Reader Spotlight: Patrick in Germany

We're getting to know the Film Experience community one-by-one. This is going to take us forever! (That's a good thing. Thank you so much for being part of such a big vibrant fanbase.) Today we're talking to Patrick who lives in Germany and writes for DieAcademy.de, a German site devoted to our favorite awards show.

Hi, Patrick. How long have you been reading The Film Experience?

Maybe 6 years? I like this site so much since it's always interesting topics and wonderful to read.

I know you're really into the Oscars but how about the Lolas, Germany's own movie awards. Which German stars do you recommend our international readers get to know?

The Lolas are not as big of a deal as they should be, but I love some German actors who are still too unknown abroad but doing great work all the time, like: Sibel Kikelli (two time Lola winner for Gegen die Wand & Die Fremde), Susanne Lothar (a three time Lola nominee who died last year) and maybe the best young German actor of our generation August Diehl (who you've seen in Inglourious Basterds and Salt but he's been nominated for the Lola three times and won for "23"). It would be a great pleasure to read a post about any of them.

Two current German greats: August Diehl & Sibel Kekilli

Hey, surely you've noticed my love for Sibel Kekilli. So great every time (though it was weird to see her do that romantic comedy What a Man)

Yes I noticed that. I think she was the best of the cast in What a Man, too but not a good movie. But Head-On. What a performance!

Agreed. Name your three favorite movies in the following genres. Horror, Comedy, Drama, Musical and SciFi. Go...

Horror: The Exorzist, Psycho, Silence of the Lambs (if I put it into this genre)
Comedy: Some Like It Hot, Tootsie, Pillow Talk
Drama: The Godfather (1 & 2), American Beauty, All about Eve (if I could choose 5: Sunset Boulevard and The Hours)
Musical: West Side Story, Chicago, Moulin Rouge!
Sci-Fi: Alien & Aliens, Blade Runner, Terminator (1 & 2).

Do you care about a significant other's taste in movies?

The Answer ist YES! It sounds a bit overdone, but I have a problem with guys, who don't like Kate Winslet in general or have mainstream taste of movies and don't feel complex emotions. The movie that comes to mind is Brokeback Mountain. This movie is not about a gay couple, its about love and why two people can't be together because of external and internal circumstances. Heartbreaking! But I think some hearts are too cold to feel that and that is not what I am looking for. (I hope most readers will know what I mean?)

Patrick with his great love Kate Winslet

I understand you are kind of a lot obsessed with Kate Winslet. What other actors/actresses really grab you?

Julianne Moore. She's still so underappreciated it makes me burst me into tears. I also love Bette Davis, Thelma Ritter, Sean Penn, most of the work of Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams, the 70s and 80s Work of Meryl Streep (but getting tired of her work after the brilliant Angels of America), Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling and many more.

Take an Oscar away. Regift it.

Only one? I love the Oscars, but wanna change so much, especially the Oscars for Kim Basinger & Catherine Zeta-Jones (both to Julianne Moore). The biggest fault from the last decade was the Oscar for Tom Hooper's Direction of The King´s Speech. TKS was good, but the direction was TV-Movie-Material I think and The Social Network is by miles superior! If Colin Firth had pick up Best Actor Oscar the Year before for his brilliant performance in A Single Man maybe he wouldn't have won Frontrunner Status and The Kings Speech wouldn't win Best Picture and Director??? When Kathryn Bigelow announced Hooper as the "winner" it was the only time I completely lost interest in the other awards for the evening; it STILL hurts!

Previous Reader Spotlights
And our imaginary Honorary Reader Oscars go to...
lovely ladies: Mysjkin, Lynn Lee, Ester, Leehee, Jamie and Dominique 
(and yes we need to hear from more of the girls) 
dashing gents: Christian, Lucio, Joey Moser, Zé Vozone, Tony T, Andy Hoglund, Ferdi, K.M. Soehnlein, Sergio, Borja, John, Chris, Peter, Ziyad, Andrew, Yonatan, Keir, Kyle, Vinci, Victor, Bill, Hayden, Murtada, Cory, Walter, Paolo, and BBats

Reader Spotlight: "Mysjkin" in Norway

Mysjkin with Woody Allen. As close as she fears she'll get to him!We're getting to know the Film Experience community. Should this be a weekly feature? Today we're talking to Ann-Mari from Norway who goes by "Mysjkin" in the comments.

Quick what's the last movie you watched before I asked you to do this reader spotlight?

MYSJKIN: I finally got around to watching Let the Right One In after finally having read the book. As a librarian I am intrigued by how page translates to screen. It's impossible to completely capture a novel, choices need to be made. Let the Right One In was to me a really well judged adaptation, focusing on what I found to be the heart of the novel; the relationship between Eli and Oscar and their fragile, violent and compelling coming-of-age.

When did you start reading The Film Experience?

