Reader of the Day: Walter

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 of the Day: Paolo

It's Reader Appreciation Month so we're doing interviews with YOU. Well not you literally (although... maybe?) but you collectively. Here's Paolo from Toronto.

Nathaniel: Do you remember your first moviegoing adventure / obsession?
Paolo: Probably The Lion King, coming out weeks before the movie I actually remember watching first: Forrest Gump. We had a full row in the theatre, my artsy paternal grandma, me, my sister and like five cousins from my dad's side. I remember the bus stop interludes, "run Forrest run", meeting Jenny for the last time, but none of the Vietnam, hippie, black power, Gary Sinise, coked up whore scenes in between. I was seven. I don't even remember Forrest being special needs. Either the old country censored the hell out of the movie, I slept during some parts, or Lacuna exists.

My first movie obsession was with Anastasia, the cartoon. It's about a princess, what else could fuel a little gay boy's mind? That fueled my slight but ongoing interest in royal families. I also made my own fanfic that's probably sitting in a floppy disk in Quezon City somewhere.

Ha. That's great. When did you start reading The Film Experience?
Around 2009, the aftermath of the highway robbery that is the 2008 Oscars. Most film blogs are either fanboy-ish and/or snarky, and what TFE offered instead is Langlois-esque connoisseurship and well, love. I'm the kind of guy who cheated on his tests, so I looked up your site and the name I used to comment on. Apparently what caught my eyes was the April Showers series. As Juno's best friend would say, 'yum'.

That's coming back next month! Okay. 3 Favorite Actresses?
I love Kate Winslet like Josh from 30 Rock loves Elizabeth Taylor. Michelle Williams. And...blast from the past Bette Davis. As a person of colour, I'm kind of ashamed that I don't have an actress here of colour. I've seen three movies with Lubna Azabal on them. The perfs are great, but I can't knock my top three for her.

Take one Oscar from someone and give it to someone else.
Sandra Bullock's Oscar should have been Kim Hye-Ja's.

The movie of your life. Title, director, etcetera
Paoloisms, starring an unknown, directed by Charlie Kaufman with a soundtrack by whoever does the Lisa Cholodenko soundtracks.

Reader of the Day: Leehee

As part of Reader Appreciation Month, we're featuring mini-interviews with You, The Film Experience crowd. Today, we've got Leehee, originally from Israel -- her name means "she is for me". I love that! I contacted Leehee because she was so happy about that post on The Black Swan (1942).

Nathaniel: Do you remember your first moviegoing experience or obsession?
Leehee: The first movie that I vividly remember seeing on the big screen was "Anne of Green Gables" when I was about 6... But my first obsession was with the first VHS tape I owned The Parent Trap (1961) . My twin sister and I watched it every.single.day for about a year....and it kind of drove our mom crazy! I wanted to be Hayley Mills and have Maureen O'Hara as my mom *so* bad.

You and me both. ♪ ♫ lets get together yeahyeahyeah. The Parent Trap is the best. When did you start reading The Film Experience?

Hmmm... I don't quite remember. It must have been at least 2007. I stuck around because we have somewhat of a similar taste in actresses and movies; I LOVED the Oscar coverage; loved the snark and the in-depth analysis of both old and new movies; loved the fashion... basically, i felt like you sort of created this for me!

What's your movie diet like right about now?
I try and go to the movie theater at least once a week if not more (when there are movies to see!); I recently subscribed to netflix so I could watch movies online; and I have an unhealthy habit of buying DVD's  (I own over 600).

 

Your 3 Favorite Actresses. Go!

Maureen O'Hara; Deborah Kerr; Barbra Streisand; Charlotte Rampling; Emma Thompson (sorry I had to do 5!!!)

They make a movie of your life. Tell us about it.
The movie of my life will be called "Behind the Smile". It will be directed by Barbra Streisand and star Kate Winslet as me. :-)

Reader of the Day: BBats

As part of Reader Appreciation Month, We're doing mini interviews with readers. Get to know other members of the Film Experience community!

First up is Alex or BBats. We featured one of his 'taste test' YouTube videos ages ago and so we're checking back in with him.

Nathaniel: Do you remember your first filmgoing experience?
Alex: My first vivid memory is seeing Tim Burton's Batman in the theaters.  I remember how scary and funny the Joker was and how dark and mysterious the color of the film was. Also, when they are messing up the museum looked like such fun.

When did you start reading The Film Experience?
I think I was a freshman in college, so 2003 or 2004. I just loved the language and how much affection for film there was.

I understand you're an actor yourself. What do you love about it and how is it going?
I love making films and the idea of creating stories and scenarios for characters to see what they'll do, cause and effect. Acting is going alright. Nothing happens overnight and sometimes it feels like your banging your head against a brick wall.  I haven't been auditioning as much recently because it can be really depressing. Once I auditioned for a car commercial, and when I didn't get it, I lost it.  Then I realized, "is this what I should care about?" So I've been doing a lot of writing, short films, and things I like and love.  I hope to make a film of some substance in the future.

Best wishes on that, truly. These days what does your moviegoing diet consist of?
Living in LA, I have the luxury of movie houses like the Cinefamily, The Vista, the Arclight and the New Beverly, not to mention the limited releases that open here.  I see a movie in a theater probably about twice a week, and Netflix Instant about four or five times a week. I am horrible at returning my Netflix dvd's, I still have Winter's Bone sitting here over a week after I watched it. 

Have you ever dressed up as a movie character for Halloween?
One of my first costumes as a child was Zorro. Zorro rules. 

Christian Bale in "Scenes From BBats Life"

Has a movie characters ever dressed up as you?
I'm pretty sure the when Christian Bale stepped off the helicopter with three ladies, he was dressed as me. 

Your favorite actress. Go!
Ginger Rogers. So pretty and versatile.  Anything with her and Fred Astaire is heaven. I love the actresses of old, something about that style of acting really brought out their sexiness, charm, and radiance.  Special mention goes to Ida Lupino.

all reader of the day posts: Yonatan, Keir, Kyle, Jamie, Vinci, Victor, Bill, Hayden, Dominique, Murtada, Cory, Walter, Paolo, Leehee, BBats