Movie Confessions Blogathon

Nostra at Myfilmviews has created a new blogathon, entitled the Movie Confessions blogathon. In it, you can confess things that might have, up to now, been a secret. Read my confessions after the cut.

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

Lawrence of Arabia (1962). It's so long and so drawn-out. I hate to call it boring, but, for me, it is. Although Lean's a director I admire, I think most of his epics could be trimmed down. It feels too bloated, and it's not a film I plan on watching again soon.

Which ten classic movies haven’t you seen yet?

The Birth of a Nation (1915), Greed (1924), Intolerance (1916), The Great Dictator (1940), Eraserhead (1977), Nashville (1975), Pierrot le Fou (1965), The Wages of Fear (1953), Tokyo Story (1953), Ran (1985)

Have you ever sneaked into another movie at the cinema?

Yes, once. When I saw Two Brothers in 2004, I was so bored with it that I left after 20 or 30 minutes, and I went into a nearby screening room to watch some of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Which actor/actress do you think is overrated?

Meryl Streep. For me, she is usually good, but not often great. While she is consistent, I don't think she's an all-time acting legend. I would even give her a Best Actress win (Sophie's Choice, 1982) and a Supporting one (The Deer Hunter, 1978). She just doesn't blow me away with every performance she gives though.

From which big director have you never seen any movie (and why)?

D.W. Griffith. I have seen a few clips from The Birth of a Nation, but I haven't seen any of his films in their entirety yet. This is because his two most famous films are around 3 hours long, and it's hard to sit down and watch a lot of epic movies. (I don't like to stop a movie I haven't seen before, so that makes a really long one difficult to see.)

Which movie do you love, but is generally hated?

A Good Year (2006). This film has a 25% on RT and a 47 on Metacritic. It's so much fun though. It stars Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hollander, Abbie Cornish, Albert Finney, and Freddie Highmore. What a cast! And the score and cinematography are gorgeous. It's my favorite feel-good movie.

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

No. Ever since I was a kid going to the Star Wars Special Edition re-releases in 1997, I only focused on the screen. I go to the cinema to watch the movie.

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 watched Dark Shadows because of Johnny Depp. Given that Alice in Wonderland had let me down, I wasn't expecting much from Depp's next collaboration with Tim Burton, and I was right.

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

No. But I will admit that I generally don't watch subtitled movies at night when I can't concentrate as much.

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

Hell's Angels (1930). I bought it sometime after The Aviator (2004) came out and still haven't watched it.

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

Rocky V (1990). I can't bring myself to break up the set.

Christmas with the Kranks (2004). It's a guilty pleasure, but I haven't seen it all the way through in over two years.

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

I have a Blu-ray/DVD player and a DVD/VCR combo. However, only the VCR works on the combo. Also, my TV is so old that I have to use a converter box to connect the DVD/VCR to it. Because of this, I have to plug my Blu-ray/DVD player into the front of the DVD/VCR combo.

If I watch a movie online, I watch it on my laptop. I hate doing that though, so I usually stick to DVDs and Blu-rays.

Any other confessions you want to make?

I don't watch the end credits of a film unless I know there is a scene after them.

If I really like a new film, I'll usually see it in theaters 2 or 3 times. If I buy it on DVD when it comes out, I'll only watch it once. Then it sits there for months.

I don't get snacks at the theater, and I haven't in years. I don't snack at home when I watch movies either.