comment #1

tedd11 says ...

Delroy Lindo's talents really shined this past year on The Chicago Code. In fact, he turned out to be the highlight of the whole series.

comment #2

bobbyperu says ...

It's a larger discussion really about movie stars and how today's audiences are either less enamored/impressed/more apt to dispose of them quickly, and how they are unable to open movies or have marquee power with the 17 - 25 year-olds. Why is this, exactly? Julia Roberts hasn't lost her looks or edge at all, but it seems more of a public "been there, done that" type thing and everyone has just moved on. It wasn't long ago that a handful of stars were in the 20 million club, now not a single one of them can truly bring in box office (with the exception of maybe Will Smith on the 4th of July). Maybe you just need a crass enough vehicle that appeals to the lowest common denominator. Even though Cruise, Roberts and Hanks have bellyflopped at the box office, it's interesting to see Diaz hanging on and still a "star" with Bad Teacher (who herself was part of the 20 million group and once eclipsed Roberts as the highest paid). It sound awful but I can't see why any studio concerned about tickets would bankroll the salaries of any of these stars given the Timberlake-Kunis-Reynolds factor of hot young stars who don't need to be that talented (even though they could be with good directors) as long as they end up on some Ten Sexiest list, which seems to be good enough for casting directors today.

comment #3

Buk94 says ...

Danny Devito is great on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

comment #4

DiscoNap says ...

Yeah not really on Wells' radar probably but DeVito's Frank Reynolds has become another cultural institution on the level of his breakthrough as Louis DePalma. The perfect role for his aging persona.

comment #5

Chumley says ...

DeVito as The Trash Man is one of the funniest things I've seen on television in a while.

comment #6

Tristan Eldritch2 says ...

Never got the appeal of Rene Russo on any level.

comment #7

ModernLifeIsRubbish says ...

Russo should be grateful her career went dormant for at least one reason: she wasn't in Be Cool.

comment #8

craiged says ...

Yep I really have to agree that DeVito as Frank Reynolds is amazing, and his work on the show with Charlie Day is pure comedy gold

comment #9

actionlover says ...

"Thomas Crowne Affair" was uneven and perhaps unnecessary (thought it's not like the original was THAT great either) but Rene was smashing in it. Hard to believe she'd have a hard time after that with parts.

"Jackie Brown", "Get Shorty" and "Out of Sight". There's your film school class right there. Three films made around the same time based on Elmore Leonard novels by three different directors with their own unique voices. Similar....yet so different. Class dismissed.

comment #10

Ray says ...

Danny Devito is over?

Right, forgot, JEFF DOESN"T WATCH TELEVISION.

His loss.

comment #11

I was Avery says ...

actionlover +1

comment #12

coxcable says ...

Devito has had quite a career.

Every five years or so he's doing something new and weird and awesome.

And since he's not a hyped-up star -- like say Bruce Willis or Tom Cruise -- he can experiment and fail and not look damaged.

comment #13

Jeffrey Wells says ...

You have to make choices. There are only so many hours in the day, so may slices in a pie. It doesn't work to see evening screenings and spend 8-plus hours on the column plus exercise on the bike and running around & chasing girls & going to film festivals & reading books & scripts & catching the new Blurays & everything else. Something has to give, and for me that something is TV with the exception of occasional HBO feature or series or docs or Bill Maher or Keith Olbermann or MSNBC.

comment #14

Manitoba says ...

Rene Russo's husband, Dan Gilroy,is a co-writer with his brother Tony on the new "The Bourne Legacy" to be released in 2012.

comment #15

raygo says ...

If you have to economize your time, drop the script reading (which seems odd to me anyway) and watch some great TV. Breaking Bad should not be missed by anyone calling himself an entertainment/film journalist. You are missing something really unique.

comment #16

BobbyLupo says ...

"You have to make choices."

But, Jeff, you openly talk about how you choose to go see movies that you know you won't enjoy. Why not use that time to sample a few TV shows that you *might* enjoy?

Also, Gandolfini has been in exactly *one* good movie in the last ten years, and he was a pretty small part (and not particularly good or bad in it).

David Paymer, on the other hand, is pretty active. 'Oceans 13', 'Drag Me To Hell', 'Bad Teacher'...

comment #17

dino velvet says ...

I agree what people are saying about Danny Devito - his gig on Sunny is one of the best things he's ever done, and he's become relevant to a whole new audience. What do you expect a 66 year old short, bald, fat guy to be doing, starring in summer blockbusters?

comment #18

nodirectionhome says ...

