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Post by pupdurcs on Jul 10, 2021 13:20:55 GMT
therealcomicman117Yeah, what the Wayans Family has managed to achieve as a "brand" is low-key phenomenal and probably one of the most underrated Hollywood success stories ever. I don't like everything they do, and as you say, they tend to aim pretty low ....but when they are funny, they are very funny!Ahhh...sorry I got in the way of your write up! Looking forward to when you repost your Diane Lane write-up.
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Post by pupdurcs on Jul 10, 2021 15:57:30 GMT
The Wayans FamilyGenre: Comedy I deliberated whether to do this write up about an individual member of this family of entertainers, but decided that ultimately their legacy seems more tied to being seen as a family/group of entertainers, more than any one individual in that family. This group of mostly comic Afro-American actors, stand-ups and filmmakers. This dynasty first started rising to prominence in the 80's with older brothers Keenen and Damon finding success in TV and films. Damon first appeared in a small role in Beverly Hills Cop, then went on to do a year on Saturday Night Live before becoming a regular on the iconic Black sketch show In Living Color, created by brother Keenan. Damon had a prolific career a film comedy actor in films like Mo' Money, The Last Boy Scout, The Great White Hype and as the lead in Spike Lee's biting satire Bamboozled. Keenen was more often seen as the "brains" behind the Wayans operation, often doing much of the writing, producing and directing of projects that involved the family. While Keenen was less prolific in front of the camera than his brothers, he did star in several successful cult comedies like Hollywood Shuffle, Low Down Dirty Shame and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.Two younger brothers, Marlon and Shawn came to prominence in the 90s. Both co-starred as the leads in the very successful spoof film about black ghetto/hood movies , Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood. They then went on to create and star in the phenomenally successful spoof series of Scary Movie that ran for 5 movies. They also starred together in White Chicks. Now their appears to be a new generation of Wayans Family members making waves in the comedy scene like Damon s son Damon Jr , who has starred in a number of successful sitcoms like Happy Endings and New Girl. It feels like this unstoppable, innovative and influential comedy dynasty might just go on forever in Hollywood! Trailer for I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Clip from Mo' Money Trailer for Bamboozled Trailer for Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood Trailer to Scary Movie Awesome write-up on The Wayans Family and you made the right call on including them all together. Ultimately the family is their legacy and the groundbreaking stuff they were able to do in Hollywood in the Comedy genre should be celebrated. Yeah, it's a great story how this family basically rose from nothing and had the talent to be such a dominant force in film and TV comedy for the better part of 30 years. Along the way they also helped bring up a lot of great African American comedy talent. Guys like Chris Rock and Bernie Mac had early roles in their movies that undoubtedly helped their rise to stardom.
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sirchuck23
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Post by sirchuck23 on Jul 10, 2021 17:44:19 GMT
Awesome write-up on The Wayans Family and you made the right call on including them all together. Ultimately the family is their legacy and the groundbreaking stuff they were able to do in Hollywood in the Comedy genre should be celebrated. Yeah, it's a great story how this family basically rose from nothing and had the talent to be such a dominant force in film and TV comedy for the better part of 30 years. Along the way they also helped bring up a lot of great African American comedy talent. Guys like Chris Rock and Bernie Mac had early roles in their movies that undoubtedly helped their rise to stardom. Also hired a comic actor trying to rise the ranks in Hollywood for In Living Color..some guy named James Carrey…who of course with the popularity of the sketch show helped launched his great 90s run.
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Post by pupdurcs on Jul 10, 2021 17:55:05 GMT
Yeah, it's a great story how this family basically rose from nothing and had the talent to be such a dominant force in film and TV comedy for the better part of 30 years. Along the way they also helped bring up a lot of great African American comedy talent. Guys like Chris Rock and Bernie Mac had early roles in their movies that undoubtedly helped their rise to stardom. Also hired a comic actor trying to rise the ranks in Hollywood for In Living Color..some guy named James Carrey…who of course with the popularity of the sketch show helped launched his great 90s run. Shit...yeah, I almost forgot that Keenen Ivory Wayans gave Jim Carey his big break with In Living Color. That's another great feather in the cap for the Wayans Family. I wonder why no one has tried to revive the In Living Color brand? God knows the sketch show format could use a good alternative to Saturday Night Live.
(wonder if someone is "creeped out" right now about us having a conversation about the Wayans family )
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sirchuck23
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Post by sirchuck23 on Jul 10, 2021 18:06:55 GMT
Also hired a comic actor trying to rise the ranks in Hollywood for In Living Color..some guy named James Carrey…who of course with the popularity of the sketch show helped launched his great 90s run. Shit...yeah, I almost forgot that Keenen Ivory Wayans gave Jim Carey his big break with In Living Color. That's another great feather in the cap for the Wayans Family. I wonder why no one has tried to revive the In Living Color brand? God knows the sketch show format could use a good alternative to Saturday Night Live.
(wonder if someone is "creeped out" right now about us having a conversation about the Wayans family ) LOL..Tyler Durden I think Keenan tried to do a reboot of the show back in 2012 but I don’t think Damon and some others were really onboard with the direction of it so they did a pilot and then scrapped it. It would be interesting but I’m not sure what type of comedy they could do in 2021? Obviously the stuff they did back in the 90s got them in trouble with the censors so I can’t even imagine what they could do today.
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Post by pupdurcs on Jul 10, 2021 18:10:48 GMT
Shit...yeah, I almost forgot that Keenen Ivory Wayans gave Jim Carey his big break with In Living Color. That's another great feather in the cap for the Wayans Family. I wonder why no one has tried to revive the In Living Color brand? God knows the sketch show format could use a good alternative to Saturday Night Live.
