quizzical

hold on, kids. not so fast. school's not out quite yet. dennis cozzalio, the headmaster at one of the cinematic blogosphere's most revered and inestimable institutions, sergio leone and the infield fly rule, has one more quiz/psychological profile to administer before we leave for the summer. (names in parentheses are of those contributing questions).

1. depending on your mood, your favorite or least-loved movie cliché?

twentysomethings in new york city looking for meaning and direction in their lives, blah, blah, blah. if i never see, or even read a synopsis of, another film like this, it will be too soon. also, why hasn't this spawned as active a subgenre of films about kids who got the shit kicked out of them by the city and then came running home with their tails between their legs? not as glamorous, i suppose.

look how confusing life is. maybe we shouldn't date. maybe we should just "hang out".

2. regardless of whether or not you eventually caught up with it, which film classic have you lied about seeing in the past?

if i have done this, it's been so long that i cannot remember.

3. roland young or edward everett horton?

edward everett horton. sorry, topper.

4. second favorite frank tashlin movie?

hollywood or bust (1956).

5. clockwork orange - yes or no?

oh yes.

6. best/favorite use of gender dysphoria in a horror film? (ariel schudson)

the subtext of a brief, confounding glimpse in let the right one in (2008) forces you to reconsider the whole film, which is always good for you.

7. mélanie laurent or blake lively?

mélanie laurent. this isn't even a fair fight.

8. best movie of 2011 (so far…)?

i enjoyed cave of forgotten dreams the most out of the handful of things i have seen with a 2011 u.s. release date.

9. favorite screen performer with a noticeable facial deformity? (peg aloi)

the inimitable rondo hatton. his distinctive facial features were the result of acromegaly.

10. lars von trier - shithead or misunderstood comic savant? (dean treadway)

i lean toward shithead. i do not, however, mean that as a pejorative.

11. timothy carey or henry silva?

timothy carey. i do love me a genuine nutcase.

12. low-profile writer who deserves more attention from critics and/or audiences?

jon merrill.

13. movie most recently viewed theatrically, and on dvd, blu-ray or streaming?

theatrically - the aforementioned cave of forgotten dreams
dvd - the curse of the cat people (1944)
blu-ray - tron: legacy (2010)
streaming - the andromeda strain (1971)

14. favorite film noir villain?

tommy udo takes the cake.

15. best thing about streaming movies?

access to films i might not otherwise track down.

16. fay spain or france nuyen? (peter nellhaus)

france nuyen, without a doubt.

17. favorite kirk douglas movie that isn’t called spartacus? (peter nellhaus)

ace in the hole (1951).

18. favorite movie about cars?

two-lane blacktop (1971).

19. audrey totter or marie windsor?

audrey totter, in a photo finish.

20. existing stephen king movie adaptation that could use an remake/reboot/overhaul?

salem's lot, while not the botch job that some of the others have been, still has the most untapped fright potential.

21. low-profile director who deserves more attention from critics and/or audiences?

charles burnett.

22. what actor that you previously enjoyed has become distracting or a self-parody? (adam ross)

as much as i hate to say it, tim roth.

23. best place in the world to see a movie?

row q, paramount theatre, austin, texas.

24. charles mcgraw or sterling hayden?

sterling freaking hayden.

25. second favorite yasujiro ozu film?

floating weeds (1959).

26. most memorable horror movie father figure?

the venerable patriarch of the sawyer clan, grandpa.

27. name a non-action-oriented movie that would be fun to see in sensurround?

there is no other choice but willy wonka & the chocolate factory (1971).

28. chris evans or ryan reynolds?

chris evans, i guess. he makes me want to fight just a little bit less. since when is never shutting the hell up a turn-on?

29. favorite relatively unknown supporting player, from either or both the classic and the modern era?

classic era - clarence muse!
modern era - richard edson

30. real-life movie location you most recently visited or saw?

i live in austin, so i pass by a fair amount on a regular basis.

31. second favorite budd boetticher movie?

the tall t (1957).

32. mara corday or julie adams?

mara corday is, by far, the sexier of the two but julie adams wins by virtue of association with a certain antediluvian suitor.

33. favorite universal-international western?

taza, son of cochise (1953). it's douglas sirk's sole western. rock hudson plays an indian. it was originally in 3D. madness, any way you slice it.

34. what's the biggest "gimmick" that's drawn you out to see a movie? (sal gomez)

the multiple endings of clue (1985).

35. favorite actress of the silent era?

olive thomas.

36. best eugene pallette performance? (larry aydlette)

my man godfrey (1936).

37. best/worst remake of the 21st century so far? (dan aloi)

best - 13 assassins (2011).
worst - planet of the apes (2001).

38. what could multiplex owners do right now to improve the theatrical viewing experience for moviegoers? what could moviegoers do?

multiplex owners - enforce a no talking/no phones policy like the alamo drafthouse.
moviegoers - shut the hell up. you're not in your goddamned living room.

well, there it is. if you would like to see what a bunch of other folks had to say in response, check out the comments section of the original post and feel free to leave your answers/opinions/responses to any or all of the above in the comments section here. thanks for reading.