When Good Casts Get Bad Movies!

My Netflix pick for this week turned out to be the film, "Red." I had a lot of hope for this one, because of the great cast involved: Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louis Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis and more!

You see a cast like that, you read about the film and see it's going to be that old stand by, "We're getting the band back together," kind of a film and you think there is some hope.

But alas, other than Mirren looking sexy as usual, Mary-Louis Parker as more visual candy than anything else because her character was weak and could have been played by anyone... even Kristen Stewart. And the occasional line here or there, "Red" was not worth a selection.

Now as a filmmaker, I have total respect for the art... see some of my other post on Blogger.com at "The INSIDE Skinny" but as an indie filmmaker I just look at all of that talent up on the screen, know how much they are roughly getting paid and then thinking to myself, "If I had just a half day of the craft services budget for that film, I could make movies for 10-20 years without needing another cent!"

So let me throw this out to you... what are some of YOUR favorite or not so favorite films that had great cast, but in the end, let you down with the final product?

An Open Letter to "Glee"

Dear Glee,
You've jumped the shark... and truth be known you jumped it a long time ago. Now I was not a fan in the beginning. I stayed away, fighting the popularity and the urge to be one of the millions. But then, Netflix came into my life and I took a chance and in a matter of a couple of DVD marathons, I was converted. I became a "Gleek!"

My favorite episode to date, is still the football team doing Beyonce. You were creative, interesting, the music worked and it was more than just another show with music in it... you had a place in my heart.

But alas you have fallen... like a prom dress in a cheap hotel with cold duck in paper cups... you have cheapened my pleasure I had for you. There may be hope. You may be able to salvage something moving forward... it won't be easy, but here are some important suggestions to help you find your way again:

1. If you're going to do a special episode it has to be special. It can't be just an extra 30 minutes to add some marginal music and performances but not move the story along at all. Don't make me waste my time sitting through 90 minutes if really all you have is a good 20 mintues at best. (See last week, 26th episode for reference)

2. No Sue... No good! As I "C-IT" Sue Sylvester needs to be in every show. Like any good TV junkie we need our track suit wearing, razor sharp retort firing, perfect foil to "Gel-man" Mr. Shuster in every show. Give me a little or a lot... but give me something!

3. On the opposite end of the spectrum... who decided Brittany needed to be a more thoughtful, flushed out character? She's not... she was perfect just the way she was. Dropping the dumb blonde-isms to perfection... no offense to blonde's everywhere. I miss seeing her in her cheer leading uniform, it's beyond a boy fantasy fetish here, her Cheerio's outfit was her strength. 2-3 really great lines dropped out of nowhere, like a Twitter Bomb per show was perfect... just enough Brittany to keep you wanting more.

Now I know the "itunes" part of the show is working to perfection, but what made Glee so special and so great is that at first music was a part of the show it worked it's way into the stories and was a part of the fabric of the show. Now it just feels like a reason for Fox and "itunes" to just rake in the money from millions of teens and preteens who really should be saving money for college rather than downloading bad... yes I said it... bad Gwyneth Paltrow guest appearance vocals.

If you have a soul... if you have a heart... give me more of the old Glee and less of the Glee-For-Profit. I and the rest of the world, or at least those who watch Glee will thank you.

Sincerely,
A-Fading Away "Gleek"