Does anyone remember the movie S1m0ne referenced in the title of today’s strip? It was a movie starring Al Pacino from 2002 where a movie producer digitally creates a synthespian – an actress that becomes an international celebrity. It’s a terrible movie, but an interesting idea.
Similarly, I’m not convinced that today’s comic isn’t exactly funny, but I think it’s good idea.
I certainly hope this comic doesn’t upset anyone in Australia. I know Sam Worthington is kind of a big deal there. But you have to understand, here in America, the dude came out of nowhere. I literally never heard of the guy before last year and all of a sudden he’s inserted himself into all of these huge, effects-heavy blockbusters. Terminator Salvation and Avatar in the same year? Where did this guy come from?
Now because of the box office success of Avatar, everyone acts like we’re suppose to know who this guy is. Sorry, I’m still confused. Am I alone in this?
Now Worthington is in another effects-heavy blockbuster this weekend with Clash of the Titans. This movie looks goofy as all get-out to me. But I guess that’s okay because the original was kind of goofy, too, right?
Except the original was a showcase for the unique stop-motion artistry of Ray Harryhausen. Even if the plot was crap, you could still sit back and enjoy the inventiveness of the effects work. What can a remake hope to accomplish when there are literally dozens of effects houses around the globe that can produce the kind of digital wonders we expect to see Worthington pretend to react to?
From everything I’ve heard, the new Clash of the Titans is pretty much a dud. I also heard that the studio applied the 3D process to the film late in the game to cash in on the 3D trend and it looks terrible. So if you plan on seeing the movie this weekend, don’t shell out the extra money for 3D.
Despite all of this, I still kind of want to see it. I can’t explain why other than it’s one of the first effects-heavy blockbusters out of the gate for 2010 and I’ve kind of been starving for some dumb entertainment. Consider it an appetizer before the meatier, more satisfying blockbusters yet to come like Iron Man 2 and Toy Story 3.
What’s your take on Clash of the Titans? Do you plan on seeing it this weekend? What are your thoughts about Sam Worthington. Did he come out of nowhere for you, too? Leave your comments below!
Yeah?
Two years ago, I didn't know who that guy was.
Now, all of a sudden, he's starring in all these big budget special effects movies.
WHERE DID HE COME FROM?
I'm starting to think he's not a real guy. He's like a CGI character - A SYNTHESPIAN! Any other actor would go crazy acting against bluescreens all day!
I dunno, Tom. That sounds pretty paranoid even for you!
ELSEWHERE...
Project: Dingo has been compromised. Repeat. Project: Dingo has been compromised.
Not for me. Being Australian I was exposed to Sam before he ventured overseas. There was Bootmen (Tap dancing steel workers), Dirty Deeds (early Sydney crime movie), Gettin’ Square (Another crime movie – fairly decent actually. You should see it), Thunderstruck (Friends travel across the country to scatter their friend’s ashes on Bon Scott’s grave) and Macbeth (Modern day interpretation).
@Matt, has he won an Australian acting award on those movies you have mentioned or any movies in particular?
Thinking of the original Clash of the Titans (which I saw in the theatre MANY years ago) makes me wonder whatever happened to Harry Hamlin. I should go check IMDB.
I’m really enjoying seeing Sam in movies. I think he’s got some charisma and charm to him, hopefully he sticks around.
I’m super pumped for Clash. I think the 2nd teaser trailer (“Dam the Gods” instead of “Titans Will Clash”) is bad ass…although I thought the first trailer for ‘The Crazies’ was awesome as well.
I got it Tom. I thought of that movie right away. And I agree, it’s weird that Sam Worthington sort of came out of nowhere and Hollywood decided to use him in some big budget movies.
Anyway, “Even if the plot was crap, you could still sit back and enjoy the inventiveness of the effects work.” sounds like it could describe Avatar as well.
I knew of Sam before he hit it big, since he was one of the main characters in the excellent creature feature, Rogue. It’s also his best role so far (comparatively speaking), but that’s another matter.
Anyway, I want to see Clash of the Titans as well (in 2D, of course). Partly because it looks like a fun action movie, and partly because I’m digging that Kraken from the trailers, but mostly because it’s got Liam Neeson as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes as Hades. That’s seriously a big chunk of my dream “perfect casting” movie, so I’ve got to support the idea.
