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Which Actors Have Been Sent The Script For The Live Action AKIRA Adaptation??
Merrick here...
THIS piece over at Deadline reveals the "short list" of actors to whom Steve Kloves' script for a live-action AKIRA adaptation has been sent.
The story takes place in the rebuilt New Manhattan where a leader of a biker gang saves his friend from a medical experiment. There are two major roles, and I'm told that for Tetsuo, Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy have been given the new script. For the role of Kaneda, the script has been given to Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix. The two leads are expected to come from that group of actors.
...says the article, which goes on to indicate the picture could well be headed for an August start under director Albert Hughes (co-director of DEAD PRESIDENTS, THE BOOK OF ELI, and MENACE II SOCIETY). At this point, it's still sounding like the saga will be spread over two movies.
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Readers Talkback
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Please no?
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hahahahahahahha FUCK YOU HOLLYWOOD hahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahha
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fucked
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strike one: giving white actors, japanese names strike two: calling a movie that takes place in america, akira strike three: pg-13 this movie will be so hollywood-ized it will be virtually unrecognizable from the manga/anime... another hollywood shitfest just using the name of a popular brand to keep their shareholders from having sleepless nights about their investment. i hope people realize that this is the only reason hollywood makes such safe, bland piles of shit...so some fat, white rich guy can sleep at night. sobering, isn't it?
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Stick 'em with Pattinson and Timberlake and be done with this dogshit.
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March 22, 2011, 12:43 p.m. CST
If ever proof were needed that Hollywood's run by a bunch of gossip magazine reading monkeys...
by KEVIN_COSTNERS_RECYCLED_PISS
Hey! Robert Patterson is popular from them thar Vampire moovies!! Let's cast him derp de duuurrr!!!
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This information (however true) is FUCKING HORRIBLE. I rather have a 3D CGI remake with American voice-actors from the WB than . . . . WTF. Why bother?
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March 22, 2011, 12:49 p.m. CST
Being unfamilar with the manga, I'll refrain from commenting, other than...
by darthderp
...if I were a fan, I'd be pulling for McAvoy and Phoenix; at least they have some acting chops.
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March 22, 2011, 12:50 p.m. CST
Only Andrew Garfield seems like he could fit the character
by Smack_Teddy
otherwise i have my original VHS and properly presented DVD
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It was in comic form at one point, I know that. Hey, I SAID I was unfamiliar with it, didn't I?!?
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The original script review sounded interesting, if I'm going to be honest.
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March 22, 2011, 12:56 p.m. CST
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
by ORIONgods
IS THERE ANY JAPANESE PPL IN HOLLYWOOD I MEAN REALLY IS IT THT HARD TO CAST UMMMMM IDK A JAPANESE PERSON.......IT LIKE CASTING A BLACK SUPERMAN IT DOESNT FITTTTT FUCK UUU HOLLYWOOD.....end of rant
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Sorry, Kaneda and Tetsuo were punk KIDS- not guys in their 20s.
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Both Tetsuo and Kaneda are teenagers at the same school. Let look at the actors: Robert Pattinson 25 Andrew Garfield 26 James McAvoy 32 Garrett Hedlund 26 Michael Fassbender 33 Chris Pine 30 Justin Timberlake 30 Joaquin Phoenix 37 Thirty Fucking Seven ???? Its simply clear whoever has the right has no idea of the story or understanding what the whole thing is about :(
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March 22, 2011, 1:01 p.m. CST
Sounds interesting. What does this movie have to do with Akira?
by TakeItEasyMon
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March 22, 2011, 1:02 p.m. CST
will justin beiber do the soundtrack...come on hollywood i dare u
by ORIONgods
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March 22, 2011, 1:04 p.m. CST
Look, I'm not one of those "it needs to be just like the comic/anime/book purists types"...
by Sardonic
But goddamn, this is a tough one. I can see wanting more white faces. Really, I can. But why bother even calling them their Japanese names? What's the point? Just so you can keep calling the movie Akira? Goddamn. Honestly, I would have been happy if ONE of the main characters was Japanese. Doesn't matter which, Tetsuo or Kaneda, whatever. Then I might be able to accept a white version of other (along with whatever absurd bullshit excuse they thought up for him having a Japanese name). And on top of it, yeah, these guys are way too old. I mean, Joaquin? Fassbender? Seriously? These are high-school kids we're talking about. Those guys couldn't even pass for college.
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http://www2.turnto10.com/entertainment/2011/mar/22/elton-john-helen-mirren-set-host-snl-ar-430696/ Yeah, I know it's unrelated to this but c'mon; how often does one get the chance to out-scoop this site? Actually, now that I think of it...that happens quite a bit here, don't it? Never mind, carry on.
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If this atrocity ever sees the light of day, I will single-handedly murder every single person involved with my bare hands. Couple of things: 1) There shouldn't be a live-action version AT ALL. The original is PERFECT and can't be improved upon. 2) If they *are* going to do this (and they shouldn't), it needs to be set in Japan and feature a Japanese cast. It's called "AKIRA" not "FRANK" or "BOB".
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March 22, 2011, 1:09 p.m. CST
All those actors seem a bit old - I always thought the characters
by toby
were depicted as late teenagers.
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This list reads like a 14 year old girl's wishlist of who would star in any given action movie instead of who might actually, you know, MAKE SENSE for this one. Not that anything about a live-action Akira makes sense to begin with. The anime was just fine, leave well enough alone.
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March 22, 2011, 1:10 p.m. CST
What about the female characters? My fear:
by HarryKnowlesNonExistentInceptionReview
Kristen Stewart wipes the drool from her lips and slowly picks up her cell phone. It's her manager calling...
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Anthony Hopkins: 77 Sean Connery: ??? Samuel L. Jackson: 61 Sir Ian McKellen: gay
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A live action Akira is not necessary. And there is no way it can do the classic animated film justice. This goes for Evangelion as well. if anything both are just way too fucked up and graphically violent. Both would have to be hard-R's (but you know it'll be PG-13).
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And then hopefully there will be a scene where they make out. That's in the comic, right? Anyway, hot. As much as guys dig lipstick lesbians, girls dig gays. I'm just saying, the market is wide open, Hollywood, and there are lots of pretty guys out there who could make out on film.
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If any movie needs a mid-teen cast it's Akira. Fassbender??? FFS...he'll be awesome in Prometheus as the 40yr old replicant, but Akira? Joke...right?
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March 22, 2011, 1:12 p.m. CST
The Anime community may commit Harry Carrey over this.
by shutupfanboy
Those actors are about ten years too old for those parts. New Manhattan, Christ, can we have one action film not in New York.
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Too fucking old, too fucking caucasian, too fucking stupid.
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The Japanese could always animate the parts of Akira that didn't make it into their movie, but a live action, New Yoik-set Akira with Pattinson or Pine? ... ...
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Sad day, indeed.
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Especially now that Japan is on everyone's consciousness.
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March 22, 2011, 1:25 p.m. CST
I hate the fact that Willow Smith, a black girl, will take the role of Little Orphan Annie, a white comic book character!
by Atkinson
I mean - WOW! White actors NEVER do that stuff, and we don't engage in RESOUNDING protest over it!
