For those of you who read this blog for the sole reason to see if I’ve been using my crock pot lately: I totally did. Last night.
While I was browsing the interweb (when I should have been drawing) I came across a lot of interesting information about the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, which I really don’t know anything about, but I really enjoyed reading this stuff, so I’m going to share it with you.
From Amid Amidi of cartoonbrew.com on said movie:
Despite the films box office success, its still an embarrassing project to be involved with if youre a major part of its creative team and you consider yourself to also be an artist. This became clear when actor Patton Oswalt made an offhand comment on his blog about how he and comedian Brian Posehn were both offered the role of Ian, the agent, and how they both rejected it because of its awfulness. David Cross, who took the role, was so peeved by the notion that he was a sell-out wrote a five-point blog post defending his decision to be involved in the movie. Thankfully, the films animation director Chris Bailey, doesnt have to write a blog post defending his work on the film. Because unlike live-action actors, animation artists have no choice but to work on shit. Its the only game in town sadly.
Hmm..an artistically bankrupt piece of media that also makes money? Intriguing.
From Patton Oswalt’s myspace blog:
ALVIN AND THE CHIMPMUNKS is a blatant, soulless, money-grab — the only reason it even got MADE was because there was an family-movie-shaped-hole in the release schedule. Oddly enough, both Brian Posehn and I were offered the part of Ian, the agent. We both threw the script across the room in disgust. David Cross caught it.
But for people to whine and bitch about the movie runing their childhoods is even more disgusting. The only way the ALVIN AND THE CHIMPMUNKS movie is ruining your childhood is if you’re 70 years old, or retarded. In fact, if you liked Alvin and the Chimpmunks to BEGIN with, maybe you need your childhood raped.
From bobanddavid.com:
Up to working on “Alvin” I [David Cross in case you haven’t figured that one out] had not worked in six (SIX!) months. That is an eternity if you’re an actor. Think about not working for two months with no hope of anything on the horizon. Now triple that. It was the longest period without work since after “Ben Stiller” got cancelled (the show, not the man) and I was going nuts
….
I have a pretty modest lifestyle, I live in the same relatively small 1100 sq. foot apartment since I moved [to NY]. I don’t own a car, don’t go out “clubbing”, and don’t really own anything of much value. I am in no way hurting for money but I guarantee you that I have much, much less than you think. The reason I bring this up is because two years ago I decided that I wanted to get a small place upstate. Nothing fancy, a small cottage […]I looked informally for a long time but never found anything that I liked in my price range. Then finally, after much disappointed searching, I did. It’s a small cottage […] in the middle of nowhere. No town, no nothing. Two hours outside the city […] Perfect. It was a little more than I had budgeted for but it was definitely worth it. I asked the owner if he’d take some of my credibility as payment. He looked at me as if I was an alien with A.I.D.S. speaking some intergalactic gobbledy-goo. I had to patiently explain to this country bumpkin about my indie hipster cred, and I would now like to cash it in. This rural rube was so backwards and ignorant that he couldn’t even conceive of how financial markets work and simple free market capitalism. I tried again to explain the concept of the value of “credibility” and “artistic integrity” but he refused to take it in exchange for the house. This guy was a fucking idiot! But what could I do? He wouldn’t take no for an answer. If I wanted that cottage I would have to pay him money. Sigh. So I used my “Alvin and the Chipmunks” money to pay for the down payment. Seriously, I totally did.
Incidentally that’s the same kind of justification I tell myself when I do a voice in a Barbie commercial.
Also if you enjoy negative and hilarious movie reviews, check out http://www.avclub.com/content/blog/flops
I don’t think actors should have to apologize for taking any kind of work (bar snuff films of course). If you’re a carpenter, what difference does it make if you build a cathedral or a photomat? Sure integrity matters in the arts but so does paying the bills.
I’d rather have your David Crosses and Toren Atkinsons surviving to do good projects alongside the mediocre rather than them leaving the industry altogether and having nothing. Then we all lose.
I’ve done a few freelance ‘illos’ here and there for the ‘ad biz’ and I’m good with it. That said I would never draw caricatures in Stanley park. That’s not about integrity though, I’m just not a people person…
Professional choices, integrity, what you’re willing to do for money, the concept of paying your bills, meh.
I have friends that work for a government contractor. One of them had a cute quote a few years ago. “We don’t kill people. We make killing people easier.”
The last time I used my crock pot was a couple weeks ago, and more for warming up food than cooking it in the first place, for a potluck at work. I told everyone it was “Swiss Vegetable Medley” because that’s what the recipe said. However once it was discovered that it contained Lutheran Paste (cream of mushroom soup), I was firmly told what I had really brought was hot dish, and that by me trying to call it anything else only proved that I’m an out-of-towner. The French Fried Onions on top only buried me in guilt. These weird Minnesotans… So what did you make last night, and were you mocked for it?
I actually bought a can of pre-made Indian balti sauce…threw it in with chicken and onions and potatoes and carrots. Again, edible but not great. I am starting to think that I’m not very good at this cooking thing!