The death of John Forsythe at age 92 will inevitably result in obits that start with the words “best known for roles on TV’s Dynasty and as the voice of Charlie’s Angels boss Charles Townsend” — the blandest credits and the biggest paychecks. Film lovers will of course default to his lead roles in Alfred Hitchcock‘s The Trouble With Harry and Topaz, and especially his performance as FBI man Alvin Dewey in Richard Brooks‘ In Cold Blood.

But my first thought when I heard the news was Forsythe’s role as the gruffly sophisticated Al Manheim in the Breck Sunday Showcase “live” broadcast of Budd Schulberg‘s What Makes Sammy Run?, which was shown in two parts in 1959.

Forsythe will definitely be included in the 2011 Oscar telecast “death reel”…right? Or will they Farrah Fawcett the poor guy? Doubt it. The two Hitchcocks and the Brooks will save the day.

Tell me the following press release doesn’t sound fascinating. It arrived at 12:06 pm and (partially) reads as follows: “Director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Starship Troopers, RoboCop, Black Book) will host a special ‘Movie Night’ about Jesus Christ at [Manhattan’s] IFC Center on Thursday, April 8 at 7:30 pm.

“Verhoeven will screen Monty Python’s Life of Brian, followed by a discussion of the film, Verhoeven’s own work, and his new book “Jesus of Nazareth” (Seven Stories Press). A book signing will take place after the discussion.

“Verhoeven is also the first non-theologian admitted into Los Angeles’s Jesus Seminar, a group of 77 eminent scholars in theology, philosophy, linguistics, and biblical history. His new book explores his lifelong fascination with the facts and fictions surrounding the life of Jesus. Building on the work of the great biblical scholars of the twentieth century, he presents a portrait of Jesus as political and ethical leader, dismantling the myths about Jesus’s life to reveal a complex human figure. The book has received acclaim from experts in a host of disciplines.”

Remember the old resemblance aesthetic that used to carry weight in Hollywood circles? The one that said actors cast as famous historical figures had to sorta kinda resemble the Real McCoy? Which is why Henry Fonda and Raymond Massey were chosen to play Abraham Lincoln, respectively, in Young Mr. Lincoln and Abe Lincoln in Illinois? And Charlton Heston was cast as Gen. Andrew Jackson in The Bucaneer? And blue-eyed Jeffrey Hunter was cast as Jesus Christ in King of Kings? You know…actors you could physically half-buy in these roles?

Comparison pic totally stolen from Awards Daily

That system is totally out the window with Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly talking to Clint Eastwood about playing J. Edgar Hoover in a Universal-funded biopic.

Billy Crudup playing Hoover with a mincy British accent in Public Enemies was bad enough, but this? Hoover was short (5’7″) and thick with a jowly bulldog face — he had a stern, weathered, middle-aged look when he was in his early 30s. DiCaprio is tall (around six feet) and broad-shoulder with Nordic-Germanic features, and will look like a guy in his late 20s or early 30s when he’s 45 or 50, if not older.

Not only is there zero resemblance between the two. DiCaprio-as-Hoover is so outrageously wrong that it’s almost like an insult joke directed at ticket-buyers. It’s almost as if the filmmakers are saying, “We can cast anyone we want as Hoover. We don’t care what you think about resemblances because we make the movies and you buy the tickets. You think DiCaprio is wrong for Hoover? You haven’t seen anything yet. We’re thinking of casting Jerry Seinfeld to play Thomas Alva Edison next, and then we’re going to get Christopher Mintz-Plasse to play Joe Namath. You don’t like this? Suck on it.”

Nikki Finke reported yesterday that the script by gay screenwriter Lance Black (Milk) will “[peel] back the curtain on the life of Hoover.” Meaning, of course, that the film will probably punch up the allegedly gay undercurrent in Hoover’s private life, particularly regarding his relationship with longtime amigo Clyde Tolson. Something tells me the old-school Eastwood won’t want to delve too deeply into this aspect but Black’s script (which I’d love to read if anyone has a copy) almost certainly deals with it in a fairly up-front way.