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Here's a crazy idea. Why don't they cast JAPANESE actors as characters named "Tetsuo" and "Kaneda"???!!!! Idiots.
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When I think Akira, I think Justin Timberlake.
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Ha. Covered that mistake pretty well. This Akira movie idea is a veritable tsunami of idiocy.
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March 22, 2011, 1:30 p.m. CST
Ethnic miscasting is nothing new in Hollywood, sad to say
by darthderp
Exhibit A would be Highlander. Think about it; you have a Frenchman playing a Scotsman, and a Scott playing a Spaniard. Huh? Not sure what Kurgan's supposed to be, so I'll let Clancy Brown slide on that one....
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March 22, 2011, 1:31 p.m. CST
...and in meantime 'At the Mountains of Madness' is killed off by excecs
by aphextwin
Funny world we live in
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March 22, 2011, 1:33 p.m. CST
TETSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
by THE_CHOPPAH
Chopped!
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…and this one just won’t die. Just get Eddie Murphy and Robin Williams. Who the hell was ever going to watch this?
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Akira ... Andy?
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Joseph Gordon Levitt would be great as Kaneda. Nothing against Fassbender or Phoenix, but both of them seem too old for the part.
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so when Japan adapts western properties (in non-anime form), they don't cast Japanese actors in the roles and localize them in Japan? Because...I'm pretty sure they do. I'm pretty sure everyone does it. That's the whole point of a localized adaptation, taking a foreign film or show and localizing it in your own country. Your outrage is merely you being a douche and not realizing it.
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March 22, 2011, 1:52 p.m. CST
Boy, Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" movie is going to be great.
by WriteForTheEdit
I really can't wait for that one. And I have a nice lunch planned for today. A tasty sandwich, some fruit, chips. Yummy. Life is good. So fuck this abortion of a project.
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i cant wait for the J-POP version of the passion of the christ. lord knows this world needs an asian jesus CHOPPED
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re-locating it to “New Manhattan” is only the beginning of the end for this film. So wrong.
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in that Hollywood execs decided that he's this super hot actor that everyone wants to see in films, without actually checking with moviegoers first. Who the fuck is this guy and what has he done to get himself at the top of all these hot actor lists? Besides, this guy is in his 30s. He's going to look a little out of place standing beside Andrew Garfield as a 'gang member'.
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I refuse to support a remake of a film that is already a stellar standalone project, and seeing a list of uninspired casting choices just makes me care even less. Akira the manga is a peerless work that transcends many genres, and the anime is a feat of technical skill for 1989 that did an excellent job of compressing a very detailed story. After seeing what Hollywood did with Blood: the Last Vampire, I have no interest in seeing them make a hollow remake out of another masterpiece. That said, I could see Pine playing a cool Kaneda.
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All the other characters will be americanised AKA fucked.
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all it would take is for someone to set up a couple of well placed petitions with the emphasis on the race card; and whoever is bank rolling this abortion might just get cold feet.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jafd97yJFOI
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Right? Right???? *weeps*
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March 22, 2011, 2:12 p.m. CST
KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
by menacingphantom
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At least then everyone with an ounce taste can unapologetically celebrate when it crashes and burns.
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March 22, 2011, 2:16 p.m. CST
But let's not give the new generation of moviegoers too much credit
by golden tribw
I still vividly remember hearing a gaggle of kids coming out of SCARY MOVIE 3 (yeah that's right, number THREE, sans Wayans) proclaiming "that was the funniest thing I've ever seen." I think I laughed twice over the course of the entire film; once at a really racist asian drivers joke, and once in surprised horror when they actually 'went there' with the dead body/funeral scene.
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March 22, 2011, 2:16 p.m. CST
For all we know, the kids will gobble this right up, even with Pattinson
by golden tribw
Can't wait for the sequels!
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for this to work in a localised US setting it needs to be another city like Detroit or Baltimore. One that is old and needs rebuilding having fallen by the wayside; not a centre of industry and culture. Putting older actors in the roles ruins a lot of the dynamics of the friendships, they will not be a gang now but either gangsters (no need for it. Kaneda and Tetsuo are disaffected youth not out and out criminals) or an average Joe or a reporter. It needs to be a young group to show the loyalties that bring the story full circle. I actually like a few of the actors considered but they are too old I was never against the idea of making this and I think that in a smart pair of hands a writer could easily make a localise and updated film set in the post cold war, post 9/11 world. This will have none of the nuances that the anime or manga had. I bet they try and get to the ruined city and do a Mad Max style film as that way an audience will not have to think about any of the local or geo-politics or characters relationships. It will be along action sequence with a few bits of montage to try and tell the story
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And each would look like a model and have a jailbait love interest. Except for the one with a beard who was a stoner. And all the bad guys would be CG. What was that about movies being better these days, again? At least Super 8 realizes that it's still possible to depict children and families on screen, not just vacuous oversexed 20-somethings. Maybe it will help other people remember how to do that again.
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Are they really going for pg13 ??? Not seen the film in ages but the book has so much drug use there is no way it will ever be pg13
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Uh some of those actors are WAY too old to me. I mean I'm not saying you have to go ultra young here. But I mean as one poster earlier said, it's supposed to be more young rebels rather than out right criminals! I mean I hope they stay more true to the Manga rather than the Anime though.
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All good, and critical, points. I always thought that in some ways, the plot points of Akira are the least significant thing about it. Much more meaningful is the tone, the underlying cultural connections, and the stylistic touches like the fantastic use of silence. How silence was used in some of the most epic moments of the anime is still stunning to me. I think the odds of Hollywood understanding any of that is next to zero. Here's hoping the people associated with this film are set on doing something transcendent - anything less will be trouble.
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The list there sending doesn't match up. Unless you're doing McAvoy and Phoenix. Or Garfield and Hedlund. Otherwise it'd be weird as hell to see Pattison and Fassbender, or McAvoy and Timberlake. Not really enthused for this one.
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I guess all the characters are full grown men as opposed to teenagers which kind of kills some of the tension when you think about it. That's what made Tetsuo kind of scary, he was a bitter little runt who had spent the better part of his life being picked on and demeaned. All of sudden he's an angry teenager with the power of a god. Teenagers aren't exactly known for acting rationally which is precisely why he's so dangerous. I expected the ethnicity of the characters to change, that's inevitable when you're trying to adapt this story to another culture. It just seems like a serious slap in the face when they don't even bother to change the names. If I were an Asian-American actor I'd be insulted by that decision. Also, whoever suggested Detroit or Baltimore....that is a really good idea. Using real places of economic despair gives it all a richer subtext. It worked for RoboCop.
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this is gonna stink so bad, i can barely believe it! wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow
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Cuz I love the taste of fanboy tears.
