, Bening, Kidman, and a few others, that buzz has largely died down. I don’t expect the flick to get nominated for anything, although I personally enjoyed it a great deal.
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What movies best tells the story of your...
Not that my life was anything like it (obviously), but I’d pick STAR WARS. I saw it at age nine, and became completely obsessed with it. I had toys and merchandise all over my house. Still do, actually. That was the single most profound moviegoing experience I’ve ever had.
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Do you think film journalists are annoyed that...
I don’t think anybody’s annoyed, but I think some film journalists were hoping to see them compete for a third time, especially since Annette Bening has so much Oscar buzz. In fact, I think sympathies would have been with Bening overall. Of course, she has other things to worry about this year, namely Natalie Portman and Jennifer Lawrence, both of whom will be stiff competition when...
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The most body piercings in one session is 1015...
I’d have to pass on that one. I’m a wimp when it comes to pain. I have no tattoos and no piercings. And by the way, what kind of masochist gets 1015 piercings in seven hours?
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I was born in 1986 and I've been using Netflix to...
I identify with this question a lot. I was a child in the 70’s and have spent years catching up with all the movies I was too young to see then. I’ll assume you’ve seen a lot of the obvious 80’s classics (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, GHOSTBUSTERS, BACK TO THE FUTURE, E.T.) and will pick these:
The John Hughes teen comedies are quintessentially 80’s - BREAKFAST CLUB,...
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What performance or movie do you not want to see...
Last year, I’d have had a more concrete answer (Sandra Bullock in THE BLIND SIDE). This year, I’m actually a fan of all the films and performances that are considered Oscar frontrunners. So I’ll cop out a bit here and say that I hope the Oscar voters don’t follow the lead of the Golden Globes and nominate BURLESQUE and THE TOURIST.
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Should they have cancelled The PRice is Right...
I actually haven’t seen “The Price is Right” in years, so I can’t comment on Drew Carey’s performance. I used to love his sitcom, though. Personally, I think he’s too funny to be hosting a game show. It seems to be a waste of his talents.
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Are you surprised that Yahoo Serious was such a...
I love this question. Yahoo Serious is one of my favorite punch lines when making jokes about bad movies. (POOTIE TANG and SPACE CHIMPS are two others.) He may well be a funny guy, but his sense of humor is so particular and so offbeat that I’m not sure it really translated well to movies.
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What is the most mean-spirited film you've seen?
That would be Uwe Boll’s POSTAL - a movie that tried to find humor in the 9/11 attacks and in the sight of innocent school children being gunned down in an amusement park. It may be the single worst picture I’ve ever seen. Beyond that, take your pick of the torture porn movies - SAW, HOSTEL, etc. - which are mean-spirited by nature. I will never understand why some people like watching...
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In your opinion, which film franchise had great...
That’s an easy choice for me: THE MATRIX. Has any franchise ever lost so much coolness so quickly? The original was a mind-blower, but the sequels were so dull and bloated that they killed any affection I had for the first one. THE MATRIX could have gone down as one of the best franchises in movie history. Instead, it goes down as one of the lamest.
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When you go to the cinema, do you have favourite...
I usually buy a bottle of soda out of the machine, and I might get popcorn once in a while. Usually I’m too focused on the movie to think about eating, though.
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Are you a fan of bacon doughnuts?...
I love bacon and I love doughnuts, but I’m not so sure those two great tastes would taste great together.
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Have you been to an autopsy? Would that interest...
No, I’ve never been to an autopsy. I don’t think I’d have the stomach to watch something like that. I can take anything as long as it’s just a movie; if it’s real, I’m totally squeamish.
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What are your favourite "holiday movies"?
I actually prefer comedies to the traditional “heartwarming” stuff. Among my favorites: A CHRISTMAS STORY, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION, and THE REF. And, of course, DIE HARD.
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Regarding movieisms, the stuff that bothers me...
And any high-tech computer system can easily be hacked with just a few simple key strokes. So much for computer security!
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When will you be putting up your Best/Worst lists...
I still have a few more films to see before I begin writing. The lists should be posted no later than Sunday January 2.
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What is your favourite movie about a bordello?
You don’t see too many of those so, by default, I’ll pick TALES FROM THE CRYPT PRESENTS: BORDELLO OF BLOOD starring Dennis Miller.
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Do you think Academy Awards should be given out to...
I don’t expect the Oscars to be perfect, but yes, it would certainly help if voters were required to see all the films they are voting for. Sometimes voters reject a movie for one reason or another, which creates an unfair imbalance. It’s been speculated that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN’s surprising Best Picture loss was due to the fact that some older, conservative voters refused to see...
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What are some things common in movies that NEVER...
People in movies always hang up the phone when they are done talking. They never say goodbye or do anything to wrap up the conversation.
When a man and a woman in a movie make a date, the man will say “I’ll pick you up at 8:00” without ever bothing to get the woman’s address or phone number. (Movie characters are psychic!)
People who hate each other in movies either...
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What is your opinion on business process...
I’m not a fan.
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Who's the biggest divy in films today?
I assume that’s a typo and you mean diva. I actually don’t know the answer to this one. Sure, I hear the gossip on the internet and in magazines like Entertainment Weekly, but there’s usually not a lot of context to gossip. Besides, if someone delivers great work, I think they should be cut a little slack for the occasional bit of diva behavior. Christian Bale had an infamous...
