Harry here with a short intro. I'll be doing more updates later today most likely, but right now I'm just dead tired. If ya have to blame some one, blame that dang Orson Welles. After watching his cut of TOUCH OF EVIL, me and my buds hung out talking about the film and the stupidity of idiotic studio chiefs that stand between a great film and a great film. Ahhhh... Anyway, I'll leave you in the capable hands of the most evil of all spies... Moriarty...
Hey, Head Geek...
“Moriarty” here.
Like all evil geniuses, I was once a budding genius, a kid, a mere suggestion of what I have eventually become. For me, childhood was the ‘70s, a time that I have unbridled affection for, a time that shaped my tastes and my ambitions. It was in those days that I saw STAR WARS, THE EXORCIST, JAWS, and A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. It was in those days that I read my first John Irving novel. And it was in those days that I first watched SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.
In those late-’70s glory days, SNL was a show of unlimited potential and real brains. Writers like Alan Zweibel, Michael O’ Donoghue, Al Franken and Tom Davis, Tom Schiller, and Anne Beatts were all turning out really wonderful work that tried to etch real characters and comment on who we were, where we were at that moment. There was a sense that anything could happen with these people. The on-air talent was up to the task, too. Those original Not Ready For Prime Time Players (Belushi, Aykroyd, Chase, Newman, Curtin, Murray, Radner, Morris) were working at the peak of their form, and there was some indelible work done. As the ‘70s came to a close, the show crashed and burned, and it’s never really recovered since. Yes, there have been some powerful comedic talents to emerge from the show since then. That’s almost inevitable, though. If you’re any good and you’re willing to fight for your screentime, SNL is still a unique showcase for actors, and the show’s alumni continue to make their mark on the industry for better and for worse. For every unfortunate NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY or BLUES BROTHERS 2000, there is still a SOMETHING ABOUT MARY or AUSTIN POWERS.
I had moment to reflect on this recently as I took survey of where many of the more interesting SNL alumni are at the moment. Jon Lovitz is onscreen in the outstanding HAPPINESS (my pick as the year’s best so far) in a great, memorable little supporting performance. I just sent you my review on next spring’s LIFE with Eddie Murphy. I’m dying to see Robert Downey Jr. in IN DREAMS since the script is such a powerful, strange story. In particular, though, there are a couple of alumni whose upcoming projects I’ve had a glimpse inside.
A while ago, I wrote you a review of the Michael Tolkin script for 20 BILLION, a project that Mike Myers flirted with briefly before dropping in favor of AUSTIN POWERS 2 and SPROCKETS, a feature length treatment of Dieter, host of the German public access show, as he takes a journey in search of his missing monkey. In that review, I urged Myers to take chances with his career. I compared him to Peter Sellers, a comparison that I stand behind. His work in the original director’s cut of 54 (a very different movie than what played theaters) is very good, even if the movie is still flawed. As funny as he is, I believe he’s capable of more than “just” comedy, and am delighted to see that he has officially signed for the feature film version of Chuck Barris’ “unauthorized autobiography” CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND.
Adapted by Charlie Kaufman, this is a surreal, funny, grotesque, and fascinating trip through the life and psyche of Barris, known to most people as the creator of shows like THE DATING GAME and THE GONG SHOW, which he also hosted. Barris confesses, though, that he led another, darker life, one in which he wrestled with sexual confusion, fear of intimacy, a dangerously violent temper, and (last but definitely not least) his longtime employment by the CIA as a dangerous assassin. Barris confesses 33 total murders over the course of his career and details many of the more memorable ones here. This material isn’t remotely played for laughs, and the character of the older Barris reflecting back on this ruined life is a horrible, pathetic figure, a broken man trying to reclaim some control of his soul. I have absolutely no idea what to make of anything in this script as far as fact goes, and I absolutely 100% don’t care. As a story, as a character study, this thing works. This is one of the best scripts I’ve read in a long, long time. I read so many screenplays, Harry, that they do tend to blur a bit as they go by. It takes something special -- some nicely built piece of action or some effective, evocative description to make me take notice. Rarely does the actual story hook me so completely that I have to rip through the whole thing, cover to cover, desperate to find out what will happen. This script never stops surprising or rewarding the reader. I don’t know who’s directing this film, or who will be cast around Myers, but they’ve got their work cut out for them. As far as Mike goes, he’s a brilliant choice for Barris. This could be his step up into the big leagues, his invitation to the Oscars. I’m surprised how much I loved this script. It’s of the Alexander/Karasziewski school of biopic writing, sprawling and eccentric, but it is even bolder than anything they’ve done. Maybe it’s the material Kaufman had to work with. Certainly it’s better than the other scripts by Kaufman I’ve read (his BEING JOHN MALKOVICH gives me hives in particular). Whatever’s responsible, this project is one to keep your eyes peeled for.
