Name: In the sequel, it’s going to be Staci Layne Wilson.
Age: Younger than Tess, but older than Laura.
Publication: Sci-Fi Channel, Horror.com, TV Wire
Hometown: Tinsel Town. Duh.
Years reviewing film: Eight, that I know of.
Film nerds know there’s only one dazzling redhead reviewing movies these days, and her name is Staci Layne Wilson. Having cultivated a following online writing reviews and hosting video interviews for outlets like Sci Fi.com and Horror.com, Wilson has revealed to niche readers that she’s one of their own: a true movie geek’s movie geek, albeit one with rainbow-streaked locks in a Technicolor Veronica Lake coif who’s always, always sporting a pair of killer heels.
The former book author (she’s got tomes on ghost movies, animal movies, and seven novels) made the shift to film reviewing years ago and relishes the chance to turn her love of movies into a career. She’s got eclectic cinematic tastes that run the gamut from horror (“I’ve always loved horror movies”) to spaghetti westerns (“One of my favorite films of all time is Sergio Leone‘s Once Upon a Time in the West“) to straight up cult flicks (“I have The Happy Hooker trilogy right next to the Wim Wenders collection, along with The Case of the Bloody Iris“). Read on for more fun and games in our interview with Staci Layne Wilson!
Why did you become a critic?
Staci Layne Wilson: I’m more of a cynical wiseass than Juno crossed with Charles Bukowski (minus the unplanned teen pregnancy, and the alcohol-fueled rages).
You were a published fiction writer before transitioning into criticism and entertainment writing. How did that happen?
SLW: That began with Cinescape Magazine. I was actually writing fiction at the time, and the editor approached me and said, “Would you be interested in doing some book reviews for us?” And that snowballed into doing movie reviews, because that’s what I was really interested in. Just a few months later, a new regime took over the magazine and they got rid of everybody that was associated with the previous publication. So then I just started freelancing on my own; I really liked reviewing movies a lot. The junkets and the premieres kind of fell into that too.
What kind of critic are you?
SLW: That’s a good question, because I feel like I’m pretty easygoing; as long as something is entertaining and not boring and looks pretty, I’m into it. But I’ve had a lot of publicists and fellow colleagues go, “Gosh, you’re a harsh critic!” I’m like, really? It’s fun to write a snarky review if I really hate something but typically, I like a lot of movies that others don’t like, but I have kind of outré tastes — left of center, you could say.
Fill in the blank: “If I wasn’t a professional film critic, I’d be a…”
SLW: Contestant in a reality show for wannabe film critics. It could be called, “Who Wants to be a Super Quote-Whore?”
What is your favorite film?
SLW: It hasn’t been made yet, but it’s a cross between The Maltese Falcon, Taxi Driver and The Big Lebowski. And it’s no more than 90 minutes. Because I have the attention span of a ferret on double espressos.
Who is your favorite director?
SLW: I’d love to see a dual effort (because having two directors is so trendy now!) between Dario Argento and Wes Anderson. They should do a remake of Juliet of the Spirits, based on a screenplay by Todd Haynes.
What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen, and why?
SLW: Citizen Kane. It was in black and white, there was no nudity, and not even a single f-bomb or fart joke. What’s up with that?
What kind of reader do you write for?
SLW: Semi-literate ones. Preferably readers who are at least somewhat familiar with names like Vittorio Storaro, Edwige Fenech, Billy Wilder, and Alan Smithee.
Would you consider yourself an expert in horror movies, or was that always just a personal inclination?
SLW: It did come about because I’ve always loved horror movies, but I’ve always viewed horror movies in a much wider view than just, say, the ’80s slashers…I have a sort of skewed view of what a horror movie is as opposed to the general public. That’s what I love about it, because horror can be taken on so many different levels. Some people try to call them psychological thrillers, or monster movies — they’re all horror movies.
Well, I know you go to a lot of revival theaters and like a variation of older, cult films…
SLW: Right now I’m sitting on my stack of DVDs to watch…I’m sort of a compulsive DVD buyer. I have The Happy Hooker trilogy right next to the Wim Wenders collection, along with The Case of the Bloody Iris.
What does a film need to achieve to earn a perfect rating from Staci Layne Wilson?
SLW: A nude scene with Brad Pitt is always a plus. Moving on from there, a voice over by Jude Law is good. It should be directed by the Brothers Quay. I’d also like to hear Sonic Youth covering Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” somewhere in there. Then, if it is set in Europe in the 1970s and features at least three or four “murderer’s POV” scenes with his black-gloved hands outstretched, I’m in.
What is it about those movies, those genres?
SLW: I absolutely love movies that are arty. And beautiful. And I really appreciate things that are shot on 35 millimeter, and cinematography that really is cinematography where someone actually put some thought into composition, lighting and camera moves. I think that’s a big part of it. And I just love the mood, the unhurried mood. One of my favorite films of all time is Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West. When you watch the scene of the stand-off, you think, my god, a producer would never let a shot hold for more than ten seconds nowadays! They’d freak out — “Oh my god, we’re not cutting here!” I like the ambiance. In a sense, I suppose even the Happy Hooker is fun!
What is the state of current film criticism?
SLW: Refer to the pivotal Bob Balaban scene in Lady in the Water.
What’s the biggest misconception about film critics?
SLW: That anyone can do it. Clearly I am a stellar example that it takes a Master of Fine Arts degree, a thorough working knowledge of the Stanislavsky Method, and lineage that traces back to Auguste or Louis Lumière. Oh. Wait…Never mind.
Do you believe in the idea of enjoying something ironically, or the idea of a movie “so bad it’s good?”
SLW: Absolutely! Yes, I’m totally into that. And that’s why I’ll give a movie a good review like that. Recently I gave April Fool’s Day, the remake [coming to DVD this week], a good review because I saw it in a totally different light than anybody else did, it seemed. I thought it was sort of a joke — maybe it’s not, but that’s how I took it — and I thoroughly enjoyed it. To me it was sort of like The Last of Sheila, or those ’70s movies that had a lot of dialogue that was very snarky and catty. That’s how I saw the new April Fool’s Day; I thought it was a throwback to those movies, because there’s a lot of talk, and not a whole lot of slashing. Because it’s nothing like the original.
What word or phrase do you over-use?
SLW: “Best movie of the year!”
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
SLW: Taller.
What is your most common concession stand purchase?
SLW: I usually order a plain omelet; no potatoes, tomatoes instead; a cup of coffee and wheat toast. But for some reason, I’m always met with resistance.
What has been your most bizarre movie-going experience?
SLW: There was this one time I actually entered a movie theater, turned my phone off, refrained from kicking the chair in front of me, and sat quietly until it ended. I know. Weird. But I’m sure it won’t happen again.
Check out more of Staci Layne Wilson’s work at SciFi.com, Horror.Com, and collected at Staciwilson.com.
