He's earned the right to do whatever he wants. But for me, I'd rather seem him hawking Viagra than doing films like this...but that's just me!
I'm inclined to agree with you. His choices recently have been quite poor. He lightened his persona effectively in the "Fockers" films but it's been downhill since then. I hate to say it but his recent roles are a real joke (and not in a good way). Agreed on Pacino...he's still churning out solid work. In addition to the Kevorkian film, he was also excellent as Phil Spector.
And I'm a big fan of Freddy got Fingered...as a lot of people are believe it or not. It's complete silliness but at least it's unique and makes me laugh. And I swear it has more of a plot than this film.
Have to say, I haven't seen Freddy Got Fingered but from what I've heard, it seems to go overboard in its silliness, as you said. The problem with "Dirty Grandpa" is it doesn't know what it wants to be and the DeNiro character seems more of a prop than a real, living, breathing person.
If you've seen The Hangover, Road Trip, Bad Santa, or any American Pie film...well, you've seen Bad Grandpa. And in no way am I knocking those pictures.
Indeed, all those films you mentioned are far better than this one. Those films had a lot of bad taste but they were very smartly-written also and they 'went for it'. In a way, "Grandpa" seems to be almost ashamed of its "dirtiness".
Perhaps the main problem with this movie is DeNiro. Obviously, from this board a lot of people were just cringing watching him act like Billy Bob in Bad Santa. Oh, and I love Bad Santa.
Agreed. As for Efron, he is ok in the film...he doesn't do anything for me as an actor but the movie doesn't fail specifically because of him. Yes, it's DeNiro and the dreadful, cringe-worthy screenplay. I actually felt bad for him.
"This is dead air, Barry....dead air."
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slidell333
9 years ago
Well, I agree with you again..lol...and I agree with you on the other thread(s). I knew exactly what I was getting into. I knew it was going to be toilet humor all the way. But if you're making a toilet humor film go all the way. There may have been a female character involved in almost if not all of those movies we both mentioned but it wasn't as important as in this film, which is odd. This just felt forced and like an afterthought.
Freddy got Fingered is very silly but it is quite unique. And Bad Grandpa is more raunchy than FGF...except for maybe one scene. Goes to show you how much standards do down in 15 years. That one scene (well two but he's doing the same act) was shocking back then and now it doesn't even make people blink an eye. We saw DeNiro doing it early on in BG. I swear FGF has a plot that you can clearly understand and its not just random scene after random scene...and it has developed a cult following. The first time I saw it we were working at this CD/DVD wharehouse and we put it on and during the first few minutes all 7 of us could hardly work from laughing. Because it was just so silly. And of my co-workers three were current Marines (side job) and a middle aged woman. And as a comedic actor, Rip Torn blows DeNiro out the water for real. Even its haters admit he was masterful as Green's overbearing hot-tempered dad.
Whomever wrote Bad Grandpa I truly believe watched all those films I mentioned before, and then wrote the screenplay. Like I said, I could have called certain scenes before I watched it and as I was watching it was calling out the next scene. And I don't have a problem with Effron, either. I actually felt bad for him, also. Secretly, he might regret doing the film...probably does. But he couldn't turn down a movie with DeNiro...who would? But the way DeNiro is going, IMHO I'm honestly losing respect for him. I think in my subconscious I already had, this film just brought it to reality.
I think this movie is horrible because it has no cohesive plot, it uses the same jokes and gags we've literally seen hundreds of times before. It's totally unoriginal and is confused at what it wants to be. And watching one of the greatest actors of our time masterbating isn't funny, it is sad. Like you said, it is like he's not even a real person in this picture. It's just a mess. When I was 14 I probably would have thought it was hilarious. There's such a thing as smart comedy, even in lowest common denominator comedies, but this is far from it.
P.S. I forgot Phil Spector also, where he was great in that, also.
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moviefool09
9 years ago
Yes, yes, and yes!