(wonder if someone is "creeped out" right now about us having a conversation about the Wayans family ) LOL..Tyler Durden Those private DM's are going to be the gift that keeps on giving. LOL! I'll be subliminal about them any chance I get. Can't believe the idiot who posted them thought it made him look good Shame to hear that Keenen 's attempts to revive In Living Color didn't work out, but even if you can't do it like it was in the 90s, the brand still has enough value to try and bring back
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sirchuck23
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Post by sirchuck23 on Jul 10, 2021 18:15:03 GMT
Those private DM's are going to be the gift that keeps on giving. LOL! I'll be subliminal about them any chance I get. Can't believe the idiot who posted them thought it made him look good Right..we better stop though…my split personalities talking to each other is making my head hurt.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 10, 2021 19:00:21 GMT
Shit...yeah, I almost forgot that Keenen Ivory Wayans gave Jim Carey his big break with In Living Color. That's another great feather in the cap for the Wayans Family. I wonder why no one has tried to revive the In Living Color brand? God knows the sketch show format could use a good alternative to Saturday Night Live.
(wonder if someone is "creeped out" right now about us having a conversation about the Wayans family ) LOL..Tyler Durden I think Keenan tried to do a reboot of the show back in 2012 but I don’t think Damon and some others were really onboard with the direction of it so they did a pilot and then scrapped it. It would be interesting but I’m not sure what type of comedy they could do in 2021? Obviously the stuff they did back in the 90s got them in trouble with the censors so I can’t even imagine what they could do today. Given how edgier a lot more TV is today especially compared to the 1990s and with how variety skit shows aren't as popular as they used to be, honestly I feel like something like In Living Color would probably thrive more on a streaming service. At least it could probably get away with a lot more, without having to face some real big censors.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 11, 2021 15:19:18 GMT
Diane Lane:
Genre: Romance
This is part of an ongoing write-up I’m going to do of mid-tier stars.
Actors are only as big as the parts that they’re given. Every actor who dreams of major stardom usually needs at least one role that gets them to the big time. Case in point the career of Diane Lane, once considered one of the biggest potential young starlet type names in the 1980s, she fell into obscurity come the 1990s, but she plotted an unexpected comeback, and she managed to become one of our biggest low-key draws in the process, by appealing mainly to an underappreciated type of moviegoer, older suburban older voters.
The first of these, was also the least successful and seen of the bunch and was before her proper comeback. 1999’s A Walk on The Moon, a bit of an underappreciated film, is in some ways the protocol Diane Lane romance. Older middle-aged women longs for a bit more excitement in her life and winds up on a journey that leads to her falling in love, and rediscovering life in the process, only this one is set against the backdrop of the 1960’s. A Walk on The Moon was followed up with by Unfaithful, the biggest and best of these romances, only this time taking a much darker sex-ridden turn, that led to Lane’s sole Oscar nomination. In this one Lane again plays a bored housewife, only this time she commits adultery with the cute Frenchmen she keeps meeting with. Unfaithful really allows Lane a chance to truly shine, and it’s a testament to her talents that it works well at all.
Unfaithful was followed by 2003’s Under the Tuscan Sun. Unlike Unfaithful, where she co-starred with Richard Gere, the movie was entirely sold on Lane’s shoulders, and it was a commercial success, once and for all proving that she could carry a movie on her own. That was followed up with by the mostly minor romcom Must Love Dogs, and then another reteaming with Richard Gere in Nights in Rodanthe, a Nicolas Sparks weepie adaptation. Even ten years later, and with the dreaded truth of turning 50, and lacking great roles, Lane managed to sneak another in romance films with the Eleanor Coppola directed Paris Can Wait, which on paper, and in title, almost sounds like a parody of those earlier kinds of films.
Diane Lane’s romance run is certainly one of the more bizarre and least discuss under the radar runs for any actor period. She managed to tap into a genuinely underserved audience, and the results were an incredibly loyal audience that has followed her to this day. For an actress of her ilk, it’s incredible that she managed to have that “one big role” at all.
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Post by pupdurcs on Jul 11, 2021 16:19:24 GMT
Diane Lane: Genre: Romance This is part of an ongoing write-up I’m going to do of mid-tier stars. Actors are only as big as the parts that they’re given. Every actor who dreams of major stardom usually needs at least one role that gets them to the big time. Case in point the career of Diane Lane, once considered one of the biggest potential young starlet type names in the 1980s, she fell into obscurity come the 1990s, but she plotted an unexpected comeback, and she managed to become one of our biggest low-key draws in the process, by appealing mainly to an underappreciated type of moviegoer, older suburban older voters. The first of these, was also the least successful and seen of the bunch and was before her proper comeback. 1999’s A Walk on The Moon, a bit of an underappreciated film, is in some ways the protocol Diane Lane romance. Older middle-aged women longs for a bit more excitement in her life and winds up on a journey that leads to her falling in love, and rediscovering life in the process, only this one is set against the backdrop of the 1960’s. A Walk on The Moon was followed up with by Unfaithful, the biggest and best of these romances, only this time taking a much darker sex-ridden turn, that led to Lane’s sole Oscar nomination. In this one Lane again plays a bored housewife, only this time she commits adultery with the cute Frenchmen she keeps meeting with. Unfaithful really allows Lane a chance to truly shine, and it’s a testament to her talents that it works well at all. Unfaithful was followed by 2003’s Under the Tuscan Sun. Unlike Unfaithful, where she co-starred with Richard Gere, the movie was entirely sold on Lane’s shoulders, and it was a commercial success, once and for all proving that she could carry a movie on her own. That was followed up with by the mostly minor romcom Must Love Dogs, and then another reteaming with Richard Gere in Nights in Rodanthe, a Nicolas Sparks weepie adaptation. Even ten years later, and with the dreaded truth of turning 50, and lacking great roles, Lane managed to sneak another in romance films with the Eleanor Coppola directed Paris Can Wait, which on paper, and in title, almost sounds like a parody of those earlier kinds of films. Diane Lane’s romance run is certainly one of the more bizarre and least discuss under the radar runs for any actor period. She managed to tap into a genuinely underserved audience, and the results were an incredibly loyal audience that has followed her to this day. For an actress of her ilk, it’s incredible that she managed to have that “one big role” at all. Great write-up Never really considered that Diane Lane made a real run as a go to middle aged romance lead, but looking at much of her more notable work in middle age, you kind of hit the nail on the head with this take . It should be noted that her later career turn in the genre kind of took her career full circle , as her debut film role was the minor romance classic A Little Romance (which co-starred Laurence Olivier who gets involved in the budding romance of two teenagers).
