comment #1

berkguru says ...

wow - Jaws to Piranha 3D. I would think a David Carradine-esque ending would be less embarassing.

comment #2

Josh Massey says ...

The guy just starred in a movie with Nia Vardalos. He has already had this awakening, trust me.

comment #3

televisiontears says ...

So in 2009, we'll get Nine, 9, and District 9? And if you flip the number '9' upside down you get...?

Oh god. Now I'm just waiting for the Nine Horseman of the Apocalypse to show up.

comment #4

NightWriter says ...

It's true that Dreyfuss peaked in the 70s and his recent choices (Poseideon?) have been less than dignified...but he's still working regularly, which is a lot more than I can say for a lot of short, bald, chubby, Jewish-looking 61-year-old actors.

Also, he killed as Cheney in W.

comment #5

Stringer Bell says ...

I eagerly await 'Stakeout 3' with Rachael Ray in the Rosie O'Donnell role.

We know Pacino and DeNiro are doing it for the money grab now, but I doubt they'd stoop so low and do Piranha 3D.

RIP Richard.

comment #6

Jeffrey Wells says ...

Dreyfuss's Cheney was first-rate, no question. He nailed it.

comment #7

streeter says ...

If I recall reading correctly, Dreyfuss only has a cameo in Piranha 3-D.

comment #8

DeafBrownTrashPunk says ...

Ok, this is getting so confusing. There's this animated movie "NINE," then there's the sci-fi alien apatheid drama called "DISTRICT 9..." and now, the musical "Nine."

if the Weinsteins know what's good for them, they'll change the title to avoid confusing the audience. I think District 9 comes out on August, while "Nine" (the animated movie) comes out on September.

comment #9

Stringer Bell says ...

Dreyfus nailed Cheney because Dreyfus is exactly like Cheney. 2 grumpy old men.

I wasnt impressed with W, especially Thandie Newton who possibly did the worst acting job of anyone in a major motion picture within the last 20 years. Was she nominated for a razzie?

comment #10

NightWriter says ...

Agreed on Newton, Stringer. Her impersonation played like satire, not parody. It was like she was in an SNL skit.

comment #11

Rich S. says ...

I think DeafBrown is on to something, although the disparate audiences for the respective films probably don't overlap enough to cause too much confusion. But the animated "9" premieres on 9-9-09, several months before the musical "Nine." If bad word of mouth gets around on the former, it could hurt the latter with people not paying attention.

Why do filmmakers insist on doing stuff like this anyway?

comment #12

Mark says ...

I'm not saying it's not the piranha. It probably is. It probably is. it's a maneater, extremely rare for these waters. But the chances that these bozos caught the actual piranha...100 to 1. 100 to 1."

comment #13

Josh Massey says ...

Dreyfuss did a fine Cheney - in The American President. He didn't do anything different in W.

And yes Stringer, preach it - Newton's was easily the worst performance I've ever seen in a major Hollywood film. Even Lorne Michaels would have nixed it.

comment #14

115thDreamer says ...

Wow - until the Dreyfus thing, my primary question was "John Cusack and Chow Yun Fat in a picture together...really?"

And I wonder if "NIne" will really perform commercially like "Chicago" did - could be deemed too "arty" by a lot of people.

comment #15

Steven Kar says ...

Nightwriter,

I'm pretty sure you meant it the other way round: Her impersonation played like parody, not satire.

I even looked up both words just to be certain.

comment #16

EnglishBob says ...

Mark,

Very funny!

comment #17

NightWriter says ...

Yes, Steven Kar, I wrote it backward. I did mean she played Condi as parody, not satire. Thank you, brother! My bad.

And, come to think of it, as far as satirical imitations of Republicans in Stone films go, Sorvino as Kissinger in Nixon trumps Dreyfuss in W.

comment #18

Mark says ...

So Thandie joins Shia on the list of HE Forum Unwarranted Hate list. Someone should email her the good news.

Instead of going back 20 years to find a worse performance, I could just go back two Stone films and name 8 worse performances in Alexander.

I thought Thandie was very interesting. She tried to capture Rice literally. She stuck out in the process, but I think Condi stuck out similarly in the Bush cabinet meetings.

comment #19

LexG says ...

This movie needed hotter chicks.

NOBODY wants to see this crew of vampy, campy hens sing and dance except a small segment of women with English degrees and clunky horn-rimmed glasses who posts on TWOP... and of course a few gay guys..

It will get NO date night crowds, NO straight male attendance whatsoever, and even most women will rightly avoid it. DDL is the greatest actor in the world, but not enough of a draw that his fans will want to sit through this. And, yes, I saw the play (with Banderas on Broadway)... it is NOT mainstream. it is STARDUST MEMORIES, or 81/2. another indulgent thing about a lusty artist and the various colorful women in his life. Most people live in studio apartments and marry their fat high school sweetheart. No one in America seems to relate to being an awesome international pussyhound.

