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11 Actors Who Hated Their Own Films
Mental Floss ^ | Colin Patrick

Posted on 10/09/2014 2:29:04 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

The Half Man of Two and a Half Men ripped his own show in a YouTube video making the rounds today. "If you watch Two and a Half Men," Angus T. Jones said, "please stop watching Two and a Half Men. I'm on Two and a Half Men. I don't want to be on it. Please stop filling your head with filth." Of course, plenty of actors haven't been thrilled with things they've worked on. Even big movie stars. Here's a list of actors who hated their own films, that we originally published back in January.

1. Sylvester Stallone, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. Sly doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to his film career. Despite co-starring with the delightful Estelle Getty as the titular violence-prone mother, Stallone knows just how bad the film was:

"I made some truly awful movies. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot was the worst. If you ever want someone to confess to murder, just make him or her sit through that film. They will confess to anything after 15 minutes."

2. Alec Guinness, Star Wars.

By the time he played Obi-Wan Kenobi in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope, Guinness had already appeared in cinematic classics like The Bridge on the River Kwai, Great Expectations and Lawrence of Arabia. During production, Guinness is reported to have said the following:

"Apart from the money, I regret having embarked on the film. I like them well enough, but it's not an acting job, the dialogue - which is lamentable - keeps being changed and only slightly improved, and I find myself old and out of touch with the young."

The insane amount of fame he won for the role as the wise old Jedi master took him somewhat by surprise and, ultimately, annoyed him. In his autobiography A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, Guinness recalls a time he encountered an autograph-seeking fan who boasted to him about having watched Star Wars more than 100 times. In response, Guinness agreed to provide the boy an autograph under the condition that he promise never to watch the film again.

3. George Clooney, Batman & Robin. Sure, Batman & Robin made money. But by every other imaginable measure, the film was a complete failure, and a nightmare to the vast majority of the Caped Crusader’s most fervent fanatics. Star George Clooney recognized what a stinker he helped create and once plainly stated, “I think we might have killed the franchise.”

4. David Cross, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. When actors have a movie out, it's customary that they publicize the film by saying nice things about it. Earlier this year David Cross took a different approach. When it came to describing his new film Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, the veteran comedian — better known for Mr. Show and Arrested Development — went on Conan and called the film a “big commercial for Carnival Cruise Lines” and told people not to go see it.

5. Bob Hoskins, Super Mario Brothers. He was in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. As far as I’m concerned, Bob Hoskins is forgiven for Super Mario Bros. Hoskins, though, doesn’t seem to be able to forgive himself. Last year the Guardian spoke with the veteran actor about his career and he summed up his feelings rather succinctly:

What is the worst job you've done?
Super Mario Brothers.

What has been your biggest disappointment?
Super Mario Brothers.

If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I wouldn't do Super Mario Brothers.

6. Katherine Heigl, Knocked Up. Judd Apatow’s unplanned pregnancy comedy was a huge hit and helped cement her status as a bankable film actress. After the film’s release, however, Heigl didn’t have all good things to say. In fact, what she specifically said about it was that the film was:

"…A little sexist. It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys.”

7. Bill Cosby, Leonard Part 6. You’d think a film that features Cosby riding away from a dangerous situation on the back of an ostrich would be great, right? Not exactly. Cosby himself disliked the film so much that he told people they’d be throwing their money away to go see it. That’s probably why the $24 million production made back just under $5 million at the box office and won a Razzie for Worst Actor, Worst Screenplay and Worst Picture.

8. Charlize Theron, Reindeer Games. The 2000 action film Reindeer Games starred Ben Affleck, Gary Sinese and Charlize Theron and was directed by John Frankenheimer. But it all somehow failed to come together. In the end the film lost a lot of money and compiled a wealth of negative reviews – including one from its star actress who simply said, “Reindeer Games was not a good movie.”

9. Mark Wahlberg, The Happening. Mark Wahlberg doesn’t exactly seem like a guy who lives his life afraid of trees. But that is the odd position M. Night Shyamalan’s 2008 film The Happening put him in. Wahlberg, as it turns out, doesn’t look back too fondly on the film. He went on record during a press conference for The Fighter when he described a conversation with a fellow actor:

"We had actually had the luxury of having lunch before to talk about another movie and it was a bad movie that I did. She dodged the bullet. And then I was still able to … I don’t want to tell you what movie … alright “The Happening.” F*** it. It is what it is. F***ing trees, man. The plants. F*** it. You can’t blame me for not wanting to try to play a science teacher. At least I wasn’t playing a cop or a crook."

10. John Cusack, Better Off Dead. John Cusack reportedly hated his cult 80s comedy so much that he walked out of the screening and later told the film’s director Steve Holland that Better Off Dead was "the worst thing I have ever seen" and he would "never trust you as a director again."

11. Christopher Plummer, The Sound of Music. The Sound of Music is considered a classic and has delighted many generations of fans. But the film's own lead actor, Christopher Plummer, isn’t ready to sing its praises. Mr. Von Trapp himself declined to participate in a 2005 film reunion and, according to one acquaintance, has referred to the film as The Sound of Mucus.



TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: actors; films
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To: Tax-chick

haha. refreshing honesty there :)


41 posted on 10/09/2014 3:26:58 PM PDT by GOP Poet
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To: fieldmarshaldj
"In his autobiography A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal, Guinness recalls a time he encountered an autograph-seeking fan who boasted to him about having watched Star Wars more than 100 times. In response, Guinness agreed to provide the boy an autograph under the condition that he promise never to watch the film again."

It could have been worse: he could have been Mark Hamill...

Full disclosure: I was in the 1968 high school play with Mark Hamill at Nile C. Kinnick, aka Yo-Hi, in Yokohama. I was a freshman, he was a senior, but I played the school principal and he played Henry Aldrich. Mark was the consummate stage actor, and had a powerful presence, which oddly enough didn't seem to translate to film or television; I'm not sure why, because we all could see his dramatic ability.

42 posted on 10/09/2014 3:27:48 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

Guinness also said that he got a backend deal on the Star Wars film, something like 1% of the net. Even that paid well for him and he made out making something like over $1 Million.
Even so I see exactly what he is talking about considering the extraordinary career he had.


43 posted on 10/09/2014 3:31:32 PM PDT by Captain Peter Blood
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To: greene66

He donated his entire salary from that movie to British War Relief, I think it was about $200,000 at the time which would be about $20 Million in today’s money.


44 posted on 10/09/2014 3:33:33 PM PDT by Captain Peter Blood
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To: chajin

Star Wars made and killed Hamill’s career. He might’ve been better off staying in the Grant Goodeve role that he originated in “Eight is Enough.” He probably would’ve had steady and solid work after that.


45 posted on 10/09/2014 3:33:47 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: x

I’ve never heard a nice thing about her.


46 posted on 10/09/2014 3:35:00 PM PDT by EEGator
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To: MarineBrat
Ever wonder why there’s scads of great child actors and few great child everything else? - Me neither...

Last night I watched Suddenly, a B movie with Frank Sinatra and Sterling Hayden about an attempted Presidential assassination. It's interesting as a period piece, but then on a lark I looked up the child co-star, Kim Charney, who was in a few B movies and a TV episode or two. So what did he do with his life? Left the sound stage and became a vascular surgeon, still working today at 68. Now that's impressive. The world could use more Dr. Charneys and fewer...I'll let you fill it in.

47 posted on 10/09/2014 3:38:30 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: Captain Peter Blood

Obi Wan-Kenobi wasn’t exactly the best role of his career (if anything, SW was elevated because of his participation, not the other way around). If I were him, I’d have probably told the lad to go see his works such as “Kwai” or “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” or a host of other meatier parts he played (or his comedies, such as “The Horse’s Mouth”).


48 posted on 10/09/2014 3:39:53 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: Jonty30
Katherine Heigl always complaining about the movies she is in, which is why she isn’t in too many these days.

She has certain charms...

49 posted on 10/09/2014 3:39:56 PM PDT by outofsalt ( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I forgive him for his great voice work for Skyrim.


50 posted on 10/09/2014 3:41:10 PM PDT by cld51860 (Volo pro veritas)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

He did an excellent Joker.


51 posted on 10/09/2014 3:44:48 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Wonder if Eastwood regrets making those Monkey (left turn clyde) movies long ago.


52 posted on 10/09/2014 3:45:51 PM PDT by catfish1957 (Everything I needed to know about Islam was written on 11 Sep 2001)
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To: SeekAndFind

Cusack’s best role was in “Max” in 2002. He played a Jewish art dealer who meets the young Hitler right after World War I.


53 posted on 10/09/2014 3:52:35 PM PDT by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius now available at Amazon.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Maria Von Trapp hated Sound of Music as well. But the movie was decent, I thought, and it contained one awesome scene where Rolf decides to betray the family and show fealty to the Nazi war effort.


54 posted on 10/09/2014 3:53:08 PM PDT by alstewartfan (You walk like Greta Garbo But you talk like Yogi Bear. What's going on? Al Stewart)
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To: GOP Poet

That’s what I thought. Just working for money, like anyone else.


55 posted on 10/09/2014 3:55:08 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Feeling fine about the end of the world!)
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To: SeekAndFind

I thought that Plummer was a truly amazing singer, as opposed to the entire cast in the remake. The von Trapps would have been flops if they sounded like the remake cast. lol


56 posted on 10/09/2014 3:55:18 PM PDT by alstewartfan (You walk like Greta Garbo But you talk like Yogi Bear. What's going on? Al Stewart)
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To: cld51860

Does he do the narration on that? “They should have acted. They were already there. The Elder Scrolls told of their return.”

My 2-year-old is crazy about the “Elder Scrolls V” trailer. “The dragon! I want the dragon.”


57 posted on 10/09/2014 3:58:15 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Feeling fine about the end of the world!)
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To: catfish1957

I thought those movies were great.

However, I think that Paint Your Wagon is regrettable.


58 posted on 10/09/2014 4:02:16 PM PDT by bobo1 (progressives=commies/fascists)
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To: discostu

...or the scene where his teacher asked his permission to “ask Beth out”. :)


59 posted on 10/09/2014 4:02:57 PM PDT by The Duke
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To: Tax-chick

I think Max von Sydow (sp?) does the narration. Plummer does a couple of voices, I think, but I remember him as one of the Greybeards.


60 posted on 10/09/2014 4:04:31 PM PDT by cld51860 (Volo pro veritas)
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