Brian Robbins, the auteur of Norbit and co-producer of Wild Hogs, is confused. According to a Reuters wire story, the poor guy can't understand why his movies get such terrible reviews: "Is the audience that stupid? Is America's taste that bad? I don't think so...The only films that get good reviews are the ones that nobody sees."
Okay, Brian. Mind if I through out a few titles of recent movies? The Incredibles, for instance, or Casino Royale? But let's stick with your metier--comedy. How about The Forty-Year-Old Virgin or Talladega Nights? Better still, how about Borat? What do they all have in common? All of them made a mint, and the reviews for all of them ranged from respectable to ecstatic. Of course, all of these movies were made by people with talent, something Brian apparently doesn't recognize or understand.
The really infuriating thing about this interview is his defense of Eddie Murphy's less-than-stellar work in Norbit. "Eddie plays three amazingly different characters brilliantly. How could you not praise that? No offense to Alan Arkin, but he couldn't do what Eddie did in Norbit."
No, he couldn't, because Arkin has some sense of pride.
Seriously, Brian, have you no shame? To play those "amazingly different characters"--one of which is a grotesque and offensive Asian caricature--Murphy is cocooned under so much latex that he becomes unrecognizable, and the performance becomes nothing more than funny voices. This is genius?
And yes, Brian, Arkin could do that, and more. You'd think a guy directing a comedy would know a bit about his art. Arkin was a founding member of Second City, the improv company that has probably had more of an impact on modern American comedy than anything. In his film career, Arkin has played everything from Soviets to Latinos (hell, he even played Inspector Clouseau once), but unlike Murphy, he always plays his characters, even in the most broad situations, as real people. Also, he starred in and co-produced the 1979 film The In-Laws, one of my favorite comedies, and a movie that was--are you listening, Brian?--well received by both the critics and the public.
Any parting words of wisdom, Brian? "Don't read the reviews. Funny trumps. Work with movie stars."
Yes, because unless a movie has big, big stars, it just isn't worth seeing.
