Saturday 29 June 2024

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1998: Mike Myers in 54

Mike Myers did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Steve Rubell in 54. 

54 is a mostly terrible film failing to be Boogie Nights successfully in the tale of Studio 54.
 
One major problem is our lead character Shane (Ryan Phillipe) is generic and dull, with a duller backstory, duller relationships and rather dull as portrayed. And in a way the character shows just how great Dirk Diggler conversely is, given that technically it is the same *type* of role, but is better in every possible way. Anyway, the best aspect of the film is Mike Myers as the real co-owner of the Studio 54, who is known really only as a sketch funny man, with his forays into films being as overtly comedic leads, here Myers is genuinely trying to be dramatic. And to his credit, from his first scene, where he is selecting people to enter his club, and Myers does avoid the worst possible option which is just taking his sketch sensibilities to the part, a pitfall that would've easy enough to sink into because of the overtly mannered nature of the real Rubell. Myers brings the mannerisms, but he doesn't over do it, with this slight smile as though the guy is consistently surprised by his own success, and his dazed look as though he's always at least somewhat on drugs. Myers doesn't over do it, he rather makes it a natural state within his performance, and is convincing as Rubell, by having the mannerisms but not overdoing nor making that all there is to them. As even his first interaction where he let's Shane in, requiring he take off his shirt on the way in, Myers brings this extra a bit of the sense of power the man's wielding in the request, and the way he's absorbing the indulgence as just part of his very particular mastery of this unlikely domain. 

Throughout the film, we occasionally check in with Rubell as the face of the company to the public but also as Shane goes about working at 54, where Rubell holds sway. In this avenue Myers goes further with the role, though he always keeps this sort of surface presentation of the man "living his best life" and just loving his power. Myers mixes around effectively though to be a bit more incisive in his manner as he jovially, yet most threateningly assigns duties in the club with "Vietnam" being the alternative. Frequently we see Rubell choosing the next bartender, where there is frequently the suggestion of sexual favors required of the man, where Myers is quite effectively in balancing the note in part of playing the sleaze of the man with that same smile, but going further in crafting this quiet sense of self-loathing in the request. Myers offers subtle hints of shame in the man using the power, even though he uses the power nonetheless, showing his ability as an actor does go beyond caricature. As the film progresses we occasionally stop in with Rubell as he's going to greater extremes as a man, such as one particularly well acted moment, where you see a very insidious sneer below the smile as he looks on with Shane flirting with a customer, or when he fires one of his longtime employees for supposed embezzling, where Myers brings some real vicious intensity in Rubell covering up his insecurities by losing his smile for once. Where we eventually see a merging in his final New Year's speech near the end of the club, where Myers brings the smile to yet makes it feel more forced, more of an oozing desperation at every moment, and just a sense of the exhaustion of the experience of the man lost in his indulgences. Followed by a striking moment, where as the Feds are closing in on him, Rubell refuses to leave, and Myers's delivery of "where would I go" has such a perfect sense of defeat of a man who sees no other option in his life but down. Myers's consistently good and the one truly compelling aspect of the film. He's convincing and creates the period, and a true sense of desperation, rather than the phoniness we get from most of the rest of the film. Unfortunately the film is not aware of this, and doesn't take what it has to allow Myers to explore the role more than the occasional highlight. Myers's portrait of Rubell feels real, when the overall film does not. Myers suggests a greater dramatic capability than he ended up being able to explore in his career, returning entirely back to comedies afterwards, probably due to the overall failure of the film...which had nothing to do with him. 

71 comments:

Shaggy Rogers said...

I thought Myers would be last before the Results.

Ytrewq Wertyq said...

Hell yeah, my first requested review! I was a bit afraid that you'd give him a lower grade due to how dull 54 was, but I'm happy that he ended up with a 4. It's always interesting to see a comedian in a serious role, especially when he's the only interesting thing in the film.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the cast.

Mitchell Murray said...

From everything I've gathered from the film's reception...this grade feels appropriate. Also, this is such an outlier in Myers' filmography, I can sort of see why he didn't pursue drama further, and instead capitalized on what audiences liked him for.

