From the Affleck discussion in the Ghost Rider thread...
To catch us up:
Cage gave an acting job of Ben Affleck'ian proportions.
Why do people harsh on Affleck so much?
Cos he can't act.
I don't buy that. Despite some bad performances, there are movies he didn't suck in. Besides if we threw all the actors and actresses out of Hollywood who can't act, there'd be like 6 people left.
The Affleck hating began when he started dating J'Lo and I can't figure out why. I mean, huge mistake, yes, but the guy is married with a kid now, so why is everyone carrying this torch of hatred for him still?
Did you see "Paycheck?"
Paycheck was just that, a paycheck. We all know that every star in Hollywood takes a film for a payday or because they have one picture left on their deal with the studio, and thus, "phones it in".
Now before I go further, let me say that I'm not exactly the president of Ben Affleck's fan club. I joined the hate Affleck band wagon when he was dating J'Lo. There was just something about those two that inspired anger. She acted like they were royalty and he became so blinded by her that he was acting the ass. It was even reported that he got in a fist fight with Damon over the whole thing. I get all that.
I get that people shit on Gigli and Jersey Girl as it seemed like they were throwing themselves into America's face and/or that they loved themselves that much that they had to even do movies together.
With all the 24/7 media coverage people got sick of them fast and the backlash was deserved.
But why is Affleck still taking the brunt of it? Why is J'Lo now making movies with that ugly ass Mark Anthony whom she married, yet nobody is saying boo?
I honestly haven't ever heard a great answer and it just seems like jealousy. The guy's gotten it so bad that I'm rooting for him now since he's such an underdog at this point. I mean Daredevil was not a good film, but it wasn't the horrible train wreck that people make it out to be. Jersey Girl did NOT suck, it was a "cute" family film, but people bash the shit out of it without merit.
It all just made me curious as to why. I mean is it something about Affleck that people hate? If so, why'd it come up when it did? I know people here will do the whole "I hated him before it was cool to" and before you do let me just respond with "yawn". C'mon, I want to hear some truth.
If it was the acting, we'd all hate Sandler, Arnold, Cage, , etc.
If it was the repetitive character, we'd all hate Carrey, Willis, Carroll, etc.
If it was the overexposure, why'd have hated Will Smith by now right?
So what's the real deal? I've been curious about this for a few years and I'd like to see a legit answer.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
If it was the acting, we'd all hate Sandler, Arnold, Cage, , etc.
Cage had "Leaving Las Vegas." Arnold is just a fucking icon. When Benny becomes someone as kick-ass as Conan, wrestles Jessie Ventura in a spiked steel cage, or outruns a nuclear explosion set by a Predator, then we can talk.
Everyone has at least some Sandler film they find remotely entertaining. He was dropping off my hate radar till he made his most recent flick.
If it was the repetitive character, we'd all hate Carrey, Willis, Carroll, etc.
Yea, but every time I see John MacLean, I don't want to leap on screen & rip his throat out. Jim Carrey would be on my permanent shitlist except for "Ace Ventura" & certain parts of "Dumb and Dumber." He's making one helluva case for being put in the worthlesshacksection, though.
If it was the overexposure, why'd have hated Will Smith by now right?
I do hate him. The more I think about it, even since Independence Day, I've been nursing the hatred. & the Legend of Bagger Vance. & fucking Pursuit of Happyness.
Him & Owen Wilson need to die.
The point I wish to make, though, is that all of the folks you mentioned have at least one redeeming flick under their belt. Ben Affleck does not. The only shit I saw saving Daredevil was Colin Farrel as Bullseye & the imposing physical presence of Michael Duncan Clarke.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
TPRJones wrote:He was pretty good in Mallrats and Dogma, IMO.
In Mallrats, he just played an arrogant sumbitch. That's like Keanu Reeves playing a brain-dead near-high school drop out in Bill & Ted. It's not acting. It's natural.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
So if an actor makes one film that you deem worthy, he's redeemed from every other piece of shit he's in?
Arnold is just a fucking icon.
It doesn't matter, he can't act.
Everyone has at least some Sandler film they find remotely entertaining. He was dropping off my hate radar till he made his most recent flick
It doesn't matter, he can't act.
When Benny becomes someone as kick-ass as Conan, wrestles Jessie Ventura in a spiked steel cage, or outruns a nuclear explosion set by a Predator, then we can talk.
