Hotseat! Grill a MoFo: mark f

List 10 songs that should play during your funeral (bit dark maybe, but its a tricky question, because the songs have to say something about you, but also should be appropriate)

OK, this one is hard. As long as I can prepare Brenda for these, I think they'll do. I'm not really describing death in my song choices but more the sort of things I'd want my friends and family to remember about me and our times together. Some of these are Bre's faves too, so I can probably get away with it. Remember, I'm not having a funeral, but my friends and family can get together, have their favorite libations, and hopefully laugh more than they cry.

"Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole
"Ask" by the Smiths
"Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues with Kirsty MacColl
"Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland
"Pyramid Song" by Radiohead
"Forever Paradise" by the Undertones
"My Way is to You" by Paul Kelly
"In My Life" by the Beatles
"We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn

What was your opninion on the Vietnam War?

It was an unfortunate occurrence. I feel sorry for all the people who were adversely affected by it. I feel lucky that it didn't affect too many of my closest friends and family. I don't believe in war on general principle, but I understand that it's necessary to sometimes fight to obtain or maintain your freedoms.

Are you against the current war, or would you enlist if you were younger?

I certainly am against the current war. I actually have had former students who have died in Iraq, and I mourn them. They chose to join the Armed Forces, many knowing they would go to Iraq. I applaud their patriotism and their desire to come to the aid of their country, but I hope they understood what they were doing and why someone felt is was necessary to send them there. I told my students on 9/11 that it was the most important event of my entire life, and I still feel that way. The ramifications of successful outside terrorist acts on the U.S. will basically mean that we will be in an unending war against terrorism. This will obviously cause increased danger here, but also, depending on what happens in the future and who's in charge, will mean erosion of personal liberty, including those of all U.S. citizens. I definitely agree with Benjamin Franklin when he said that "Those that would give up essential liberty in pursuit of a little temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security."

I felt before the current war that if/when the U.S. invaded Iraq, it would cause an escalation in violence there by the different factions and result in a Civil War. I still believe that, and the only thing which will stop the Civil War is when another strongman takes over, but this time it'll be a fundamentalist. I'm not sure when the U.S. will leave, but at this point they are in one of those places where if you leave, you look impotent, but if you stay, you may never leave and things will continue to escalate. I believe that most Americans want us to leave for our quick-term sake, but be careful what happens. It won't be any prettier. Does that answer my question about enlisting too?

Who's your favorite historical hero?

I don't know. History has a way of constantly being revised, so that the people you felt were heroes also had a dark side. Now, I don't feel that's a news flash, but it makes it more difficult to feel secure in your feelings about "heroes". For me as an American, I would probably pick somebody among the following three: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King. Washington was the only person with the guts, stamina and charisma who could have led the Revolutionary Army and become the first President. I've always looked up to Lincoln as the President who had to deal with the most difficult time of any American leader. Recently, he has come under attacks as a racist, but that seems a major revision to everything I've read. Martin Luther King, whose flaws were already known at the time of his life and struggle for equal rights, was the biggest influence on the enactment of civil rights in my lifetime, at least in the legislation of them. You'll never be able to legislate a person's mind, although there have been some interesting movies on the subject.

Whew! I hope somebody reads this because that took a long time.

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

On the lighter side :

1. Do you like Chocolate and why/why not?

2. If you could pick one place to go on an ultimate vacation, where would it be?

3. What are the three most horrible-I hate them-would never ever ever ever ever recommend them-ever ever ever-movies? Please be detailed in your answers.

4. Oh yeah: what is your favorite bean?

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“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

You guys like me! You really, really like me!

For our aerospace industry:


As a teacher, which annoys you more? A kid with potential but a bad attitude, or one who takes pride in their ignorance?

It's tough because they both make you want to tear your hair out. However, there is no one way to deal with either one. There are different reasons why they develop those attitudes and you have to deal with each one individually. The problem is that you may not have time to understand where the student's behavior came from, and thus, you won't be able to get through. Often, with these kind of students, I attempt to appeal to their vanity and ask them to help me tutor others; a sort of "show me what you've got" way to get through to them. Sometimes it works.

As a third-party voter, do you feel the status quo is unsatisfactory in American politics? If you could change one thing for the better, what would it be and why?

Status quo is horrible for American politics, unless you're used to lousy education, health care, inner cities, increasing costs in everything and the drop of the dollar on the world market. The two parties are far too similar. There has to be a threat that something radical (for the better) can happen. As long as everyone knows, that the winning candidates will continue to secure benefits for themselves and their lobbyist supporters, why would the average underachieving bum expect anything good (better) to happen here?

