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Travolta and Scorsese's RAT PACK film...DINO
Hey there you guys and gals! Harry here. We've heard alot in the past about this DINO project of Marty's... and as it says here... they're "committed in principle" The problem is they are having problems getting the script right where they want it. I've read an early draft of Scorsese's project, and in alot of ways it read a bit like the Neal Moritz produced HBO film... which I kinda dug personally.
Ya know... there's a part of me that would just say... To hell with how it really happened, and treat that Rat Pack like Robin Hood. As legends. It's kinda like THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE... Print the legend. Because in my mind, and with the knowledge we've all heard of the wild tales they lived... Don't you just want to see that story that nobody ever talked about? But you whispered about... My biggest fear is that this'll end up being one of those projects we spend 20 years hearing about but never see. But what a cast... It could be a lot of fun...
got this off of MSN... not too much but...
... John Travolta has "committed in principle" to playing Frank Sinatra
opposite Tom Hank's Dean Martin in a biography of the Rat Pack, to be
directed by Martin Scorsese, according to the Ottawa Sun. "Marty just can't
get the script he wants," Travolta told the paper, "otherwise we're all
there."
later,
The Mouse
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I'm getting reaaaaly tired of seeing John Travolta everywhere I turn. Now he's gonna play Frank? Why not slap some makeup on Harry Connick Jr.? He's a passable actor... and at least he can sing. Don't eeeeven get me started on Hanks as Dino. Why not use some talented unknowns intstead of rewriting history with cardboard celebrity faces.
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Harry posted it here a couple months back (kinda dissed it for being a mized review if I recall, now he says he read the script and agrees with Stax! Shouldn't criticize before you know, Harry.) Go to search and try finding it under Stax or Dino. It was pretty detailed about the project and the types of script troubles this article refers to.
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I REALLY enjoyed HBO's version of the Rat Pack and think all the actors did a kick ass job. The guy who played Dean Martin (forgive me his name slips my mind) WAS Dean Martin. I cannot imagine Tom Hanks topping his performance. Same goes for Ray Liotta as Frank, or Don Chito (may have mis-spelled) that played Sammy. I guess the point is, does Marty really need to spend his incredible talents making this film? I say no. Plus, until proven otherwise, I will never be able to see Tom Hanks as Dino (sheesh, and people say Leonardo Di Caprio brings baggage to Anakin!!, Tom Hanks is Tom Hanks is Forrest Gump, etc.. I can't even look at the guy without thinking "oh that's Tom Hanks playing so and so").
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Scorcese is so far past his prime it's not even funny. Kundun? What a joke. Still, this "Dino" project is extremely interesting. Its existence gives me faith that Marty isn't as totally burnt-out as that sad-sack Coppola.
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I really hope Martin Scorsese makes DINO. The team of Scorsese and writer Nicholas Pileggi created GOODFELLAS (my favorite Scorsese film) and CASINO (one of my favorite Scorsese films--although many seem to disagree with me). I think Tom Hanks is a great choice for Dean Martin (in the beginning I wasn't so sure until I saw him do his Dino on an SNL rerun). I'm convinced Hanks could pull it off. I really hope that Scorsese gets the script he likes soon. This movie sounds too good to be put on hold. It will be very interesting to see Travolta play Sinatra. Aside from the blue eyes, there's not much of a physical resemblance...but hey, if Ray Liotta could play The Chairman, why not Travolta? What about the rest of the cast? How about Jim Carrey as Jerry Lewis? Robert De Niro as Sam Giancana? Hugh Grant as Peter Lawford? Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr.? Adam Sandler as Joey Bishop? I eagerly await more (positive) news on this subject.
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Jun 23, 1999 11:24:56 AM CDT
I would much rather see him use unknowns when it comes to portra
by gsolo
I hope Scorsese decides to work on someting else. At this point, for me, Travolta is Travolta and Hanks is Hanks due to over exposure I guess. It was wonderful when he used Ray Liotta in Goodfellas. A fresh new face.
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From everywhere I heard, the original script of DINO was supposedly down-right awful. So I hope Scorsese in fact DOES get the script he wants. I, too, am getting sick of seeing Travolta's face everywhere I turn. As far as character goes, he's done NOTHING since Vincent Vaga (and don't anybody try throwing Chili Palmer in my face). Tom Hanks I KNOW will be ideal as Martin. He might be the best character actor in Hollywood. As far as being 'past his prime' is concerned, I wouldn't sink Scorsese just yet. I DO wish he could venture out of the mob genre 'successfully' one of these days. That's one of the reasons I'm looking forward to BRINGING OUT THE DEAD. As far as Coppola goes, this guy may need a big hit more so than Scorsese does. (BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA was vastly underrated, but JACK was terrible and THE RAINMAKER was a rip-off of 20 other lawyer-movies) I believe it was a tremendous mistake for him to turn down 13 DAYS. He fit 'lock and key' with that project. THE GODFATHER IV may well be nothing more than a desparate attempt to salvage 'legendary director' status (which I believe he never lost), but Puzzo seems to be involved, so I feel a lot better about that. All in all, one way or another, I believe we'll see a CASINO-esque DINO with an 'adequete' Travolta and a pretty decent GODFATHER IV without DiCaprio (I'm still convinced Leo's doing EPISODE II, for better or for worse).