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March 22, 2011, 2:50 p.m. CST
The ONLY way I'll be interested in this...mistake....now
by kermit_the_fraud
is if it's a musical. Soundtrack includes: Gimme a Couple of Bennies I Could Ride that Bike Kill All Clowns I'm Bleeding out (Why is this kid grey?) Load Them in the Helos Who's that Cute Little Terrorist? Reform School's for Chumps My head! (Akira in my Mind) Tetsuo! That's MY BIKE!! My guts, they fallin' out And so much more.....
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How I love fan fiction, especially fan fiction written by talkbackers
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I agree ith you. The story fits together as it is multi-Lyered and deals with politics, geoploitics, friendship, belonging, science etc. These are all done in a very Japanese setting. I do not think they will adapt to a US setting. It is intrisincly linked to cold war politics too. A new version needs to take this into account and find what the US versions of these problems are: Race? Class? Declining economy? Declining world standing? Neo-cons? Disolution of the Union? Mexican Cartels? New segregation? New Civil War? What they choose then needs to be distilled into a coherent story. I think that all they will do is bike chases, a giant cosmic baby and then an explosion in an escape from New York style location then a bit of Mad Max people with purple Mohawks... Would like to be wrong though
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You've not watched much Japanese porn recently have you? They've got Black guys in that. You should hear those girls squeal...
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That is the worst, stupidest paragraph I have ever read in my life. If this movie gets made, I hope a black hole appears over Hollywood and annihilates it. Everyone involved deserves no less than fiery, excruciating death. New New York, so it's Futurama now? Tetsuo and Kaneda, not Ted and Ken? A bunch of middle-aged dipshits for roles at most 16 years old? Genius. I hope this fucker tanks so bad it makes Ishtar look like a success.
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March 22, 2011, 3:21 p.m. CST
SCENTED WAX JESUS ON A CANDLESTICK!!!!!! This sounds awful!!!!!!!
by lv_426
New Manhattan? Late 20's to post 30 year old actors for Kaneda and Tetsuo? This makes me really hope that Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell are never treated to a live action adaptation by Hollywood. Maybe the WETA produced Neon Genesis Evangelion could be redeem Akira? Or maybe that Robotech movie they've been kicking around will work out well? Aw hell, who am I kidding, with the exception of Evangelion, they'll all probably be pretty bad. At least there is still Voltron. I doubt anyone really had their hopes up expecting that one to be great. At least they won't be messing up great source material with that one either.
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You guys are hilarious in the best MST3k tradition.. this is definitely a turkey that deserves the treatment.
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James McAvoy out of the three makes sense
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Every decision that has led up to this point has been the wrong one. Congrats, your movie has already bombed and you don't even realize it yet.
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was planned to be a musical by Sam Raimi of all people. so stranger things have happened.
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Final proof that if you give a thousand monkeys a thousand typewriters, in a thousand years they'll come up with an immense pile of crap to be flung.
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We all know it will probably be bad but at least discuss. If I wanted to see 1000 comments of "this will be sh t" I could press control + V 1000 times... What would people like to see, what do they not like, what do they like, who should make it?
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I mean we might end up having to have a NeoTokyo anyway in Japan after all this nuclear stuff settles down. But seriously... why fuck with the story? Do they really think their audience will be able to "relate" more to the city if it's New York? ( and Since it's Manhattan... is that New New York? ) That's just so stupid to even bother changing it.
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March 22, 2011, 3:58 p.m. CST
Hey, just be happy Albert Hughes isn't making the characters all African American
by THE_CHOPPAH
Seriously, though you'd think that a minority director would have more sympathy towards keeping the characters in their original race. But, then again look at M. Night Sham.
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March 22, 2011, 3:59 p.m. CST
They should get Mickey Rooney to reprise his role as the Japanes neighbor in Breakfast at Tiffany's for this film.
by THE_CHOPPAH
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Look for a little more than race. How reductive can you be? They did do From Hell, set in London with a mostly English cast and white... It seems a bit crass that as they are black and made Menace to Society they must be race concious all the time...
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March 22, 2011, 4:03 p.m. CST
Not Surprising at all. Hollywood isn't capable of "getting it"
by magnetoelectric
Clearly at this point you're not just talking about suits but people like Hughes and Pitt that simply cant understand the source material. It boggles the mind. You dont need to literally have atom bombs dropped on you to understand that theres a cultural relevance to neo-Tokyo that New York Baltimore or Detroit cant quite compensate for.
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March 22, 2011, 4:05 p.m. CST
You know how Tetsuo turned into that blobby-like abomination?
by Shut the Fuck up Donny
Yeah, that's what this film has become.
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March 22, 2011, 4:08 p.m. CST
I agree with the other commenters. This is an ideal film for Detroit...
by Shut the Fuck up Donny
Plus you have the Henry Ford Hospital already there to act as a catalyst for the medical research being conducted...
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March 22, 2011, 4:09 p.m. CST
What's next? A Fallout film set in the Middle East? A Halo film set during the Civil War? A Terminator film set in London?
by lv_426
Oh shit.
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Dunno why I had that word on the brain. I wanted to say Henry Ford Hospital, being a highly-regarded research hospital, would be a legitimate location for the film to occur, and would validate the Detroit location.
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Detroit would at least be sensible if they absolutely have to set it in the United States. Or how about Silicon Valley? They could work into the plot nanotechnology and other cutting edge technolgy and all that kind of stuff relative to that area? Anything would be better than doing Neo New York.
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But could the US setting be made contemporary and be about the destruction and fear of fear that 9/11 instilled in the US psyche? Could it not show the military projects the corruption and the policies that came from this? How foreigners, even from different countries race and religion were demonised? That people from outside the US were turned from people to nothing more than assets to defend the homeland?
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March 22, 2011, 4:16 p.m. CST
I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF ALL THE CHARACTERS WILL DELIVER THEIR DIALOGUE AS IF SHOUTING AS IN THE ORIGINAL
by THE_CHOPPAH
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March 22, 2011, 4:20 p.m. CST
Silicon Valley would be another good location...
by Shut the Fuck up Donny
Hell, if nothing else, California already has an old Olympic stadium to parallell the one in Akira... I know how trite it sounds, but the city in Akira seemed like a character in itself, so to me, the proper casting really was necessary. Their choice to just arbitrarily pick the obvious "big city" in the US shows lack of imagination and tells you how the producers aren't looking below the surface of this film.
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I hate American Studios some days. I know that to "appeal to the mainstream audience a big feature film should take place in a recognizable metropolitan location in the United States" (which is usually here in Vancouver, BC), but AKIRA really should take place in TOKYO. And as much as I would prefer to see a Japanese cast for this, again, the American Studio mentality is to cast caucasians in main roles to again appeal to the mainstream American white audience. UGH!!!! THIS is why we get people like Robert Pattison (the flavor of the day actor) being sent scripts like this.
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that was set in tokyo wasn't it?
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Is that normal? Sounds dumb to me. Commit to the characters' ages and look for actors in that range, don't fish for people who are too old.
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Hard to do elaborate bike scenes in a city like New York. Detroit, on the other hand, has Woodward Avenue...And depending on the scope of the film's geographical location, California has beautiful coastal roads... Like I said, no real thought has been put into this.
