Okay, Mike Judge fans here's news to to brighten and / or darken your world. On the positive side the director of Office Space, King of the Hill and Idiocracy has gotten the green light to make a new film about an ambulance chasing lawyer titled Extract. On the negative side the lawyer is slated to be played by Ben Affleck. Am I being a bit hard on Ben? Maybe, but I don't plan on being any nicer to him until he stops making crappy movies.
Does GONE BABY GONE count as not crappy? Affleck rarely drags a film down; he's merely indiscriminate in what he chooses to appear in sometimes. Mike Judge and Affleck sounds like a good combination to me.
This surprisingly does not bother me. This could indeed be a good fit. Affleck is much better when he is doing goofy ah-shucks (Mike Judge flirts with this style) comedy.
And I second the CHANGING LANES recommendation. Everyone is solid in that.
Gone Baby Gone was indeed excellent.
Affleck is well on the road to mainstream forgiveness for the past sins highlighted in Todd's post.
I think Affleck is fine on occasion, like the aforementioned CHANGING LANES, but I've never seen him display any comedic timing. Maybe it's just because I'm thinking of his tiny roles in Kevin Smith movies, like JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK and CLERKS II, but he isn't taking the comedy seriously. Who knows what'll happen when he's working with a comic talent like Judge? But I can understand why Todd is skeptical.
And like the two previous gents, I thought GONE BABY GONE was terrific.
I'll bite - why the hate for Judge?
I will pose this as a rhetorical question: what has he done since Office Space that fully or even partially executes on the single fresh idea that he seems to come up with every now and then?
IDIOCRACY was really funny ! I thought it was a really fun film, not as good as OFFICE SPACE thought.
Too bad it didn't get more exposure, this one could have become a real hit. Maybe Judge needs Affleck in order to go back on the map.
I love Jersey Girl.
There I said it.