Louis: HAD Myers went for more dramatic roles in the 2000s/2010s, what roles would you have cast him for?

BRAZINTERMA said...

Hello Louis and folks!
Let's talk about some 1998 movie translations in non-English speaking countries. The names that were in Brazil were:

Central Station = Central of Brazil
The Thin Red Line = Beyond the Red Line
Dark City = City of Shadows
Affliction = Hunting Season
Rounders = Cards on the Table
Rushmore = Three is Too Much
Babe: Pig in the City = Babe, the Clumsy Pig in the City
You’ve Got Mail = Message For You
Little Voice = Laura, the Voice of a Star
Ever After = Forever Cinderella
Stepmom = Side by Side
Vampires = John Carpenter's Vampires
American History X = The Other American Story
Meet Joe Black = Appointment Scheduled
Croupier = Crupiê: Life at Stake
The Mighty = Always Friends
High Art = Sublime Portraits
What Dreams May Come = Love Beyond the Life
He Got Game = Decisive Play
The Spanish Prisoner = The Cheat
Another Day in Paradise = Kids and Professionals

Matt Mustin said...

Brazinterma: Aw man, they didn't have to do Babe like that

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: what are your thoughts on Beatrice Grannò, Michael Imperioli and Meghann Fahy in The White Lotus?

Tony Kim said...

Louis: Thoughts and ratings on Angelica Huston in Buffalo '66? And to follow up on what you said about CZJ in Zorro, who would be your choices for the other nine sexiest cinematic characters ever?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your thoughts and cast ranking for The Bear Season 3 once you've finished it.

Tim said...

Brazinterma:


Run Lola Run = Lola runs
The Thin Red Line = The Thin Edge
Saving Private Ryan = The Soldier James Ryan
Affliction = The Hunted Man
One True Thing = Family Matters (the tv show has a different name over here, ok)
A Civil Action = Civil Trial
Primary Colors = With all the Power
What Dreams May Come = Behind the Horizon
Beloved = Child of Man
A Bug's Life = The Big Crawling (no really)
Babe: Pig in the City = Piggy Babe in the big City
Quest For Camelot = The Magic Sword - The Legend of Camelot
Mighty Joe Young = My Big Friend Joe
Meet Joe Black = A Date with Joe Black
Vampires = John Carpenter's Vampires
He Got Game = Spike Lee's The Game of Life
Stepmom = Side by Side
You've Got Mail = E-Mail For You

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Phillippe - 1(He's usually bland anyways, but here he's REALLY bad. He plays into this meathead quality in a way that should be comical, but he wants us to believe him. So his line readings just are dreadfully absurd while also being comically thin. Whenever he attempts to be serious it is woefully underwhelming because he always feels completely an absurd caricature, however he's not playing into that quality either. Really again, if one wants to praise Wahlberg in Boogie Nights, you can basically use this an example of where Wahlberg when right, Phillipee went wrong with just about every choice.)

Hayek - 2(She's less bad, but her character is so thin there's nothing she really can do with it in anyway. Very thin performance to match the thin character, where she's at least slightly believable I guess, but not enough to not be pretty bad as well.)

Campbell - 2(She's in the movie I guess.)

Meyer - 1.5(Again like Phillippe except there are the occasional few seconds where he borders on maybe something genuine, never gets there, but you see at least some semblance of the attempt.)

Dow - 2(Potentially fascinating character, unfortunately her performance just doesn't deliver, and I think remains more in the comedic sensibilities that defined most of her more successful performances. She plays that into it here, where that's the wrong approach, as we should be given an understanding of this grandmother turned party drug addict within the studio, but instead we get more of a caricature. This very much is the writing and direction as well, but she just doesn't find it either. Which again is a shame, as say PTA was making this, I think the character could've been something great.)

Anonymous:

Odenkirk is great in the scene in just filled with so much desperation and insecurity in his performance. The meekness he brings at the start in not being able to face the idea of even having what Chuck denied him and in turn taking it out all on Howard, who again is having the patience of a Saint. Odenkirk brilliantly building up to playing up a shield of anger and bombast in kind of asserting himself as essentially a clown to cover up that rampant insecurity, as we see in his moment of clarity after he's successfully gotten rid of that break in his expectation. Contrasting that is Fabian who is very good in the little hints of the breaks of Howard's facade both in his own frustration with Jimmy, but even genuine concern before just full dismissive.