MYSJKIN: I discovered TFE back when IMDB had links to fun stuff at the bottom of their page and I clicked to read Unsung Heroes: The SFX of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, that being one of my favourite films. After reading that post and several of your own, I felt like I had discovered a treasure chest of cinematic goodness!

I was so sad when IMDb stopped that link feature but I'm glad you stayed - that was just before the site overhaul.

MYSJKIN: I love the mix of old and new and the unabashed obsession with actresses and Oscar! All your contributors are excellent and reading the comments is highly enjoyable, that last bit is in itself a rare online treat. But most of all, it's your writing, your warmth, wit and creativity that keeps bringing me back.

Tusen takk! Do you remember your first movie?

No, but I remember my first movie obsession. It was Pete's Dragon. I would watch that video tape (<3 the 80s ) over and over and over. Whenever someone claims to have seen something weird, "A dragon, a dragon, I swear I saw a dragon!" is the first thing that pops into my head.

Let's move on to more adult matters. Have you ever broken up with someone because of a movie?

Haha! Almost... When I was 19, my boyfriend of about a month wanted me to watch 'the best film he had EVER seen'. It was Braveheart... I had my first portent that it would'nt last right then and there. It was over a couple of months later.

 

Three favorite actors?

Vintage Gem: Gregory Peck
Current Obsession: Michael Fassbender (yes, like EVERYONE else ;D)
God Among Us: Daniel Day Lewis.

I saw The Last of the Mohicans in theaters at the tender age of 15. The hotness! The hair! The instant teenage girl crush! The jawdropping realization that this was the same actor I had seen in A Room With a View only a few months prior.

Since I speak a little broken Norwegian tell us which 5 Norsk movies readers should check out? 

I'm so happy about your love for Joachim Trier, because I think Reprise and Oslo, 31. August are perhaps the two best Norwegian films ever made! ...and third place goes to DeUsynlige (Troubled Water). For some vintage spookiness, watch De dødes tjern (not sure if there's an English title, but it translates as Lake of the Dead) and to tap into the Norwegian Heart and Soul, watch Flåklypa Grand Prix

Finally, we need to talk about Elling! Not only is this a good, heartwarming film, but it also features yours truly as an extra! Yup, (as you will see from the attached picture) that's the back of my head right there! I'm only visible for a few seconds, but it was enough to secure the film an Oscar nomination! ;D

LOL. kjempe kul.

previous reader spotlights

Reader: Christian in Barcelona

We're getting to know The Film Experience readership. Today we're talking to "Peggy Sue" who you know from the comments. Though he is more likely to answer to "Christian" in person ;)

Hi, Christian. Let's start at the very beginning. Your first movie memory?

CHRISTIAN: Mary Poppins' cough syrup. I'll explain. As a kid I was always sick, so I vividly remember being amazed by her changing colors medicine. Mine was brownish and disgusting so I thought the whole flying thing was OK, but the syrup was utterly amazing!

What is your relationship to Pedro Almodóvar and his muses?

CHRISTIAN: Total devotion. My favorites are Carmen Maura, Verónica Forqué and Chus Lampreave.

Your three favorite actresses in general?

Three? Man, you're tough! I'll stick to the living ones: Kathleen Turner, Michelle Pfeiffer, Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, and Meryl. Plus almost every single British actress out there and half of the Argentinians. I'll also say that I'll watch anything with Bates, Bening, Channing, Hunter, Lange, McDormand and Moore in it.

That is way more than three. When did you start reading TFE?

When you posted what I call "The Turner" and can be described as Kathleen's reaction shot at the Oscars spiced up with your witty comments!

The tragedy of March 30th, 1987 illustrated

I felt vindicated after years of reading all over the Internet that Sigourney Weaver was robbed (Shut up readers! I love Susan, I'm not a hater).

How often do you go to the movies?

Usually one or two on Fridays and Sundays. During the week I'm more devoted to my two hundred favorite TV-Shows.

How do you pick what you'll see?

I usually pay attention to critics/awards buzz. That includes you and Nick Davis. I saw A Separation months before the Oscar madness just because I read your review. Big draws? If someone sings something I'll probably go see it and if they're all British and wear corsets and laces I'll be there too.

I AM APPALLED BY THE LACK OF OSCAR QUESTIONS.

Oops sorry. Take one Oscar away / Give it to someone else.

Oh! You just opened Pandora's box, here I go: Matlin/Turner, Foster/Close, Tandy/Pfeiffer, Hunt/Dench, Paltrow/Montenegro, Swank/Staunton, Witherspoon/Huffman, Bullock/Mulligan, Streep/Davis...

I said one!

Previous Reader Spotlights

Reader Spotlight: Lucio in Argentina

We're getting to know The Film Experience community. Today we're talking to Lucio in Argentina.

When did you start reading TFE?

LUCIO: I started reading in early 2004 after I began to get crazy about the Academy Awards, so I looked up for some sites in order to help me to predict them. I remember reading about the Shohreh vs. Renée battle here. I was glad when Renée finally won the Oscar but my relationship with the website became closer over the years. 

