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April 28, 2007 6:34 AM Subscribe
Hit Record -- the website of child actor-turned-respectable young thespian Joseph Gordon-Levitt. [more inside]
His character and Kristen Johnston's (well, ok, and Wayne Knight) had the only parts of 3rd Rock that were actually ever funny. So I'm inclined to cut the guy a break for the 'child actor' part. (Where the hell is Kristen Johnston these days, anyway?)
(Only marginally related, 3rd rock always makes me think of the old SNL Weekend Update bit: "A commuter plan ran off the runway at Chicago's O'Hare Airport last night. Sadly, actor French Stewart was not killed in the accident.")
posted by lodurr at 6:58 AM on April 28, 2007
(Only marginally related, 3rd rock always makes me think of the old SNL Weekend Update bit: "A commuter plan ran off the runway at Chicago's O'Hare Airport last night. Sadly, actor French Stewart was not killed in the accident.")
posted by lodurr at 6:58 AM on April 28, 2007
Even as a child actor, Gordon-Levitt didn't play his roles in a typical child actor fashion. His comic timing was very mature, as he consistently held his own with a scene-chewing John Lithgow, which is saying something.
posted by psmealey at 6:59 AM on April 28, 2007
posted by psmealey at 6:59 AM on April 28, 2007
Thanks. Pictures of Assholes was interesting.
I like his acting. Brick was great, The Lookout was pretty good. Hated that Araki movie but the performance was good. Never saw him on TV.
posted by dobbs at 7:06 AM on April 28, 2007
I like his acting. Brick was great, The Lookout was pretty good. Hated that Araki movie but the performance was good. Never saw him on TV.
posted by dobbs at 7:06 AM on April 28, 2007
Kristen Johnson was hysterical (and oddly, gorgeous in a non-conventional kind of way), I wonder what happened to her as well.
At any rate, the "Hit Record" thing was a mildly entertaining (and slickly produced) home-made film short. It's at least as good as some of the better things I've seen on YouTube, but ultimately, that isn't saying much. The "Pictures of Assholes" thing was a good concept, but wasn't as funny as it could have been. Overall, there's some promise here, but nothing yet to write home about.
posted by psmealey at 7:09 AM on April 28, 2007
At any rate, the "Hit Record" thing was a mildly entertaining (and slickly produced) home-made film short. It's at least as good as some of the better things I've seen on YouTube, but ultimately, that isn't saying much. The "Pictures of Assholes" thing was a good concept, but wasn't as funny as it could have been. Overall, there's some promise here, but nothing yet to write home about.
posted by psmealey at 7:09 AM on April 28, 2007
Pictures of Assholes is fantastically interesting.
"It's been like this ever since La Dolce Vita. Who directed that?"
"Fellini."
"Who?"
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:12 AM on April 28, 2007
"It's been like this ever since La Dolce Vita. Who directed that?"
"Fellini."
"Who?"
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:12 AM on April 28, 2007
lodurr: Shortly after the release of Brick, I told a friend of mine of its brilliance and how I had developed a crush on this new indie actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Quoth my friend: "what are you, twelve?!" Then again, if Ryan Gosling can go from The Mickey Mouse Club (where he starred opposite Britney Spears, egads) to Half Nelson...
posted by pxe2000 at 7:14 AM on April 28, 2007
posted by pxe2000 at 7:14 AM on April 28, 2007
Pictures of Assholes would have been better if he wasn't pissed off. His undercurrent of resentment sucks the potential humor out of it. He could have played it a lot cooler.
posted by desjardins at 7:17 AM on April 28, 2007
posted by desjardins at 7:17 AM on April 28, 2007
I dunno, Levitt seemed to have charmed the younger guy quite a bit. I didn't get that he was pissed off so much as incredulous. The ignorance, vanity, and, ultimately celebrity-worship the younger guy displayed on camera was quite humorous to me.
posted by WolfDaddy at 7:26 AM on April 28, 2007
posted by WolfDaddy at 7:26 AM on April 28, 2007
I sort of got the idea that they had won each other over a bit. The whole concept of celebrity is troubling. When does legitimate interest in an artist (I think he's a good actor who hasn't had a good role yet) turn into creepy voyeurism?