Plus it's opening opposite NEW MOON.

Also, Rob Marshall might be the least interesting filmmaker ever to continuously qualify for Oscars each and every time out.

comment #20

Josh Massey says ...

I'm pretty sure Newton's only preparation for the role was to stuff Sour Patch Kids in her mouth.

comment #21

raygo says ...

She should have played Condi is the enigmatic, piano-playing, lesbian jock she almost certainly is.

comment #22

btwnproductions says ...

NINE is prestige picture boxoffice at best. Commercially the show isn't CHICAGO, not to mention HAIRSPRAY or MAMMA MIA!

comment #23

btwnproductions says ...

Plus: Day-Lewis hasn't had anywhere close to a $100M boxoffice hit. (GANGS OF NEW YORK and LAST OF THE MOHICANS stalled below $80M.) And Nicole Kidman is a flop indicator. NINE has a quality pedigree, but TWC needs rocket fuel at this point.

comment #24

berkguru says ...

Cusack's career hit the wall 10 years ago too with High Fidelity. His movies are just horrid now. Couldnt find one in last 15 that is noteworthy.

comment #25

COCO says ...

From 1...2...3....to 9..9.. 9
A pattern perhaps?

I still think ''The Road'' will rule....

comment #26

dinovelvet says ...

Re : Shanghai, the word "unreleasable" is used in a current Nikki Finke article about it. I remember seeing it on the release schedule for December 08 so I assumed they were angling for some Oscar action. Guess that didn't pan out.

comment #27

Steven Kar says ...

Nightwriter,

I think the problem with Dreyfuss's Cheney is the voice. I think everything else Dreyfuss did with the character was good; the look, the facial expressions, even his eyes conveyed evil, but the voice wasn't quite there. I think Darrel Hammond spoiled us all with his Cheney because that was one on of the characters that he nailed.

comment #28

Rod32303 says ...

Fuckin Haters as usual. These bitches (sorry) are hot - "no one wants to see"? Really?

Just watch.

comment #29

Cadavra says ...

I saw a trailer yesterday for what looked like another dumbass futuristic slasher film...and then it turned out to be THE ROAD! If this is how the Weinsteins are selling it, they might as well close up shop now.

comment #30

televisiontears says ...

Relax, Rod. If I was one of your students, I would be terrified to go to class.

comment #31

Colin says ...

Nine will have to really ride the fact that Daniel Day-Lewis is attached. He is possibly the only saving grace for the film. Opening against New Moon? Thats hell for any film.

BTW I really don't think Newton was that far off from how Rice really is.

comment #32

NightWriter says ...

Steven Kar:

I think that's just a difference in intonation between a Brooklyn Jew and a Wyoming WASP. Unlike Ms. Newton, Dreyfuss played it straight and let the satire flow from the writing (which didn't happen enough in W). His "We stay" response to the "What's our exit strategy?" query on Iraq is nonsensical -- I don't believe even Cheney could be so nakedly imperialistic -- but Dreyfuss's tone is matter-of-fact. His lack of Hammond-like affectation makes the scene more believable. W isn't Dr. Strangelove, after all.

comment #33

Josh Massey says ...

Rod, do you typically use "fuck" in every other sentence, or is it just on the internet?

I'm not a fucking prude against fucking bad fucking language, but fuck, there's just a fucking point where it fucking loses its fucking impact. Fucking a, right?

comment #34

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Nine looks gash. I hope the Weinsteins fail because they both seem like awful people.

Someone should do a proper musical some day, with actual songs that sound like songs and not campy theatrical bollocks. Imagine a musical set in Manchester starring Paddy Considine with songs by Elbow and Doves. I'd fucking see that. Not a bunch of prestige-picture women throwing themselves around in floaty dresses saying "Be Italian".

Pfft.

comment #35

Rod32303 says ...

Josh, I never use it. If I did, I wouldn't have stayed a teacher for over 20 years (point taken, televisiontears, and you'd love my class).

So, I never ever use it.

Except for fuckin' haters. To whom I will always say, FUCK them. I have no problem after a film has been seen with people expressing their opinions, whether elation or vehemence, but some of the fury in trashing things that have yet to be seen, so strongly as to want to sound like some kind of authority?

Fuck 'em.

And that word never loses it's impact. ESPECIALLY when used at the Fuckin' Haters.

Motherfuckers.

comment #36

TM says ...

Is David Mamet posting as Rod32303 and Josh Massey?

I remember when Mamet was awarded the Pulitzer -- someone quipped: Fuckin' David fuckin' Mamet fuckin' won the fuckin' Pulitzer fuckin' Prize."

comment #37

DeeZee says ...