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 11, 2021 16:39:22 GMT
Diane Lane: Genre: Romance This is part of an ongoing write-up I’m going to do of mid-tier stars. Actors are only as big as the parts that they’re given. Every actor who dreams of major stardom usually needs at least one role that gets them to the big time. Case in point the career of Diane Lane, once considered one of the biggest potential young starlet type names in the 1980s, she fell into obscurity come the 1990s, but she plotted an unexpected comeback, and she managed to become one of our biggest low-key draws in the process, by appealing mainly to an underappreciated type of moviegoer, older suburban older voters. The first of these, was also the least successful and seen of the bunch and was before her proper comeback. 1999’s A Walk on The Moon, a bit of an underappreciated film, is in some ways the protocol Diane Lane romance. Older middle-aged women longs for a bit more excitement in her life and winds up on a journey that leads to her falling in love, and rediscovering life in the process, only this one is set against the backdrop of the 1960’s. A Walk on The Moon was followed up with by Unfaithful, the biggest and best of these romances, only this time taking a much darker sex-ridden turn, that led to Lane’s sole Oscar nomination. In this one Lane again plays a bored housewife, only this time she commits adultery with the cute Frenchmen she keeps meeting with. Unfaithful really allows Lane a chance to truly shine, and it’s a testament to her talents that it works well at all. Unfaithful was followed by 2003’s Under the Tuscan Sun. Unlike Unfaithful, where she co-starred with Richard Gere, the movie was entirely sold on Lane’s shoulders, and it was a commercial success, once and for all proving that she could carry a movie on her own. That was followed up with by the mostly minor romcom Must Love Dogs, and then another reteaming with Richard Gere in Nights in Rodanthe, a Nicolas Sparks weepie adaptation. Even ten years later, and with the dreaded truth of turning 50, and lacking great roles, Lane managed to sneak another in romance films with the Eleanor Coppola directed Paris Can Wait, which on paper, and in title, almost sounds like a parody of those earlier kinds of films. Diane Lane’s romance run is certainly one of the more bizarre and least discuss under the radar runs for any actor period. She managed to tap into a genuinely underserved audience, and the results were an incredibly loyal audience that has followed her to this day. For an actress of her ilk, it’s incredible that she managed to have that “one big role” at all. Great write-up Never really considered that Diane Lane made a real run as a go to middle aged romance lead, but looking at much of her more notable work in middle age, you kind of hit the nail on the head with this take . It should be noted that her later career turn in the genre kind of took her career full circle , as he debut film role was the minor romance classic A Little Romance (which co-starred Laurence Olivier who gets involved in the budding romance of two teenagers). Yeah, it's such an underdiscussed thing, especially when actresses in general struggle for great roles past 40. It speaks to her talent and commitment, that she was able to get a huge following of fans, considering what she had been doing in the industry twenty years up to that point. Of course her debut would be A Little Romance, though I doubt anybody involved with that movie at the time would realize, that later on that could have been the title of Diane Lane's fictious autobiography ( ), but that's the movies for you, I suppose.
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Post by sirchuck23 on Jul 11, 2021 18:13:10 GMT
Great write-up Never really considered that Diane Lane made a real run as a go to middle aged romance lead, but looking at much of her more notable work in middle age, you kind of hit the nail on the head with this take . It should be noted that her later career turn in the genre kind of took her career full circle , as he debut film role was the minor romance classic A Little Romance (which co-starred Laurence Olivier who gets involved in the budding romance of two teenagers). Yeah, it's such an underdiscussed thing, especially when actresses in general struggle for great roles past 40. It speaks to her talent and commitment, that she was able to get a huge following of fans, considering what she had been doing in the industry twenty years up to that point. Of course her debut would be A Little Romance, though I doubt anybody involved with that movie at the time would realize, that later on that could have been the title of Diane Lane's fictious autobiography ( ), but that's the movies for you, I suppose. Great write-up of Lane realcomicman!
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Post by thomasjerome on Jul 13, 2021 18:19:42 GMT
In honor of his second Emmy nomination...
Hugh Grant
Genre: Romantic comedy
Emilia Clarke believes Sam Claflin is the “Next Hugh Grant”. When Daniel Radcliffe made a rom-com, press compared him to Grant just like they always do when someone delivers a good performance in the genre. So many people took notice of Nicholas Hoult’s mannerisms being similar to Grant in “The Great” (and “The Favourite”?), which he didn’t deny and said that it’s possible that he must have influenced him in a way. He took it as a compliment. Kumail Nanjiani is a big fan of his work, in fact, his “Four Weddings” inspired Kumail to pursue a career in showbiz. Sure, maybe it’s Richard Curtis thing but it’s hard to believe Domnhall Gleeson didn’t take any inspiration from Grant in “About Time”. From filmmakers like Danny Boyle and Tarantino to critics like Roger Ebert have all called him the perfect rom-com actor. Ebert even compared him to Jack Nicholson and Chris Walken for his ability to elevate the material. But what really makes him special?
