What ever happened to Steve Martin?
ChadPolenz
I was just thinking about something: where the hell has Steve Martin these
last, oh, 5 or 6 years? I can't remember the last really successful movie he
was in, probably the original Father of the Bride (which was a remake of an
older film).
I miss the 80s Steve Martin - please come back to us!
-Chad'z
-------
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Quixote Digital Typography
In article <19971203155...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
ChadPolenz <chadp...@aol.com> wrote:
>I was just thinking about something: where the hell has Steve Martin these
>last, oh, 5 or 6 years? I can't remember the last really successful movie he
>was in, probably the original Father of the Bride (which was a remake of an
>older film).
>I miss the 80s Steve Martin - please come back to us!
Steve's been putting most of his energy into writing plays. Pity
that.
IMHO, his two best films are L.A. Story (which he also wrote) and Leap
of Faith.
-dh
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cen0...@centuryinter.net
chadp...@aol.com (ChadPolenz) wrote:
>I was just thinking about something: where the hell has Steve Martin these
>last, oh, 5 or 6 years? I can't remember the last really successful movie he
>was in, probably the original Father of the Bride (which was a remake of an
>older film).
>I miss the 80s Steve Martin - please come back to us!
>-Chad'z
>-------
>Please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz - over 170
>new and old films reviewed in depth, not just blind ratings and capsules. To
>receive Chad'z reviews directly, e-mail ChadP...@aol.com with "subscribe" in
>the header.
Steve's writing plays. He has probably figured out the half life of
Saturday Night Live veterans in movies is declining big time. I
think he is not that talented as a filmmaker or writer, but he
probably knows more about reviving a career than most the other
SNL alumni.
Mike Rice
wal...@dnvn.com
In article <19971206162...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
funti...@aol.com (FunTime210) wrote:
> >chadp...@aol.com (ChadPolenz) wrote:
> >
> >>I was just thinking about something: where the hell has Steve Martin these
> >>last, oh, 5 or 6 years? I
>
> He has a supporting role in The Spanish Prisoner, due for release next year.
> It's a straight "serious" performance - he plays a sinister businessman - and
> yet it's also strangely humorous. He is surprisingly good in the role.
>
> The Spanish Prisoner is the latest movie from writer-director David Mamet, and
> it's his best movie since House of Games. It premiered at the Toronto Film
> Festival, and was one of the best flicks I saw there. Sony Pictures
Classics is
> going to distribute it.
He also wrote a pretty nifty played which played off Broadway for
a goodly while [long enough to break even] called Picaso at the Lapin Agile.
k
MacNetscape User at Texas A&M
Speaking of Steve Martin, I've recently viewed the mostly unseen
1991 film "L.A. Story" again. I think it's a wonderful film.
I especially like the fantasy elements, the music, and the great
screenplay. You'd think it wouldn't work as a comedy - with how many
shifts of tone there is...it goes from fantasy surrealism to biting
sight gag comedy. A unique film that is highly underappreciated.
What is the general concensus on the film among you all?
I know it recieved good reviews, but it didn't make an impression on
the moviegoing public.
Paul Vaughn
Texas A&M University
pwv...@acs.tamu.edu
Paul Adams
By the way, does anyone else remember, oh so many years ago, when there
was rumored to be a film in development starring Steve Martin, to be
directed by David Lynch, called _One Saliva Bubble_? It's a shame it
never happened. Sounds intriguing to say the least.
james edward mc hie
In article <348D93...@tamu.edu>,
MacNetscape User at Texas A&M <us...@tamu.edu> wrote:
>Speaking of Steve Martin, I've recently viewed the mostly unseen
>1991 film "L.A. Story" again. I think it's a wonderful film.
>I especially like the fantasy elements, the music, and the great
>screenplay. You'd think it wouldn't work as a comedy - with how many
>shifts of tone there is...it goes from fantasy surrealism to biting
>sight gag comedy. A unique film that is highly underappreciated.
>
>What is the general concensus on the film among you all?
I'm probably in the minority but this movie really is one of my favorites
as far as being able to watch it many times. What does it for me isn't
the comedy all that much, but the romance between Harris and Sarah plus
the enigmatic highway sign. Also this movie wins hands down for best use
of Enya music IMO. I could watch Sarah getting onto the plane and the
storm a dozen times or more without losing any of the impact.
So the short answer to your question is that I don't know what the
'concensus' is, but I thought the movie was great (and I did see it in the
theater when it came out).
--
Jim McHie
gjw
I liked the movie, and I'm from L.A.! Actually, it was one of the few
films to satirize L.A. which hit the target. Loved the scene where he
gets in his car and drives... to the house next door.
The movie didn't completely jell into a perfect whole, but it has
wonderful moments.
