I did this six months ago, and had so much fun with it I thought I’d give it another go.

It’s another interactive day at The Matinee…

Ask me any movie related question about myself that you’d like. As the day goes on (and as long as the questions keep coming) I’ll continue to update this post and answer them.

If you were in charge of programming the Great Digital Film Festival this year, what changes would you make to the line-up? Which movies would you take off the list, and which would you replace them with? (Susie Q)
MH: While I didn’t have the endurance to get through it, i liked the idea of the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy playing on one day. So to give that another spin, I’d drop HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, LETHAL WEAPON, and GHOST and play the original Indiana Jones trilogy in their stead.

What movies (if any of course) that you wish you could obliterate from the existence of this world, that happens to reside on Lady Hatter’s side of the DVD shelf. (G Man)

RM: You’re looking to get me a night or two worth of sleeping on the couch! I’ll play it safe and answer the three Twilight films, which she only owns in a guilty pleasure sort of way.

Two parter: a.)What is the least prestigious film on your side of the dvd shelf? b.) What is the most prestigious film on LadY Hatter’s side of the dvd shelf? (Rachel)

RM: Sorta builds off the previous question – I like that. The beacon of prestige on Lady Hatter’s shelf is easily the deluxe editions of the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Likewise all of the animation is hers, so I could make a case for WALL-E, TOY STORY, and SNOW WHITE. And much as I make fun of her collection, she does have quite a few keepers like JUNO, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, WEST SIDE STORY and THE WIZARD OF OZ.

As for my shelf, I have a lot of crappy action films like TOP GUN, THE ROCK, CON AIR, and FACE/OFF. There’s also some dumber comedies in there like DODGEBALL. I thin mine out ocasionally so some of the ones I’ve bought over the years are now in “Previously Viewed” bins around Toronto.

Now that you’ve jumped into Blu-Ray – do you feel the need to purchase the Blu-version of each new movie you decide to purchase? I’m currently debating the Stieg Larsson trilogy – if I should go Blu or DVD – the difference in cost is no issue – just format. (CBlaze)
RM: I thought about this long and hard when I did my first bout of Blu-ray shopping after Christmas. Going forward I’ll likely buy blu for new releases (watching my blu copies of WINTER’S BONE, SCOTT PILGRIM, and SHUTTER ISLAND cemented that decision). The hitch is that because they are so much more expensive, I’ll likely be buying more of them previously viewed…I’m in no hurry to go back to paying $25 or more a title.

Apart from horror movies, what’s another genre of film you’re inexperienced in? (Movienut14)

RM: Much to the chagrin of my blogger buddy Univarn, I have a massive blind spot for anime. I’m likewise lacking in many foreign films, and at the risk of sounding unpatriotic, I’m pretty bad with Canadian cinema too.

Through some absurdly fantastic twist of fate, you’ve come into ownership of The Doctor’s TARDIS. You can go anywhere in time, and you decide you want to go to whatever year and see what films it has to offer. Do you go forward or backward? Which year? (Sebastian Gutierrez)

RM: I’d go ahead to 2030. On the one hand, I’d want to see the legacy of the films from this past decade twenty years on (Perhaps THE LAST AIRBENDER becomes some sort of odd cult classic), and on the other hand I’d be curious to see what sort of technological evolutions take place for the moviegoing experience.

Oh – I’d also get to see what happens in SAW 38!

Vanilla or Fully Loaded? When it comes to DVD’s do you pay extra for special edition, deluxe, box sets etc or go for the basic version. And to what extent do you watch the extra features? (Fandango Groovers)

RM: Left to my own vices? Fully loaded. There are dvd’s I’ve refrained from buying for years because they came in the wrong sort of package – BLADE RUNNER and THE GRINDHOUSE come to mind. I have tried to curb back a bit and only go whole-hog on my very favorites. As for the featires, I try to at least skim through them…sometimes it even heightens my appreciation of the film, as was the case with BENJAMIN BUTTON. I seldom watch every last one, but I like to give a good set the full once-over.

IF you could choose any profession in Hollywood, what would it be? (Castor Troy)

RM: That’s easy – Steven Spielberg’s cinematographer.

How many silent films do you think you’ve seen and which is your favorite? (Marya the Cinema Fanatic)

RM: Not all that many actually. I think I’ve only seen VOYAGE TO THE MOON, MODERN TIMES, CITY LIGHTS, THE GOLD RUSH, and THE GENERAL. Of all of those, THE GENERAL is my favorite…narrowly edging out CITY LIGHTS.

What’s your favorite memory from TIFF? (Rich)

RM: Well *besides* the day that I met my wife, it’d have to be getting to talk to John Cameron Mitchell the day after he premiered SHORTBUS and getting a hug from him when I told him how a mutual admiration for HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH brought Lady Hatter and I together.

Have you ever said you thought a film was incredible, when, upon watching it a second time, you realised it was awful? (Simon Columb)

RM: Historically, it tends to go the other way around – I quite disliked FARGO and THE THIN RED LINE on first watching. But films that qualify to your parameter tend to be movies I loved as a kid…films like MAJOR LEAGUE and EMPIRE RECORDS.

Jurassic Park: Best Film Ever? (Simon Columb)
RM: No.

If given the choice, which would you rather be: A professional novelist, musician, or filmmaker? (Univarn)

RM: Believe it or not, I’d go for musician…just because I believe that music is more of a universal language than the other two media. I can sing, though not nearly well enough to get paid for it…but I’ve never been able to play anything, let alone compose. There’s a romanticism in composing music that I would really love to achieve. So if that genie poppped out of the bottle and asked me that very question, you can bet that you’d hear me behind a piano or guitar within short order.

What are three movies that you’re scared to see? (Nick)

RM: THE EXORCIST, because the audio screws with my head too badly and the whole concept tap dances squarely on my Catholic upbringing. THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE just because the entire concept grosses me out. And Any TWILIGHT film after the first one took away two hours of my life that I’m never getting back.

If the world ended right now (right the fuck now), every working actor of today was petrified, and unfrozen fifty years later on Mars, who would you cast as the lead in the movie version of said events? (Ripley)

RM: I think that Christoph Waltz could do wonders with such a project.

Who is one actor you will watch, no matter how crappy the movie is? (Movienut14)

RM: There’s still no actor that gets my hard-earned loot no questions asked, but the ones that merit a long hard look include Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp, Zooey Deschanel, Julianne Moore, and Marion Cotillard.

Who is your actor mancrush? (Nick)

RM: I wouldn’t kick Daniel Craig out of bed for eating crackers.

What are some movies that you feel have truly changed your perspective on life?(david Bishop)

RM: Tricky one. Recently, BLUE VALENTINE made me value the importance of communication and honesty in a relationship…going back further there was DEAD MAN WALKING which really made me reconsider my views on forgiveness in life. Thise are the two that jump to mind most readily, though I’m sure there have been more.