Saturday, January 19, 2013

Weekend Weigh-in: Whose Film Career Would You Like to See Revived?

This week saw the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leading man in an action movie, plus the introduction of our own film physician (filmsician), Doc Hollywood. Resurrecting careers is on our minds.

With that in mind, whose career -- actors, directors, craft services -- would you revive if you could? Maybe it's someone who used to do interesting work, but has gotten lazy and boring and terrible (cough Tim Burton gothcough). Maybe it's just someone who doesn't get the opportunities he or she once got. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, people.

21 comments:

  1. How about Jane Curtin and Kristen Johnston? (Why yes, I did just watch reruns of 3rd Rock from the Sun)

    Also, Brian Henson and Frank Oz! I want puppets back in my sci-fi and fantasy, dammit!

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    1. Were you a fan of Farscape? Lots of puppets and Brian Henson there.

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  2. Like the sequel/remake argument, I feel this is a tricky thing. Some actors, directors, etc. I feel faded into obsurity or have worked less simply because they aren't very good. Either that, or they are capable of good things, but have just chosen crap projects for a lengthy period of time, so they have been working, but it's just not noteworthy enough.

    I made a list, but my list doesn't necesarily include all people who need a "resurrection" as much as they just need to chose better projects. It's a combination of both.

    For actors, the three that come to mind are Kurt Russel, Kevin Costner and Micheal Keaton.

    Maybe I'm just deaf to it, but I don't feel like I hear their names thrown around as often as I once did. I also don't think any of them are the worst. Maybe they could all use more high-profile work. If I'm not mistaken, both Costner and Russel were cast at different times in Django Unchained. It's a shame neither of them stayed on. It would have done their careers some good, I think.

    As far as directors, I would be interested to see more work from Paul Verhoeven and Peter Weir. I don't think either has faded into obscurity or anything, but I would just like to see them work more. I like Robocop, Total Recall and Starship Troopers from Verhoeven and Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show and Master and Commander from Weir. However, I don't think either director has made anything truly great since those movies. I know they have it in them. Also, how about John McTiernan? He directed some of the best action movies of all time.

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    1. I should also say that in the case of Peter Weir, I haven't seen The Way Back, which is apparently the most recent movie he made. Perhaps I should check that out.

      Looking back at my list, I don't know if I answered your question accurately as much as I answered the question "who would you like to see work more?" There's probably a difference. I'm sorry.

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    2. Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner left "Django Unchained" because Tarantino shortened their henchmen roles and then combined three of the characters into the role Walton Goggins now plays.

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    3. Interesting. I didn't know the story behind that. You learn something new everyday.

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  3. The first name that popped into my head was Fred Dekker. "The Monster Squad" and "Night of the Creeps" are more appreciated now then when they came out. I know his career as a director came to an abrupt end because of "Robocop 3", and I don't know how much blame can be really laid at his feet. By most accounts, production of that movie was a disaster. His only writing credits since then have been a handful of "Star Trek: Enterprise". I wish he would do more stuff.

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    1. GREAT call on Fred Dekker. I'm bummed out that we never got to see more from him.

      I realized recently that he has a "story by" credit on If Looks Could Kill. That guy could turn anything into gold.

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    2. Whenever I think of "Monster Squad" and "Night of the Creeps" I absolutely would like to see Dekker back directing something. Then I remember "Robocop 3" and I think 'Fuck him, he hasn't suffered enough.' I'm surprised Dekker hasn't ended up directing hour-long dramas on broadcast or cable TV, which is where many a talented movie director ends up making a living ("First Blood's" Ted Kotcheff, "Heather's" Michael Lehman, etc.)

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  4. Though he does get work, I'd like to see Anthony Michael Hall get more, and bigger, roles.

    And, ever since "An Inconvenient Truth", I've really wanted to see Al Gore play at least a supporting role in some thriller-type movie. He could be the classic police chief type who barks "you're outta line! One more false step, and I'll have your badge!" I mean, the dude's got one badass voice.

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    1. Welcome, Gaith! Were you a fan of the Dead Zone TV series? I never watched it.

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    2. Thanks! No, I never watched it either. "Early Edition" was my teen years' time-warp show, and I would've nominated its star Kyle Chandler for this question, but his career's really taken off since PJ's "Kong", so he's doing just fine.

      Anyhow, love the podcast... and am waiting for a John Hughes ep! :)

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  5. For directors, I would like to see more work from John Badham. After a solid run with such hits as "Saturday Night Fever", "WarGames" and "Short Circuit", he started to relegate more into helming episodes of television shows these days. I want to see Badham go back into feature films for a few more years and see what he has on his belt.

    For actors, I want to see Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio come back to the fold. After watching her in "The Abyss" and "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", I checked her filmography and she has basically barely appeared in anything noteworthy following "The Perfect Storm". I want casting agents to get her a better movie to pick from stat!

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    1. MEM was awesome in the thankless role of police captain on the next-to-last season of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," a supporting part where she more than held her own opposite Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows. If you'd like to see the best work MEM has done in years (though limited to supporting role status) check out Season 9 of "Criminal Intent" (2010).

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  6. I'm not the only one who's said this, but why doesn't Michael Keaton get more work?

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    1. Michael Keaton was on Marc Maron's WTF podcast recently and he pretty much said that he got tired of doing movies and didn't like anything he was being offered so he just stopped. He's going to be in the new Robocop and he directed a movie, but he seems pretty jaded with the system. I came away from it with a ton of respect for the man. he didn't want to start repeating himself and he wasn't inspired by what he was being offered. He certainly doesn't need the money (He's BATMAN!), but I agree, I miss him too.

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  7. Just watched Easy Rider for the first time and I like Peter Fonda. I could do with seeing him in more movies.

    I also watched Vanishing Point on the same day not realising that the are basically the exact same movie. Weird.

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    1. I have been jonesing to watch Vanishing Point for the last week. The bugs you planted are working, I see.

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    2. I picked it up after coming across it in its DVD re-release under the "Cult Classics" banner the day after watching Death Proof. The ending shocked and surprised me, which has kept an otherwise average/good movie ringing around my head ever since.

      Same day I came across "Shoot Django, Shoot First". Yet to watch that one, but it looks dirty and bad and beautiful as all hell.

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  8. in honor of the Rocketeer coming up on 2/2, I say Timothy Dalton. Underrated James Bond, mostly invisible these days.

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  9. Actor-wise I think Saffron Burrows hasn't been given enough meaty roles since "Deep Blue Sea" except for "The Guitar" (the poster is better-known than the actual flick) and "The Bank Job." She's had steady work but I don't think she's bad in anything she's done and deserves another crack at the starring roles.

    Directing-wise, Christopher McQuarrie (who is never short of writing/producing gigs) has more than earned his directorial stripes with last year's surprisingly good "Jack Reacher." Rumor mill says he's Cruise's pick to direct "Mission: Impossible 5." McQuarrie doesn't need career revival as much as all the push and support needed to not let the stink over the underperformance of "Jack Reacher" sidetrack a promising directorial career before it has a chance to flourish. Just ask Andrew Stanton what a single box office dud (last year's "John Carter") can do to your directorial reputation after a string of Pixar hits.

    Oh, and my new-to-me movie for Saturday, 1-19-13:

    Jacques Tati's directorial debut, 1949's JOUR DE FETE: http://www.dvdverdict.com/juryroom/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=6028#p74511 .

    My seven-word review for "Jour de Fete": 'Steve Martin? Tati's trust lawyers on 5.'

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