And now for another phenomenal poll by that celebrated cinematic blogger, Dennis Cozzalio, up now at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule. Visit his site to post your answers. My answers appear after the jump.
1) Favorite movie featuring nuns
Sister Clodagh will be happy to hear that it is Black Narcissus, although The Blues Brothers isn't far behind.
2) Second favorite John Frankenheimer movie
The Manchurian Candidate. But can we talk about my favorite? Seconds is superb and very underappreciated. A career-best performance for Rock Hudson and an equal benchmark in James Wong Howe's filmography.
3) William Bendix or Scott Brady?
I suck: I haven't seen any of Bendix's films. But I do like Brady as the Dancin' Kid in Johnny Guitar. I had no idea Brady was Lawrence Tierney's brother until I read his IMDB page.
4) What movie, real or imagined, would you stand in line six hours to see? Have you ever done so in real life?
I'm gettin' too old for this shit. Not a one.
5) Favorite Mitchell Leisen movie
Another cinematic blind spot, but I have seen all of Leisen's fantastic Twilight Zone episodes. And my favorite is the very creepy take-off on Sunset Boulevard, "The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine," starring Ida Lupino and Martin Balsam.
6) Ann Savage or Peggy Cummins?
Pass.
First movie I faintly remember is Walkabout. Don't ask me how that happened. First movie I remember vividly is Superman: The Movie.
8) What moment in a movie that is not a horror movie made you want to bolt from the theater screaming?
The torture of the titular lover in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, because it was the most reprehensible act of violence I had yet seen committed against what was essentially a noble character.
9) Richard Widmark or Robert Mitchum?
Here's why this one's tough to answer. Both tough guys were well known for their (anti)heroes and their villains. But Widmark always struck me as too mustache-twirly as a villain (Murder on the Orient Express is a good example) and Mitchum was sometimes too sappy as a straight hero (The Lusty Men). Both were much better when dwelling in the grey areas. So, a tie. Widmark is excellent as the cynical hero of Panic in the Streets. And Mitchum is brilliant in Night of the Hunter.
10) Best movie Jesus
Willem Dafoe in The Last Temptation of Christ.
11) Silliest straight horror film that you’re still fond of
The Manitou (1978). In director William Girdler's own words, "It's a cross between The Exorcist and Star Wars." I'll add that it stars Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg and Michael Ansara, and it's about a woman who's possessed by a dead Native American shaman in the form of a baby-size tumor growing on her back.
12) Emily Blunt or Sally Gray?
Who the hell is Sally Gray? Pass, but I love Emily Blunt.
13) Favorite cinematic Biblical spectacular
Not the best, but a personal favorite is John Huston's The Bible: In the Beginning.... With its all-star cast and all of the Old Testament wrath-of-God stuff, it plays like a Biblical precursor to Irwin Allen's '70s disaster flicks. The tale of Sodom and Gomorrah, however, is genuinely creepy, thanks to great performances by Gabriele Ferzetti as Lot and Peter O'Toole as three of God's archangels. Dark and lurid, I'm convinced it influenced Tinto Brass's execution of the deviants' catacomb sequence in Caligula.
14) Favorite cinematic moment of unintentional humor
Pass.
15) Michael Fassbender or David Farrar?
I've got a huge man-crush on Fassie. But Farrar is always great. Wish someone would explain the connection to me, though.
16) Most effective faith-affirming movie
The Last Temptation of Christ has done more for me than any of the traditional, reverential Biblical epics.
17) Movie that makes the best case for agnosticism
The bleak ending of The Mist.
18) Favorite song and/or dance sequence from a musical
A tie between the finale in An American in Paris and the barn-raising in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
19) Third favorite Howard Hawks movie
The Thing (from Another World).
On looks alone, Jean Harlow.
21) Movie most recently seen in the theater? On DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming?
Theater: The Three Stooges, DVD: Dishonored Blu-ray: ¡Alambrista! Streaming: Lydia (1941)
22) Most unlikely good movie about religion
The Rapture
23) Phil Silvers or Red Skelton?
Red Skelton.
24) “Favorite” Hollywood scandal
I'm most intrigued by the circumstances surrounding Natalie Wood's untimely death.
25) Best religious movie (non-Christian)
Little Buddha
26) The King of Cinema: King Vidor, King Hu or Henry King? (Thanks, Peter)
Pass.
27) Name something modern movies need to relearn how to do that American or foreign classics had down pat
Cut out the increasing amount of exposition. I'm taken by how quickly an American or foreign classic can just "cut to the chase." Example: Samuel Fuller's Park Row. Gene Evans practically says, Well, I'm gonna start my own newspaper! and not five minutes later, he's sitting at the circulation desk. Who cares about everything in between?
28) Least favorite Federico Fellini movie
At this point, I've only seen three (8 1/2, Amarcord and Toby Dammit) and I've loved them all.
29) The Three Stooges (2012)—yes or no?
Surprisingly, yes! Mostly due to the wonderful work by the straight "men" in the film, Craig Bierko, Stephen Collins and Sofia Vergara... oh, and whoever that creepy lady is that they got to play Sister Mary Mengele.
30) Mary Wickes or Patsy Kelly?
Pass.
31) Best movie-related conspiracy theory
The story about how Tobe Hooper was really just a beard for Steven Spielberg directing Poltergeist. I'm fairly certain it's true.
32) Your candidate for most misunderstood or misinterpreted movie
The Exorcist. It's even more horrifying when one realizes that Satan is not after Regan's soul, but after that of the doubt-filled Father Karras. One's experience of the film is a heck of a lot more rewarding when one realizes Regan is simply the vehicle by which the devil hopes to convert a true believer.
33) Movie that made you question your own belief system (religious or otherwise)
Crimes and Misdemeanors came close.
6 comments:
Wonderful movie quiz answers. Love the one for The Exorcist (a film we both used in our answers). Well done, Tony.
P.s., I just picked up the DVD of 'The Bible'. Haven't seen that one in ages and plan on showing it to my kids when I do.
I love your answers to #13, 27 & 32 and am most grateful for #29, Tony! As for the Fassbender-Farrar connection, well, the word "superficial" is in the quiz title! Fassbender bears a striking physical resemblance to Farrar, I think, and I thought it was his presence,(not Cary Grant's, as has been widely surmised) that he and Tarantino were invoking through Fassbender's performance in Inglourious Basterds. So, for what it's worth, there you have it!
Thanks for explaining the Farrar/Fassbender connection, Dennis. Never thought of that, but I think you've convinced me. Fassie's turn in BASTERDS has more of the kind of edge I associate with Farrar than Grant.
Great quiz, as always.
I've only watched part of one Fellini flick, Satyricon. It was ... uncomfortable to watch. I think Laura and I made it about 20m in before I stopped it. We'd only been dating for like 3 months, didn't want her to freak out. :-)
I've never seen SATYRICON, Bret, but I've heard it's one of Fellini's most overindulgent movies. I do recommend any of the ones I've seen, though, especially TOBY DAMMIT (with Terence Stamp), a short Poe adaptation that's part of a Poe omnibus film, SPIRITS OF THE DEAD. Creepy.
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