Posted on 03/06/2006 4:33:28 PM PST by doug from upland
Hopkins lashes out at Hollywood
Veteran actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has attacked Hollywood for its "insanity", "self-importance" and "condescending" attitude to the movie-going public. "I'm also tired of the camera moving all over the place, with car chases so cut and edited you don't know what's happening," he told the Radio Times.
"Audiences aren't so mindless as movie-makers think," he continued.
But the 68-year-old, now a US citizen, said he had no plans to return to the stage, calling it "monotonous".
"I admire actors who can do it, and I'm sure they have a great life, but I can't stay in any one place for too long," he said.
----- "Be polite, treat the crew with respect and don't think you're different" -----
"I have better interests than sitting in [London restaurant] Le Caprice talking about the problems of being an actor."
The Welsh-born star, who was given a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes in January, also had some harsh words for some of his recent co-stars.
"I recently worked with two actors who wouldn't come out of their trailers for some reason. Can you figure that out? Or they complain because their trailers aren't big enough.
"It's a job, like any other, so don't make a big deal. Be polite, treat the crew with respect and don't think you're different."
The actor's latest film, The World's Fastest Indian, casts him as Burt Munro, a real-life New Zealander who broke the land-speed record for a 950cc bike in 1967.
The World's Fastest Indian casts him as a real-life Kiwi record breaker "He's different from any of my other characters," said Hopkins, who won an Oscar in 1992 for playing serial killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.
"I've played these weirdos, I enjoyed them, but this was easier."
The film reunites him with director Roger Donaldson, with whom he had a stormy relationship while filming The Bounty in 1983.
"He was waiting for me to be awkward, but I've changed so much, put my impatience behind me," he said.
"I've worked with directors who are tyrannical and sadistic, but no longer. I'd rather do something else."
That "something else" includes painting. According to the Radio Times, Hopkins has an art exhibition in May in San Antonio, Texas.
Earlier this year more than 100 of his pen-and-ink landscapes were sold to benefit a local literacy programme.
The World's Fastest Indian opens in the UK on 10 March.
Finally a movie I want to see.
By the way when you become an American citizen are you still a British Lord? The Title Sir comes with you to America?/
I am not against it , but does it?
He's got dual citizenship, so Over There he's a Sir,; here he's a Mr.
I'm no expert on the sir stuff. :)
Obiviously he was not required to recite this:
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen..."
Great tagline!
Anthony Hopkins is great. One of Hollyweird's problems is that they don't have more fabulous, interesting actors with real star power like him.
You might enjoy this.
I saw The World's Fastest Indian last week. Very wholesome and uplifting movie.
No kiddin !
he is a truly talented actor.
i think, because he worked a long time before becoming a "star", he has a bit more wisdom (and humility) than some of the morons who rise to the top in their twenties and think they are gods.
Papa (2006) (in production) .... Ernest Hemingway
Slipstream (2007) (announced) .... Bonhoffer
Harry and the Butler (2006) (announced)
Fracture (2006) (filming) .... Ted Crawford
Bobby (2006) (filming) .... John Casey
Beowulf (2007) (post-production) .... King Hrothgar
All the King's Men (2006) (completed) .... Judge Montague Irwin
It sounds great!
Plot Summary for
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
In `60s New Zealand, at the bottom of the world, Burt Munro takes a 1920 Indian motorcycle and, delightfully without resources other than his own obsession and a Kiwi #8 wire mentality, spends his retirement rebuilding the bike and following his dream to go to Speed Week at Salt Lake in Utah. Under funded, without the support of a team and against all the odds he not only makes it to Bonneville, he sets a national land speed record, not once, but again and again.
He is absolutely right on the camera crap. This is especially so on TV in dance sequences: you can't even watch performers or dancers anymore, because the camera jiggles around so much.
Good grief - I should be that busy at 78!
A lot of my friends didn't like Batman Begins because of how it was shot. All of the fight scenes were very jumpy. The director, Christopher Nolan, said it was to give a sense of how bad guys would feel fighting Batman since they wouldn't really know what was going on. The car chase was down very well I thought in it though. The problem is how many music video directors are becoming feature film directors. All of those quick cuts do not translate very well in my opinion.
I love AH. He's the sexiest old man in the world!
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