"The Italian Job" Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

Get in. Get out. Get even.
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/152/501495.jpg
"I've made a few plans of my own." - Steve Frezelli

Release Date: May 30, 2003
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron, Mos Def, Franky G, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Donald Sutherland

Plot Summary: A remake of the 1969 Paramount release of the same name that starred Michael Caine and Benny Hill. The new version, a reinvention of the action-oriented heist movie, will be set in Italy and Los Angeles. It stars Mark Wahlberg as Charlie, the head of a robbery crew that stages a traffic jam in order to steal back a safe filled with gold that had been stolen by a double-crossing associate (Norton). Sutherland will play the pivotal role of Charlie's mentor and father to Charlie's love interest, Stella (Theron). Green will play Lyle, a computer whiz who is part of Charlie's crew. Franky G. and Mos Def also star as members of the crew.

Visit the official movie site here (http://www.italianjobmovie.com/).

Buy the movie! (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000B1OFL/toonzone03)

Comments?

I can't remember where I read it now, but Mark Wahlberg has gone on record as saying this is his best movie to date. The promos have been running almost non-stop on the shows I watch and it looks pretty cool. Talk about "The Italian Job" here!

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006409W.01-A3LTAW8FHJ63G2.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

That game is based on the original film. I wouldn't be surpised if a new one is in the works.

[Steven C]

I liked the movie. I never saw the original, maybe I'll rent it one day.

[Terminatah]

I can't remember where I read it now, but Mark Wahlberg has gone on record as saying this is his best movie to date.I think this movie was a lot of fun, but it definitely wasn't Mark Wahlberg's best. I believe that honor goes to Renaissance Man.

-Terminatah

[Lonestarr]

I went to see this today. I don't know much about the original, but this remake was a lot of fun.

Pros:
- the ensemble (esp. Seth Green)
- the heist scenes
- the chase scenes

Cons:
- Franky G's character was somewhat underdeveloped
- Edward Norton's uneven performance (He was appropriately nasty at times, but other times, he seemed bored. I'm well aware that he practically did this film under duress, but he should've been better.)

****

[Sugar Daddy]

I really enjoyed this movie. Had action, a lil bit of drama, all that good stuff that make a good movie. Well worth the admission.


- Edward Norton's uneven performance (He was appropriately nasty at times, but other times, he seemed bored. I'm well aware that he practically did this film under duress, but he should've been better.)

What kind of duress was he under?


Thanks

[Terminatah]

What kind of duress was he under?A long time ago, there was an actor named Ed Norton. He got his big break when he made his screen debut in Primal Fear (1996), which was produced by Paramount. His contract with Paramount had a stipulation which obligated him to make two more movies with them (this is a common thing in the film industry, so that studios can take chances with newcomers and cash in later, should they become superstars).

Ed Norton gained a lot of recognition for this role, and he went on to star in lots of other movies for other studios. In 1997, he entered into negotiations to star in Fox's Fight Club (1999). At this point, it is said that he believed his 2-picture Paramount option was expired. But Paramount had other ideas:

Paramount: "Hey, don't make Fight Club. You owe us like two movies."
Ed Norton: "Our deal expired though, didn't it?"
Paramount: "Nope."
Ed Norton: "OK. I'm going to go make Fight Club now."
Paramount: "Check this out, we're making a movie called Twenty Billion. Doesn't that sound better than Fight Club?"
Ed Norton: "I really really like Fight Club. It's a book too."
Paramount: "What!"

Later...

Paramount: "Suzy, take this down. Dear Fox, we hear you're making a movie called Fight Club based on the book. How nice for you! We loved the book and we will see the movie. We were thinking of making a movie like that too, with a guy who joins a club and gets into fights. Anyway, we have a deal with Ed Norton. Give him back or we'll sue you until your brains are melting out of your heads like so much mucus. A lot of other studios will tell you that we're crazy. Anyway, good luck with your movie. We hope it goes well without Ed Norton, and we look forward to seeing it. If it comes out in theaters."

Later...

Fox: "Oh, snap. Uh, listen, Ed. We really like you and squit, but Paramount says they gonna sue us, and... how can we put this... we don't HAVE to cast you? And squit?"
Ed Norton: "OK, OK, I'll take care of it."

