DR. ZACHARY SMITH'S LOST IN THE SPACE AT THE END OF SUMMER MOVIE QUIZ

A Meme courtesy of the fine folks at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule.
1) Your favorite musical moment in a movie Start me with a tough one huh? Do they mean from a musical? For non-musical A music cue? A performance? Arghhhh!

Ok for musical moment from a musical I will say "Make 'Em Laugh" from Singin' In the Rain, cause it is pretty definitively perfection.
For a non-musical film nothing raised me to blissful heights as much as "The Age of Aquarius" coming out of nowhere as performed by the entire cast in The 40-Year Old Virgin.
For a music cue I'd say when the zither comes in to reveal Harry Lime in The Third Man, that or when the Raiders March returns when Indy is on the sub in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
2) Ray Milland or Dana Andrews?
Not a super fan of either of these guys (is anyone?). I'd give it to Milland because he's been in two Billy Wilder movies.
3) Favorite Sidney Lumet movie?
My gut says 12 Angry Men but my head says Dog Day Afternoon. I'll split the difference and say Network.
4) Biggest surprise of the just-past summer movie season?
Speed Racer was charmingly awesome and silly fun and deserves a cult following.
5) Gene Tierney or Rita Hayworth?
You'd think I'd pick Rita because she's curvier and beloved by Stephen King characters, but you'd be wrong since Tierney is a better actress and a looker herself.

6) What’s the last movie you saw on DVD? In theaters?
I just saw Smart People on DVD and was pretty bored by it (hey look the feel and conventions of every mainstream-esque indie film of the last five years pushed through a duck-press). In theatres I saw Man on Wire and it may be favorite film of the year so far.
7) Irwin Allen’s finest hour?
Ugh, really? I guess the Poseidon Adventure. Kind of glad that this style of film is out of fashion. Not saying it won't come back and not saying it couldn't ever be good, but by-in-large I could do without.
8) What were the films where you would rather see the movie promised by the poster than the one that was actually made?
Most recently? Smokin' Aces.

9) Chow Yun-Fat or Tony Leung?
Ooo good one. I'll go with Fat.
10) Most pretentious movie ever?
Last Year at Marienbad is pretty rough-going. Any number of experimental films, what's the one where it's just lights flickering in a hallway for fifteen minutes? Anyone from my old film theory class want to help me out with this one?


11) Favorite Russ Meyer movie I am sadly pretty deficient when it comes to Russ Meyer films, the same for his Italian counter-part for bottoms Tinto Brass. I should work on this.
12) Name the movie that you feel best reflects yourself, a movie you would recommend to an acquaintance that most accurately says, “This is me.” Hmmm maybe Brazil. Or Horse Feathers. Or Manhattan. Definitely one of those three.


13) Marlene Dietrich or Greta Garbo Gut says Garbo for Ninotchka, but I need to see more to be sure.

14) Best movie snack? Most vile movie snack? Popcorn (hot and fresh, don't lie to me and tell me it's hot concession guy) with M&M's or Milk duds mixed in and a large (diet) soda. Most vile? Any food that's been under the heat lamp for years.
15) Current movie star who would be most comfortable in the classic Hollywood studio system Jon Hamm, does he count?
16) Fitzcarraldo—yes or no? What are you kidding? Yes, yes a thousand times yes.

17) Your assignment is to book the ultimate triple bill to inaugurate your own revival theater. What three movies will we see on opening night?
The opening night would be a celebration of movies called "Hooray for movies" and it would be a triple bill of The Bad and the Beautiful, 8 1/2 and The Muppet Movie.

18) What’s the name of your theater? (The all-time greatest answer to this question was once provided by Larry Aydlette, whose repertory cinema, the Demarest, is, I hope, still packing them in…)
My theater would be called The Xanadu.


19) Favorite Leo McCarey movie
Duck Soup

20) Most impressive debut performance by an actor/actress.
I'm stumped, any ideas?

21) Biggest disappointment of the just-past summer movie season Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Shattering Failure.
22) Michelle Yeoh or Maggie Cheung
Maggie hasn't crossed-over yet but her resume is a bit more thoughtful

23) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Overrated
Mama Mia, I don't get it, just listen to an ABBA's greatest hits album and save the money.
24) 2008 inductee into the Academy of the Underrated
In Bruges and all participants therein.

25) Fritz the Cat—yes or no?
Ummmm, no.

26) Trevor Howard or Richard Todd?
Trevor Howard, seriously is this a competition?

27) Antonioni once said, “I began taking liberties a long time ago; now it is standard practice for most directors to ignore the rules.” What filmmaker working today most fruitfully ignores the rules? What does ignoring the rules of cinema mean in 2008?
Todd Haynes, a stylist who consistently pushes boundaries and doesn't rest on his laurels.
28) Favorite William Castle movie?
As a director House on Haunted Hill, as a producer Rosemary's Baby.

29) Favorite ethnographically oriented movie?
I think most Scorsese movies are pretty ethnographically oriented whether it's Kundun or Goodfellas.
30) What’s the movie coming up in 2008 you’re most looking forward to? Why?
A four-way tie between:
Synendoche, New York-Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut
Australia-Baz Luhrman's first film since Moulin Rouge!
Doubt-Amy Adams goes dramatic
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button-A new epic from super genius David Finchner.

31) What deceased director would you want to resurrect in order that she/he might make one more film?
Billy Wilder, but no cussing allowed please because Avanti was kind of awkward

32) What director would you like to see, if not literally entombed, then at least go silent creatively?
Bury, BURY Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer.
33) Your first movie star crush?
Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. I was very young and very dumb, it's that thing she does when she pulls the gum out of her mouth.