Durindfire
about L.A. story, well, when i first saw it over six years ago, I thought it
was the funniest thing on earth. Of course i have since seen much funnier
movies, but L.A. Story remains to be classic Steve Martin, both comedic and
dramatic, just like What About Bob? is classic Bill Murray. Anyway, I recently
watched it and realized how many tiny gags are in there that would be
impossible to catch in just one viewing. The writing in this movie is simply
brilliant, yet unusual for a comedy. Yet L.A. Story remains to be a major
source of some of the greatest lines and scenes of all time.
dave
Dan Bongard
MacNetscape User at Texas A&M (us...@tamu.edu) wrote:
[Re: "LA Story"]
: What is the general concensus on the film among you all? I know it
: recieved good reviews, but it didn't make an impression on the
: moviegoing public.
Personally it is one of my ten favorite films. Most of the people
I know either like it or love it. From the IMDB it appears that most
people give it ratings between 6 and 10 on a 0-10 scale.
-- Dan
Chris Hansen
I agree with all the talk here about LA Story. It was a beautifully
written and well-directed film. The magical touches in it made all the
better. Steve Martin really is a talented writer.
Chris Hansen
Dan Bongard <dbon...@netcom.com> wrote in article
Ron Walker
He took a career wrong turn many years ago. Roxanne, L.A. Story, that
pathetic movie in which he played an evanglist in Texas, etc. all really
bad choices for him. Got out of the goofy stuff (which he was best at)
and left those twenty million dollar roles to Jim Carey. Good move. I
would call this the Jerry Lewis syndrome. "Hey, I'm not just a comedian!
Look at me! Now I'm a comedian doing serious stuff and looking like a
damn fool!"
Derek Janssen
Wait: You cut out the more recent part, where he sold out to Disney and
did the two no-brainer "Father of the Bride"'s and "Sgt. Bilko"--
(Which might explain why nobody can remember what he's done recently...)
Derek Janssen
dja...@ultranet.com
YESFEAT
Ron Walker <wal...@home.com> wrote in article
<348F4E27...@home.com>...
> He took a career wrong turn many years ago. Roxanne, L.A. Story, that
> pathetic movie in which he played an evanglist in Texas, etc. all really
> bad choices for him. Got out of the goofy stuff (which he was best at)
> and left those twenty million dollar roles to Jim Carey. Good move. I
> would call this the Jerry Lewis syndrome. "Hey, I'm not just a comedian!
> Look at me! Now I'm a comedian doing serious stuff and looking like a
> damn fool!"
>
First of all, I think L.A. Story is one of the most ineresting movies I've
ever seen. I can't think of another film that moves between genres like
that one does. I can't figure out how it got made.
But anyway. . . I just read that Martin has a role in the new David Mamet
written and directed film called "The Spanish Prisoner" or "In the Company
of Kafka". I can't think of anyone looking like a "damn fool" when he has
Mamet's dialogue spewing from his mouth. Should be interesting.
--
Darren Hughes
Derek Janssen
Not to mention taking the Jack Lemmon role in a remake of Neil Simon's
"The Out-of-Towner's", and a voice in the upcoming "Prince of Egypt".
Derek Janssen
dja...@ultranet.com
Quixote Digital Typography
In article <348F4E27...@home.com>, Ron Walker <wal...@home.com> wrote:
>He took a career wrong turn many years ago. Roxanne, L.A. Story, that
>pathetic movie in which he played an evanglist in Texas, etc. all really
>bad choices for him. Got out of the goofy stuff (which he was best at)
>and left those twenty million dollar roles to Jim Carey. Good move. I
>would call this the Jerry Lewis syndrome. "Hey, I'm not just a comedian!
>Look at me! Now I'm a comedian doing serious stuff and looking like a
>damn fool!"
Roxanne, L.A. Story and Leap of Faith were three of his best films.
His acting since then has been largely pretty low, as he's taken roles
for the money to put into his playwriting endeavors (I've heard great
things about Picasso at the Lapin Agile but haven't seen it).
-dh
--
Don Hosek dho...@quixote.com Quixote Digital Typography
312/953-3679 fax: 312/803-0698 orders: 800-810-3311
Diane Rosenfeldt
On 10 Dec 1997 20:05:55 GMT, "Chris Hansen" <cha...@regent.edu>
wrote:
>I agree with all the talk here about LA Story. It was a beautifully
>written and well-directed film. The magical touches in it made all the
>better. Steve Martin really is a talented writer.
>
Another big thumbs up here. The very first time I saw it I thought,
"What the HELL was that?, it was just so odd. The second time through
I was bawling like mad at the scene where the children Harris and
Sarah walk through the garden. Loved the Enya (I don't usually) and
adored the sign bursting into "Amazing Grace" - wonderful exhilarating
movie moment.
I also love the tiny throwaways, like the Garfield on the *outside* of
the car window, and the way Harris drives two houses down to visit his
friend.
DR