This is the 16th page in a series of “Getting to Know” interviews with UMR Hall of Famers. This time we interviewed Steve Lensman. I have been internet friends with Steve for over a decade. We first stumbled over each other back in our Hub Pages (our first version of this website) days in early 2011. Steve is one of few people that actually went to CogersonMovieScore.com (our second version of this website) on a regular basis. Steve was involved in the naming of Ultimate Movie Rankings.com (our third and current version of this website). So, we figured it was time to learn a little more about Steve Lensman.
Cogerson – It has always interested me in knowing which thespian made the first impact on a person. Who was the first actor or actress that you knew by their actual name?
Steve Lensman– Watching old movies on TV with my parents I’d say actors like Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Grace Kelly, Liz Taylor, Alan Ladd, John Wayne, Jerry Lewis were known to me as a kid before I became familiar with Bogart, Hitchcock, Welles and Eastwood.
Cogerson – What was the first movie that you distinctly remember watching as a child?
Steve Lensman– That would be 1933’s King Kong. I remember seeing it as a child, way back on TV in the 1960s, and it gave me nightmares. I kept dreaming of the ape’s huge face peering thru my window!
Cogerson – Is there a person in your life that pushed you down the path of liking movies? For me, it was my parents and my grandmother.
Steve Lensman – My father was a big movie fan luckily for me, and he tended to favour swashbucklers, westerns and war films over film noir, drama and musicals. His brother was an even bigger movie fan and I would listen to them talk about films all the time. If they had been chatting about soccer I probably wouldn’t be typing this now.
Cogerson – That is awesome! I suspect your father and my father would have agreed on the greatness of many movies.
Cogerson – When I was younger, I was convinced that Disney’s Gus was the greatest movie of all-time. Today, I realize, though it might be the best mule playing football movie, it is not very good. What movies did you think were awesome and now you question their greatness.
Steve Lensman- I watched a lot of horror films as a teen, some of them Italian, titles like Holocaust 2000, Cannibal Holocaust, Zombie Holocaust and the legendary Orgazmo Holocaust (okay I made that last one up), and others like Tentacles, Squirm and The Antichrist. At the time I probably thought those films were cool, but I’d be embarrassed to watch them now.
Cogerson – I bet those movies are just a bit more gorier than my Gus.
Cogerson – Besides Charlton Heston, who are your other favorite actors or actresses?
Steve Lensman – It’s almost a cliche to list the great mumbler Marlon Brando as a favourite but I liked him in films like Mutiny on the Bounty and On the Waterfront before finally seeing The Godfather on rented video during the 80s, it blew me away, great film. John Wayne is another big favourite, also Bogart, Cary Grant and James Stewart.
Steve Lensman – Judy Judy Judy! For some reason I always had a soft spot for Judy Garland, and I even found her sexy too. Grace Kelly and Ingrid Bergman were favourites too. As a teen I was a big Bruce Lee fan and Elvis Presley was my favourite singer, still is.
Cogerson – How about current day stars?
Steve Lensman – There are plenty of actors I like today – Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Nic Cage, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Tom Hardy, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Chris Bale etc but I won’t watch everything they appear in. Depends on the film.
Cogerson – What are your Top 3 movies of all-time? Or share as many as you are willing to share.
Steve Lensman- My top three films right now… let’s go with Lawrence of Arabia, 2001 A Space Odyssey and my no.1 favourite, Ben Hur (1959). Other top film favorites of mine would include, in no particular order – The Godfather, Star Wars (1977), Close Encounters, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Enter the Dragon, Battle of Britain, The Great Escape, The Big Country, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Psycho, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Forbidden Planet, Night of the Demon (1958), Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera and more recently The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Comic Book movies are all the rage now and I’m enjoying them all, keep em coming.
Cogerson – I know you love science-fiction movies….which movies got you going down that sci-fi trail?
Steve Lensman – The first time I saw 2001 A Space Odyssey as a young teen it bored the heck out of me and I walked out of the cinema about two thirds in. But I watched it again and again in reruns during the late 70s and it quickly became a top favourite. I remember enjoying Forbidden Planet as a youngster, and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). On TV back then Star Trek was a huge favourite, and I was watching Doctor Who and Lost in Space too. I read a lot of sci-fi back then, Asimov and Clarke were my favourite authors.
Cogerson – Do you remember the first R rated movie you attended in which you were allowed to purchase the ticket on your own.
Steve Lensman – I think it was either Enter the Dragon or The Exorcist, let me check hang on…. it was The Exorcist. I was a young teen but tall for my age which came in handy. I had a cassette recorder hidden in a bag and recorded all the horrible bits.
Cogerson – Do you have any memorable movie experiences? I remember seeing Porky’s in theaters. People were laughing so hard, I thought the walls might crumble.
