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FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Gilly on May 21, 2008, 03:05:49 AM

Title: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Gilly on May 21, 2008, 03:05:49 AM
I totally agree with Tom about Tom Waits as a musician but Tom Waits as an actor... that I can go with. I've liked everything he's been in (that I've seen). I'm looking forward to the Terry Gilliam film that he's in that the shovel wrote about today.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Matt on May 21, 2008, 03:42:02 AM
I think he's a great actor. Short Cuts and Mystery Men are my two favorite movies.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: kimota on May 21, 2008, 08:06:02 AM
Down By Law is a good movie Waits is in.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: TL on May 21, 2008, 08:34:22 AM
Sure, but there's not much range, there, you know?  Even in that Batman movie, he was still just kind of "doing Tom Waits."
Kinda like Scarlett Johansson, now that I think about it...

Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: kimota on May 21, 2008, 08:58:30 AM
well, yeah TL, you're correct but it's still a good movie.  I guess he does a good job kind of playing himself.  I didn't like him as Renfield in Dracula though.  A bit too Tom Waitsy maybe?
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: samir on May 21, 2008, 10:17:35 AM
I like Tom Waits in 'Coffee and Cigarettes', and 'Fishing with John'.
But in both of those, there isn't even the pretense of a character, he's straight up being himself.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: kimota on May 21, 2008, 10:18:37 AM
I like Tom Waits in 'Coffee and Cigarettes', and 'Fishing with John'.

Yes, I forgot about Fishing With John.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Pat K on May 21, 2008, 10:42:45 AM
I like Tom Waits in 'Coffee and Cigarettes', and 'Fishing with John'.
But in both of those, there isn't even the pretense of a character, he's straight up being himself.

Every episode of "Fishing With John" is super classic.

My favorite part of Tom Waits' "Coffee and Cigarettes" segment is Iggy Pop pretending to be as dumb as a post.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: buffcoat on May 21, 2008, 11:16:14 AM
Sure, but there's not much range, there, you know?  Even in that Batman movie, he was still just kind of "doing Tom Waits."
Kinda like Scarlett Johansson, now that I think about it...

So Scarlett Johansson would be "doing Scarlett Johansson?"  I bet that movie would do pretty well.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: TL on May 21, 2008, 11:34:18 AM
Sure, but there's not much range, there, you know?  Even in that Batman movie, he was still just kind of "doing Tom Waits."
Kinda like Scarlett Johansson, now that I think about it...

So Scarlett Johansson would be "doing Scarlett Johansson?"  I bet that movie would do pretty well.

Save the toilet talk for FOTchan!
Seriously, though - she's basically the same character in every movie, as well.  I would assume that that means she's just "doing Scarlett Johansson."

Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: bruce on May 21, 2008, 11:56:06 AM
Seriously, though - she's basically the same character in every movie, as well.  I would assume that that means she's just "doing Scarlett Johansson."

That character of course is a really hot blonde with a 3 pack a day smokers voice. It's all been down hill for her since Ghost World.

Back to topic

Waits great in Down by Law and Shrot Cuts
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Beth on May 21, 2008, 12:07:56 PM
He was one of the better moments in that movie Wristcutters.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Emerson on May 21, 2008, 01:07:58 PM
http://www.avclub.com/content/videocracy/5484

As I've said before, I enjoy Waits as a musician, an actor and a comedian, although he does get a free ride from critics and tall-bikers.

Short Cuts is my favorite Altman flick, by far.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Emerson on May 21, 2008, 01:16:07 PM
I think of ScarJo as the Sofia Coppola of acting. I don't get it.

Seriously, though - she's basically the same character in every movie, as well.  I would assume that that means she's just "doing Scarlett Johansson."

That character of course is a really hot blonde with a 3 pack a day smokers voice. It's all been down hill for her since Ghost World.

Back to topic

Waits great in Down by Law and Shrot Cuts
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: TL on May 21, 2008, 01:47:24 PM

Back to topic


ScoJo is on topic!

(http://blog.wired.com/music/images/2008/04/15/scarlett_johanssonanywhereart.jpg)

Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: senorcorazon on May 21, 2008, 02:01:36 PM
Every time I get a little down, I watch the "excerpt" of this:
http://www.jonasmekas.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=JM&Product_Code=53

Someday I'll pony up the full few bucks and get the delight. Some of Tom's best work.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Gilly on May 21, 2008, 03:39:44 PM
He does play himself but I'm much more interested in seeing who Tom Waits is than hearing his songs. He's a very interesting guy but his songs just don't connect with me.

