Darren Camponi – Movie Critic Interviews

Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 10:04 am

I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but…Critical Juncture is back for another exciting edition. That’s right, the weekly interview series where we discuss cinema with film critics and bloggers has found another willing victim. This time around, it’s none other than Darren Camponi, also known as DudeDazz.

So who’s Darren Camponi or this DudeDazZ fella? Well, let’s find out in his own words:

“My name is Darren Camponi and I’m nineteen years old. I knew I wanted to review movies when I was thirteen years old, as I had taken part in a school newspaper. I have a real passion for films, and I enjoy very much building my own movie review website. Also, I’ve done over a hundred movie reviews.”

So while you’re reading the following interview, keep in mind that you’re witnessing the next generation of film criticism. And once you’re done, be sure to check out his website, DudeDazz’s Movie Reviews, as well as his page on Rotten Tomatoes.

Now here’s Darren Camponi…

Only Good Movies: What’s the first movie that you remember seeing?
Darren Camponi: The first movie that I remember seeing was Walt Disney’s Pinocchio at home, and I remember loving every second of it. When I was a kid, I used to adore it and even now I still do. I just think it’s a classic!

OGM: What’s the most recent movie you’ve seen?
DC: In the cinemas, I’ve just seen Robin Hood. At home, I’ve seen Dragonball Evolution, Avatar, Killer Bitch, Nowhere Boy, Ninja Assassin and on television, I’ve just seen The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring…I see quite a lot of movies. I watch about five or six movies a week (sometimes more).

OGM: Is there a particular film that you feel is criminally underrated?
DC: Defendor, I think it’s one of Woody Harrelson’s best performances alongside Zombieland.

OGM: Which director do you feel has turned out the best overall body of work?
DC: I have some directors that stick out in my mind. Quentin Tarantino, because he’s an innovator and has directed some fantastic movies such as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. James Cameron, because he gave us the mesmerizing Avatar–which I love–and Titanic, which was a great movie, and Clint Eastwood because he’s directed such brilliant movies as Gran Torino and Changeling.

OGM: From an artistic standpoint, which film do you think is most important?
DC: I think Avatar is, because of its mind-blowing CGI and brilliant imagination.

OGM: All artsy considerations aside, which movie is your personal favorite?
DC: I have loads, but my top few would have to be The Shawshank Redemption, Let The Right One In, Pan’s Labyrinth, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Avatar, Goodfellas, The Godfather, the Rocky collection and Precious. I thought they were fantastic movies, and I could easily watch them again.

OGM: In your opinion, which film is entirely overrated?
DC: The Hurt Locker. I’m not saying that it’s a terrible movie, because it isn’t, but I’m saying it didn’t deserve all the accolades it got.

OGM: Have you ever walked out of the theatre during a film? If so, what movie was playing?
DC: Even though I have seen some seriously rubbish movies, I’ve never walked out. I’ve always watched all the movies until the end, no matter how bad they were.

OGM: In your mind, what’s the ultimate goal of a movie critic?
DC: The ultimate goal for me is to warn people and tell them what to expect in the movie. I wouldn’t say “Don’t see this movie!” because we all have different tastes, but my reviews are kind of like a warning of what to expect in the movie. I’m always honest in my reviews. If it’s rubbish, then I will say it is, but if it’s good, I’ll praise it. My reviews are there to put thought into the reader’s head to make them wonder if they would like the movie and whether the movie is for them.

OGM: Time to look into the future. Do you predict any major changes for the movie industry over the next 25 years?
DC: Yes, I think there will be loads of remakes and remakes of remakes, haha. Also, I think we’ll be seeing a heck of a lot more book, comic book and video game adaptations, as well as pointless sequels. I also think that 3D will take over soon. I hope this isn’t the case, because, as much as I love 3D, I think there are some movies that wouldn’t work in 3D. Hopefully, I’ll be wrong about my predictions, and we’ll see some original movies coming our way soon.

OGM: Here’s another chance to predict the future. Name a relatively unknown actor or actress who’ll be a huge star within five years.
DC: For the actress category, I would have to say Zoe Saldana, who played Neytiri in Avatar and Uhura in Star Trek. I thought her acting was spectacular, and I think she has a bright future ahead of her. I hope to see more of her in movies or television! I also think that Chloe Moretz will be one to look out for. Her fantastic performance as Hit Girl in Kick Ass was brilliant, and I could see a bright future for her too.

OGM: Who’s your favorite movie critic to read?
DC: I have two. Roger Ebert, who is basically a movie critic legend, and Mark Kermode, who does funny-yet-true movie reviews. I also like reading movie reviews from the users of Rotten Tomatoes, as well, as that can make for some truly entertaining reading.

That concludes another episode of Critical Juncture. Thanks again to Darren Camponi for taking part, and be sure to support this young man in his efforts by visiting his website.

Until next time, here are a few Critical Juncture interviews from days gone by. Enjoy.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 1st, 2010 at 10:04 am and is filed under Movie Critic Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *