Posts Tagged ‘lying’
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Who knows what it is about Jared that Tom has such a hard time lying to him. He just cracks under the pressure!
Incidentally, the counters for the Web Comics List reset this week, so if you’d like to lend your support by voting for Theater Hopper, that would be great. Right now we’re getting spanked by my good buddy "Mighty" Mitch Clem who recently launched a new comic called San Antonio Rock City. It’s hard to begrudge him. The comic is flat-out hilarious. Autobiographical and honest. Two great tastes that go great together.
Now let’s rip that number one spot out of his hands like the proverbial baby from which candy is stolen.
Originally I was going to do a comic about how lame the remake for When A Stranger Calls looked, but I’d be telling you guys something you already know. When I started to pick up vibrations that "media analysts" were predicting the forthcoming Oscar’s telecast to be one of the lowest rated ever… Well, it just tied in too perfectly with Wednesday strip, so I decided to follow the narrative thread.
Sidebar: Can I call myself a "media analyst" since I draw this comic and write this blog? I’d like to think I can. I’m going to start putting "media analyst" on all my business cards. It’s not like you have to be accredited for such things…
Back on track. It doesn’t surprise me that analysts are handicapping the broadcast. Really, I don’t think it matters. So what if there were no huge blockbusters this year that the Academy could get behind. Truthfully, I’d rather see a smaller picture like Brokeback Mountain go home with the Oscar for Best Picture than some bloated epic like Titanic. Anything that might jolt the Hollywood system from it’s slumber I think is good. Maybe they’ll realize that they’ve been beaten out of their own game by the independents and go back to making, y’know, FILMS THAT MATTER!
Quick question: Have you guys noticed a shift in tone in regards to Brokeback Mountain since it emerged as the Oscar frontrunner – the film with the most nominations?
This used to be The Little Movie That Could. Lots of big obstacles for a gay-themed romance to make it big in the flyover states. Lots of chatter about how "brave" Heath Ledger and Jake Googlely-hall were for risking their careers with these roles.
Now that it’s been established that almost everyone loves it. (Well, everyone except Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller) it seems as though people have turned their back on the notion that Ledger is the front-runner for the Best Actor award. People are starting to resent his mumbling performance as an "actory" tic. More and more people seem to be siding with Phillip Seymour Hoffman for his performance in Capote. To me, he’s looking less and less like a dark horse as time goes by. Maybe people aren’t willing to let Ledger slide after making films like The Four Feathers and The Order.
Admittedly, Ledger looked like he was just about finished career-wise. Brokeback reinvigorated him in the minds of audiences. That’s huge collateral right there. Maybe it’s best not to get too greedy and walk off with that statue. Especially in the light that Hoffman has quietly being doing his thing and rocking each and every performance he’s ever given. Often times, he’s the best thing about any movie he’s in. He was certainly the best thing in Along Came Polly – the only movie on his recent resume that I would consider a career misstep.
At any rate, there’s something to be said for workman-like effciency. He does a good job. He should be recognized for it. I say this without even having seen Capote yet. Damn, I need to amend that.
Anyway, just random thoughts floating around in my head.
Hey, Americans! Do you have plans for the Superbowl this weekend? We’re going to a friends house. I’m going with the Steelers even though I know nothing about either team. I guess I saw the playoffs and it seems to me the Steelers want it more. Beyond that, I’ll have my eye out for new commercials.
Last thing I’ll mention THE BIG SALE that’s been going on in the store since last week will wrap up on Monday, February 6th. That means this weekend is your last opportunity to take advantage of super-low prices on all garments. T-shirts are $9.99. Baby-doll tees are $14.99 and our lone, remaining hoodie is $24.99. Inventory is limited, but all quantities posted are up to date. Take advantage of this sale! I’m taking them down after next Monday, so this weekend is your last chance!
Thanks to everyone who has made purchase so far. People who placed orders last week should have seen their orders arrive this week. Accordingly, orders placed this week means you’ll be getting your goodies next week! I appreciate the support!
Be sure to sign up for our mailing list so you’re first in the loop when we announce our new merchandise in the near future!
Thanks again and have a great weekend!
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Tom’s really being a sarcastic jerk in today’s comic, isn’t he? I think I will hide behind the “making my characters unlikable gives them depth” defense, Your Honor!
Julia Roberts bashing aside, I’m actually interested in seeing Duplicity at some point this weekend. It’s written and directed by Tony Gilroy and this is his follow up to the brilliant and tightly wound Michael Clayton. Duplicity looks to be a little more effervescent, but it still swims in the waters of dubious corporate behavior.
Post-economic meltdown, I wonder how that will play? Roberts, along with co-star Clive Owen play ex-spooks and full time lovers representing two corporations who team up to con their respective bosses and steal a profitable new product. Will the audience find tolerance for a movie about corporate shenanigans – even if it’s the corporations (not the consumers) getting screwed at the end?
Maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe they just want to see Roberts flash that ivory billboard she calls a smile. Ms. Roberts? The Joker called. He wants his mouth back.
Ya’ burn!
I keed. I keed. Hey, Duplicity looks like a lot of fun. And even though Cami and I will be seeing I Love You, Man this weekend instead, I’d still like to try and squeeze this one in – if for no other reason than to see Clive Owen put on the charm.
Owen has been locked down by a lot of serious drama’s and thrillers lately. I like him best when he’s self-effacing. I mean, Shoot ‘Em Up was a real turd of a movie, but he made it a lot of fun by putting on the airs of an afflicted, tough guy anti-hero.
Real quick, some site news.
I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I’ve moved the ShareThis application under the comic and above the comic navigation (before it was hidden in the lower left hand corner of the blog posts).
