Friday, September 15, 2006

MOVIE GONE BAD

The Sentinel. On paper, it should be good. Keifer Sutherland, Michael Douglas, Kim Bassinger. Somebody is trying to kill the president. A mole inside the secret service. Ooooo.

Trouble is, we only really see 3 people of any importance inside the SS and we know it isn't 2 of them. Big surprise. It's Mister Number Three. And the movie is full of confusion and too many scenes of people walking and not enough character development. Douglas doesn't look good. Bassinger does but isn't given much to do. Sutherland is the only guy with energy. The president is played by the guy who used to be Hammer if you remember that corny show.

What a mess!

How does this happen? Do they shoot a good film and then hack it to death in the editing process? Do test audiences ruin films? Or marketing departments? The director? I'd give a bad screenplay nasty marks.

Every one of the major stars has been in terrific projects. But not this time.

It must be embarrassing to be in such a visible stinker. There you are, 20 feet high, on screens, stinking. And it never goes away, thanks to DVD. You stink virtually forever. No wonder actors are nuts half the time. Their careers are in the hands of other people.

Imagine the retinue of a major star - publicist! - manager - agent - attorney - cpa -personal assistant - makeup person - stylist - housekeeper - nanny (possibly) - gardener. Everybody feeding off you. Eck! Oh - almost forgot - you really cannot trust these people since their livelihood depends on how well they suck up.

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