On a related point; which do you think is more important for a government to guarantee, personal privacy or national security?

I prefer privacy, but I look at it as freedom. National Security has been much more threatened by our various levels/branches of government than by our own constituency. Go ahead and prove me wrong.

Who do you think was closer to a true understanding of the human mind, B. F. Skinner or Sigmund Freud?

I don't want to have to choose between those. Freud was obviously more experimental and out there, and he learned a lot, although as an educator, I can probably apply Skinner's theories more relevantly, but even then, I need small classrooms because no matter how much I offer positive reinforcement, in a large classroom setting, there will be more people who respond to (or encourage) negative than positive reinforcement, and that skews everything, which is not helpful to a serious teacher.

Who's your favourite screen villain, and who's your least-favourite screen hero?

Darth Vader is easily my fave screen villain. There are probably many heroes I don't even consider heroes at all. Popeye Doyle is a great character, but he ain't no hero, at least until you get to French Connection II!

In your opinion, what's the most lazy, hackneyed, overused and irritating cliche in film-making?

Music videoish montages which are supposed to cover up for character development or relationships being formed. Although doing endless sequels (remakes) utiliizing those MTV montages is even worse.

Is there any actor you could body-double for?

Probably most Sumo wrestlers. Are you pitching a sumo wrestling script?

For The Emporer Ming:

On the lighter side :

Do you like Chocolate and why/why not?

I think chocolate is a key part of my DNA. That would at least explain why chocolate tastes better than everything else.

If you could pick one place to go on an ultimate vacation, where would it be?

We're looking into going to Greenland/Iceland, but we need to get to Greenland before the glaciers all melt away and flood Iceland and every place else. Greenland doesn't have much but some remote fjords, but Iceland has volcanic/thermal sites which would be exciting, especially if we could see a concert or two of their better-known musical artists.

What are the three most horrible-I hate them-would never ever ever ever ever recommend them-ever ever ever-movies? Please be detailed in your answers.

Do you mean you want me to save you from watching some movie? I'm not sure what you've already seen, but I haven't seen that many mainstream/big budget films which fall into this category. Even if they are poor, there's something which would make you be able to watch them, even if it's just to take notes on how to make fun of them. I usually find the most horrible films to be artistic endeavors which the majority of filmwatchers can never hope to care two cents about, and in this day and age, that includes some of the highest-rated David Lynch, Fellini, Antonioni, Godard, and Resnais. I know I should list about 20 movies, but I'm waiting temporarily. Although, for three, I'd cough up Inland Empire, Muriel and Zabriskie Point.

Oh yeah: what is your favorite bean?

I like refritos (pintos), but I like most all beans. Growing up, I hated lima beans, but I think I'm even OK with those now.

For most of my questions, not sure if I had any good reason for asking but thanks for answering, I enjoyed your responses. Still, you never got around to answering that last one:

Maybe it was a little vague, but I'm genuinely curious if other people who watch a lot of movies end up experiencing dreams as movies the way I do. Ever since I was around 22 I've noticed more and more dreams I've had a more conscious presence analyzing what's going on as if it were a movie (also more and more dream imagery using certain cinematic effects/limitations). A rather simple example would be a dream I had which was a silent movie, sort of an experimental comedy with two factory workers facing the "camera" over a table and on the table are arranged horns and trumpets of various sorts. One of the guys is doing a sort of pantomime of inhaling and the horns enter his mouth and then exit a trombone that the other one is pretending to play, rearrange themselves (also dividing into smaller types of horns). The ambiguity in that one arose because of the primitive effects and I remember specifically watching it and trying to imagine how the "movie" was made, ie noticing that the guys hands weren't on the table and thinking it was a composite perhaps using a matte or something (also rather than being seamless the autonomous movement of the horns was pretty jumpy like stop motion animation and rather than actually entering or exiting an orifice they would just disappear and reappear right in front of it). That's a simple (and early) example, I've had ones that are a lot more complicated and unstable. Anyway, to rephrase the question, have you ever woken up from a dream and thought "man, I can't wait to see that movie again..."?

Yeah, you aren't discussing deja vu which we were earlier this month, right? Where you can maybe dream a movie before you actually see it? I believe there's a thread I can link you to, but I won't in case I'm off base. My dreams are very cinematic, and the reason I mentioned Romper Stomper is because there's that long chase in the middle through buildings, yards, and all over the place which reminds me of dreams I had 20-30 years before the film came out. I just assumed it was common with others too, so I took it for granted that it was inspired from the writer's and/or director's dreams and not mine.