Later...

Ed Limato: "Hey, what's up?"
Paramount: "Sup."
Ed Limato: "I'm Ed Norton's agent."
Paramount: "What do you want?"
Ed Limato: "Let's do this. We'll have a new contract where Ed Norton makes one more movie with you for a million bucks."
Paramount: "OK."
Ed Limato: "OK, you and Ed Norton can decide on a movie in the next 18 months. Now I'll just take this briefcase full of money and go home and watch two televisions at once."

But instead of 18 months, they spent years trying to find one movie they could agree on. Paramount knocked around some ideas, which Ed Norton declined, and vice versa. One of Ed Norton's suggestions was 25th Hour (2002), which he eventually ended up making with Disney.

Later, Ed Norton agreed to make a movie called The Score (2001) with Robert DeNiro and Marlon Brando.

Ed Norton: "Hey, you know how Mandalay Pictures Entertainment is producing The Score and you guys are distributing it?"
Paramount: "Yeah."
Ed Norton: "Can that count as my movie?"
Paramount: "Your movie for us? No."
Ed Norton: "Why not?"
Paramount: "This is... we're not making this. Mandalay Pictures Entertainment is making this. We're just distributing it."
Ed Norton: "It's the same thing!"
Paramount: "No. You have to be in a movie that WE'RE making."
Ed Norton: "Fine."
Paramount: "That's the deal."
Ed Norton: "FINE."
Mandalay Pictures Entertainment: "Hey, Ed! Come on, let's make this movie!"
Ed Norton: "(glaring at Paramount) I'd like that."

More time passed. Eventually, they came to an agreement sometime in 2002.

Paramount: "... so they create the world's biggest traffic jam so they can steal your gold and get away in their Mini Coopers."
Ed Norton: "... I don't like it."
Paramount: "Come on! You didn't like The Core either, and that's going to be a HUGE hit! Just do this movie, please."
Ed Norton: "No, I don't want to do it."
Paramount: "It's a remake, so you know it will be popular, because it will remind people of the original."
Ed Norton: "No."
Paramount: "We call that a built-in audience. Like a sequel."
Ed Norton: "No."
Paramount: "Michael Caine was in the--"
Ed Norton: "No."
Paramount: "OK, how about this? You can make The Italian Job..."
Ed Norton: "Noooo..."
Paramount: "... or we can go to court and argue like lunatics."
Ed Norton's Lawyer: "You want a law suit, you got it! Ed, pay me money!"
Ed Norton: "Wait. Forget it. Let's just make the movie."
Paramount: "Yeah?"
Ed Norton: "I don't want to argue anymore. I'll be in the dumb movie and try to make it good."
Ed Norton's Lawyer: "(to Paramount) I'd just like to let you guys know that you are bastards!"
Paramount: "Ed, seriously, no foolin?"

Ed did his job and contributed to the development of his character and the script. Personal feelings aside, he maintained professionalism. Paramount may come off like a greedy maniac in this story, but in all fairness -- if they had let one guy get away with not making a movie he didn't want to do, they'd have to let everyone else get away with it too.

-Terminatah

[Lonestarr]

Nicely (and hilariously) put, Terminatah.

[Sugar Daddy]

Hey, thanks Terminatah, but I have a question.

Hopefully, I understand this correctly.

Ed was allowed to make movies with other studios while his Paramount option was still in play right? So how come he couldn't make Fight Club, but he could make other movies?


Hopefully I am understanding you correctly.


Many thanks

[Terminatah]

Hey, thanks Terminatah, but I have a question.

Hopefully, I understand this correctly.

Ed was allowed to make movies with other studios while his Paramount option was still in play right? So how come he couldn't make Fight Club, but he could make other movies?


Hopefully I am understanding you correctly.


Many thanksNo problem. He was allowed to make whatever movie he wanted. Fight Club just happened to come along at a time when Paramount wanted him to make some other movie.

-Terminatah

[Sugar Daddy]

Ah, I see. Makes sense. Poor Ed Norton, I guess.

Thanks

[Auggie Doggie]

That was hi-larious, Terminatah!