Sueing BBM for ten million dollars?
-
ofumalow — 18 years ago(February 19, 2008 04:47 PM)
For t1c84hose who keep saying that of COURSE Brokeback was going to make a lot of money, I have to ask: Why then do you think Hollywood hasn't greenlit a single A-list gay-themed project since? I don't mean quasi-gay joke movies like I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. Making fun of gays or characters being "mistaken" for gay (a la Blades of Glory etc.and I'm not saying this is inherently offensive, sometimes it's good-natured as well as funny) is always commercial. (So is the occasional "hot" lesbian scene between straight actresses, because straight male audiences enjoy them.) But the Hollywood suits think "Brokeback" was just a flukeotherwise they'd be lining up serious gay romances, dramas, etc. with major stars playing sympathetic, non-grotesque or humorous gay lead roles. (Bizarro historical figures like Capote don't count.)
I think it was Entertainment Weekly that ran a feature not long ago asking just what happened to the supposed breakthrough heralded by Brokeback's success (and on a smaller plane that same year, Transamerica). It never happened, and I'm sure that's not because there weren't any gay themed scripts around. They're just not getting produced by anyone outside the small-budget indie world. The major studios don't think they are "bankable," or that the Brokeback lightning will strike twice.
Quaid is a good character actor with no real box office value, I would very much doubt he got paid more for any of the mostly low-grade projects he's worked on recently. This is just sour grapes. If he weren't acting so crazily since Brokeback (re: his recent hijinks getting banned from Equity, etc.) he probably could have parlayed this small but strong role in a highly regarded film into a significant career revival. Instead he's burning his bridges. Yeeshhe's got more in common with Britney Spears than his brother these days. -
ofumalow — 18 years ago(March 28, 2008 11:51 PM)
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02062008/entertainment/theater/union_bans__fines_quaid_779144.htm?page=0