My point is that he's not being given the chance. Everyone started shitting on him with the J'Lo thing and they haven't let up.
Yea, but every time I see John MacLean, I don't want to leap on screen & rip his throat out. Jim Carrey would be on my permanent shitlist except for "Ace Ventura" & certain parts of "Dumb and Dumber." He's making one helluva case for being put in the worthless hack section, though.
Whether you like the character or not is irrelevant.
People fucking abhor Carrottop, yet he still has a career.
Him & Owen Wilson need to die.
Maybe you're not the best person to address this issue...
The point I wish to make, though, is that all of the folks you mentioned have at least one redeeming flick under their belt. Ben Affleck does not. The only shit I saw saving Daredevil was Colin Farrel as Bullseye & the imposing physical presence of Michael Duncan Clarke.
Not always based on their acting though, which Ben's acting is what brought us to this point. So your statement isn't really fair.
And of course Ben has done good flicks:
-Good Will Hunting is an Oscar winner.
-He's been awesome in all of Kevin Smith's films: Chasing Amy, Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Dogma and Jersey Girl.
-Despite Armageddon being so scientifically shitty, it was entertaining and he didn't do a bad job in it.
-Shakespeare in Love was another critically acclaimed and oscar nominated film.
-Smoking Aces is well liked.
-Boiler Room is a well respected film.
If we want to get crazy with cameos, he was in Field of Dreams.
Ben also did a cameo in Clerks 2 and props to him (and Matt) for doing stuff like that. These guys still hang out with their childhood friends back home despite who they are now. They still do cameos for friends that they absolutely do not have to do. That's got to count for something right?
So he's somewhat of a nice guy and unselfish (by Hollywood standards). He can act just not perfectly in every role. He has been in good films and blockbusters.
So he's equal to all other stars in those ways.
So I ask again, why the hate for Affleck?
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Long as he's type cast as a holier-than-thou, unthinking bastard, I suppose he can pull shit off. Those're about the only scenes I remember him being in that didn't make me retch.
Any film he's'd a significant role in, I've seen him drop the ball time & time again. It's painful to watch him. Not Ashton Kutcher painful, but fucking unpleasant. As long as he's restricted to a few scenes or given a worthless shallow pretty boy to play, yea, he does a good job.
Armageddon was not entertaining. It was excruciating. He was a footnote in Boiler Room. Shakespeare in Love was a chick flick. Smokin' Aces was disappointing in damn near every way. The only redeeming feature of the film is what happens to Ben's character.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
That's the most honest and best answer I've ever heard.
Long as he's type cast as a holier-than-thou, unthinking bastard, I suppose he can pull shit off. Those're about the only scenes I remember him being in that didn't make me retch.
Well, that's an admission of you thinking he can act. That eliminates the "can't act" argument, which puts him above other names like Arnold and Sandler.
Shakespeare in Love was a chick flick.
Shakespeare in Love was indeed a chick flick, but just because it wasn't our cup of tea doesn't mean it was a bad film, and thus, can't count as his "good" film. Considering it was Oscar nominated, I'd say someone thought it was good.
I listed Smoking Aces only because some people liked it. I, like you, did not as shown in my review.
Still, despite all that, Ben does have Good Will Hunting, which should be his "redeeming film".
Personally, I'd throw Chasing Amy in there as well.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
I think somebody's got a man crush on Ben Affleck.
It takes one to know one.
Nah, no man crush.
I just see an injustice and it has always made me curious as to why. It really has made me curious lately considering J'Lo and her troll are releasing a film starring them and nobody is giving them the same flack they gave Bennifer back in the day.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Leisher wrote:It really has made me curious lately considering J'Lo and her troll are releasing a film starring them and nobody is giving them the same flack they gave Bennifer back in the day.
TPRJones wrote:Oh, right, Chasing Amy! He was really good in that one. Excellent film.
He was good at being a complete douchebag in that film. I can't watch it because of how stupid his character was. Sure, it's not so much of him personally, but it is how I view him. Raging douchebag of incompetence.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Who cares? We're now judging folks on the actions of their ancestors? Really?
I don't blame him for trying to hide that at all.
On a different note, I've come to the conclusion that Jennifer Garner is not attractive.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
