Another movie meme, again via SamuraiFrog, whose post is only one generation removed from the original source of this one. I’m not familiar with The Sickness Cinema blog, but I like their touch with a meme. So, without further ago, The First (as in inaugural) Sickness Cinema Meme:
What is your…?
- Favorite movie: You folks haven’t been paying attention if you have to ask that…
- Favorite movie to come back to time and again: Casablanca; I never get tired of the chemistry between Bogart and Claude Rains.
- Best movie that you never want to see again: Schindler’s List.
- Last great movie you saw in a theater: Hm. Probably Juno. Sorry, Indy, you were good, you were very good, but I can’t bring myself to call you “great.”
- Last great movie you saw on DVD: In the Shadow of the Moon. There are a thousand documentaries about the Apollo moon landings, and I’ve pretty much seen ’em all, but this one managed to show me film clips I’ve never seen before and bring tears to my eyes from the wonder and beauty of this greatest human adventure. Highly recommended.
How do you feel about…?
- The ending of Iron Man: Presumably this is referring to the post-credits Easter egg. I thought it was very groovy.
- Jason Segel taking control of the Muppets: I don’t know who this guy is.
- Manolha Dagis’ last editorial in The New York Times about women in film: I didn’t read it and don’t know who Manolha Dagis is.
- The MTV movie awards: Don’t watch ’em, don’t care. I figure I’m not the target demo for those anyhow.
- Ellen Page as Jane Eyre: Loved her in Juno, but she can’t coast on that one film forever. She has presence and fire, so I don’t see why she wouldn’t be a good choice in a costume drama.
Who is your…?
- Favorite actor: At the moment, probably Johnny Depp. He’s finally willing to make commercial movies after a long period of deliberately shunning them, but even in a crowd-pleaser like the Pirates movies, he makes interesting and eccentric choices. And he just seems like a really cool guy.
- Favorite actress: Hm. This is a tough one, since I honestly can’t think of any women actors of the moment that would make me say, “oh, I like her, I must see this film!” Maybe Angelina Jolie. Depends on what she’s in, though. Her new one coming up, Wanted, looks absolutely ridiculous to my eye.
- Favorite actor (deceased): Humphrey Bogart. The man was cool before anyone used that word.
- Favorite actress (deceased): Myrna Loy. Very few women can pull off “knee-slappingly funny” and “jaw-droppingly gorgeous” in the same package. She did.
- Favorite director: I don’t really have a favorite director, because all the ones whose work I enjoy tend to be pretty uneven in their output, especially in their later years. If you pressed me, I’d name John Carpenter, circa 1974-86 (pre-They Live). Or maybe early Spielberg. Oddly enough, I don’t think I’ve disliked any of James Cameron’s major films.
Which do you prefer…?
- Sub-titles or dubbing: Sub-titles. This may sound weird, but I like hearing the sound of the original actor’s voice, even when I don’t understand what’s being said.
- Kurt Russell or Bruce Campbell: Ooh, tough choice. Both very cool, down-to-earth-type guys who tend to appear in the cult-classic crap I love… I love them both, but I’m probably going to have to say Kurt Russell, because Snake Plisskin kicks everybody’s butt, even Ash’s.
- Buttered popcorn or salted popcorn: Can’t I have both? Popcorn is pretty much death in a cardboard bucket anyhow…
- Ambiguity or clarity: Clarity. I don’t need everything spelled out for me or anything, but I despise those pretentious movies that leave perfectly intelligent viewers scratching their heads and wondering if they’re dumber than they always believed because they don’t know what the hell just happened.
- Characters or plot: I tend to prefer a strong plot over characterization, but why do they have to be mutually exclusive? One of the reasons Die Hard is such a kick-ass movie is because the script spends some time actually developing John McLane as a person before he has to become a superhero…
