ANOTHER POINTLESS LIST!

[libertina]

My 5 most crushworthy cinematic characters (in no particular order):

--Nino Quincampoix in Amelie (need I explain?):

Comments

[transistorblast]

Is any adult character played by Fairuza Balk an acceptable choice?

[libertina]

Heh--that was also the Griffin's biggest celebrity crush. His runners-up were Laura Prepon from That '70s Show and Salma Hayek.

I would say any Fairuza Balk role excepting her neo-Nazi moll in American History X would be acceptable (mind you, my two female choices are hardly pinnacles of virtue themselves, but at least they're not spouting Power to Whitey! rhetoric). Were you thinking of her in Almost Famous or Gas Food Lodging mode?

[transistorblast]

"Were you thinking of her in Almost Famous or Gas Food Lodging mode?"

Yes to both. She was actually playing a teenager in GFL, but I was a teenager myself when I saw it. I haven't gathered up the courage to watch The Waterboy though. I have a serious aversion to Adam Sandler movies. She deserves better roles than that.

[libertina]

Like The Craft? I'm kidding. She's a good actress, but The Boy Who's a Thorn in My Side knew her when he lived in Hollywood in the mid-'90s, and he said she was a major drug user (unfortunately he ran in those circles, so he's a reliable source in this case). But I imagine she's past all that now.

[transistorblast]

Okay, I have an unusual one: Marissa Ribisi as Cynthia in Dazed and Confused. I'm not even sure why, as she doesn't have many lines or scenes. But there's just something about the character that won me over. (Basically, she's the female geek in a group of three geeks who wander through the movie like all of the characters do).

I love them redheads...

[libertina]

Aw, I have a soft spot for Cynthia, because I was usually the token verbose chick in a gaggle of male geeks, and a few people pointed this out to me when the film came out. Now that you mention it, Tony (the pasty guy with the Abe Lincoln fetish) was on my list for a long time.

She's married to Beck, you know. (And she's a Scientologist.)

Re: I love them redheads...

[transistorblast]

"She's married to Beck, you know. (And she's a Scientologist.)"

I learned this after I'd watched the movie a few times, yes. She's also the sister of Giovanni.

The Criterion edition of Dazed and Confused is on my Christmas list. I already have the Criterion Slacker, and the Criterion edition of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset (two film set, of course) hasn't been created it. It will be.

(Yes, I'm a serious Richard Linklater fan...)

Crap, forgot to add Smithers to my list... no joke.

[tattoo_tear]

Doesn't like Mystery Men but *does* like Ricard Linklater?

Hehe, couldn't be more opposite. To me, anything with Tom Waits and the impenetrably unrecognizable Hank Azaria in it is golden, anything which has people talking about their dreams for two hours is mind bogglingly tedious. But opinions is opinions.

[transistorblast]

Also, not to clog up your comments section, but I have to know - who would you cast as Sam Clay? And Rosa Saks? (Rumor has it Natalie Portman is in the running for Rosa, but I'd prefer someone else).

[libertina]

Please, please clog up my comments page, James! Hell, this is what I live for! :)

I have given an abnormal amount of thought to this question, actually. Sam Clay should be played by Jeremy Davies, who is probably best known for playing the hapless (literal) motherfucker in Spanking the Monkey and the hapless spurned lover in Secretary. He just LOOKS like Sammy to me. Tracy Bacon could be played by Jude Law, if he bulked up considerably.

I guess Natalie Portman is the closest modern equivalent to Rosa Luxembourg Saks (who is another literary crush of mine), although she's going to have to eat about ten hot fudge sundaes a day to acquire Rosa's illustrious bum.

If age weren't a factor, though, she would definitely have to be Helena Bonham-Carter. No question,

[libertina]

Again, if I can't be bothered to pay proper attention with the italics and bold codes I shouldn't be showing off with 'em. Sorry.

[libertina]

Actually, I take that back. If I can't have Bonham-Carter for obvious reasons, I'd really rather put Maggie Gyllenhaal in the part, which is funny because she would be pairing up with Jeremy Davies again (although her heart would belong to someone else in this one too).

The passionate, the vulnerable, the flawed, the feral, and the gaunt

[tattoo_tear]

WOW I'm so with you on ALL of these. (Okay, mebbey not Neville but when Roller Derby was going through and giving all the girls their Harry Potter alter-egos, I *was* Neville, so it's okay.) Anyway, here are mine:

Ralph Fiennes in "Quiz Show" (favorite shot of him leaning against the wall of isolation booth sweating not available, you know, the one where he cracks a smile...)

Re: The passionate, the vulnerable, the flawed, the feral, and the gaunt

[libertina]

Awesome list. Funny, I was thinking of including Maude! She's just so inspiring.

James Spader is perfectly cast in Secretary, and I can't imagine any other actor pulling off Graham in sex, lies and videotape. Also, have I ever expounded here on my adolescent Some Kind of Wonderful fixation? I totally wanted to be Watts, and when I turned 18 I cut & bleached my hair to look just like hers.

Re: The passionate, the vulnerable, the flawed, the feral, and the gaunt

[tattoo_tear]

To tell the truth, Watts basically inspired my obsession with a girl in my high school with her absolute delicious tomboyishness that, although the men in the movie suggested cancelled out her femininity, only seemed to highlight the best parts of what femininity can be. I mean, honestly, now that I think of it, I was more into her than Eric. Although Eric had the eyes and the passion. Okay they both had passion. Okay, I'm going to cry a little now.

*sigh*

Anyway, if I had tried to cut my hair like that I would have ended up with this:

Re: The passionate, the vulnerable, the flawed, the feral, and the gaunt

[libertina]

I should mention that the Neville thing is as much due to his previously bumbling, still-waters-run-deep nature as his magnificent malocclusion. It don't hurt that, like Krakow, he ALSO reminds me of a very young Boy Wonder! (whose photo I was going to include here but thought better of it), athough Brian & Neville don't really resemble each other at all.

[bandersnatch_02]

That's an amazing list. You have impeccable taste.

/"I said good DAY, sir!"

[libertina]

In fictional characters, sure.
And, thank you.