Movie Confessions Blogathon

I haven’t really been much of a blogosphere kind of guy. I don’t really connect with other blogs or bloggers, but through another movie blog (Today I Watched A Movie), I discovered this Movie Confessions blogathon, so I thought that I might branch out a bit and participate. When you’re done with my responses, click over to the original and link out to the many (over 50) other blogs that have joined in. Confession is good for the soul, right?

Which classic movie don’t you like/can’t enjoy and why?

Citizen Kane was just boring to me, plus I have a thing against black and white movies. Unfortunately, when I was watching the movie, I fell asleep (a few times) and that might have made things worse. However, I’m actually not eager to try again.

Which ten classic movies haven’t you seen yet?

1. Taxi Driver
2. The French Connection
3. The Exorcist
4. Easy Rider
5. The Color Purple
6. Out of Africa
7. The Way We Were
8. Chinatown
9. Deliverance
10. Chariots of Fire

Have you ever sneaked into another movie at the cinema?

No, the fear of getting caught by some pimply-faced teenager prevents me from ever doing something like that.

Which actor/actress do you think is overrated?

Harrison Ford. Except in his early days as Indiana Jones and Han Solo (and Bladerunner, I guess, though I am not a fan), everything since then has seemed wooden and charmless. Now that he’s in his curmudgeonly phase, it’s even worse. (And what is with that earring? Just stop it!)

From which big director have you never seen any movie?

It’s hard to say “never seen” because I tried to watch all of AFI’s top 100 during a recuperation period a few years ago. My best answer is probably Ingmar Bergman. However, I wish I had never seen any Stanley Kubrick movies. I don’t get them, I don’t like them, and I can’t understand what everyone sees in his films. Dishonourable mention also goes to Terrence Malick — long, slow and artsy just aren’t my thing.

Which movie do you love, but is generally hated?

Sucker Punch. Yes, it’s exploitative, kind of pointless, and lobotomies are always icky, but there are giant samurai robots! Nazi cyborg zombies! Fire-breathing dragons! I have been a big Zack Snyder fan ever since 300, and I loved the cool visuals and the style of that movie (I loved Legends of the Guardians as well).

Have you been “one of those annoying people” at the cinema?

Maybe in my teens, but I certainly hope not. They are the reason why I prefer to watch movies at home. How can talking on your phone during a movie not be considered rude in someone’s mind, eh?

Did you ever watch a movie, which you knew in advance would be bad, just because a specific actor/actress was in it? Which one and why?

What Lies Beneath didn’t look that good, but at the time I would have watched anything with Michelle Pfeiffer in it (even if Harrison Ford was also starring) — probably still would.

Did you ever not watch a movie because it had subtitles?

Not really. I don’t mind subtitles, but I’ll avoid them if I’m really tired and not in the mood to read a lot.

Are there any movies in your collection that you have had for more than five years and never watched?

So many! Talk To Her, Atonement, Elizabethtown, Finding Neverland… I am a sucker for the bargain bin, and I’ll buy all kinds of DVDs for $3 each which I find interesting, but later when I get home, I find a lot more stuff MORE interesting and those never get watched. (It’s a sickness, I know.)

Which are the worst movies in your collection and why do you still own them?

I know someone will object to this, but I bought The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind sight unseen and I hated it. That one, and also Castaway from Tom Hanks (Hanks was on a roll. Who knew how excruciating it would be to be stuck on an island with just him and a volleyball?), or Made with Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn (I loved Swingers, and expected them to display some of that magic again. Oh well.) I don’t really know what to do with movies I don’t like. Should I just throw them out? Seems like such a waste.

Do you have any confessions about your movie watching setup at home?

I sometimes watch movies on my iPad while working out at the gym. I only do 30 minutes each time, so it takes a while to work through movies that way. Unfortunately, sometimes the scenes can be unexpectedly revealing (Who knew there was so much nudity in Friends with Benefits?) and I either try to fast-forward (which is tricky on the treadmill or elliptical) or I just try to move my head and upper body into a position that obscures my screen from passers-by. It’s a little awkward, but I don’t want people to think I’m some perv watching porn at the gym. OK?

Any other confessions you want to make?

I don’t like many films from the 1970s. I know they’re supposed to be classic, but there’s just something about that era that turns me off. It’s a great decade to be born in, but the movies are just “meh” to me.