The Film Industry Thread

[Benni]

Excellent Job BerryBearie!

How about A-List Couples. I think this is a bit different because some of these people are more known as a couple than for their actual work. I had started one earlier.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett
Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradise
Madonna and Guy Ritchie (question mark?)
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

This is where I became stumped because I would consider these people B-list at best but maybe A-list couples.

Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams
Tony Parker and Eva Longaria
Melanie Griffin and Antonio Banderas
David Beckam and Posh
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony
Star Jones and Al Reynolds (checking to see if you are awake)

Help and there must be more.

[Deleted]

benni said:

Star Jones and Al Reynolds (checking to see if you are awake)

You've tapped into Miss Star Jones ego! Now let's see if you can get out.

Nice job, berrybearie and satellite.

I realize that this is the film thread, but TV produces a lot of A listers and crossovers like Jennifer Anniston who has done movies (a few successful), but mainly on the basis of her TV career has the popularity (and the money). Not all the TV people are like Mischa Barton. Are Julia Louis-Dreyfuss or Debra Messing A-list?

[strawberrylover]

benni said:

Excellent Job BerryBearie!

How about A-List Couples. I think this is a bit different because some of these people are more known as a couple than for their actual work. I had started one earlier.

Hmm, I would agree with some on this list, but a lot of them are known as A-listers on their own.

Speaking of which, I would consider Catherine Zeta-Jones to be A-list. I think of the A-list as the established actors who don't have much left to prove in terms of their abilities and appeal to the public.

CZJ won an Oscar and she's one half of a very visible, established couple. I definitely think she's a household name. Maybe not on the level of Julia Roberts, but mention her and Renee Zellweger in the same breath, and you wouldn't get a "Oh I know Renee, but who's that Zeta chick?"

Also, I think I would not include Luke Wilson on the A-list. He's mostly been in a string of rom-coms where he was the default nice guy. One of those rom-coms, Alex and Emma, totally bombed.

He cannot open or carry a movie. If he could, I think we would've seen more marketing for Idiocracy.

ps. I'd also add Cate Blanchett to the A-list.

[satellite]

Ashton and Demi are the epitome of A-list couple/ press, B-list individually. Though Demi might still be A on her own?

Has Colin Farrell fallen to the B-list?

I would add Christian Bale to the A-list, but not A+.

I think franchises screw things up too. Bale only got nudged to A-list with Batman Begins even though he's a great "serious actor".
Tobey Maguire is maybe A+ now because of Spiderman, but what else has he really done? Viggo Mortensen and Sean Bean are still lower A/B even though LOTR made more money than god, and Elijah Wood has to be almost B. And I can't consider Daniel Radcliffe to be A because he's only done Harry Potter. Maybe it's a press thing too, the Europeans seems to keep to themselves and aren't try to get on the cover of US every week.

[strawberrylover]

satellite said:

Ashton and Demi are the epitome of A-list couple/ press, B-list individually.

Ooh, good one! I think Ashton might almost be C-list on his own. He was B-list when Punked was a hot show. But what's he done since hooking up with Demi?

Unfortunately, I do think Colin Farrell is now B-list. I'm not convinced he was ever A-list. He really should've been but never quite made it.

As for Christian Bale, that's a really tough call. I guess he's A-list now that he's Batman.

Another question: How do we classify Rachel Weisz?

[twodollars]

I would add the following people to the A-List:
Jennifer Aniston - Household name, headlined movies, high salary, owns production company alone and owned production co with ex, won GG and Emmy for Friends
Ben Affleck - Household name, headlined movies, good salary, has written/directed movies, Oscar-winner, Kevin Smith has written roles for him.
Jen Garner - she's a household name, has won awards for her acting, she opened 13 Going on 30, Elecktra was developed for her, and I think she was a producer on Alias

I'd consider the folllowing to be B-List:
Rachel Weisz - She has won an Oscar, but doesn't meet the other criteria for A-list yet.
Christian Bale - - Not a household name yet, no behind-the-scenes power, doesn't collect a high salary, and hasn't won any major awards for acting (unfortunately)
Ewan McGregor - Not a household name yet, no behind-the-scenes power, doesn't collect a high salary, and hasn't won any major awards for acting (fortunately)
Clive Owen - - Nominated for an Oscar/Won Golden Globe, has headlined movies, but doesn't collect a huge salary, not a household name and doesn't have behind-the-scenes pull.

I'd take Luke Wilson off the A-list as well. And would Colin even make B-list now?

[happypenguin]

twodollars said:

I would add the following people to the A-List:
Jennifer Aniston - Household name, headlined movies, high salary, owns production company alone and owned production co with ex, won GG and Emmy for Friends
Ben Affleck - Household name, headlined movies, good salary, has written/directed movies, Oscar-winner, Kevin Smith has written roles for him.

Jen I'd say while being A-list for publicity is B for work. I don't think she's proven that she can successfully headline a movie. I wouldn't say owning a production company makes you A-list since it really is more of a vanity affair. Yes she was a part of Friends, but fame is a very transient thing. Also I don't think she's proven herself outside of sit-com land.

Ben, I'd agree is still A-list, but is possibly one of those who is at risk of sliding into B-list unless he has a hit soon.

[strawberrylover]

I think Ben Affleck is already in the B list. He was A list a while ago -- which proves to you just how much it takes for a true A-lister to slide.

And he really put effort into it! A relationship that made everyone think less of him. At least three movies that either bombed or didn't perform as well as they should: Gigli, Paycheck and Jersey Girl.

He's headlined movies, but I'm not sure any of them ever did well because of him. And I'm not sure if he contributed so much to the movies that he couldn't have been swapped out with another actor, and no one would've noticed a difference.

Plus, he doesn't have any movies lined up on IMDB. Yup, definitely B-lister. If he's still A-list, then so is Jennifer Lopez.

[Atreides]

I'd put Jennifer Garner on the B-list. She had a promising start as a lead with 13 Going On 30 but bombed hard with Elektra and Catch and Release. She's barely in the trailers for The Kingdom as well. Definitely an A for publicity though (she's playing with Violet on that damn playground & swing set in every issue of US Weekly) and she gets bonus points for being with another high profile, albeit B-list, celeb.

I'm not sure where to put Cate Blanchett. She tends to make smaller, more Oscar-y type dramas that aren't seen by a lot of people. Cate has also never had a lead role in a bonafide box office hit. She's obviously loved in the industry though as her career has taken off like a rocket since Elizabeth and she has an Oscar. So maybe a B+?

[huntergrayson]

Not to interrupt the A-List discussion, but I don't know why stuff like this makes me so irrationally angry:

Per the Daily Mail, WB wants Burton to cut the hell out of Sweeney Todd to get a PG-13 rather than a R.

Granted, I've never seen the musical, but I'm aware that the rest of the title is "Demon Barber of Fleet Street." And that it's about a murderer who makes his victims into pies. WTF, WB? Didja not know what you were getting into?

I wouldn't be so mad if Depp and Burton hadn't made, like, seventeen movies together so maybe they know what they're doing?

Color me shocked that Burton doesn't get final cut.

And for the irresponsible parents out there, allow me to guide you through this scenario:

Oh, Daddy! I wanna go see that movie with Captain Jack!
Sorry, kiddo, it's a musical. By Sondheim.
A what? By who?
Exactly. Now here's your Finding Nemo DVD and a babysitter - go fuck off and leave mommy and daddy to go to the movies.

Between this and Lust, Caution getting a NC-17, we *really* need to revise the ratings system. Some more. I know there were changes after This Film is Not Yet Rated, but it still seems fundamentally flawed.