I wouldn't pay money to see a movie Tom Cruise is in. Not so much because I dislike Scientology (which, let me assure you, I DO, not least because the creepy new Scientology compound is around the corner from my house), but because Tom Cruise is so famous and so well know that when I see him in a movie I can't adequately believe that he's really the person he's playing on screen. The suspension of disbelief isn't there. I don't believe he's, say, Bob Smith, I just see Tom Cruise.

Erin.
::righteous babe::

Meh, I don't follow their lives. I sometimes hear stuff from others and sometimes see titles on magazines but i don't bother much to pay attention. And sometimes that stuff is false anyway. If a movie looks interesting, I'll watch it.

There's some actors that I don't like (because of their crappy acting) but I'll watch a movie with them in it just because I still want to see the movie.

I find this statement and others on this thread absolutely fascinating...do you all live in a bubble?? I am NOT a Hollywood gossip follower. I don't read tabloid magazines or People, yet how could you not hear about his anti-semitic rant when he was picked up for drunk driving...and then the tapes with the awful stuff he said to his wife including racial slurs and him confessing to hitting her, calling her a whore etc. It was on CNN, Fox, in my local paper. It's not like you have to go to TMZ or Perez Hilton online to find that stuff. It would be really really hard in the United States to NOT see or hear about it. Late night talk shows making jokes about it, Saturday Night Live, Jon Stewart, ANY morning talk show, local news program, or even magazines in the grocery store while you are checking out.

Yeah, I honestly haven't heard and don't know, as do others that have said so in this thread.
I've never seen Saturday Night Live and I have no clue who Jon Stewart is either.
I don't watch day time tv because I'm home schooling my daughter. I don't watch the news because I'm taking my daughter to her activities, teaching, and going to college full time myself.
Some us just have different lives

imadanseur wrote:

My husband and I have good friends that are Jewish...we know better than to even bring up the name Mel Gibson in their presence unless we want to ignite some major passion on what a scum bag he is. It doesn't matter what he is in or if he's even come as close as financing a project they won't go near it. After his treatment of his wife, ex-wife, and the anti-semitic comments I have to say I feel the same way, though I am a little hypocritical because if one of his previous movies is on tv I'd probably watch it.

I realize we all like some actors and don't like others based on their acting...my question is more about if their personal actions in their real life affect your decision to go see them on the big screen.

I don't think so , in fact i've seen a few of Lindsay Lohan's films and even own one of them and i could hardly careless about what she does in the press.

Yeah but Lohan is just a coke whore. As far as I know, she doesn't go around calling people racist epithets. I mean, there HAS to be SOME line, doesn't there? If the KKK produced a movie, you people would run out and see it? (and yes heart, I know you would. I'm not talking to you)

Most friends find me incomprehensibly out of the loop, something that my fiancé has been working with me on. Still, if you put them in a line in front of me, I probably couldn't tell you for certain which on is Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, or Johnny Depp.

I don't live a routine that puts me in much contact with information on the personal lives of celebs. After all, where do you learn it from? Online articles? I don't end up reading those. Magazines? I only have dance magazines (and now, a few bridal magazines). TV talk shows? Don't watch them. Like I said, my main source of such information is South Park (or Philip DeFranco). Not completely in a bubble, but I have to acknowledge a little bit of bubble-ness in my life.

I guess most of my information comes from talk radio because I drive sooooo much in my city (average 20,000 miles a year) and I have Sirius. I listen to sports news, Howard Stern, CNN. I read the news paper almost every morning and have ever since I was in high school. I just sort of thought most people did stuff like that because everyone I ever lived with has also sort of done that in some shape or form.

NEVER EVER watching Saturday Night Live? You know it's been on television almost 37 years right? WOW, I am just amazed by that. We lived on that show in high school...Church Lady, Waynes World? Classic stuff.

imadanseur wrote:

I guess most of my information comes from talk radio because I drive sooooo much in my city (average 20,000 miles a year) and I have Sirius. I listen to sports news, Howard Stern, CNN. I read the news paper almost every morning and have ever since I was in high school. I just sort of thought most people did stuff like that because everyone I ever lived with has also sort of done that in some shape or form.

NEVER EVER watching Saturday Night Live? You know it's been on television almost 37 years right? WOW, I am just amazed by that. We lived on that show in high school...Church Lady, Waynes World? Classic stuff.

LOL. I'm a Broadway soundtrack listener in the car. I can sing the entire musical score of obscure off-Broadway shows, but don't know what the fuss with Mel Gibson is.

And my fiancé has gotten me to watch one episode of Saturday Night Live...so YAY!

If what a person did is enough to ruin the suspension of disbelief, then I won't watch the film. But then again, I find that's the case for most mega-stars: their personal "brand" is bigger than the role they're playing, so it's very difficult to see them as the character.

That said though, I don't have a TV, we rarely go to the cinema and don't rent DVDs either so for us to watch a film, we either purchase it or rent a digital copy. We therefore watch so few movies that we don't actively boycott certain actors' films, merely choose very selectively which ones we want to spend our time watching. And I for one would rather watch something like The Social Network than the latest Tom Cruise blockbuster.

