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Disappearing Actor
Where is Warren Beatty?
Tim, Tom, Matt, and Mark
10 July 2006
Tim
Ever have one of those days when you think of an actor and suddenly realize they used to be huge but now they seemed to have vanished? Today's imponderable: Why has Warren Beatty made one movie since 1998? Whatever happened to this dude? He's not even 70. Clint's still rocking at 76. What gives, Warren?
Matt
Three words - Town and Country. This baby cost, like, 100 million dollars and made about fifty bucks. Reportedly, WB figured "screw this, I'm rich" after his movie tanked and simply hasn't cared to return. So much for Ishtar II.
Mark
I never really got what was so great about Beatty. He always came off as a bit of a stiff to me. Kind of an "empty" quality. Maybe he got by on looks more than talent? I mean, he's been in some very fine films, but I can't say that I've ever felt he was an essential component to any of them being as good as they were. Is it just me?
Tom
I can see that. The same arguments have been made over the years regarding Gary Cooper, Costner and others who have the characteristic most often described as "wooden". I think guys like him get marginalized because of their looks though. Certainly Heaven Can Wait, Reds, Dick Tracy, and Bugsy are as successful as they are because the guy's got at least some talent.
Tim
I don't get much from him either, but I just thought it was odd that someone so high profile would drop off the face of the earth. I know Town and Country was dogshit but it still boggles the mind that a vain guy like him wouldn't pop up somewhere on TV or in a cameo in something.
Matt
Another key issue with Beatty's waned box office is the simple fact that I think most of his key demographic has simply been put into rest homes or just died off. Beatty's biggest successes were back like close to 30 years ago. He's not Eastwood bad-ass enough to pass the test of time (although he was the original choice for "Bill in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill).
I do admit that I like Beatty far more as a director. Though I still dig Bonnie & Clyde, The Parallax View, Dick Tracy, Bugsy and... yes... Ishtar. I still say it's funny.
Mark
I've noticed a pro-Ishtar movement in the last decade. People viewing it removed from the anti-hype of its initial release and liking it for what it is. I only saw it on HBO way back when and wasn't very impressed, though I'd certainly be willing to look at it again and see what I think.
I wouldn't say that I've never enjoyed a Beatty film, as many have been very good. Just that for me, he's not an element that makes me want to see a film regardless of the rest of its components.
Tom
One last thing to consider is that Beatty has always had a reputation of taking forever in between projects. As long as this current break is it isn't his longest and may not be his last.
Check out Warren Beatty's list of credits at The
Internet Movie Database,
and biographical information at The Wikipedia.
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