Films/DVD Asylum

classic cases of miscasting

142.22.16.51

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My favorite is Kim Novak in Sommerset Maughm's 'Of Human Bondage'.

Follow Ups:

George Bush - petew 07:45:07 03/04/02 (0)
either
Jack Nicholson as The Joker - Lasermeister 17:24:10 02/27/02 (3)
Many people feel that Nicholson stole the show in BATMAN, but as someone who has read a fair number of Batman comics, my opinion is that this was a dreadful miscasting and really ruined the movie for me. One of the trademarks of the comic book Joker was that he was always tall and skinny. Nicholson obviously doesn't qualify, and I found his performance far less than compelling also.
You could try to make a similar case for Danny De Vito as The Penguin in BATMAN RETURNS, but it would be a poor argument, I believe, because the problem with The Penguin in that film wasn't DeVito, it was the implementation of the character in the story. The Burgess Meredith character from the TV show was much better and more in keeping with the traditional comic book version of the Penguin. In BATMAN RETURNS, we are treated to a bunch of symbolism centered around a gross and unappealing character. Artistic crap.
Todd
- A JamUp Performance By Jack..... - AudioHead 11:17:07 03/05/02 (0)
  far surpassing what the previously selected but unavailable Robin
  Williams could have accomplished. Jack captured the quintessence
  of The Joker, IMO, easily parlaying back and forth between the insanely
  exuberant and zany bright side of the character to the darkly
  psychotic, murderous one. Williams would have come across well
  on the bright side, but would falter on the dark one (in a vaguely
  analogous way when Jerry Lewis tries to come across as serious, but
  unintentionally comes off as funny). In my view, Jack brilliantly
  captured the sardonic look, laugh and wit of The Joker. - AH
- Re: Jack Nicholson as The Joker - danj 20:28:10 02/28/02 (1)
  I have disliked all of the modern BATMAN flicks. I do think that Nicholson was the only good thing about BATMAN. His Joker was inspired. I would have to say that Michael Keaton, one of my all-time favorites, was terribly miscast as Bruce Wayne/Batman. He certainly was scary in Pacific Heights but was unconvincing in the Batman role.
  I thought Val Kilmer was the best choice, despite being a bit too young for the role. Too bad the Kilmer effort was wasted on such grade Z fare.
  - I liked Kilmer also - Lasermeister 05:06:09 03/01/02 (0)
    Yes, I also liked the Kilmer Batman the best, even though it was probably a bit of a miscasting. Technically, Clooney was the best casted Batman in terms of physical size and appearance. He turned out to be somewhat underwhelming on the big screen in this role, however.
    Todd
Valley of the Dolls and more - danj 23:15:53 02/26/02 (0)
Patty Duke in the part Judy Garland wanted in Valley Of The Dolls. A gawdawful film.
Rex Reed in Myra Breckenridge. Not because the film is even worse than Valley Of The Dolls (it's one of the all-time crappy flicks), but because Reed is possibly the only actor in the known universe with less acting ability than Pamela Anderson Lee.
Tom Ewell in STATE FAIR (1961). Here is one of the great character actors, with the legendary Alice Faye as his co-star, singing a love song to a hog! A bad flick, although not nearly as bad as the aforementioned duo, and embarassing to watch.
John Wayne as Genghis Kahn in THE CONQUERER (1956). Remember, this was the same year he made THE SEARCHERS, which is one of the finest films of all time. Seeing The Duke playing an Oriental despot is really funny. He stinks and the film is even worse!
Johnny Ray is THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. Ray was a pretty good singer but he had zero screen presence. Being in the same movie as Dan Dailey, Donald O'Conner, Marilyn Monroe, and Ethel Merman was a career killer for him. Not that the film was bad, it was okay, but because he became invisible whenever he had to share screen time with any of them.
Ava Gardner in the 1951 version of SHOWBOAT. Gardner was certainly beautiful and an excellent actress but she was all wrong for the part of Julie. She wasn't terrible but the movie needed somebody like the legendary Lena Horne in the part. Gardner was too young for the part. To see perfect casting, see the James Whale 1936 SHOWBOAT with Helen Morgan in the part.
Rosiland Russel in GYPSY. Playing Momma Rose, Russel was all wrong. She was one of the greatest comic actresses to ever grace the screen (just see His Girl Friday) and was a hell of a fine dramatic actress (see Picnic) too. But she was way wrong for Momma Rose. She couldn't sing and was not brassy enough while being too frenetic. The part was written for Ethel Merman and she should have played it. Bette Midler was near-perfection in the tv production.
Lee Marvin in PAINT YOUR WAGON. Marvin was an Oscar-winning actor. His Cat Ballou dual-role was classic. He was funny in PAINT YOUR WAGON except when he had to sing. Remember, this was a musical. He belonged in a musical like Ernest Borgnine belongs in a beauty contest.
Lorraine Bracco in "Medicine Man." - TAFKA Steve 15:06:25 02/26/02 (0)
To Sean Connery in her Brooklyn accent: "I'm a biochemist from da Bronx, dammit, and I da-soive your respeck!"

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