Here's something you might be interested in.
The Reader had a movie screening for Tropic Thunder, which I snuck into. I was glad I did, too. It was good, but not great. And those are the movies you don't want to drop $22 to see.
When I left the theatre a young reporter, I believe from 93.3 FM, asked me what I thought of the movie, and what I thought of the controversy. I asked, "What controversy?" She told me some groups were upset about the way they portrayed mentally retarded characters, or some such thing.
I laughed. Because, in the movie Ben Stiller plays an actor, that is upset he got bad reviews (and no Oscar nomination) for playing a retarded guy in a movie called "Simple Jack."
And, Robert Downey, Jr. plays a method actor that stays in character, even when not shooting, until the final scene is done. He has a skin graft, to make his skin look like he's an African-American. Downey tells Stiller "The reason you didn't get an Oscar nomination, is...you went full retard. You never go full retard. I mean, Dustin Hoffman in Rainman. He was autistic. A savant. Great with numbers. Not full retard. Forrest Gump. He was slow. But not a complete retard. Another Oscar for him. Sean Penn in I Am Sam. Full retard. No Oscar."
When they show clips for Simple Jack, Stiller is clearly overacting.
Now to me, this shows actors in a bad light. Not the mentally retarded. If groups are going to complain, wouldn't they have a bigger complaint with Ben Stiller's comedy "There's Something About Mary"? That had a character that was supposed to be retarded, and they made jokes at his expense.
But when it comes to movies/comedies, I think all that goes out the window.
On one of the news stations today, I heard that some African-Americans were upset by Downey's character. He talks in an urban slang. And as I mentioned, had a skin thing so he can look black.
But, the NAACP surprised me. They viewed the film and had no problem with it. Which is good.
There's a real African-American actor in the movie, who plays a rapper turned actor, who always gives Downey a hard time for the phrases he uses....like when Ben Stiller has his hands blown off, and he says "Ain't nothin' but a thang."
The movie just shows how ridiculous actors get, especially when they dissect their craft and go into detail about what it takes to get into character.
I heard that Tropic Thunder just beat out Dark Knight this weekend. Every time I hear that title...Tropic Thunder...I think of that bad Will Ferrell movie "Semi Pro." Their team was called the Flint Tropics.
I think it's a strange coincidence that the movie that beats out Dark Knight has Tom Cruise in it. And, his wife didn't return for her part in the Batman series.
The Reader had a movie screening for Tropic Thunder, which I snuck into. I was glad I did, too. It was good, but not great. And those are the movies you don't want to drop $22 to see.
When I left the theatre a young reporter, I believe from 93.3 FM, asked me what I thought of the movie, and what I thought of the controversy. I asked, "What controversy?" She told me some groups were upset about the way they portrayed mentally retarded characters, or some such thing.
I laughed. Because, in the movie Ben Stiller plays an actor, that is upset he got bad reviews (and no Oscar nomination) for playing a retarded guy in a movie called "Simple Jack."
And, Robert Downey, Jr. plays a method actor that stays in character, even when not shooting, until the final scene is done. He has a skin graft, to make his skin look like he's an African-American. Downey tells Stiller "The reason you didn't get an Oscar nomination, is...you went full retard. You never go full retard. I mean, Dustin Hoffman in Rainman. He was autistic. A savant. Great with numbers. Not full retard. Forrest Gump. He was slow. But not a complete retard. Another Oscar for him. Sean Penn in I Am Sam. Full retard. No Oscar."
When they show clips for Simple Jack, Stiller is clearly overacting.
Now to me, this shows actors in a bad light. Not the mentally retarded. If groups are going to complain, wouldn't they have a bigger complaint with Ben Stiller's comedy "There's Something About Mary"? That had a character that was supposed to be retarded, and they made jokes at his expense.
But when it comes to movies/comedies, I think all that goes out the window.
On one of the news stations today, I heard that some African-Americans were upset by Downey's character. He talks in an urban slang. And as I mentioned, had a skin thing so he can look black.
But, the NAACP surprised me. They viewed the film and had no problem with it. Which is good.
There's a real African-American actor in the movie, who plays a rapper turned actor, who always gives Downey a hard time for the phrases he uses....like when Ben Stiller has his hands blown off, and he says "Ain't nothin' but a thang."
The movie just shows how ridiculous actors get, especially when they dissect their craft and go into detail about what it takes to get into character.
I heard that Tropic Thunder just beat out Dark Knight this weekend. Every time I hear that title...Tropic Thunder...I think of that bad Will Ferrell movie "Semi Pro." Their team was called the Flint Tropics.
I think it's a strange coincidence that the movie that beats out Dark Knight has Tom Cruise in it. And, his wife didn't return for her part in the Batman series.