Early in his career, he was a character actor. He was in auteur films (Ivory, Polanski, Russell), biopics (played Byron and Chopin), and some cheap European productions nobody watched. His comic skills were evident even in his dramatic roles, which led him to become a major rom-com star in 1994. Richard Curtis resisted to cast him in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” because he was “too handsome” for the part which he based on his own personality but as everyone else would claim, “no one can play Richard better than Hugh”. Grant established a certain persona with this film; he was nervous, gentle, had some ticks, that floppy hair, but not without sarcastic wit. He was one of the rare movie stars who actually had developed a “Screen persona” just like in old times, which he adapted it into films like “Sense and Sensibility” and his own projects like “Mickey Blue Eyes”. At first, he tried to get away from it; delivering excellent, rather darker performances back to back in “An Awfully Big Adventure”, “Restoration” and “Extreme Measures” which all displayed his range but the general crowd still seemingly interested in seeing him in rom-coms. Why wouldn’t they? Sure, Curtis rom-coms are not everybody’s cup of tea. So Grant’s persona, that “Curtis character” he played different variations of in other classic romantic comedies like “Notting Hill” and “Love Actually” might not be appealing to everyone but they all showed that he has an excellent comic timing, emotional depth with just right amount of charm and screen appeal. His speech in “Love Actually” often gets a mention around the internet. As is his dance.
He loves to improvise and try new lines, which only brings naturalness, that “effortlessness” to his performances. Some might think what he does is easy but it takes a lot of hard work to make it look easy. Any line which would sound corny in those films at the hands of some other actor always sounded natural in Grant’s tone. He just knew how to make it work. He played almost every kind of rom-com character. “Bridget Jones’s Diary” is almost total opposite of “Four Weddings” role. This time, he’s confident in himself, never honest, you can’t find him showing any ticks or bumbling words. He’s charismatic in a way Cary Grant was, but he’s a cad here. “About a Boy” is a performance which shows he has mastered in every aspect of the genre. You find him charming even if he’s flawed and unlike some of his other rom-coms, he brings a lot of dramatic depth and complexity to the part, which also makes it distinctively different than any other role in the genre he got. You buy him as a real person, not some fantasy character in the world of “feel-good’ cinema. He’s not afraid of looking silly, as in “Music & Lyrics” where he also sings and dance in 80s pop star style but he’s too intelligent to know the boundaries, he knows where to stop. He doesn’t take himself seriously but doesn’t want to embarrass himself also. “The Rewrite”, while mostly a dramedy in nature, had some romcom-like moments and you can see he can be effective in a mature romantic comedy as well.
Good taste helped him to pick mostly right materials. Maybe that's why there’s no big hype around him right now as having a “renaissance” or something unlike Matthew McConaughey, cause Matthew’s rom-com choices were pretty awful; I mean, “The Wedding Planner”, “Fool's Gold” and even his best “How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days” are all “bad rom-coms you enjoy” type of films, while many of Grant’s romantic comedies are some of the best of their time and legit modern classics with critical acclaim and some awards recognition. Starting with “Cloud Atlas”, he got back to his character actor roots, delivering brilliant performances back to back on movies (“Florence Foster Jenkins”, "Paddington 2", “The Gentlemen”) and television (“A Very English Scandal”, “The Undoing”). All these roles are wildly different than each other but you could also see why he was such a special rom-com actor while watching them. In “The Undoing”, many people didn’t like the ending. They expected some big twist because just like Nicole Kidman character, audiences couldn’t believe he’d do it. Not realising that’s the magic of a very talented actor. He’s so charming and witty, how could he do such a bad thing, right? In the last episode, he kept shocking the audiences more. It’s great to see him going back to his roots and enjoy doing what he loves most because he claims those type of "character" roles are where he feels most comfortable but his legacy as a romantic comedian is huge and his influence on the genre, his uniqueness as an actor is getting more and more evident in each year.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 21, 2021 15:12:55 GMT
Albert Brooks Genre: Comedy
Honestly, this could also be part of a director’s series, as well, but it’s a general overview of Brooks career, so a bit of a chicken and egg situation.
The best comedians write their own material, even when it comes to films. People like Steve Martin and even Adam Sandler love him or hate it, realized immediately that if they didn’t write screenplays, they could be mostly sent generic run of the mill material that would probably flop. A more interesting example of this is Albert Brooks, former stand-up comedian and frequent Johnny Carson Tonight Show guest star, who got his acting career started properly when he was cast in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Nowadays people don’t really associate with Brooks with comedy, as much as they do a variety of things, but for a while as a director, he was a real critical darling, considered one of the best in the business who managed to mix absurdity with intellectualism. While none of his movies were big hits, though most did respectable business in limited release, his films are considered hugely influential on other filmmakers, and his persona as a nebbish type is immediately imitated. The less problematic west coast Woody Allen is not wrong.
Brooks directed seven movies, starred in another classic (Broadcast News), and co-wrote and starred in another, the surprisingly mawkish and sentimental The Scout. The first of these Real Life is also the most different, being more of a straightforward early example of a mockumentary, but nonetheless still as biting and funny, as any of Albert Brooks films. Brooks followed that with Modern Romance, which is more of a slice of life story with a lot of self-loathing and fourth wall breaking. In some ways it feels like a horror movie disguised as a romantic comedy. Then came Lost in America, which is my favorite of the films he directed and starred in. A zany road trip movie of sorts, where it feels like Brooks is just trying to attack everyone, featuring a scene stealing supporting role from Gary Marshall. Brooks took six years off as a director following that flick, managing to score a plum role in James L. Brooks classic Broadcast News, leading to his sole Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. Brooks followed that film with Defending Your Life, an extremely warm but funny, and much more uplifting look at the afterlife, costarring Meryl Streep.
Unfortunately, that was the end of the era for classic Albert Brooks. His next movie as a director and actor Mother was fun, but even then, you could start to feel the cracks slipping. He would totally lose the plot with 1999’s The Muse, even though he did manage to provide Sharon Stone with a great rare comedic role. Brooks has only made one movie since then, and it’s his only feature in the 21st Century, the extremely problematic sounding Looking for Comedy in The Muslim World. The fact that Brooks has not followed that film up with anything, may speak to the fact that he probably has nothing else to say as a filmmaker, which is probably for the best. He left us with seven features as a director, not all work, but they’re all fascinating in different ways.
