Reader Spotlight: Joey Moser
Friday, April 12, 2013 at 2:00PM 
We're getting to know the Film Experience community. Today we're talking to Joey from Pittsburgh. He's currently performing in Godspell on stage. If you're in Pittsburgh there's two more shows this weekend.
When did you start reading The Film Experience?
Around the time that Far From Heaven was released in theaters. I was realizing that Julianne Moore was my favorite actress, so your blog was mecca when I was in college. I love the site because it doesn't just celebrate movies, but it helped me realize that movies can be bad with something great in them (and vice versa).
What's your earliest movie memory?
JOEY: The earliest memory I have is when my Dad took me to go see Beauty and the Beast. I remember playing around outside, and he asked if I wanted to go. I didn't actually answer his question, because I got so excited and just got into the back seat of the car and buckled myself in. The music floored me, and I wanted all of the household objects in my house to come to life.
What's your moviegoing diet like in a year?
JOEY: I see more movies in theaters than I do on demand or RedBox. My dad and I would always go on Saturdays and see at least two (the day we saw Gangs of New York, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and Two Weeks Notice was a long day) When I worked at a movie theater, we had a competition to see who could see the most movies in the theater, and I was always the biggest bitch and killed everyone else. When I was really trying to see everything just to see everything I saw 191. It's calmed down considerably, but I will see anything.
What's the last movie you watched?
Stoker. I never want to have Park Chan-wook direct the story of my life, because it was just be so terrifying. It would be gorgeous and edited nicely, but it would scare the crap out of me. Also, I didn't realize how well Nicole Kidman was aging until I saw it. I kept leaning over to my friend and whispering compliments to her, "She's gorgeous...I love her hair...she's soooo beautiful..."
La Pfeiffer was so robbed in 2002Take an Oscar away from someone. Give it to someone else.Can I give a nomination away instead? Take Queen Latifah's nomination from Chicago and give it to Michelle Pfeiffer for White Oleander. Pfeiffer was running circles around everyone else, and she could freeze me with that icy stare any day. I get stupidly angry over a lot of Oscar winners, so if I had to pick an actual winner, I would take away Jennifer Lawrence's and give it to Emmanuelle Riva. I mean...COME...ON!!!
I understand you love musicals and you're a singer/actor. What are your favorites or favorite roles.
Sweeney Todd because, well, it's Sweeney Todd. I've had the pleasure of playing both Tobias and, more recently, Anthony. It lead to two completely different experiences, and I treasure them both. I have three dream roles at the moment (they change every time my iPod changes). I want to be Gabe in Next to Normal, because that show DESTROYS me every time I listen to it. I need to hit the gym before I even consider auditioning for it. Gordo in A New Brain is something I have wanted to play for years, but no one ever does it. I also want to be Jamie in The Last Five Years someday. His songs are so great, but his last one (where you find out he was unfaithful) is my favorite because it shatters his likability right then and there. I can imagine that is just a treat for actors to play.
When I was a theater student in college, I was always told I could a lot with my voice, but I am really short and I look like a child. It's a weird dynamic, I guess.
I also love The Wild Party. Both versions.
There should be a movie! The Wild Party (LaChiusa version) is the only imaginary movie I ever obsessed over directing even though I'm not a director. But I interrupted you. One more favorite?
Moulin Rouge! because I'm human and that movie makes me openly weep. I could be at the most professional event of my life and if someone says "Satine dies at the end" I would just ugly cry the entire way home.
Reader Comments (20)
How young is this person if their earliest movie memory is Beauty and the Beast (1991)?
/3rtful -- i hate to break it to you (god, aging sucks) but Beauty & The Beast is now 22 years old (!!!). So anyone in their mid20s might well have it as their first movie memory.
Like me. lol.
I *think* that movie was my first obsession and i'm 24.
Trust me, I hate that Jennifer Lawrence is the first 90's born Oscar winner.
"Love humiliates you. Hatred cradles you." Michelle Pfeiffer should have been nominated and awarded Best Supporting Actress for this crippling line alone.
