Last weekend I was asked a bunch of questions by none only other than Simon from Screen Insight. As I never step down from a challenge I take a moment to take on this one sided interrogation with pride.

1. When you think of home – and your family – which film first comes to mind?

Three Amigos; it’s one of the few films that I enjoyed repeatedly with my family as a child and to this day anytime it is on me and my entire family start to quote lines.

2. Explain a Cinema-Story whereby something interesting happened!

I guess the most interesting story can think of is my first attempt at seeing Precious in 2009. After being seated, in a packed cinema, to see the film eventually all the ads and such start to play and the crowd remains restless. The trailers begin to roll and I notice in front of the theatre there’s a bit of noise still going on, I ignore it hoping that by the time the movie starts it’ll all calm down and I’ll be able to enjoy the film that’ll do its best to make me cry. The film begins and I notice the noise down front is getting more and more intense rather than calming down. About three minutes or so into the film the lights turn back on, the movie is stopped and I see management and police (there’s a station about a minute’s walk away from the cinema) walking down the aisle to the front of the cinema.  After some rumblings down front that I can’t see or hear really the management comes and apologises, the patrons down front are escorted out and they say they’re going to continue the film, at which point I get up and leave the theatre to demand a refund since they refuse to restart the film from the beginning (call me a snob, but regardless of it being 15 minutes or 5 minutes I want to see it from the beginning).

I return to the cinema the next night to see Precious and I notice that the same manager is working tonight. Before heading into the theatre I stop and ask him what happened. He tells me that apparently a group of three women came to see the movie and sat in three seats up front. They decided that all three of them would get up to go and get some snacks before the movie started only when they returned a man is now sitting in one of their seats, that I and the manager believe had no claim to. An argument begins which eventually turns into a small fist fight. The woman is hit and now refuses to leave the cinema. The police enter and eventually talk the woman who was struck down and gets all of the people involved to leave the cinema.

A slightly boring story, but probably the most interesting/odd occurrence at a cinema for me.

3. What is the most Erotic scene in a Film?

Erotic? I want to say A History of Violence when we get a glimpse of Viggo and Maria first making love. I don’t know if it’s the position, the way that it seemed so uncoordinated (unlike so many films) or just what we don’t see but it is a bit steamy I will say. Also put aside the later scene (closer akin to rape) it shows the emotion so well in that film.

4. Which actor would [almost] guarantee your attendance to a cinema?

Matt Damon. Like him or hate him he always picks interesting films to be in. Even the few films where he’s making fun he does it in such a way that almost works within his own universe. He’s always willing to poke fun at himself, also passionate about so many topics it can’t be helped but love the guy. It also helps that he’s massively talented.

5. Which actor used to guarantee your attendance – but doesn’t anymore. 

Nicolas Cage. Well that’s not 100% true, but I guess it is. In the 90s he was my go to guy for the action crazy, he still is today, but over time I’ve “matured” if you allow me, and somehow now I’m more a 50/50 pick on him and his films. It’s only a question of whether the Crazy Cage will come out and play and if the film will allow for enough of it to make the movie laughably amazing.

6. If you could go anywhere in the world, related to film, where would you go?

I guess Toronto. As I’ll be there in September for my first trip ever into the country just to attend TIFF, which is very film related I’d guess. So many more venues, some for the beauty that film gave me, some for film experiences, and others just for the fact that I’d be at a festival enjoying film.

7. What is your favourite 007 film?

Goldeneye I guess. There’re so many films that I love, from Dr. No, to The Man With the Golden Gun, to Casino Royale and even From Russia With Love for good measure, and it’s hard to think of anything other than Goldeneye at times. It’s, maybe, the first Bond film I saw in a theatre and I remember the years following being addicted to the game at my friend’s house playing it on N64. It had the right level of cheese, action and everything else Bond.

8. What is your favourite franchise?

Lupin III. For the non anime fans it is one of the longest running anime franchises that I’m aware of. Everytime I feel that there’s nothing else another film with more adventures of Lupin and his gang is released. There are a lot of bad movies and episodes in the franchise but somehow I can’t keep my eyes off of it regardless.

9. Which film do you want a sequel for?

The FP? This is actually a ludicrous question I believe, so I will respond with a ludicrous movie. I want to know what happens with J. Tro and his hype man KCDC after he’s taken back The FP as his own. Maybe set it a few years in the future with new challengers and ne w stakes, and more BBR goodness.

10. Which film do you wish could be erased and remade?

Dogtooth is definitely one. Therein lies a film with a great concept at its core, and possibly this is a case of an idea just not working for me or unable to work in the end, but it felt completely stunted throughout. I’m still a strong believe in the core idea and would love to see another filmmaker take a crack at it.

11. What is your favourite composer/score to a film?

Clint Mansell wins on sheer number for me. Johnny Greenwood and Michael Giacchino also comes to mind, but between The Fountain, Moon and Black Swan he’s proven to be one of those composers who knows when to be in the foreground and in the background and still add depth to a scene.

So I guess I should pass it on.

My Questions:

1. Which film do you wish everyone watched?
2. Which film do you wish no one watched?
3. Which film taught you the most about your love of film?
4. Which film defies everything you love about movies and yet you still love?
5. Which film do you find hardest to quantify?
6. What is the number one thing you’d rather remove from film criticism as it exists today?
7. Which film do you wish you were alive to have seen in a cinema when first released?
8. What film is your favourite from the genre you despise the most (or like the least)?
9. Which genre/section of film are you yet to educate yourself on that you hope to eventually get to?
10. What’s your #1 shameful admission in cinema?
11. Which film do you try not to admit you don’t like or that you do like?

I bequeath this post to:

Corey Atad of JustAtad
Courtney Small of  BigThoughtsFromASmallMind
Jessica at The Velvet Cafe
Castor Troy at Anomalous Material