You have GOT to be well done by now!

I only have a few, but I have no clue if they have already been asked. I'm too lazy to scroll.

What is the weirdest thing you have ever done in your sleep?

Do you prefer the theater, or at home? You know, for watching movies!

Have you ever met anyone from on-line?

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Ever thought about doing a Top 100 movies list?

What are you like with books? (favourite authors, novels, genres etc.)

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

What is the weirdest thing you have ever done in your sleep?

I don't believe that I've ever sleepwalked. My wife claims I make weird sounds, but that doesn't seem weird because from my experience, we all do. I'm not sure I'm going to come up with anything too strange. I often have weird dreams, but then again...

Do you prefer the theater, or at home? You know, for watching movies!

Nowadays, I seem to prefer the convenience of home, although I miss the communal experience of theatre-going. It's still fresh in my mind how much fun I had going to see Jaws over and over in jam-packed 1000 seat theatres with people who had never seen it. The same thing goes for Star Wars. The movies were terrific, but the crowds really made it seem like you were sharing emotional electricity. But with today's ticket prices and the smaller theatres, I find myself reduced to only going out to movies here and there, usually during December-February.

Have you ever met anyone from on-line?

I still haven't met anyone face-to-face, although there was talk of doing this in the past, but it fell through. I have talked to some over the phone though, back when I was doing a podcast for another site.

Ever thought about doing a Top 100 movies list?

I have done them in the past, but as I grow older, I find that the appeal isn't really there for me to make too many more lists. I'll see how things go, but it seems like a lot of work, and then, just when you post one you can live with, you rewatch something or find another movie, and the list falls apart.

What are you like with books? (favourite authors, novels, genres, etc.)

I posted earlier that my fave books are Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude and Hammett's The Maltese Falcon. I also enjoy Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, so I'm pretty old school when it comes to reading. That, plus I don't seem to read that much anymore. Currently, our family is reading aloud The Catcher in the Rye because my daughter picked out some books she wanted us to read together. That must be her sneaky way to get me to read more.

Yes, I did do that, didn't I? It wasn't the most perfect thing, but that's why I keep adding to it, so I don't think I'll ever make a new one. That's one of the benefits of being Grandpa Simpson or a long-lost loved one; you have no way of composing anything better than you did when you were actually "here and aware of the question".

Books? I used to love them. Now, I'm an illiterate. I mean, I read the newspaper daily, and I have The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (one of my all-time faves) on my nightstand, but it's been awhile since I've read any new fiction. I know I wrote about this somewhere else, but it apparently wasn't in here, but Brenda reads about three-to-four recent novels a week, and Sarah keeps collecting classics from everywhere. I have this silly idea that nobody can write anything better than One Hundred Years of Solitude, Huck Finn, and The Maltese Falcon anymore, and I have absolutely no interest in graphic novels, so I'm pretty much petrified when it comes to fiction. I will occasionally read some biography, autobiography, non-fiction adventure, sports- or movie-related books, but only if I'm not watching a movie or doing my other grateful duties as a husband and father.

Who is the better artist: Bob Dylan or Jimmy H'.?

oh yeah - and why?

This is one of the first grill threads I've read , very interesting stuff Mark F and movieforums crew for the creative questions.

I got some of my own.

1. Will you reveal what the F stands for now ?

2. Do you know anyone (outside the forums) that you can talk to about film ?

3. What were some of your favorite movies that you "outgrew" ?

4. Do you consider film to be the most advanced form of art ?

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Which Mofo Would You: NO REPEATS

Watch a movie with?

Grab a drink with?

Go to the beach with?

Grab some dinner with?

Break the law with?

Get high with?

Just hang out with?

Go sky diving with?

Travel with?

Start a band with?

Make a movie with?

Listen to old records with?

Cook food with?

Race against?

Play cards with?

Ghost Hunt with?

Debate With?

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

Hey, it was an old question, give me a break.

You must be out of your flippin' mind! I don't mean it's a stupid question; I mean it's an unanswerable question.

Mr Zimmerman has written, performed, changed and reperformed so many unforgettable songs that he's standing alongside the top pyramid of the highest pyramid in Egypt (probably built by aliens). On the other hand, Jimi Hendrix WAS a space alien who came down to Earth for a very brief time to shower us with things still-far-too-sophisticated for us to even comprehend. Just watch any of his live performances and try to compare any human guitarists to that "guy". I'm going to cop out and say that they both get maximum ratings; if taken over a comparable amount of time, I'd still give them a similar rating, but Dylan obviously has about 40 years on Jimi now.

