Does anyone else think it a little odd that there should be two different, nearly identical movies about Truman Capote within the same year? Im not sure of the reasoning behind this, rather then it is trying to prove a point that movies should not be made based off of others, but that is just an idea.
Posts: 635 | Location: California | Registered: 24 August 2004
They actually went into production virtually simultaneously, but CAPOTE made it out of the starting gate first so the producers held back INFAMOUS for almost a year.
CAPOTE won accolades and Seymour Phillip Hoffman deservedly bagged a Best Actor nomination so INFAMOUS had a hard act to follow. The sad part of this story is that INFAMOUS is every bit as good as CAPOTE and Toby Jones is as good as Hoffman was, though Jones' take on Capote is very different that Hoffman's.
INFAMOUS has bombed at the box office. The studio pulled the ads after the first week of release and the film was playing in less theatres week 2 than week 1 so it is going to have a short theatrical life. It is a shame because INFAMOUS is well worth seeing even if you've seen CAPOTE.
This got me to thinking about duplicate films or films on the same subject that came out simulataneously.
It isn't all that common, but it does occur. For example, back in the late 1980s there were two competing films based on the LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSE story. The formidable Milos Foreman directed one version called VALMONT and Stephen Frears the other, DANGEROUS LIAISONS.
If memory serves me correctly, the Frears version was favorably reviewed, while the Foreman version fared less well with the critics. I did see the Frears version on its original theatrical release, but didn't catch up with VALMONT until 2005, on video.
And in the early 1990s there were competing versions about the discovery of America. Ridley Scott directed one version, 1492, and there was another version, that was ridiculed by the critics, that starred or had Marlon Brando in it. I don't think either film fared well with the critics.
This got me to thinking about duplicate films or films on the same subject that came out simulataneously.
Another example, about a year apart, comes in two films about the late runner Steve Prefontaine.
1997 had "Prefontaine," followed by "Without Limits" in 1998. I haven't seen the former, but the latter is excellent. Good performances by someone I've never heard of (Billy Crudup) as Pre and Donald Sutherland as his coach, and a valid take on how the fateful car crash happened.
As for "Infamous," it's a shame that it'll always be in the shadow of "Capote." If "Infamous" had been released first, would it have won the Oscar and fame instead? I guess we'll never know.
Posts: 610 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 18 October 2005
I remember when those two Prefontaine bio pics came out. Like you I saw the latter of the two and thought it was a good film directed by I believe Robert Towne, best known for his screenwriting skills (CHINATOWN, SHAMPOO).
The other bio pic, which I believe came out first, came and went in about a minute and even if I wanted to see it in a theatre I couldn't have it came and went so fast. If memory serves me correctly, it was directed by Steve James, one of the directors of the acclaimed basketball documentary HOOP DREAMS.
I actually saw the other one. Jared Leto (Ledo?) as Pre and R. Lee Ermy as the coach. It was okay. Typical biopic. Being a fan of Pre's in the early 70s, it was interesting to see him bio'd twice 20 years after death. I suppose the coach's success with Nike has something to do with it. Nike recently put out a poster with a photo of Pre asking "where are the rock star runners" making me think that Pre was the Pre-cursor to people like Agassi and Kornakova who were annointed for their looks and charisma before their talent cashed the check. Agassi eventually did, Kornakova never did and Pre died young, like James Dean, leaving him an eternal legend. But it's kind of funny that one of the few track stars ever bio'd (and bio'd twice) was a guy who never held the world record for his event or won a gold medal.
He was white. He was cute. He died young. Let's make a movie about him. Let's make two.
The funny thing about the Capote movies is the guy led an interesting life and both movies focus on that one chapter of it (albeit his most successful chapter).
Posts: 5 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 23 December 2006
But it's kind of funny that one of the few track stars ever bio'd (and bio'd twice) was a guy who never held the world record for his event or won a gold medal.
He was white. He was cute. He died young. Let's make a movie about him. Let's make two.
You have a suggestion for a track star that would make a better movie?
And what's with this pairs thing? two Pre movies, two Capote movies, two 9/11 movies, all released less than a year apart. What, nobody ever says "hey, let's make three movies about this topic?"
Believe me, coming from a guy who lives in the city where Pre ran and died, his life had plenty of events that good sports movies are made of. The fact that he barely missed medalling in that race in Munich is probably more entertaining than the cheesy come-from-behind-and-win-the-championship thing you usually see.
I never thought about the similarities between him and James Dean. Hmmm.
Posts: 610 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 18 October 2005