All I know is that I’m having a lot of trouble imagining DiCaprio dressed in “a fluffy black dress with flounces and lace, stockings, high heels and a black curly wig,” which is how Hoover was allegedly described on a certain occasion by society lady Susan Rosenstiel, as reported in Anthony Summers‘ Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover.

You’d think from all the vigorous marketing and online buzz that Kick-Ass will rule the box-office on the weekend of 4.16, when it opens against Death At A Funeral. Except the across-the-board awareness of Death is slightly or solidly higher than Kick-Ass‘s, which, as a seasoned number-cruncher notes, “is surprising among 17-to-34 year olds.”

And there are higher Kick-Ass negatives at this stage with “definitely not interested” among under- and over-25 women at 15 and 13 vs. 10 and 8 for Death at a Funeral.

The bottom line is that Kick-Ass seems to be doing well only among under-25 males. The current Kick-Ass numbers for this demo “aren’t even close” to where Clash of the Titans was tracking with them two weeks ago,” I’m told. Right now under-25 males are at a definite interest 48 for Kick-Ass compared to Clash‘s opening-day number of 65.

“Next week’s numbers should be interesting when and if Kick-Ass‘s first choice number, which is currently at 7, bumps up higher with Clash removed from the equation,” the guy remarks. Clash‘s first-choice number is currently 25.

Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones‘ Breaking Upwards (IFC Films, 4.2) is — no exaggeration — the best shot, best written, best acted and best-edited New York relationship drama made for $15,000 that I’ve ever seen. If it had cost $50,000 or even $100,000 I’d still be in the wheelhouse. I expected something a little rough or meandering, but it’s an unusually bright, engaging and robust little film for what it is.

At last night’s Breaking Upwards after-party (l to r.): Julie White, Pablo Schreiber, Andrea Martin, co-writer/director/costar Daryl Wein, co-writer/costar Zoe Lister-Jones, Francis Benhamou, director of photography Alex Bergman.

Wein and Lister Jones have based their co-written script (along with Peter Duchan ) on their own real-life history, playing themselves with Wein directing and editing. I heard at the after-party that it actually cost more than $15 grand but we’ll let that one slide.

It’s about a 20something couple going through the stales and looking to shake things up agreeing to give themselves some time off and maybe nookie around. Which of course puts Breaking Upwards in the same realm and even in a kind of quasi-competition with Katie Asleton‘s The Freebie.

Breaking Upwards is in no way cute or farcical in the mode of those idiotic chick-flick romances that the studios release in January-February (and which female Eloi support with way too much enthusiasm.) The script seemingly focuses on Wein and Lister-Jones’ actual social/work milieus, which means acting classes and West Village bike rides and Jewish gatherings and parental kitchen chats, etc. And the enterprise feels utterly genuine and authentic and perceptive within these perimeters.

Breaking Upwards co-writer/director/costar Daryl Wein, co-writer/costar Zoe Lister-Jones prior to last night’s IFC Center screening.

Honestly and no offense? Lister-Jones comes off as a handful and a bit of a snippy bitch. Wein hooks up at one point with Olivia Thirlby (Juno, The Wackness) during one of his roam-arounds, and as soon as this happened I was muttering “dude, go for it…take a chance on the new talent…Zoe is way more trouble than she’s worth!”

Which obviously isn’t an indication of any real-life judgment or observation on my part. I’m just saying that Lister-Jones comes off, fairly or intentionally or whatever, as prickly and bothered with more than her share of thorns.

Sincere and believable backup is provided by Andrea Martin as Zoe’s mom (“You’re needy, honey…you’ve always been very needy”) and Julie White and Peter Friedman as Daryl’s good-egg parents.

Alex Bergman‘s cinematography is clean and unfettered and well-framed, and Wein’s editing is fast and nimble and keeps the ball in the air at all times.

Here’s that Larry Rohter story about the making of the film that ran in last Sunday’s N.Y. Times. Good on Falco Ink for making this happen.

Star Trek‘s Zachary Quinto (i.e., Monsieur Spock) and two guys I didn’t recognize (sorry) at last night’s Breaking Upwards after-party.