Movie Confessions Blogathon

What classic movie don't you like/can't enjoy? Why?

Don't like GONE WITH THE WIND (1939). Not a huge fan of CASABLANCA (1942) because I think it's just slightly overrated. I also struggle with really strongly anti-feminist films. I didn't used to, but now any version of Taming of the Shrew, for example, really bugs me. This is why I often avoid 1950s movies. Didn't like LIFE WITH FATHER (1947) or PLEASE DON'T EAT THE DAISIES (1960) or PICNIC (1955) all because of this. It can be a shame sometimes, because I think the movies are probably valuable in their own right, but I just find it hard to enjoy them if they either show a very limited, too traditional representation of women, or if the female characters are not drawn realistically.

Which ten classic movies haven't you seen yet?

I dunno - I haven't seen them! Actually, I'm pretty sure there are so many that I could never list them all here. But here are the ones I can think of at the moment.
MORNING BECOMES ELECTRA (1947)
THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (1947)
THE SEARCHERS (1956)
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955)
JEZEBEL (1938)
PSYCHO (1960)
JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961)
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1949)
SERGEANT YORK (1941)
STELLA DALLAS (1937)

Have you ever sneaked into another movie at the cinema?

Guilty. I do this all the time. What can I say - I don't get paid enough and movie prices are a gyp anyway. Am I going to get arrested now?

Which actor/actress do you think is overrated?

Meryl Streep. And Clark Gable. Two very different performers, both overrated.

From which big director have you never seen any movie? Why?

You know, I really couldn't say. I only seem to remember the names of the directors I have seen. There certainly isn't anyone I'm deliberately avoiding.

Which movie do you love, but is generally hated?

I like good movies. There are some lesser-known movies that I like. For some reason, I'm crazy about SPITFIRE (1934) - Katharine Hepburn as a hillbilly, imagine that! I also like A WOMAN REBELS (1936) for its feminist undertones. Not too many people have seen either of these films. If you have, I'd love to hear your impressions.

Have you ever been "one of those annoying people" at the cinema?

Only if the movie is really stupid and everyone in the theatre would be better off doing something else anyway.

Do you ever watch a movie that you know will be bad, just because a specific actor/actress is in it?

All the time. I've seen every Katharine Hepburn movie and a lot of them are rubbish, I can tell you! Like DRAGON SEED (1944) - who's idea was it to have Hepburn from Hartford play an Asian? I also saw COWBOYS AND ALIENS (2011) just because Harrison Ford was in it.

Did you ever not watch a movie because it had subtitles?

No - I love foreign film.

Are there any movies in your collection that you have had more than five years and never watched?

A friend gave me REPULSION (1965) for Christmas several years ago and I haven't gotten around to it yet. It doesn't look like a very happy movie.

What are the worst movies in your collection and why do you still own them?

I've got some pretty obscure Hepburn films that I don't pull out very often, but I can't get rid of them, can I? I need to have the canon, even if so many of them are rubbish. I might need them someday. Someone will say, "Margaret, do you have ----" and I'll feel like an idiot if I can't reply, "Why, yes, of course I do!"

Do you have any confessions about your movie-watching setup at home?

No. I usually have tea when I watch movies, but it isn't compulsory.

Any other confessions?

Nope, I'm clean.