Carrey’s Crash
In a piece timed to ride the marketing back of Number 23 (New Line, 2.23), the Joel Schumacher creeper about a face-painted wackjob obsessive played by Jim Carrey, industry journalista Kim Masters has written about Carrey’s career “crash” in the new Radar, which will hit the stands in about two weeks. Radar‘s publicist won’t show me the article, but it’s at least partly about the big-studio plug-pullings of Used Guys and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, both of which Carrey had intended to star in.
from what I’ve read, Ripley’s is back on after the producers brought the budget down. Sure, Used Guys got shelved, but EVERY major star has a movie shelved at some point in their career. Audiences like exactly 1 type of Jim Carrey–the clown. Every attempt at branching out (excluding The Truman Show, still one of my all-time favorite movies) has failed at the box office.
When the 23 trailer ran before a showing of Pan’s Labyrinth this weekend, several people sitting near me were shaking their heads or smirking. It looks really bad. And why is it Number 23 anyway? So we won’t confuse it with all those other 23s that aren’t numbers?
actionman – how many attempts has he made at branching out? As you note, The Truman Show was a success. The Majestic was a failure. Eternal Sunshine did fine for what it was. IMDB estimates the budget as $20 million, and it made $34 million here, and $37 million overseas. I guess you could include Man on the Moon, which didn’t do so well, but he was a clown in that one.
T.S. Idiot – before my Pan’s screening, most of the audience, myself included, were laughing throughout the whole trailer.
People fail to mention the other “Used Guy” – Ben Stiller. How many studios are pulling the plug on Ben Stiller projects these days?
I’m going to guess that after Night at the Museum, Stilller is doing okay, but who knows?
Radar is the Jason Vorhees of glossy mags. Why won’t it just die?
what would hack journos do without the meme of “who’s not hot in hollywood at this second”…
When I heard the advertisments about the number “23,” it sounded gimicky and like a big hype, so I just tuned out and dismissed the whole thing. I did catch the allusion to 9/11, and thought that was in putrid taste.
Jim Carrey is like a seldom-used seasoning, like turmeric. It’s bright sometimes, but you don’t want too much of it.
I guess I am getting old and crotchety, because I have become sated by Ben Stiller and Will Farrell also, and their studied goofball routines of the everyman. When they need to punch it up, they inevitably throw in a bodily humor.
Colin — The reason that Radar doesn’t die is that too many people love it and buy it.
Actually, Radar’s been nothing but a money pit. The notion that “too many people love it and buy it” is laughable (and this is coming from someone who was suckered into a subscription).
Webster: “Actually, Radar’s been nothing but a money pit. The notion that “too many people love it and buy it” is laughable (and this is coming from someone who was suckered into a subscription).”
I enjoyed Radar the first two times I subscribed. There’s no way in hell I’m doing it again until they pass the magic “third issue” mark.
Ugh, Colin Farrell on the cover. Weren’t his 15 minutes up about 3 years ago?
Plus why is he wearing underwear apres sex?
Nemo, because he’s a classy guy!
As for Carrey, Number 23 looks blah, which in my books, is worse than boring. And what’s with Virginia Madsen taking crap after hitting it out of the park in Sideways (with the exception of A Prairie Home Companion)?
Webster, everything is a money pit until it turns a profit. The average magazine takes about five years to turn a profit.
The idea of people buying it is not laughable because each copy sold about 71,000 issues on the newsstand in 2005 — that’s more than Interview, W, Entertainment Weekly and others.
The fact that Radar has found investors again so quickly indicates that they know the magazine’s viability as an investment, unlike the last set of investors.
Time will tell.
That’s actually Farrell’s stunt double posing for the cover.
Yeah–each of its THREE 2005 issues.
Colin — The reason that Radar doesn’t die is that too many people love it and buy it.
Nemo, because he’s a classy guy!
As for Carrey, Number 23 looks blah, which in my books, is worse than boring. And what’s with Virginia Madsen taking crap after hitting it out of the park in Sideways (with the exception of A Prairie Home Companion)?
Webster, everything is a money pit until it turns a profit. The average magazine takes about five years to turn a profit.
The idea of people buying it is not laughable because each copy sold about 71,000 issues on the newsstand in 2005 — that’s more than Interview, W, Entertainment Weekly and others.
The fact that Radar has found investors again so quickly indicates that they know the magazine’s viability as an investment, unlike the last set of investors.
Time will tell.
That’s actually Farrell’s stunt double posing for the cover.
Colin takes one more step toward Burt Reynolds-dom.
jim carrey,and colin farrell for that matter, are both going to be around for a long time. i love these knee-jerk pieces that so-and-so’s career is over. give me a break. carrey hasn’t had a home run in a couple of years, had a couple of high-profile projects fall apart, and has a joel schumacher thriller opening in february at a less-than-opportune time. he’ll bounce back. he’s built up plenty of goodwill with audiences and made plenty of money for everyone and will keep getting offered big movies. my guess is he has some great movies left in him. hell, he probably will get an oscar some day. colin farrell is an excellent actor, the camera loves him, as do a-list directors. he ain’t going anywhere either.