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You have good ideas and its a completely workable direction to say the least. Modern parallels could and should be sought after. Call me crazy but at this point I'm siding with the guy that said "Fast and the furious with motorcycles" vision. Everything that you're saying is more an investment in filmaking and storytelling, ratherthan the summer tentpole/big budget Visual effects extravaganza that we'll actually receive. Honestly its all a joke at this point. Their track record speaks for itself. ATMOM , Now World War Z , this (Akira) Going all the way back to JJ Trek and Transformers... To these motherfuckers at this point I would say : "If you're incapable of "Imagining" things, what the fuck makes you think you're qualified to "re-imagine" shit?" If you they knew how to make a World War Z best they'd've wrote the book,.. If they knew how to make a star trek, they'd've come up with it...
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March 22, 2011, 4:31 p.m. CST
Hollywood is or used to be INTERNATIONAL film making
by ihatetalkbacks
No other country uses other countries source material, actors and production talent like Hollywood. It is a recognisable and complex format that people all over the world can understand. If you look at US independent film makers as the same as those in say France or the US then this makes sense. Hollywood at least used to be international film making. Where are Hitchcock, Wolfgang Peterson, Paul Verhoven and Peter Jackson from? If this is the case I have no argument with them making it set in the US, just that is is done with a smart writer. Did the Japanese use Japanese actors in Steam Boy... a film directed by Otomo but set in London???
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if it is tent-pole budget I think they may have another Heavens Gate on their hands...
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March 22, 2011, 4:42 p.m. CST
This is the United States of America. Let's just get a few things straight. Here's the way Kong wants it, Period...
by Darth_Kong
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March 22, 2011, 4:44 p.m. CST
Stop trying to CHILD PROOF the world. It's making it worse not better.
by Darth_Kong
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March 22, 2011, 4:45 p.m. CST
I don't understand why this is such an issue because anime has always tried to Americanize their characters through big round eyes, sometimes blue, blonde hair and huge breasts
by THE_CHOPPAH
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March 22, 2011, 4:46 p.m. CST
Now, the age of the actors, that's another thing altogether
by THE_CHOPPAH
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You Shot his FACE! (Cute Little Terrorist Reprise) Runty President, I'm Your Mole Toys, Milk, I BLOW YOU UP!! This Sewer Stinks I'm Tougher than you, Wrinkly Kids Kaneda? What da Fuck? I Can FLY!! I Gots a Laser The One-Armed Re-entry Blues And so much more......
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The casting choices look atrocious Looks like "what's hot in Hollywood!" Gag me. So happy I have Tv to watch again starting in April.
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March 22, 2011, 4:49 p.m. CST
It's like a Godzilla movie from TOHO with an all white leading cast. It doesn't make any sense.
by Darth_Kong
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erm.... like Ironside in the first one that was er localised for er... US audiences?
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1. Because NONE of the characters in AKIRA look remotely Western. They all look Asian. Maybe the General guy looks kinda Western, but not really. 2. It's a story about Japan, set in Japan, about specifically Japanese characters, and dealing with specifically Japanese cultural ideas / beliefs. I mean, it's not like it's about some Pokemon dipshittery that could literally take place anywhere and could easily be made using Western actors. There's TONS of dumb anime where it really doesn't matter. But AKIRA? It's so deeply rooted in Japan and Japanese culture that it can't be shaken. And it's STUPID to even try. You know what it would be like? It would be like making a Captain American movie set in Japan featuring all Japanese actors. It would be like making a Superman movie set in Japan featuring all Japanese actors. It would be like making a movie about American Civil War featuring all Japanese actors. It would be like, doing a bio-pic on Lincoln starring Toshiro Mifune as Lincoln. In short, it would be, and is, totally fucking stupid. Luckily, I seriously, seriously doubt it's going to get past the pre-pre-pre-production stage.
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March 22, 2011, 5:07 p.m. CST
Jesus Christ, it'll be Edward Cullen and Justin Timberfake.
by DJEagles11
Looking to draw from the 12 -16 year old females, with a little mix of the cougar crowd...shoot me now!
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Good The Bad and the Ugly - the original was about Samurai, The Ring, The Departed about Triads. All US or English language films from Japanese or at least Asian films. All localised. Traffic was changed from a British TV series to a US drama even though both countries have differing drug problems and views... the 2 even had different countries for filming, one in US and Mexico and the other in England and Pakistan. Japan was the first country to make Starship Troopers and Lensman as films - both US. Localisation is not necessarily a problem.
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Just steal all the ideas from random animes and make your own movie. You know, like The Matrix? That was basically a rip-off of Tron mashed up with Ghost In The Shell and a dozen other animes. Why not just do that? Just take the surface ideas of: 1) apocalypse; 2) hyper violent gang war; 3) telekinetic teenagers; 4) government corruption; 5) scientific overreach; 6) revolution and military takeover; 6) cosmic evolution of consciousness; 7) awesome looking motorcycles. Wait, let's simplify that so the Hughes, and by extension, the braindead American audience, can wrap their heads around it: 1) apocalypse; 2) gang war; 3) awesome looking motorcycles. Call it "ADAM." That way, no achingly brilliant works of art (eg. AKIRA) are ruined, the studio still makes money, and everyone is happy. Easy. Peasy.
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March 22, 2011, 5:09 p.m. CST
I'm sure the Hughes Bros. had no control over casting
by accidentalvisitor
I'm willing to bet the studios handed them a list of 20 or so white actors whom they thought would be appropriate and told the Hughes to pick from that group. The studios will only think about racial diversity if they need a couple of chicks to fill in any girlfriend roles. If casting is needing for that the studios will provide a list as colorful as the rainbow.
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Yeah, COMPLETELY different movies, with COMPLETELY different names and locations and COMPLETELY different titles. These guys are talking about calling their completely unnecessary remake AKIRA, using all the same Japanese character names, but inexplicably setting it in New York starring Justin Bieber (or whomever) and a bunch of other Americans. Wtf? That's indefensible. And STUPID. BTW, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly wasn't a remake. A Fistful of Dollars was -- it was a remake of Yojimbo. AND, the Fistful of Dollars remake wasn't called Yojimbo.
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I certainly did. And, if you watch the movie, Kaneda is very much Tetsuo's friend. He looked out for him since they met at the orphanage/school, and tried to save him even up to the very end. He only tried to kill him because he *had* to. In the end, he still tried to save him...
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and they are casting for the roles of Kaneda and Tetsuo - I doubt the names will stay the same. Anyway - the films I mentioned change their location and worked. This "it must be Japanese" stuff is deluded. Hollywood would never do that, any one saying they should does not have a grasp of how the film industry works... Its a tired, splenetic rant that has gone on ever since a Hollywood version was mooted... Time has moved on - should it still have cold war politics? Blade Runner was an interpretation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, not a note for note copy... does any one complain
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but even I can be a little more constructive!
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Who gives a FUCK????!!!
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Of course, I agree, that Hollywood would never do it the way it SHOULD be done... which is why they shouldn't do it AT ALL. That's not deluded. That's the Truth.
