The Devil Probably

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If it was okay and funny and even convincing in Broadcast News (1987) for Albert Brooks to present a half-serious case about super-smooth news anchor Bill Hurt being "the devil," I should be allowed to express a similar view about Matthew McConaughey...no?

I saw the guy on a billboard this morning for Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (New Line, 5.1), and I quickly said to myself, "That's the devil...the devil walking amongst mortals." Not that McConaughey is anything but average human. But if the Devil wanted to roam around and foster evil, he'd definitely pick McConaughey as a host. Because no actor on earth seems more vapid. (To me anyway.) And because vapidity, more than any other human quality, is what allows evil to succeed.

I explained some of my feelings about McConaughey two or three years ago in a piece called "King of the Empties." The Brooks-Hurt analogy doesn't fully work since Brooks was talking about Hurt personifying and hastening the lowering of journalistic standards in TV news and McConaughey isn't lowering filmmaking standards, or at least not to my knowledge. He's just cruising along on whatever current will carry him along. But some of what Brooks said could apply.

"What do you think the devil's going to look like? He's not gonna be a guy with a long grey pointy tail! What's he going to sound like? Acchh-acch! He'll be attractive, he'll be nice and helpful, he'll never do an evil thing, he'll never deliberately hurt a living thing. He'll just bit by little bit lower our standards where they're important. He'll just coaxe it along, just a little bit...flash over substance. And he'll get all the great women."

Whassit Look Like?<< previous | next >>Somebody Tell Bogdanovich

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 21, 2009 at 1:43 PM

comment #1

BurmaShave says ...

Fail. McConaughey's not fooling anybody. The Devil would.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 21, 2009 2:25 PM

comment #2

BurmaShave says ...

Also one of my five favorite movies ever.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 21, 2009 2:26 PM

comment #3

AH says ...

Love that movie and everything that it said about lowering standards gets truer every day.

Posted by AH at April 21, 2009 2:27 PM

comment #4

rr3333 says ...

It's a shame because McConaughey actually has some acting talent ( 'A Time to Kill' and 'Dazed and Confused').

He just decided a long time ago that he'll only do movies for the money and nothing else.

Maybe, when his movies stop making money, he'll make a good film.

He's the Nic Cage of Romantic Comedies.

Posted by rr3333 at April 21, 2009 2:28 PM

comment #5

bfm says ...

He must be really upset that he's got his shirt on in that poster.

Love Broadcast News. One of my all time favorites.

Posted by bfm at April 21, 2009 2:33 PM

comment #6

rr3333 says ...

One other thing : McConaughey has possibly the best hair transplant I've ever seen. Seriously.

Posted by rr3333 at April 21, 2009 2:34 PM

comment #7

LauraReeling says ...

I found him rather amusing in "Tropic Thunder."

Posted by LauraReeling at April 21, 2009 2:34 PM

comment #8

Mark says ...

They should've got Matthew to play Dominic Foy in SOP. I felt bad when Bateman had to take the beating. (15 years ago, who would've thought that I'd openly pine for O'Bannion to beat down Wooderson...)

Posted by Mark at April 21, 2009 2:37 PM

comment #9

Rich S. says ...

Plus, to be fair, Matthew McConaughey is not standing in the way of your sleeping with Holly Hunter, which is the real reason Albert Brooks made that speech.

Posted by Rich S. at April 21, 2009 2:39 PM

comment #10

rr3333 says ...

His next movie is going to be directed by Phil Joanou (who did the exceptionally underrated 'State of Grace', possibly Gary Oldman's finest performace (YES! Better than Sid and Nancy)), so maybe there's a tiny sliver of hope.

Posted by rr3333 at April 21, 2009 2:39 PM

comment #11

Geoff says ...

This reminded me of your old McConaughey post with the link to Burbanked and his deconstruction of the trailer for Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past. It's pretty damn great.....http://tinyurl.com/dxfcxr

Posted by Geoff at April 21, 2009 2:45 PM

comment #12

LexG says ...

All right, all right, all right!

"HEY, EVERYBODY, IT'S JOHHHHHHN ANTHONY, THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN WITH THE BILLION DOLLAR PLAN, takin' all your sports bets!"

TWO FOR THE MONEY FUCKING COMMANDS.

And, yes, his hair is AMAZING now, despite how it was looking a decade ago. If it IS a transplant, it's definitely the best ever, because most guys who get even a good laser transplant are forced to keep it short with that telltale procedure look.

McConaughey seems to be able to grow his very real hair as long as he wants and it just looks incredible. It's definitely never a wig or a piece, but real, awesome hair.

Since I have Mel Gibson/Bob Zemeckis-style thinning, I am completely envious, since I can't do ANYTHING with my hair without the scalp showing through under hot lights.

Posted by LexG at April 21, 2009 2:50 PM

comment #13

Ethan says ...

Um, Ben Lyons?

Posted by Ethan at April 21, 2009 2:51 PM

comment #14

dangovich says ...

[after Paul fires one of his workers]

Paul Moore: Now, if there's anything I can do for you..
.
Employee: Well, I certainly hope you'll die soon.

Posted by dangovich at April 21, 2009 2:51 PM

comment #15

erniesouchak says ...

James Brooks is a great writer. But to your point, I don't think the devil would be a surfer.

Posted by erniesouchak at April 21, 2009 2:54 PM

comment #16

Josh Massey says ...

Twenty-two years later, and I'm still upset Broadcast News didn't win Best Picture.

