Intermission #1.

Somewhere in Scotland — often with the curtains drawn — lives our most prolific member, at least in terms of his tally of films watched. You won’t find much of an online presence for Adam Cook outside Letterboxd, but within the site his depth of knowledge, generosity and authoritative writing style are all on show. We asked Adam a few questions for the first in a series of red-carpet interviews with the people who make Letterboxd great…

Our average user has recorded about 180 films, and you’re close to 10,000 — do you sleep at all?
I’ve had terrible sleep patterns for years which has undoubtedly helped me watch thousands of films whilst most normal people are curled up asleep in their beds. Yet erratic sleep is a price worth paying if it means I get to do what I love and watch new movies.

Melville’s Le Samouraï is clearly an important film for you. It’s your Letterboxd avatar and one of your four favorites, and yet you haven’t reviewed it. Can you talk about what makes it special?
Now that is a tough one to answer without going into great detail but I’ll try. On paper, it is a fairly standard hitman story that we’ve all seen countless times before. However, the big difference between this film and every other hitman movie is that the execution is flawless. Jean-Pierre Melville has made many classics throughout his career, and trying to pick a favorite does a disservice to the others, yet every element of this film is so perfect that it is hard to really look beyond it.

Alain Delon is one of cinema’s coolest actors and this is arguably his most iconic role. He was more than just a clothes horse though, he was also a great actor and you totally buy into the spiraling desperation he feels as his managed and controlled world comes crashing in on his carefully constructed life. Visually the film is a joy to behold, from the slow, lingering cigarette smoke that wafts through the sparse bedroom at the start of the film to the icy-cool nightclub interior; it is the sort of film you could pause at any moment and admire its beauty. Whilst the story isn’t all that original, it is still expertly told as Melville meticulously ratchets up the tension. It is one of those rare films that never puts a foot wrong and for my money it is the finest French film ever made.

You’ll have to wait for a proper review when/if the film gets a Blu-ray release though.

How do you spend time when not watching films?
What, other than spending it on Letterboxd you mean? As sad as it might sound, an awful lot of my free time is spent watching or reading about films but I do enjoy music, writing and long walks on the beach. This answer has just turned into a profile for a dating website, sorry.

Cinema or home theatre?
If it is a good theatre then the cinema wins every time. Sure, they can be expensive these days but there is nothing quite like the communal experience and being enveloped by the large screen and seat-shaking surround sound. Sadly I don’t get to go to the cinema as often as I once did, but I doubt a home theatre experience will ever truly compete (not unless you have a small fortune to spend on the equipment).

Aliens or zombies?
If you’d asked me this question when I was 15, the answer would have been zombies, but these days the undead have become overexposed with an endless stream of forgettable films. Therefore I guess I’ll go with aliens by default.

And finally, do you have a favorite review you wish you’d written?
There are many great reviews from talented writers on Letterboxd (as my own list proves) but I am probably most envious of Lise’s The Thin Red Line review.

Our thanks to Adam for his time and good humor.

• Posted by Matthew Buchanan on October 17, 2012
• 7 notes