#172029  by lbpesq
 
I just read that Martin Scorsese will be directing a movie about the Dead starring Jonah Hill as Jerry. The mind reels! Supposedly, Phil, Bobby, Billy, Mickey and Trixie Garcia are among the executive producers. Strap in, this could be a bumpy ride!

Bill, tgo
 #172031  by Jon S.
 
Or it could be awesome. The proof will be in the pudding.
 #172033  by Jon S.
 
In you haven't already checked out this thread, I find it to contain a balanced mix of anticipatory, impassive, and apprehensive views: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... c.2306215/

Image
 #172052  by strumminsix
 
I mean, biopic seems to be hollywood's darling genre these days...

Personally, think MS injects more of himself into his biopics than needed. From Last Waltz to Harrison Materialistic World...

I cannot watch Last Waltz. No need to watch MS crush all over RR for a couple hours. LOL

Hopefully JG and the GD get treated a bit more honestly...
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 #172327  by KHotchkin
 
I hope they find an interesting story to tell with it -- not just a biopic. Supposedly it takes place during Europe '72, I think? So that's interesting, great time period, but what are they doing with it?

And I guess it was Jonah Hill's idea. Pitching yourself to play Jerry in a movie is so audacious, pressure will be on him. It'll be interesting to see, that's for sure. I wonder if he's taking lessons or intends to actually play guitar in the movie? :|
 #172329  by Jon S.
 
Even if the new Jerry biopic is to Jerry's actual life like the LOTR movies were to the books (many accuracies accompanied by some significant inaccuracies), a positive outcome will still be to turn a significant number of folks not otherwise versant in the Dead onto the music. Then they can take it themselves from there and that'll be a good thing!
 #172841  by KHotchkin
 
So I'd've casted this dude. Hugely popular. Actual musicality, similar brand to Jerry's taste
(I'm sure most of you have heard this song before). Has the eyebrows and thick black beard (when he grows it). Better fit, bigger draw. And a better actor. Jerry has such a unique energy and persona to emulate, and I've only ever seen Jonah be Jonah. This self-casting on what may be a rather defining piece of biography is pretty bothersome to me. Jonah should cast himself as Godcheaux or Ramrod or somebody else.
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 #172842  by Jon S.
 
I can only speak for myself. I'm sure I don't know more about casting and producing than Martin Scorsese.
 #172844  by KHotchkin
 
Surprise is exactly what I want. That's kind of the thing, is just personally, I'd love for the movie to be something a little weird, in a Jerry way. Scorcese is obviously a legend, but not a director known for subtext. I think of Jerry as an avant garde kind of guy, get an avant garde director. And Jonah taking himself in the lead... It just feels a little too Hollywood.

Like, are they just taking an opportunity to make a Jerry movie, or are these inspired choices? I'm glad Jerry's fam is involved in the production, though. I'm sure it will be faithful.
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 #172846  by Darkstar860
 
KHotchkin wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:38 pm Surprise is exactly what I want. That's kind of the thing, is just personally, I'd love for the movie to be something a little weird, in a Jerry way. Scorcese is obviously a legend, but not a director known for subtext. I think of Jerry as an avant garde kind of guy, get an avant garde director. And Jonah taking himself in the lead... It just feels a little too Hollywood.

Like, are they just taking an opportunity to make a Jerry movie, or are these inspired choices? I'm glad Jerry's fam is involved in the production, though. I'm sure it will be faithful.

This is why I think it has a good chance to be a good movie
 #172847  by Jon S.
 
At the risk of being the buzz kill guy, the fact that Jerry's family is involved in the production does necessarily not give me more confidence that the movie will be true to life.

It depends on the family's agenda: is it to push for as much accuracy as possible; is it to make the family and Jerry look as good as possible; is it to settle scores; or other?

To me, it's like the difference between how Aragorn and Faramir were portrayed in the cannonical books versus the films. Tolkien was express that his writing of the LOTR was based on the Hobbits' Red Book of Westmarch. The Hobbits adored both Aragorn and Faramir so it comes as no surprise that the renditions of Aragorn and Faramir in the books are presented uniformly positively.

When Jackson produced the movie - from overseeing the writing of the screenplay to filming the film - he made changes to Aragorn's and Faramir's characters that pissed off many hard core Tolkien fans who viewed the changes as contrary to the cannon. Indeed, the changes were contrary in that Aragorn was presented as a man with real doubts and Faramir a man relatively less quick to follow his better angel.

Being a huge Tolkien fan, I understand 100% why the changes in these two characters' personalities in the films relative to the books angered many true fans. But I appreciated them. Real life humans are simply not as totally perfect as the Hobbits viewed Aragorn and Faramir and as Tolkien therefore presented them in the books. Personally, I found the film characters far more believable and relatable.

So, like I started with, I don't know the family members' agendas. They may be pure: present Jerry as true to to life as possible; or they may not be: whitewash his foibles or, and yes this is possible, too, settle familial scores through the movie (and let's not pretend there is a family on God's great earth with NO such scores).

Personally, I am feeling best about the film, for more than anything else, because the dude directing it is a consumate pro. To quote Wikipedia, "He is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, four British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Directors Guild of America Awards. Scorsese has received various honors including the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1997, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2007, and the BAFTA Fellowship in 2012. Five of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant"."

I look forward to the final product.