Saturday
Oct082011
Ask Nathaniel...
Saturday, October 8, 2011 at 12:50PM 
It's that time again... if you have any pressing questions, now is the time to ask in the comments. Monday evening I'll answer ten of them in a new Q&A column. Ready. Set. Go.
Reader Comments (37)
Why don't you just take the questions you didn't answer before and answer them now? Some of them were really great.
It's slightly generic but name any three Old Hollywood actors whose biopics should be made and who today would star in them, as them. I think the bigger the age gap, the better.
Of the unawarded actresses from the 80s-90s: Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathleen Turner, Sigourney Weaver & Barbara Hershey do you think will win an Oscar? Or do you think no one of these will ever get an Oscar?
Carl has a point.
Your the casting director for the remake of "A Star is Born" and you need to cast an African-American actress/singer more of an actress, who can act, sing or use voice track and who they can make into an star who would you cast?
Ok seeing how they may go head to head at the oscars next year swap a meryl part for a glenn part and a glenn part for a meryl one? - any era!!!
I hate the idea of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, but I understand that Meryl is a proffesional and I'm pretty sure she took the character with all her guns, even if the script has nothing meaty for her, or if her decisions are not what we'd want... ok, in the anticipation of her (very possible) 17th nomination: for you, how many nominations and actually wins (Oscars) she should have today? without default nominations, or pitty wins and without overdue or overrated status. Just a nomination if she gave one of the 5 best performance, and an Oscar if she gave the best performance in her category that year. What has The Academy done right or wrong all this years? (Meryl-related, of course, we all know the answer of that question in the other fields) :)
Does your home have your drawings displayed? Are there any items seen in a film character's living space that you would like in your home?
Have you been seeing Ringer and Revenge? Which one do you prefer?
What´s your favorite performance by Leonardo Dicaprio?
What´s your opinion about Cruel Intentions? And what are your favorite "teen oriented" dramas?
What does Evan Rachel Wood needs to do in order to win an Oscar?
What´s your favorite performance by Amy Adams? (I love her in Fighter, she deserved that Oscar).. Don´s answer Cruel Intentions 2 - kidding. BTW, I love your blog!
After Michelle Williams and Evan Rachel Wood, which actress under 30 would you love to see Ryan Gosling falling in love in the big screen?
Ryan Gosling will be nominated for which movie, Drive or The Ides of March?
What´s your favorite musical? And song in a musical?
Do you like "The Air I Breathe" directed by Jieho Lee? And what about Richard Kelly´s latest movies, Southland Tales and The Box? Thanks!
Give me your list of your favorite "disturbing" movies!
Do you like Sarah Michelle Gellar? Why did Reese Witherspoon became more famous?
Christina Ricci, under-rated or over-rated? Love your blog..
After working with Emily Watson, Björk, Nicole Kidman, Charlotte Gainsbourg or Kirsten Dunst, who would you love to see working in a Lars von Trier movie?
This is the cast: Carey Mulligan, Ellen Page, Andrew Garfield, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, and Joseph Fiennes. What's the film about, and who's directing?
Pick any movie (or movies if you wish) from this year so far. Now pick which classic director you would resurrect to direct it and make it good/even better.
I love your question Taylor I got one for you nathaniel
This is the cast Michael Fassbender, Mia Wasikowsha, Jesse Eisenberg, Jurnee Smollett, Shia Labeouf, and Julie Christie, what's the film about, director and if you can what are the roles?
Pick a stage-to-screen adaptation you'd like to remake and cast it.
I think you'd agree that there is a dearth of visible minorities in prominent acting roles in Hollywood right now; who would be in your top five of actors who deserve more work?
You've seen Melancholia, right? So, was there ever a moment while watching it that you thought of Cruz, for better or worse? Do you think she would've pulled it off or would it be a completely different movie?
Have you seen any of the "vomit gore trilogy" films?
I'd think of something to ask, but I'm asfraid no question I could come up with would top the one with Extremely Tinker Martha and Incredible Soldier May
Do you think there's any subject in the world that is just not suited for film treatment? What's your favorite movie about a difficult subject? What difficult subject would you like to see addressed in film, and who would direct/star?
@Darleen: As someone who couldn't care about "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" less, I'd say, of course Reese is more famous today. But then I vaguely remember thinking Sarah Michelle was great in Cruel Intentions...
Q @ Nathaniel (similar to one of Andreia's, that has something to do with Darleen's):
What do you think of the orginal "Scream" trilogy and "Donnie Darko". (Okay that's two questions, I'm cheating). Both of them, many people like very much. Both of them, I personally like very much. Both of them I don't remember seeing you write about ever. Both of them don't seem exactly like your cup of tea. But then again, I can see reasons why you could actually like them:
The Scream movies being an affectionate, not silly, persiflage of many classic films (horror films though, which I think I remember you stating you don't particularly enjoy), with Scream 3 even saying many things about classic and present day Hollywood...
Donnie Darko starring the great Gyllenhaal siblings...
Oscar's love for little girls is a some-what recurring theme here. Rank the last five little girlies nominated (one of them even won) from most to least deserving (chronologically: Anna Paquin- Kesiha Castle-Hughes - Abigail Breslin - Saoirse Ronan - Hailee Steinfield - I haven't forgotten anyone, have I?) Was anybody robbed? (except Evan Rachel Wood for Thirteen, we all know that, and we all can assume why)
When the best movie field was five-wide, it was quite common that four of the nominees for best director where for movies which were also nominees for best movie, and one was not. How can one of the 5 best-directed movies not be one of the 5 best movies? How can one of the 5 best movies not be one of the 5 best-directed movies? What is the difference between a great movie, and a greatly directed movie? Really, I don’t know. Does everybody else except me? What makes a great director? My intuitive answer would be: a director who makes (made) many great movies...
Nathaniel, which actress / es do you consider the worst working nowadays?
To Dominik: Hell yeah! She was amazing in Cruel Intentions, you should also watch Veronika Decides To Die. She gives an Oscar Worthy performance..
Gosh, so many amazing questions. I would love to see them all answered!
I have a run now:
As you have stated in your pieces about the upcoming Oscar Race 2011, there is large consensus that Gary Oldman is the King of Actors Overlooked by Oscar. I wholeheartedly agree. I’d add, his female counterpart, the Queen of Actress Overlooked by Oscar, is Jennifer Jason Leigh. And I think many people on the internet agree.
But do you agree, Nathaniel? And if not, name your King and Queen. But only people who weren’t even ever nominated count. No Pfeiffers and Closes here!
I've seen you mention, in passing, that X actor should campaign in leading instead of supporting and although you're usually referring to the despicable nature of category fraud I'm curious as to whether or not you consider a Leading Oscar superior to a Supporting One. As an aside, the question has a long genesis, because I've heard more than a few Meryl fans say that she deserves more than just one Lead Actress statue, and that they "hope she doesn't win for a supporting one" and I remember when you were speaking about Cate Blanchett you said that she's a supporting actress no matter how much she tries to be a leading one (I paraphrase, of course) and I wonder if you were being deliberately ironic or sincere.