"Sharon Waxman's piece about the end of Used Guys is good, but there may be another reason for its demise: Jim Carrey has gone flakey, to put it mildly. He's been telling everyone who will listen, journalists included, how he's tired of doing the madcap comedy that made him wealthy. More alarmingly, he's been babbling about his fascination with the number 23 -- he's actually making a movie by that name -- and how he thinks it connects with everything in the world. Maybe he's on to something, but maybe he's become just a little too wingy for studios to roll the dice on. Especially since Fun With Dick and Jane did okay but not spectacular numbers." -- Journo pal

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 25, 2006 at 7:45 AM

comment #1

Christopher Lee says ...

Um . . . didn't The Cable Guy star Carrey and Broderick? Did Carrey and Stiller 'not click' behind the scenes?

I could take or leave Carrey, but not wanting to do madcap comedy is pretty normal for famous comedians. Is that "flakey, to put it mildly"?

Is clear, and has been for some time, that Carrey wants an oscar. His best performance so far in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was pretty much ignored by awards ceremonies. I just don't see how this adds up to flakiness - and certainly not by Hollywood standards.

Posted by Christopher Lee at May 25, 2006 8:15 AM

comment #2

Mike Gebert says ...

Unfortunately, his best performance so far, in Eternal Sunshine, demonstrated that he just doesn't have the depth of a great actor. He was pretty good at playing a whiny, somewhat uninteresting middle-aged loser, but that doesn't make you Hamlet. Or Hannibal Lecter, as Robin Williams' repeated attempts at being Super-Creepy Killer Guy have demonstrated.

Posted by Mike Gebert at May 25, 2006 9:18 AM

comment #3

Malone says ...

Gotta go with Mike G. Carrey was the worst thing in Eternal Sunshine, and why on earth would a reamke of Fun With Dick and Jane cost over $100 million? I heard it's because of Carrey and other very indecisive people.

Posted by Malone at May 25, 2006 10:03 AM

comment #4

Andrew says ...

Fun with Dick and Jane cost north of 115 million. After principal photography was done, the studio paid David Koepp millions to write 60 new pages they shot and then never even used.

Posted by Andrew at May 25, 2006 10:43 AM

comment #5

jesse says ...

Carrey's performance in Eternal Sunshine is terrific and subtle and was Oscar-worthy; it just wasn't showy enough to get that kind of attention. How is it the "worst" thing in the movie? What would've been better? (The only reason I can't think of an alternate "worst thing" in the movie is that the movie is pretty close to perfect.)

Movie actors don't need to be "Hamlet" (a weird example considering the differences between film and stage acting). I appreciate range and depth, but not every good actor needs to be a chameleon (or a master of Shakespeare), especially in film.

Posted by jesse at May 25, 2006 11:21 AM

comment #6

Andrew says ...

I agree. Carrey was great in Sunshine. Stop hating.

Posted by Andrew at May 25, 2006 11:35 AM

comment #7

Used Guy says ...

For some reason, Used Guys sounds a little like Earth Girls Are Easy in which Jim Carrey played a kind of alien who pleased ladies. Maybe it's cause he already went to that well.

Posted by Used Guy at May 25, 2006 11:47 AM

comment #8

Daniel Zelter says ...

Am I one of the few people who liked the Dick and Jane remake? (Haven't seen the original, though.) It wasn't worth $100 million, but it was still entertaining. It was a lot more satisfying than The Cable Guy, anyway.

Christopher Lee: His performance in Eternal Sunshine was decent, but the script was still horrible. I hear Man on the Moon and the Truman Show feature his best work, but I didn't bother seeing them.

Malone: I thought Dunst was the worst in that film. She couldn't enunciate her lines properly, and didn't show any emotional depth.

Posted by Daniel Zelter at May 25, 2006 12:05 PM

comment #9

Amy says ...

Carrey was the better thing in Eternal Sunshine, I couldn't understand all the hoopla that sorrounded Winslet when Carrey did a better job and without any kind of histrionics.

Carrey has every right to seek out new material rather than whiny characters. His ability to do madcap made him wealthy, madcap didn't make him wealthy!

Posted by Amy at May 25, 2006 12:08 PM

comment #10

Josh Martin says ...

"More alarmingly, he's been babbling about his fascination with the number 23..."

Oh god, he's gone Discordian. Pack it in, he's finished.

Posted by Josh Martin at May 25, 2006 12:31 PM

comment #11

Mark G. says ...

