redblog Readers Who Rock: Kristyn C (aka: *kristYn from CALI*)

Here we are with another installment of redblog Readers Who Rock... today we are pumped to introduce a frequent commenter who always makes us smile:

Name: Kristyn C.

Posts as (username): *kristYn from CALI*

Age: 23

Location: California  :)

Occupation: Seller of toys at Geppetto’s

First off, we were seriously prepared for you to say that you're from, like, Idaho, and had been faking us all out with your username this entire time.  But we should've known from your always-sunny disposition that you truly are a California girl.  So tell us, when did you start using redbox, and how did you find out about us?

I am a follower of Erika from her other blog (Long Live Locke) and love her writing. From that blog, I followed her onto here and learned about redbox. Once I realized how silly it was to be paying $4 + for a movie, or waiting days for my movie to arrive in the mail, I switched over. I haven’t been in a video store since! Oh, did I mention how awesome it is that you can reserve the movie you want online? Genius!

A "follower of Erika"?  Hmm, we can think of nothing scarier.  We better look into that -- don't want to be employing some sort of cult leader.  But, make no mistake, we're glad she helped you find us!  Speaking of finding our wonderful service, how close is the redbox you usually go to?

It’s about an exit away from where I work inside of Albertsons. It’s also very conveniently located next to a frozen yogurt place!

Truth: No one can resist the fro-yo.  You've figured out a key aspect of redbox kiosk-placement strategery!  Before you reveal any more of our company secrets, let's kick off the fun questions with one that always yields an interesting answer: what five movies would you want on a deserted island (deserted... except for a TV and a DVD player and one electrical outlet)?

This question reminds me of Lost (deserted… except for a couple of Dharma stations and a smoke monster, no big deal)! I figure if I’m stuck on a deserted island with the possible threat of Smokey, I need a whole lot of comedy!

Okay, first and foremost, The Princess Bride…  I love this movie… Bad day? Sick? I’ll put it on. Awesome, kick-butt day? It’s on. Feeling the need to be reassured true love exists? Yup, you guessed it, I’ll be watching it. I have seen this movie well over 100 times, and yet, there always seems to be something funny that I overlooked the previous 99+ times I watched it. For those who have seen it as many times as me, the last time I saw this movie (3 days ago, haha), I was thoroughly entertained by the “Anybody want a peanut?” line spoken by Fezzik. :)

The Wedding Singer: One of my favorite rom-coms ever... Love the '80s music and the presence of Billy Idol makes it even better!

Airplane!: I think I may quote this movie more than any other movie… “Surely, you can’t be serious?” …”I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley”…Comedy at its finest!

Legally Blonde: Gotta love a girl with a kick-butt attitude! Pretty, smart, and she loves pink! We would totally be BFF's  ;)

Hairspray: I love the cast, the singing, and of course, the dancing! Plus, the special features on the DVD are pretty awesome (you can learn some of the dances, yessss)! It was either this or HSM!

Any movie you particularly despise?

Surprisingly, no… Even movies that I’m not particularly fond of, something about them keeps me from hating them completely.

Do you find yourself drawn to any particular genre of movies?

I definitely gravitate toward rom-coms and comedies because I love to laugh (who doesn’t?). Occasionally, I’ll branch out and watch dramas and sci-fi movies.  I love all Disney and Pixar movies and think they can do no wrong!

Are there any actors or actresses you can’t stand?

I CANNOT cannot stand Kristen Stewart. She is such a horrible actress! I can barely sit through any of her movies. She has no emotions, and she comes across flat and monotone to me. She is the same way in person (I saw her at Comic-Con last year). I will not hold her completely responsible for ruining Twilight, but she definitely didn’t help either! Other than that, I’m not really a huge fan of Megan Fox either.  No actors come to mind as someone I absolutely cannot stand.

You're definitely not the first person to make those observations about K-Stew, that's for sure.  But we know you didn't walk out of Twilight, right?  So has there ever been a film you have thrown in the towel on before it was over?

When I was ten, my dad dragged me out of the movie theater during Harriet the Spy. I was totally crushed because I only got to see about 15 minutes of it. I’ve never really gotten over it, and to this day, no matter *how* horrible a movie is, I’ll watch it in its entirety.  (Sidenote: I still haven’t seen the rest of Harriet the Spy.)

Sounds like you need to find a copy of it, stat.  Now let's talk about movie music for a minute -- do you own any film soundtracks, and if so, what are your favorites?

I own a bunch, surprisingly. They are all pretty random, but here are a few for your entertainment: Austin Powers (the second one – good retro music + Madonna), Coyote Ugly, Grease, Grease 2 (come on, you know you liked “Cool Rider”), Hairspray, Hannah Montana (for work purposes, I swear!), Now and Then (which is actually a cassette from wayyy back in the day), Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (love my '80s music), and Twilight (two songs from my favorite band, Paramore, enough said).  Plus, I have every Disney song known to man. Seriously.