I got one laugh out of S1mone. At one point in the film they have pictures of all the different actresses who made up the computer program of the greatest actress ever. Right in the middle? Ernest Borgnine.
He kind of came out of nowhere for me too. I want to see Clash of the Titans, I think it looks cool. I really just want to see Liam Neeson kick some arse, assuming his character does.
I haven’t seen 1 3D movie yet, and I’m proud of that. Well, we did see Chicken Little in 3D when that came out a few years back. We were quite turned off by the experience (it was jumpy and everything kind of blurred together). I’m sure it’s gotten better since then, but we can’t justify paying $27 for me and my wife to go to the movies. The 2D is just fine for us.
EH, Sam? I can take him, or leave him, which means leave him… if you can take an actor or leave him, is there any reason to take him? I remember Dwayne Johnson as an action star because even though he came out of essentially nowhere and did the same sorts of big budget explosion-porn movies, he at least had some charisma about him in those roles.
I’d argue that the original CotT had at least some story to it… but you’re otherwise dead on. What’s the point of remaking the effects masterwork film if it has the same “gee I saw this two years ago in (insert popcornfest here)” effects that a reasonably talented guy with a good desktop can churn out? I love explosion-porn movies as much as the next redblooded American, but give me something new, or give me a plot. I watched Transformers cause it believably brought giant metal robots to life even if the plot had all the nuance of the 80’s toys they were based on. I watched Sherlock Holmes because, while the effects were “last year’s model” the characters and plot were more than enough to make up for the lack of “that new cgi smell.”
This one seems to lack either from what I am seeing and hearing. Anyways, my two cents, and the other 4.98 (god I love small town movie pricing) will probably be spent on Dragons.
@Lawrence, Dwayne Johnson didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. He was very well known when he jumped to movies from professional wrestling. I wouldn’t exactly say that Walking Tall and The Rundown were “big budget explosion-porn” movies.
One of the early bonuses of using Sam Worthington is his price. At the time he probably signed these contracts his price probably wasn’t as big as some of the other names around.
There is a bit of a theme in Hollywood of using smaller names to keep costs down.
Now that Sam is technically huge you will probably start seeing him in less.
I kinda want to see it, being a mythology nerd..even though it’s very loosely based on the slaying of Medusa. I don’t know, might just rent it when it comes out when I can see it with my boyfriend.
I remember -of- the movie very well, though never saw it. It jumped off of it’s platter at my theater two times on opening day. What a mess.
Don’t upset Australia, they might blacklist your website lol!
@FuzzyThunder,
Australia can DO that?
@Tom, Yea, they have the NotSoGreat Firewall, China Lite
@TheCastro, Not yet we dont, but the government wants to 🙁
@dani, The only people that get offended in australia are the wowzers and politicians (who are usualy the same people) hence the proposed “clean feed” firewall. Hollywoods just going throught another Australiana faze after Huge Jackman, Odds on you wont hear about sam ever again after a year or 2.
I saw the original Clash of the Titans in theaters too. As a kid I loved it in the same vain as Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger & I think most of that had to do with Ray Harryhausen’s work. Not sure about this time around though, I’ll see it on the $6 cheap night.
I keep thinking Sam Worthington has been in more this year because I get him mixed up with Channing Tatum. They are both lovely to look at but I’m not sure how far they will get on their current acting skills.
On a very different note, saw Hot Tub Time Machine on Tuesday & laughed my tookis off. If you came of age during the ’80s (as I did), it was a great homage to the era. Not sure if the Gen Y-ers got everything because the ones around me didn’t seem to laugh very much.
Well I’ve been watching Spartacus: Blood and Sand and saw both previews in theaters at the same time, so I’m obligated to see it now.
As another Australian, despite a few aussie flicks, he still came outta no where to me as well!
I remember the original, and whilst I knew then it was rubbish I watched it for the Harryhausen sequences. This version doesn’t have that going for it, so I’ll probably end up renting it in a years’ time. I did go to see, and enjoyed, Kick-Ass.
Like Calculon, Thesbobot and David Duchovny.
(If you’re awesome, you’d know they’re one in the same!)