Your three favorite actresses

LUCIO: Meryl Streep: She can do anything, no matter what. Kate Winslet: she is a great dramatic actress. Made me cry in The Reader, smile in Eternal Sunshine and think in Revolutionary Road; Nicole Kidman: The Hours… probably the Best Performance by an Actress in History. “Always the years between us, always the love…always the hours”. Brilliant!

How often do you go to the movies?

I try to watch every single nominated movie. So I think thirty or forty a year. The movies here in Argentina arrive with a little delay, but they get here in time for Oscar night. 

Have you ever dated or broken up with someone because of the movies?

My partner and I met two years ago…and he didn’t know a thing about movies. Since he’s been with me, I think we've watched my complete wall of DVDs together and all the Oscar-nominated films each year and we watch the Oscars together. He has started to get a critical eye and now he and I can cry together with The Reader and I’m so happy about that. So now I have a movie fan boyfriend.

You've trained him well! Since you're such an Oscar nut, take one Oscar away from regift it.

Take away Jennifer Hudson's Supporting Actress Oscar and give it to Adriana Barraza for Babel.

Okay something less Oscary. Your first movie memory?

When I was probably 6 years old, my mother, my sister and I went to the cinema to watch Beethoven. I love dogs so the movie was great for me!  We were in the front row and our necks suffered a lot that whole week.

previous spotlights

Reader Spotlight: Joey Moser

We're getting to know the Film Experience community. Today we're talking to Joey from Pittsburgh. He's currently performing in Godspell on stage. If you're in Pittsburgh there's two more shows this weekend.

When did you start reading The Film Experience?

Around the time that Far From Heaven was released in theaters.  I was realizing that Julianne Moore was my favorite actress, so your blog was mecca when I was in college.  I love the site because it doesn't just celebrate movies, but it helped me realize that movies can be bad with something great in them (and vice versa). 

What's your earliest movie memory?
JOEY: The earliest memory I have is when my Dad took me to go see Beauty and the Beast.  I remember playing around outside, and he asked if I wanted to go.  I didn't actually answer his question, because I got so excited and just got into the back seat of the car and buckled myself in. The music floored me, and I wanted all of the household objects in my house to come to life.  

What's your moviegoing diet like in a year?

JOEY: I see more movies in theaters than I do on demand or RedBox.  My dad and I would always go on Saturdays and see at least two (the day we saw Gangs of New York, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and Two Weeks Notice was a long day)  When I worked at a movie theater, we had a competition to see who could see the most movies in the theater, and I was always the biggest bitch and killed everyone else.  When I was really trying to see everything just to see everything I saw 191.  It's calmed down considerably, but I will see anything.  

What's the last movie you watched?

Stoker.  I never want to have Park Chan-wook direct the story of my life, because it was just be so terrifying. It would be gorgeous and edited nicely, but it would scare the crap out of me.  Also, I didn't realize how well Nicole Kidman was aging until I saw it.  I kept leaning over to my friend and whispering compliments to her, "She's gorgeous...I love her hair...she's soooo beautiful..."  

La Pfeiffer was so robbed in 2002Take an Oscar away from someone. Give it to someone else.

Can I give a nomination away instead?  Take Queen Latifah's nomination from Chicago and give it to Michelle Pfeiffer for White Oleander.  Pfeiffer was running circles around everyone else, and she could freeze me with that icy stare any day.  I get stupidly angry over a lot of Oscar winners, so if I had to pick an actual winner, I would take away Jennifer Lawrence's and give it to Emmanuelle Riva.  I mean...COME...ON!!!

I understand you love musicals and you're a singer/actor. What are your favorites or favorite roles.

Sweeney Todd because, well, it's Sweeney Todd.  I've had the pleasure of playing both Tobias and, more recently, Anthony.  It lead to two completely different experiences, and I treasure them both. I have three dream roles at the moment (they change every time my iPod changes).  I want to be Gabe in Next to Normal, because that show DESTROYS me every time I listen to it.  I need to hit the gym before I even consider auditioning for it.  Gordo in A New Brain is something I have wanted to play for years, but no one ever does it. I also want to be Jamie in The Last Five Years someday.  His songs are so great, but his last one (where you find out he was unfaithful) is my favorite because it shatters his likability right then and there.  I can imagine that is just a treat for actors to play.

Godspell commercial with Joey in the cast / NPH doing Sweeney Todd's "Tobias" role in concert

When I was a theater student in college, I was always told I could a lot with my voice, but I am really short and I look like a child.  It's a weird dynamic, I guess. 

I also love The Wild Party. Both versions.

There should be a movie! The Wild Party (LaChiusa version) is the only imaginary movie I ever obsessed over directing even though I'm not a director. But I interrupted you. One more favorite?

Moulin Rouge! because I'm human and that movie makes me openly weep.  I could be at the most professional event of my life and if someone says "Satine dies at the end" I would just ugly cry the entire way home.

previous reader spotlights