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Review: TROPIC THUNDER / Ben Stiller (2008)

August 13th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Brandon T. Jackson, Ben Stiller & Robert Downey, Jr

Brandon T. Jackson, Ben Stiller & Robert Downey, Jr

Tropic Thunder (2008)
Written by: Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux & Etan Cohen
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Black, Brandon T. Jackson, Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise, Matthew McConnaughey & Steve Coogan
Running Time: 107 min.
Aspect Ratio:

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

A trio of narcissistic actors (Ben Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Black) are hired to star in the biggest war movie ever made. Five days into filming and the blockbuster is already one month behind schedule. With the studio threatening to halt production, the director (Steve Coogan) decides to shoot it guerrilla-style and before long his cast is thrown into actual combat.

This weekend I popped in What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?, Blake Edwards’ boisterous service comedy that left a mortar shell at the box office, and couldn’t help wondering what the Master would have done with this material. There are star cameos, in-jokes galore, complex lighting set-ups (John Toll, Terrence Malick’s last d.p., shot it) and plenty of physical pain inflicted on characters, a trademark of Edwards’ finest comedies. Ted Wass notwithstanding, Edwards seldom heaped pain on his audience. Tropic Thunder is a torture chamber.

Reality Bites? The Cable Guy? Zoolander?Who handed Ben Stiller a budget to direct another feature? Oh, yeah. DreamWorks. Stiller’s performance range is neatly compartmentalized: there are nerds (Along Came Polly, Duplex, The Heartbreak Kid, Focker) and narcissists (Mystery Men, Starsky and Hutch, Dodgeball). As a director, he has become the annoying equivalent of Jim Carrey’s contorted face constantly interrupting the purposely placid fish-eye compositions in The Cable Guy. As Tugg Speedman, Stiller tries his best to shave the ham, while behind the camera he serves up platters of gristle.

The faux trailers that open the film make Robert Rodriguez’s work on Grind House look like SCTV and set the tone for 107 mins. worth of sophomoric lampooning. The controversies that surround the film are far more fascinating than the film itself. In March, Emulsion Compulsion reported that Caucasian actor Robert Downey, Jr. burnt some cork in order to play an African American character. The story, planted by studio rumor mills eager to spark word-of-mouth, caught my eye. I’ll see anything with Robert Downey, Jr. He’s one of our finest contemporary actors; on par with Johnny Depp. Can you believe that Downey and Depp have never worked together? It seems like such a logical pairing. Then again, if they should unite on screen, Jon Avnet would probably be hired to direct.

Playing an actor that “doesn’t drop character until the DVD commentary,” Downey never come close to embarrassing himself. He never has. As golden boy Kirk Lazarus, Downey isn’t playing a black man, but a self-absorbed Aussie movie star playing a black guy and that includes an at times “Uncle Tommish” vocal impersonation. Downey is allowed to get away with certain stereotypes because Brandon T. Jackson works opposite him in the Robin Quivers role. That’s more than I can say for Tom Cruise.

Before Monday’s screening of Henry Poole, several critics (save Duncan Sheperd who sat laughing to himself in the top row of stadium seats) were gushing over Cruise’s Jew-turn. Beneath a fat suit and bald cap, Tom transforms into the Scientological Phil Silvers, give or take a few rows of stubble. Apart from the ultra-orthodox sounding name “Les Grossman,” Cruise makes sure not to step on any Yiddish toes. He spouts a lot of “f-cks” while flapping his arms, but the satire is obvious and has been done before by better. (Rick Moranis as “Larry Siegel.” I rest my case.)

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Jesse Jackson uses the ‘n’ word when he thinks he can’t be heard

July 17th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Last Sunday, with no ifs and or buts, Jesse Jackson talked about relieving Barack Obama of his nuts.

The situation has become even bigger now that it’s been revealed that he also used a denigrating term that rhymes with “trigger.” During an off-mic conversation on Fox and Friends, Jesse cited Obama for what he labeled a derisive trend.

Whiled chiding Obama for “talking down to black people” he slurred, and let loose with the lethal “n” word.

Even Emulsion Compulsion acted with revulsion when Jesse took to the air wave to scold Barack for telling blacks how to behave.

Isn’t this the same Reverend who, when at his wit’s end, called for a boycott of Michael Richards, the clown, and once suggested that Jews live in “Hymie Town?” If Jackson didn’t call for Richard’s boycott, than my name isn’t Scott.

Furthermore, CDs recorded by ‘n’ word-using rappers should be flushed down the crapper. How’s that for a capper?

Jackson has since expressed that he was “deeply saddened and distressed” for causing the Obama’s such a mess. (My decasyllabic meter is causing me to teeter!)

Jackson, who is traveling in Spain, apologized for creating any pain. “There really is no justification for my comments and I hope that the Obama family and the American public will forgive me,” said Jackson during his plea.

Is this talk part of the mission of the Rainbow Coalition? Operation PUSH should do away with their spokesman whose brain is made out of mush. He actually came off dumber than Bush!

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