gdp's Comments

Big Hollywood : Director Defends Controversial Princess Diana Documentary Film

Sat, 14 May 2011 13:16:55 +0000

This comedy sketch sums up the Diana conspiracy perfectly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoZ71sj3Kn0 They also have a pretty funny one about the moon landing.

Big Hollywood : Two Hunt For Bin Laden Projects Could Be Fast-tracked

Mon, 2 May 2011 15:05:18 +0000

Surely this story is the perfect vehicle for the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Big Hollywood : Angry Over Trump's 'Demagoguery,' Jerry Seinfeld Takes It Out On Sick Children

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:15:45 +0000

Funny how this article doesn't mention that Seinfeld is making a contribution to the charity despite his pulling out of the event. That's a pretty large detail to overlook just because you want to smear him.

Big Hollywood : The Exorcist and The Church

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 17:20:43 +0000

They need to release the director's cut though. I like Exorcist III but it kinda goes off the rails at the end thanks to studio interference.

Big Hollywood : The Exorcist and The Church

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:44:09 +0000

While the book is outwardly pro-Catholic (and I have no problem with that whatsoever), the film was directed by the agnostic William Friedkin, and I think that's why the movie holds up. It allows audiences to decide how they feel about faith and spirituality without ever coming off as preachy, one way or another. But so few Hollywood films actually take those subjects seriously, leaving the likes of Bergman and Tarkovsky to explore those avenues, so for that alone, the movie should be praised. Plus, it's a horror movie for adults. When was the last time you saw one of those?

Big Hollywood : The Exorcist and The Church

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:39:55 +0000

Give me a break. Linda Blair is absolutely, demonstrably fine. Watch her in any interview about The Exorcist and you'll be aware of that fact. The worst thing Hollywood ever did to her was make her star in Exorcist II: The Heretic.

Big Hollywood : If Hollywood's Always Behaved Badly, Why Do We Dislike It So Much More Today?

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:28:16 +0000

I think it corresponds with the death of the movie star. Nowadays, anyone can become famous so the novelty has worn off. There are dozens of Lindsay Lohan clones coasting through life, shirking responsibility. It's boring. Also, you mention the likes of Richard Burton and Lee Marvin (I'd also add O'Toole and Richard Harris) but you know what was cool about their bad behavior? They accepted responsibility for what they did. They didn't live their lives like an open wound; they weren't narcissists like Charlie Sheen, they just had a good time and didn't make a big deal out of it. I seriously doubt Sheen (if he lives past this decade) will go on talk shows like Harris, acknowledge his stupidity fairly, and make jokes out of it. He'll just be the same old pretentious bore.

Big Hollywood : Bullying 'Glee' Creator Caricatures Blacks & Christians, Publicly Trashes Artists Who Don't Want The

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:36:24 +0000

Damon Albarn summed up my views on Glee perfectly without being nasty or mean-spirited. Murphy could learn a thing or two from a real artist.

Big Hollywood : Review: 'The Break of Noon' Typically Thoughtful LaBute

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 14:52:40 +0000

No, not the bees! NOT THE BEES! AAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!

Big Hollywood : Why the Oscar Snub for 'Secretariat'?

Mon, 7 Feb 2011 14:51:38 +0000

If anyone should've been nominated for Secretariat, it was Nelsan Ellis. Possibly the most underrated performance of the year. Malkovich was just being his usual Pantomime Dame. It's all down to hype and publicity. If Seabiscuit was able to score some nominations, the politics shouldn't have had anything to do with it. Secretariat had some Oscar buzz for a bit but then it fizzed out. It happens. Should've hired a better publicist.

Big Hollywood : Ricky Gervais Gives Hollywood a Taste of Their Own Sucker Punch-Medicine

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:41:34 +0000

Here's the problem: Last year, Gervais made several great jabs at Hollywood whilst maintaining a sense of wit and fun. This year, however, he was just plain nasty. He didn't seem to put any effort into his jokes -- the Charlie Sheen one overstayed its welcome -- and he got too much pleasure from just being a jerk. I don't think that's funny. It's mean-spirited and annoying. Reminds me of that snob who sits in the back of a sociology class and sneers at everyone's opinions just because he can. A good example was when Letterman made fun of the Jack Nicholson car incident at the Oscars. It was Letterman's only good gag, it went right for a sacred cow, but it was genuinely inventive and unexpected. Gervais wasn't half that good.

Big Hollywood : What Shoulda' Won 1988's Academy Award for Best Picture

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:28:43 +0000

What about Fish Called Wanda? One of the tightest comedy screenplays ever written featuring one of the funniest performances in the history of film: Kevin Kline, also one of the few Oscar winners for a funny performance.