As for Scarlett, she's one of those actors that chooses great movies and then goes off and makes an idiotic choice. That would be fine if you're versatile but she's not. But, I loved her in Ghost World, Match Point, Lost in Translation and The Prestige.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: bruce on May 21, 2008, 04:09:06 PM
The Prestige.

Sadly they did not stick closer to the book for her character.  ;)
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Pat K on May 21, 2008, 04:50:23 PM
The Prestige.

Sadly they did not stick closer to the book for her character.  ;)

What happened in the book?
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Joe Rogaine on May 21, 2008, 06:29:49 PM
Remember the movie staring Tom and Sylvester Stallone.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Spoony on May 23, 2008, 04:03:34 PM
I agree, Tom Waits gets a lot of passes from critics. I think he goes through some unlistenable phases.

Fishing With John was great because it didn't conceal how pissed he got at John Lurie for dragging him out to the middle of nowhere.

He fetishized old-timey music for kids, who are impressed with being old, shitty, and homeless. I know a guy who worked at a liquor store for most of his youth because it was what Tom Waits would do. Bad influence on the aimless, that one.

C
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: bruce on May 23, 2008, 04:15:25 PM
The Prestige.

Sadly they did not stick closer to the book for her character.  ;)

What happened in the book?
She auditions in the nude
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: masterofsparks on May 23, 2008, 06:32:00 PM
He fetishized old-timey music for kids, who are impressed with being old, shitty, and homeless. I know a guy who worked at a liquor store for most of his youth because it was what Tom Waits would do. Bad influence on the aimless, that one.


Hahaha, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Did your friend not realize that Tom Waits is an extremely wealthy man play-acting at looking like he lives in a junkyard?
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Sarah on May 23, 2008, 07:09:26 PM
Blaming Tom Waits for that choice seems a tad silly.  I suspect he was predisposed to follow that route regardless.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Spoony on May 24, 2008, 01:25:19 PM
You're right... that guy was missing a gene. "Let the buyer beware" and all that.

I'm not saying Tom's a dick or a con man, he's just got a schtick that that get's harder to buy into the older I get.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: masterofsparks on May 24, 2008, 02:05:57 PM
Yeah, I'm not so concerned with Wait's shtick or his play-acting or whatever. It seems to me that every entertainer or performer is playing a character, so attacking Waits for doing the same is kinda silly.

Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Joe Rogaine on May 24, 2008, 07:15:18 PM
Anybody know where to get a copy of the movie Candy Mountain staring Tom Waits and Joe Strummer?
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Spoony on May 25, 2008, 03:56:21 AM
Yes, it is silly to attack a performer for having a schtick, (every time I see Clinic I think to myself "help me doctor, I'm schtick") but shame on the tool who buys into it to a degree that they think joining a traveling circus will make them a well-rounded person.

I thought we'd disproved that whole 'hippy' thing by now.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: yesno on May 25, 2008, 11:19:18 AM
same thing with Charles bukowski I think. He romanticized a drunk aimless lifestyle but in real life was a pretty hard worker. Because of bukowski and other writers I used to think drunkenness was cool. Hunter Thompson led me to more exotic things.

I agree that it's not the artist's fault in any way when dumb kids are influenced by what they read and see, but it's a real thing.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Vambo on May 25, 2008, 10:41:48 PM
TW owns the role of Renfield.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: jed on May 26, 2008, 12:47:49 PM
same thing with Charles bukowski I think. He romanticized a drunk aimless lifestyle but in real life was a pretty hard worker. Because of bukowski and other writers I used to think drunkenness was cool. Hunter Thompson led me to more exotic things.

I agree that it's not the artist's fault in any way when dumb kids are influenced by what they read and see, but it's a real thing.

And sometimes it works in the opposite way.  Like when I read the Fountainhead in college and got totally caught up in Rand's hatred of socitey for about two weeks until I realized that her heroes were self-centered bastards who could never feel an ounce of compassion for anyone.
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: Spoony on May 27, 2008, 04:23:58 PM
TW owns the role of Renfield.

THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE!!!
Title: Re: Tom Waits as an actor
Post by: harris on June 11, 2008, 12:28:01 AM
is anyone going to see him on this tour?