Steve Lensman – Cinema anecdotes… I remember seeing Young Frankenstein at a cinema in London’s West End, there was an old man a few seats in front of me and he was laughing like a hyena every couple of minutes, especially when there was a close up of Marty Feldman. Anyway his laugh was infectious and I was laughing with him even if the scene itself wasn’t that funny, that stuck in my mind for some reason.
I can’t remember which film but it was at a decrepit old cinema in the 1970s and rats were running rampant, they were chasing each other along the seats. I couldn’t concentrate on the movie. I had to lift my feet up when I saw them running towards me. Terrible.
My ex really hated people chatting when we went to the movies, often she would stand up, turn round and tell them to “shut the **** up!” and I’d sit there cringing trying to pull her down, hoping they didn’t empty their milkshakes on my head. My dear Sandra was a horror movie fan, The Shining was her favorite. We still chat.
Cogerson – This might be a tough question, at least that’s what other UMR Hall of Famers have told me, is there a movie character that best represents Steve Lensman?
Steve Lensman – Interesting question… as a teen, maybe Ferris Bueller. I was always skipping school, sometimes with friends and we’d end up at a museum or the London Zoo. No Ferrari though, we’d use the London Underground to travel and rarely paid for a ticket, so at the first sign of the train inspector we’d scarper. I remember escaping punishment from the school principal by jumping out of his ground floor window, which just made things worse. I had to invent all kinds of excuses for my odd behaviour. As an adult… I can’t think of a character… maybe.. Thor? (Stop it Steve!)
Cogerson – You could have dinner with one of the following people, Alfred Hitchcock, Ray Harryhausen or Charlton Heston….who do you pick and why?
Steve Lensman – Probably Hitchcock, he would have plenty of stories to tell and had a wicked sense of humour. All three were heroes of mine in my younger days.
Cogerson – Years ago, I was shocked to learn that you are not a fan of Forrest Gump. I had thought that it was a universally loved movie. Turns out many people, like Flora, agree with you. So, my question is….why do you not like it?
SteveLensman – I might have given the impression that I hated Forrest Gump, but I don’t. I just don’t love it as much as you and millions of others do. I have the film on DVD and Blu-ray. I wouldn’t own it if I disliked it. Okay it’s not a film I watch often and I’m a big Robert Zemeckis fan. It has a downbeat ending which kinda kills repeat viewings for me. And yes, I do prefer Tarantino’s best movie, Pulp Fiction.
Cogerson – We have spent many nights talking to each other during Oscar night. Last year you did not watch the show. Are the Oscars losing importance, or are there other reasons that staying up all night, to find the winners is no longer enjoyable?
Steve Lensman – It’s strange, something happened to the Oscars in the last decade or so, the magic has gone Bruce. Back in the 1990s it was more than just people walking up to the podium, collecting their awards and giving boring speeches. There was a variety of entertainment and it was hilarious too. Sad really. And the films that win now are the kind you’d rarely watch twice if at all. I did see snippets of last years show and this years Oscars were marred by Will Smith belting Chris Rock.
Cogerson – Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is considered by smarter and more movie knowledgeable people than us, to be the best movie ever made. It would not even make my Top 5 Hitchcock movies….being the huge Hitch fan you are, what do you think?
Steve Lensman – Whilst I am happy that a Hitchcock movie was voted best movie ever made (at least until the next poll is taken which I think is this year), it’s not my favorite film by Hitch. There are others I prefer like Psycho, Rear Window and North by Northwest. I’m also a big fan of Citizen Kane, so if that gets back on top again I won’t be heartbroken.
Cogerson – You have taken a break from producing YouTube videos. So, what are you doing with that extra time, and do you miss cranking out all those videos?
Steve Lensman – I find it hard to believe now that in the first few years I started on youtube I was producing 3 youtube videos every single week! Then I cut it down to 2 a week, then it was 3 videos every 2 weeks and eventually it became 0 videos a week. But I did manage to fill up that channel with over a thousand videos, he said proudly. I read a lot more now, catching up on books I’d put aside. Pay more attention to the missus. I’ve binged on TV shows I’ve missed and was hearing a lot about like Succession. I will start youtubing again probably in the autumn. I miss Bob and Flora’s reviews, not so much the videos themselves. 😉
Cogerson – Alright, to wrap up this interview, do you remember how we first met at Hubpages?
Steve Lensman – Yeah you commented on one of my hubs and then we started chatting about box office figures and the special year end Variety issues. I had a few saved from the 70s and 80s. I think you wanted box office info on some movies and were wondering if I could help. Now of course you have the ultimate box office web site with movie data and statistics no one else on the internet has. Kudos!
Cogerson – I still remember which Hub I commented on….it was your Hitchcock cameo video page.
In case you missed the first interviews.
