David Fucillo – Movies and the Masses

Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 4:38 pm

If you’re a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, then you’ve no doubt heard about Niners Nation, a blog that happens to be the favorite online destination of Niners coach and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary. The site also boasts that it’s the “only blog that enjoys VD and crabs,” so that should give you an idea of some of the wacky hijinxs you’ll find within.

One of their primary writers is David Fucillo, and he’s our guest this week on Movies and the Masses. David is currently in his last year of law school, and he’s been blogging for Niners Nation since 2006. He’s also contributed to Athletics Nation, plus a number of other sites affiliated with the SB Nation.

When he’s not writing about sports, he enjoys going to the movies. In fact, he enjoys going to the movies by himself. According to David, “If I go with somebody else and they don’t enjoy the movie as much as me, it takes away from the experience a little bit after the fact.”

Now that we’ve made the introductions, let’s get ready to answer some questions…

David Fucillo

Only Good Movies: What’s the first movie you remember seeing?
David Fucillo: I think it was ET. I was only 3 when it came out, but I’m fairly certain I saw it in the theater. Or maybe it was the ride at Universal Studios….Who knows.

OGM: If you had only a few hours to live and could do nothing but watch five films, which movies would you select?
DF: I suppose if I wanted to extend the time I’d say movies like Patton, Titanic, and other epics. But seeing as my life will be ending, I’d go for easier, more enjoyable movies. The 5 movies I’d watch would be, in no particular order: 1) Raiders of the Lost Ark, 2) Die Hard, 3) Major League, 4) Big Trouble in Little China, 5) Three Amigos.

It’s a mix of campy and comedy, with a fair amount of action thrown in. One of my favorite movies is The Shawshank Redemption, but if I’m about to die, do I really wanna watch that?

OGM: What’s your favorite movie?
DF: I don’t have a single favorite movie because there are so many genres to pick from. Among comedies, The Hangover has shot towards the top, but Major League is as close to my favorite movie of any category as you can get. So, my favorite action movie is probably Die Hard. My favorite “trilogy” is either Indiana Jones or Die Hard (Back to the Future is up there, as well). Among more dramatic movies, I loved LA Confidential, and Shawshank is also up there.

OGM: What’s your least favorite movie?
DF: I fell asleep during Jim Carrey’s version of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. In undergrad, I took a movie class and had to watch Citizen Kane and I actually didn’t enjoy that movie at all. Generally I enjoy movies, but older movies don’t usually do it for me. I suppose that’s sacrilegious.

Frank Gore

OGM: Do you subscribe to an online rental service like Netflix or Blockbuster Online? Why or why not?
DF: I do not. I own my favorite movies on DVD and figure there is usually something worth watching on TV if I want to watch a movie. I end up with a decent amount of free time, but with a rental service I’d feel more obligated to set aside specific movie-watching time. I enjoy watching movies on a whim.

OGM: In 50 years, which modern movies do you think will be viewed as classics?
DF: I’m sure The Shawshank Redemption will be up there. I’m not sure how well comedies of today will hold up in 50 years. Many of the movies people consider classics from the 40s and 50s I generally do not find myself enjoying. Of course, I enjoy some pretty bad movies. I always wonder how bad comedies I enjoy will be looked at down the road.

OGM: If you see a movie based on a book, are you then more or less likely to read the book?
DF: If I see a preview for a movie that interest me and I find it was based on a book, I actually prefer to try and read the book first. Of course, for something like the Bourne trilogy that sort of ruined them for me. They’re fine movies, but having read the books, the second and third movies are nothing like the books so it really throws me off.

OGM: Who’s your favorite celebrity?
DF: That’s a pretty tough question. I’m a big Tom Hanks fan. This one is probably harder than favorite movie. I enjoy Will Ferrell. Jim Carrey as well. Bruce Willis.

OGM: Is there any actor or actress whose movies you actively avoid?
DF: Any Wayans other than Keenan Ivory. That should be a rule of law. Anything with Paris Hilton (I think she’s been in a couple movies).

OGM: How do you feel about all the remakes of older and classic films?
DF: I tend to enjoy them, because I feel I can better enjoy older movies I would otherwise not like. I think what people enjoy changes over the years, and re-making a movie with a modern bent can be a good thing.

OGM: Which actor or actress do you find most attractive?
DF: Definitely Kristen Bell.

OGM: Do you read movie reviews? If so, which critics do you read most often, and why do you like them?
DF: I occasionally read movie reviews, but prefer to avoid them. I feel like so many reviews seem to be negative. If I do read reviews, I often just check out USA Today’s online reviews. Mindless newspaper, mindless reviews. I’m more inclined to listen to friends who have seen a movie I want to see.

OGM: What type of people annoy you when going to a movie theater?
DF: Loud talkers certainly are obnoxious. For the most part, I’ve been fairly lucky in avoiding bad moviegoers. Never dealt with somebody’s cell phone going off or anything like that.

OGM: Do you consider movies to be works of art?
DF: I suppose some are. It’s a sort of artistic expression, but people that view old movies as grand pieces of art kind of bug me. I’m just watching to be entertained. I don’t expect some huge life-altering moment.

OGM: What type of candy or drink do you consider essential to your movie watching experience?
DF: Red Vines. When I was in undergrad in Washington, DC (and it may still be like this) east of the Mississippi only sold Twizzlers, not Red Vines. It was tough to get by without them.

 

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