GET SHORTY is a 90s artifact of pop actually working and still holds today. Sonnenfeld films are unique in their cinematography, but he sold his soul to the studio and is stuck doing RV & MIB sequels. PUSHING DAISEYS would've made a great film, but it died on TV. Which is kind of a shame because he definitely offered his own adult Tex Avery style to GET SHORTY, ADDAMS FAMILY & FOR LOVE. His touch was missed and hurt BE COOL, the horrendous sequel; had he not directed WILD WEST & MIB 2, he probably could've had a better career by this point.

comment #19

plainview says ...

Caught this on tv yesterday...

I guess I was too young in the 90's to remember how many guys wore ugly suits. Mustard yellow, flamingo pink, they looked like a bunch of pastel clowns.

Still a funny movie though. Interesting to revisit the smiley goofy gangster genre, which I guess is more a product of Elmore Leonard than anybody else. Not that crime humor is dead, just that Get Shorty packs more self assured grins than a Wall Street coke-orgy circa 2006.

Have there been any recent Leanard adaptations or any in the works? I haven't noticed if there have been.

comment #20

actionlover says ...

"Something has to give, and for me that something is TV with the exception of........Bill Maher or Keith Olbermann or MSNBC."

Oh lord.

Way to make the best of your TV time.

comment #21

lipranzer says ...

Bobby Lupo:

Looking over Gandolfini's movies the last 10 years, I count four good movies: THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE (is this the one you meant, by the way?), ROMANCE & CIGARETTES, IN THE LOOP, and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (only his voice, but still). His career may not be "vital" in that sense, but I think that's pretty good (granted, he also has a few in the debit column, what with SURVIVING CHRISTMAS, THE MEXICAN, THE LAST CASTLE, and the remake of TAKING OF PELHAM 1, 2, 3, though he's the best part of THE MEXICAN and THE LAST CASTLE).

As for Russo, I agree she was a knockout in THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR; she's the main reason why I actually prefer the remake. I guess for her, the roles just dried up.

comment #22

cyanic says ...

Never got the appeal of Rene Russo on any level.

She's cute.

Jeff for one to have longevity in showbusiness in front of the camera one must be on TV. Film is highrisk here today, gone tomorrow medium. That's why everyone wants cinema glory above all else. I saw Sade last night -- no Hollywood actor could come close to that level of mystique.

comment #23

Krazy Eyes says ...

Years ago I used to manage this independent video store and we had this Hollywood wall of fame right inside the door. It was basically this 10 x 10 grid of b/w "star" head shots and right in the middle was Rene Russo.

I used to get weekly questions about who that was or (if they knew who it was) why we put Rene Russo up there. It was pretty funny how many people didn't like her.

comment #24

The Criterion Guy says ...

There is no excuse for Wells missing great filmed works such as BREAKING BAD, LOUIE, GAME OF THRONES, JUSTIFIED, SONS OF ANARCHY, THE WIRE, LUTHER, LOST, etc.

comment #25

Rashad says ...

Both Addams Family movies, Get Shorty and Men in Black was a great run. I always liked Sonnenfeld's aesthetic; like an offshoot of Burton's but all his own. It's a shame the writer's strike happened and pretty much killed all interest in Pushing Daisies. One of the best new shows of the past decade.

comment #26

Krillian says ...

Danny DeVito's the voice of The Lorax this spring in DreamWorks's How to Train Your Dragon release spot.

I keep wondering when Travolta'sgoing to make a movie with his real hairline. Not a wig or shaved clean, but showing that Paul Guilfoyle line he's got.

When discussing Get Shorty, you have to mention Dennis Farina, the funniest he's ever been.

comment #27

Jason S. says ...

Barry Sonnenfeld used to be a joyful director but like "Paycheck Neeson" he's become paycheck Sonnenfeld. He's still smarting over "Wild, Wild West." A few weeks ago on here I mentioned that "For Love Or Money" was a not-so-great movie but it had charm. Funnily enough the movie looked like it was constructed like a Devito picture (low camera shots, etc.) It's actually not that bad.

I understand why he needs to make "Men In Black 3." but I have to wonder what would have happened had he never taken the big-budget Sci-fi route and followed more in the same vein as the Coen Brothers.

Haven't watched "Get Shorty: in a while but I might take a look at it in the near future. And like Krillian said - Dennis Farina was tremendous in it. Nobody does cluelessly slimy as well as that guy. Check out "Sidewalks Of New York" for more proof.

comment #28

Savage Brit says ...

