MEDIA HORDE
Alison Lohman
The guide to how entertainers entertain themselves.
This month: The sultry costar of Things We Lost in the Fire and Beowulf.

“I was blown away
by the campiness
of This Is Spin¨al Tap
when I was younger.
I understood
that it was really
mocking, even
though I didn’t
know anything
about metal. My
boyfriend in high
school listened
to Metallica all
the time. I could
never get into it,
but I liked him, so
I put up with it.”

“I use music for
acting. On the
set of Things
We Lost in the
Fire, I listened
to Charlotte
Gainsbourg’s
⁵: ⁵⁵ a lot. It’s not
always the words
that draw me to
music. Sometimes
it’s the mood. That
record puts me
in a melancholy
good mood. It’s
so languid—I
listen to it, and I
want to be in the
bathtub having a
glass of wine.”

“I watch Wild
at Heart at least
once a year.
Nicolas Cage and
Laura Dern are on
another planet,
and David Lynch
has a really distinct
style. He creates
his own world.”

“I saw The
Postman Always
Rings Twice when
I was in a Jessica
Lange phase.
In every movie
relationship she
has, there’s a
tension—usually
sexual—and you
just believe her.”

“I would
recommend The
Blue Planet to
anyone. It’s a series
of documentaries
about different
animals and
ecosystems
from around the
world. I’m a big
advocate for the
environment. I
give to Greenpeace
every month. I
want Al Gore to
run for president
again—his stance
is definitely
needed.”

“I listen to
‘Democracy Now!’
in the morning,
so that’s probably
my main source
of news, but I’m
home to watch
The Daily Show
every night. Jon
Stewart is so
good. He’s right
on the mark about
everything, and
the people he has
on the show are
smart. I’d probably
be intimidated
to meet him.”

“I read Kurt
Vonnegut’s Mother
Night when I was
¹⁵, and it was the
first book I’d read
that had a dark,
satirical side. There
was something
slightly off about
it. I used to read
a lot and let my
imagination go.
I used to use my
imagination more.
I think the older
you get, the less
you let things hit
you. I need to read
more Vonnegut.”