Dalton on charm offensive is something to see in itself, as the most dangerous Salamanca in being the complete psychopath being able to put on such a face, and Dalton brilliantly plays the layers of the fake interest and care, to the colder calculation in his eyes of Lalo's real intention the whole time in deriving the information.

Mitchell:

Well I wouldn't necessarily have cast him in these roles, as his dramatic "game tape" is still limited, but roles where he might've worked:

Miles Raymond
Saul Goodman
Hugo (Succession)

Louis Morgan said...

Lucas:

Granno - (Like her closest co-star certainly delivers on the overt eroticism though in a slightly different way where she brings more of a playful sense of the game, though a hesitation within that playfulness. Bringing sort of the right internalization into every time she decides to attempt to ply the "trade", showing her kind of going through her mental motions with a lightly comic though still very real feeling manner each time.)

Imperioli - (A good performance however one where I kind of got exactly what I expected in that he brings a convincing sort of exasperated dad energy that is slightly combative but also just defeated. Bringing an ease about the character that is entirely convincing if all kind of expected at the same time.)

Fahy - (Her performance much of the time is playing the "simple" note of the perfect sort of bright and sunny wife eager to share about her children or otherwise. She's effective though in the brief moments of sort of subtle changes where she reveals a certain sudden bit of venomous quality, or even just slightly more humanity in sort of emphasizing the way it is always a game with her one way or another.)

Tony:

Huston - 3.5(She's entertaining in playing her singular distracted note of just obsessed with the game at all times, and really is very un-Angelica Hustonesque throughout in a way that is definitely a different presence. Obviously mostly she just needs to be that note of kind of not caring about anything except the game, but does it quite well and again outside of her expected comfort zone.)

Gilda
Sabina - The Unbearable Lightness of Being (though really any Lena Olin character)
Joi - Blade Runner 2049
Mona Lisa Vito
Mara - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Lisa Fremont
Maggie the Cat
Kitty Collins
Jane Henderson

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I wasn't expecting you to watch Quest For Camelot and I apologise that you had to endure the whole experience.

Ratings and thoughts on the cast. Thoughts on Doyle's score.

Thoughts on:
United We Stand
Oldman's musical number
The Prayer (both song and misplaced scene)

Lucas Saavedra said...

1. Caviezel
2. Larsen
3. Kiefer
4. Donald
5. Myers

Jonathan Williams said...

Louis: What did you think of I Stand Alone and Looking through your Eyes.

Tim said...

your thoughts on the opening scene of Snake Eyes and your rating for Cage?

Bryan L. said...

1. Caviezel
2. Larsen
3. Donald
4. Kiefer
5. Myers

Omar Franini said...

1. Caviezel
2. Larsen
3. Kiefer Sutherland
4. Donald Sutherland
5. Myers

Tony Kim said...

Louis: Thoughts on the trailers for The Instigators, Red One, and Flight Risk?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Thoughts on House Of The Dragon S2E3.

Luke Higham said...

Tony: I think he'll wait until the end of the summer or Venice at the latest for that.

Louis Morgan said...

Regarding Horizon part I. I tried for the sake of the genre, but sadly it doesn't come together. I think Costner might've been better off fully copying How the West Was Won, which clearly is part of its inspiration, by telling complete vignettes that end up interconnecting with one another. While I suppose there's the chance everything will weave together in a way that is so brilliant we will all shut our mouths, the approach here makes so much feel unfulfilled. It isn't even that it's a part 1, rather in this extensive part 1, the amount we truly learn feels quite thin, with everything seeming a very generalized archetype western bits that don't dig nearly deep enough. It also doesn't help in the tone Costner is working with that is challenging, as in one story he's trying for a Ford fort movie, another he's doing an Anthony Mann style conflict, another he's doing basically a return to his own Dances with Wolves, the weirdest, he's almost doing a parody where Luke Wilson is constantly frustrated by his overly proper British guests....it's a strange inclusion. Again maybe these shifts would've worked better if they were vignettes rather woven together. It isn't bereft of quality, though it is always mixed, particularly the performances, which range from decent to better off in a bad western tv show, there's some good shots to be sure, and the Apache attack sequence is very well done. But anything that works, isn't enough.