If you’re not familiar, ShareThis gathers up the links to nearly every social networking site there is and offers you, the reader, the opportunity to share links to Theater Hopper among your friends and peers.
I’ve been trying in vain to get some traction with social networking and I realize not everyone is on board with it yet. I also don’t want to mention it too much, lest it come off like begging.
But if you’re already on board with the social networking bandwagon, it would be really great if some of you could get into the habit of spreading links back to Theater Hopper around a little bit.
The ShareThis app has connections to StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit, Del.ico.us, Furl, Technorati and more. It even has connections to Facebook and MySpace – and I know a lot of you have accounts out there.
Anyway, using ShareThis to link back to Theater Hopper is something really easy that you can do to help the site. I appreciate those of you willing to test it out. Thanks.
In the meantime, it looks like a pretty strong weekend for movies. In addition to Duplicity and I Love You, Man, Nicolas Cage is starring in the new apocalypse thriller Knowing. It’s directed by Alex Proays who directed The Crow and also wrote and directed Dark City. So I’m always kind of interested to see what he’s up to even though Knowing kind of looks like it’s covering ground that Jim Carrey movie – The Number 23 – covered a few years back.
What do you guys think? What looks interesting to you? Leave your comments below and I’ll talk to you soon!
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You may have heard by now that our favorite scruffy weasel Shia LaBeouf gave an interview to Details Magazine where he essentially bragged about banging Megan Fox on set while working with her on the first two Transformers movies.
If you missed it, here’s the key information:
Asked if he hooked up with Fox, LaBeouf nods affirmatively. “Look, you’re on the set for six months, with someone who’s rooting to be attracted to you, and you’re rooting to be attracted to them,” he explains. “I never understood the separation of work and life in that situation. But the time I spent with Megan was our own thing, and I think you can see the chemistry onscreen.”
When I inquire about Fox’s status at the time with her longtime boyfriend, Brian Austin Green, LaBeouf replies, “I don’t know, man. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. . . .”—repeating the phrase exactly 12 times with various intonations, as if trying to get it just right. Finally, he says, “It was what it was.”
Now, if you know me, you know that I am not a fan of Shia LaBeouf. Basically, I am of the mind that he has been parading around Hollywood for the last few years in his Big Boy pants trying to prove to anyone and everyone what a badass he is. Bragging that you nailed Megan Fox in a trailer somewhere on Paramount back lot basically lines up with this.
If that doesn’t jive with your interpretation of Shia LaBeouf, then sample this quote from the same article:
…there’s an upside to posing for the occasional mug shot. “I’ve noticed that since this ‘wild child’ s— has been posted on my head,” he says, “people seem a little more respectful.”
Mmm-hmm. We’re all fawning over how dangerous you are, you little imp!
Here’s the thing: I never really bought LaBeouf’s tough guy act and I’m certainly not buying it now. But I think I’m starting to understand it a little bit more. Especially his pathological need to “tell it like it is” in interviews.
Think about this guy’s career in the last 5 years. Between Transformers, Indiana Jones and Wall Street, he’s basically acting in movies where he’s the least interesting thing in them. He’s a cipher. No one wants to talk to him about his performance. People want to ask him what it’s like working with Harrison Ford, Oliver Stone, Michael Douglas or Michael Bay.
So what do you do? You start talkin’ smack. Why? Because it gets you headlines. People start talking about you again. You can the crazy nonsense you’re spouting. Watch cable news. Politicans pull this move ALL THE TIME.
Some people like to give LaBeouf credit for being honest. I like to call these people “self-hating movie fans.” They’re basically mad that they got duped into putting down good money for a lousy movie and cheer up only when someone behind the scenes pulls the curtain back to agree with them about how awful it was. It makes them feel validated. Meanwhile, the guy doing the “truth telling” gets to look like a hero.
But here’s the thing: It doesn’t take a lot of intestinal fortitude to say Transformers 2 sucked or Indiana Jones 4 sucked or Wall Street 2 sucked TWO YEARS AFTER THE FACT. You know, after your promotional obligations are over, after the critical and fan response has been factored in or after your paycheck has cleared.
My question is, “Would LaBeouf still be doing all this ‘truth-telling’ if fan reaction to those movies had been positive?” My guess is “probably not.”
Someone with integrity might look at the final cut of a bad movie they starred in and say “You know, this isn’t very good. I’m not comfortable promoting it.” Someone with discerning taste might look at a script and say “This is not for me. I should be doing movies with more substance.”
LaBeouf is not that guy. In the Details article he talks about how he passed on recent Oscar winners like The Social Network and 127 Hours.
He does talk about how he’s trying to be more choosy and is looking for roles that are “Warren Beatty—type game changers.” He also says he’s done with action movies. Apparently it creates “animosity from men.”
“They feel like they want to challenge me,” Labeouf shares. “‘I just f—ed up Shia LaBeouf!’ It’s a story you can tell, and I guess you’re cool for it.”
Which I guess kind of explains the Megan Fox bragging. Like that’s suddenly going to make him look cool to men he feels animosity from. Meanwhile, he’s shooting himself in the foot by alienating the only fanbase I’ve ever seen stick up for him – young women. I can’t imagine bragging about the women you’ve slept with will endear you to… y’know… women.
Shia LaBeouf is basically the Mark Hamill of Generation Y. A smarmy kid who stumbled upward into a giant franchise and got into a car accident at the apex of his appeal. Except, unlike Hamill, LaBeouf wreck just mashed up his hand and not his face. So that bought him a few more years.
He’s still got a heaping spoonful of humility coming his way. I’m looking forward to the next 20 years of his obscurity.
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