Stealth Dud
Admittedly, Gillian Armstrong's Death Defying Acts (Weinstein Co., 7.11) fared poorly with the Rotten Tomatoes gang (50% positive with the homies, 20% positive with the elites). And yes, it's my own fault for missing the one screening that was made available by Weinstein Co. publicity (i.e., last Thursday night at the Grove). Still....
It seems strange or head-scratchy or something that this not-inexpensive drama about magician Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce) being conned by a fake medium (Catherine Zeta Jones) in a search for his dead mother has opened so quietly. It's as if the film slipped into theatres through the back door. Part of the reason for the deafening silence is that the Weinstein Co. isn't very flush these days, okay, but this was a really quiet opening. You could hear a pin drop.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 12, 2008 at 4:17 PM
comment #1
lazespud
says ...
I know it shouldn't matter, but Guy Pearce could not possibly look any less like Harry Houdini. They might as well hired Hellboy's Abe Sapien.
Posted by lazespud
at July 12, 2008 4:39 PM
comment #2
Craig Kennedy
says ...
I was surprised to find out this movie even existed and only noticed when I was going over the new releases.
Lazespud, if you showed me a picture of 5 men and one of them was Harry Houdini, I doubt I could tell you which it was. I'm sure I'm not alone.
Posted by Craig Kennedy
at July 12, 2008 5:16 PM
comment #3
BurmaShave
says ...
GOYA'S GHOSTS, 2008
Posted by BurmaShave
at July 12, 2008 5:28 PM
comment #4
nemo
says ...
Everyone knows Harry Houdini looks just like Tony Curtis.
Posted by nemo
at July 12, 2008 5:34 PM
comment #5
Nick Plowman
says ...
This one played for a week in SA back in May, I saw and reviewed it, and it was totally lame.
Posted by Nick Plowman
at July 12, 2008 5:42 PM
comment #6
Mgmax, le Corbeau
says ...
You wanna see the real Houdini?
http://tinyurl.com/5jkt54
Hell of a cool DVD set. Something like 8 hours of features, serials and newsreel footage. He's no great actor, but you didn't always have to be in silent movies.
Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau
at July 12, 2008 6:31 PM
comment #7
lipranzer
says ...
I didn't know this had opened either. I like the cast, and I usually like Gillian Armstrong (though I didn't see her documentary on Florence Broadhurst, and the film she did before that, CHARLOTTE GRAY, was disappointing).
Posted by lipranzer
at July 12, 2008 7:12 PM
comment #8
Balthazar
says ...
Truth is SO much better than fiction. Why didn't they make a movie that was just more based on the facts of Houdini's fascinating period fighting and debunking spiritualists. It's a fantastic tale that deserves movie treatment. Hell, it's even got a great subplot with Houdini having a full falling out with his real-life friend Arthur Conan Doyle.
Posted by Balthazar
at July 12, 2008 7:18 PM
comment #9
Mgmax, le Corbeau
says ...
Well, 1997's Fairy Tale: A True Story, with Harvey Keitel (a good choice) as Houdini and Peter O'Toole as Conan Doyle, did cover much of that.
Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau
at July 12, 2008 7:23 PM
comment #10
Balthazar
says ...
Thanks Mgmax. I was not aware of that film. I'll have to check it out.
Posted by Balthazar
at July 12, 2008 7:25 PM
comment #11
Thrudvangar
says ...
"Everyone knows Harry Houdini looks just like Tony Curtis."
I thought he looked like Paul Michael Glaser.
Posted by Thrudvangar
at July 12, 2008 8:41 PM
comment #12
movieirv
says ...
film will be retitled houdini's death defying acts on dvd in sept. another weinstein project gone awry
Posted by movieirv
at July 12, 2008 9:51 PM
comment #13
BurmaShave
says ...
that's truly sickening. PS what can Zeta-Jones do to resurrect her career? I'll always value watching THE MASK OF ZORRO at the age of 15 and understanding she would be the most beautiful woman I would ever see.
Posted by BurmaShave
at July 12, 2008 11:51 PM
comment #14
p.Vice
says ...
Here's a suggestion: She could learn how to act.
Posted by p.Vice
at July 13, 2008 7:10 AM
comment #15
iamjoe
says ...
Ultimate quiet. I knew it existed months ago, and I had ZERO idea of a release.
Posted by iamjoe
at July 13, 2008 10:56 AM
comment #16
lawnorder
says ...
Everything I'm hearing is that Weinstein Co. is out of money. They can barely afford to finish the films in post, let alone market them. Why do you think you haven't seen a trailer for "Crossing Over" yet? It has an August 22nd release date - something tells me this ain't happening - and not so much as a poster or trailer in theaters or online. Couldn't be a more topical film right now - even Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor" is doing quite well - and "Crossing" supposedly has tested very well. And, of course, if Harvey has to go to outside sources to finance Tarantino's new film, that's like announcing he's in deep shit to the rest of the town.
Posted by lawnorder
at July 13, 2008 2:11 PM
comment #17
frankbooth
says ...
I always forget you're a kid, Burma. You've got kind of an old-guy user name.
Never heard of this, either. Gonna forget it now.
Done!
Posted by frankbooth
at July 13, 2008 7:34 PM
comment #18
Jean
says ...
Wow..... nice reference Thrudvangar. I remember seeing that t.v. flick.
Posted by Jean
at July 14, 2008 10:50 AM
comment #19
saranie
says ...
I was looking forward to this show. (I really enjoyed the allegedly famous woman) I always read her news on the dating site ~~~~Tallmeet~~~~c om, where many tall models, tall players, tall admirers hanging out!!
Posted by saranie
at July 14, 2008 8:00 PM