tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143866771442228551.post2144141911348802463..comments2023-07-27T18:05:38.950+02:00Comments on Cerebral Mastication: "I can't deny the fact that, right now..."Ali Arikanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293558856795196349noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143866771442228551.post-1416767710247878492008-02-16T00:02:00.000+02:002008-02-16T00:02:00.000+02:00Ari: I found your post through "Scanners," too. Em...Ari: I found your post through "Scanners," too. Emerson had me thinking, and you added to it.<BR/><BR/>It led to a post of my own, and I threw you some props and a link.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://coolercinema.blogspot.com/2008/02/stunt-acting-blame-game.html" REL="nofollow">If you're interested...</A><BR/><BR/>Keep up the good work.Jason Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150199580478147196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143866771442228551.post-69706731417564072842008-02-14T10:33:00.000+02:002008-02-14T10:33:00.000+02:00Kevin (we're no relation, are we?)You're not the o...<I>Kevin (we're no relation, are we?)</I><BR/><BR/>You're not the <I>other</I> Olson Twins now, are you?Ali Arikanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02293558856795196349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143866771442228551.post-21543270996193792362008-02-13T19:44:00.000+02:002008-02-13T19:44:00.000+02:00Ali -- Yes, that Simpson's quote is from the Hallo...Ali -- Yes, that Simpson's quote is from the Halloween episode. And you're right, it is "McShine", not "McShinerson." D'oh! I too love that Rosie O' Donnell is singing that song and that Pauly Shore and Tom Arnold come up with the brilliant plan to make a sitcom together. I love the line where they have Tom Arnold say: "i never tied anyone down and made them watch my shows, and I could have, because I'm a big guy and I'm good with knots."<BR/><BR/>Good times indeed.<BR/><BR/>Rick -- I don't believe we are related, hehe. I don't know of any distant relatives with your name. I agree with your assessment of mimicry versus mimicry + acting. I think some of these actors choose not to worry about the internalization (even though they seem to be quite capable) and go for the showy part of it.<BR/><BR/>Some recent examples of good to great performances, based on real people are: Johnny Depp as Donnie Brasco, Russell Crowe as Jeffery Wigand, and Leonardo Dicaprio as Frank Abignale Jr.<BR/><BR/>These performances, to me, are perfect examples of that type of "internal" acting you seem to be speaking of.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143866771442228551.post-91278544694471293332008-02-13T19:42:00.000+02:002008-02-13T19:42:00.000+02:00This comment has been removed by the author.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143866771442228551.post-7880888065333974012008-02-13T18:57:00.000+02:002008-02-13T18:57:00.000+02:00Great post and comment ...Kevin (we're no relation...Great post and comment ...<BR/><BR/>Kevin (we're no relation, are we?), I think the difference between pure mimicry and mimicry+acting is that if the actor internalizes the character instead of just displays all the surface ticks ...<BR/><BR/>But I wouldn't categorize Warren Beatty as Bugsy in the mimicry category ... Warren Beatty is always just simply Warren Beatty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143866771442228551.post-46106046433638832252008-02-13T13:07:00.000+02:002008-02-13T13:07:00.000+02:00Hey Kevin – Thanks for your kind words.You make a ...Hey Kevin – Thanks for your kind words.<BR/><BR/>You make a valid point regarding mimicry of a character. Now I like actors doing voices as much as the next plebian, but basing an entire performance, if not film, kind of defeats the purpose of acting, no? That is not to say that the practice is doomed from the start: where Joaquin Phoenix succeeds, Robert Downey Jr fails (and not because his accent is all over the place – though it helps). <BR/><BR/>Shiny McShine – that’s from one of the Halloween specials, no? I especially enjoy Rosie O’Donnell’s leading everyone in a rendition of <I>The Trolley Song</I> as their rocket hurtles inexorably towards the sun. “Clang-clang-clang-went the trolley…” Ahh, good times.Ali Arikanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02293558856795196349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143866771442228551.post-78422683192723529242008-02-12T20:57:00.000+02:002008-02-12T20:57:00.000+02:00I saw your post on Emerson's site and clicked on o...I saw your post on Emerson's site and clicked on over to see what you had to say in your post. I couldn't agree with you more. Sean Penn especially in "I am Sam" and "Mystic River" just reeks of Oscar bait, as you put it.<BR/><BR/>What I always find interesting about this is that critics or fans of these kinds of showy performances think the movie is good based on the performance, but never ask, is this how this character, as we have come to know him (with whatever amount of character development there has been) act?<BR/><BR/>A lot of those performances aren't interested in answering those questions. Which, to me, is a shame, because smaller (and better) more subdued and quieter performances (like Ian McKellen in "Gods and Monsters" or Russell Crowe -- yes even Russell Crowe -- in "The Insider") are disregarded and slited for more noisy, "show me the money", type performances (like Russell Crowe in "Beautiful Mind" or "Gladiator"). <BR/><BR/>Can the affect be reversed I wonder? Is Tommy Lee Jones too subdued? Is Ralph Fiennes too british and droll? I wonder if there is such a thing as underacting?<BR/><BR/>Also, I wonder if simple aping is something that is also regarded as "great" acting. I'm thinking of Robert Downey Jr as Chaplin, or Warren Beatty as Bugsy, or Laurence Fishbourne as Ike Turner, Geofrey Rush as "you know that piano player from Shine...Shiney McShinerson" (okay I couldn't remember his name, but I love that Simpson's quote), and of course the most recent of them all, Jaime Foxx as Ray Charles. I think the Academy often rewards simply mimicry over actual great acting. (Although I must admit, I enjoy a purely ham-tastic acting job like DeNiro in "Cape Fear" or Daniel Day-Lewis in "TWBB".)<BR/><BR/>Regardless, you have a great post here and I couldn't agree with you more on some of your choices for performances that care more about the Oscar than the character.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.com