The Pre-Read

Happy Birthday Alex Dimitriades

I wrote about Alex sometime back. I'm not exactly sure when but it must have been after I saw Head On, an amazing film by writer/director Ana Kokkinos that featured an incredibly raw and spot on performance by Dimitriades. He may have been listed under the Why Aren't They Stars category on my blog. But of course, that pretty much pertains to America. Alex is from Australia and I would assume has a fairly good following down under.

My friend Rick knew I was a huge fan of Australian cinema. Though I will have to plead ignorance to most of the newer stuff. I had gravitated to the New Wave of down under filmmaking back in the 80s. But Rick suggested I check out Head On and I was taken by the film and by its lead.

I remember reading somewhere that Dimitriades had decided to spend a few months a year in the United States in hopes of landing some film work. He did land a couple of projects here, but they didn't really utilized his talents well. And for the most part I think those films were forgettable. Again, not due to any fault of Dimitriades. I wonder if he is still open to work in the US? And if so, if he still ventures over here every so often?

As recently as this summer, I believe, he starred in a stage version of Rain Man which I hear received good notices.  I really would have enjoyed seeing that, and hope there's a video copy somewhere out there. 

Alex Dimitriades is an amazing talent who, I almost hate to say this, reminds me of a very young Mel Gibson. Yes, I'm talking Gibson before all his craziness. Like Gibson in Gallipoli or The Year of Living Dangerously, Dimitriades has this ability to rise to the occasion of good work and make it even better, this is certainly true of Head On and some of his television work.

He is also headlining a new Australian film, Summer Coda, with Rachael Taylor which I think released down under last month.

 A year or so ago I came across a script that I thought would be a perfect fit for him. Sadly the funding fell through so we never even got to the talent stage of things. Every once in a while I ring up the producers of the project, wondering if it's still in turn-around hell or if there's a glimmer of financing hope. So far nothing. But I'll keep checking. 

So happy birthday to Alex Dimitriades. A guy who is not only easy on the eyes, but has talent to match! I hope we see more of him in 2011.

Why Aren't They Stars?

I wrote earlier about Rachel Dratch and some of the alum from Saturday Night Live. But I just can't let it go. Or, more accurately, let her go.

Why she doesn't have her own show, or isn't headlining a feature is beyond me.  As far as I'm concerned, she's comedic genius.

No Punishment Here

This past week saw the return of an old friend; Medium. Yep, that NBC series with Patricia Arquette as a mom with a terrific husband, three cute as button kids, and the ability to see dead people.

The show, created by Glen Gordon-Caron is pretty much always great. I can't remember seeing an episode that wasn't top notch.

I was disappointed when I learned the show, originally scheduled to return in the fall, was pushed back to January to make room for a new slew of NBC programs. Well, guess what? Yep, many of them hardly made a mark, and most have long been forgotten.

So NBC decided to push up the airing of Medium, and I'm a happy camper for that. Though I'll have to do my best to remember the show is now on Wednesday evenings instead of the more familiar Mondays.

The season opener was a two hour mystery that was as good as any they've done. But the wonderful twist this time was the addition of a ghost who dated Allison (Arquette) back in High School. And that ghost was none other than Tom Jane, Arquette's real life husband.

I first saw Jane in Boogy Nights, but he really captured my attention in the Indie film The Velocity of Gary. The story of an adult film star and how he deals with being diagnosed as HIV positive was a great vehicle for Jane and I'm sure that film, in particular, set him on a lot of people's radar.

His other films include a variety of independent and larger budgeted films that have garnered a lot of publicity, if not recognition for Jane. Which has me adding him to my list of Why Aren't They Stars?

From The Last Time I Committed Suicide, to The Thin Red Line, and from Magnolia to Deep Blue Sea his films have always made some sort of impact.

One film of note is Stander, set in apartheid era South Africa, Thomas Jane stars as Andre Stander, a police officer who suffers a crises of conscience and begins a new career as a bank robber.

In each film Thomas Jane disappears in which ever role he takes. Whether it's the cop turned bank robber, or the Army private, whether it's the superhero in The Punisher to an old boyfriend in Medium.

He has the ability to blend so well, that I think sometimes he's not noticed. And by not noticed I don't mean he's forgettable, quite the opposite, I think audiences may leave the theater thinking, "wow, that one guy was good" but never realizing that "that one guy" may have been the same guy in a few of their favorite movies.

So I hope Thomas Jane gets more recognition and attention; he's fun to watch, he's terrific and a versitile actor, and he certainly deserves it.

