redblog

Today we're giving props to a member of the redblog nation who's been bringing her awesomeness to the site since last May — though she's been much more active in the Threes and Freeze Frame challenges over the last few months. How about a round of applause for…

Name:  Ashley

Posts as: Ashley (yes,
terribly creative)

Age: 25

Location: Central Wisconsin

Occupation: Chemical Engineer

 
Hello there, Ashley, and thanks for joining us!  So, first things first: when did you start using redbox, how did you find out about us, and how
close is the redbox you usually go to?

I found out about redbox when I was visiting a friend in
Colorado and he reserved a couple movies online from this strange
DVD-dispensing machine. When they finally showed up in my town I was second in
line, happily explaining to the woman in front of me how they worked. There are
now five redboxes within ten minutes of my house including one on my drive
between work and home.

Awesome!  So are there certain types of movies that you prefer to see in the theater and others that you prefer to
watch at home?

I definitely prefer to watch action-adventures and the
big-budget blockbuster types in theaters (at least the first time), usually
because they’re more fun in a crowd and on a massive screen. I prefer comedies
at home with friends, and generally I’d rather watch dramas and chick flicks alone
from the comfort of my own living room.

 

For those big-budget blockbusters, would you rather be in a packed theater or a nearly empty one?

That definitely depends on the movie and just how obnoxious
my friends and I will be to those around us. If I’m way too familiar with the
subject matter or the filming location, I’d rather there aren’t a lot of people
there and I usually prefer to go by myself … I’m incredibly annoying then.

 

Well, at least you're self-aware, right?  What kind of experience do you like or hope to have when
you watch a movie?

When I watch a movie the first time, I want nothing but to
get sucked out of reality for a couple hours. If I can forget about things
going on at work or the sink of dirty dishes at my house, I’m happy.

 

Amen to that.  OK, now to the biggie: What are your five Desert Island movie picks?

1) The Philadelphia Story. Katharine
Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart. I love a movie that revolves around
dialogue, and this is one of my all-time favorites.
2) Pride & Prejudice, the 1995 BBC version with Colin Firth. (I know it's
a miniseries, but that's okay, right?) Again, it’s just one of my favorites.
3) Young Frankenstein. Gotta have something from Mel Brooks … And this
week, this one’s my favorite.
4) Brokeback Mountain. I know it's not exactly a great pick-me-up movie, but
I need some Heath with me and this was him at his best. Plus if I bring The Dark
Knight I'll be stuck on a deserted island and utterly unable to
sleep.
5) Toy Story. True love.

 

Great picks… I don't think we've actually seen any of those on anyone else's list before.  Who’s your favorite movie hero?  Favorite Villain? And why?

One of my favorite heroes will always be Indiana Jones. He
was a nerd before he was a hero (well, okay, a history teacher before a hero),
he was cranky at times, he still screwed things up (grabbed for a gun that
wasn’t there and had to run away instead) and occasionally drank too much. In
other words, he seems like someone you could actually meet.

As for villains — I absolutely love a good evil genius.
Hannibal Lecter. The Phantom of the Opera. The Joker. It’s always so much more
satisfying when the villain is actually a match (or a true challenge) for the
hero.

We like and agree with your reasoning there.  Let's stick with favorites for a minute. Who’s
your favorite actor?

Despite two years, I still have a mild Heath Ledger
obsession. George Clooney is at the top of my list — he can be funny, serious,
intelligent, or a complete idiot, and in any of those I still like him at the
end of the movie. But the two that I really want to see more of right now are
Peter Sarsgaard and Liev Shreiber. Lot of potential there.

And your favorite actress?

Kate Winslet — she usually comes across as quirky but not
outside reality, and I get the feeling she’d just be fun to hang out with.
Helen Mirren is another favorite; even when she has a somewhat minor role she’s
fantastic. I’d like to see more of Zooey Deschanel and Maggie Gyllenhaal as
well … Again, potential!

Any actors or actresses whose fan club you won't be joining?

Scarlett Johanssen and Julia Roberts both really get to me
and I’m not entirely sure why. Also, as much as I loved Casino Royale, I’d
like Daniel Craig a lot more if he could get through a movie without his own
Blue Steel look firmly planted on his face.

 

Daniel can't help it — it's those eyes of his! They're just… too… blue!  OK, let's move on to some of your movie-going experiences. Have you ever waited in line for hours for a movie and if so, what was
it? 

