Movie Confessions Blogathon

Well, Nostra over at My Film Views is playing the priest for a while and waiting for all of us cinephile bloggers at his confessionary for a fun new blogathon. After my friends Andy, The Cinemaniac and Ruth came clean about their sins, I thought I’d join in on the fun as well.

Which classic movie don’t you like/can’t enjoy and why?
I know I shouldn’t be embarrassed because film is all about subjectivity and we’re all entitled to our own opinions, bla bla bla, but still I’m ashamed to say I didn’t enjoy Apocalypse Now. I liked some war sequences, the performances, and the last act but all that led up to it I found boring and pointless. Maybe it was an age thing, as I watched it rather young, but I was bored out of my mind. I’ll try to watch it again soon and see if I’m warming up to it.

Which ten classic movies haven’t you seen yet?
Embarrassment all over again. I dont know if it’s just me but I can’t fit nearly enough movies into my schedule. I could plan on watching one a day, and end up only seeing one a week. Am I an extraordinarily busy guy or just a terrible planner? I try to keep track with the latest releases but sometimes by doing that I neglect some of the classics, including:

  1. Star Wars (the original trilogy)
  2. Once Upon a Time in America (I actually was thisclose to watching it a few weeks ago but the 269-minute running time scared the shit out of me)
  3. Les Quatre Cents Coups
  4. La Dolce Vita
  5. The Apartment
  6. On The Waterfront
  7. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  8. Citizen Kane (not all of it, anyway. I saw bits & pieces in class and it was amazing)
  9. Sophie’s Choice
  10. The Birds

Have you ever sneaked into another movie at the cinema?
Technically, yes. I’ve done it several times. I walk out of the movie I’ve paid for and sneak into another one, watch for a few seconds from the aisle and get out, feeling guilty. I’m kind of a pussy.

Which actor/actress do you think is overrated?
Two words: Johnny Depp. I mean, he’s a very good actor but, seriously, the praise and the adoration is just too much. Also, he’s been playing the same character since 2003. And he’s not even that good-looking. I am sick of him.

From which big director have you never seen any movie (and why)?
This seems to be a popular response (among my friends at least) but Ingmar Bergman. Why? I really, really don’t know.

Which movie do you love, but is generally hated?
I’ve mentioned the word “embarrassing” a lot, haven’t I? I’m talking about my sins, after all, so there’s bound to be shame in my confessions. I absolutely loved Rat Race, which is probably one of the dumbest movies ever made. I’m aware that it’s very bad (it even holds a 44% Tomatometer rating) but I just have so much fun when I watch it (and I’ve watched it many, many times).

Have you ever been “one of those annoying people” at the cinema?
Ugh, I hate the annoying people at the cinema. Also, I’m a huge hypocrite because I know I’ve been one of them, many times. I don’t bring any babies or chew/sip loudly or talk on the phone or hit the seat in front of me but sometimes when I go with friends, we poke fun at every single thing on screen and laugh like idiots. That must be so irritating for everyone else.

Did you ever watch a movie, which you knew in advance would be bad, just because of a specific actor/actress was in it? Which one and why?
I’m an actors’ guy. Most of the time, the thing I enjoy the most about a movie are the performances. So yes, I’ve seen terrible movies just because they feature one of my favorite thespians. The last one was Snow White & the Huntsman, which I saw for Charlize Theron, who was terrible in it, too.

Did you ever not watch a specific movie because it had subtitles?
Well, I’m from Mexico, so I’ve grown up watching subtitled movies; they don’t bother me at all. In fact, if I’m watching an English-language movie at home, I’ll do it with English subtitles. That has helped me a lot in learning the language.

Are there any movies in your collection that you have had for more than five years and never watched?
I don’t know if they’ve been here for five years but there are several films that I bought and then forgot about instantly: Rob Roy, You Can’t Take it With You, How Green Was My Valley, Los Olvidados.

Which are the worst movies in your collection and why do you still own them?
I don’t buy a lot of movies so when I do, I’ve either seen it and loved it or I’m pretty sure I will, based on experience. I once rescued Death to Smoochy from the $3 bin at Wal-Mart. It’s funny and Edward Norton is pretty good in it (as always), but it is also very silly and probably the worst in my collection.

Do you have any confessions about your movie watching setup at home?
I usually watch movies in my room. Nothing fancy going on in there. A modest flatscreen LG TV and a Sony DVD player, that is all. I wish I had Blu-Ray, though. I’ll try to upgrade soon. However, my room has pretty good acoustics and as long as I shut the blinds, there’s no annoying glare on the screen. I don’t usually eat while watching a movie (don’t do it at home or at the theater) so I usually just have a drink beside me, probably a coffee or tea (hot or iced, depending on my city’s insane weather).

Any other confessions you want to make?
I’ll take a cue from my pal Alexander a.k.a. The Cinemaniac and leave it up to you guys. If you have a movie-sin related question in mind, ask it in the comment section 🙂

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