A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE |
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First of all, I'd like to take this time to wish myself a very happy birthday. I turn the big 21 on this Tuesday, July 11th. For my birthday, I'll be purchasing numerous DVDs and enjoying the magic of film. Nothing tops going into the used DVD store and searching through the bins and aisles finding old classics, hidden gems, and little known Indy films. I can't wait. But enough about me, onto my column.
Last Friday I watched an Eva Marie Saint movie marathon on TCM, and the first film on it was Marlon Brando's ON THE WATERFRONT. Which is one of my favorites of all time. Me being the observant and examining type was paying very close attention to Brando's performance. I took note of a couple of things: Brando was and acted like a movie star. Now I know that term is pretty vague. Most people are probably thinking: "Well, isn't everyone a movie star? They are in movies."
With Brando, he was larger then life. He completely sucked you in when he was on screen. He had "it." He was not your average guy on the street. He pulled you in and made you care about every single thing in the movie, and every single thing that was happening to him. He was the coolest guy in the room. Every woman wanted him, and every man wanted to be him.
Not only did he have that presence, but he could act. Everyone knows the stories of Brando method acting. He had the two essential things to surviving in the cinema: He could act and act well, and he was a movie star. Which is why if GODFATHER, A STREETCAR 
CINDERELLA MAN |
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NAMED DESIRE, GUYS AND DOLLS, or ON THE WATERFRONT comes on TV, I'll stop whatever I am doing and watch it. Even though I own them all and have seen them a dozen times. That never goes away.
Feel free to help me out here my readers, but I can't think of too many people today in Hollywood, who have that. Sean Penn is one of my favorite actors today, but I wouldn't call him a movie star. He's more of a gritty, grimy, down and dirty actor. George Clooney is fine and all, but I'll always consider him more of a celebrity then a movie star. I think Mark Wahlberg has the potential to be a movie star, but he has stated he'll retire soon, due to wanting to spend more time with his children. Even De Niro has settled down into just doing the pay me roles.
The only one that comes to mind is Russell Crowe.
Take a look at his performances in CINDERELLA MAN, GLADIATOR, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, and many others.
The man has the looks, charisma, and aura of a movie star. Not to mention, he can flat out act. He is the only one I can consider from today to be a modern day Brando.
Today, you have celebs, character actors, and people playing themselves. No movie stars.
George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise fall into the category of celebrity. They have their name to get them around, and are in every tabloid this side of the Mississippi.
The Philip Seymour Hoffman's of the world are your character actors. The ones who are always portraying someone else. I love them and 
Angelina Jolie |
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they are needed, but they are not movie stars.
Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, Owen Wilson are the types who just basically are playing themselves on screen. Vaughn will be the fast talking, hyper-active, and weirdly sensitive guy. Jack Black is the clumsy fat guy who is fearless. Wilson is the lazy, goofball. We have seen them play these roles to death.
Where are all the dang movie stars?
Today's Hollywood film system does not set it up to where a movie star can be a movie star. On the same token the actors become too comfortable with their persona and stick it with and milk it for all they can. Without ever trying to change that. If Vaughn can make money being Vaughn, why should he change? Believe it or not, Vaughn used to be a pretty neat actor who took complex and different roles. View CLAY PIGEONS, if you don't believe me.
Look at Shannon Elizabeth from AMERICAN PIE. I think she has good looks, and has the potential to be a Marilyn Monroe type figure without the blond hair. But she is forever known as the naked girl from AMERICAN PIE and has had a hard time shaking that persona. You get saddled with a gimmick, and Hollywood milks it and it's impossible to be taken seriously after that.
Hollywood wonders why no one is going to the movies and attendance is down. Movie stars draw people in. People go to the movies to see movie stars. People who don't look like the guy sitting next to them munching on a hot dog and talking baseball.
Maybe when movie stars return, so will movie fans.
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Every other Tuesday
Expect the unexpected from Tony as he'll give you his columns on the way movies used to be, the way movies are, and the way they should be.
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| Tony Farinella |
Tony is an Oak Lawn, IL based film reviewer and columnist looking to have fun and share his unique views on film with everyone. Tony also has an unhealthy obsession with Vanessa Lengies, but that is neither here nor there.
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