15 Questions With Mads Moriz
"Christmas finally came and I saw Babygirl."
Name: Mads Moriz
Location: Los Angeles
Occupation: Film Solutions Manager
Links: Mads’ Letterboxd
1. What’s your favorite day & time to go to the movies?
I love a Friday afternoon movie.
It reminds me of summer. Taking advantage of the air-conditioning and coming out while the sun is still shining. It’s a great way to start your weekend.
2. What’s your favorite movie theater?
In Los Angeles, I love the Los Feliz 3. There’s something so special about having a cinema walking distance from your home, where you can duck in the Skylight Art Annex before, and then get fries afterwards at Café Figaro.
When I lived in New York I would frequent the AMC Lincoln Square 13 on the UWS, the ultimate Godzilla cineplex where you can catch a 70mm IMAX, a blockbuster in Dolby, or even descend into the neon fever dream basement to see an indie that’s only playing at 2 screens across the country.
For programming I think Film Lincoln Centre has always paved the way for repertory cinema. I refuse to unsubscribe from their emails because it is filled with gems, and usually first glimpses of restorations that will roll out wide.
A classic theater from my childhood is The Randwick Ritz Cinema where I grew up in Sydney. My friends and I used to skip school and go to the movies there. It’s a heritage listed Art Deco cinema that prides itself on being Sydney’s ‘home of celluloid’.
3. What’s your go-to movie theater snack & drink combo?
I like to smuggle in chocolate and a sparkling water.
4. What’s your dream movie theater snack & drink combo (if noise and sound weren’t an issue)?
I spent some time in humid London last summer, and for reprieve I frequented The Prince Charles Cinema which sold little containers of sorbetto! It was a summer time revelation. The perfect, well contained sweet treat.
5. First movie you remember seeing in a theater?
There’s no way I, or anyone in my family can remember, but I have significant memories of being 10 years old and going to see Charlie’s Angels probably 10 times during the summer at the Hoyts Entertainment Quarter (then Fox Studios) in Sydney.
6. Last movie you saw in a theater?
Christmas finally came and I saw Babygirl.
7. Movie you wish you could have seen in a theater?
Bucket list is to experience all Tarkovsky films on the big screen. I’ve ticked most off the list now, but I missed the Nostalghia 4K run… I’m looking at you to come through, American Cinematheque.
8. Please describe your ideal movie theater seat!
It’s on the aisle and away from everyone else.
9. One thing you would change to make movie theaters better?
If you pull out your phone in the cinema, the floor should open below you, and you get dumped into a ball pit filled with the other adult babies who can’t put their phone away for 2 hours.
10. What’s the ideal number/length of previews before a movie?
I think a 15-minute buffer after the session start time is ideal.
11. Do you prefer seeing movies alone or with someone/a group?
I won the jackpot with my cinephile freak husband, so we watch everything together and talk about it for days on end. I love sharing the cinema experience with my friends (when they’re not running late, I have seating anxiety) and then debriefing afterwards, but I am also not afraid of going to the movies by myself. Normalize solo movie going!
12. Movie you’re looking forward to seeing?
I can't stop thinking about how Nolan is going to do The Odyssey.
13. One movie recommendation (that you think people might not know about or should give another chance to):
I recently saw Stranger and the Fog during Janus Films 4K restoration run. It was banned for decades following the Iranian Revolution. What a spellbinding film.
14. What’s your dream combination of director & lead(s)?
Guillermo del Toro directing the Muppets.
15. If you could live in a movie, which one would it be?
If it’s summer Purple Noon. If it’s fall, Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
I miss the Los Feliz 3 so much! nothing like getting some tacos and some books before and/or after seeing a great film.