Studio pulls plug on (Ben) Affleck movie

msnbc ^ | 10-24-03 | josh spector

[wheelgunguru]

Actor’s tarnished image reportedly scared off Disney

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 24 — Four weeks from starting production on its Ben Affleck wedding comedy “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” the Walt Disney Co. has had a case of matrimonial jitters.The studio pulled the plug on the project late Monday.

(...snip...)

Disney declined comment on the decision. But it is believed that in addition to the film’s expected high cost, another contributing factor was Affleck’s tarnished image. The star has taken a beating in the tabloids and at the box office with the failure of his most recent film, “Gigli.” He returns to theaters on Christmas Day with the John Woo actioner ”Paycheck.”

Because Disney signed a pay-or-play deal with Affleck — meaning that he gets paid even if the movie is not made — it has reason to hope that one of its competitors will step in to take the project off its hands.

[wheelgunguru]

Disney? The pro-homosexual in-your-face lobby? Worried about "image?"

Yea. Right.

[RabidBartender]

Given Affleck's recent comments, I really am having a hard time feeling sorry for him. In fact, I may write him a letter saying it was me who complained to Disney/ABC after what he said. Then he can play the whining victim card like that ultra-successful Garofolo.

[RabidBartender]

A little Schadenfreude for your afternoon drive...

:)

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

He returns to theaters on Christmas Day with the John Woo actioner ”Paycheck.”

I made the mistake of renting "Broken Arrow", another John Woo film, one day. It was so horrible it was actually funny. It had little music snipets for each of the characters, "good guy" music bars, "bad guy" phrases. My friends and I were howling with laughter by the end of it, it stank so bad.

[InterceptPoint]

But it is believed that in addition to the film’s expected high cost, another contributing factor was Affleck’s tarnished image.

What nice way to say that his movies stink and he is a terrible actor.

I wouldn't put a dime into an Affleck movie. All the guy has going for him is his pretty face and his famous girl friend. He has absolutely no acting talent at all. A complete dud. Maybe the movie industry is finally figuring out what has been obvious to millions of people for quite some time.

[hchutch]

I happened to like "Broken Arrow". John Travolta did a superb job as the villain in that film. "Face/Off wasn't as good, but it was solid.

[LanPB01]

If you really want to see John Woo at this finest (and by finest, I mean "really lousy crap"), rent "Mission Impossible: 2". I would say it's worse than Broken Arrow. It's a junk food festival for the brain. I can at least recall some scenes of Broken Arrow; Mission Impossible: 2 just whishes right through your head, leaving nothing behind.

[theFIRMbss]

>I made the mistake of renting "Broken Arrow", another John Woo film

I made the mistake
of renting Affleck's movie,
"Daredevil." After

about ten minutes
of dumb scene after dumb scene,
I just turned it off.

It's hard to believe
the insane, idiotic
crap Hollywood makes...

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

I happened to like "Broken Arrow".

Ugh! What a spectacularly bad movie. Sample dialog: Slater: You're insane! Travolta: Ain't it cool! Oh well, to each his own, I suppose.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

I can at least recall some scenes of Broken Arrow

The only thing I really remember about it was the chick sidekick park ranger, aside from being a hot number, just also happened to be a martial arts expert who can wrestle around in the desert without getting dirty or messing up her hair. That, and the fact that every time the bad guy (Travolta) appeared, the same couple of guitar bars from "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly" would play, just to remind you it was the bad guy making an appearance. Ugh! What a waste of celluloid. I rank it somewhere around "Hudson Hawk" on my scale of all-time bad movies. I never saw MI2. After "Broken Arrow", I made it a point to avoid Woo movies, so as to not waste my limited movie funds on crap. I can't wait to see (rhetorically speaking) what garbage he conjurs with Affleck as the raw material.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

It's hard to believe the insane, idiotic crap Hollywood makes...

Just wait until we get a taste of Woo meets Affleck.

[discostu]

Woo should never have been promoted past second unit director. For pure action he's quite possibly the best in the business, his gun fights are amazing. But when nobody is trying to kill each other he seems lost and confused. Peter principle in action, but that's what DVDs are for, skip straight to the action scenes they're great.

[RabidBartender]

Mission Impossible 2 is possibly the worst movie I have ever seen. I truly believe it was made simply so Tom Cruise could do some stunts.

I didn't think any movie could be worse than Robin Williams' 'Toys', but MI2 was.

And I have heard rumors there will be a MI3.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

You need to see the undiluted Woo films, before he came to America - "The Killers", "A Bullet to the Head", "A Better Tomorrow" are all killer Hong Kong action flicks.

[T Minus Four]

Affleck!

[RabidBartender]

Daredevil broke my heart. It was my favorite comic book (keep your X-Men, little brother, Frank Miller's Daredevil rules all). I thought the Green Mile guy was excellent as the Kingpin (I easily forgave the race change), Electra was about average, and even Bullseye had a level of the comic character's madness, hell, the guy playing Foggy Nelson had him pegged good - but Affleck was a lifeless dud that made watching the movie a painful experience.

[dougherty]

Overkill. People are sick to death of hearing about Ben and Jen.

[LanPB01]

The last I heard, if there is a Mission Impossible: 3, Woo won't be involved with it, thank god.

[LanPB01]

Daredevil (the comic) is one my favorites as well. The movie was a travesty all around, as far as I'm concerned. I'd like to say it was all Affleck's fault, but I'd be lying.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

I have to admit I have not seen his Hong Kong flicks (or any of his movies other than Broken Arrow). I have read reviews of his US flicks that bemoan the loss of his talent during his transition to US filmmaking. So I believe you when you say the HK films are good. There's something about a smaller budget that forces some directors into creative genius.

It may very well be in trying to make the leap big-budget films he relied too heavily on blowing things up, or was too heavily influenced by producers. Whatever the reason, my only film impression of Woo is "Broken Arrow", and it remains one of the worst action movies I have ever seen.