Costner - 3
Miller - 3
Worthington - 2.5
Rooker - 2.5
Huston - 2.5
Malone - 3
Angarano - 3
Lee - 3
Bower - 3
Beavers - 2
Show - 2.5
Means - 3
Wilson - 2
Hunt - 2
Payne - 2
MacPhail - 3
Patton - (Is in the movie)
Fahey - 3
Cruz - 3
Macfadyen - 3
O'Hara - (Far too talented for his 30 seconds "featured extra" amount of screentime he gets)

Luke Higham said...

A part of me really wanted Costner to succeed with this but it came 3 decades too late when the western genre is becoming more out of fashion with the casual audience.

BRAZINTERMA said...

Hello Louis and folks!
Now that we are halfway through the year, tell us which were the best of 2024 so far...

SONG: So far the songs have been so weak that I couldn't pick one
SCORE: Dune - Part Two
SOUND MIXING: Dune - Part Two
SOUND EDITING: Civil War
EDITING: Dune - Part Two
VISUAL EFFECTS: Dune - Part Two
MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING: Furiosa - A Mad Max Saga
COSTUME DESIGN: Furiosa - A Mad Max Saga
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Dune - Part Two
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dune - Part Two
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Evil Does Not Exist
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Dune - Part Two
ENSEMBLE: Challengers
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Tilda Swinton - Problemista
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Austin Butler - Dune - Part Two
LEAD ACTRESS: Lily Gladstone - Fancy Dance
LEAD ACTOR: George Mckay - The Beast
DIRECTOR: Denis Villenueve - Dune - Part Two
PICTURE: Dune - Part Two

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

I was not particularly impressed by Doyle's score, just some fairly generic sounding fantasy motifs thrown together to form a whole that while not terrible, isn't particularly special either. It's just average in a way that doesn't distinguish itself from other fantasy scores or from Doyle's better scores.

Going by the versions featured in film versions for each of the songs.

United We Stand a heroic anthem; it doesn't distinguish itself too much. The heroic chant is okay behind it all, the lyrics in the solo though are pretty weak in trying to get every plot point out in a way that doesn't work. Not entirely sure about the instrumentation, the use of bagpipes is always tough and I wouldn't say it gives much effective use of it.

Ruber song is hard to even describe what it is trying to do at any point, like what style it is going for or anything else. But Oldman's singing is more than a little hard to listen to, as he seems as lost as anyone else is listening to its speaking at a rambling repeated note that does some atrocious exposition...of sorts, I have no idea what is going on honestly even as it just says it. It is horrible in just about everyway.

The Prayer seems like an ideal song for a mother sending off her daughter with much poignancy and thought, though not just because she's running away from metal chimera men, which undercuts the song and the scene, as it is way too passive of a song for the theoretical intensity of the scene, and in turn the song is undercut because you're just led to say "huh". The song lyrics though are aside from that potent and could've been used to make a masterpiece of a scene. As is, you do get that gentle goodbye, with a simple yet equally resonate melody backing up the prayer...again great potential here, horribly executed.

Jonathan:

I Stand Alone is the best song in the film, particularly if you were to consider its placement, but it's also a very good song. In fact, again speaking of potential if you wanted to set up the song as a man convincing himself of the purity of loneliness, it is pretty potent as a ballad of a lonely man. As the first verse you get how great his life is as he walks through his known isolation, against the second that illustrates that as a man hiding from the dangers of having to be with others. And here the song actually works as a intro to Garrett's abilities, even though I think I gave more thought to his potential arc than we get more in the film. Regardless, the song works as such, and I quite love honestly the building triumphant instrumentation that I think it is an effective blend between kind of fantastical cinematic choices with somewhat more pop oriented. To create this energetic ballad...that could've been a brilliant subversion of itself...but alas.