On a similar topic, what is the current status of Richard Gere at the moment? Does he still star in movies?

comment #29

Jason S. says ...

In a very recent interview with Gene Hackman (I think it was Esquire but I could be mistaken) he said he MIGHT be open to acting in one more film.

That would be rather tremendous.

comment #30

dino velvet says ...

Wasn't that Travolta's natural hairline in Pelham 123? Anyway it's interesting if you note the ages of the four leads in Get Shorty at the time were 41, 41, 65, and 51. Would any studio dare release a major film with an all over 40 lineup like that today, without shoving in a Taylor Lautner somewhere? (Before anyone says Carnage, Kate Winslet is 35!)

comment #31

K. Bowen says ...

THis week is my high school reunion. I was kidding with a friend who has already had his about the music to be played. That had me looking back over old Billboard charts.

If you think it's bad in movies, try music. Does anyone remember Taylor Dayne and her string of hits in the late 80s/early 90s? Does anyone remember that Chicago had the No. 1 hit of the whole year in I think 1989?

comment #32

mybrainismelting says ...

Everyone on that list save Gandolfini is pushing 60 or over. Hackman is 81 for Christ's sake. Nothing got "away" from these people, they just got old.

A better article would be about, whatever happened to actors who made an early impression and then fizzled. I mean, Danny DeVito's now on TV? So what? He started on TV and then forged one of the least likely A-list careers of all time in front of and behind the camera.

An example of what you're trying to get at here would be Timothy Hutton who won at Oscar at 20 and then steadily went downhill. Or Mickey Rourke who coulda had a legendary career before he pissed everyone off, started boxing and casting his then-girlfriends in soft-porn flicks. Or Cuba or Kilmer or Michael Keaton or Gig Young or Faye Dunaway - shorter bursts that seemed to promise so much more.

comment #33

mybrainismelting says ...

Or the grandmama of them all - Meg Ryan. Phew. Think she regrets that plastic surgery now? She's only 49 but right after she got divorced she went crazy, cut up one of the most perfect faces ever to grace the screen and disappeared into straight-to-video dreck.

comment #34

bitplaya says ...

I second the idea for an article about Michael Keaton. Watched Mr. Mom this weekend, while flawed he was such an agile comic actor. I simply miss seeing his work. I think Barry is a good director and a great cinematographer. I saw Miller's Crossing this weekend, fucking beautiful flick. I think the light touch he had with the first Men in Black was totally gone in the second due to the studio fucking with him. WWW was simply a poorly conceived project for any actor but Will Smith specifically.

comment #35

a1 says ...

'And like Krillian said - Dennis Farina was tremendous in it. Nobody does cluelessly slimy as well as that guy. Check out "Sidewalks Of New York" for more proof.'

So true. Farina's great in MIDNIGHT RUN and SNATCH as well:

Customs Agent: "Anything to declare, sir?"
Farina: "Yeah - don't go to England."

It was amusing when he had a run as a detective on LAW & ORDER, because he played the character as just as much of a pompous threatening dick as his villain roles.

comment #36

Joe Leydon says ...

It's even funnier, a1, if you remember that Dennis Farina actually was a cop in Chicago for several years before he turned to acting, and enjoyed his first breakthrough as the lead cop in Michael Mann's cult-fave TV series Crime Story.

comment #37

BobbyLupo says ...

"Looking over Gandolfini's movies the last 10 years, I count four good movies: THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE (is this the one you meant, by the way?), ROMANCE & CIGARETTES, IN THE LOOP, and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (only his voice, but still)."

I was thinking of the last ten years being inclusive of 2011 and, therefore, not including 'Wasn't There' (which is a great film and probably his best film performance). The one I meant was 'In The Loop'. I don't count voice performances, though he gives a good one in 'Wild Things'.

As far as detriments, I would say that his performance in 'Last Castle' is the worst thing he's ever done except that I've seen enough of the 'All The King's Men' remake to know that it just isn't so.

comment #38

Rashad says ...

I thought Welcome to The Rileys was good.

comment #39

Fortunesfool says ...

They're mostly all 'character' actors and there's little room for great character actors in the teen friendly dross that abounds these days. Most of those guys are doing great work on TV now, where all the juicy roles are.

comment #40

wendybluex says ...

I thought Welcome to The Rileys was good.
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comment #41

nodirectionhome says ...

