Will we see a Venom that sucks?

[TheSlag]

Dafoe had already played crazy before (he has the creepy factor.) Molina was a villian in Luther. Buth Grace, hasn't been in anything that is even remotely "evil."

If they wanted Arnold Shwartzenegger to play Doc Ock, and I said that he doesn't look like Ock and hasn't been in a role where he has shown ability, would I get this kind of heat?

Obviously not. But Arnnnold is a character actor, where Grace has broken out of that role to a point after that 70 show. Especially after the debacle that was ARNNNNOLD as Mr. Freeze.

Topher has shown some "chops" in his previous roles. Is he right for someone as initimidating as Brock... not sure, and can easily see how some would think it's a stretch. But look at Anthony Perkins in Physco. Not physically threatening in the least... and yet... scary as frickin hell in the role. It's all about the mood, the writing of the character. Perkins obviously had an advantage with Hitchcock and the genre in general... but... the quiet, brooding, crazy... is scary to me in his own right, sometimes moreso than the one who is physically imposing.

*remembers picking on that little crazy runt in Junior High

 

[TheSlag]

As famous as Topher.

I disagree. Topher is no way in the same role, nor as famous as Arrrnnold was/would of been at the time of casting for SM2 and the role of Octavius.

 

[Tangled Web]

Well, Topher has his opportunity with Spider-Man 3. I'm giving him a chance, because this is his first role where he's playing a totally different character from previous films. .

His first crack at this type of role shouldn't be such an important movie. That's like trying to pitch for the first time in the world series.

 

[LEX]

I'll reserve my judgements until I see the movie.

 

[Secret_Riddle]

welll i mean topher turns into venom and all he has to do is play a good eddie brock. once eddie turns into venom then tophers not actin at all cuz its all cg:P.

 

[DACMAN]

The idea of "Black goo" that's self-aware is stupid. Making it a "Dumb animal" is fair.

Did they say it was going to be a "dumb animal"?

 

[AnimeJune]

The

Whole

Point

Of

A

Comic

Book

Movie

Is

To

Translate

The

Comic As Accurately As Possible To The Film Format

i'm sticking to that philosophy. If they want to change things so much. Make a completely different movie instead.

I understand your philosophy, and I do hold to that when movies do adaptations of novels and such. I think, however, that with comic books that have been generating stories and history for decades, they have to be adapted differently to the screen, because there simply isn't enough time to put in absolutely everything.

I also disagree that they have to be as accurate as possible. Sometimes it works, I admit - like with the Sin City film, which tried to copy the visual format of the comics to great effect. I'm looser with Spider-Man. I understand why people would be nervous about Topher Grace's casting due to his inexperience with villain roles.

I don't understand the objection due to his physical size. Hollywood has all the resources to change and manage a person's appearance, and Topher Grace is a very talented actor. I'd rather the actor to play Venom would be cast due to acting talent first and looks second. Anyone can bulk up or slim down for films - look at Tobey Maguire. He bulked up BIG TIME for Spider-Man, lost the weight for Seabiscuit, then gained it back in time for Spider-Man 2. No problem.

I also sympathize with how Brock should be ripped - but it is essential to his character that he look like a body builder? No - it might even be a little unrealistic. He's a photographer people, he wouldn't have time to pump the steroids. By all means, chain Topher to the Stairmaster to prepare him for the role, but don't eliminate him on his initial looks alone.

Also, while I want the films to be true to the spirit and overall themes of the comics, I wouldn't want them to be exactly the same. I look at the relationship between manga and anime for an example. A lot of anime is based on manga, and a lot of it (not all, but a great deal) is pretty much word for word, scene for scene identical to the manga. To me, owning a manga of Fruits Basket, and a DVD of Fruits Basket is a waste of money, because they're exactly the same! Who wants to watch/read the exactly same thing? Where would the suspence, the surprise, and the adventure be?

You have your comics. Read them - they make you happy. Don't watch the movie if you want them to be exactly the same as the comics, because there is a 100% chance they will not be. Stay at home, read the stories you love so well, and don't watch a film's particular interpretation of the comic book. Because that's what it is - they're not supposed to be a translation of a single story from one format to another - it's a subjective interpretation based on the director's opinions of the original material. That is why I trust Raimi - he's read Spider-Man, he's a fan of Spider-Man, and his adoration for it shows in his movies. His opinions of Spider-Man may differ from some - okay, MANY - people, but I respect the spin he's put on the Spider-Man movies so far, so I'm happily anticipating what he's planning on doing with the Brock character, instead of condemning him for making an unorthodox choice.

 

[The Kid]

wtf I don't read comics.

Why be faithful to the source? Whatever good will that do?

Lots of good... You'd get what's promised, the comic in live action. I agree about sin city. That was ok, but really boring and uneven at times.