I love my colleagues, but it drives me crazy to hear them go on and on about celebrities. It's preditory and boring. And then I have to say, I find myself interested in knowing if JGL is gay, which is, I guess, totally not my business, and probably not that interesting. But that's the thing about celebrity-- it's probably not healthy, but it sucks you in.
He's a talented kid. I hope his distain of celebrity will help him avoid the hollywood bubble that turns great actors (Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep) into prevayors of insipid kitch.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 7:57 AM on April 28, 2007
I love my colleagues, but it drives me crazy to hear them go on and on about celebrities. It's preditory and boring. And then I have to say, I find myself interested in knowing if JGL is gay, which is, I guess, totally not my business, and probably not that interesting. But that's the thing about celebrity-- it's probably not healthy, but it sucks you in.
He's a talented kid. I hope his distain of celebrity will help him avoid the hollywood bubble that turns great actors (Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep) into prevayors of insipid kitch.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 7:57 AM on April 28, 2007
I liked Pictures of Assholes a lot. I don't think he was going for funny -- at first he was pissed, then he wanted to understand these guys. It was a neat human moment. I loved how at first they're trying to belittle him for not being as famous as some people -- like he's going to feel bad about that, when being treated as a celebrity when he is minding his own business is his beef with these guys!
posted by Methylviolet at 8:38 AM on April 28, 2007
posted by Methylviolet at 8:38 AM on April 28, 2007
I thought Pictures of Assholes was really interesting. It was a neat human moment, as Methylviolet said, and a nice documentary moment.
And I thought Joseph Gordon-Levitt was great in Latter Days.
posted by sueinnyc at 9:22 AM on April 28, 2007
And I thought Joseph Gordon-Levitt was great in Latter Days.
posted by sueinnyc at 9:22 AM on April 28, 2007
psmealey : Kristen Johnson was hysterical (and oddly, gorgeous in a non-conventional kind of way), I wonder what happened to her as well.
Well, according to IMDB she's been working on ER and just did a movie with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore.
I always liked her as well. I wish she would do more work in stuff that I actually want to see.
posted by quin at 9:59 AM on April 28, 2007
Well, according to IMDB she's been working on ER and just did a movie with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore.
I always liked her as well. I wish she would do more work in stuff that I actually want to see.
posted by quin at 9:59 AM on April 28, 2007
Gotta have respect for someone who registers his domain name using the pseudonym Abdul Schwartz.
posted by greatgefilte at 10:08 AM on April 28, 2007
posted by greatgefilte at 10:08 AM on April 28, 2007
"He's a talented kid" qua intelligent observation is on par with Chris Rock's "He speaks so well" riff on people who "enjoy" Colin Powell.
posted by phaedon at 10:44 AM on April 28, 2007
posted by phaedon at 10:44 AM on April 28, 2007
gesamtkunstwerk - I find myself interested in knowing if JGL is gay
He's gay? I thought he was just a superb actor in Mysterious Skin.
Am I the only straight guy who thinks Kristen Johnston is completely hands-down stone-cold hot?
posted by porpoise at 11:47 AM on April 28, 2007
He's gay? I thought he was just a superb actor in Mysterious Skin.
Am I the only straight guy who thinks Kristen Johnston is completely hands-down stone-cold hot?
posted by porpoise at 11:47 AM on April 28, 2007
I'm with you, porpoise.
posted by basicchannel at 11:52 AM on April 28, 2007
posted by basicchannel at 11:52 AM on April 28, 2007
Am I the only straight guy who thinks Kristen Johnston is completely hands-down stone-cold hot?