1. Have you ever heard of this? The "F" is explained in the first minute.


2. I still talk to the guy who employed me 34 years ago to help him edit/write his film reference books. I talk to my brother, who has written scripts for films and has watched many of the same films as I have, especially in his "early days". All my friends and family love film, and my daughter Sarah is planning on studying film next year in college, so I'd say she counts too.

3. I didn't really outgrow them, but I liked crappy '50s horror/sci-fi and adventure films when I was growing up. I can watch them now and say they stink, but I never really thought they were "great" when I was a kid; I just was happy to see dead conquistadors fighting it out with modern cops, alien rugs trying to swallow curvaceous human females and giant ants who looked like alien rugs...

4. Ever since I've turned illiterate, I do find film to be the most-advanced artform, even though I know plenty of people who say it can't be an art unless every single thing is done by one person. I disagree and find that it contains a combination of more art forms than any other, so that's why I say yes, and I'm pretty sure you agree with me.

Which Mofo Would You: NO REPEATS

Watch a movie with? meaty because I really want to understand his thought processes while viewing, and I'll be asking him questions incessantly.

Grab a drink with? Tatty because I know he knows the best pubs and the best places to hear some cool bands (even if they're at people's homes )

Go to the beach with? I'm thinking that eMilee would like to shoot some sunsets at Huntington Beach.

Grab some dinner with? 7th seems like somebody to do that with. We could cook up our faves which neither of us would probably know otherwise.

Break the law with? TUS, you still do this... a lot...? or am I mistaken? I'd still break the law to help you make a movie.

Get high with? adi seems to do this quite often, and maybe I can show him a few new ways to appreciate movies and music while "under the influence".

Just hang out with? Caitlyn because she's so loving but seems so lonely with her cups of coffee. I can help you hang in a good way, and I'm sure you can help me likewise.

Go sky diving with? Let's see who has a death wish here or just a plain joie de vivre? Powdered, are you up to this, at least after we watch a few hundred flicks? The odds are we'll survive.

Travel with? nebbit seems to enjoy traveling, and since we live on opposite sides of the globe, that should work out nicely.

Start a band with? Lines, although after one Earth-shredding album, we'd probably have to dissolve due to "artistic differences".

Make a movie with? Holden, for sure. We'd be the next Powell and Pressburger! A Matter of Life and Death of Colonel Blimp's Red Shoe, Black Narcissus Tales of Hoffmann, Part II.

Listen to old records with? Used Future, as long as I get to play as much rock as he plays "dance"!

Cook food with? Ðèstîñy, especially when she's baking in the middle of the night. Umm umm good.

Race against? Somebody slow. Who's slow? filmfreak, are you slow, in some kind of race? It doesn't matter to me if you are; I don't mind losing.

Play cards with? I get the idea that Yoda is one of the most competitive people around here, so I'd play cards with him. I enjoy Poker but the best card game ever invented is bridge.

Ghost Hunt with? Probably n3wt because I'm an unbeliever, but I'm pretty sure he's seen his grandma as a ghost.

Debate With? Either Sedai or Austruck. Sedai likes to debate and so does Yoda, but I'm already playing cards with Yoda, so I'll go back one generation and debate with his Mom. Heaven knows she'd debate me over dozens of topics. Sedai, we probably don't disagree that much, but I like the way your mind works... HA!

Let's say you pull a thorn out of the Pope's butt and he grants you one wish, what'd it be?

What's your favourite Simpsons episode?

Dinner with three people, living or dead (no relatives or friends), who do you dine with?

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Let's say you pull a thorn out of the Pope's butt and he grants you one wish, what'd it be?
I don't mean to be a heathen, but he can't grant me any wishes I can't already get for myself. However, if he'd like to pay for my daughter's college education, I wouldn't begrudge him that. Otherwise (and more honestly), I'd prefer he set up an ongoing plan to donate funds to my charity of choice, The Orange County Rescue Mission.

What's your favourite Simpsons episode?
I love most all of them, but the Sideshow Bob episodes are great, and so are the musical episodes, so I believe they do intersect at some point, and if I'm mistaken, I still answered the question.

Dinner with three people, living or dead (no relatives or friends), who do you dine with?
Jesus, Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe. I realize that the latter two have already been included in at least one movie, but the combo is quite striking and I feel it would produce some scintillating conversation and would be incredibly thought-provoking, funny and moving. I'd be surprised that after we all laughed ourselves silly that we wouldn't all cry ourselves to sleep.