Reader of the Day: Walter
Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 1:00PM 
For Reader Appreciation Month, we're having mini interviews with readers. Here we have have Walter.
Nathaniel: Do you remember your first moviegoing experience or first obsession?
Walter: The first theater-going experience I remember is sitting in the movie theater with my aunt watching The Nightmare Before Christmas -- I was four years old and absolutely aghast at the final battle between Jack and Oogie Boogie and the end result. God, that was terrifying. And AWESOME.
According to my father, though, the first time I ever sat up was to watch a movie on TV. Babies get distracted; he claims I stayed with the story until they turned it off. I wish he remembered what movie it was, because it was clearly the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
When did you start reading The Film Experience?
Spring 2006, I want to say. Fresh off the 2005 Oscar Season, the first one I really got into, I Googled 2006 Oscar Predictions. Film Experience and many others came up, and I still follow the Big Four: Hollywood-Elsewhere, Awards Daily (it was Oscar Watch then), In Contention, and this one. I visit, like, three times a day, because I never know if there's an article I've missed, or I want to visit something, or I want to freshen up on my Film Bitch Trivia.
Have you ever dressed up as a movie character for Halloween?
Well, here's where I answer the "or" part of the very first question. My most memorable Halloween costume was Bela Lugosi, my first movie star obsession, in third grade. Not Dracula: Bela Lugosi. I had just seen Ed Wood, so I got a cape, a felt hat and a walking-stick, and my dad took me to a late-night screening of the Lon Chaney Phantom of the Opera. It was AMAZING.
Has any movie character as dressed as you?
William Hurt as James Leeds in Children of a Lesser God. We had the same elbow-patched blazer. I loved that thing, and I left it in the trunk of a friend's car...a friend who later moved away. Damn them!
Two fearsome and formidable icons: Bela & Maggie
Your 3 favorite actresses. Go
Maggie Smith is my all-time favorite actress: we watched The Secret Garden in second grade, and when my friend asked me who my favorite character was, he was appalled when I said the old woman. "But she's so mean!" he insisted. Well, yeah, but I also loved the way she cowered before the master of the house, and the subtle power plays she tried, and the smackdown she put on the maid. I love her so much. Meryl and honey-kissed Patty Clarkson are the other no-brainers for me.
What does your movie diet consist of these days?
I haven't seen a movie in a theater since February...and I work in one! Hopefully, that will all change this month: Jane Eyre calls. Mostly, I've been watching movies on TCM and Netflix Instant, the latter especially.
previous readers of the day: Paolo, Leehee and BBats
Reader Comments (17)
Maggie Smith rocks. Recently saw her in the wonderful series Downton Abbey and she's just delightful. I too loved her in The Secret Garden i.e. my default answer to the question "What is your favorite film?" back in the 90s as a young boy.
Ryan and Walter -- i barely remember that movie. but this reader spotlight makes me want to see it again. Maggie is awesome. There is simply no one better at playing innate superiority ;)
oh and i also meant to say that Walter's dad sounds very cool.
Maggie Smith on the spinning chair in Downton will be in my heart forever. (But I must admit, all these reader profiles are making me feel old. The childhood moviegoing experiences all seem to be about films I saw in college. Get me a walker.)
Tom -- you and me both!
This is a very nice thing to show your appreciation to your readers. :)
Walter you're my first reader's crush and good taste to boot.
Hey Walter...looking good - I particularly like the jaunty sweater/jacket around the throat. So 3 for 3 Nate - I'm gonna have to stop commenting on the good looks of all these readers for fear of being repetitive.
Your Dad does sound cool Walter but NIGHTMARE at the age of 4 seems pretty intense. Has any other movie going experience been as terrifying? I'm sure many have been as awesome
LOL - dressing as Bela Lugosi in THIRD GRADE is just so wild - what a wonderful wack job you must have been! And seeing ED WOOD at that age - definitely discerning movie fan in training!!
Of course you've seen PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (Maggie's version which is the only one that counts!)!!! I LOVE that movie and I LOVE what Ms. Smith does in it - what she wears and how she moves and how she talks and...aw God, it is just so wonderfully unique and specific and glamorous. And I LOVE Pamela Franklin in that film too. I think she deserved more and better roles than she got. Whatever happened to her? You may rave about this film as much as you want here - I'd love to read your joy in it. And Nate - please tell me you've watched that film. Of course you have, since Maggie won the Oscar for it! I'm sure you agree that anyone who calls himself an actressexual must have viewing this in their repertoire!!
And Walter - the fact that you love Meryl makes you my favorite reader so far. The others were all fools not to include her in their list of favorites. One must ALWAYS include Meryl.
These are really fun, Nate - thanks again!
The only thing i'm confused about walter is that you said you wanted to marry Drew Barrymore but she's not listed on your 3 favorites is this like a discriminator thing like a madonna/whore where you have to subccategorize your love ;) ?
Wow Nat, seems like most of your readers are really good looking...
Fernando -- I should totally do an informercial. The Film Experience proven to enhance both inner AND outer beauty ;)
But I'm joking. This is not about looks. it's semi-randomly selected and it's about appreciating the readers!
Well, either I think that your 4 readers so far have been really attractive or I'm attracted to their answers... Or both maybe
and in truth most of the people i've asked i had no idea what they looked like ;) since usualy i just see y'alls names in text. that's all i have to go on. No word from Walter yet but i'm curious if he's seen JANE EYRE since we "spoke" -- it's so good!
your top 3 are awesome , three royalty actresses Smith, Clarkson, Streep woww
This is so exciting! It's a moment I've been waiting for since 2006!
I've never felt so attractive as I do right now. Well, one time, but that's a story I keep to myself.
Nathaniel: I DO subcategorize my love. Obviously, I love, love, love Drew Barrymore with all of my heart, and my love of older women combined with her love of increasingly younger men WILL bring the two of us together one day, but she ranks differently on different lists. On my annual list of Actress Crushes, she's always Number One, but on my list of Favorite Actresses of Evarr (regarding talent and roles, etc.), she's Number Five, just under Judi Dench. Meryl Streep is Number Two on both. JANE EYRE tomorrow, after I work the box office.
billybil: The Ring absolutely terrified when I saw it in the movie theater. I re-watched it recently, and some things are best left in 2004. And holy ca-rap, I love The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Today at work, one of the patrons asked my opinion of a movie they were about to see, and my reply: "For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like."
/3rtfull: And I blush
Fernando: I used to look like Steve Buscemi until I read the Film Experience. Suddenly, my style got smarter, my hair was wavier, and for some reason I started having "pfevers".
My first Maggie Smith movie was Sister Act! I'm sure she's made all our childhoods brighter when she's playing either villain or heroine.