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everyone here seems to be one step ahead of brain dead American audience.. yet everyone here probably works in a Burger King kitchen or still in junior college. You are a part of the brain dead American audience, and the reason they make these movies, whether you like the cast or not, is because your dumb asses will be the first in line to watch it. Just like Phantom Menace, you suckers.
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March 22, 2011, 5:29 p.m. CST
Again, Why Not Just Pull The Wachowski Bros Trick -- Steal The Ideas And Call It Something New
by NeonFrisbee
Just steal all the ideas and make it your own thing. Like The Matrix, which was ripped off of Tron, Ghost In The Shell, and, like, a dozen other animes. American audiences had no idea, but they likee the anime-inspired zip bang boom. Steal the surface ideas in AKIRA, but change the characters and locations, call it something like ADAM. That wouldn't bother me. What bothers the fuck out of me is that they would rape the source material so badly, and then have the temerity to call it AKIRA. It ain't AKIRA. It's ANDY. Leave AKIRA alone!
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Understand it is a remake, so it's not the original. It is American. So most likely we'll have English speaking actors and it'll be set in America. That might not work in Tokyo. And chances are, Caucasian and mixed actors will probably appeal internationally too, so ALL countries may enjoy the mythical story of Akira. It may be watered down, but you still have your precious original anime and/or manga to enjoy. So what don't you understand?
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I've been out of college for quite some time, have a Masters Degree, and am an educator and writer, so, nice try, but no dice! What do you do for a living? You can believe whatever you like to, but trust me when I say that if this atrocity ever even sees the light of day (which it won't), it will not be getting any of my money. Not that I don't enjoy a blockbuster every now and then. I got a huge kick out of Tron: Legacy despite the negative reviews. I actually thought it was smarter and better than it was given credit for. Of course, I agree that some of the criticisms of the film were valid.
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That's true, I guess. BUT, Kaneda did still jump into that cosmic vortex of insanity to try and save Tetsuo. My sympathies lie with Tetsuo, of course, but I don't think that Kaneda was a bad guy.
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Nobody seemed to give a damn about her, as I recall.
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Your major reason for not wanting it made is because it would not be set in Japan but that is not necessarily a bad point. It can be updated, and in fact should be as it is 25 years old now. I think this will be bad, but I want it to be made just incase it is good, don't just apply your view as being the correct one. The hive mind here can some times drown out everything here
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She's almost raped, beaten, and then gets crushed in Tetsuo's cosmic-amoeba body. What I found the most upsetting about what happens to her, though, is that Tetsuo seems more concerned that Kaneda's motorcycle get blown up by the Clowns, then the fact that they were beating her and sexually assaulting her.
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March 22, 2011, 5:49 p.m. CST
neonfrisbee with your masters isnt ripp off the wrong word or phrase?
by Smack_Teddy
inspired by? Mines from? Belongs to a 'subset' genre off?...
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...he's a bloody chameleon so I doubt it will clash in any way with Spider-Man. Undoubtedly the best actor to come out of the UK since Paddy Considine.
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Again, like I said, if they took the surface ideas and called it something else, it wouldn't bother me at all. I'm sure someone could take the same ideas and make a perfectly serviceable movie that borrowed heavily from AKIRA without raping it as they appear poised to do. Another thing to consider is that this is coming from the Hughes Bros. Did they EVER make a movie that didn't completely suck? If they did, I haven't seen it.
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I like to dumb it down for the cheap seats. Also, "rip off" has a more negative connotation.
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Citizen Kane? You do have me there... The Hughes are bnot the right fit for any film never mind Akira
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Sounds like a train wreck... and not the cool kind.
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Let's shit on their art too! I'm usually the first in line to defend / give the benefit of the doubt to an unmade film. I mean, people here are really bad about the whole judging a book by it's cover... but this... this just sounds horrendous. I get making changes... But this just seems disrespectful to the source material.
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...and I just uncontrollably blurted "What the fuck?!" when I saw the names. Wow.
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Yess pleasssssssssssss cast them just to see this crap go to hell faster.
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to give my humble opinion on whether he could work as Kaneda, but he appears to be the best pick for that role.
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After all, she wasn't tentacle-raped.
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If it isn't, let's do to this movie what was done to Disney's MARS NEEDS MOMS. Just stay away and let it tank at the box-office.
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...that sounds more like one of my naughty fantasies...
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Sorry but with all the cool asian actors out they couldnt make an asian cast set it in true japan??? Bullshit. That's all i gotta say...
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Aint It Horrible News? Yes, friends. It is.
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Give me a freakin break. No Neo-Tokyo, No Akira! Worst casting list ive ever heard also!
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Just think of what they'll replace Akira's iconic and unique background music with! It'll be Kanye West produced tracks sung by whoever wins this year's American Idol. All the chanting will now be electronically altered screeching by Lady gaga followed by some pop song chorus. You now this to be true. I'm having a bad thought... I feel like I want to exploit the current tragedy in Japan and use the atmosphere to launch a petition that the creators/writers/studio behind this film is racist and anti-Japanese... anything just to make this bring this stupidity to an end. There are plenty of ways to compromise Akira such that it can feature some white leads and still take place in Japan. I've typed that shit out in previous talkbacks. What all this is turning out to be is incredibly lazy insipid and uninspired, and yeah I'll say it, racist against both Americans and Japanese. For thinking Japanese people are less interesting and taking something that is uniquely Japanese and fucking it all up and for thinking that American audiences can't relate to Japanese people or any asians whatsoever. WTF? It honestly wouldn't surprise me if the writers and producers even thought that the movie itself portrays Japanese people in a bad way and so it'll be better if they have Americans acting like biker hooligans and being the bad guys... In which case it's racist agianst white people because the writers and suits think that it's okay to portray white people like that and not others. Political correctness at it's most stupid. I'm always one to be positive about things, but the way this is going it clearly shows that they want this film to suck.
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March 22, 2011, 8:50 p.m. CST
Maybe if we raise a big noise they'll digitally edit the movie so that the white people are North Kore... I mean Japanese!
by Johnno
Hey if they an do it for Red Dawn they can do it for this! Let they spend even more pointless money doing this... Let them pay for this circus of stupidity they have begun.
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March 22, 2011, 9:29 p.m. CST
What is this? The 1940's?? Will Mickey Rooney do his Chinese guy impression?
by The_Floating_Skull_of_Robert_Loggia
This is ludicrous. There are dozens of Asian actors out there who SHOULD get these parts. The Hughes Brothers should be ashamed of themselves. If this were a film based on say, oh, I dunno, Boondocks or Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and someone suggested casting all whites for the roles, black groups would be up in arms right now, and the Hughes Brothers would be amongst them crying foul. For fuck's sake, the movie is called AKIRA! It takes place in Neo Tokyo! The character's names are Kaneda and Tetsuo, for crying out loud. They are Japanese characters and should be played by Japanese actors, but, at the very least, someone Asian. It's not like Akira will have widespread appeal. The fan base for this movie expects Japanese characters. What, does Hollywood think white America won't show up to a film starring Asian actors? If anything, this casting fiasco will turn fans away in droves. Fuck you, Hollywood. Fuck you in your gaping, self-important asshole.