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Why do you only get intelligent questions? All I...
I actually wish I knew who asked me questions, because they’ve almost all been great! (I only ever got one or two goofy ones.) I’m fortunate to have cool readers/followers/friends/question askers. Talking film is, of course, one of my favorite things to do, so it’s wonderful to have others to do it with.
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This is why Oscar discussions are so fun because I...
Streep was excellent, I would agree. I guess my thing with Cotillard was that her performance felt really mannered to me. Then again, I know almost nothing about Edith Piaf, so perhaps that’s how she really was. Incidentally, I like Cotillard as an actress. I just thought that Ellen Page played the role of Juno like no one else could have. It’s also a film that’s very near and...
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Have you ever attended Butt-Numb-A-Thon?
I have not. The idea of a movie marathon is intriguing, but I become restless if I sit for too long, and I think that would impede my ability to enjoy the films.
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Do you ever wish you could take back an Oscar win...
I actually agree with you. Nothing against Sandra Bullock, but her performance in THE BLIND SIDE paled next to the one from Gaborey Sidibe in PRECIOUS. I beat that drum extensively last year. I’d also argue (strongly) that Ellen Page in JUNO deserved to beat out Marion Cotillard in LA VIE EN ROSE.
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What accents do you have a difficult time...
Thick Cocknet accents are often difficult to understand on screen. Also Scottish accents. As much as I loved TRAINSPOTTING, I didn’t understand big chunks of the dialogue.
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Are there subjects that you feel movies do not do...
Actually, I don’t think most movies explore romantic love very well. It’s a hard thing to be substantive about, which is why we end up with so many hackneyed romantic comedies (e.g. films where two bickering people fall in love, etc.). So few get it right that, when they do, they often become big hits; it’s like audiences are so excited to see something that represents real,...
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What TV shows do you enjoy watching? Include past...
Currently: The Office, Community, The Walking Dead, Infomania, Parenthood, and Bored to Death.
All-time favorites: Seinfeld, Gilmore Girls, Friends, The Sopranos, The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Rotten Tomatoes Show (*sigh*).
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Stop waxing your eyebrows. Stop shaving your chest...
Presumably this was asked (though it’s really not a question) by someone who was disgruntled with one of my reviews. I can think of only one appropriate reply: I’ll stop shaving off all my body hair when your mother tells me it stops turning her on.
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Any movies that made you cry?
That doesn’t happen too often, but it has happened. I’ve seen SCHINDLER’S LIST three times and I cry every time at the end. Having loved (and lost) dogs, MY DOG SKIP really tore me up. The film I cried hardest at, though, was a documentary called DEAR ZACHARY, which detailed how a flaw in the legal system caused a toddler to remain in the custody the mentally ill mother who...
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I noticed so many critics got key facts wrong in...
I’ve never been more confused by a movie than I was by SYRIANA. I spent so much time trying to figure out what was going on that it became maddening. In many ways, sitting through a confusing movie is worse than sitting through a bad one. With a bad movie, you at least know what’s happening.
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I'm reading some of Pauline Kael's reviews, and...
Kael worked during an era where individual critics had far more power than they do now. For better or worse, she was an eloquent writer, and she was well-known for championing filmmakers she believed in, which helped a number of challenging films get noticed at the box office. At the same time, there are plenty of tales of her failing to engage in what we might call “best practice.”...
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Where in the theatre do you like to sit? Do you...
I like to sit in the stadium seating section, high enough so the screen is at eye level.
I never take notes during a movie. I’m there to (hopefully) enjoy myself and get lost in the film. The “critic” part of my mind doesn’t start working until I get back to my computer and begin the process of analyzing my reaction. While the movie is playing, I’m just like any...
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Who's Your Celebrity Style Twin?
Now there’s a question I never thought I’d be asked! I tried taking an online quiz to find out, but I apparently confounded the website. If I had to take a guess, I’d probably say someone like Jonah Hill or Seth Rogen. I’m just really not a very stylish person. Of course, my job involves lots of sitting in the dark and writing in solitude, so it doesn’t really matter,...
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When a film is perceived as offensive (TKAAR for...
I don’t think there’s any formal decision that a movie is or is not offensive, but when an entire subsection of the audience is offended, there may some merit to their complaints.
In this case, you’re citing THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, which I think is one of the year’s best films. Some members of the gay and lesbian community have objected to one of the movie’s major...
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When a film is perceived as offensive (TKAAR for...
That’s an interesting question, but I’m not entirely sure how to answer it. What’s offensive to one person may not be offensive to someone else. I don’t think there’s any formal decision on something being objectionable. However, when an entire group of people get offended by a film, there’s probably some merit to it. They may see something in the story’s...
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What are two or three films overlooked gems you'd...
One of my favorite overlooked dramas is 1997’s THE ICE STORM, directed by Ang Lee and starring Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Christina Ricci, and Elijah Wood. A powerful, superb film.
For a lighter experience, I also love THE ASTRONAUT FARMER, starring Billy Bob Thornton. It’s a nice, Frank Capra-style fantasy, without a trace of cynicism.
Finally, I’d recommend a...