The Drama Llama's Alphabet Movie Meme

First of all, I can't even explain this 10 day absence from blogging. I've pretty much just been sitting around feeling sorry for myself because I have nothing to do. But the lovely Katy came up with this awesome Alphabet Movie Meme, which gave me a kick up the ass and got the fingers back on the keyboard. Such a fun way to get to know the blogosphere!

Anticipating movie of 2014

INTERSTELLAAAAAAAAAAR! I don't even care, literally from the moment 2014 starts I'll be hyperventilating over everything Interstellar related. But holy crap, this is MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY and JESSICA CHASTAIN and ANNE HATHAWAY in a CHRISTOPHER NOLAN film. I can't believe it is actually happening. Plus I've been crying over the teaser trailer since Sunday.

Book adaptation I'd like to see

As a pretty un-avid reader, there isn't really anything that screams adaptation to me, but I'd love to adapt The Crucible for another movie. But it would be pretty cool to set it back in the actual McCarthyism period. Even though that would probably take some of the magic away, but it would still be quite interesting.

Celebrity I'd most like to meet

Jessica Chastain. But her supersonic beams of kindness would probably end up overpowering me.

Dream director/actor pairing

Well, I got my dream of Jessica Chastain and Christopher Nolan, so who next? You know what probably wouldn't be a great time but would be fascinating to watch? Daniel Day-Lewis and David Fincher. All of that perfectionism going on would be either the recipe for a masterpiece or a recipe for disaster.

Essential classic film

I always champion Waterloo Bridge, but that comes with good reason. It is just such a beautifully tragic film, the kind that could never get made today. Probably because Vivien Leigh's flawless face and amazing skill is no longer with us, or the fact that romance doesn't look as good if it isn't in atmospheric black and white.

Favourite film franchise

Chris Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. My love knows no bounds for this trilogy. Even though I still haven't done the one-night marathon of them all like I promised myself I would do a year ago.

Genre I watch the most

Working at a DVD store, I end up watching most genres, but looking at my DVD shelves, my movie diet is filled with indie dramas everywhere. If that's even a genre.

Hidden gem

Ah, my life is pretty much dedicated to hidden gems. I think that one of my most favourite 'hidden gem' discovery was Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days, which I happened to dig up at work during my Ralph Fiennes phase. Usually, those movies that have just been collecting dust on our shelves for years don't interest me, but luckily I was obsessed with Fiennes and gave it a shot. That was one of the best decisions I've made in years.

Important moment in my film life

So many. I think one of the weirdest ones happened over three times this year, and it all has to do with Zero Dark Thirty. I watched it at the start of this year, not knowing that this was going to be the movie that closely paralleled my actual life. And then I saw it half way through the year, and realised that I actually became Maya. I just recently watched it again, and now I'm feeling very much like Maya does at the end of the film, crying because it is all over. It is so strange to find such inspiration in the darkest of places!

Just right movie for a rainy day

21 Jump Street. I've lost count of how many times I've seen it because if I'm sick/bored/in the mood for a comedy, it is the first thing I put on. It is just so fun.

Kiddie movie I still shamelessly enjoy

The Muppets. Which is kinda strange, because it only came out two years ago...but it still counts, right?

Location I'd most like to visit

One of Gatsby's parties. We just recently had a Gatsby themed ball (prom, as you Americans call it), and we had confetti at the end and it was beautiful. Now I can only imagine what Gatsby's would have been like...

Marathon I first attended

I've never actually been to a proper marathon (they don't tend to have them here), but I do quite often go and see two movies in one day. I guess the first 'legitimate' marathon I've been to was this year, when I saw a couple of films side by side at the NZ Film Fest: first Stories We Tell and then The Past directly after. When I'm down in Christchurch next year, hopefully there'll be more film loving opportunities!

Next movie I wanna see in theatres

I don't have Netflix, so I can't answer that question, so I just made up my own. There is so much coming out in the next couple of months that I'm ready to go crazy over, but The Wolf of Wall Street is up first, getting its release here on Boxing Day. And surprisingly Mum agreed to take me over to Palmerston North to see it on opening day (as long as it isn't playing at an awkward time). Three hours with Leo and Matty M and Marty? I'm excited.

One (actually 2) movie I saw in theatres more than 1x this year

This year I haven't seen a great deal of movies in the theatres, but I did see a couple twice: The Great Gatsby and Gravity. The Great Gatsby was a bit of a happy mistake as I went and saw it with my entire Biology class while we were on the trip, but when I first saw Gravity, I immediately wanted to see it again.