Oh and I think Mel Gibson's behaviour is abysmal.

Helen

panic wrote:

Yeah but Lohan is just a coke whore. As far as I know, she doesn't go around calling people racist epithets. I mean, there HAS to be SOME line, doesn't there? If the KKK produced a movie, you people would run out and see it? (and yes heart, I know you would. I'm not talking to you)

But my question is why should what a movie star does in there personal life, have any effect on whether you'll go see there movies or not?

To ME, seems like people have way to much time on there hands if they let what celeb's do in the media influence the movies they watch.

Because if the KKK produces a movie and you pay to see it (or promote it by word of mouth), you're basically giving money to the KKK. Is that really such a difficult concept?

Most friends find me incomprehensibly out of the loop, something that my fiancé has been working with me on. Still, if you put them in a line in front of me, I probably couldn't tell you for certain which on is Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, or Johnny Depp.

I know who Brad Pitt is but only because I was a HUGE Friends addict (Jennifer Aniston). Speaking of which, I love that Nick at Nite has Friends on .
I am embarrassed to say that I don't have a clue who Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp are. I've heard their names A LOT over the years, but I have no face to place with a name or anything.

Because if the KKK produces a movie and you pay to see it (or promote it by word of mouth), you're basically giving money to the KKK. Is that really such a difficult concept?

We have them peeps here. They creep me out.

PirateBayyyyyyy! LOL.

I am embarrassed to say that I don't have a clue who Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp are. I've heard their names A LOT over the years, but I have no face to place with a name or anything.

HUH?? What did you do growing up...before you had kids or you were married didn't you ever go to see a movie or look at a teen magazine? They both had movies or tv careers since the 80's. Risky Business, Top Gun, A Few Good Men, Rainman?? 21 Jump Street, Edward Scissor Hands, much less Pirates of the Caribbean. This totally amazes me.

I was reading a friend's post on fb yesterday. She is a write and was doing some unofficial research. She doesn't like to watch movies. At all. So, she never goes to the movies or watches them at home. She asked how many other people did not watch movies and I expected she would get few replies, but no! She had dozens of replies! I was truly shocked! (Wow, it would be so sad to never go to the movies or lose yourself in a movie.) So, apparently, there are many people who don't go to the movies and don't hear about the people who make them either. My own mother could not tell you who James Cameron is. Or Martin Scorcese. She does know who Ron Howard is, so I guess there is hope for her.

kk~

It's honestly hard for me to imagine not knowing who Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp are. And I mean absolutely no disrespect to those who don't know - I'm just being completely literal when I say that it's really difficult for me to imagine. I've known who both of them are since I was a child. Same with people like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Macauley Culkin (I was a HUGE fan of Home Alone as a kid), Julia Roberts, and many others. Now I'm starting to feel like my parents raised me to be some sort of pop culture addict, LOL!

I think my opinion of someone's personal life probably influences me to see or not see their movies more than I realize. I've noticed that I have been avoiding seeing anything with Gwyneth Paltrow for a while now, and I'm pretty sure it's because the way she comes across in her personal life really irks me. Mel Gibson is so far past the point of no return that I doubt very much I would be able to take him seriously in anything from this point on, although I can still watch his older movies. I guess somehow I'm able to convince myself that maybe he wasn't crazy back then, even though he probably was.

HUH?? What did you do growing up...before you had kids or you were married didn't you ever go to see a movie or look at a teen magazine? They both had movies or tv careers since the 80's. Risky Business, Top Gun, A Few Good Men, Rainman?? 21 Jump Street, Edward Scissor Hands, much less Pirates of the Caribbean. This totally amazes me.

My parents were very strict. Our curfew was 5pm, but we were expected to do homework immediately after school. By the time homework was finished it was after 5pm and we couldn't do anything (which is how my dad wanted it). If we didn't have any homework my dad would find some way to ground us. I did manage to get out for gymnastics and dance, which I had to use my own allowance money to pay for lessons. My mom usually snuck the money to me for recital costumes and leos. We had 1 tv in the house until my very late teens and we had to watch whatever my dad was watching, so we didn't usually watch because it wasn't what we wanted to watch (westerns, war movies, that's it). Because I spent all of my allowance money on dance and gymn lessons, it left very little for movies and other things. We were expected to get jobs immediately upon turning 16 and my first day of work was the day after my birthday. I had been so sheltered that I went sort of buck wild I guess. I spent a lot of my time drunk and at parties until I was 21. Then I was pregnant, had my sons, they died. Got pregnant again, had my daughter. That's just a very short version.
I have seen Top Gun and Edward Scissorhands. Which actors were in those movies??
I also read a lot of books to occupy my time.

Nope. I go to see the movie for the movie and I don't worry about whether I disapprove of any of the people who make their living from it. Now, if the movie were made BY the actor to push their reprehensible agenda, that's different. I'm not going to support it.

Plus, some actors get quite wonky at various stages of their lives. It seems to be a hazard of the profession. They may or may not come out of it as they get older and wiser. So I'm not going to obsess about their stupid opinions as they stand today.