You might want to check out this Grandpa thread, where some genius is arguing we have no taste if we don't find the film hilarious! It's called "horrible, just horrible."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1860213/board/thread/257966942?d=258066276#258066276
"This is dead air, Barry....dead air."
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slidell333
9 years ago
I saw that...the OP is probably 15. I'm just coming from the DeNiro board and boy, I didn't realize how bad his reputation is now. It took this movie to make me realize "what the hell happened Bobby?" I guess I wasn't really paying attention. It started with the "Meet the Fockers" movies (and people were questioning his judgement then...yikes) and he's never recovered. Like many on his board said RIP Bobby, 1945-1999.
I said you couldn't have made me believe that Casino and Heat would be his last great films. That was 20 years ago! I was still in High School! He was fine in Jackie Brown, Ronin, and Silver L. Playbook but those are supporting roles.
Over on that board people are posing the question "is it need for money?" Or "I heard he has tax problems like Cage" but I'm go with one poster : Drugs.
Oh...in Bad Grandpa he has 30mg Xanax. As a user said they don't make them in that size, the highest is 3mg. And he spiked the drink and made Effron go nuts. Let me tell you, if he'd put even one-half of a 30mg Xanax in a drink he'd be out, sleeping...if not dead...for 6 days. With alcohol, probably dead. Except he's running around almost naked riding a motorcycle...umm, no...kinda scared me someone might try that. Xanax is nothing to play with. With alcohol, even a 1/2mg Xanax would have made Effron not being able to speak...but that's hilarious!
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moviefool09
9 years ago
LOL at the Xanax stuff. Hardly surprised that the movie has no realism there.
Remember when DeNiro commanded such menace in movies? His image has been so watered down now, even in the David O. Russell films, which make odd use of DeNiro, in my opinion. I'm disappointed that he doesn't hold himself to a higher standard. His more passionate fans have to be wondering what the heck has happened to the guy. Clearly, he has no interest in taking on challenging or risky roles any longer.
It's a real shame that a whole younger generation of filmgoers will remember him mainly from this movie, with his pants down to his ankles on the living room couch.
Shameful.
"This is dead air, Barry....dead air."
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slidell333
9 years ago
I get the people saying "it's his life." But to me, working years and hard effort into becoming one of the premier actors of our time to leave a legacy for younger generations that only know him from "Feet the Fockers" and "Bad Grandpa" is just such a pity. I 100% understand the younger generation argument. If you were born in the mid 90's or later, unless you are into film, you know him from silly Ben Stiller movies and "The Intern." Not from "Heat" or "The Godfather II" or "Once Upon a Time in America" or even just "A Bronx Tale."
Many younger folks probably don't get the big deal about DeNiro. It'd be like Picasso choosing to do Postcards for a living in his later years, without getting to see his earlier works. I'm glad I watched Bad Grandpa...it really opened my eyes to how far he's dropped. Like I said before, I knew it in the back of my brain but now it's right in my face. He has no pride left. He peaked in the mid 90's and some are arguing before that.
They're used to be a DeNiro vs. Pacino debate. Not anymore. Pacino wiped the floor with him. He still takes on challenging roles and obviously cares about his legacy. And DeNiro is now just a sad collection of awkward facial expressions. I've lost all respect for the man.
And if you think I'm being rough on him, go to his board.
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moviefool09
9 years ago
Agree with everything you wrote. I imagine his board IS even harder on him, as it should be. I can't see him changing anytime soon, as he seems to be quite content to stroll aimlessly off into the sunset with these laughable throwaway roles.
"This is dead air, Barry....dead air."
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slidell333
9 years ago
Why didn't he just retire? He must really be making fun doing these movies, so I guess he's happy so I can't knock him for that. It can't be for the money, like Nic. Cage. He's supposed to be worth 200 million. Course, those numbers are always dependent of many factors. I'd like to know if he even has a manager, and if so is that person pushing these roles on him and the sheer number of roles? It's like an athlete, some know exactly when to hang it up. Others stay way too long. Think about it there's gotta be some younger people that think he's a comedic actor. If they have never watched or been told about "Taxi Driver" or "Mean Streets," etc..they just don't know any better. Brando admitted he did all those bad roles in his later career out of a sheer need for money. Did it bother him? It's hard to say from the documentary...I know he clearly felt about one film he felt like he had lost his pride.