Generally I’m not patient enough to spend that time in line
– I’ll just wait a couple weeks and go to the show then. There have been
occasions where I’ve been a gofer for friends waiting in line in exchange for
them grabbing my tickets. It’s a great trade.

 

What about a midnight show?

I went to all sorts of them in college, usually during
finals week which might not have been a great idea. The second and third LOTR
movies come to mind right away (those ones also involved all-day waits for
tickets). The other one that stands out for me was Daredevil … which also
might not have been a great idea, although for completely different reasons.

 

Yeah, I remember being so let down with that one, too.  Now will you share with us your most beloved movie soundtracks?

Oh, the embarrassing question. I don't have a lot of
soundtracks, but the three that come to mind are Juno, Garden
State and … I can't believe I'm about to admit this … Titanic. Yes, I still listen to it from time to time. And yes, I
skip Celine Dion because the song is just as annoying now as it was twelve
years ago. But the score? Amazing.

Hey, there's no shame in busting out "My Heart Will Go On" every once in a while.  (OK, there is, but we're just trying to be polite.  We're sure you skip that song, just like you said…)  Switching gears now: Tell us, if you could be any character in a movie, who would you be?

I would love to be Hermione Granger. First because it’d be
exciting and interesting to live in the Harry Potter universe (yes, even the
constantly-in-grave-danger parts of it). Plus, well, she’s brilliant.

Any favorite movie scenes or sequences that stand out in
your mind – ones where you ALWAYS laugh/cry/freak out no matter how many
times you’ve seen them?

There are action sequences in some movies that I will
actually go back to if I’m not in the room when they play … Like the final
fight in the fifth Harry Potter, the face-melting scene in Indiana Jones and
the Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the opening fight in Star Trek (the vacuum
of space!!).

I rarely cry during movies (I think there have only been
about five or six that have ever made me cry), but one that always gets me is The Patriot with Mel Gibson and Heath
Ledger. From the second Colonel Tavington closes the doors to the church until
the credits stop rolling, I’m a blubbering, messy goner.

Now it's time for another fun question: what are some of your favorite movie quotes?

“Blucher!” (Marty
Feldman, “Young Frankenstein”)

“C.K. Dexter Haven, you have unsuspected depth! But have you
read it?”

“Well, I was trying to stop drinking. I read everything.”
“And did you stop drinking?”

“Yes. Your book didn’t do it, though.”

(Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant, “The Philadelphia Story”)

 

“You fool! You
fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is ‘Never get
involved in a land war in Asia,’ but only slightly less well known is this: ‘Never
go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!’” (Wallace Shawn, “The
Princess Bride”)

“I tried to think
of the most harmless thing. Something that I loved from my childhood. Something
that would never ever possibly destroy us. Mr. Stay-Puft … We used to roast
Stay-Puft marshmallows by the fire at Camp Waconda.” (Dan Akroyd,
“Ghostbusters”)

 
Just a few more for ya: what’s the best film you saw in 2009?

I absolutely loved Star
Trek. I’m not a Trekkie, have never gotten into the Trek thing, but there were
so many things about that movie that just made it a blast to watch. The best
part? Several of my hardcore Trekkie friends liked it almost as much as me. I’m
pretty sure it was the Nimoy factor.

 

And finally, are there any upcoming movies (at least a few months
away) you’re really looking forward to?

Like so many people, I’m really looking forward to Alice In
Wonderland. I’m not usually a fan of sequels, but there are a whole host of
action movies and series continuances coming out this year that look like they
could be fun (Iron Man 2, The A-Team, Harry Potter 7a, The Green
Hornet, Robin Hood). I’m also incredibly curious and kind of scared about Toy Story 3. I’m afraid of a repeat of the fourth Indiana Jones.

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Ashley, can keep rockin' on with yo' bad self in the Threes challenges!

A note to our other frequent commenters and Threes players who have not yet been contacted for a Reader Who Rocks interview but hope to be: you HAVE to provide an email address with any comments you send in, or else we have no way of getting a hold of you. (Those email addresses are not published along with your comments, though, so no worries there.)  Also, we have contacted many people but have not heard back, and have been informed that sometimes our emails (as in, my email, it'll come from Erika Olson) go into people's spam/bulk folders.  So be sure you check those every once in a while, too…

And stay tuned for another reader profile next week!  As always all past Readers Who Rock interviews can be found here.