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It is in New York due to a major disaster, Japan helps rebuilt the city. It takes place in the future and due to massive amounts of rebuilding it has a sort of japanese/american look to it. Hence why they are using WHITE ACTORS. I am glad this isnt a literal shot for shot remake. Go read the scripts nubs.
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I can't get my head around who would be good to play Kaneda yet though. Maybe go for an unknown?
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who could pull off one of these roles Anton Yelchin.....
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why make something fantastic when you can go the lazy & generic shit route and still turn a profit?
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That reminds me that they put Peter Jackson's kid in blackface for "King Kong," so I guess it's all up for grabs.
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No, they're using white actors because that's what will make money, however this is a bleivable way to make it possible to use the white actors.
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March 23, 2011, 1:42 a.m. CST
What Hell?? These guys are to old and to white. I do like the mention of Anton Yelchin.
by The Founder
WHY EVEN CALL IT AKIRA WHEN YOU'RE MAKIING MASSIVE CHANGES FUCKING WB!!!!!
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March 23, 2011, 1:42 a.m. CST
Just make it like the comic and the movie, everybody will love it --
by MooseMalloy
-- EVERYBODY!
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March 23, 2011, 1:43 a.m. CST
Once again this is what happens when you sell your rites and don't retain creative input.
by The Founder
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March 23, 2011, 1:45 a.m. CST
I know it's about the money but they could lead one lead Asian.
by The Founder
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I just saying is all.
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March 23, 2011, 1:55 a.m. CST
Smoke & Mirrors people, Fassbender, Pine, Phoenix, and McAvoy are not being considered.
by The Founder
Those guys are the best actors of the bunch . WB knows their is gonna be bitchin and monaing from the fans like us. They threw them names in their so they won't be flooded with hate mail and then word spreads out what's going on and they have to pull back. They know damn well we or any self respecting Akira fans don't want no damn Pattison, Timberlake, Hedlund and them other clowns cast in this movie. I'm not sure what WB's angle is but i know they know they ain't fooling us mentioning some over 30 actors that most of us is ok with to play teens, gang members at that.
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March 23, 2011, 1:56 a.m. CST
What demo are they going after? Females aren't big on Anime. Males are the draw. The casting list stinks.
by The Founder
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you'd all have to change your soiled underwear.
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and when (and if) they make this adaptation, i will still own Akira on DVD. I'm not worried about them doing an americanised version. Won't affect the copy of Akira I own on DVD. I don't care if they keep the character names the same I am worried about the rumoured casting choices. Robert bloody Pattinson? Whose scrote did he lube up to get a career in the first place? The worry isnt about them doing it in the first place. It's what they will do with the story and how they will screw it up. Anyone seeing a Kaori and Kaneda walk off into the sunset happy ending coming? I do. I'm all for an anglicised adaptation. it's a bad adaptation I'm not looking forward to, and if they anglicise it or keep it japanese, thats what likely to happen
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March 23, 2011, 7:06 a.m. CST
get girls to see the movie cause male audience is already hooked
by Knuckleface
So goes the logic at WB. Besides, I thought will smith's little mutt was already cast as Kaneda? This movie is doomed. I doubt cameras will ever roll. But if it does get made I am guessing they'll go for the Fast & Furious crowd: lots of motorcycle porn.
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but no, apparantly this story is real?!!
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I know it is from Japan, but it is an American studio, money and directors that are making it. Can any one give a decent reason other than "the original was set in Japan!!!" Give me some actual reasons the cast should be Japanese... to be directed by a non Japanese director... By all means say this will be bad but can any one elaborate on their posts. Before any one shoiuts me down I have owned 2 versions of the film and have all the original Epic versions of Akira except issue 5 which I lost.
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Akira is maybe the most western in many ways. Compare the Japanese group dynamic in say Patlabor to Akira more individualistic and Kaneda focused story. As some one said above it is the connections and world that make Akira believable. It sits in a coldwar geopolitical frame work. This needs updating. It is also a different political and economic situation now. If ever there was a time the story could be reset to a different location it is now, 20 years after the anime was released. As people are going on about it set in Japan - do you want them speaking English? To get an English speaking Japanese cast to support all the roles would be impossible. You want it spoken in Japanese - thats just not going to happen from WB. You want an international cast in an internationally diverse city to make it intersting? Its the best you will get. Also are you guys going to b tch when there is no giant teddybear monster? you guys know that that cannot work in a film, or the Lady Kiyoko character, or the 3 babies as they are - look at the french film renaicance. If they do make this the film will probably have an older actor as Kaneda, that is a reporter or policeman. Tetsuo will be a huggybear informer that is bullied by the gang he is in. Kai will be a sexy government agent. :(
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Not as cool as really doing all the original ideas justice, but really re-thinking it at the conceptual level and re-wiring it for the U.S. and all of its insane, somewhat apocalyptic memes at the moment could turn out to be a brilliant piece of art. Making the cast more urban (i.e., not the lily-white cast being mentioned here) and setting it somewhere like Detriot, as others suggested, could make it work in a chilling way. With all the cultural & family fragmentation, political surrealism and near-anarchy, and technology run amok that pervades this country today, it could be brilliant. But doing that would take an incredible amount of conceptual work, which is Hollywood's weakest area. I expect the more likely scenario is just taking speed and spectacle and making somewhat empty melodrama out of it.
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The US economy and politics has been in the most change now to inform the writing as well as a decent frame work of post 0/11 and post Nato consensus world to use as a back drop. I think now is the best time to localise it. What we will get is another matter. The female characters could be expanded but all we will get is a 25 super model that can hack into the Darwin SOL. The Colonel will either be Morgan Freeman - good or Brian Cox - bad. The motor bikes will B U G A T T I
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Timberlake was actually pretty good in Alpha Dog; he could do this. McAvoy would be a great Tetsuo, but I don't believe they'll get him. The problem with Americanizing Akira is losing the fundamental metaphor - say, like making Watchmen but losing the construct psychic alien. I also don't think American cinema is capable of making "creepy" scenes anymore - weird, or loud, or funny, or exciting, but not creepy. Some of the best parts of Akira are damn creepy. The dream vehicle for Akira would be an animated mini-series, in Japan or on HBO/Showtime/etc., adapting the entire graphic novel series, at the level of artistic detail shown in those novels.
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March 23, 2011, 12:41 p.m. CST
This film is going to be absolute, muthafuckin' 100% Grade-A choice SHIT!
by REMcycle
This is just unreal. I can't believe what I'm reading.
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It's like someone is trying to sabotage this movie on purpose.
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March 23, 2011, 1:38 p.m. CST
god. there is no way this movie could possibly work.
by THE_ONE_MAN_GANG
it will be watered down bullshit. there is no way hollywood can do an akira movie for the masses.
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Spider-Man. And that's about it. And hey, at least they got the costume right on that one. The Japanese, the same people that ignoramuses like to label as "xenophobic" have no problems seeing white faces or reading subtitles. The Americans, who like to pride themselves on being multicultural, can only stomach seeing whites onscreen speaking English.