Do you ever see Pacino, or Daniel Day Lewis doing any film with a title like "Dirty Uncle?" I bet at one time it was a thrill for an actor or actress to be working on a film with him, but know he's done so many films almost half of Hollywood has been in one with him. I was actually thinking about the first movie star that popped up in my head and thought "no, they haven't been in a movie yet but what about..." then I realized they HAD been in a movie. The first person that popped in my head was Bradley Cooper, and the film of course was in SL Playbook.
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moviefool09
9 years ago
Well said. Preaching to the choir :)
Last night, I saw a silly film, Zoolander 2. The amazing actor Benedict Cumberbatch has a silly cameo for a couple of minutes but he's brilliant in his restraint in the role, making it all the more funnier. Best of all, he did nothing to taint or discredit his persona as a dramatic actor.
Some people know how to do it with class, ya know? DeNiro could take lessons from him.
"This is dead air, Barry....dead air."
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slidell333
9 years ago
Is that already On Demand or at Red Box? If it is...that was fast!
I don't have a problem with cameos in silly movies...remember how "tripped out" people were about Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder? He was actually funny in that...course, I love Tropic Thunder. IMHO that's harmless fun. And the messed up thing is they say he's basically portraying a real life producer that screwed him over (or a composite of a couple). And from what I've "heard" some don't act that far from that... But playing the main role in a movie that could have been written by a couple talented High School kids is different. Hell, I know some HS kids that could have made a better script.
I don't know if he could land a major role in a serious movie at this point. It's been 20 years now. It all started with the "Meet the Focker" franchise, I think. I kinda remember being a little disappointed back then if I remember correctly. But I figured he just wanted to have some fun for a change. But then, they kept coming! And for the last one I "heard" he practically begged Hoffman to be in it..for "Little Fockers."
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moviefool09
9 years ago
Yeah, Zoo2 is out on DVD already. I wasn't expecting much and I was right. Most of the fun comes from the loony celebrity cameos, some inspired, some not. Worth a look, I guess, to burn 90 minutes or so.
No way someone would cast DeNiro in a menacing part now. Can you even imagine him in Cape Fear NOW? I know he's gotten older but Jack Nicholson, for example, can still do menacing pretty well, as can Pacino, as we've mentioned. DeNiro is embracing these junk roles, which is a really bad sign. The payday is most important to him now. For the guy who started the whole TriBeCa film community, you'd think he'd be more invested in taking chances, even with small, more credible films.
Kind of ironic.
"This is dead air, Barry....dead air."
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slidell333
9 years ago
I really wish I knew people in the "industry." Id love to know what Scorsese thinks about his career choices...even though they're supposed to be doing "The Irishman" I believe. I'm go back to Brando again...at least be admitted his crappy movie choices were nothing more than cash grabs (that he actually needed). In one of them he has a hearing aid to read him the lines as he even admitted he was too lazy and didn't care to remember the lines. I know a BBC reporter asked DeNiro about his roles and he got all pissy and stormed off...
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moviefool09
9 years ago
I know a BBC reporter asked DeNiro about his roles and he got all pissy and stormed off
For an actor who takes himself so seriously, I wish he'd take that same attitude with his film roles. Because each time he does a role like Grandpa, he LOSES credibility, even for someone of his stature.
"This is dead air, Barry....dead air."
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slidell333
9 years ago
As far as Scorsese goes, they were supposed to be doing a project together, but from what I can tell it isn't happening. I wonder if Marty would really want to work with him at this point...and what people say in public is one thing, in private another. I'm sure in public he has nothing but praise...which he should for his early work with him, but I'm sure he'd have a PC answer if asked about his choices in movies over the last decade or two. At this point IMHO I think Marty would rather put a ton of aging makeup on Leo than use Bobby, even if the role is for someone in their 70s...
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