Diamonds and rust never sleep
Charles ‘Piggy’ Coburn as the hypnotist collector
1) Best transition from movies to TV (actor, actress, producer/director, movie/show)
Candice (Day the Fish Came Out) Bergen and Cybill (Texasville) Shepherd fared far better after retreating to the tube.
2) Living film director you most missing seeing on the cultural landscape regularly
I wish more of Agnès Varda’s work would make it to America.
3) Eugene Pallette or Charles Coburn
“Oh, Piggy!”
4) Fill in the blank: “I pray that no one ever turns _____________ into a movie.”
My life.
5) Jane Greer or Veronica Lake
Ava Gardner.
6) What was the last movie you saw in a theater? On DVD? And why?
Thanks to a tip-off by Peter Nellhaus, 19-year-old Sophia Loren, smiling, singing, braless, bouncy and generally magnificent in the otherwise forgettable Too Bad She’s Bad (1954). Blowing Marilyn off the map, even her armpit hair was sexy.
7) Name an actor you think should be a star
It’d be easier to think of a star who should be an actor.
8) Foxy Brown or Coffy
Do we really need to go there?
9) Favorite TV show still without its own DVD box set
My Living Doll.
10) Jack Elam or Neville Brand
Oofah…
11) What movies would top your list of movies you need to revisit, for whatever reason?
OK, this is getting too personal.
12) Zodiac or All the President’s Men
It’s a sign of changing generations that bloggers generally prefer Zodiac, a good, not great, work…but filled with that sense of ambiguity championed by those with abbreviated attention spans. I’m sure they see the Redford/Pakula film as hopelessly dated, when, in fact, it’s still fresh provided one is capable of appreciating its many qualities. It’s 2008 and here we are talking about All the President’s Men (1976). Thirty years from now, will anyone give a hoot in hell about Zodiac?
13) Using our best reviewer-speak, what is an “important” film comedy? And what is to you the most important film comedy of the last 35 years?
When comedy becomes important, it’s serious.
14) Describe the ideal environment for watching a movie.
In a hot tub, stone naked with Eva Mendes.
15) Michelle Williams or Eva Mendes
Am I psychic or what?
16) What’s the worst movie title of all time?
The Goonies is certainly up there. But that’s the 80s for you…
17) Best movie about teaching and/or learning
House of Games.
18) Dracula (1931) or Horror of Dracula (1958)
Horror of Dracula may be the best Dracula movie of all. Bela’s is good for the first twenty minutes, but then it slides into tedium.
19) Why do you blog? Or if you don’t, why do you read blogs? (Thanks, Girish)
I have no life.
20) Most memorable/disturbing death scene
Heath Ledger’s in Monster’s Ball came out of left field.
21) Jason Robards or Robert Shaw
Shaw’s the more natural stylist and Jason never gave up the theatre (to wit: The Night They Raided Minsky’s). But I’d rather watch Jason.
22) A good candidate for Most Blasphemous Movie Ever
Oh god…
23) Rio Bravo or Red River
Angie Dickinson.
24) Werner Herzog is remaking Bad Lieutenant with Nicolas Cage—that’s reality. Try to outdo reality by concocting a match-up of director and title for a really strange imaginary remake.
How about Ron Howard’s Salo?
25) Bulle Ogier or Charlotte Rampling
I always thought that Charlotte looked like John Hurt with tits. I fell in love with Bulle about 32 years ago, and the flame still burns.
26) In the Realm of the Senses— yes or no?
Zzzzzzzz.
27) Name a movie you think of as your own (Thanks, Jim!)
Years ago I would’ve said La Vallée (1972). But I was so much older then. I’m younger than that now.
28) Winged Migration or Microcosmos
This is starting to bug me.
29) Your favorite football game featured in a movie
I hate football. But Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday was a lot of fun — especially Cameron’s encounter with the swinging dicks in the locker room.
30) Wendy Hiller or Deborah Kerr
Wendy’s probably the better actor, but Deborah’s got the more interesting resume.
31) Dirtiest secret you have that is related to the movies
Little Mike (Twin Peaks) Anderson bangs statuesque blonde hookers. (It’s true! It’s true!)
32) Name a favorite film and describe how it is illuminated and enriched by another favorite film.
Whoa…heavy…
33) It’s a Gift or Horsefeathers
S.O.B.
34) Your best story about seeing a movie at a drive-in
I could relate the old chestnut about tripping during Giant Spider Invasion plus Night of the Cobra Woman, but no need to incriminate anyone here.
35) Victor Mature or Tyrone Power
Or, Cry of the City versus Nightmare Alley. Ty’s the one. Victor, on the other hand, carries the look of a man suffering unending heartburn.
36) What does film criticism mean to you? Where do you think it’s headed?
At this point, nothing, nowhere.
posted by Ray Young at
12:15 PM
7 Comments:
Just so you know, Chertok Productions is supposedly working on a My Living Doll boxset using the remaining and/or available negatives. It'll be a while before it's out, so no need to rush off anywhere soon.
My life is complete!!!
Almost complete, and that would make mine a lot closer! Yum.
In your response to the question of choosing between IT'S A GIFT and HORSE FEATHERS, am I right in assuming "S.O.B." is a criticism of the infuriating question or is it an arcane reference to the Blake Edwards film? Personally, I could never choose. I consider these movies to be the best that W.C. Fields and The Marx Brothers ever made. Why? Because they still resonate. IT'S A GIFT features the original comic dysfunctional family, an ignored theme until the likes of ROSEANNE and MARRIED WITH CHILDREN came along. HORSE FEATHERS? While not as surreal as MONKEY BUSINESS, its savage satire on college backroom ideology could easily be used against every scandal you see in the headlines today. Written by Fidge Dextro.
Fidge, I'm a simpleton and I'd just be happier watching S.O.B..
Nice blog
I really like this blog, It's always nice when you can not only be informed, but also get entertain
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