Students share opinions on favorite movies, Hollywood

The Stylus recently completed interviews with students about their favorite movies. Here are those interviews:

What is your favorite movie and why?

Taylor Miller, sophomore: “The Notebook”. I like “The Notebook” because it is a classic story of true love. It’s pretty much every girls dream to have a man see her as his one and only, to see her as someone worth waiting for, and to be willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of her life.

Ciera Nelson, sophomore: “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”. It captures my sense for adventure. I love Johnny Depp, and I like that it’s both comedic and serious at the same time. Every time I watch it, I catch different things I didn’t notice the last time.

Ray Kincaid, senior: “Once”. It has a great storyline and music. The soundtrack is incredible. It’s also a great love story but not a traditional one.

Jace Davis, senior: “Lord of the Rings trilogy”. It has a good storyline and it’s very creative in its environments and use of race and cultures. The fight scenes are also well-choreographed.

Who is your favorite actor?

Miller: My favorite actor is Leonardo DiCaprio because he is able to play a variety of different characters and usually is involved in films that have a lot of meaning behind them. My favorite actress is Scarlett Johansson because she is very good at what she does and the movies she plays in are usually pretty good.

Nelson: Johnny Depp because he’s very versatile in the roles he plays, from playing a drug addict to a caring father, and being believable at the same time. Jennifer Lawrence because I love what she stands for and that she’s always herself no matter what. I also like that she’s able to play several different kinds of characters.

Kincaid: Leonardo DiCaprio because he’s played so many diverse roles and I’ve never seen him in a bad movie. Jennifer Lawrence because she’s really good at acting like she’s angry.

Davis: I don’t favor actors or actresses. They are all talented in their own ways.

If you had unlimited free time, how often would you watch movies?

Miller: If I had unlimited free time I would probably watch movies at least once a week. It’s a good way to relax.

Nelson: All the time – movies just make me feel happy unless it’s a scary movie.

Kincaid: Probably twice a week. I really enjoy movies but I also prefer to be outside and/or reading a book.

Davis: Maybe once or twice a week. I prefer to interact with what I’m doing.

What are your thoughts on the movie industry today?

Miller: I feel that the movie industry has downgraded in recent years. It is too sexually charged and a lot of movies are vulgar nowadays. They do not compare to the movies that are a little bit older whose ultimate purpose serves a deeper meaning that is relevant to real life.

Nelson: I feel like there’s a lot of good movies out but they’re just repeating previous movies because there aren’t any new ideas. However, I do like that the quality of actions films has gotten better and there’s less blood and gore.

Kincaid: I feel like they’re getting more inappropriate. There’s a lot more nudity, and the PG-rating today is not what it was when I was a kid.

Davis: They’re too focused on special effects and not enough on telling a story.

Are there any movies you’d like to be made that haven’t yet?

Miller: I would like to see a movie series based off of the book series “Pretties”. It has a similar vibe to “The Hunger Games” as far as being a dystopian futuristic theme set of novels and I think the technology we have today is capable of making effects that suit the images found in these books.

Nelson: I would like to see the “Blue Bloods” book series adapted as movies. They are so different from other vampire stories out today. Each book has a different setting, so each movie would feel like a new experience. I’d be so excited to see it.

Kincaid: The “Circle Trilogy” by Ted Dekker. It’s just an incredible book series with a lot of twists. There’s also a lot of action and two captivating love stories.

Davis: Not really. I just like to see what comes out and see if I’m interested.