Rescue Me

It occurred to me that one of my favorite actors isn't on my list of Why Aren't They Stars?  And he should be.  Both on the list and a star.

Paddy Considine first came to my attention in Jim Sheridan's haunting In America. The tale of an Irish family's assimilation into the United States is based, partly, on Sheridan's own history, and the cast, lead by Considine, is nothing short of first rate.

A natural mimic when it comes to accents, Paddy Considine can be Irish, American, English, heck he could be Martian if given the chance to hear what Martians sound like.

With appearances in over 17 films, and several music videos, Considine is a talent to watch. And while I think he deserves lead roles in anything he goes after, his take on it is a little different; "It's all about cutting your teeth," he said recently. " I would hate to be thrust into the middle of a big film and not deliver. There's young actors and they're put into these central roles and they're commanding armies - but they can't quite pull it off. I'd much rather do it in small steps and build it from there."

My take? He would have no problem commanding armies. In the way a Johnny Depp, or Daniel Day-Lewis might tackle a role, I think Paddy Considine could do just as well, if not better. And not only is he an actor, but a writer as well, and has been nominated for some 9 different awards and won three times. Why he wasn't nominated for an Oscar for In America is really beyond me.

Paddy Considine is a joy to watch, whether he's being a good guy, or a bad guy, or in a music video, like this one by the Arctic Monkeys.

Fade To Black

I saw Tokyo Drift recently. Not because I'm a huge race fan or anything like that, I went to see it because I'm a huge fan of its star. No, not Bow Wow, but Lucas Black.

Now I'll be the first to say that this role doesn't require a lot of Mr. Black, and to be honest, if this were his first film, I don't know that there would be many more. But Lucas Black has a pretty amazing career for only being 23. He starred in The War, Sling Blade, Friday Night Lights and All The Pretty Horses to name only a few, and he was amazing in each film.

This role doesn't require anything of him, and ... well, he's fine in it. But he's got a natural ability that is just amazing. My fear now, however, is that he'll begin to do more movies because of his looks than his talent. I'm sure Tokyo Drift paid a lot better than All The Pretty Horses, and while I actually enjoyed Tokyo Drift (great soundtrack and was directed surprisingly well by Justin Lin) it wasn't much of a stretch for Black.

I know everyone has to pay rent, and if he decides to only star in movies that give him a fat paycheck and required little of him, who am I to judge. I only hope that for every two or three big budget pictures, he makes one small dramatic one.  He really is good, and he deserves to be in movies that show his talent. He really is an actor to watch!

Scary Movie 4

I had a little time on my hands this afternoon so I went to the movies.

Now, to set the record straight, I really can't remember the last time I went to a movie during the day. I usually tend to go to the last showing at night and during the week. There are less people in the theater at that time, and it allows me to watch the movie with little distraction. Yeah, I know. I'm a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to going to the movies I guess.

But where did all these kids come from?  Is it still Spring Break?  I mean, I was at a noon showing and the theater was packed with kids.  Well, enough of that.

I went to see Scary Movie 4. I didn't expect much, and well, I got what I expected. But two things stood out for me.

One; Leslie Nielson (who isn't in the movie all that much) is just a terrific actor who can deliver a line better than just about anyone. At 80 there doesn't seem to be any slowing down for him, and I, for one, and happy about that. And while it can be said that every movie he's appeared in hasn't always been great, he's rarely bad in any role.

Two; Craig Bierko stars in the fourth installment of the Scary Movie franchise.

I was going to feature him in one of my Why Aren't They Stars posts, and in fact, this might turn into that. The thing about Craig is that he has the makings of a star. He's great looking, he's 6'4" (which has nothing to do with being a star, but I was impressed by that so thought I'd mention it) and he's a good actor.

Most of his work has been in television with some outings to features and even a Tony nominated run as the music man in the Broadway revival of The Music Man.

While he has an impressive resume, most people don't know who he is. Arguably his biggest role came in 2005's Cinderella Man starring as Russell Crowe's opponent Max Baer. The problem, of course, was that not a whole lot of people saw that movie. The studio did what it could to re-release it, but it just didn't do as well as everyone had hoped.

There was also a little bit of animosity between the two as Bierko made comments that even though he worked along side Crowe for a month, he never really got to know him. Crowe shot back by criticizing Bierko's acting ability and the whole thing devolved into something that certainly didn't make people rush to the theaters to see the movie.