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I've been dreading this project since I first heard about it. Since then it has been done TWICE. on HBO and the tv miniseries "Sinatra" (the superior of the two, imho). Enough already! Marty missed his chance. To make this film now would just be a rehash. And don't even get me started on the casting!
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Jun 23, 1999 12:02:13 PM CDT
Travolta is all wrong...and the HBO Rat Pack movie was bogus...
by captainberryman
Harry how can you say you DUG the HBO Rat Pack piece of shit?? It wasn't even about the Rat Pack, it was creative license to make it look like Sinatra had some gay man love thing happening for JFK. The film should have been called 'Sinatra Seduces JFK" and then it would have made sense. Freaking KENNEDY was not a member of the Rat Pack. He's got business being in one, maybe two scenes in a Rat Pack film. Now I agree 100% with Tom Hanks as Dino...if you have not seen Tom Hanks do Dino on Saturday Night Live then you need to, because it is dead on perfect. But Travolta? John Travolta? Jesus! This guy doesn't deserve to be acting right now (if that is what you call what he does.) He is so god awful...let him stick with playing bad guys in bad action movies like Broken Arrow. He's not an actor. The only reason I even freaking know his name anymore is because of his hot ass, ball slappin fine wench of a wife Kelly Preston. End Transmission.
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MEESA JAR JAR BINKS, MEESA WANNA PLAY SAMMY DAVIS JR INSA MOVIE, MEESA WANNA HAVESA A GLASS EYE
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I always thought Scorsese's casting choices for DINOwere totally off the wall if not totally wrong to play these guys until reading the above article -- suddenly I realized that Scorsese is casting icons as Icons because they carry the same mythical pop culture resonance as those indelible Rat Packers -- not on the same level of course, but these guys are stars because the audience LIKES to watch them. Unknowns would proabably be more realistic, but MEGA STARS in the lead roles instatntly propels the film onto a different level. Wether Scorsese can draw performaces out of these sometimes uneven actors to match his ambition is another story. But if anyone can, he can. Hanks ain't too bad but I think his performance in Saving Private Ryan was passable at best -- I'd love to see his SNL Dino impression -- what a great reason to cast an actor. I don't think unkowns is the way to go either. The reason Liotta was so great and fresh in GOOD FELLAS is cause that's what his character was -- a new fresh face. Man that has gotta be one of the best most vibrant acting jobs ever caught on film. Get Liotta in more juicy roles for sure, he's one of the most undervalued great actors alive. That movie rocks my world every time I see it. But we're talking about LEGENDS here. I though about who I would cast (that wasn't already in the RAT PACK) -- Sean Penn as Dino, Kevin Spacey or Gary Oldman as The Chairman. Crazy? Maybe. I love the idea of Hugh Grant as Peter Lawford and I wonder if Chris Rock could show some range and do Sammy. Scorsese past his prime? I think Scorsese's whole career is a juicy prime cut. Sure he's had his lapses but I've never seen such incredibly interesting thought provoking lapses from any other director in recent history. His knowledge and passion for film oozes out of every frame of every one of his films. CASINO -- a movie that gets better with every viewing. I bought the widescreen version and watched it twice in a row. DeNiro's underrated performance is so nuanced you NEED to see it twice just to see what he's doing. Put Elia Kazan and Michael Powell in the Telepod from the fly and a short, manic New York genius comes out the other end. KUNDUN? Man that movie is mesmerizing. No it doesn't use typical western forms of dramatic structure -- it is totally one with it's subject and that's why it's so beautiful and unexpected. Yeah I realize one of the reasons Scorsese is using stars in DINO is to get the required budget, but he also loves movies and knows the resonance of a STAR. This guy knows what he's doing more than anyone working in the studio. I think he underestimates his own stature in the business. Holy shit, this topic gets my brain spinning.
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Never mind Travolta, Get the man Ving Rhames in to do Frank Sinatra! He could do it look what he did with Don King!
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Tom Hanks do Dino and I still say he ain't right.
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No way will I see a movie where Travolta plays Sinatra; not skinny enough.