As a sole actor however, it’s a completely different story for Albert Brooks. He has shifted from more comedic supporting roles to darker more dramatic turns like in Drive, and Will Smith’s Concussion. His career as a director / writer / star may be over, but the beginning of Brooks more respected veteran run has probably only begun. Still, we can look back on those earlier overtly funny features with glee and see where some of the directorial and writing influences came from. Modern Romance even seems to have a thing or two on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, too.
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Post by pupdurcs on Jul 21, 2021 19:41:36 GMT
Albert BrooksGenre: ComedyHonestly, this could also be part of a director’s series, as well, but it’s a general overview of Brooks career, so a bit of a chicken and egg situation. The best comedians write their own material, even when it comes to films. People like Steve Martin and even Adam Sandler love him or hate it, realized immediately that if they didn’t write screenplays, they could be mostly sent generic run of the mill material that would probably flop. A more interesting example of this is Albert Brooks, former stand-up comedian and frequent Johnny Carson Tonight Show guest star, who got his acting career started properly when he was cast in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Nowadays people don’t really associate with Brooks with comedy, as much as they do a variety of things, but for a while as a director, he was a real critical darling, considered one of the best in the business who managed to mix absurdity with intellectualism. While none of his movies were big hits, though most did respectable business in limited release, his films are considered hugely influential on other filmmakers, and his persona as a nebbish type is immediately imitated. The less problematic west coast Woody Allen is not wrong. Brooks directed seven movies, starred in another classic ( Broadcast News), and co-wrote and starred in another, the surprisingly mawkish and sentimental The Scout. The first of these Real Life is also the most different, being more of a straightforward early example of a mockumentary, but nonetheless still as biting and funny, as any of Albert Brooks films. Brooks followed that with Modern Romance, which is more of a slice of life story with a lot of self-loathing and fourth wall breaking. In some ways it feels like a horror movie disguised as a romantic comedy. Then came Lost in America, which is my favorite of the films he directed and starred in. A zany road trip movie of sorts, where it feels like Brooks is just trying to attack everyone, featuring a scene stealing supporting role from Gary Marshall. Brooks took six years off as a director following that flick, managing to score a plum role in James L. Brooks classic Broadcast News, leading to his sole Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. Brooks followed that film with Defending Your Life, an extremely warm but funny, and much more uplifting look at the afterlife, costarring Meryl Streep. Unfortunately, that was the end of the era for classic Albert Brooks. His next movie as a director and actor Mother was fun, but even then, you could start to feel the cracks slipping. He would totally lose the plot with 1999’s The Muse, even though he did manage to provide Sharon Stone with a great rare comedic role. Brooks has only made one movie since then, and it’s his only feature in the 21st Century, the extremely problematic sounding Looking for Comedy in The Muslim World. The fact that Brooks has not followed that film up with anything, may speak to the fact that he probably has nothing else to say as a filmmaker, which is probably for the best. He left us with seven features as a director, not all work, but they’re all fascinating in different ways. As a sole actor however, it’s a completely different story for Albert Brooks. He has shifted from more comedic supporting roles to darker more dramatic turns like in Drive, and Will Smith’s Concussion. His career as a director / writer / star may be over, but the beginning of Brooks more respected veteran run has probably only begun. Still, we can look back on those earlier overtly funny features with glee and see where some of the directorial and writing influences came from. Modern Romance even seems to have a thing or two on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, too. Great write-up . You are right that Brooks could easily fit into a director series. He was a talented comic actor and has become quite an dependable supporting character actor in interesting projects. Broadcast News felt like the peak of his career. Great film and great performance, fully deserving of his Oscar nomination for it.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 21, 2021 21:05:32 GMT
Albert BrooksGenre: ComedyHonestly, this could also be part of a director’s series, as well, but it’s a general overview of Brooks career, so a bit of a chicken and egg situation. The best comedians write their own material, even when it comes to films. People like Steve Martin and even Adam Sandler love him or hate it, realized immediately that if they didn’t write screenplays, they could be mostly sent generic run of the mill material that would probably flop. A more interesting example of this is Albert Brooks, former stand-up comedian and frequent Johnny Carson Tonight Show guest star, who got his acting career started properly when he was cast in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Nowadays people don’t really associate with Brooks with comedy, as much as they do a variety of things, but for a while as a director, he was a real critical darling, considered one of the best in the business who managed to mix absurdity with intellectualism. While none of his movies were big hits, though most did respectable business in limited release, his films are considered hugely influential on other filmmakers, and his persona as a nebbish type is immediately imitated. The less problematic west coast Woody Allen is not wrong. Brooks directed seven movies, starred in another classic ( Broadcast News), and co-wrote and starred in another, the surprisingly mawkish and sentimental The Scout. The first of these Real Life is also the most different, being more of a straightforward early example of a mockumentary, but nonetheless still as biting and funny, as any of Albert Brooks films. Brooks followed that with Modern Romance, which is more of a slice of life story with a lot of self-loathing and fourth wall breaking. In some ways it feels like a horror movie disguised as a romantic comedy. Then came Lost in America, which is my favorite of the films he directed and starred in. A zany road trip movie of sorts, where it feels like Brooks is just trying to attack everyone, featuring a scene stealing supporting role from Gary Marshall. Brooks took six years off as a director following that flick, managing to score a plum role in James L. Brooks classic Broadcast News, leading to his sole Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. Brooks followed that film with Defending Your Life, an extremely warm but funny, and much more uplifting look at the afterlife, costarring Meryl Streep. Unfortunately, that was the end of the era for classic Albert Brooks. His next movie as a director and actor Mother was fun, but even then, you could start to feel the cracks slipping. He would totally lose the plot with 1999’s The Muse, even though he did manage to provide Sharon Stone with a great rare comedic role. Brooks has only made one movie since then, and it’s his only feature in the 21st Century, the extremely problematic sounding Looking for Comedy in The Muslim World. The fact that Brooks has not followed that film up with anything, may speak to the fact that he probably has nothing else to say as a filmmaker, which is probably for the best. He left us with seven features as a director, not all work, but they’re all fascinating in different ways. As a sole actor however, it’s a completely different story for Albert Brooks. He has shifted from more comedic supporting roles to darker more dramatic turns like in Drive, and Will Smith’s Concussion. His career as a director / writer / star may be over, but the beginning of Brooks more respected veteran run has probably only begun. Still, we can look back on those earlier overtly funny features with glee and see where some of the directorial and writing influences came from. Modern Romance even seems to have a thing or two on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, too. Great write-up . You are right that Brooks could easily fit into a director series. He was a talented comic actor and has become quite an dependable supporting character actor in interesting projects. Broadcast News felt like the peak of his career. Great film and great performance, fully deserving of his Oscar nomination for it. He's one of the first people I think of, when the term "smart comedy!" comes to mind. His movies are all over the place in many ways, but the dude is incredibly relatable as a performer, and he's among the best at depicting self-loathing on screen.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Jul 26, 2021 16:02:36 GMT
Jason Statham Genre: Action This is more of a recent write-up and Statham is hardly a thespian, but the dude’s been working in movies for twenty years now and is a "name", so I thought it was only fair.
