A new Marilyn Monroe movie? AI makes it possible
Richard Leavitt, Oakland
Hi there, Richard: The temptations here are great. I'd like to see Marilyn Monroe in a good movie where, for once, she doesn't play an idiot. I'd like to see how beautiful, mature and interesting she might have been in her 40s, and I'd like to see James Dean in his 30s. I can think of lots of things I'd like to see. Further, I can imagine a time when every actor has two bodies of work — the work they did, and the work that was done to them, without their consent.
But in the end, this has to be about something more than the enhancement or diminishment of the movie experience. To take an actor's spirit, put it into a fake, computer-generated body and then force it to do things they never did and wouldn't do — that strikes me as the virtual definition of dying and going to hell.
Fortunately, the marketplace will curtail some of this. There's never going to be a huge vogue for dead actors, though I can imagine one or two having the hellish misfortune of breaking through.
Dear Mick LaSalle: Concerning ' the deft Lepard ' (a play on words in LaSalle's review of 'Dangerous Animals,' in which he praises writer Nick Lepard's script as 'deft'), I can't help asking if you're actually a Def Leppard fan or just taking advantage of the opportunity? I went to Brooklyn in 2019 to see their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Dear Cindy Ward: I'm probably not as intense a fan as you, but I'm definitely a fan. Back in the day, I bought 'Pyromania' and 'Hysteria,' and later I got their greatest hits. In particular, I played the 'Hysteria' album over and over.
The main thing I like about Def Leppard is that, though they're often called a heavy metal band, they have a real gift for melody. 'Armageddon It,' 'Photograph,' 'Animal' — just to name three songs of many — have great melodies, and more than that, they're generous with them. Even the guitar licks are pretty. I think they're terrific.
Hi, Mick: Thank you for bringing up the idea of welcoming Kevin Spacey back! I would love to see ' All the Money in the World ' the way it was originally filmed, and would really love to see the shelved Gore Vidal biography starring Spacey.
Ann Winters, Santa Cruz
Hi, Ann: At this point, with Spacey acquitted on both sides of the Atlantic, the only reason to keep him out of movies is that he's not a nice guy. But nobody has any investment in Spacey being a nice guy. Have you ever seen him interviewed? Spacey can't even imitate a nice guy. There's a fascinating documentary, ' Now: In the Wings on a World Stage ' (2014), which shows Spacey taking his production 'Richard III' around the world. Though the movie was intended as a puff piece, it makes it clear that the whole cast was scared of him, and with reason.
But do I care about this? No, because it isn't surprising. Yes, I'd be disappointed if I found out that George Clooney is a creep, because he seems like such a good guy, but Spacey? Who else are you going to get to play a fabulously talented creep like Gore Vidal. Tom Hanks?
As for 'All the Money in the World,' I'd pay money to see the Spacey version, but not because of Spacey, but rather to see how Michelle Williams played opposite Spacey versus Christopher Plummer, who took over the role. Actors listen and react in the moment, and I want to see how a great actress responds to the different energies of two very different actors.
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