Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Watched a doco on the life of Robert Evans called The Kid Stays in the Picture. It was entertaining, no doubt about it. Also very slick.
It wasn't your usual doco, because it was based on Evans' book, and narrated by him. How solipsistic is that? So, it obviously wasn't going to be objective. But then, objectivity isn't exactly a requirement for the genre these days is it?
Although it's no secret that Hollywood stars are egomaniacal, there are some particularly juicy examples of this that Evans relates. Take, for example, Mia Farrow and ex-hubby Sinatra. Frankie was getting especially cranky over her commitment to Rosemary's Baby - mainly because he had a competing project on the go - and threatened divorce if she continued working on the film.
Farrow was going to buckle, and quit the gig, but Evans talked her around, saying that her performance was brilliant. Appealing to her vanity (personal and professional) cheered her up no end. She kept on working, and Frank got his divorce. When RB wiped the floor with Sinatra's project (I forget the name of it) she wanted to take a full page ad out showing the box office taking of both pictures, just to rub it in! Crikey, how mean is that?
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" says Evans, after relating the episode. Certainly a sentiment that Woody Allen would no doubt agree with.
But then Evans himself is a bit of a blow-hard and a prima don.
The guy certainly had his ups and downs, but he hardly had what could be called a rough life by most people's standards. Yet he insists on painting himself as some kind of heroic battler against the odds.
One of his "struggles" was with cocaine. Hell, why was he complaining? Most people never accumulate enough money to be able to to try it, let alone get hooked on it (er, without having to steal stuff, that is).
His punishment when he was busted? He had to produce an anti-drugs ad! (It's shown in the doco. Dozens of celebs - half probably doped up to the eyeballs anyway - all chanting "get high on yourself". Crikey, you'd have to get stoned to be able watch it all the way through without hurling...)
It wasn't your usual doco, because it was based on Evans' book, and narrated by him. How solipsistic is that? So, it obviously wasn't going to be objective. But then, objectivity isn't exactly a requirement for the genre these days is it?
Although it's no secret that Hollywood stars are egomaniacal, there are some particularly juicy examples of this that Evans relates. Take, for example, Mia Farrow and ex-hubby Sinatra. Frankie was getting especially cranky over her commitment to Rosemary's Baby - mainly because he had a competing project on the go - and threatened divorce if she continued working on the film.
Farrow was going to buckle, and quit the gig, but Evans talked her around, saying that her performance was brilliant. Appealing to her vanity (personal and professional) cheered her up no end. She kept on working, and Frank got his divorce. When RB wiped the floor with Sinatra's project (I forget the name of it) she wanted to take a full page ad out showing the box office taking of both pictures, just to rub it in! Crikey, how mean is that?
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" says Evans, after relating the episode. Certainly a sentiment that Woody Allen would no doubt agree with.
But then Evans himself is a bit of a blow-hard and a prima don.
The guy certainly had his ups and downs, but he hardly had what could be called a rough life by most people's standards. Yet he insists on painting himself as some kind of heroic battler against the odds.
One of his "struggles" was with cocaine. Hell, why was he complaining? Most people never accumulate enough money to be able to to try it, let alone get hooked on it (er, without having to steal stuff, that is).
His punishment when he was busted? He had to produce an anti-drugs ad! (It's shown in the doco. Dozens of celebs - half probably doped up to the eyeballs anyway - all chanting "get high on yourself". Crikey, you'd have to get stoned to be able watch it all the way through without hurling...)
