15 Moviegoing Questions With Greer Temnick of Mise en Scènt
"Movies are better when they stink."
ICYMI on 11am this week: A Spirited Debate About The Odyssey with Hunter Harris, Everyone’s At The Movies — my notes from a crowded month in theaters, and 15 Moviegoing Questions With Comedian Erin Depke
Also: If you’re in LA, I’m hosting a pre-movie drinks & hang with franknews next Thursday. We’ll go to the New Bev to watch My Dinner with Andre afterwards. Join us, details here.
Name: Greer Temnick
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Founder of Mise en Scènt, a candle studio for movie lovers
Links: Mise en Scènt, on Instagram, join their next candle making workshop
1. What’s your favorite day & time to go to the movies?
Weekend matinees forever. I spend most weekends working at my candle shop, so if I somehow have a day off, you’ll find me in a movie theater by 11am on a Saturday or Sunday. It feels incredibly indulgent in the best way, and I don’t think there’s a better way to spend a day.
2. What’s your favorite movie theater?
This is such a tough one, but I’d have to say BAM Rose Cinemas. The theater itself feels so grand, and going to a screening there always feels like an event. It also holds a really special place in my heart because it’s where I go every Christmas Day to see a movie. It’s become one of my favorite traditions, and I can’t imagine the holidays without it!
I grew up in Arizona, where we didn’t really have anything comparable in driving distance. No shade to the chains, I still love them, but moviegoing in NYC just feels so special.
3. What’s your go-to movie theater snack & drink combo?
I’m eating my weight in buttery popcorn, a box of Milk Duds, and water. I know water is kind of boring, but I hate having to pee during movies, so I try not to drink too much! I need to be fully locked in for the entire runtime or if I have to go to the bathroom I need to see the movie again to see what I missed.
4. What’s your dream movie theater snack & drink combo (if noise and sound weren’t an issue)?
I take back what I said about limited drinking. I like treating going to the movies like it’s an EVENT, so my dream combo would have to be champagne and popcorn. Is it practical? Probably not. Is it glamorous? Absolutely. I also love when theaters like Nitehawk do themed movie cocktail pairings!
5. First movie you remember seeing in a theater?
Charlie’s Angels was the first movie I remember seeing in a theater and being completely locked in. My dad took me, and I was six years old. It’s also the movie where I discovered my first crush — Sam Rockwell as Eric Knox. I was sold when he did the split in the credits. I loved that movie so much that it was the first CD I ever bought. I also left that experience thinking every movie came with a blooper reel at the end, which was a very disappointing realization to have later on. It’s still one of my favorite movies.
6. Last movie you saw in a theater?
Maddie’s Secret at Nitehawk Williamsburg. Loved it! It was also the perfect movie to see with a packed room full of Brooklynites. There’s something so special about watching a film with the right audience, and this crowd was fully locked in and laughing at all the right moments. Also, the perfume they released alongside the film is so fun and it smells good!
7. Is there a movie you wish you could have seen in a theater?
Before Sunrise! The whole Before trilogy is my favorite, and I literally have it tattooed on my body. I first watched it on a laptop in college, and I would have loved to experience it in a theater for the first time.
8. Have you ever seen a movie more than once in theaters?
So many. I’m such a big rewatcher, and I love bringing people to movies with me to see what they think. The last movie I saw multiple times was probably One Battle After Another three times in theaters and would absolutely see it again. My most watched movie in theaters is probably Past Lives, and I cried every single time.
9. Do you stay through the credits or leave as soon as the film ends?
I am almost always sat until the very end. I’m scared I’m going to miss a post-credits scene, so I refuse to risk it.
10. What’s one thing you would change to make movie theaters better?
More Smell-o-vision, baby! I’m bringing back Odorama. Honestly, I’m just trying to be part of the solution here. I just saw Polyester at IFC Center and it was SO MUCH FUN. Movies are better when they stink.
11. Tell me about an especially memorable moviegoing experience that stands out in your mind.
Seeing Moonstruck at Syndicated is definitely one that stands out. We released a Moonstruck-inspired candle collection with Super Yaki around Valentine’s Day and we got to program a screening & host a pop-up with the incredible Syndicated team. It was extra special because Moonstruck was one of my grandma’s favorite movies, and I had never seen it in theaters before. Also, Cher should be in everything!
12. What’s a movie you’re looking forward to seeing?
Cannot wait to see The Wrong Girls. Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat are such a dream pairing, and I love any excuse to see a comedy in theaters.
13. What’s your dream combination of director and lead(s)?
Jane Schoenbrun and Sarah Michelle Gellar. I’m a Buffy girl, so seeing Sarah Michelle Gellar in Jane’s strange, dreamy, slightly unsettling world would be a dream.
14. If you could live in a movie, which one would it be?
The first thing that comes to mind is Marie Antoinette. I would love to live in a pastel Sofia Coppola world. Obviously, the party bits, before things take a turn.
15. Why do you think people should continue seeing movies at the movie theater?
Seeing movies in theaters forces you to really be present. There are no distractions, no pausing to check your phone, and no multitasking. There’s also something really special about experiencing a movie with a group of people. It’s a shared experience that you just can’t recreate at home.
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worlds colliding