I don't watch movies much. There are few that I even like. I'm more of a book person. That and movies put me to sleep, but I can read for hours on end.

Anyway, I suppose if there was a movie out there that I would consider seeing but I knew one of the actors to be obnoxious, I probably wouldn't go see it. I wouldn't enjoy the movie if all I could think about every time the actor/actress was on the screen was how much I hated said person.

Tumble... IMDb.com

tumblebug wrote:


I have seen Top Gun and Edward Scissorhands. Which actors were in those movies??

Kay...so I admit I live under a rock when it comes to a lot of Pop culture.....But I'm finding it hard to believe you don't know who was in these movies since you also said you have seen them.

I am embarrassed to say that I don't have a clue who Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp are. I've heard their names A LOT over the years, but I have no face to place with a name or anything.

If you've seen Top Gun and Edward Scissorhands....than you do know who they are.

It drives me absolutely bananas when people choose not to see movies based on the actor's personal life and situation, with the exception, of course, of Mel Gibson. THAT was/is a disgrace and I feel like choosing to not support him, his movies, and projects is perfectly acceptable on moral grounds. I won't see his stuff anymore either. But that's a BIG DEAL. Anything else is pretty trivial to me and isn't really anyone's business anyway. They are entertainers and making movies is their job - what they do outside of work doesn't affect me personally, so I don't take it personally when people screw up, make fools of themselves, or believe in a wonky religion. That's their problem!

But, for example, "I don't wanna see that movie because Angelina stole Brad from Jennifer Aniston, like omg, what a homewrecker." Um, no. It takes two to tango there, sweetheart. That is a DUMB reason, in my opinion. I have been a fan of Angelina Jolie since I was in high-school and I loved her long before I saw even one of her movies. I think she's an incredible actress, but more than that, her humanitarian aid platforms intrigue me SO MUCH. My sophomore year, her memoir was required reading in my Human Studies/Geog class and literally, that book (and her stories) changed my life and my worldview. Just like that. So now, I will pretty much see anything with her in it, just because I adore her. All the tabloid drama with her/brad/jennifer is ridiculous and probably 90% untrue and so I don't give two craps. I don't boycott Jennifer Aniston movies just because I'm a fan of Angie. I like them both for different reasons, no big deal, no reason to choose sides.

But that's just an example and I know that some people definitely don't share the same opinion.

hylndlas wrote:

Kay...so I admit I live under a rock when it comes to a lot of Pop culture.....But I'm finding it hard to believe you don't know who was in these movies since you also said you have seen them.

Do you remember the name of the starring actress in every movie you ever see? Do you remember the face of every actor in every movie you ever see? Just because I have SEEN Top Gun (and recollect the general story...pilots, expensive jets, death of a friend, death of another friend, love interest, and the scene where he flies upside down over the other jet) but I couldn't tell you for sure who starred in it. Know it's probably one of my "Top 3 Hollywood Guys" that I get mixed up, but if asked I could never be more than 60% sure of my answer, which BTW would be Brad Pitt. Second choice Cruise. Third choice Depp. (LOL)

When you really know a face, it's easier to think of the roles associated than knowing a name and thinking of the roles associated. For example, because I know Patrick Stewart's face very well, I can list off tons of his roles, but I don't have that face-with-a-name recognition for Pitt/Cruise/Depp.

Do you remember the name of the starring actress in every movie you ever see? Do you remember the face of every actor in every movie you ever see?

Actually yes...especially if it was a MAJOR blockbuster and even more so it was a movie I saw in my teen years. I can usually tell you the major actor and actress of most movies I've seen and a list of support actors.

I really don't understand how someone that lives in the United States couldn't recognize Depp/Crusie/Pitt. My parents are clueless when it comes to pop culture and are 77 years old. I guarantee they'd be able to identify at least one of them. They have all had relevant movie careers for over 20 years and are still plastered on a ton of magazines at the grocery store when you check out. How does someone not see that?

When you really know a face, it's easier to think of the roles associated than knowing a name and thinking of the roles associated.

Not for me. I'd be able to come up with half a dozen movies easily that Depp/Cruise/Pitt starred in. You should see my husband. FREAKY movie trivia knowledge, and I have a friend (that also acts) that can remember line for line full scenes of movies that he's seen.

imadanseur wrote:

I have a friend (that also acts) that can remember line for line full scenes of movies that he's seen.

Heh, there are people who aren't actors who can do that too *points to self*. I am pretty sure I know every word of Matthew Broderick's "I Did Have A Test Today" monologue from Ferris Bueller's Day Off:

"I did have a test today, that wasn't bull****. It's on European Socialism. I mean, really, what's the point? I'm not European, and I don't plan on *being* European, so who gives a crap if they're Socialists or not? They could be Fascist Anarchists, that still wouldn't change the fact that I don't own a car. Not that I condone Fascism, or any -ism for that matter. -Isms in my opinion, are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism - he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon: "I don't believe in Beatles - I just believe in me." A good point there. Of course, he was the Walrus. I could be the Walrus - I'd still have to bum rides off of people."

Erin.
::righteous babe::