Hollywood Goes To Epic Proportions

USA Today ^ | 11/29/02 | Scott Bowles

[HumanaeVitae]

Whoops...point already made above.

[HumanaeVitae]

True. The sad thing about this is that we'll have 20th Century actors for roles best tackled by classically-trained giants like Heston. The culture of the '70s and '80s produced our current crop of actors (raise your hand if you grew up watching the Brat Pack); that culture could have no more produced a Heston than the same culture could have produced a Beethoven.

Still, I believe my children will grow up in a culture far more like the 19th Century German or Victorian high culture than the trash-nihilistic swamp into which we were born. Call me an optimist.

[VadeRetro]

Knew that was coming sooner or later from somebody! :)

[Notforprophet]

How about Viggo Mortensen for Alexander?

"Let's hunt some orc!"

[VadeRetro]

I was being a little sarcastic. I don't want to see Ben Affleck as Achilles, either. He strikes me as this generation's Troy Donahue. Most of the guys I would really see as Achilles are too old now if not dead. DeNiro would be OK, even if he's not exactly a giant. He could put menace and craziness into a role. Sort of Raging Achaean. Yul Brynner, in his day. Jack Palance.

Achilles should not be a pretty boy.

[Restorer]

Viggo would make a great Achilles. But he's too old to play Alex, who died at about 30, with most of his story taking place in his early 20s.

[afraid]

Rob Roy is a good movie also.

I dont think Gladiator caused this change, it was Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, 3 hour movies that kids had no problem sitting through.

Get ready for next year, TWO Matrix movies!

[HumanaeVitae]

You just reminded me that I've got to go see the Two Towers. I've heard it's spectacular.

[RLK]

When Cleopatra failed to earn back a fourth of its cost,

------------------------

Liz Taylor has always been a pig. The peak of her career was National Velvet. The rest of her career consisted of her turbulent relationship with Richard Burton.

[HumanaeVitae]

The Matrix is quite a movie. Tackles the old "Evil Genius" problem of philosophy quite well...

[sheik yerbouty]

Perhaps he will see a great epicac after a large meal.

[HumanaeVitae]

Every time I see one of your posts your name never fails to crack me up.

[RLK]

Crow had the stones to do Gladiator. That's what made the movie. The C. S. Forester Hormblower series begs tp be made into movies. There was one in the series done 50 years ago with Gregory Peck as Hornblower. While I disagree with Peck politically, he played a naval officer very convincingly. There was a horblower series on TV but the lead actor seemed like he should have been cruising gay bars. It didn't work.

There aren't enough actors at present with the ability to play strong roles.

[kstewskis]

Mel Gibson for EVERYTHING !!!

[drool!!!] BUMP!!!

[dogbyte12]

Viggo would make a good Achilles. I think his role in Fellowship of the Rings shows that he truly gets how to play a conflicted hero. Hollywood usually does it with lazy short hand, but I thought that Viggo Mortenson really got it with some nuanced acting that was just wonderful in the theatrical version of FOTR. It shows up even more in the extended DVD version.

A phrase I never want to hear in my life though is... "Keanu Reeves is Julius Caesar-- Coming to a theater near you"

[RightOnline]

"The Battle of Thermopylae, the bloody conflict between the Persians and Greeks in 480 B.C., is the subject of two possible studio films. Universal is developing Gates of Fire, while 20th Century Fox is weighing a remake of the 1962 film The 300 Spartans."

Well, Jack, I'm with you. If they're going to remake this movie.......one of my all time favorites, despite its now "dated" look..........they'd best do it justice.

At the risk of beating the dead horse, I said on a thread about the Battle of Thermopylae some time ago that if they ever decided to remake that movie (looks like my prayers are being answered!!!), there is one choice and one choice only for the role of Leonidas: Mel Gibson. Period. Hands down. Right age, right look, right acting chops..........he'd chew it up.

[driftless]

My bet is that they'll fall on their politically correct faces. Hollywood always made a lot of crap, like "Cleopatra", to go along with the few really good movies. But today instead of a nine to one ration of bad to good movies its about ninetynine to one.

[IronJack]

And they could cast Jim Jeffords as Ephialtes. Bill Clinton as Xerxes ... Hillary as "the woman he luuhhhhved."

Get Spielberg on the line ...

[muleskinner]

Brad Pitt as Achilles

Well, it seems Brad can naturally duplicate the oder of Achilles after a few days of fighting Trojans...they both stink.

[Burkeman1]

If 5'6" 150 was the average then a Pitt or di Caprio would have been 4'9" weighing in at 90 pounds back in those days.