Louis Morgan said...

Looking through your eyes is a fine, if not overly distinctive love ballad. It works though again within the scene actually in terms of creating the bond between the pair, even if some of the transitions are a little imperfect in wanting to create the most grandiose of love songs. I'd say it might actually get a little too big for its own sake. Nonetheless the build towards the chorus is rather eloquently realized, if the melody slightly generic, but overall still wholly a good song.

Tim:

It's a good, very much DePalma opening scene in setting up the stakes, and putting in as much as he can in his near one shot, where he does pull it off in the sudden transitions, having the setup of the tidal wave that never happens, introducing Cage's detective being the morally duplicitous schemer on his way to the fight, introducing the fight stakes and those who are going to be there, all with a considerable stylistic ease. It's a shame the third act tanks all the good will.

3.5

Tony:

Well Doug Liman isn't exactly on a hot streak, but this looked like Wolfs, in either it will hit the light entertainment note or not. This suggests it could either way, though always appreciate Hong Chau in anything.

I'm all for finally making the Day Reindeer Died, but sadly I would've hoped it would've looked better than this. Here one where theoretically there should be some laughs here, not the labored forced attempts one finds in every one of the scenes in this film. Everything just felt arduous, in what should be lightweight fun.

Flight Risk, baffling directing choice for Gibson to make what looks like an aggressively trashy action thriller, given he came off a critical/commercial and awards success in Hacksaw Ridge last. Wahlberg looks really bad, though I guess he's going for, Dockery looks like she's wondering why she's there, and Grace...I guess is trying. Maybe it could fun in a trashy fun way but from this instance....eh.

Luke:

Thought House of the Dragon was a terrific episode, and I did not know either Freddie Fox or Simon Russell Beale were in this season so both were pleasant surprises. Rather magnificently I felt built up the tension for both the Black and The Greens, with the final scene especially being exceptional work in the last ditch attempt at reconciliation that was wonderfully written and directed. MVP D'Arcy.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Glad I took my time to finish The Bear Season 3 instead of bingeing it, as I think it gave me a better chance to parse out my thoughts more clearly. It definitely feels more like "part 1" of a story that will hopefully get resolved in Season 4, but I also think the criticism it's been getting has been overblown. As aside from the overuse of the Faks (what is the point of Matty Matheson?), I still think it was, for the most part, beautifully crafted and performed. My main issue with it would be how it lets certain character dynamics and storylines simmer *too* much, but an imperfect season of The Bear is still good television.

Top 10:

1. Liza Colón-Zayas (her flashback episode was easily my favorite of the season)
2. Abby Elliot (she's always such a generous performer in the show, but I think she and Curtis knocked out their spotlight episode)
3. Jon Bernthal
4. Jeremy Allen White
5. Oliver Platt
6. Jamie Lee Curtis
7. Ayo Edebiri
8. Ebon Moss-Bachrach (not his fault, but given how dynamic he was in Season 2, sidelining him was only going to be to the show's detriment)
9. Lionel Boyce
10. Joel McHale

Robert MacFarlane said...

Tahmeed: I haven't watched the new season yet, but I'm glad you mentioned Abby Elliot. Of all the moments in "Fishes", the two I keep coming back to are the warm scene between Moss-Bachrach and Gillian Jacobs, and then Elliot's heartbroken reaction when Curtis curses her out. Of all the minute moments in season two, that reaction shot is maybe the one I think about the most a year later.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Robert: I'll try not to give too much away, but the new season is a bit more introspective and slow-paced in a way you'll either despise or love. Agreed entirely on those moments from 'Fishes', I'm just glad Elliot got even more to do this season.

8000S said...

Louis: I know that they appeared together in a few films, but something tells me that Stewart and Fonda deserved to be in a movie together where the material was pretty solid.

Not sure what you think of a Mann Western with the two of them.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Is I Stand Alone #6 or #7 for Song.

Shaggy Rogers said...

