Straight Paycheck

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Having made perhaps too many thoughtful political-minded films that haven't made money, John Cusack is taking his agent's advice and plunging into Roland Emmerich's 2012, an apocalyptic thriller for Columbia Pictures. Redbelt star Chiwetel ("Chewy") Ejiofor is also planning to join the big-budget epic, whose title refers to the end days of human civilization as foretold by the ancient Mayan calendar, blah blah. Variety's Tatiana Siegel reports that the screenplay was cowritten by Emmerich and Harald Kloser. Harald?

comment #1

wayne76 says ...

I love Cusack and Chiwetel, but I absolutely fucking LOATHE Emmerich. I don't think I've enjoyed a single frame that he's been responsible for.

comment #2

Walter Sobchak says ...

There's probably no actor that I've liked more that has failied to make a really great film than Cusack. (no, fanboys, don't tell me "Con Air"....please). Even his good films, ("Say Anything") have been just that - good.

It's a shame he hasn't made a great, "this is what they'll remember me by" movie. Doesn't look like he's planning to anytime soon.

comment #3

Mgmax says ...

I once thought Emmerich had a lot of potential as the schlockmeister of our time-- that first act climax in Independence Day when the stripper's dog is saved, yaaaaay!, even as the rest of the humans in LA are torched alive, was stupidity of unusual brio-- but after adding to the long list of awful American Revolution movies and three big budget action suckfests without a redeeming feature, he really ought to be barred from making movies ever again.

comment #4

actionman says ...

Emmerich is a goofy clown who makes goofy movies. I will admit to enjoying Stargate and Independence Day and while The Day After Tomorrow was monumentally brain-dead on a writing level, the special effects and action sequences were frequently stunning. I didn't see 10,000 BC....

The idea of 2012 is not uninteresting, and the casting of Cusack AND Ejiofor in a movie like this is very interesting.

comment #5

joemart says ...

The script for 2012 is very much akin to The Day After Tomorrow in structure and set pieces, with nods towards Close Encounters (think Dreyfuss' relentless trek) and a finale right out of Evan Almighty. It's a fun read for two thirds of the way, but becomes static in the last act. I always felt Emmerich took over the mantle as our generation's Irwin Allen; making popcorn extertainment.

comment #6

snoop says ...

Walter,

While I do wish Cusack got better material, he has made an outright phenomenal film -- Being John Malkovich.

Also, he was in the gem Eight Men Out (even if he won't be remembered for it).

He's also got Bullets over Brodway, and three cult classics: Grosse Point Blank, Better Off Dead and Say Anything.

However, despite possible objections, I think he'll always be remembered for High Fidelity.

comment #7

The Winchester says ...

When did Emmerich start writing movies with his composer Harald Kloser?

comment #8

actionman says ...

"...and a finale right out of Evan Almighty."

So...it's yet another flood?

comment #9

CinemaPhreek says ...

Good catch, snoop.

MALKOVICH is easy to miss because it's not the prototypical Cusack role. I think there are others who would also add THE GRIFTERS as another great film he has done. I'm not that surprised Cusack took this, he has being doing lots of smaller films (GRACE IS GONE, MARTIAN CHILD, WAR INC) of late and his days of steady rom-coms is coming to an end (he's 42 next month and playing 31 is getting harder to pull off).

Joemart nails it squarely on the head with the Irwin Allen comparison for Emmerich.

comment #10

MDOC says ...

Walter S,

I think Better Off Dead is a great movie. Sure it's a dumb 80s teenage comedy, but to me, it's the Citizen Kane of dumb 80's teeneage comedies. I still think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil must have been a painful misfire for Cusack. There was tons of Oscar buzz surrounding the project, but it came and went. If the movie had pulled off it's ambitions it really may have put Cusack into the upper echelon.

comment #11

NDH says ...

The only thing that could drag me into another doomsday Emmerich picture is perhaps the casting of Cusack and Ejiofor. Well played, Roland. You've likely just swindled me out of another 10 bucks.

comment #12

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Cusack gives the performance of his career in Grace Is Gone. Those of you who haven't seen it should absolutely check it out as it got lost in last year's awards shuffle and it sank like a stone because it deals with Iraq.

comment #13

Dublin101 says ...

Any love for "The Sure Thing"? It's a light and likable teen comedy and Cusack is very charming in it.

comment #14

lipranzer says ...

Although I'm sure he took it for the chance to work with both Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman, I'm sure Cusack's not going to remember RUNAWAY JURY with any fondness. And while I like him as an actor, he sometimes gives odd justifications for doing movies; he claims he took CON AIR not to help pay for GROSSE POINTE BLANK, but because he got to wear sandals throughout.

comment #15

BurmaShave says ...

Maybe you have to be a specific type of guy? But for me, HIGH FIDELITY is a great movie.

comment #16

Walter Sobchak says ...

My bad... (I posted so early in the morning)

"The Grifters". Duh. One of the best films of the 90's. "Being John M." was nearly great, but just shy of that, in my opinion.

And of course I loved "Better Off Dead".

I'd say Julia Roberts for a time was the biggest star never to have made a truly great movie. ("Pretty Woman"? Please. It's an okay chick flick.) Then she wisely made "Erin Brockovich". Classic? Maybe not. But damned good.

comment #17

CinemaPhreek says ...

Shame Wells is too busy to read this, or I'd warn him: Ejiofor is not happy with the "Chewie" nickname.

comment #18

Josh Massey says ...

Grosse Pointe Blank is a great film, his best to date, approaching my all-time favorites - and yet I gave it a C- in my original review. No idea what was wrong with me that day (10 a.m. critic screenings can sometimes do that to you), but I'm glad I gave it a second chance.

comment #19

Geoff says ...

Walter, I think you were just looking to kickstart a big debate. Granted, I don't think Cusack has done anything relevant in several years. But.....Grosse Pointe Blank, High Fidelity, Say Anything, Eight Men Out, The Grifters.....hell, I think you can even count Sixteen Candles and The Thin Red Line (the last time you will EVER see those two movies mentioned in the same sentence) - he was not the star of those films, but did have major roles.

I have to say that I am intrigued to see Cusack in a film like this - The Patriot was on cable, recently, and I have to say that Emmerich does a pretty good job. He can't resist the melodrama, but he actually draws a good performance out of Gibson (probably his subtlest in many years, if you can believe that) and there are some very effectively haunting moments. Now, I doubt he's going for that with 2012, but with Cusack and "Chewey," he's got a decent shot.

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