Jason Statham, a true “Englishman” has been around for a very long time, but it feels like his proper career has only truly begun. He’s had a hell of a run as a diver, a fashion model, and now an action star. Prior to his involvement with The Fast & The Furious franchise, he was literally one of the last traditional “grindhouse / B movie style action stars”, in the vein of say a Van Damme or a Chuck Norris. None of his movies were huge hits (he became an action star at the tail end of the theatrical market for that kind of junk), and there was diminishing returns, but he thrived on home video when that still mattered, and the man had a genuine following.
He started his career out as being one of Guy Ritchie's original leads, and they’ve since reunited for the mostly good Wrath of Man, but he was given his first proper leading action role with The Transporter. This Luc Besson produced flick, was only a moderate performer in theaters, but sold much better on home video, resulting in two sequels. It established the no-nonsense tough-guy action persona, that Statham has continued to play this day to varying degrees of difference. Sometimes even sending himself up in a hysterical way, like his turn in Spy, or playing things a bit more by the books, like in the mostly very entertaining less actiony heist flick The Bank Job, but when Statham needs to play a true straightforward badass, he’s more than still up to the task. The Crank movies are good examples of this, as they combine kinetic editing with Statham’s own abilities as a performer, to deliver one hell of an experience. While his turns in films like Safe, The Mechanic and Death Race Remakes, and Homefront, are very reminiscent of the sort of the action crap, that say a Chuck Norris would have starred in for Cannon films back in the day.
Statham’s career has certainly had its up and downs, but right now he’s in a bit of a golden period as a movie name. This is thanks largely to The Fast & The Furious franchise, but also the surprise success of The Meg, and the fact that he realized that he needed to take the piss out of himself as an actor. Whatever he does next, be it another collaboration with Guy Ritchie, or that long listed Hobbs & Shaw sequel, I have a feeling he’ll never forgot the more B movie background from which he started his film career, all those years ago. It certainly the type of flick that he was basically born to star in.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Aug 16, 2021 23:34:21 GMT
Kirk Douglas Genre: War Taking a page out of pupdurcs here, but I thought it was time to cover one of his golden-age favorites, and a great actor. The late great Kirk Douglas has done a lot of films over his career including several westerns, and historical epics, but one genre that seems to stick out in his filmography so much is movies set during times of battle. From Paths of Glory, to In Harm’s Way, to The War Wagon, and even The Final Countdown among others, Kirk Douglas appeared to excel in roles as Colonel, or higher-ups giving orders. Being a stage actor originally, and having a significant background, in addition to his booming voice he was perfect for the kind of roles that needed a level of gravitas to make them work. Obviously, Kirk Douglas didn’t start his career in war films, and in fact during the first part of his career he was cast more in melodramas and westerns as the roguish of rogue heroes, but his first proper war film Paths of Glory, is also no doubt his best. An extremely less then gray sided anti-war movie from Stanley Kubrick, this classic casts Kirk Douglas as a general who questions his men about suddenly and surprise attacking an enemy. The movie is superbly directed, but it’s Kirk Douglas’ performance that really brings the films its much needed and complex humanity. It’s a genuinely excellent and harrowing performance. The extent to this performance, and film can be felt to the point where Robert Zemeckis made a tribute to the film with the double-length Tales of the Crypt episode Yellow, which cast Douglas in an older version of his Colonel character from the original, in a similar story about cowardice in the front of the battlefield. And that sums up many of the war flicks that Kirk Douglas’ starred in. Even though he co-starred with John Wayne in The War Wagon and In Harm’s Way, the two were on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of their politics and their movie-making decisions. Whereas John Wayne movies reflected his gung-ho pro-attitude about war etc… The Green Berets, Kirk Douglas movies, especially as a producer, were more often about the terror and complexity of the battle. Cast A Giant Shadow is about the reorganization of Haganah, The Final Countdown is a sci-fi flick about trying to change the fate of Pearl Harbor, and so on. If you wanted a war movie that was both exciting and somehow intellectual, Kirk Douglas was your go-to-guy. Kirk Douglas didn’t go too many war movies, after all he started his film career a year after WWII ended, and he wasn’t the kind of guy who pushed for that kind of propaganda in film, but his demeanor and appearance has left an impression on many people who have seen the few army movies he’s done. Even the image of him wearing a colonel’s outfit, giving marching orders, is permanently stuck in my brain, even if its probably taken heavily out of context. He just gave off that vibe.