Brazinterma:

Picture: Dune - Part Two
Director: Denis Villenueve - Dune - Part Two
Actor: Jesse Plemons - Kinds of Kindness
Actress: June Squibb - Thelma
Supporting Actor: Tom Hardy - The Bikeriders
Supporting Actress: Joan Chen - Dìdi
Ensemble: Kinds of Kindness
Production Design: Horizon - Chapter 1
Sound Editing: Dune - Part Two
Sound Mixing: Dune - Part Two
Score: Challengers
Editing: Civil War
Visual Effects: Dune - Part Two
Costume Design: Kubi
Cinematography: Dune - Part Two
Makeup and Hairstyling: Dune - Part Two
Original Screenplay: Kinds of Kindness
Adapted Screenplay: Dune - Part Two
Song: "Jean Kayak and His ACME Applejack" - Hundreds of Beavers

Shaggy Rogers said...

After 98, what will be Louis' next year of analysis?
I hope it's 1972 or 1976.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your 1970s cast & director for The Bikeriders.

Bryan L. said...

^The image that showed up after I clicked “Publish your comment” asked me to select the grids with a motorcycle. Fitting.

Louis Morgan said...

Thelma is a genuine surprise. Manages to pull off successfully what the Going in Style remake failed to do, though this isn't really like the original Going in Style as the whole thing mainly...where that film is a some fun but also a lot of devastation. But I think it manages to find humor without becoming too cloying or too much in the "thriller" aspect of an elderly woman seeking justice after having fallen for a phone scam. Although it balances it nicely with moments of genuine pathos and an examination of one trying to find their independence still even at their older age. It's straightforward, perhaps simple even, but thoroughly charming and even moving at times. 

I'll save Roundtree.

Squibb - 4.5
Hechinger - 2.5
Posey - 3.5
Gregg - 3
McDowell - 3.5

Louis Morgan said...

8000's:

That would seem ideal. I also think Fonda theoretically could've worked as Tom Doniphon...however that role is such a perfect fit for Wayne I'd never want to change that.

Luke:

Actually might be #5.

Bryan:

The Bikeriders 1970's directed by Sam Peckinpah:

Benny: Kris Kristofferson
Kathy: Stockard Channing
Johnny: Warren Oates
Zipco: Dennis Weaver
Danny Lyon: Gary Busey
Funny Sunny: Stacy Keach
Cal: Russ Tamblyn
Brucie: Murray Hamilton
Cockroach: Burt Young
The Kid: Sylvester Stallone

Luke Higham said...

RIP Robert Towne

Matt Mustin said...

RIP Robert Towne. Chinatown is one of the greatest screenplays ever written.

Tony Kim said...

RIP Robert Towne.

Shaggy Rogers said...

RIP Robert Towne
Wow, it was quite a coincidence that Towne and Sutherland left in such a short space of time. Without Limits' post will certainly be very special.

Louis Morgan said...

RIP Robert Towne

RatedRStar said...

RIP Robert Towne

Ytrewq Wertyq said...

RIP Robert Towne

Jonathan Williams said...

RIP Robert Towne

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Thoughts on Zendaya in Challengers, Lupita Nyong'o in A Quiet Place: Day One, Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe in Kinds Of Kindness and June Squibb in Thelma.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: When you get to your 2024 roundup after the 70s year (assuming it's 77), could you check out The First Omen. I've already made the list for the roundup and that's my primary pick.

Louis Morgan said...

Regarding Beverly Hills Cop: Axle F Well it's much better than Coming 2 America, but then again most things are. Unfortunately, it's not amazing. The plot and action actually are totally fine and I'd argue aren't that much below the first two films in fact Kevin Bacon completely works as a proper sleazebag villain...unfortunately what made the first two films were the comedic asides. And those comedic asides here are where the film mostly doesn't work, though everyone is mostly trying the magic just isn't there aside from a few bits here and there. I think the biggest failure is the extremely generic father/daughter relationship attempting to bring some depth, while also bringing comedy, and I think the problem is Taylour Paige and Murphy just don't have any chemistry, or anti-chemistry of any kind. Paige is certainly a talented performer, but I think someone with better comedic sensibilities might've been able to make the relationship seem less tired. Even with those obvious flaws, it's not terrible, or embarrassing, which I guess is a minor victory, but would've preferred an actual victory. 