That said, the sad fact is McConaughey can be damn good when he wants to be. I loved him in Tropic Thunder and Frailty.

Posted by Josh Massey at April 21, 2009 3:02 PM

comment #17

BurmaShave says ...

LexG if you want my money you'll have to pry it from my fucking ta-lons.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 21, 2009 3:04 PM

comment #18

Mark says ...

not a hair transplant, btw. no transplant looks that good. i believe him when he says his hair responded great to existing treatments. Just another reason to hate him.

Posted by Mark at April 21, 2009 3:13 PM

comment #19

scooterzz says ...

tom cruise IS the devil...mcconahey just a minion.....

Posted by scooterzz at April 21, 2009 3:38 PM

comment #20

scooterzz says ...

*mcconaughey*....sorry

Posted by scooterzz at April 21, 2009 3:40 PM

comment #21

Kristopher Tapley says ...

I don't know. There are people who genuinely deserve this kind of vitriol, the ole' "that's the devil" shtick generally aimed by those who can't even put their own finger on what it is about a person that bothers them. But McConaughey is hardly the guy. He's far too harmless. And frankly, he's simply found a comfortable groove to make money doing what he's good at: looking hot and being an all around "guy's guy" in his films. Who gives a shit? I applaud him for finding a niche and running with it. God knows it's not the first time Hollywood has been guilty of it (and God knows you've found your own niche and worked it over and over as it made you money, Jeff).

That's all I'm sayin'...

Posted by Kristopher Tapley at April 21, 2009 3:48 PM

comment #22

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Yeah, McConaughey is alright. I doubt his agent is rejecting calls from Scorsese all day long. It's not like he seems to actively hate the idea of being a proper leading man, it's just these are really the only kind of movies he can expect to be asked to open these days. Hollywood has him pigeonholed into a certain type of film, and McConaughey gotta eat.

I'm sure sooner or later he'll get a really juicy role from some up-and-comer and win an Oscar or some shit. He was good in his early days. And really, what's he doing that's all that different to Vince Vaughn, who was similarly hyped in his early career?

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at April 21, 2009 4:02 PM

comment #23

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Burma nailed it on post #1.

As much as I like him -- at least so far -- a much better (and frightening!) devilish analogy would be someone like President Obama. Popular, well-respected, intelligent, diverse background, seized power relatively quickly...if that guy would turn out to be Lucifer, I would really have to hand it to him -- he *spoiler* Keyser Soze'd *end spoiler* the shit out of me.

Of course, this would make conservatives the equivalent of the Archangels (Rush would be a bit fat for Michael, tho'), so I'm shooting that theory down in flames right now.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at April 21, 2009 4:04 PM

comment #24

Tim says ...

Jane: I think you're the devil!

Aaron: You know I'm not!

Jane: How?

Aaron: I think we have the kind of friendship where if I were the devil, you'd be the only one I would tell.

Not many better than James L. Brooks when he's on his game.

Posted by Tim at April 21, 2009 4:30 PM

comment #25

Phatang! says ...

Two or three years ago? It was Sept. 20, 2007. Couldn't you take the 90 seconds to look that up?

Posted by Phatang! at April 21, 2009 4:57 PM

comment #26

filmdetail says ...

Matt Damon does an excellent impersonation of Matthew McConaughey http://bit.ly/iUCsu

Posted by filmdetail at April 21, 2009 6:05 PM

comment #27

lipranzer says ...

"15 years ago, who would've thought that I'd openly pine for O'Bannion to beat down Wooderson..."

Mark, thanks for giving me a much-needed laugh!

Having said that - I do agree with the sentiment of McConaughey having the talent (LONE STAR and FRAILTY prove it, although I don't like the latter as much as others do), but either being too lazy or too content with what he has to do anything about it. I just hate the fact he's in all these dumb romantic comedies that have set the genre back 30 years.

And yes, BROADCAST NEWS is awesome, and that's my favorite scene.

Posted by lipranzer at April 21, 2009 6:05 PM

comment #28

rr3333 says ...

Mark: Existing 'treatments'? NO F*CKING WAY! The guy was practically bald in 'A Time to Kill' and there's no such thing as 'treatments'. Its either a weave, a transplant or a rug.

There's no way its anything but a great transplant. Elton John is crazy wealthy and he's got a live squirrel on his head. Matt is my hair god.

Posted by rr3333 at April 21, 2009 7:38 PM

comment #29

Mark says ...

What do you mean no treatments exist? Do you think Rogaine et al is snake oil? Shit keeps existing hair, and in some case grows new hair if you're diligent enough. i don't think there's any denying this.

Posted by Mark at April 21, 2009 8:41 PM

comment #30

Gordon27 says ...

"A lot of alliteration from anxious anchors placed in powerful posts!"

"I'll meet you at the place near the thing where we went that time."

Both of those are references I use on a semi-regular basis. But none of my friends have seen 'Broadcast News', so the references are wasted.

Posted by Gordon27 at April 22, 2009 1:19 AM

comment #31

bridgeman says ...

None of my friends have heard of my two favourite films (Broadcast News and Paths of Glory). Favourite line from Broadcast News that I use on occasion, with no response whatsoever from whomever I'm saying it to:

"See you in da lobbies."

Also love the following (among other bits of dialogue):

"I would give anything if you were two people, so that I could call up the one who's my friend and tell her about the one that I like so much."

And:

"It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you're the smartest person in the room."

"No, it's awful."

God I love that movie.

Posted by bridgeman at April 22, 2009 2:11 AM

comment #32