Okay, promise not to laugh at my very favorite (if you’re not already laughing, that is)?  I’m currently obsessed with my Mamma Mia! CD. As in, I have the deluxe version in my car CD player at all times. Yes, I know it’s horrible. Yes, I know they cannot sing. Yes, I know it’s all ABBA. But for some weird reason, it’s horribly amazing and I love it!

That IS a random list.  Do you have anything else movie-related at home, or maybe at work? 

At my work, we have to wear an apron if we aren’t wearing the logo shirt.  It was never asked, or required of us, but I decided I wanted to add some “pieces of flair” to it. Last I checked, I have 43 pieces of flair, and my apron seriously weighs like 5 pounds. I also have some Office Space pins – oops, I mean flair – that are on my desk.

You should see if Chotchkie's is hiring! OK, now it's time to stop being polite and start getting real: what’s the hardest you’ve ever cried at a movie? 

I cry at just about everything, happy or sad! Honestly, I probably tear up at some point of another at just about every movie. The hardest I've ever cried during a movie while at the movie theater was A Walk To Remember. My friend and I stayed after the credits crying. No joke, the lights had been turned on and the ushers were cleaning, and we were still crying. Last movie I saw in the movie theater that I cried at was during the Hannah Montana movie. My sister was totally embarrassed!

Oh, lordy, we don't even know how to respond to that last revelation about Hannah Montana.  Let's just keep moving on... Has a movie ever given you nightmares?

Only scary movies have. I was particularly scared after watching The Shining.  Zombies freak me out, so even though Shaun of the Dead was supposed to be a comedy, I totally had a nightmare after watching it! Then there’s the classic Scream that has made it so I never want to be home alone. Ever. I think someone else on this site mentioned it as well, but E.T. scares me. Always has, always will. Actually, I think it's more the creepy guys in the space-looking suits that scare me. *Shudders*.

Have you ever dressed up as a movie character for Halloween?

Do Disney princesses count? If so, then yes. Every year since I was 3 till I was about 10. Some may call it an obsession, I call it my need for things that are pink and poofy.

Do you know what the first movie you ever saw was? 

I’m not sure if it was the first movie I ever saw, but the first movie I remember watching was Mary Poppins. My mom said that when the movie was finished, she literally had to rewind it and put it back on otherwise I would cry. I would sit and watch it for hours! Considering I’ve been known to still do that today (watch a DVD, finish it, instantly restart it), that doesn’t shock me too much. :)

What was the last movie you saw?

I finally rented He’s Just Not That Into You.  Eh… it was okay, I guess. I was pretty bored and had no real emotional attachment to any of the characters. Kind of a bummer, cuz I totally loved the book! However, not very many movies that were books first live up to my expectations.

And finally, what’s the movie you’ve seen the most and could recite all of or parts of by heart?

I can recite all of the words to Finding Nemo and Clueless.

Very impressive!  Well, *kristYn from CALI*, we've had a great time chatting with you.  Thanks again for using redbox and adding your special brand of positivity to the redblog community. 

Who will we feature next?  Stay tuned for another Reader Who Rocks interview next week, and in the meantime, take a look at all of our past participants here.

Comments

[Matthew S.]

Very nice indeed, I think a common theme for RWR is the recitation of Disney Films...I mean, who doesn't have at least 1 Disney Film tucked away in their own personal mental vault? Come on now, be honest...as *most* of us are adults and should be able to speak about it...

I'll admit that I have Aladdin and most of Lion King inside my head. Every now and then I will break out with lines from them, as well as the way too many other films in my head...

But I digress, great spot this week and I look forward to reading next week's! (And of course reading the many other posts until it happens!)

[Livia]

That gal is right, Disney\Pixar does good. I actually saw some the movies that she've seen. He's Just That Not Into You is the stupidest movie I've seen. Good review.

[*kristYn from CALI*]

i LOVE love love aladdin... i actually own two copies... one is my sister's (she's 12) and one is mine... she ruined my vhs tape of oliver and company when i was younger, and i've kinda never let her live it down because disney is weird with releasing their movies... they lock them away in "the vault" for years and i would be super bummed without aladdin! :)

i blame my disney obsession on the fact that i live about an hour away from disneyland... i go a minimum of twice a year (though this year i got carried away - 9 times so far)!

definitely young at heart, and will probably always be <3

thanks e for the interview!

((gonna wear my "up" shirt tuesday while i watch the movie! counting down the seconds till it's for sale!))

[Matthew S.]

The thing about Aladdin is I actually have both versions. For those who only own one version, in the original theatrical release, during Arabian Nights, the salesman sings, "...where the caravan camels roam. 'Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face', it's barbaric, but hey it's home!"

In some of the versions they released, the line is changed to, "'Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense', it's barbaric..."

I had friends who told me the second was the real version, until I popped in the laserdisc and showed them otherwise...Yeah, I said laserdisc...what, you wanna fight about it ;-)?