I'm just saying don't hate on Big Willie for being successful. Lil Wayne doesn't float my boat (I am touting Raphael Saddiq's excellent but poor selling "The Way I See It") but I don't hate on him for selling more CDs than anybody else (rap, rock, r&b, country, et al) in 2008.
My point is your commentary is not germane to this discussion. That Mr. Smith fills seats is a indisputable fact - it is not a matter of opinion of conjecture - and filling seats is what the theater owners touted him for. Get this - the theater owners ONLY care about who fills their seats and sells their popcorn. Me, personally, I would love to see Chiwetel Ejiofor work more because Mr. Ejiofor is an amazing actor who is able to shed and assume many different skins. I daydream about creating roles for Mr. Ejiofor. But, like Lil Wayne's "snub" at the Grammies (eight nominations, 2 wins in the rap "ghetto"), the Oscars is the place to spank Big Willie and to award the likes of Dame Dench (go Taraji P.! and, while we are on the subject, does Taraji P. Henson go by Taraji P. to distinguish herself from that OTHER Taraji Henson?). That said, I continue to have nothing but admiration for how Mr. Smith handles his business. He is our Paul Newman, our Robert Redford, our Clint Eastwood, heck, our Brad Pitt, and, too often, we not only fail to see it - we fail to admire it. And, to honor both Mr. Smith recent accomplishment and Mr. Saddiq's late great band, let me say one mo' time....Money! Mone! Moni! Big Willie Does It Again! ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@...> wrote: > > Well, like I said, Smith may get others in the seats, but I'm not one of them. I don't see the problem. The list was of stars who seem to bring a lot of people in, i'm simply saying Smith doesn't bring *me* in, and then listed the stars that do. I could care less about whether Judi Dench headlined a movie, I go to see good actors do good work in good films. If more people quit focusing on superstars and actually supported talent in all its forms, then more actors and actresses would be seen for the talent they have. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "ravenadal" <ravena...@...> > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2009 9:42:31 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Will Smith -- The Only Sure Thing At The Box Office > > > > > > > Clive Owen is one actor on your list below whose films are > consistently watchable but, for whatever reason, they are seldom box > office successes. Viggo Mortensen's "The History of Violence" is one > of my all-time favorites but it did diddly-squat at the box office. > > Your list of female movie stars makes me doubt you as a reliable > narrator. When was the last time Dame Judi Dench headlined a movie? > Heck, when was the last time Angela Bassett headlined a movie? Both > Kimberly Elise and Taraji P. Henson are fine actresses but neither can > open a movie. > > Will Smith's accolade was for his ability to consistently fill theater > seats. Let's not compare apples and oranges. > > ~rave! > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson <KeithBJohnson@> > wrote: > > > > > > Funny. He isn't a guaranteed big draw for me. Among male actors, I'm > much more likely to see a flick with Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, > Clive Owen, Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall. Maybe De Niro if it's not > Meet the Parents or Righteous Kill type crap. And I'd actually place > Clooney higher up on my list than Smith. In fact, I can't remember the > last time I saw a movie because Smith was in it. I saw "Hancock" and > "I Am Legend" because they were scifi, and "Hitch" because it was a > romantic comedy I could share with my wife. The other males below, > I'll certainly consider--especially Damon and Di Caprio--but depends > on the type of movie they're in. I will say, I do wish Christian > Slater were still doing good work, for he'd certainly be on my list. > > > > For female actors, my list would have to include Judi Dench, Angela > Bassett (keep hoping she finally finds the roles that utilize her > massive talent), Meryl Streep (who's really impressed me with her > continually good work as she gets older), Kimberly Elise (woefully > underappreciated actress), Taraji P. Henson (hard not to be engaged > with, even with unintentionally funny stuff like "He don't love me no > 'mo'!" in "Baby Boy"), Cate Blanchett, Jodi Foster, Queen Latifah > (good dramatic and comedic actress), Sanaa Lathan. > > > > They ought to list the actors guaranteed to kill a movie, to drive > people away. For me, that would include Adam Sandler (don't get his > humour), Pauly Shore (how does he get work?), Jim Carey (most of his > stuff is too manic for me), David Spade (loved him on TV, can't abide > his film work), Mila Jovovich (horrible movie choices), Kate Hudson > (she's sure to star in wretched romantic comedies that make you gag). > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Tracey de Morsella" <tdlists@> > > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , "CINQUE" <cinque3000@> > > Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2009 5:53:22 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada > Eastern > > Subject: [scifinoir2] Will Smith -- The Only Sure Thing At The Box > Office > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Will Smith -- The Only Sure Thing At The Box Office > > > > > > 12 February 2009 1:27 AM, PST > > > > Will Smith has again emerged as the film star whose name on the > marquee guarantees a movie's success, according to most analysts. In > Forbes magazine's Star Currency survey, Smith was the only film star > to receive a perfect score of 10. Others in the top ten included: > Leonardo DiCaprio , Angelina Jolie , Brad Pitt , Tom Hanks , George > Clooney , Denzel Washington , Matt Damon , Jack Nicholson , and Julia > Roberts . > > >
