Jurassic Park

Post by **ShyViolet** » June 23rd, 2006, 12:17 pm

In 1997, Jeff Goldblum was actually poised to become a star. His supporting role in Independence Day the year before garnered him some attention, as well as his 1993 turn in Jurassic Park. The New York Times did a piece on him, he hosted Saturday Night Live, he was even on the cover of EW.

Then he went and starred in The Lost World. What was the next project he did? Oh, that's right. Holy Man with Eddie Murphy.

If Spielberg had even put a tenth of effort into TLW, Jeff Goldblum would probably have gotten much better roles afterward (not that he still doesn't do some cool stuff, but he's just not on Hollywood's radar anymore) Heck, maybe he would have even starred in I, Robot (when you think of a cynical guy questioning technology, do you really think of Will Smith?)

Julianne Moore and Vince Vaugn, who were both fledging actors at the time, were actually able to shake off this excuse for a movie and eventually become successful. Jeff wasn't so lucky--partly, in my opinion, because he had to carry this film along with the dinos, and also because the script stuck him with some of the WORST LINES in movie history.

"Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming."

"No, you'll be back in five or six PIECES!"

"Where you're going is the only place on earth where the geese chase you."

I guess you could say that Goldblum should be greatful to Spielberg for putting him in Jurassic Park in the first place, but IMO, even though I think JP is an astoundingly great film, Jeff helped the film more than the film helped him. Being able to actually create an interesting character from the somewhat cliched script, sharing the screen with those amazing dinosours and still having people remember him after the film--that's pretty awesome in itself. (How many people really remember that Sam Neill, Laura Dern and even Samuel L. Jackson were in Jurassic Park?)

Spielberg didn't realize what he had with Goldblum and totally squandered his talent in The Lost World. Spielberg's future films, often frustrating and sometimes hard to get involved in, would probably have been helped by Jeff's presence.

I guess Steve was too busy kissing Tom Hanks' a**.

EDIT: (Oh sorry, I meant to post this in General Discussions!

)

Post by **Christian** » June 23rd, 2006, 1:26 pm

Does Jeff feel the same way?

Post by **ShyViolet** » June 23rd, 2006, 1:30 pm

I'm not sure. He has said that he was disappointed that he couldn't be in Jurassic Park III. (he was supposed to, but was injured on the set I think)
But maybe that's just because the film offers weren't exactly lining up.

As to the possible Jurassic Park IV, he was a lot more ambiguous, saying that he'd have to see the script first.

Post by **Macaluso** » June 23rd, 2006, 2:24 pm

Who wrote this?

Anyway, Jeff Goldblum is amazing, and he made the first two movies totally awesome. He was awesome in Independence Day.

He's awesome period.

EDIT: I wish he could have done JPIII too, but meh. Lost World was completely awesome.

Post by **ShyViolet** » June 23rd, 2006, 2:27 pm

Who wrote this?

Uh...I did.

But do you mean, like, offically? No one. It was just something I thought of.

Post by **ShyViolet** » June 23rd, 2006, 2:31 pm

Hey Mac did you watch The Fly yet?

I personally think Jeff would have been great as John Anderton in Minority Report, and maybe even Gigalo Joe in A.I. Seriously, that would have ruled.
He would have made both characters his own instead of doing the competent but essentially flavorless job that Jude and Tom did. But oh wait, I forgot, he's not "big" star like they are. Silly me.

I also think he'd have been good as Ray Ferrier in War of the Worlds. I can even see him rescuing Terminal from the soppy, corny, mess it turned into, especially with Mr. do-gooder Tom Hanks in the lead role.

Post by **droosan** » June 26th, 2006, 11:48 am

Goldblum had already been in great pictures like THE FLY, SILVERADO, and BUCKAROO BANZAI well before JURASSIC PARK. He already was a pretty well-known movie star .. though JP and INDEPENDENCE DAY gave him huge roles that turned out very well for him, no doubt.

I never saw LOST WORLD, or JP3.

The last film I saw Goldblum in? CATS AND DOGS. Playing a painful-to-watch 'absent-minded professor' that made Rick Moranis' performance in HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS seem like Shakespeare in comparison.

I doubt Spielberg was to blame for that.

FWIW, I like Jeff Goldblum in pretty much everything else I've seen him in. But the 'success/failure' of his career is entirely his own doing .. and his own business.