Michael Keaton is the greatest. I used to watch his movies repeatedly, imitating his moves as a kid. THE DREAM TEAM, THE SQUEEZE, NIGHT SHIFT, GUNG HO & MR. MOM all classics. Why he's lingering in Hollywood limbo is odd. I think after BATMAN he kind of wanted to get out of the system especially with JACK FROST, certainly a movie no semi-A list actor at the time would've touched. The only good film he's been in since is GAME 6 but its a little indie film nothing that would reach outside audiences. Always thought he would've great if Aptow had given Keaton Sandlers role in FUNNY PEOPLE and had Sandler play Ira, the Roegen character. The guy deserves another great film as one of the best actors of the 80s.

comment #42

Krillian says ...

Michael Keaton was the best thing in The Other Guys.

comment #43

JLC says ...

Keaton was also one of the best things in Toy Story 3, though I wonder how many even know he was in it.

comment #44

bluefugue says ...

>"Jackie Brown", "Get Shorty" and "Out of Sight". There's your film school class right there. Three films made around the same time based on Elmore Leonard novels by three different directors with their own unique voices. Similar....yet so different. Class dismissed.

Gotta admit, of those 3, Get Shorty seems to me by far the most inconsequential. I may be in the minority on this, but that film never did much for me. Jackie Brown and Out of Sight, on the other hand, are both superb. Maybe it just speaks to the relative difference in directorial quality between Sonnenfeld on the one hand, and Tarantino/Soderbergh on the other. Sonnenfeld may be a pro, but he's not in those guys' league.

comment #45

DavidF says ...

I ditto Actionman's quote above (reiterated by Blue Fugue).

Get Shorty isn't QUITE as suave as Out of Sight or as "mature" as Jackie Brown but the tone really is perfect with the material and everyone is at the top of their game.

Sonnenfeld could have been Coen Bros-meet-Tim Burton (but in a good way) but he went with a little too much sellout-era Burton and not enough Coens. Too bad, his first few flicks are pretty wonderful (for some reason, I get a real kick out of Addams Family Values).

Still, it's a great little gem and I daresay Out of Sight and Jackie Brown don't get made without Sonnenfeld (and Scott Frank, who also wrote Out of Sight) showing how to film Elmore Leonard right here.

Delroy Lindo should have been an A-lister after this, Farina is brilliant (credit Sonnenfeld for not ditching where he hitsa woman) and it's certainly the best post-Pulp project for Travolta. I like it too, is I guess what I'm saying...

comment #46

Cadavra says ...

Gandolfini is also tremendous in Lumet's superb NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN (pre-SOPRANOS, BTW).

comment #47

DeafEars says ...

"Years ago I used to manage this independent video store and we had this Hollywood wall of fame right inside the door. It was basically this 10 x 10 grid of b/w "star" head shots and right in the middle was Rene Russo.

I used to get weekly questions about who that was or (if they knew who it was) why we put Rene Russo up there. It was pretty funny how many people didn't like her."

Huh. I never really considered Rene Russo's screen personality as such, but I think I know why people didn't/don't like her - she gives off this ever so slight but quite discernible attitude of feeling she has better things to do.

And you're missing out on some great stuff by not watching cable, Jeff - the golden age of the aughts is happening there, not at the movies, although there have been some great films over the last decade.

comment #48

Noiresque says ...

Speaking of Danny De Vito, I saw Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile again last month. He, Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner had great chemistry, and it had Holland Taylor being flawlessly funny in a bit part. I miss watching those kind of romps for adults and older kids; they're not made in America with much regularity.

Are Maher and Olbermann really worth spending your precious TV hours on? I say this as a total lefty. Then again, I'm not really into late night talk shows.

Spend 15 reading the news on line or listening on the radio while you work out, and spend your TV time on Breaking Bad or Dexter or Treme or Sons of Anarchy orJustified or somesuch, or catch up with The Wire or Carnivale or the first 2 seasons of In Treatment (courtesy of the great Rodrigo Garcia) or whatever other gems you've missed of the 2nd Golden Age.

You are really missing out of the joy of simmering storylines and developing character interactions. Hell, even something like the canceled "Cold Case" had a lot going for it emotionally, especially for a police procedural; it treated people like people and not like heroes and villains, and presented human fickleness and more specifically a depth of sadness and regret that I miss watching regularly in movies.

I can't help thinking how much more interesting Mann's Public Enemies or De Niro's The Good Shepherd would have been as 6 part series.

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