Inspired by one of the best and most vibrant film podcasts, I’m going to be taking on Brett Goldstein’s ‘Film’s to be Buried with’ for myself! Brett, an actor, and writer himself has created a legendary podcast known for it’s great guests and thought-provoking questions, and in this piece, I’ll be having a go with my own top picks.
Without waffling anymore, let’s get stuck in.
What’s the first film you remember going to see?
As a relatively young person, I have many vague memories of
watching iconic films as a child at home, most of the time around the Christmas
holidays. However, the first film that I can remember making a real mark on me
was Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). I remember Revenge
of the Sith so vividly as it started the passion and love affair that would
follow in the years to come with the Star War’s franchise. I remember being effortlessly
captivated by Revenge of the Sith, straight away becoming obsessed with
Ewan McGregor’s charming take on Obi-Wan Kenobi. I would always be the child to
whip out his blue lightsabre at the earliest opportunity. The Revenge of the
Sith is by no means the best Star War’s film (It’s Return of the Jedi
btw), but it did open the door for my enthusiasm and innocent love for cinema,
and of course the adventure that comes with it, and for that I am forever
grateful.
What’s the film that scared you the most?
I do have a slightly turbulent relationship with horror
films, not because I don’t rate them, I’m just very picky with the kind of
horror film I like. I’ve always felt that a psychological, suspenseful horror
film is always more effective than a horror based solely on jump scares, and
the film that undoubtedly scared me the most is the Australian horror The
Babadook (2014). As a single mother and her child become obsessed with a
demonic children’s book, at face value it doesn’t seem too menacing, but the straight
up absurdity and foreboding spirit left me having nightmares for weeks after
viewing. It received a real mixed reception from the critics, but no film has
made me feel so unsettled for as long as The Babadook did.
What’s the film that makes you cry the most?
Undeniably it is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
(1975). Milos Forman’s masterwork about a criminal (Jack Nicholson) who pleads
insanity in the hope of getting an easy ride out of prison. As Jack Nicholson
rallies the patients and fights against the oppressive Nurse Ratchet (Louise Fletcher)
he is no match for the abhorrent mental and physical abuse that he would soon
be subjected to in her care. Not only is McMurphy’s story a complete tragedy, but
it is also the colourful collection if side characters who all have their own heart-breaking
stories to match. How most of the patients are in the facility by ‘choice’ as I
say with inverted commas. It is an utterly brilliant film, but a film that is
filled with such injustice and sadness that I struggle to actually watch it
again.
What’s the film that you love which isn’t loved by the popular
consensus?
This is a film that I watched 3 times in the same week at
the cinema, only to find out it was hated by pretty much all of my favourite
critics, it’s David Robert Mitchell’s Under the Silver Lake (2019). Something
about this LA odyssey transports me to a place so far removed from my own life
and I absolutely love it for that reason. Whether it is the films obvious Hitchcockian
charm or the amazing Andrew Garfield, I just love the ridiculousness and vagueness
that Under the Silver Lake brings to the table. With a number of interlapping stories
that may or may not lead anywhere it came at the perfect time for me, and I still
love it now.
What’s the film that you used to love but which doesn’t hold
up now?
I absolutely hated coming to terms with my answer on this
question because it is with great regret that I have to say The Wedding
Singer (1998). One of Adam Sandler’s many partnerships with Drew Barrymore
as he plays the lonely wedding singer who falls in love with an engaged
waitress Julia. I used to love Sandler’s character, with his hopeless romantic
tropes and hilariously pleasant songs that he seems to effortlessly bring to a
lot of his comedy numbers. But now, I just found the whole thing to be a little
cringe and very 90’s (not the good kind). It’s not that I think it’s a bad
film, I just don’t get the same kind of joy out of it anymore as I once did,
which is a shame.
What’s the film that means the most to you?
Drive (2011). I’ve mentioned before how I think Drive
is a genuine masterpiece of modern times and I will always fight for that view.
It isn’t the best film ever, but it is the film that means the most to me in a
creative, filmmaking sense, it just displays everything I love about the scope and
potential of cinema. It exemplifies the idea that a good film is made when you
do the simple things well; convey emotion, amazing acting, cinematography, and
a beautiful and unique score. If there’s one film that I wish id would have
made, it would be Drive.
What’s the film you most relate to?
This is gonna be a bit of an odd one, but it has to be Scott
Pilgrim vs The World (2010). I’ve always loved Edgar Wright’s visual
editing style and I remember watching the frenetically paced Scott Pilgrim
vs The World and just thinking ‘this is so me’. Also identifying with
Michael Cera’s general politeness, mixed with a boy on the inside who is eager
to step out of his comfort zone, I just didn’t want it to end. Not forgetting of
course, the films amazing video game presence, as an avid gamer my whole life,
with a character who I identify with, and a director whose visual style never
ceases to amaze me, Scott Pilgrim vs The World is just so me. And let’s
not discount my unhealthy obsession with Mary Elizabeth Winstead…
What’s objectively the best film?
For me it has to be a fairly boring answer for this one. It’s
The Shawshank Redemption (1994). I think the best way you can
judge a film objectively is by the story and the journey of the protagonist,
and in terms of an all-out adventure, with extreme highs and devastating lows, The
Shawshank Redemption for me is objectively flawless. In my opinion it genuinely
has everything. A character that you care for, a satisfying and timely ending,
and of course emotional and thought-provoking performances. Many people say The
Godfather II, but for me when I think of a completely perfect film inside
and out, it is always The Shawshank Redemption.
What’s the film you have watched the most?
Sometimes you need that all reliable film that always lifts
your mood when you’re in need of a pickup. One film that I have turned to the
most is School of Rock (2003). If Aliens came down on earth and they asked,
‘What is Cinema?’ I would always show them the School of Rock. With
Richard Linklaters unique ability to create a musical film, Jack Blacks
effortless charisma as the teacher who keeps on falling on his feet, and the
kids who create something special by coming together and letting their talents
shine through. It is very simply a beautiful film in so many ways, and very
underrated too. Maybe I think if I’ve watched it over 50 times, that is me showing
it the respect it so duly deserves.
What’s the worst film you’ve watched?
Like Brett always says, we don’t like to be negative so ill
keep this one short. It’s Jack & Jill (2011). I mean that film is
just genuine dog shit. In this instance I do not apologise for swearing either.
What’s the film that makes you laugh the most?
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