It’s much easier to make the call on AUSTIN POWERS 2: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME. Written with Mike McCullers, the script for this film is a home-run. It’s funnier than the original, with more room for the relationship between Dr. Evil and his son Scott, and with a greater sense of what’s funny about Austin. This thing is wild, all over the map, and pretty much spares no effort in making you laugh. It’s a rewarding read, and I can imagine it’s going to get even funnier in production. Heather Graham, Kristen Johnson, and that Elizabeth Hurley cameo guarantee it’s going to make me randy, baby, and multiple roles for Myers always equals fun.
Another cast member is taking the route Myers did to make their big move into film, translating one of their recurring sketches into a feature length movie. WAYNE’S WORLD is one of the few examples of this working to any degree. THE BLUES BROTHERS is probably the best example. Video stores are bloated with the corpses of failed attempts, though, with A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY being just the latest stillbirth and IT’S PAT being the most notorious. It’s a hard road to go, and it takes the right character to make the transition right.
Molly Shannon might just have one of those characters with Mary Katherine Gallagher, the Catholic schoolgirl whose unfortunate combination of nervous hyperactivity, poor personal hygeine, and desire for stardom all combine to make her the subject of SUPERSTAR. This film is set to be directed by Bruce McCulloch, one of the members of the great Kids In The Hall comedy troupe, and the one responsible for most of the filmed segments on that show. His feature debut is making the festival rounds right now, a romantic comedy (although a more-skewed-than-average one) called DOGPARK, with Janeane Garafolo and a very capable cast I can’t remember right now (he says sheepishly). I’ve heard good things about that film, and that bodes well for SUPERSTAR, the screenplay for which is like a slightly more cartoonish WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE. It’s suprisingly bleak stuff, and suggests that this isn’t going to be your average SNL film. It’s warped, it’s mean, and Mary Katherine actually holds up as a character. Her quest to be a superstar is oddly touching, even if it is also deeply sad. When I mentioned those classic former writers from SNL, Anne Beatts was one of the ones I listed. Her specialty was writing accurate voices for girls. She and Rosie Schuster wrote a wonderful slumber party sketch for the week Madeline Khan was the host that perfectly captures a time, a place, and a specific voice. The best moments in SUPERSTAR suggest that same thing. The script does need work. It’s strong enough to do without some of the “wacky” humor. If this is filmed properly and tweaked enough, this could be a special little film.
Finally, there’s the next picture of this year’s hottest SNL alumn, Ben Stiller. True, his stint there was marked by frustration and cut short when he quit, but he still counts. His two BEN STILLER SHOWs were both great sketch comedy that showed his fondness for the form. He is such a successful character actor right now because he is able to vanish, immersing himself totally in each of his characters. He’s also willing to do anything if it’s right for the role. He seems to have no ego, no fear. He’s able to slip between comedy and drama with ease, as the best of the SNL grads are. There’s a little bit of all of these facets of his that will come into play when he steps in front of the camera for THE MYSTERY MEN.
Based on Bob Burden’s underground superhero spoof, this screenplay by Neil Cuthbert is outstanding. It’s a loving tribute to the idea of the superhero league, but it’s also a really funny goof on the very idea of superheroes themselves. There’s not a bad role in this thing. Stiller is playing Mr. Furious, a guy who is really mad all the time. Fellow SNL alumn Janeane Garaolo (who’s impossibly busy, it seems) plays The Bowler, daughter of the original Bowler, who was killed on duty. William Macy is The Shoveler, Hank Azaria is The Blue Raja (Master of Silverware), and Claire Forlani is the beautiful Monica, a local waitress they befriend. None of these people actually has any superpowers. They’re just determined and a little demented. In fact, only Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear) actually has superpowers, and he doesn’t really want to share the spotlight with pretenders. When Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) and his evil psychiatrist/nurse/lover Anabel (Leno Olin) launch a crimewave that Captain Amazing can’t stop, it’s up to this group of bizarre almost heroes to step up.
This film is well aware of the cliches inherent to this story, and it plays off of that brilliantly. With the right visual design and effects team, this could be a film that all comic lovers embrace and love. It’s one part love letter to comics, one part letter bomb. I love the combination. The only thing I can’t figure is why it took so long to find a director for this. The script is so good that people should have been fighting to be onboard.
Anyway, the morning repeat of KIDS IN THE HALL is almost on, and I need to watch my MR. SHOW tape from last night, and my roommate’s asking me if he can borrow the UPRIGHT CITIZEN’S BRIGADE tape, and it suddenly occurs to me that sketch comedy is alive and well, even if we find it at more addresses than ever before.
“Moriarty” out.
