Since he was around thirteen, Ivan Smagghe has watched around ten films a week. His taste in movies is as diverse as his catalogue of works as a producer and selections as DJ. For Smagghe, cinema equals “an endless discovery,” but a stint as a member of the jury of a film festival made him realize that he’s not, I repeat, not a movie critic. ‘I just watch movies, that’s what I do. I watch a movie, and then I watch another one. And if I don’t like it, I turn it off.’
We sat down with Ivan to see if picking his brain on film could help unravel the mystery of the man himself:
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How would you describe your taste in movies?
I’m really obsessive about cinema in general, but I’m not obsessive about one kind of cinema. I pick ‘n’ mix. When you are formatted to like only one thing, you also discard a lot. In every genre you can get a crazy surprise. Even amongst straight-to-video Z movies, you know, those cannibal horror soft porn things. Tarantino made his whole career on copying these movies.
Could you name five movies that give an impression of what you like?
All recent favorites: Arrebato by Iván Zulueta, Some Came Running by Vincente Minnelli, L’Argent by Marcel L’Herbier, The Century Of The Self by Adam Curtis, and Windows by Gordon Willis.
Arrebato (1980) – Iván Zulueta
Some Came Running (1958) – Vincente Minelli
Windows (1980) – Gordon Willis
You have a tendency to go for older films. What’s your opinion on modern cinema?
I’m not dissing modern cinema, that would be completely pointless, but I think there are quite a few issues. I don’t like computer-generated imagery, I don’t like 3D. I don’t like that fake Maurice Pialat trend in the French cinema. They can’t even copy properly. But then again, I also see recent movies I like. Holy Motors, by Leos Carax, I absolutely liked everything in it. And Prisoners by Denis Villeneuve was pretty good in its right-wing way, even though it has loads of faults.
Prisoners (2013) – Denis Villeneuve
Faults can be attractive? What kind?
Overacting, camp. Camp can be great. Or when they had so little money they had to do it all in the same room. Imperfections can become qualities. A little something in a movie can be reason enough for me to like it. Windows is a perfect example. The story is really bad, the acting is really bad, while the cinematography is fantastic. You could watch it just for that. But that’s quite perverted in a way. That comes from me watching too many movies.
Under what circumstances do you watch movies?
I will tell you what is NOT the source to find films. It’s NOT the contemporary cinema, it’s NOT going to the movies, and it’s NOT the TV. That’s for sure.
According to you, which film would have deserved to reach a bigger audience?
That’s not my problem, really… Yeah, sometimes it’s a real shame when you see a good movie that didn’t get recognized and you don’t understand why. But I think it’s up to the people to look for those movies. They go and see the same thing more and more. I understand though: it’s easier just to watch what you’re given, to be passive. That’s the same for music, art or food.
About which film did you, or could you, have endless discussions?
Johnny Guitar by ? is one, The Heiress by William Wyler is another. Those movies have so many levels. It’s not necessarily the movies you think you’re gonna talk about that you end up having enormous discussions about. Take Black Test Car by Yasuzô Masumura, a recent discovery. It is a movie about industrial espionage, about car makers, but is one of the most amazing descriptions of Japanese society as well.
Johnny Guitar (1954) – Nicholas Ray
The Heiress (1949) – William Wyler
How do films influence your life?
I’m not sure they do.
Well, at least they take 2+ hours of your time every day…
Yeah, but that’s just like distraction, maybe. Some movies make me think, some make me wanna do some music. But these are not clear patterns of influence. It’s not because I’ve seen a bank robbery movie that I’m gonna go and rob banks. A movie that you think you’re gonna watch as a distraction, could end up making you think. I don’t believe in that kind of entertainment versus reflection thing. I think that’s too simplistic, that the reality is mixed. Still everything that has been produced for distraction, has a cultural significance. It’s not because it’s made for money, that it cannot be interesting. Obviously.\
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