Directors/Actors/Etc. You've Conversed With Online?

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matt72582's Avatar
Please Quote/Tag Or I'll Miss Your Responses
Etc = anyone associated with movies.. Writers, critics, producer, theorist, etc.


Have you? Any good stories? Do you revise the way you talk depending on who the person is, for example, if one is very talkative, do you talk longer? If one is reserved, do you keep it at a sentence? Do you have a ratio of how many times they do actually respond? Are you the type who wants to constantly write, or do you only write back if you're replied to?


The first person I e-mailed was Noam Chomsky, but when it comes to those involved in movies, the first person I e-mailed was Ray Carney, but haven't done much of this via social media... Of course, I've met and talked with Mort Sahl face-to-face, making entire trips specifically for that reason, or at least just to see him do his magic on stage a few feet, but I've also sent him messages via Facebook, and he sends, usually much later. They're short, but always very thoughtful. I can tell it's him because he seems to have his caps lock on, so only the first character is lower-cased, which makes sense because the man is 93, blind in one eye after a stroke, and now has macular degeneration. He joked and says he can only experience a psychedelic experience visually, and reverts to listening to movies such as "Twelve O'Clock High".


I'm a very talkative person. Recently had a family tragedy, but during a non-dramatic moment, the parents/aunts were talking about pot and it's effects. I said "I seem to talk a lot when I smoke... but then again I talk a lot regardless" and a few had a laugh, especially when one quipped, "I was just gonna say that"... I'm self-conscious, but I don't think it can hurt, unless you were really expecting a reply. I do admit I check constantly, but I check a lot of things, including this site all the time.



I try to keep the initial e-mail short, to the point. Respectful, appreciative of their time (in anticipation, or just for reading it, if they do or not), and if/when they write back, I make sure to answer everything, since I wouldn't want to send another response. I know one time I probably said something like, "You probably get e-mails all day long, so I'll try to keep this short" because I have to constantly edit, because my letters are very long.. I also hope to get a response of "I never get mail" or even better, "I don't mind, I like talking to you".



I think Ray Carney is the go-to guy for Independent Cinema, but we actually talked more about Mort Sahl. Of course, he co-wrote "Cassavetes on Cassavetes" and had some issue with Mark Rappaport, as well as the University he taught at, telling people on his site that the school reads his e-mails and interferes. He's a nerdy guy, but stands his ground and isn't worried about backlash and is his own man - which is probably why he loves independent movies so much. He's recommended me some good ones, such as "Buffalo '66" and a few others which I found on his website. I'm not sure if he wrote back after a handful of e-mails were exchanged. Maybe I got too comfortable and was being honest about someone he likes more than Mort - Lenny Bruce... I know I was critical of him in a respectful way, but he did say he knows his records by heart, so I understand if it pissed him off. I just tried to check old e-mails, but hotmail (and my connection and laptop) absolutely stink. Speaking of, I just visited mid-sentence and the beginning read


"A cinematic Ralph Nader, Noam Chomsky, and Marshall McLuhan rolled into one, Ray
Carney is a combination consumer advocate, media scourge, and
film visionary who pulls no punches in his attacks on the American
filmmaking establishment and the critics and reviewers who support
it. Over the past 10 years, in a series of wide-ranging lectures
and interviews, he has tirelessly crusaded for off-Hollywood
films and filmmakers" (I really admire Ralph Nader - my first vote, and the only one I'm not ashamed of)



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
@Swan is a director I didn't just converse with once, but rather do it on a daily basis!

Recently I have posted a Twitter comment saying I love Meiko Kaji, and then her official YouTube channel's account on Twitter started following me.



It's probably run by some people who get paid just to run it, but it's still cool to imagine it was Meiko Kaji herself who read my comment. :3
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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.



matt72582's Avatar
Please Quote/Tag Or I'll Miss Your Responses



It's probably run by some people who get paid just to run it, but it's still cool to imagine it was Meiko Kaji herself who read my comment. :3
I'm glad you brought this up... See, I think someone's Twitter has a better probability it's actually them, as opposed to the past uses of communication, where a press secretary does all the work.. I think there are some who don't trust their phone and/or account to someone else. Ralph Nader is cool enough to tell his audience (via profile) that unless he ends a tweet with an "R", they're done by his staff.



Had a few Twitter interactions with:

Mark Cousins
Kaitlin Dever
Barry Jenkins
Edgar Wright
Clifton Collins Jnr
Jim Cummings
Francis Lee
Isold Uggadottir

Sean Baker often responds to questions on his letterboxd reviews too.



You’re the disease, and I’m the cure.
I sent an email to Jeff Tremaine once.
__________________
“I really have to feel that I could make a difference in the movie, or I shouldn't be doing it.“
Joe Dante



I'm one of the administrators at a Wiki site for the show 24, and several years ago, we started doing online Q&A's with members of the cast and crew, so I've had some exchanges with a few. Here is a link to all the interviews I've done, but a few notable ones are Doug Hutchison (Percy on The Green Mile), Reed Diamond (also from Homicide and countless other shows), Giles Matthey (also from Once Upon a Time and True Blood), and Leslie Hope (also from Line of Fire, NCIS, and others). I still try to keep in touch with most of them.

Other than that, Mark Hamill "liked" one of my tweets once.
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Check out my podcast: The Movie Loot!



Sadly not. Part of my 'restrictions' state that I'm not allowed interact with normal people on-line. I'm also not allowed to touch cabbages under any circumstances but that's probably irrelevant here