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I never saw that one, though.
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March 23, 2011, 3:43 p.m. CST
I am an optimist, but this project just got taken to clowntown.
by dr sauch
This is a fucking joke. Forget about the asian/white thing for a minute. Can't we AT LEAST get white actors who are, you know, GOOD FOR THE ROLE AND NOT IN THEIR LATE FUCKING TWENTIES!!!!!!!!
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I laughed so hard when I saw this post. Literally made my afternoon
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They want to draw in female viewers with certain actors, and think the effects and so on will be enough to draw male audiences who would otherwise hate these guys? Not sure it's gonna' work, especially as they have Americanized something really rooted in it's native country. I'm expecting a bit of a bomb here, quite honestly, but I should know by now not to underestimate how bad movies can still make bank.
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So what you are saying is that you want one of the most complex ground breaking animes to be changed into a US film that will have a tortuous writing and plotting to become a bastion of positive discrimination too? As if the film had a few problems to start off you want it to be a spring board for a whole ignored part of society to be brought into the mainstream? WOW! I often think that arguments are learned here and parroted but you have created a new one there. All cultures have racists, just ask my friend that lives out in Japan as a lecturer who was called "saku Gaijin" by a 6 year old
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If you are going to talk about race at least have a coherent argument - "segregate their race into their own sub-race" - I think you mean nationality - an Asian Amercan is clearly a different race - either Oriental ( I know this is a bad word in the US but not here in Britain) or Eurasian. Also Jewishness is a matter of religion or culture. Most Jews - ie Israelis would be thought of as Caucasian, just as people from France, Persia or Turkey would be for example. Lastly, as it is a Japanese Anime originally you want Asian Americans... why because they look similar to the Japanese? Are people of Chinese, Korean, Cambodian origin okay? That seems as if you are just choosing people though racial stereotypes... as they have slanted eyes - Isn't that a little racist? Lastly US cinema and television is racially diverse. People of ethnic origin are over represented in the media. When you look at the roles and prominence of a part in a film that is when it is more problematic.
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Let me turn that argument against you guys. Even forgetting the race, miscasting, and alleged directorial incompetence, every Hollywood remake of Japanese anime has sucked. Dragonball Evolution, Fist of the North Star, Guyver, Blood The Last Vampire, Speed Racer, Gundam Saviour, that shitty Sailor Moon TV pilot.
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I always forget one.
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I think you're right in the sense that the same surface ideas could be used, just transplanted to the US... but then it's not AKIRA anymore. Call it something like ADAM, and do the same basic thing from a Western perspective. But don't, DON'T rape an All Time Classic like these Hughes douchebags seem poised to do. That's just stupid, heretical, and wrong.
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So every anime is sacred? Should Cameron not make Battle Angel? Speilberg has the rights to Ghost In The Shell - should he be barred fro it? A few good reasons? A budget so that the massive scope and spectacle can realised in an actual flesh and blood film. So the story can be updated to account for the 20 years of change and innovation that has happened. While I do not think this will be a success I do not see why it should NOT be made... and it will be made. If it shoul not then the Akira Committee should not have sold the rights, or kept more editorial control over it. Also no one has actually been cast yet - most of my arguments are not with the decisions but with peoples over simplification or rampant doom mongering. No one really says any thing other that "This is da Suxxor!!!11!!! it should hav beeen in JAPAN!!!!!!!1111!!!!" Try some thing else and say what you would change, keep, who would you want to direct (1000 boring answers of Watchoskis.) Who should star? I think Jack O'Connell from Skins and Runaway here in Britain - he is cocky enough and young enough. Who should be in the supporting cast? What film would you most like it to look like? Personally I would like some thing like The Dark Knight crossed with the Paralax View.
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- Some douche is making "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" - No. There's no way thay can work on screen. I will not see this. - They even removing the Sheep - WTF Can they not see its called Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? - The dude thats doing it did Alien - Hes just a douche that copies Kubric - Yeah He's a douche, Get like your own style - He made bread adverts - I heard they like totally changed the earth from being depopulated to being like over populated - what a douche this will be sh~t - They should have got Lucas. He makes propper Sci Fi not haunted house films in space - Hes a limey anyway, have they ever even been to space? - Philip K Dick is my favourite author, how could they do this - I love DICK too - You're a dick - No you're a dick While I do not think Akira will be any success this is what a talkback would have been like 30 years ago.
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After this talkback Im not coming back. I usually while away the hours at work on here that is why I am sporadic some times. The heavy mouth breathers and kids that smell of stale milk can shout the same things over and over again. This place is not about discussion its about validation of peoples fragile egos. Contrarian - not really I actually think what I have written. I am not one of the heard here that says they will be boycotting a film but have the DVD and saw it first night, "but you know just for the action scenes not because I like it." I have not flooded all talkbacks like some have. I have stuck to Alien/Promethius, Tron and this... oh and Transformers but that probably was a bit contrary. I guess when this page disappears from the front page there will only be one Lastly... LASTLY!!! The argument that this film should have been in Japan is one that people do not think about, or few actually do. They simply repeat it. The hive mind has spoken and the mantra must be repeated.
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On a positive note, I think it is simply awesome that the original animated feature has held up so well to the ravages of time to reach cult classic status. A truly groundbreaking and influential piece of work- it felt like a classic when I saw it in the theaters, and it still feels that way. Just thinking about it makes me want to see it again, and then read the books. However, because of these personal preferences of mine, I really do have absolutely no interest in seeing the story set outside of Japan or with older characters. I'm not trying to be an ass, cut down the Hughes Brothers or rail against the inhumanity of Hollywood's vapid celebrity culture-obsessed grist-for-the-mill production modi operandi, all I am saying is that I, personally, in my own humble and self-respecting opinion (and I am sorry if this seems to you a rather tired and unoriginal echoing of similar sentiments expressed ad nauseam here) have no interest or intention in seeing any adaptation whatsoever of Katsuhiro Ôtomo's "Akira" that does not take place in “New Tokyo.” Although to me, personally, it seems a truly Sisyphean endeavor, if the filmmakers honestly think they can make a time-honored classic (or two) based on this source material, but set in “New Manhattan" with recognizable older European American actors, that in 23 years can be held up to, or even surpass, the quality of Katsuhiro Ôtomo's original 1988 film, well, by all means, good luck with that.
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If done correctly this movie has a lot of potential. I am talking LOTR potential. It has a decently large fan base and the mediums of manga and anime are steadily growing more and more popular. So ideally doesn't need to be changed this drastically. By the looks of it they are going the dragon ball evolution and airbender route. By that i mean as in they are poorly cast and bastardizing the material. They feel that the only way they can squeeze money out of us is by throwing big names in it and changing the ages because we couldn't relate to the struggles of children. I think as a country us Americans can still enjoy a movie that is in a foreign land that isn't filled with a bunch of old white celebrities. I am expecting Tekkon Kinkreet next starring Justin Beiber and a random Jonas brother. If you don't know what tekkon kinkreet is, watch it.