Preferred place to watch a new movie (cinema or home)

Deeeeeefinitely the cinema. I love cinemas like they're my second home. And it is so much easier to focus on the film in a cinema because I don't have my iPad/phone/cats/dog distracting me. Unless people are being distracting in the cinema. Which is totally not okay.

Quote that inspires me

"You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling" From a bit of throwaway improv on Tom Hardy's part, to the motto I've lived by all of these years.

Remakes (friend or foe)

I'd say that I'm a foe for most of the pointless remakes we're getting at the moment, but there's some movies I'd love to see get a modern treatment. And there are some stories that would go down really well at the moment. As long as they have a capable director who has a very clear reason of why they're doing it, then it is fine. But there's some films that should never be remade, like Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, It Happened One Night etc etc etc. This is kind of a big question.

Snack I enjoy most

Is it bad to say popcorn? I know that it is loud and everyone is down on it, but I'd be nowhere without my medium combo 2 at Downtown Cinemas: a huge box of popcorn and pepsi for the drink. It is just bliss.

Twist that boggled my mind

Memento. My 14 year old brain was exploding over that.

Unapologetic fanperson for

Everyone? No, definitely my main man Christopher Nolan. I don't care if that's "too mainstream". I don't care if The Dark Knight Rises wasn't the best film ever like we all thought it was going to be. Chris hit it big, and I respect that.

Very excited for awards season?

Usually I am, but this year I'm really not feeling it - hence the fact that I still haven't put up my Oscar predictions. That's partly because I've seen about two films in contention this year, and I'm still holding onto the hope that Jessica Chastain was really the winner of the Best Actress award earlier this year. But if Daniel Day-Lewis turns up to present the award to Cate Blanchett, I'll be beyond excited. I don't know, I'm still not over the 2010/11 Oscar season, because that was pretty much the most into awards season I've ever been. Mainly because of the whole The King's Speech/The Social Network race (which was a bit anticlimatic) and because 2010 had some damn good films in competition - Inception, Black Swan, 127 Hours, Winter's Bone, True Grit...those were the good old days.

Wish I'd never watched...

Once Were Warriors. I do admire it as a film, but I really shouldn't have seen that, especially when I was only 12 years old. I think it was the first film that ever truly disturbed me right through to the core, and made me super wary about what I was going to watch next. Which I guess is a good thing, since it prepared me for some equally tough movies (Tyrannosaur, to name one), but yeah, this is a hard movie to turn away from.

XXX movie I watched at a really young age

The first R16 film I watched was Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, even though that's been downgraded to an M rating in recent years. That was when I was 11. When I was 12, the first R18 I ever watched was Pulp Fiction. I've never abided by the censorship ratings when it comes to DVDs, because really, what's the point? However, next week, The Wolf of Wall Street will become the first R18 I ever see in cinemas...and you don't know how bloody excited I am about that.

Your latest movie-related obsession

None other than the beautiful Daniel Day-Lewis. Thanks to watching The Crucible many many times to prepare for my play (I also have a major girl crush on Joan Allen, which lead me to the wonderful The Ice Storm and The Contender), I developed this huge love for him, and I haven't looked back since. I've seen most of his films now, with only The Last of the Mohicans, A Room with a View and The Unbearable Lightness of Being to go. I've seen some really wonderful films thanks to this obsession, and his work is, bar none, the best I think I've ever seen any actor do. He's a phenomenally committed actor, it is really quite unbelievable. And thanks to this, I got introduced to Rebecca Miller, who is pretty much my number one idol at the moment. Not only is she so gracious and elegant (I love it whenever Daniel talks about her in his acceptance speeches, its gorgeous), but she's also an immensely talented writer/director, with some pretty strong feminist values behind her. So when I say that I want to be Rebecca Miller, it isn't just because she has the most amazing husband (although that might be a little scary living with him) or the most amazing father, but because she's so amazing herself.

ZZZ-catchers (movie that puts you to sleep)

There's been plenty, but the most recent one was Only God Forgives. Which is sad, because it was only 90 minutes long. I watched about 30 mins before I decided that I needed a good night's sleep in order to try and, I don't know, see the light in it. But I didn't. I really wanted to like it, I really did. But...it was just so so bad.

Be sure to take a break from your Oscar predictions and take part in this awesome blogathon!