Blockbuster Friday Five

As suggested by Reverend Mother. As a bonus, we are invited to guess which movies inspired these questions.

1. If you were a mutant, what ability would you like to have? (think superpower)
   Funny, this came up in the RLP chatroom a couple of weeks back. Only then we were considering superpowers based on talents we already have. Mine was a superior knowledge of basically useless trivia.
   The question is inspired by the movie X-Men III: The Last Stand. In the movie, the government discovers a drug which will make mutants "normal." Having been born with a very visible birth defect, this is a question that speaks to me. From birth through high school I went under the knife several times for plastic surgery intended to make me look more normal. Sometime during my college years — or perhaps slightly after — I learned to accept that my current appearance is as close to normal as I'm going to ever be. I learned to live with my face as it is.
   


2. Tell us about a memorable road trip you've experienced.
   The bus ride to Princeton, NJ, would count. I went with a high school friend, Gary S. Seems like the trip took at least three days and two nights. We arrived at Grand Central Station sleep deprived. I don't think I ever recovered during the three months I stayed in the four-person artists' colony. Four dudes in a two-bedroom apartment.
   I assume this question was inspired by RV, by all accounts a Robin Williams movie worth avoiding.
   


3. Do you enjoy solving riddles and working on puzzles? If so, what kinds?
   I work crossword puzzles on-line every day. I used to be quite adept at cryptoquotes, but seem to have lost the knack. I'll confess that when I read a mystery novel — one of my favorite genres — I rarely try to solve that puzzle. I'm happy to follow the main character, and let him or her do all the work.
   This question was inspired by The Da Vinci Code. I have not seen it, but suspect I will.


4. Take two of your phobias and combine them to make a campy horror/disaster flick. What would it be called?
   The main phobia I'm aware of is a fear of heights. Related to that is a mild fear of flying. These might fit into the next Final Destination sequel (God forfend), but I can't imagine a whole movie built around them.
   There are a couple of horror movies out at present, See No Evil and Silent Hill. This question was possibly inspired by one or both of these.


5. Just how batsh*t crazy is Tom Cruise, anyway?
   He's a Scientologist, a "religion" essentially created by the writer of mediocre pulp science fiction (L. Ron Hubbard). 'Nuff said. Mr. Cruise may be slightly crazier than John Travolta, who is also a Scientologist. I suspect we enjoy taking pot shots at Tom because he has been on such a high pedastel of popularity until his couch-jumping and anti-psychiatrist antics of the past year.
   Oh yeah, Mr. Cruise has a bang-bang boom-boom movie out this summer based on a TV spy show of the 1960s.