Big Hollywood : ...And Now a Holiday Message From Evangelical Atheist Ricky Gervais

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:32:48 +0000

In all seriousness, check out his latest blog posting about it. He's much more level-headed than you're making out: http://www.rickygervais.com/thissideofthetruth.ph...

Big Hollywood : 'Pink Panther' Director Blake Edwards Dead at 88

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:45:33 +0000

Mr. Nolte, I disagree you almost all the time but here I find myself saying THANK YOU. I respect Blake Edwards as a comedy director -- A Shot in the Dark is my favorite -- but the first film I thought of when I heard the news was Days of Wine and Roses, the best film ever made about alcoholism (With the possible exception of Withnail & I.) I'm certainly glad I'm not the only one.

Big Hollywood : L.A. Times: Lack of Christmas Movies a Business Decision, Not Cultural

Wed, 8 Dec 2010 19:57:31 +0000

It's because most contemporary Christmas films are unwatchable cynical Hollywood trash. Let's see: Would I rather fork over ten bucks of my hard-earned cash on Fred Claus save my money and watch It's a Wonderful Life again? I'd love to see a great new Christmas movie but Hollywood has given up on making them.

Big Hollywood : Robert Duvall: American Through and Through

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 15:38:57 +0000

I think it's more that Duvall hasn't had as many iconic roles as his contemporaries. Most people recognize him as a brilliant actor regardless of his politics, but apart from Tom Regan (arguably the least showy member of the Corleone clan) and Lt. Kilgore, I can't point to any of his characters and think, "That will be remembered." But saying "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning" should be enough to seal his place in cinematic history. Fingers crossed that he does indeed play the lead role in Terry Gilliam's ill-fated The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. And Gilliam is as left-wing as they come but obviously he doesn't care about Duvall's politics.

Big Hollywood : You Destroy Art By Qualifying Everything as Art

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 13:59:24 +0000

I disagree. To me, everything is indeed art. It's just a matter of GOOD ART versus BAD ART. That's why I don't like the word being used as a positive qualifier. Same with poetry; so what if something is poetic? A lot of poetry is lousy. Like everything else. I have no problem with abstract art, and I've never understood the argument, "If I can do it, it's not art." Well you didn't do it. Art isn't just a matter of the execution, it's a matter of thinking and agonizing over what you're going to create and how you're going to do so. Believe it or not, a lot of thought probably went into that painting. You may not like it, which is fair enough -- doesn't do anything for me either -- but it's still art. And you know what? It has probably made somebody think. It has probably left some kind of abstract impression on somebody. You can't take that away. I hate government funding for the arts though. Why? It's not some bureaucrat's job to tell me what's good art and bad art.

Big Hollywood : Robert Duvall: American Through and Through

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 13:52:50 +0000

I think it's more that Duvall hasn't had as many iconic roles as his contemporaries. Most people recognize him as a brilliant actor regardless of his politics, but apart from Tom Regan (arguably the least showy member of the Corleone clan) and Lt. Kilgore, I can't point to any of his characters and think, "That will be remembered." But he did say "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning" and I think that will be enough to seal his place in cinematic history. But he is slated to play Don Quixote in Terry Gilliam's ill-fated Man Who Killed Don Quixote...if he can ever put the damn thing together. Fingers crossed for that. And hey, Gilliam is as left-wing as they come but clearly he doesn't give a damn about Duvall's politics.

Big Hollywood : Trailer: Mel Gibson's 'The Beaver'

Sun, 5 Dec 2010 13:43:38 +0000

This movie looks bonkers in the best possible way. Like the kind of stuff Nic Cage does when he feels like letting loose (e.g. Bad Lieutenant, Vampire's Kiss). As for the Gibson/Polanski thing, I agree that it's an absurd hypocrisy on Hollywood's part. If DiCaprio ever works with Polanski after leaving Gibson's Vikings project, I'll be the first to point it out. But I saw The Ghost Writer a few months ago and really liked it. And I will not apologize for that. Similarly I will see The Beaver when it comes out, and whether I like the movie or not, I will not apologize for that either. Separate the art from the artists.

Big Hollywood : HBO, NYT's Frank Rich Partner Up to Slam Sarah Palin in New Series 'Veep'?

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 13:13:02 +0000

First of all, there is no evidence whatsoever that this project has anything to do with Sarah Palin and it is conjecture to suggest otherwise. Second of all, In the Loop is hilarious. I have several friends on the left AND the right who laughed all the way through, and the reason it didn't do well is because IFC Films barely marketed it. You can't blame a movie for doing badly when nobody knows about it, and to assume the politics had anything to do with it is absurd.