Post by **Ben** » June 26th, 2006, 12:24 pm

Vi...you should know that people like Jeff have their next film lined up before the last finishes.

There's no connection between Lost World, which was a big hit, and Holy Man. Jeff would have signed to Holy Man before Lost World, and might even have filmed his part in it beofore Lost World came out due to the long effects work.

An actor is only as good as the roles he plays and is only as good as the roles he ACCEPTS.

Goldblum was always on the edge of being a bona fide star...but it wasn't being in two big blockbusters that killed his career...he was making bad choices before those films too!

Post by **ShyViolet** » June 26th, 2006, 4:17 pm

Goldblum was always on the edge of being a bona fide star...but it wasn't being in two big blockbusters that killed his career...he was making bad choices before those films too!

That's true.

Post by **Macaluso** » June 26th, 2006, 5:33 pm

Something I love about him, is that his interviews on Conan are always some of the most ridiculous interviews in the world. And Conan can ussually get him to come on to do a short random comedy bit when he's not even going to be interviewed, much like he does with John Lithgow.

Post by **ShyViolet** » June 26th, 2006, 5:40 pm

Jeff was also great on SNL (he did it in 1993 and then again in 1997.)

If I ever get "The Best of Will Ferrel" I think it'll have one segment with him.

Also from IMBD, it says he did a voice on "Crank Yankers" once.

He has a couple of new projects coming out, one of which I think he is directing. So I guess hope is not lost yet.

Post by **Dacey** » June 27th, 2006, 4:25 pm

"Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming."

That's my mom's favorite line in the movie!

Besides, he delivered it perfectly.

Just asking, ShyVi, why are you always giving a genius like Speilberg heck when you have nothing but praise for JK? I'm just sayin...

Post by **ShyViolet** » June 27th, 2006, 4:50 pm

Just asking, ShyVi, why are you always giving a genius like Speilberg heck when you have nothing but praise for JK? I'm just sayin... Wink

Uh...no comment.

But seriously, I've always been a big Spielberg fan (even before JK) but I think for some years now Steve has been sliding into major complacency and mediocrity, while JK at least has been trying different things.

Spielberg could have made so many great movies even after Schindler if he wanted to--artistic films AND audience- pleasing ones. IMO his last few attempts please no one.

He says he's making films "for himself" now, but it seems more like every film he's directed has been one long vacation. He's got a "meh, whatever" attitude towards the projects he picks now, and of course he knows that whatever he does, people will go see it.

His films aren't avant-guarde films or big blockbuster hits. They're just...there.

I guess a lot of my criticism comes from disappointment. I think Steven IS a genius and when you see a real, bona fide genius just sort of withdraw, it's kinda depressing. And he's not "old" by any means. He's got tons of money and power. For ten years he even had his own studio, and he could have made changes in TV, videogames, all kinds of entertainment. Instead he chose to sit it out.

If he wanted to, he could take us so many places. But he stopped caring...a long time ago.

(Note: I do want to say that I like Minority Report a lot, along with Amistad. A.I. is great to analyze, but extremely boring to watch.)

Post by **Dacey** » June 27th, 2006, 5:08 pm

But I guess I find it sorta weird to say that his films "Please no one". His films still get pretty good reviews.

Post by **ShyViolet** » June 27th, 2006, 5:26 pm

With respect, I don't think that means a whole lot. Critics give good reviews half the time because they don't want to look stupid in their circle of friends or colleagues, if everyone else gives him a good review or says he's great, they have to also. Plus the films he releases are often half-owned by Paramount, Warner Bros. or Universal, huge parent companies that often have a stake in many other affiliates, such as magazines and newspapers.
And his last few films haven't been reviewed all that well if you check RT. He gets a lot of slack cause he's, well, Spielberg. (Kinda like the whole thing with Pixar getting a 76% RT rating instead of the usual 95%)

His movies aren't HORRIBLE. (with maybe the exception of Terminal) They're just not that great. It's like a child prodigy with an I.Q. of 200 doing a book report on a Harry Potter Book (no offense to HP fans) instead of maybe War and Peace. Maybe that's a bad analogy, but what I mean to say is: He could do much, much better.

On Rotten Tomatoes:

War of the Worlds: 72%

Terminal: 61%

A.I.: Artifical Intelligence: 75%

The Lost World: Jurassic Park: 50%