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Hap Erstein

1. Where’s your byline?
The Palm Beach Post, www.palmbeachpost.com, WJNO-AM

2. Education:
B.S., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

3. Film education:
Sixth row, slightly left of center

4. Indispensable film books:
Halliwell's Film Guide, Leonard Maltin's Video Guide, The Bluffer's Guide to Cinema

5. Favorite film magazines and/or websites:
IMDB.com, metacritic.com

6. Describe a typical work week:
No such thing

7. How many movies did you review in 2006?
120+

8. What do you take with you to a screening?
Notepad, cup of coffee, an occcasional Twizzler

9. Movie you lambasted that then got you lambasted, & have you since backpedaled?
The Passion of the Christ, lambasted from both sides of the religious spectrum. Haven't backpedalled, but it was a no-win situation

10. To what extent do you believe home theatres will make movie theatres obsolete?
More and more people prefer seeing films at home, unfortunately. Movie theaters will not disappear completely, but will grow more rare and perhaps non-profit

11. Advice for hitting a film fest; What are your objectives?
To see good films or at least interesting attempts that may never resurface

12. Most over/under-rated film fest and why: --

13. What fests did you attend in 2006, and which would you like to attend in 2007?
Palm Beach International Film Festival, Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, Delray Beach Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival.
2007: The same.

14. How do you fuel yourself during a hectic fest schedule?
Coffee, Twizzlers, sushi

15. Your ideal film fest theme:
Quality independent films.

16. What do you consider the most prestigious non-Oscar film award?
Palme D'or, Cannes Fim Festival

17. Movies/genres you can discuss better than anyone else:
Musicals, the Woody Allen canon

18. If you were locked in a theatre with the work of three directors...
Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Stanley Donen

19. How often do you watch movies that you aren’t critiquing?
Quite frequently

20. Three favorite sick-in-bed/easy-on-the-head movies:
Singin' in the Rain, Two for the Road, Annie Hall

21. Surprising turn from one of your least favorite actors/directors:
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

22. Three essential movies for a proper film-snob library:
Citizen Kane, Dr. Strangelove, Sunset Boulevard

23. How did you become a film critic?
Someone gave me the job

24. Career moment you’re most proud of:
Interviewing Katharine Hepburn at her New York home