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Post by pupdurcs on Aug 17, 2021 6:22:07 GMT
Kirk Douglas Genre: War Taking a page out of pupdurcs here, but I thought it was time to cover one of his golden-age favorites, and a great actor. The late great Kirk Douglas has done a lot of films over his career including several westerns, and historical epics, but one genre that seems to stick out in his filmography so much is movies set during times of battle. From Paths of Glory, to In Harm’s Way, to The War Wagon, and even The Final Countdown among others, Kirk Douglas appeared to excel in roles as Colonel, or higher-ups giving orders. Being a stage actor originally, and having a significant background, in addition to his booming voice he was perfect for the kind of roles that needed a level of gravitas to make them work. Obviously, Kirk Douglas didn’t start his career in war films, and in fact during the first part of his career he was cast more in melodramas and westerns as the roguish of rogue heroes, but his first proper war film Paths of Glory, is also no doubt his best. An extremely less then gray sided anti-war movie from Stanley Kubrick, this classic casts Kirk Douglas as a general who questions his men about suddenly and surprise attacking an enemy. The movie is superbly directed, but it’s Kirk Douglas’ performance that really brings the films its much needed and complex humanity. It’s a genuinely excellent and harrowing performance. The extent to this performance, and film can be felt to the point where Robert Zemeckis made a tribute to the film with the double-length Tales of the Crypt episode Yellow, which cast Douglas in an older version of his Colonel character from the original, in a similar story about cowardice in the front of the battlefield. And that sums up many of the war flicks that Kirk Douglas’ starred in. Even though he co-starred with John Wayne in The War Wagon and In Harm’s Way, the two were on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of their politics and their movie-making decisions. Whereas John Wayne movies reflected his gung-ho pro-attitude about war etc… The Green Berets, Kirk Douglas movies, especially as a producer, were more often about the terror and complexity of the battle. Cast A Giant Shadow is about the reorganization of Haganah, The Final Countdown is a sci-fi flick about trying to change the fate of Pearl Harbor, and so on. If you wanted a war movie that was both exciting and somehow intellectual, Kirk Douglas was your go-to-guy. Kirk Douglas didn’t go too many war movies, after all he started his film career a year after WWII ended, and he wasn’t the kind of guy who pushed for that kind of propaganda in film, but his demeanor and appearance has left an impression on many people who have seen the few army movies he’s done. Even the image of him wearing a colonel’s outfit, giving marching orders, is permanently stuck in my brain, even if its probably taken heavily out of context. He just gave off that vibe. Awesome write-up! (same goes for the Jason Statham one....I've been missing a lot on this site in the last month because of real world commitments, so didn't even realise you'd posted it. My bad). Douglas as Colonel Dax in Paths Of Glory is a seminal performance. A really genuine essay in compassion and humanity, without any mawkishness attached. Douglas himself was such a complicated actor...he played heroes (like Dax and Spartacus, which technically was also a war film) with such humane conviction and villains with such menace and relish, that it's hard to reconcile his ability to portray nobility and avtavistic nastiness were inherent in the same actor. But I guess his complexity as an actor made him well suited for more complicated war (or anti-war) stories like Paths Of Glory.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Aug 17, 2021 13:22:49 GMT
Kirk Douglas Genre: War Taking a page out of pupdurcs here, but I thought it was time to cover one of his golden-age favorites, and a great actor. The late great Kirk Douglas has done a lot of films over his career including several westerns, and historical epics, but one genre that seems to stick out in his filmography so much is movies set during times of battle. From Paths of Glory, to In Harm’s Way, to The War Wagon, and even The Final Countdown among others, Kirk Douglas appeared to excel in roles as Colonel, or higher-ups giving orders. Being a stage actor originally, and having a significant background, in addition to his booming voice he was perfect for the kind of roles that needed a level of gravitas to make them work. Obviously, Kirk Douglas didn’t start his career in war films, and in fact during the first part of his career he was cast more in melodramas and westerns as the roguish of rogue heroes, but his first proper war film Paths of Glory, is also no doubt his best. An extremely less then gray sided anti-war movie from Stanley Kubrick, this classic casts Kirk Douglas as a general who questions his men about suddenly and surprise attacking an enemy. The movie is superbly directed, but it’s Kirk Douglas’ performance that really brings the films its much needed and complex humanity. It’s a genuinely excellent and harrowing performance. The extent to this performance, and film can be felt to the point where Robert Zemeckis made a tribute to the film with the double-length Tales of the Crypt episode Yellow, which cast Douglas in an older version of his Colonel character from the original, in a similar story about cowardice in the front of the battlefield. And that sums up many of the war flicks that Kirk Douglas’ starred in. Even though he co-starred with John Wayne in The War Wagon and In Harm’s Way, the two were on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of their politics and their movie-making decisions. Whereas John Wayne movies reflected his gung-ho pro-attitude about war etc… The Green Berets, Kirk Douglas movies, especially as a producer, were more often about the terror and complexity of the battle. Cast A Giant Shadow is about the reorganization of Haganah, The Final Countdown is a sci-fi flick about trying to change the fate of Pearl Harbor, and so on. If you wanted a war movie that was both exciting and somehow intellectual, Kirk Douglas was your go-to-guy. Kirk Douglas didn’t go too many war movies, after all he started his film career a year after WWII ended, and he wasn’t the kind of guy who pushed for that kind of propaganda in film, but his demeanor and appearance has left an impression on many people who have seen the few army movies he’s done. Even the image of him wearing a colonel’s outfit, giving marching orders, is permanently stuck in my brain, even if its probably taken heavily out of context. He just gave off that vibe. Awesome write-up! (same goes for the Jason Statham one....I've been missing a lot on this site in the last month because of real world commitments, so didn't even realise you'd posted it. My bad). Douglas as Colonel Dax in Paths Of Glory is a seminal performance. A really genuine essay in compassion and humanity, without any mawkishness attached. Douglas himself was such a complicated actor...he played heroes (like Dax and Spartacus, which technically was also a war film) with such humane conviction and villains with such menace and relish, that it's hard to reconcile his ability to portray nobility and avtavistic nastiness were inherent in the same actor. But I guess his complexity as an actor made him well suited for more complicated war (or anti-war) stories like Paths Of Glory. Thanks! I assume you were probably busy, and didn't have time to read my write-ups, and that's fine. Things happen! I could have done westerns for Douglas, he did so many, but I wanted to focus on his handful of war films, as it feels like that and in particular Paths of Glory, was what a lot of filmmakers remember him for most of all. The thing is, is that Douglas was just perfect for those kinds of complicated stories about the violence of humanity, and his own personal politics no doubt played a part in why he felt like a couple of those stories had to be told. It's rather amazing, really.
