' ' Cinema Romantico: Houdini's Magic Ticket Blogathon

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Houdini's Magic Ticket Blogathon

Dan of Top 10 Films had an awesomely inspired idea whereby he wondered what might happen if he were to be granted access to the magic ticket used by the young protagonist of the 1993 Schwarzenegger vehicle "Last Action Hero" to literally enter the world of his favorite movie. "What if," he wondered, "there was a magic ticket that could transport you into your favorite film? What film would I choose?" Except one film isn't nearly as much fun and, thus, he posed several different questions in relation to getting your hands on that precious magic ticket.

Being an idiot, I completely forgot about this most inspired blogathon until brilliant posts began appearing everywhere. It's such a fantastic idea I decided I wanted to be late to the party rather than miss the party altogether. I'd say I'm fashionably late but I'm probably too late to be fashionable. I'm the guy who shows up after midnight when half the people have already left or are tired and just want to go to sleep and starts drinking and hobnobbing anyway. And so, if I were granted a magic ticket......

What character would you most like to be sat next to on a plane?


If this was the Eurorail the answer would, of course, be Celine. But this isn't the Eurorail. It's a plane. So I'm going with April Drennan (Lizzy Caplan) in "Hot Tub Time Machine." This may seem like an odd choice but consider that she's a kind-hearted, striking rock journalist. I can't think of anyone better to be seated next to on a plane than a kind-hearted, striking rock journalist. Especially if our connecting flight gets delayed until the following morning and we go catch (this is the 80's remember) that Debbie Gibson show in town.

What character would you most want to enjoy a passionate romance with?


Tripler in "The Romantics." I know, I know, she's played by my Official Cinematic Crush Malin Akerman but this is the role that made me first swoon for her. She's blonde, she's crazy, she smokes...sigh. What I'd give to have one night in a hotel overlooking a Venice canal (heck, I'd settle for The Sundowner Motel in Montello, Wisconsin) with Tripler. Oh, the things we could do. Wait, did I just type that out loud?

If you were a cop who would you want as your partner?


Sgt. Al Powell in "Die Hard." Sure, John McClane can take on anyone and anything but that, of course, means he's always taking on anyone and anything. Al Powell, on the other hand, spends most of the first film chatting on a CB, shows up for a small cameo by phone in an office hundreds of miles away in the second and is nowhere to be found in numbers three & four. The bigger the movies get, the more Al Powell fades into the background. If I'm going to be a cop, I just want to fade into the background.

What animated feature would you love to walk around in?


Why "Fantastic Mr. Fox" of course. Even though Mr. Fox would likely enlist me in some harebrained scheme and I'd wind up dead in that garbage pail behind the Chinese restaurant along with the Rat.

What movie gadget would you love to try out (or steal)?


The speakers in "This Is Spinal Tap" that go to 11. Then I would give them to Ra Ra Riot when I see them live in November.

What film's plot would you alter and how would you do it?


"Cocktail." I would prevent Tom Cruise from smiting Elisabeth Shue by taking up Bryan Brown's dare and sleeping with that promiscuous floozy at the bar. Ugh. The movie's awful, sure, but that was the first time I can recall watching a movie and thinking to myself, "No, no, no!!! Why would you do that?! Stop it, you idiot, STOP IT!!! YOU CAN'T CHEAT ON ELISABETH SHUE!!!" It still stings after all these years.

What adventure based on earth would you most like to go on?


"The question isn't what are we going to do? The question is what aren't we going to do?" Oh, what I'd give to tag along on Ferris, Sloane and Cameron's day off. I suppose you might say, "But Nick, you live in Chicago. You could have that day off right now." On the contrary. If I did it on my own today I couldn't ride around in a 1961 Ferrari and I couldn't get those seats at Wrigley (are you kidding me?!) and I couldn't get to stand in the Sears Tower because it's the Willis Tower (gag) now and I couldn't get to sing "Twist and Shout" on a float because I'd get arrested and "Oh Yeah" by Yello couldn't be allowed on the soundtrack because this isn't the 80's and and I couldn't get to go to Chez Quis because it doesn't exist and I couldn't get to have Mia Sara along for the ride.

What one film would I most want to be transported into, simply to be a part of that world?


"Love Actually."

9 comments:

Lexi said...

Can I just say here that I would alter "Pretty in Pink" and have Molly Ringwald or Andie end up with Duckie. Oh it just breaks my heart, Duckie was SO rad!

Nick Prigge said...

Yeah, how can you not feel bad for Duckie? Jon Cryer. Things never break well for that guy.

Anonymous said...

Ahah, Debbie Gibson!! I actually saw her concert back in high school.

Cool that we pick a cop from Die Hard also, interesting choice on Powell, I like that guy!

Malin Akerman is lovely. I take it you've watched Watchmen several times over? :D

Nick Prigge said...

You saw Debbie Gibson? Color me insanely jealous.

When I saw "Watchmen" I really had no comprehension of who Malin was. I mostly remember thinking I didn't like the movie much. It took me 2 days to watch. Maybe I should rewatch it, or, more accurately, fast forward to a certain scene.

Rodney said...

Damn, you got Al Powell!!! What a great choice, and one I never even considered!!! Awesome!

Nick Prigge said...

In a slightly related note: I saw "Ghostbusters" last night on the big screen and I had forgotten that Al Powell - I mean, Reginald VelJohnson has a brief scene in it as the holding cell cop. Everyone laughed when they saw him. I think that's a good thing.

Andy Buckle said...

Lizzy Caplan is damn fine and definitely FANTASTIC MR FOX.

Nice picks. I should give this a go!

Derek Armstrong said...

As with any exercise like this, I'd have a very hard time committing to a choice on each answer. So I will take the coward's way out and not participate. Still, fun exercise and fun answers.

Chief Brody said...

Hi Nick...me and Rodney decided you were the winner for one of the questions in our Houdini Magic Ticket Awards! (http://www.top10films.co.uk/archives/9459) :)