Thanks to my friend, Howard, I am now able to post pictures as well. I warn you, this is like giving a monkey a gun.
THIS IS A TEST TO SEE IF YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A BIG STUDIO EXECUTIVE
You have a movie called HOLLYWOODLAND about the life of TV Superman, George Reeves (picture on the left). You see the picture on the right of Ben Affleck and say, "Yes, of all the actors out there this is the one guy who can play him." You're asked, "why?" This is where it gets tough. Do you say...?
"He looks just like the guy in the other picture."
or...
"He's our greatest living actor who can play anyone."
or...
"We're not hiring Ben Affleck, you idiot, we're hiring Diane Lane."
13 comments :
Jim Carrey was attached to this for awhile. I can't help thinking that would have been more painful for everyone. Also, Ben Affleck gained a lot of weight for the role. I guess this is his Raging Bull.
More pictures!
"We have to hire Ben Affleck--he's the only A-list actor willing to wear his fruit-of-the-looms over his tights."
"Superman was kinda cheesy back then, so Ben was the obvious choice."
"He already had his own cape."
Waaay back months ago I solved several Superman continuity problems for you in these comments.
This is really asking too much.
Scoff if you must, but look at it this way: at least it's not Russell Crowe.
Ben Affleck is really hot and laughs at his own celebrity, which makes him even hotter. That's all I need.
I'd be a horrible casting director.
As much fun as it is to pre-judge Ben's performance in this movie, which by the way, is about the death of George Reeves, not his life, I think I'd wait until I've seen it, and then post-judge his performance when I actually know what I'm talking about. It's even remotely possible Ben will be good. And, at worst, you get to see him die. At least they didn't use Kevin Spacey.
So just who would you have cast as George?
First off, let me say I am very curious to see this movie. I read the book about Reeves' death, and love anything about LA in the 50's. And if in fact Ben Affleck is good I will be the FIRST to go on my blog and say so.
But my problem is that Ben Affleck brings a slickness to his persona that George Reeves didn't appear to have. If he were slicker he probably would not have been in the pickle he found himself in.
Who could play him? I dunno. Off the top of my head -- Tom Vericho, Ron Livingstone, the hunky guy from CSI, the lead from BONES. He doesn't have to be great but at the same time you have to buy into the movie and not be thinking all throughout the movie, "well, he's not as good as he was in CHASING AMY but he's better than he was in REINDEER GAMES and certainly better than PEARL HARBOR..."
Which book? "Hollywood Kryptonite" or "Speeding Bullet"? Because they come to radically different conclusions about who dunnit, though both agree it was not suicide. "Hollywood Kryptonite" is the less reliable, as it contains numerous factual errors.
I also intend to see this opening day. I hope it will be good, but I don't have high hopes.
I vividly recall my dad gently breaking the news of Reeves's death to me. I was 9. Dad was worried I'd be traumatized by the death of my favorite TV star, but he couldn't really disguise his disgust as he said that Reeves had shot himself because he was typecast. Even the LA Times, in yesterday's article on the movie, blithely restated the erroneous "Fact" that he'd killed himself over typecasting, revealing only that they knew really nothing of the actual circumstances.
i had the honor to play with harry "the hipster" gibson for many years. he was aside from being funny and writing some of the most off the wall songs that dr. demento keeps alive was also the best piano man i've ever seen. he played for all the greats, including billie holiday. he adored her. when he found out that they had cast diana ross to play his beloved "lady day" in lady sings the blues he was outraged. he said it was the same as casting olivia newton john as janis joplin. we'll see, ben might surprise us all. i'm expecting netflix action on this one though.
Anything remotely about Superman is all I need to get me there... Ben? Well... I was a very sad child when George Reeves died, but, I fine actor, he wasn't... casting seems perfect to me!
"And if in fact Ben Affleck is good I will be the FIRST to go on my blog and say so."
And how could you possibly be the SECOND to go on your blog and say so?
But I loved the monkey line: When I first figured out how to post an illustration I was geeked for a week.
Perhaps they hired Ben on the strength of his previous superhero performance as Daredevil.
Ok, that was mean. I actually like Ben Affleck most of the time, although, I have to wonder what possessed him to make Reindeer Games which ranks with The Avengers at the top of my Worst Movies of All Time list.
I'm sure that someone used nasty blackmail photos to coerce all of the actors and actresses to sign for those two movies. Surely Sean Connery did not think that ranting as the evil genius baddie while costumed as a humongous toy teddy bear was a stunning career move.
It probably was neither a disgruntled lover OR himself that was responsible for George Reeeves' death; it was the thought that someday he was going to be portrayed by an actor that had been in such bombs as "Gigli" and "Surviving Christmas"...
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