I saw Beauty and the Beast in the theaters as a child and it is one of my earliest movie memories as well.
I'm 28.
I am 29 :o)
@ 3rtful- you literally blew my mind with that JLaw is the first 90s born Oscar winner. Madness.
And regarding Joey, any fan of Gabe from 'Next To Normal' is a dandy by me. But I'd much rather play Henry.... if I can sing... or act. Haha. I just love that character. I can't wait to check out 'The Last Five Years' now.
Peter -- the Last Five Years is THE BEST. I am one of the lucky few who saw the original cast off broadway and it's seriously one of my three favorite musicals of the new century (with Light in the Piazza & The Wild Party). I am kind of dreading the movie though now that they've cast Jeremy Jordan who always plays characters like SUCH dicks and the lead characters dickiness needs to be kind of a "oh yeah, that, damnit" effect rather than the whole characterization for the movie to work. (sigh)
@Peter. L5Y is a beaut.
Oh Jeremy Jordan... was never a fan of his. So glad he didn't win for 'Newsies'. Yeah, can't wait for the 'The Last Five Years' fo sho, especially with the recent extension. And Hello.... LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA! I melt every time I hear 'Love To Me'.
Randomness... but 'Light In Piazza' and 'Next To Normal' are definitely 2 of my 3 have new musicals in the new century. I'm way too embarrassed to admit what the third one is. Haha.
I feel so old... I used to babysit one of my nieces, and nothing would have her more entertained than Beauty & The Beast. No kidding, she could watch it and play the VHS tape again right after finishing. It's her favourite movie. There was a point when I hated that movie. It took me some time to come to terms with its flaws.
Now that Joey's and Jennifer Lawrence's youth has depressed us about our ages, how about sitting down for another viewing of Amour? We now know it's just around the corner!
How could you not look at Joey's photo and not think he was in his 20s?
I can't deal with J-Law being the first 90s kid to get an Oscar. I could have dealt with Hailee Steinfeld or J-Law in Winter's Bone but not for that role when there were at least two other nominees in meatier, tougher roles than Tiffany's bait-y monologues. Unless AMPAS think she is the second-coming of Jodie Foster, there will probably be better performances she gives where she will not win because she 'won before'.
Michelle Pfeiffer is a goddess. Why can she not get any good roles as of late? Since White Oleander, I can only think of the witch in Stardust where it felt like it was worthy of her talent. This includes Hairspray, not in it nearly enough, though she slayed in her song.
And I keep on hearing rumors of a Next to Normal movie. I feel like that can never do the musical justice and I was one to have been petered out by the first act.
Nat, I hope you're not judging your response to Jordan from only Smash because he's perfectly cast (well, as perfect as can be in this world), I think. I'm way sceptical about Kendrick (I cast Evan Rachel Wood long ago in my head), but "The Last Five Years" is close to my heart, I'm afraid of being ruined.
I'm way intrigued about "The Wild Party", who did you cast? I'd imagined a version of "The Wild Party" with parts of Lippa's and LaChiusa's score, but mostly the book of the former. Did you ever see the Merchant Ivory Wild Party (a loose adaptation of the poem)?
Andrew -- I also saw Jeremy Jordan in Broadway's "Bonnie & Clyde" and he was pretty dickish / bratty in that one too. I thought it was kind of just a weak musical that was the problem but then he was the same but worse on Smash so now I worry that he can't come across as anything bUT a jerk so he'd be well more suited to supporting bully characters or just villain roles but... romantic heroes who are supposed to charm us?
Yes to Pfeiffer in “White Oleander," “The Wild Party," and “A New Brain" (I played Richard, the kind nurse in my heavier days).
I feel so damn old. My Oscar giveback is Edith Evans in The Whisperers over Hepburn in GWCTD. No question.
Toni Collette should play Diana in a Next to Normal movie if it ever happens.
Patryk, don't feel old! So true that Hepburn didn't deserve that Oscar. I think Evans is a great choice, but I would have given it to Anne Bancroft for The Graduate. Hepburn didn't deserve her last one either; that should have gone to Marsha Mason. Sigh.