Random Side Note: What a strange film to include a Shooter McGavin cameo. 

Murphy - 2.5
Gordon-Levitt - 3
Bacon - 3.5
Paige - 2.5
Reinhold - 3
Ashton - 3
Reiser - 3
Pinchot - 2

Anonymous said...

Louis: Thoughts on the rest of the Axel F cast?

Tony Kim said...

Luke: Forgive me if I sound obtuse, but from where did you glean that Louis is planning to tackle '77 next? Is there a set schedule somewhere for the order in which he reviews the years?

Matt Mustin said...

Tony: There is and he's explained it but I still can't figure it out.

J96 said...

Rest In Peace Robert Towne.

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

Happy 100th to Eva Marie Saint!

Tony Kim said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tony Kim said...

Louis: May I ask, how is the order in which you review the years determined? I'm sure you've given an explanation before, but I just can't find it through Google.

Luke Higham said...

Tony: 90s, 70s, 80s, 10s, 60s, 00s, 50s, 30s, 40s

He's going with the same order as the original alternates that he did back in 2012-2016.
90s (98, 90, 95)
70s (77, 72, 76)
80s (86, 82, 89)
10s (17, 18, 19)
60s (67, 69, 62)
00s (04, 06, 07)
50s (53, 56, 59)
30s (30, 36, 39)
40s (46, 41, 40)

It's possible that he's gonna swap 39 and 40 around for the very last year as it's the peak year of the golden age.

He's only deviated from the order twice. He did 96 early because of Von Sydow's passing and from what I remember, Robert persuaded him to do 83 early.

And he did 42 before 45 but that was due to not having enough time to do the latter as it was before the Oscars that year.

RatedRStar said...

Just had a really weird moment, has anyone ever found out that an actor had passed away quite a while ago despite thinking they were still alive? because that literally just happened to me.

Shaggy Rogers said...

Luke: It still has the 20s (28 and 29).

Robert MacFarlane said...

RatedRStar: For me it’s the opposite where I assumed someone was dead for years, and then I find out they were still alive… when they announce they’ve died.

Tony Kim said...

Luke: Thank you, good to know. Do you happen to know why those decades were decided on in that specific order?

RatedRStar: Which actor were you thinking of? What you describe sounds familiar but I can't recall a specific instance for me offhand.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on this scene in terms of acting https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=chR-zz6FxyQ

Luke Higham said...

Shaggy: I left those out because we're not at that point yet but it'll be 29 and 28 in that order.

Tony: The 90s use to come after the 50s but as I mentioned, 1996 changed that. Aside from that, the order been's the same since the start of the bonus rounds.

RatedRStar said...

Robert: I understand that, especially if it's someone who acted in like the 40s/50s.

Tony Kim: I looked him up on this blog to see if there were any blog RIPs on his death (July 5th 2022) and there weren't any, it wasn't a big actor but he had some notice on this blog.

I had no idea that Lenny Von Dohlen from Twin Peaks had died.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Let me hold off on Zendaya, as I'd like to re-watch the film first. Let me also wait on Stone and Dafoe, because only Omar and myself have seen the film, and all the trailers have not specified the scenarios, with part of the film being discovering the insanity of each segment.

Nyong'o - (A very unique horror performance that Nyong'o embraces in the right way. Because on the surface she delivers the direct moments of reactions towards the horror effectively, and with the needed sense of quiet empathy as she witnesses certain moments or helps others. The unique quality though is that her character on a fundamental level is reacting towards the situation very differently from everyone else, and Nyong'o runs with this concept. Not by being detached but rather creating this specific different kind of focus on orientation. There are moments where she manages to make this believable sense of "oh here's another thing" for her, rather than just the natural horror of everyone else, that makes it more so this ball of despair though a reasoned understood despair that she has to reckon with. Something then she plays with and fights against beautifully in her performance with so much riding on the key moment later with Quinn that rides on the performers and succeeds because of them.)