Craig Bierko can act, that's for sure, although you shouldn't judge his, or anyone's ability, by Scary Movie 4, but he can act. 

I hope he can land a project or two that will finally give him some exposure and recognition. I think he deserves it.

Why Aren't They Stars?

There really is a whole big list of people who i think should have a better career than they already do. Well, maybe not better career, but at least more popular and able to command more attention. One of those people is:

Amy Sedaris

A writer, actress and entrepreneur, Amy is probably one of the funniest women alive today. Her short lived Comedy Central series Strangers With Candy was a hit with nearly anyone who saw it, and there should be a box set of the series coming out soon.

Likewise a feature based on the series is said to release sometime this summer, so keep an eye out for it.

One of my requirements for WATS? is their versatility. Amy is not only hilarious but can be a serious actress as well and she has had straight roles in several TV series including Law & Order: SVU. But right now it's her comedy that stands out, and she can change, chameleon like from a young beautiful woman, to a 45 year old crack whore to everything in between and farther out still.

She regularly appears on nighttime talk shows and her appearances on David Letterman in particular are hilarious.  Always seemingly setting her own rules, Amy can go on for her entire segment about her new baby, with father Letterman, and how he never visits the young child.

To say she is quick witted would be an understatement. Her comedy, sense of humor and sense of responsibility in her personal life is without measure.

Amy is someone whose name should be on everyone's lips. She's that talented and should be a huge star!

She also makes Cheese-balls.

Why Aren't They Stars?

Another in our ... well, so far, short list of actors who we feel deserve wider recognition.

Justin Long

A famous actress once said that if you can play older when you're young, then you'll work forever. The thought was people would never know how old you really were and would have trouble figuring it out, so you could, basically, hit all the various age ranges. Look at Glenn Close, at 35 she played Robin Williams mother in The World According To Garp and she's still going strong.

I would think the same must be true the other way around. That is if you can play younger longer well then, you'll play longer.

Such is the case with Justin Long. He's the underrated actor who was the Sci-Fi fan in Galaxy Quest, the awkward kid in Dodge Ball, and the smart but ill-at-ease High School kid with the best name on TV's Ed.

At 27 Long can still play High School kids (and he does), which is a testament not only to his looks, but also to his acting and comedic timing. And for anyone who felt like a fish-out-of-water when they were young, then Warren Cheswick, his ED character is your patron saint.

The strange thing is actors who usually play these types of roles are character actors. And, honestly, there's really nothing "character" about Long. He's a very handsome guy with acting chops that should allow him a wide range of roles; leading romantic roles at that. I'm convinced he could pull it off.

I look forward to seeing more of Justin Long, whether it's in features or television, comedies or drama. He's a talented actor who I am sure will work for a very long time.

For a sample of some of his work, check out this link for a very funny short, featuring the equally talented Sam Rockwell.

Why Aren't They Stars?

Have you ever seen a movie where one actor stole the show? They were terrific and you were sure they’d be the next big thing? Or ever saw a movie that was so bad you wanted to walk out, but there was one actor who was good enough to make you want to stay and watch?

Well I have, and I thought I’d start listing some of them from time to time. This roll is for people who, for whatever reason, just haven’t made it yet. But you can catch them at your local video store and decide for yourself what’s holding them back.  Is it bad timing? Not dedicated enough? Bad choices? Or am I just off my rocker and they all suck?

Alex Dimitriades

First of all Alex resides in Australia. But then so did Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe so that shouldn’t be held against him.

At 19 he was cast as the lead in the Australian sleeper hit The Heartbreak Kid, (not to be confused with the 1972 American film of the same name.) He played Nick Polous a Greek-Australian high school student struggling with family, ethnic identity and falling in love with one of his teachers.

Reviews for the film were great as they were for Dimitriades’ performance. He went on to star, for one year, in Heartbreak High, a TV series based upon the movie.

Since that time Alex Dimitriades has appeared in numerous Australian television series’, plays and a number of feature films, including some in America. However, it may be his portrayal of Ari in Ana Kokkinos’ powerful Head On that brought him his greatest accolades.

An unforgiving, powerful, and raw portrayal of a young man dealing with his sexuality, drugs, and his place in society allows Dimitriades one of his best performances to date.

With Head On listed on his impressive resume he headed to the United States but, to date, has found only limited success with supporting roles in such films as Ghost Ship and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.

Alex Dimitriades is a remarkable actor with striking looks who deserves to have the success and career worthy of his talent!

Keep a lookout for this one. He should be a star!