I'm surprised Harvey's company didn't go down sooner, actually. I'm guessing the credit crunch was the final nail in the coffin for TWC. But then it's an appropriate end for him. I mean, what better way for a guy who screwed over decent films in order to appeal to a broader[Read: dumber.] audience to go down than to lose money on acquisitions which have a niche audience?

comment #38

Michael says ...

Josh, I never use it. If I did, I wouldn't have stayed a teacher for over 20 years (point taken, televisiontears, and you'd love my class).

I read the L.A. Times article about how hard it is to get rid of a teacher, so I disagree with this argument on its face. But I'm sympathetic to your haters cause.

comment #39

Alboone says ...

LexG brings up a valuable point. This baby is opening up on 11/25 -- five days after New Moon? Not too smart programming fellas. My friend's wife is in her late 30's, well educated, middle class, the whole highbrow nine yards. She waited like a little teeny bop school girl for the New Moon trailer to premiere on the web just so she could stare into Robert Pattinson's eyes. What does that tell you? Any movie opening up against it or near it within the week will suffer at its own peril, no matter how good the movie ends up being. From urban to rural vampires will dominate the holiday season.

comment #40

nemo says ...

"It's true that Dreyfuss peaked in the 70s and his recent choices (Poseideon?) have been less than dignified...but he's still working regularly, which is a lot more than I can say for a lot of short, bald, chubby, Jewish-looking 61-year-old actors."

Don't forget bow-legged.

comment #41

nodirectionhome says ...

I dont know about Dreyfuss peaking, but rather subcumming to alcohol which allegedly took a greater toll on his career. As for the Weinstein brothers, they definately peaked at the end of the 90's and havent recovered since with the quality of films. They focused too heavily on trying to make films that were award worthy rather than independent. And even then the films were so horrible, that only back handed money handeling ensured they're nominations. Frankly, Im glad to see them struggle, hopefully this NINE will fail.

comment #42

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"Cusack's career hit the wall 10 years ago too with High Fidelity. His movies are just horrid now. Couldnt find one in last 15 that is noteworthy."

Identity? Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil?? Grosse Point Blank??? And if you didn't like Being John Malkovich, I have no idea what to tell you...

comment #43

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"My friend's wife is in her late 30's, well educated, middle class, the whole highbrow nine yards. She waited like a little teeny bop school girl for the New Moon trailer to premiere on the web just so she could stare into Robert Pattinson's eyes. What does that tell you?"

Tells me it's time for him to consider divorce.

comment #44

Steven Kar says ...

Citizen,

I do agree with the guy who wrote that Cusack's career hit the wall 10 years ago.

The movies you mentioned in Cusack's defense have been weak, critically panned, B.O. flops, or all the above.

You mentioned Grosse Point, but that came out more than a decade ago so it doesn't count! And the only movie that Cusack has done in the last decade that was noteworthy (in my opinion) was Malkovich, but that came out in 1999, right before he hit the wall.

I know that it's all about taste, opinion, and subjectivity. If you liked his movies of the past 10 years, then to you, he hasn't hit the wall, but when you take a closer look at them and consider one or all of the following: awards, reviews, box office, relevance, durability...you'll notice that maybe 3 of the 15 movies he made had any kind of worth.

But I repeat, it's all about personal taste and opinion.

comment #45

Gordon27 says ...

I would argue that both 'Identity' and '1406' had a basic sort of merit, in that people I know who go see all the horror movies [I love horror but avoided both because they looked shitty] said they were pretty good. Sentiment towards those movies seems to be fairly positive, albeit in a passing sort of way (I can't imagine anybody buying those movies).

And I will be the one to say that 'Ice Harvest' has the most bizarrely passionate following on-line I've seen in quite some time. It's a terrible movie, but some people love it rabidly.

comment #46

Rod32303 says ...

I don't teach in Los Angeles, Michael, I teach in the Northwestern part of Florida, i.e. The Bible Belt, where it is VERY easy to "get rid" of a teacher, so I know that the reason I am still here is because I am very good at what I do.

Glad you sympathize with the said haters.

Fuck you too.

comment #47

Michael says ...

Another way of stating my last sentence would have been "But I'm sympathetic to your cause." Wasn't trying to qualify this as the 'haters' cause', which is why I left out the apostrophe. My sympathy is with you. Still is.

I also don't remember passing judgment on how good a teacher you are...just language used. Have a nice day.

comment #48

Rod32303 says ...

Your analysis of what you wrote is...of course, correct. I assumed there was an apostrophe and need to learn how to read or learn how to breathe and not be so quick tempered.

Also, took the statement about how hard it is to fire teachers as a shot against me...again, my biases, not yours, Michael.

Shamed twice. I need to chill. And work out this language thing. I still hope "Nine" does well, as I do for most films that come out. We'll see.