The HBO movie was well made and covered the era, why repeat it?
Scorsecee is desperate for a movie and this aint it. -
I said it before, I'll say it again. Andy Garcia should be Dino. Tom hanks is too much of a wuss.
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is the actor you were thinking of, who played Dean Martin in the HBO movie. And I agree, he WAS Dino. I can see Hanks doing an okay job at it, but not like our Joe M. And Travolta as Sinatra? Gimme a break. Let's cast Fran Drescher as Mother Teresa, while we're at it.
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travolta doesn't make too many movies. no actor today makes too many movies. remember john wayne or jimmy stewart? how about bette davis or katherine hepbern? they all used to make 25 movies a year and nobody got sick of them. hey, i have to go to work every day, so should an actor. what's with these guys who make one film a year? GO TO WORK! oh, and travolta would need to lose 150 lbs to play frank.
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I heard he is going to portray all of them! Yes, it will be a CGI fest! This is for next year, but they will show a sneak on a huge screen in Times Square on New Year's Eve! That's why he was at ILM! What a crock of shit!
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...Joe Piscopo. I hate him as a comedian but his chairman of the board rocked. BTW, anyone else remember MST3K's Rat Pack chess board. That was funny!
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I agree with the person who said Travolta is everywhere. This guy has ruined his 5 millionth comeback by appearing in way too many films,he`s an idiot. How can he be Sinatra,anyone notice how fat Travolta is? Hanks was funny as a drunken Dino on the S n'L skits but will he be convincing in a dramatic turn? Why even make this film? The HBO film was great,that's all we need. Marty needs to get away from all these repitious characters.
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I'm sorry, but I'm sick and tired of Hollywood pushing Tom Hanks and John Travolta on me. How many beautiful actresses are there out there? Every big box office actress is beautiful. The boys get something good to look at, but all the girls get are the bloated faces of those two. ENOUGH ALREADY! Dean Martin had charisma and was sexy. Why is no one mentioning Vince Vaughn? I mean, my God, didn't anyone see Swingers? Sammy should be that guy on Mad TV, who I can't remember the name of, and I agree with Spacey as Frank. He is an amazing mimic, as anyone who has seen him on Saturday Night Live can attest.
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Oh, and I just thought of this one; Paul Reubens as Joey Bishop!
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But what the hell. Here's my two cents. I, too, do not buy Hanks or Travolta together as on-screen lifelong pals nor as their individual characters. I'd say Bruce Willis (15 lbs lighter) as Sinatra, or maybe Aidan Quinn. Or James Caan (Caan as Giancana maybe?). And here's where I'll get creamed by you folks: George Clooney or Nic Cage as Dino, and Adam Sandler (not Jim Carrey) as Jerry Lewis. Unknown actor for Sammy. Russell Crowe for Dino? Dye his hair black, give him some brown contact lenses. Have you seen his physical transformation as a bloated, middle-aged man in the new Michael Mann film? You can hardly tell it's Hando/Bud.
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Robert Carlyle as Sinatra! Remember that scene from Trainspotting where he goes off on the guy in the bar? That fury, that control and manipulation over other people, that charisma and humor he had? He's short and scrawny and not that pretty -- alot like Frankie was most of his life.
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Pardon me my ignorance,but what is DINO about?
I don't know anything about the characters.Is it just a bunch of guys doing stand-up comedy?
And is it gonna be violent? -
Nobody wants to see some career Second-Banana playing the most popular singer of the modern Era. I'm sorry, but that is a part that does NOT scream "unknown", nor does Dean Martin. Now, Joey Bishop, or Peter Lawford, that's all well and good. Joe Schmoe from Jersey who just got his SAG card is welcome to play those parts, because their personalities are not embedded in the minds of the public like Frank and Dean are. Those are clearly Star Roles, and will be cast accordingly.
Secondly, someone wrote that Tom Hanks could not be Dean Martin because he was "too much of a wuss", and suggested Andy Garcia instead. Others have also thrown in Nic Cage and Russell Crowe. Okaaay. Since when did Dean Martin become anything other than the most laid-back, card dealin, ethnic-joke crackin LUSH ever to become famous as an "actor"? And if you say that's all a front for some hidden rage issues, fine. Hanks can certainly pull it off. But Russell Crowe? Come on now, the guy doesn't exactly seem like the type to play straight man to Jerry Lewis for 10 or 12 years. He looks like he'd beat the shit out of him after about 3 months.
This is going to be a starpacked Event Film, not a friggin May Sweeps Miniseries, for Christ' sake! Aidan Quinn and Andy Garcia. Yeah, that'll put asses in the seats. Let the laughs begin.
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