…and Harrison Ford as Ash. Now pick your jaw up and read on.
We are going to switch some roles around and look at what might have been. Of course we are going to start with what made your jaw drop to begin with. I am so looking forward to the comments on this one.
Actors: Bruce Campbell, Harrison Ford
Movies: Army of Darkness, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
I can just see Bruce on screen with Sean Connery. Just picture it. Bruce has played this type of character before. Call Indy a hybrid of Ash and Briscoe County Jr. Think of the added wit this would have brought to the franchise. Talk about a guy that do his own stunts. Sam Raimi once ran into Bruce while on a motorcycle with a camera strapped to it just to get a shot for the Evil Dead. Bruce Campbell is a very talented actor and I believe while it would be a different movie I would still enjoy it.
Now let's look at Harrison "Quit calling me Jack" Ford as Ash. Totally different movie. I mean really Ford saying "Good, bad , I am the guy with the gun” sells me on this. Really at the base of the 2 characters is only one major difference. Indy does what he does because of his passion for it. Ash just kind of fell into it and is trying to make the best of a bad situation. So we have Harrison taking on the undead. I am picturing the scene with the mini Ashes. I think being the talented actor that Ford is he would have a lot of fun with the physical comedy involved in this scene.
Actors: Nicholas Cage, John Cusack
Movies: Ghost Rider, Ice Harvest
Cage is one of my favorite actors to hate. Granted he has done some good movies and was outstanding in Leaving Las Vegas but Ghost Rider made me angry on several levels. There is also other recasting to be done here but that will be another article.
Anyway I got the idea of John Cusack as Ghost Rider from my buddy Statty (Yes we hang out that much.) as he is much more familiar with the comic than I am (Movie Whore not Comic Whore). This idea appeals to me because you don’t need some one overly physical or built for the role and as I am writing this I am picturing John and I can definitely see it. Now I will admit to being a huge Cusack fan and I can’t wait for War Inc to come out but just go down this road with me for bit. Think about delivery and attitude and I would say I could see him easily pulling this off and making it a better movie just with his presence. John can do the physical stuff and since most of the “Rider” scenes depend on CGI for appearance all you need is a good actor that can carry off the dialog. I think John has would have the perfect delivery for to make this watchable. Other possibilities include Jude Law and Daniel Craig.
OK it was tough to pick a Cusack flick for Nick to screw up but went with Ice Harvest because Billy Bob Thornton can make other people better. For this reason I could have also chosen Pushing Tin. I loved both movies. OK so I am seeing Cage in Ice Harvest as this nervous guy following Thornton’s lead. I think it would actually be funnier since Cage is more physically imposing than Billy Bob. It would add a new dimension to the character and possibly make it funnier.
Actors: Hayden Christensen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Movies: Episode II, Brick
OK so really this is just to see anyone else as Anakin Skywalker. If you are not familiar Joe or the movie Brick I highly recommend it. However watch it with the subtitles on as there is a lot slang and it helps with the context.
Ok so Joe in Episode II would have been much better. This is also the kid the did the Lookout, which again is a good movie which he delivers a solid performance. I think he would bring the acting ability that is sorely lacking in this film. How do you put Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Samuel L Jackson around a guy with no talent? Think of how much better these scenes would have been with a good actor. Joe can pull off anything in my book and if you are questioning comedy then go back and watch 3rd Rock from the Sun. Yes he was the kid alien. Doesn’t that just blow your mind?
If your doubting my thoughts on Brick then by all means check the tomato meter here. 78% is a damn good score. This movie would be ruined but it would show how much an actor Hayden isn’t and then hopefully he would fade away and we would not have to endure him any longer. I curse George Lucas for giving us such a pathetic whelp that now we are stuck with as they keep giving him movies. Like one set for 2009 called Neuromancer where he puts himself into the internet. I’m still twitching.
Well I can definitely say that we have not even scratched the surface on this topic and I will be returning to this topic in the future. Keep an eye for “The Hollywood Switch” in the future. If you have any actor combos you think you can stump me on let me know. Thanks again to Michael Ott for giving me the idea and the first switch.
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7 comments:
I'm sorry but I only understood two things about this post and they were
John Cusack and Nicholas Cage.
Because they're both hot.
Drink some coffee and come back or have one of the women in your head look it over.
Serioulsy. It is all about Taking actors out of one roll and putting them in another. Switching Bruce Campbel as Ash for Harrison Ford as Indy.
I think you are on to something about Bruce Campbell as Indiana Jones. Good ole' Bruce would be more than an adequate replacement, which is saying a lot considering Harrison Ford was built for the role.
I loathe Nicholas Cage. His over acting makes me sick, yet I watch most of his movies anyway.
Hayden is a worthless piece of garbage. At least Mark Hamill had endearing qualities as a Luke to compensate for his inability to act.
Finally, I first read this post over on the Lime of Rust, and the photoshopped Indiana Campbell frightened the crap out of me.
Strangely, a very similar conversation was had here at work tonight. We watched Shaft. The remake, not the original. I dont want any grief on that...it was on the TV. Nothing else was! :) But really. Who else could have played him other then Samuel L Jackson?
Laurence Fishburn? Morgan Freeman? Denzel Washington? Will Smith? Jamie Foxx? Forest Whitaker?
I cannot see any of them playing Shaft. Maybe Will Smith on a (very) good day, but he just doesnt have that "thing" that Jackson has.
Would the film have worked with a different actor?
Greg, It should have scared you.
Sy, oh no it had to be Sam Jackson but the script could have been a fuck load better.
I think they went the way of "We have a following because everyone knows Shaft, so fuck the script" route.
That would certainly explain a lot.
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