Maybe Carrey has watched the German movie "23" based on a true story where one of the characters becomes obsessed with the number 23. The movie was released in 1998 and was a midlevel success in Germany back than. It was screened in many festivals, including Toronto, Locarno, Karlovy Vary and Vienna
The IMDB score is 7.4
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126765/

Posted by Mark G. at May 25, 2006 12:32 PM

comment #12

Gabriel says ...

Actually, the man may be onto something with the whole 23 thing. Anyone who has studied bistro mathematics and or/ unfound doors, knows that the two primary mystical numbers of the universe are "42" and "19", which when subtracted...

...I'm just sayin' is all.

Posted by Gabriel at May 25, 2006 12:59 PM

comment #13

Doug says ...

Off the top of my head I can only think of one good big-budget comedy, "Ghostbusters." If the jokes are funny and the people are funny, do we really care about high-tech futuristic sets? My suggestion would be for them to watch "Sleeper." That ought to show them how to knock $20 million off the budget easy.

Posted by Doug at May 25, 2006 3:42 PM

comment #14

Jay says ...

Methinks Jim is reading the Illuminatus Trilogy too much.

Posted by Jay at May 25, 2006 4:22 PM

comment #15

Mike Gebert says ...

"Off the top of my head I can only think of one good big-budget comedy, "Ghostbusters.""

And Doug, I got sad news for you. Watch it at home on video, without the benefit of an audience around you sharing the fun, and it's got two laughs. And you remember both of them (the Sta-Puft man and "Yes, that man has no dick").

Posted by Mike Gebert at May 25, 2006 6:01 PM

comment #16

Edward says ...

I've never understood this claim that Ghostbusters is only funny with an audience. Never fails to entertain me. I still consider it one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Can't say that about anything Jim Carrey has ever done. Two laughs in Ghostbusters? How many are in the Ace Ventura films?

Posted by Edward at May 25, 2006 6:23 PM

comment #17

Mike Gebert says ...

"Two laughs in Ghostbusters? How many are in the Ace Ventura films?"

Let's just say... at least Ghostbusters has TWO!

You know, I'm sure Fun With Dick and Jane was okay, but I was really hoping for a remake of The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox or Harry and Walter Go To New York.

Posted by Mike Gebert at May 25, 2006 7:09 PM

comment #18

Malone says ...

I'll say it again: Carrey was the worst thing in Eternal Sunshine and Dunst was a close second. Winslet should've won the Oscar. Carrey was just too morose and whiny and OTT. Didn't want to spend any time with the character because I was too frustrated with his behavior.

Posted by Malone at May 25, 2006 7:49 PM

comment #19

Daniel Zelter says ...

Mike: I don't really consider Ghostbusters a "ha-ha" type of comedy. But I'll be honest and say I thought the cartoon was cooler.

Malone: Winslet plays a cold-hearted stoner. What's so special about that?

Posted by Daniel Zelter at May 25, 2006 8:18 PM

comment #20

delbomber says ...

Wow, I've never heard anyone trash Ghostbusters, which might just be one of the funniest films ever...dead-pan, underplayed, sardonic wit, with ingeniously esoteric dialogue and Bill Murray at his improvisational best...it's a shame it didn't star Kurt Russell or Jeff might still be pushing it...

Posted by delbomber at May 25, 2006 8:57 PM

comment #21

Duck of Death says ...

Carrey was on Conan promoting "Fun w/ Dick and Jane" and he clearly seemed a little 'flaky', in fact I thought he seemed on the verge of breakdown. He went on about the 'war on christmas'(he beleived that there is one) and how he was gonna go out into the forest and celebrate the lord or something to that effect. He's toast. BTW, Ghostbusters sucks ass.

Posted by Duck of Death at May 25, 2006 11:42 PM

comment #22

Jim Goodwin says ...

Ghostbusters ROCKS! Jim Carrey may be a freak, go nuts on him, leave Venkman and co. out of it.

Posted by Jim Goodwin at May 26, 2006 4:40 AM

comment #23

Dave Polands Gut says ...

Ghostbusters is an all time classic.

Posted by Dave Polands Gut at May 26, 2006 6:08 AM

comment #24

delbomber says ...

...there are always a few Walter Pecks in every bunch...

Posted by delbomber at May 26, 2006 6:51 AM

comment #25

Jesse says ...

"His performance in Eternal Sunshine was decent, but the script was still horrible."

The script for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was horrible? Really? WHA--?!?

My mind aches.

Posted by Jesse at May 26, 2006 6:55 AM

comment #26

Gabby Haze says ...

I went to the New York opening of "Ghostbusters" with a friend and we laughed through the entire movie. Then we rented the video the day it was released and just sat there thinking, "Wasn't this funny at one time?"

Posted by Gabby Haze at May 26, 2006 6:55 AM

comment #27