The Ten: Best Directors of All Time Relay Race

Nostra at My Film Views, not content to send out a Best Actor and Best Actress meme, has also started a Ten Best Directors meme. I'm quite a bit earlier in the countdown this time, which makes compiling the list as it stands quite a bit easier for me. As with the other two lists, the idea is that from a starting list of 10, each new person removes one director and adds one before passing the list on to someone else.

This time, Ruth at ...let's be splendid about this tagged me, making me the eighth person (seventh after Nostra's original 10) to bump one and add one. The thinking behind it is this:

"So what’s the idea behind the relay? I’ve created a list of what I think are the ten best directors. At the end of the post I, just like in a real relay race, hand over the baton to another blogger who will write his own post. This blogger will have to remove one director (that is an obligation) and add his own choice and describe why he/she did this. At the end the blogger chooses another blogger to do the same. We will end up with a list (not ranked in order) which represents a common agreement of the best directors. If you are following the relay race it is also a great way to be introduced to new blogs!"

The Ten: Best All-Time Actors Relay Race

In March, Nostra at My Film Views came up with the idea of listing the 10 greatest actors of all time and then passing the list on. Each person tagged got to remove one person, add one person, and then pass the baton to another blogger. Three months later, here we are. David at Taste of Cinema has passed this on to me, making me the latest leg in what has become something of an Olympic torch relay rather than a simple race.

Houdini's Golden Ticket

Daniel Stephens at Top 10 Films has a new meme, and it's a doozy. I don't typically participate in memes because that's not the focus of this blog at the moment, but this one is too much fun to ignore.

Essentially, the idea is this--in the film Last Action Hero, the plot revolves in part around a magical movie ticket that allows the wielder to enter into a movie and become a part of the movie world. However, rather than simply use the ticket to jump into a favorite movie, Dan has asked a series of questions regarding the use of the ticket. Here are my answers.

Which character would I most like to enjoy a passionate romance with?
Oh, so many options. I do love the screwball dames of the '30s and '40s, and I have not been silent about my deep and abiding love of Barbara Stanwyck. And then there are the femmes fatale of the classic films noir. Yeah, those would all end badly, but you know that the crazy sex would be off the hook. However, in the end, there was really only one answer. I could never resist the charms of Amelie Poulain.

If I were a cop, who would I want as my partner?
Is there really any other answer than this one? I mean, the dude goes by the handle of "Supercop," after all.

What movie gadget would I most like to try out (or steal)?
No question about it--with my commute, the idea of being able to move from one place to another virtually instantly has real appeal. I almost went with a lightsaber, because that would be awesome as well, but ultimately, the ability to move from place to place instantly wins out over something cool that I would probably end up using to slice ham.

What film's plot would I alter and how would I do it?
I would enter every film I could and rescue as many killed animals as possible, starting with Old Yeller. Bambi's mother? Safe. Mufasa? Safe. The bunny in Fatal Attraction? Out of the stew pot. But if I can only pick one, I'm picking Old Yeller, dammit.

Which character would I most like to be sat next to on a plane?
Absolutely Buckaroo Banzai. He is arguably the coolest mofo to every walk around in a film. And anyway, if I'm sitting next to him on a plane, I'm probably a part of the Hong Kong Cavaliers, which means I'm part of his team and on a private jet.

What animated feature would I love to walk around in?
I love the look of the animated Hellboy films. Plus, there's all sorts of crazy stuff going on. But mostly, it's because they look so different from everything else. And really, making me a bit more angular and less doughy would only improve me.

What adventure based on Earth would I most like to go on?
Well, I know they don't really go anywhere in the film, but the plot of The Sting is so cool and so much fun that it's impossible to resist. There's not a thing out of place in this, and I find that irresistible.

What adventure based in an otherworldly, fantasy-based location would I most like to go on?
Well, the film isn't out yet, but I don't really care. I grew up on Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars books, and the movie is coming out early next year. So I'm headed to Barsoom, even if I have to wait a few months to go there. Hell, I've waited since I was 10 to see the movies realized in a legitimate way, so a couple more months is nothing.

What one film would I most want to be transported into simply to be a part of that world?

This is the hardest question, and it's the one that I've put the most thought into. There are so many options and possibilities that the mind boggles. As much as I didn't like Avatar, the beauty of the world is pretty tempting. Ultimately, though, there is no movie with more beautiful scenery than the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I can't resist it.

Month 17 Status Report/Meme Participation

I don't generally participate in movie blog memes because of how focused this blog is, but the current one is far too much fun to not join in. So, as a break from the typical status report, here are my answers to the 15 Movie Questions currently circulating.

1. Movie you love with a passion

...28 Days Later. I realize that many people dislike the third act of this, but I really like this film stem to stern. It's zombies, plus a completely new take on zombies!

2. Movie you vow never to watch

Hostel. Torture porn just doesn't swing it for me, and this seems like the most egregious example.

3. Movie that literally left you speechless

Idi i Smotri. I have never seen a better argument against war, or a more brutal lesson in the same. It not only left me speechless, I couldn't bring myself to move, and I watched the DVD menu for a good five minutes before I could turn it off.

4. Movie you always recommend

Hot Fuzz. I like it more than I liked Shaun of the Dead. It's a thorough skewering of buddy cop movies and plays all of the cliches perfectly.

5. Actor/actress you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie.

Either Audrey Tautou or Audrey Hepburn. I love them both equally. I almost said Cary Grant.

6. Actor/actress you don't get the appeal for

Renee Zellweger. When did sucking on a lemon become sexy? I don't condone abusive behavior, but seriously, she has a face that's absolutely dying for a slap. Second place, Katherine Heigl.

7. Actor/actress, living or dead, you'd love to meet.

Bruce Campbell. 'Cause he's the man.

8. Sexiest actor/actress you've ever seen (picture required!)

Salma Hayek. I did not have to think about this.

9. Dream cast

The cast of any Christopher Nolan film, but directed by Guillermo del Toro--especially if del Toro is adapting a Lovecraft story. How much fun would it be to see Joseph Gordon Levitt, Cillian Murphy, and Ken Watanabe fighting eldritch horrors from beyond space and time?

10. Favorite actor pairing

Groucho Marx and Margaret Dumont. Has there ever been a better foil for a better comic? I think not.

11. Favorite movie setting

Paris. I'd live there if I could, and every movie that takes place or has a scene there makes me want to go back. Sacre Cour (in the background) is my favorite place in the world.

12. Favorite decade for movies

The '80s. Not a popular answer, I know, but it was the decade I came of age in, and the movies that were critical for my formative years all come from this decade. It was a great decade for science fiction, too.

13. Chick flick or action movie?

Action. If I'm paying $9 to see something, I want bread and circuses. I want explosions and quality kill, dammit. I have money; entertain me!

14. Hero, villain, or anti-hero?

Anti-hero. I like my movie gods to be accessible and believable. I like them bad enough to be dirty, but not so bad to be despicable. Heroes are just too perfect.

15. Black and white or color?

How can I choose? I love both. There's a part of me that loves it when a modern filmmaker chooses to use black and white, though.