15 Questions With Jannat Suleman
"The best time to go to the movies is 6pm on a Friday. I have a convincing argument: hear me out!"
Name: Jannat Suleman
Location: Yorkshire, UK
Occupation: Film Critic and Programmer
Links: Jannat’s work, Instagram
1. What’s your favorite day & time to go to the movies?
6pm Friday. I have a convincing argument: hear me out! For most families, this is the optimal cinema-going time. Kids don’t have school the next day, the average workday is finished and it’s probably a takeaway or an eating-out night. Everyone’s buying too much popcorn, the drinks machine has a queue, the toilets are probably out of order: the movies are busy and bustling! Seeing an all-rounder blockbuster on a Friday at 6 is the quickest way for me to feel like cinema is still alive, no matter where I am.
2. What’s your favorite movie theater?
The Scotsman Picturehouse in The Scotsman Hotel, Edinburgh. Some would probably argue there’s enough fancy-schmancy indie cinemas in the UK, but I don’t think I’ve ever found somewhere that felt like I was in a stately home again. I’ve only been there once to watch Dream Scenario a few Christmases ago. It was also one of the only times I’ve been late to a showing. I was with my partner (neither of us liked the film!) but it felt like The Scotsman’s atmosphere turned our visit into a renewed first date. Very romantic.
3. What’s your go-to movie theater snack & drink combo?
I’m so scared to admit this and UK readers will either shun or support me: an Odeon or Vue nachos with cheese, salsa and jalapenos, plus a Fanta Zero Strawberry and a bag of Maltesers. For non-UK readers, the nachos are so messy and come in the flimsiest plastic container ever.
4. What’s your dream movie theater snack & drink combo (if noise and sound weren’t an issue)?
Is my mum allowed to make her Oreo fudge in the corner of the back row? If not, I’ll settle for Vietnamese iced coffee, please.
5. First movie you remember seeing in a theater?
Such a fun memory to relive: Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. I watched this with my parents, aunty and uncle and their kids all in one row at the Showcase Cinemas in Reading around the mid-2000s and it was the first time I used those flimsy 3-D glasses. I was mesmerised!
6. Last movie you saw in a theater?
The Naked Gun at the Curzon in Sheffield. Beautiful cinema, funny film!
7. Is there a movie you wish you could have seen in a theater?
I wish I could have seen Inception when it had just come out. I was much too young, but that feels like an iconic turning point in cinema that I missed. Other than that, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Someone screen that!
8. Please describe your ideal movie theater seat.
Any seat in a screen at The Barbican, London. They are wide, with good leg room, sturdy, and comfy enough for a three-hour film. Also, they have armrests big enough for personal space but close enough for a bit of a cuddle.
9. One thing you would change to make movie theaters better?
I’m going to go full boomer – we need school-style confiscation for phones upon entry. Or alternatively, those camera stickers that stop you taking photos at events. I really cannot handle seeing people FILM parts of the movie anymore – how did we get here?
10. Tell me about an especially memorable moviegoing experience that stands out in your mind.
Someone will tell me it’s cliché (I am not bothered by this) but I recall seeing Everything Everywhere All At Once for the first time. I was living in Newcastle and went to the Vue, a chain cinema. It was pretty packed on a Saturday and wasn’t a film I expected to be super busy. Loads of young couples (me included) sitting around us and it made me happy to see. Until, the film started to become incredibly emotional and I was hearing a lot of laughter, but the mocking kind. The “I don’t get this and it’s so dumb” kind. It was weird: I took that personally. I came out of that screening having cried my eyes out and felt defensive about a film I hadn’t cared to talk about three hours prior. Made me realise how much I love the movies, I guess.
11. Is there a trailer you’ve seen before a movie recently that stuck with you?
Very pulled in by the trailer for the new PTA, One Battle After Another trailer. No idea what to expect from it and I’m so ready to be disappointed or amazed.
12. What’s a movie you’re looking forward to seeing?
A bit too keen to watch Good Sex from Lena Dunham. Wasn’t the biggest fan of Too Much, but I am a fan of Mark Ruffalo and Role Model. Love when a singer does some acting, I am a simple woman.
13. What’s your dream combination of director and lead(s)?
I want to see Naomi Ackie directed by Robert Rodriguez. Mickey 17 wasn’t enough, I need more.
14. If you could live in a movie, which one would it be?
Meet the Robinsons. That family was so fun, I had FOMO as a kid.
15. Why do you think people should continue seeing movies at the movie theater?
Movie theatres are our most valuable museums. They hold artifacts no other institution can, they display wonders no other place has the facilities to showcase. Not to wax lyrical, but movie theatres are a haven of imagination. How could you ever pass up the chance to watch a movie with a room full of people? Who likes being lonely? Not me – I’m always going to be at the cinema.
“Movie theatres are our most valuable museums.” Wait I loveeee this 🥹
Loveeeee Jannat!!!