Screentime: Gus Tate, Comedian, Manager of Smart Air

"Screentime" is a regular magazine column in which we ask Beijing personalities to tell us about the films and television shows that have left an indelible impression on them. This month, Mr. Smart Air Filters himself: Gus Tate.

What’s the TV series or movie that you haven’t been able to find on DVD?
I once went looking for the DVD box set of VH1's The Pickup Artist for a friend, but it is nowhere to be found in DVD form. For those that haven't heard of it, it's an elimination style reality show where "romantically hopeless" guys are trained by "master pickup artists" to complete an escalating series of challenges ("get someone's number," "kiss a girl," "get her to leave the club with you") filmed by hidden cameras. Nobody believes me when I tell them, but it's incredibly entertaining.

What line from a movie/TV show do you quote the most?
In the outtakes from Liar Liar the prosecuting attorney says, "I object!" and Jim Carrey says "You would!" I don't know why but I find myself saying it all the time. "I might get an order of chicken wings." "You would!"

What’s your favorite sequel?
Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls. I still have to put on a fresh pair of pants every time I watch the mechanical rhino scene.

What’s the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?
The Shining. I read somewhere that Stanley Kubrick intentionally used twins that weren't quite identical, because he thought the resulting cognitive dissonance would be more unnerving. He was right.

What TV network would you like to blow up?
I'm going to take "blow up" to mean literally explode, not "gain popularity", so I'm going to say E! or whatever network it is that makes reality series like Real Housewives. The fact that those shows even exist, let alone are so popular, is infuriating.

What movie can you recite the most lines from?
Probably Ghostbusters. I watched it so many times as a child before I even knew what the words meant. "Dogs and cats, living together: mass hysteria!" "I collect spores, molds, and fungus." "Back off man, I'm a scientist."

Are you a rewatcher of films? Why?
Yes, some movies I can watch over and over, and strangely it seems independent of how "good" a movie is. For instance, I can rewatch The Shawshank Redemption over and over because of some mysterious satisfying quality, but The Rock (with Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery) gives me that same feeling. No idea why.

Catch Gus onstage Wednesday nights at Hot Cat Club or at a DIY air filter workshop. check out smartairfilters.com for more information.