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Post by hugobolso on Sept 8, 2021 17:40:51 GMT
Libuše Šafránková (1953-2021) Genre Fairy Tales Princess. Probably the best Cinderella in all Cinderella Movies in threes wishe to Cinderella in 1973, as a fiercy proletarian and iron curtain socialist Cinderella. That was her first film after an appareance on TV movie Babrika, I guess also a fairy tale. After the success of this classic movie, she was involve in the lead of several fairy tales and romantic adventures for all the family during all the 70s and early 80s like How to Drown Dr. Mracek, the Lawyer, The Little Mermaid, The Prince and The Evening Star, The Third Prince, the Salt Prince. When the Iron Curtain fell down, she continue in leading femele roles in important czech movies like Academy Award Nominees in Foreign Language My Sweet Little Village (1985) Private School (1991) and and finally Foreign Academy Winner Film Kolya (1996).- She even made a Co-production with Mexico Milagro en Praga.- Unfortunately this beloved (I guess I'm not Czech) actress died on June 9th 2021
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Post by pupdurcs on Nov 14, 2021 15:02:44 GMT
Nicole KidmanGenre: BiopicThe ever prolific Australian actress is one of the most versatile and talented actors of this or any generation (and very arguably the greatest actress working today ). There's barely a genre she hasn't made an impact in. But she has had a lot of success in playing real life characters over the years, most recently playing Gretchen Carlson in Bombshell, which brought her a SAG nomination. In fact, she often tends to get some kind of major awards recognition when taking on real people. Her role as Grace Kelly in the otherwise panned Grace Of Monaco landed her a SAG nomination. Her work as Martha Gellhorn in Hemingway And Gellhorn landed her both Emmy and SAG nods. Her most recent Oscar nomination came for playing a real life mother in Lion. And of course, she won her sole Oscar to date for playing Virgina Woolf in The Hours. Her recent work in Boy Erased was also well recieved. Odds are she'll play a real person again, as the genre has been very good to her. Below, scenes from Kidman in The Hours.
In recognition of Nicole Kidman receiving strong reactions for her turn as Lucille Ball in Being The Ricardos, thought this profile of her work in the Biopic genre deserved a bump. She is clearly one of the very best at it.
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Post by hugobolso on Aug 3, 2022 18:49:51 GMT
Nicole KidmanGenre: BiopicThe ever prolific Australian actress is one of the most versatile and talented actors of this or any generation (and very arguably the greatest actress working today ). There's barely a genre she hasn't made an impact in. But she has had a lot of success in playing real life characters over the years, most recently playing Gretchen Carlson in Bombshell, which brought her a SAG nomination. In fact, she often tends to get some kind of major awards recognition when taking on real people. Her role as Grace Kelly in the otherwise panned Grace Of Monaco landed her a SAG nomination. Her work as Martha Gellhorn in Hemingway And Gellhorn landed her both Emmy and SAG nods. Her most recent Oscar nomination came for playing a real life mother in Lion. And of course, she won her sole Oscar to date for playing Virgina Woolf in The Hours. Her recent work in Boy Erased was also well recieved. Odds are she'll play a real person again, as the genre has been very good to her. Below, scenes from Kidman in The Hours.
In recognition of Nicole Kidman receiving strong reactions for her turn as Lucille Ball in Being The Ricardos, thought this profile of her work in the Biopic genre deserved a bump. She is clearly one of the very best at it. I don't know if she is that good, or is just excellent in promoting her films. The most cunning woman in Hollywood.- After she failed to be Oscar Award Nominations during the 90s, Kidman as a selfmadewoman (despite the fact the she become famous for marryng Tom Cruise) make an intelligent strategic to being nominated for almost everything she makes. And when she is "snub" then appear hundred of fans writting that was an injustice, despite the fact that maybe not just the performance, but mostly the material wasn't good enough to be consider Oscar Worthy.-
She knows exactly what to say when her Oscar nom is danger. Usually applaying to the Republicans voters. quotes like "We must support President Trump" or Lucille Ball Quote about Republicans in her last film.-
Despite all the Weinstein Scandal, that could ruin her career, she gets harmless of it.- not even Meryl Streep get away so easy and without major damages from this.-
People still blame Streep, but none say a worth of Nick. She is a die hard survivor!!!
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Post by SeanJoyce on Feb 19, 2024 20:31:02 GMT
Did you just go through Douglas' filmography and throw this in there because it has the word "war" in it? It's a western and does nothing to support your point. If anything, it makes a greater argument for Douglas' vast contributions to the western genre vs. his sparse entries in the war canon.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Feb 20, 2024 2:10:37 GMT
Did you just go through Douglas' filmography and throw this in there because it has the word "war" in it? It's a western and does nothing to support your point. If anything, it makes a greater argument for Douglas' vast contributions to the western genre vs. his sparse entries in the war canon. Er... you're responding to a post I made like three years ago. I just think I was typing a lot then. The War Wagon isn't a war movie, it's a western, lol, I realized that after.
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