Squibb - (Her performance is essential to the success of the film, in part because I think Fred Hechinger in the second largest role quite nearly plays into the wrong way this film could've gone, requiring that Squibb pick up even more slack. Squibb though is quite simply wonderful here and I think she manages to hit just the right tone for the film. In that she certainly is playing for comedy in being this sudden determined detective who doesn't exactly know what she is doing, but is very certain she is going to do it. Squibb though hits the marks just right in playing up the comedy but always making it feel completely within the character still so wonderfully so. She balances that in part though in being very quietly honest in the moments of more genuine pathos of remembering what she has lost or seeing the limitations of her abilities at such an older age. Squibb makes those moments feel absolutely real within the fun, making Thelma someone you can believe even though much of the time you're just having a great time in her various hijinks.)

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Murphy - (I actually think he's almost at his standard for Axle, which I've always felt he struggled with the dramatic moments, except again for the scenes with Paige where he struggles again with the dramatic elements and just makes it feel a bit tired rather than something that resonates. On the comedy side, Murphy still does have the energy, I wouldn't say the bits here are always amazing, but Murphy sometimes gets a laugh and is always trying, particularly, the unfortunately, limited amount of time he gets to share with Ashton and Reinhold. I wish though also they had maybe gone further with Gordon-Levitt, as I think they get a little of something but I think they could've gone further.)

Bacon - (He knows exactly what type of part he's in, and just owns it every second he's on screen. Brings just the right sleazy grin with always the emphasis on everything in the most insecure way of a character who is purposefully without real depth. Bacon owns that lack of depth wonderfully, and could've been the villain in any of the films.)

Paige - (Again I don't think she was ideal as I think she struggles with comedy and just doesn't have chemistry with Murphy. She certainly is trying but I think this just wasn't the right role for her. I think someone who kind of was fully a match for Murphy with the comedy could've made the film greater as a whole.)

Reinhold - (FAR too little Billy, but appreciated when he is on screen.)

Ashton - (Gets perhaps a little more and he 100% has lost nothing in terms of getting the role.)

Reiser - (Same for him.)

Pinchot - (Less so for him, also just the bit for Serge just doesn't work at all.)

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Maybe the last bit of great acting by Hader in the show, as he brings such a genuine ferocious intensity in where we see how far Barry has sunk into his mania and the darkness...sadly then the show backtracks on all this and makes the character suit whatever the writing needs him to do.

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: your thoughts on the rest of the cast of Thelma?

8000S said...

Louis: Your thoughts on this scene from Falling Hare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-4iOOfgBQo

Louis Morgan said...

Lucas:

Hechinger - (Doing a weird pseudo Joaquin Phoenix thing ish, I think, either way felt weirdly cloying and mostly not convincing. He didn't ruin the movie thankfully, but he made his character a lot more off-putting than I think was the intention even though he was supposed to be a screwup. So much of what he did just seemed like a setup for the bad version of the movie.)

Posey - (Offers fine support in just being very sincere in her performance and I think nicely not going for the easy line in a lot of moments that could've made her character seem a semi-villain. Thankfully instead makes her concerns genuine and never turns her into a caricature.)

Gregg - (Gives the same performance he always does as far as I've seen, which works fine here.)

McDowell - (Very funny at playing the "villain" by comically emphasizing the pathetic nature consistently in so many of his reactions, while still having just enough dashes of that classic McDowell menace. You can't take him seriously though on the whole, and that is what makes him so amusing. Honestly I could move up to a 4, as I certainly enjoyed everything he did.)

8000's:

Expert cartoon logic where one just goes along with whatever situation is presented, here to the extreme though since it is Bugs, he is smart enough to have the rather intense moment of revelation that offers the punchline.

Tony Kim said...

Luke: That's not quite what I meant, but I'll just ask Louis about it directly.

Louis: How did you decide on that specific sequence when planning out your reviewing schedule? As in, the particular permutation of reviewing a year in the 90s, then the 70s, and then the 80s, etc. Did you review years based more on the quality of performances when first starting with the alternate 1971 lineup, and how has the schedule "evolved" since then?

Vihsaak said...

Wayne's World, Austin Powers and Shrek are the only ones I know Mike Myers from. recommend any other good ones.

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