Watch the 'Arthur' trailer, decide whether Russell Brand is drunkenly charming

Washington Post ^ | 2/11/11 | Jen Chaney

[jimbo123]

Can Russell Brand get caught between the moon and New York City with the same word-slurring charm displayed by Dudley Moore in 1981's "Arthur"?

Watch the trailer for the 2011 version of "Arthur," which comes out in April and stars Brand, Helen Mirren and Jennifer Garner, to find out.

[cripplecreek]

There are some things that just can’t be acted and Moore had that kindness that came through.

Kinda like Charlie Sheen playing the drunken womanizer.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I worked for Mr. Moore in the late 70’s he was kind funny and very gracious man"

Thanks for confirming the impressions I always had of him :-)

[magritte]

Helen Mirren plays Hobson, the Hispanic guy is Bitterman...it’s a “re-imagining”...magritte

[jimbo123]

Steve Gordon, the writer and director of the “real” Arthur died at age 44 of a heart attack in November 1982, a little over a year after the movie was released.

[dfwgator]

Dudley Moore was also a brilliant concert pianist in addition to his comedic talents.

[The Unknown Republican]

Arthur sort of worked because Dudley Moore really was a drunk. This is more like an former heroin addict meets Billy Madison.

[freedumb2003]

>>Steve Gordon, the writer and director of the “real” Arthur died at age 44 of a heart attack in November 1982, a little over a year after the movie was released.<<

I think there is even more strange “death” trivia surrounding that movie.

This now version, OTOH, is clearly just DOA...

[Kirkwood]

Arthur 2011 seems to be gay.

[packrat35]

I use that line on people all the time who announce obvious things.

[JaguarXKE]

I agree, I rather liked Dudley Moore in Arthur. This remake? Not even close.

[edpc]

From the preview, it looks better than the other things Brand has done. However, that’s not saying much.

[jimbo123]

Bedazzled was a funny movie too. And Dudley Moore did a wonderful job on the soundtrack and score.

[InvisibleChurch]

So they can make them excellenter.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Steve Gordon, the director of Arthur, died at age 44 of a heart attack.

Burt Bacharach, who composed most of the music, died at the age of 82.

Christopher Cross, who sang the theme song, is still alive. But I used to sometimes confuse him with Eddie Rabbit, who died at age 59, and sometimes I confused him with Dan Fogelberg, who died at age 56.

Jill Eikenberry, who co-starred in the movie, is also still alive. But I had to look it up on Wikipedia. And even then, it's possible that she did die and nobody noticed.

Then there's Liza Minelli.

Anyway, the curse of Arthur continues to this day. So far, everyone connected to that movie is either dead, or not dead, or Liza Minelli. Spooky.

[krb]

They seem to have replaced Sr John Gielgud with a slightly overweight Hispanic fellow

You don't know your Arthurian history very well. :-)

They replaced a black guy you probably never bothered to learn anything about (Ted Ross, who passed away in 2002) with a slightly overweight Hispanic fellow (Luis Guzmán, who was brilliant in Boogie Nights, amongst other things).

They replaced Sir John Gielgud with Dame Helen Mirren, and seem to have remade the story with more focus on Susan.

[SamAdams76]

Actually you could say that Christopher Cross's career died with Arthur as he never had another big hit since that theme song.

Also, Christopher Cross has misfortune of being a dead ringer for Roger Clemens.

File under "Separated at Birth"

[jimbo123]

Paul Gleason, another dead Arthurian (1939-2006) who played the Executive on the phone in Arthur’s father’s office:

Executive: He gets all that money. Pays his family back by... by... by bein’ a stinkin’ drunk. It’s enough ta make ya sick.

Hobson: I really wouldn’t know, sir. I’m just a servant.

Executive: Yeah.

Hobson: On the other hand, go screw yourself.

[Dogbert41]

I cannot decide who has done more for the destruction of British/US relations; Obama or Brand?

[Chode]

[Charles Bronson Forever]

BLASPHEMY!!!!! Brand is a British hippie scarecrow JERK! Leave the classics alone.