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KANEDA-James Franco
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March 23, 2011, 8:35 p.m. CST
okay, maybe somebody a little tougher than james Franco for Kaneda
by the_man_from_Rio
but u know i'm spot on for Joseph Gordon levitt as Tetsuoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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heyyyyyy
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you cant spell WINNING without S-h-e-e-n
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long live JOHN LOCKE
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Why the hell would you do that? Name a movie they did that didn't suck. One. Just one. They're douchebags for wanting to do this, wanting to Americanize it. Fuck you, Hughes Bros., you racists.
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It's not like anything the Hughes Brothers create is going to live up to the legend of the manga and the anime. I love both, but the last thing I want to see a live-action rehash scene for scene.
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can someone tell me where to pick up my check for casting this movie?
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With all due respect, I though all of the movies you mentioned sucked. Menace II Society was especially ridiculous. An unintentional self-parody. Watch The Wire for the real deal about "the streets." Especially season 4.
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March 23, 2011, 11:47 p.m. CST
Akira could be set anywhere... Bleach must be set in Japan
by Mundungus
Post-apocalyptic New York or Tokyo, not worth shitting yourselves. What's so Japancentric about the story? No ninjas, shimigamis, samurai, or godzilla if I remember it. <P> Set it in Paris and have all the gangs ride Vespas.
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There is potential here to make a really good film. They've got a good director (Menace to Society, Dead Presidents, From Hell & Book of Eli were all awesome movies), a good writer (he wrote Flesh & Bone and Wonder Boys besides the Harry Potter movies). Given that the Hughes Brothers are huge comic book fans, they just might be able to pull it off. However, this also has the potential to go disastrously wrong.
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God forbid they actually use an Asian actor for these roles.... Looks like another Airbender...
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you white guys are see thru as FUCK. bitching and moaning about making white characters black, but NEVER EVER bitch and moan about turning asian characters white. but but but I thought it was about the integrity of the source material? I thought that mattered? that shit never matters to you white guys. its plain and simple. you just want to see white guys doing cool shit in the movies and nobody else. you are spoiled little bitches who have grown up having it your way in the movies and cant and wont think for a second about anyone else getting the limelight. yall are that spoiled lil kid who always whines about being the sheriff while playing cowboys and indians with his friends. and you know what? EVERYONE hated that kid. everyone. including YOU.
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So people are arguing that changing the location shows a lack of integrity to the source material, and that it also might be closet racism. Then they say it needs some Asian Americans - people are not saying that it needs a Japanese cast, and that this is because a Japanese person would have a better, nuanced understanding of the source materials themes and perspectives. People are saying that as the story has people that are oriental, then it needs people that look the same. People are saying that all this needs is a lick of paint to make it respectful. Can people not see the double standards here? They are choosing not for understanding but RACE. Asian American means that people live in America and come from south Asian hertitage. How can they have a similar shared cultural values when the area is so vast. People are saying this because they LOOK the "same" but it will not give any integrity to the actual story. Akira deals with many values that are universal - friendship, family, masculinity; and in many ways Akira eschews the group dynamic of many Japanese stories in favour of a rugged individualism, like that in American stories. Listen to yourselves, it is as bad as the producers if they chose to bring the story to New York for purely racial reasons rather than cultural ones.
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seriously, your entire point is shit. we are saying asian in the broad sense obviously, when yes we could say japanese, but the point still remains exactly the same. FUCK you white people for whining about white characters made black but not whining about asian characters made white. THAT is the double standard. dont try and make this something else. then again, thats what whites love to do. never take the blame for some fucked up way of thinking.
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I am white but I have a half Chinese Jamaican girlfriend - you seriously saying I am a racist? You lump all white people together... is that not racism? Does your argument mean that no black man can play any Shakespeare character except Othello?
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So your saying that as films like The Ring, The Departed and soon to be Akira are transposed to the US that Hollywood is racist.... Except that the following are from white European film makers and are transposed to America: Let Me In The Vanishing Vanilla Sky Down and Out in Beverly Hills The Birdcage Solaris The Assassin Even when a film is English language it is still transposed to the US - The Ladykillers Infact the only remake I can think of that actually stays in the country of origin is The Gruge which is Japanese and while has US leads does have a Japanese supporting cast. Hollywood may very well be racist, some film makers or studios may be racist, argueing that moving Akira from Japan to the US is racism is stupid. It was done for cultural and financial reasons not for racial reasons. I will not argue that a contextual analysis of depictions in the mass media in films or careers of stars or the racial mix of Hollywood execs could be. That was not the argument that was presented here by other people.
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Edison Chen is imo a good lookin dude, he could be a badazz like Kaneda is....at first i didn't know who could be Tetsuo but I think the dude who was Han in Fast Furious 3 Tokyo Drift and briefly in DH4 (he had his hair in a pony tail and worked for the feds) could be good. Of course, two Azn leads would be too damn crazy for hollywood.
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it means I can answer any questions that are put to me, then I can retire gracelessly into the sun set. My girlfriend - Half Chinese Jamaican (mostly chinese but some black) on her mothers side, Her dad worked as a teacher in Jamaica where they met, they chose to leave in 77 as they thought the country was becoming too unstable. Her dad is 100% Lacashire and as translucently white as me. Her mother went to a royal garden party for some thing to do Caribbean cultural studies. The rest of her Jamaican family are in Florida and LA. Anything else you want to query? I am here for a day or two!
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Her ass is none of your concern but very nice all the same. Why am I off after this post? The majority here are infantile, stupid and knee jerk reactionaries. No one will back up their belief with any actual evidence, or substance. I have been called a troll by peole like Braindrain! because I disagreed with him about some thing, yet he will never write anything more than one sentance and often resorts to swearing and name calling. Many others are just a bad but he is the only name that sticks in my mind People are here not talk about films, they are here to validate their own opinion with a heard that thinks the same. To win an argument here all you have to do is shout louder or be more obnoxious than other people. Don't have an opposing agument just attack a persons spelling, punctuation or simple repeat what you have said until they wither. People find it easier here to complain than praise. They have to have an answer and opinion before they see anything, and then back it up months later rather than loose face. Every thing here is black and white with no room for discussion. Everything must be divided into that which is cool and that which is totally uncool. Nothing can be technically triumphant but artistically vapid. Nothing can be a valiant effort that falls short of the source material. Nothing can be a poor but with flashes of originality. Ihatetalkbacks as a name? Well I thought I might actually be able to chat to people or discuss, between the see of stupidity. I may have been combative but never rude. I justified myself underfire and was willing to put up with names being slung at me. Also I thought that if I was consistant in a talknack and did not shower each one with vapid shit others may choose to write more coherently. Being here is like pulling teeth. I have never really enjoyed writing here, maybe the discussion was fun if there were ther smart people but that is rare. Maybe the old saying that even if you win an internet discussion you are still retarded is true. I am simply not going to find out any more.
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Pine is great at doing the 'everyman reacting to crazy shit' thing, and Garfield is unassuming but can summon convincing menace when he wants to. And Paul Begala as Takashi.
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