Comments on: Ross Douthat asks the critical question

By: Malagate

Malagate — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:50:48 +0000

I loved the reference to “the Romita era.” Exactly right. I’ve always been more of a Ditko man myself.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:33:47 +0000

Amen. I’ll throw a little love Rick(y) Schroeder’s way. Nice transition to more adult roles via Lonesome Dove into pretty decent cop roles and funny run on Scrubs.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:29:05 +0000

Patience, Outlaw, the stories will be told. So close, so close…

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:28:01 +0000

TV, but Sleestaks still pop up in my nightmares.

By: Kit

Kit — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:48:14 +0000

Empire of the Sun, when Spielberg actually had talent.

By: Kit

Kit — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:44:11 +0000

CADILLAC OF THE SKIES!!!

By: Daniel

Daniel — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:35:43 +0000

Maybe I’m suffering from nostalgia-philia, but it seems that when actors & actresses (I love that latter term for no other reason than it drives the feminists in Hollywood crazy) were adults, i.e, folks in their late 20s or early 30s, before they made it big, audiences were able to suspend disbelief in the adult roles they played. Maguire, Portman, DiCaprio? … eh, not so much.

Maybe it’s the look these folks bring to the screen. I’m just not buying someone who wants to look 22 forever as playing a real-live grown-up. DiCaprio as Howard Hughes?!? It was ridiculous. All the acting chops in the world aren’t going to give a guy the look of someone who has built a financial empire. And makeup can only go so far.

I wonder if spending a few years in theater, performing live on stage would put some years on these kids’ faces that would make them believable grown-ups.

I guess I’m wondering why we believe Brando, Eastwood, Mickey Rooney, Stewart, Minnelli, Loren, Davis, and many, many more as grown-ups. Is it just that today’s Maguire, Gyllenhaal, DiCaprio, et al just don’t have the acting chops to pull off grown-up roles?

By: JohnFN

JohnFN — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:07:22 +0000

If I run into him, I’m going to start flapping my arms and scream ‘P-51 MUSTANG!” over and over.

By: JohnFN

JohnFN — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:06:21 +0000

They do, and at the detriment of their readership. I always wondered what the general readership would think if they knew how many of the stories they were fed were for pure award consideration – way too much. I know editors who spend the entire year putting together work just to enter the state AP contests, I can only imagine how bad it is at the national and beltway levels.

By: Floyd

Floyd — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:56:15 +0000

Come on John… part of Christian’s current anger problems must stem from him being constantly stopped as a kid on the streets… “Hey! You’re that kid from Henry V! It must’ve been so cool to be in front during the St. Crispian’s Day speech!”