- –UMR HoF Interviews–
- Bern1960 Class of 2014
- bob cox Class of 2017
- Bob Roy Class of 2015
- BryRog57 Class of 2014
- Dan Class of 2016
- Flora Class of 2014
- GeorgeV Class of 2018
- Helakoski Class of 2015
- Laurent Class of 2015
- PhilHoF17 Class of 2017
- Pierre Class of 2017
- Søren Class of 2014
- SteinHoF16 Class of 2016
- WoC Class of 2020
Only two more UMR Hall of Famers to interview…our latest honorees…Mike and Taylor.
A lot of the personal information that Steve gives in WH’s comprehensive and well-planned interview is new to me and the big surprise is that Stevie is no longer fascinated by the Oscars. A famous oft-repeated movie line is “We’ll always have Paris.”
Well maybe Steve and I will always have it in common that we caught-on what a farce the Oscars are and that in doing so we both illustrated the truth in Uncle Abe’s famous saying that “You can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”
I suppose that for me the curtain was really permanently brought down on the Academy Awards for all practical purposes when the greatest Oscar winner of all-time turned down his Oscar back in 1973! If HE had lost faith in them, then how could an ordinary mortal such as I continue to give them credibility?
I was pleased to see that Steve and I share a lot of idols apart from Chuck such as The Duke/Jimmy Stewart/Al Leach/ Brando/Elvis (whose singing I too like) and Bruce Willis.
I was surprised that Jace wasn’t mentioned though, and I thought to myself “D**n – I won’t be able to keep repeating with the same gusto my best Statham jokes in future posts to Steve.” [though that concern is perhaps a bit academic at the moment].
Hey Bob…..for part 2. When Steve bailed on the Oscars last year….it made the show less interesting to watch….it was a fun activity getting Steve’s thoughts on winners and losers….but I could understand why he decided not to stay up all night. Lack of fun is a big reason, he and so many others, have bailed on the show. I was equally glad to see Bruce Willis show up in his comment. Good stuff….I will have to comment on parts 3 and 4 later as I am headed out the door.
“Getting to know Steve Lensman” Hey! I already knew that guy- but it was a long time ago. He was the one who used to join me in griping about The Work Horse going AWOL on this site every other week.
Next time -and there WILL be a next time– that WH takes a powder on us I will be the only one with the moral authority to complain about it!!; though I am certain that Flora quietly misses him during his absences just as she clearly does Steve.
Many fine stories to savour in the exchanges between the Big 2 of the Cogerson/Lensman sites. I had immediate empathy with Steve’s recounting his fears about his ex. getting him into trouble by confronting nuisances in movies houses.
As is well known N Ireland has had a lot of sectarian problems in the past and one evening my wife and I were walking into Belfast to visit a cinema when rival sectarian mobs on either side of the road started throwing stones at each other and one hit W o Bob on the foot.
She grabbed it and charged across the road brandishing it at the culprits; so that I had to quickly grab her and drag back on our journey into the city. It was either that or book an ambulance for the pair of us!
Hey Bob….yes sadly…that time will come….actually as August gets here…school stuff is starting to pop up on my schedule. My second career is about to start it’s 8th year. I did 22 years in the grocery business…..hard to believe that I have already done over 33% of that as a teacher.
Thanks for checking out our latest UMR HoF interview….that is now 16 of them. I check those out every now and then. Good story on WoB. WoC does not really do that….but she will leave if something like that is bothering her. Good stuff.
Great Steve interview. Many enlightening tidbits. Favorites would be the ape looking through the window, that Thor is Steve and all the great movies listed. I look forward to my interview.
Hey Taylor…..thanks for checking out Steve’s interview. I also liked his story about Kong invading his brain. I have the same thing…only it is Michael Meyers from Halloween 2. In that one there is a scene that shows a nurse driving to a hospital….when she gets out of the car….the side mirror shows that Meyers was in the car the whole time. That image of Mike in the mirror has stayed with me forever! Good comment.
So glad to hear from Steve again. I knew you were taking a break from videos, but not for how long. I check into youtube daily anyway, so when and if you ever do I will know right away. I am happy to hear you are okay since you have not been checking in to Bruce’s site.
I spend a lot of time reading too – mysteries which I didn’t have the time to do before the pandemic hit and brought the Chilliwack Symphony to a halt. We are supposed to start up again in September and rehearsing will take up a lot of time.
We do share some favourites like Hitchcock, Bogart, Cary Grant, Judy Garland and Grace Kelly.
Again, I am thrilled that you are doing well.
Hey Flora. Thanks for checking out our latest UMR Hall of Famer interview. It sounds like Steve is enjoying his break. I told him that we are on opposite ends…..he is on a break…while I am going full throttle on UMR. When he plans on coming back…I will be scaling down as school gets going again.
Not sure why it took so long to get this one done…..but it was worth the wait. For those curious what Steve has been doing the last three months…you will find your answer in the interview.