Nope.
posted by Snyder at 11:54 AM on April 28, 2007
Nope.
posted by Snyder at 11:54 AM on April 28, 2007
Y'know, I've always thought he was talented. And unbelievably, ridiculously, painfully beautiful.
And he's smart? And modest? And despises the concept of celebrity?
Please let him be gay. I want to marry him lots.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:00 PM on April 28, 2007
And he's smart? And modest? And despises the concept of celebrity?
Please let him be gay. I want to marry him lots.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:00 PM on April 28, 2007
I saw him on stage at the carnegie hall playing a tiny ukulele (it was for the McGarrigle Christmas Hour: rarely I had the opportunity to see so much talent on the same stage). He was charming, funny, sweet, modest and full of heart.
Rufus Wainwright introduced him as the most handsome man on the planet. I definitely don't disagree.
Dirtynumbangelboy, I'm first in line.
posted by keepoutofreach at 4:57 PM on April 28, 2007
Rufus Wainwright introduced him as the most handsome man on the planet. I definitely don't disagree.
Dirtynumbangelboy, I'm first in line.
posted by keepoutofreach at 4:57 PM on April 28, 2007
In the interest of full disclosure, I kind of sent him an email to hitrecord.org after seeing Brick. While I would join in on the expression of JGL's ability to make me all weak-kneed and swoony, I will refrain, lest he see this. :#}
posted by pxe2000 at 5:12 PM on April 28, 2007
posted by pxe2000 at 5:12 PM on April 28, 2007
Well, he used to date Julia Stiles. Which I only know because I built houses for HFH in Costa Rica on the same team she worked on and she talked about him one evening in passing. That would have been in, um, 1999 I think? I can't believe I still remember that, actually. Don't know anything else though.
posted by jeanmari at 6:56 PM on April 28, 2007
posted by jeanmari at 6:56 PM on April 28, 2007
I'm twenty years older than he, and am not really that into guys his age. Why would it feel so good to know he was gay? This is the weird side of being a celebrity. Why should I care? Yet I find myself interested.
Regardless, I really do hope he gets better roles (I haven't seen Brick, but I loathed Mysterious Skin, though I did like many of the actors). It's nice to see someone with a brain do well. I wish him continued success.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 9:12 PM on April 28, 2007
Regardless, I really do hope he gets better roles (I haven't seen Brick, but I loathed Mysterious Skin, though I did like many of the actors). It's nice to see someone with a brain do well. I wish him continued success.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 9:12 PM on April 28, 2007
the nytimes has also noticed his rising star powah! but then i had hopes for james duval, wiley wiggins and wil wheaton :P
posted by kliuless at 5:35 AM on April 29, 2007
posted by kliuless at 5:35 AM on April 29, 2007
I love my colleagues, but it drives me crazy to hear them go on and on about celebrities. It's preditory and boring.
I couldn't agree more. That whole industry (in which those two "assholes" are happy participants) that enables that sick addiction is itself morally squalid and devoid of any human compassion. It cheapens us all. Whever I see my wife on some terrible site like Perez Hilton's or theSuperficial.com, or else be subjected to E! playing at the gym when I'm trying to get a workout in, it depresses me.
posted by psmealey at 11:22 AM on April 29, 2007
I couldn't agree more. That whole industry (in which those two "assholes" are happy participants) that enables that sick addiction is itself morally squalid and devoid of any human compassion. It cheapens us all. Whever I see my wife on some terrible site like Perez Hilton's or theSuperficial.com, or else be subjected to E! playing at the gym when I'm trying to get a workout in, it depresses me.
posted by psmealey at 11:22 AM on April 29, 2007
Dirtynumbangelboy, I'm first in line.
I will break you in half first.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:55 PM on April 29, 2007
I will break you in half first.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:55 PM on April 29, 2007
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Third RockBrick is the new Bud Cort.posted by pxe2000 at 6:36 AM on April 28, 2007