I say as accurately as possible because I don't want unnecessary changes to stuff that doesn't really impact the story being transferred to film. They can't tell a whole arc in a movie, it'd take hours so they condense it and change story elements, but details about the characters themselves ought to be left intact or else it's Halle Berry's Catwoman. or Cino.

I don't really care about accuracy anymore. I've never read the comics anyway. Topher's going to kick mcguire's butt and that's all that matters to me.

 

[Tangled Web]

Totally agree ewith weyseed about unneccessary changes. All it does is say a big **** you to the fans.

 

[AnimeJune]

Totally agree ewith weyseed about unneccessary changes. All it does is say a big **** you to the fans.

Yeah - but I've seen the "bulky" Brock - he has the body of a professional bodybuilder - and I challenge you to find me ONE bodybuilder - barring Ahnuld, if you'll call that "acting" - who would be a better actor then Topher Grace.

Bulk Topher up, but don't condemn him for being skinny. He can always get bigger.

 

[Tangled Web]

Yeah - but I've seen the "bulky" Brock - he has the body of a professional bodybuilder - and I challenge you to find me ONE bodybuilder - barring Ahnuld, if you'll call that "acting" - who would be a better actor then Topher Grace.

Bulk Topher up, but don't condemn him for being skinny. He can always get bigger.

Mickey Rourke

 

[Tangled Web]

Thomas Hadenn Church. My favorite to play Venom would be Edward Norton.

 

[Arcturus]

Yeah - but I've seen the "bulky" Brock - he has the body of a professional bodybuilder - and I challenge you to find me ONE bodybuilder - barring Ahnuld, if you'll call that "acting" - who would be a better actor then Topher Grace.

Bulk Topher up, but don't condemn him for being skinny. He can always get bigger.

The answers to your queston wait within my thread;

http://www.superherohype.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178058

 

[AnimeJune]

Mickey Rourke

Too old, too crazy. But a fine actor, I will admit.

It looks like Raimi's trying to go for the Venom-As-Anti-Spider-Man thing for the movie, which is fine by me, and makes Topher's casting more appropriate.

However, I'm more aware then ever of how too much differentiation from the comics can ruin a movie, because I just saw X-Men 3, and wow, they were really planning to end the trilogy right there. They did some major, irreversible things to characters that I did not appreciate. So I can sort of see your side a little more keenly now.

 

[LarryLegend]

AnimeJune, the point is not that Grace doesn't look like Arnold or Jay Cutler or any other bodybuilder, the point is he still looks skinny as hell. Oh and if they chained him to a stairmaster as you posted earlier he'd be even skinner as a stairmaster is a cardio machine which cause you to loss weight/fat.

 

[WTFimVENOM]

Just because Brock will be normal sized doesn't mean Venom has to be

 

[AnimeJune]

AnimeJune, the point is not that Grace doesn't look like Arnold or Jay Cutler or any other bodybuilder, the point is he still looks skinny as hell. Oh and if they chained him to a stairmaster as you posted earlier he'd be even skinner as a stairmaster is a cardio machine which cause you to loss weight/fat.

Ah - I just named a random exercise machine. My bad. I still don't mind. He's wearing clothes, for gosh sakes - how can you tell for sure? He has a narrow frame, he could still be packing underneath.

And, as I've said before, I'm hardly very hard-set on the idea that Brock has to be bulging.

 

[LarryLegend]

Ah - I just named a random exercise machine. My bad. I still don't mind. He's wearing clothes, for gosh sakes - how can you tell for sure? He has a narrow frame, he could still be packing underneath.

And, as I've said before, I'm hardly very hard-set on the idea that Brock has to be bulging.

Brock should look bigger than normal. Topher doesn't.

 

[Reikowolf]

okay what defines a tool?

Venom lover?
or Venom hater?

because we have like an equal amount of both on the site
then again there's always the 3rd faction

not a Venom hater.. but not huge on Venom either

 

[Spider-Fan]

I am not a Venom hater. I am a going away from what you have been building for the past two movies, then throwing in a way too complicated to explain villain with a comedic actor who is way too small to play him hater. I don't like the potential route they are taking with Venom. If he is a villain who is being built for the next movie, then I can live with that, but if he is fully Venom in this movie, I will not be happy. That is an example of rushing the character, and to rush him in, you have to limit character building, and may even have to go off the Harry as a Goblin path (which, as I have previously stated, is what I want to see most in the movie). The result would be a very flashy, but shallow Spider-Man movie.

 

[AnimeJune]

I am not a Venom hater. I am a going away from what you have been building for the past two movies, then throwing in a way too complicated to explain villain with a comedic actor who is way too small to play him hater. I don't like the potential route they are taking with Venom. If he is a villain who is being built for the next movie, then I can live with that, but if he is fully Venom in this movie, I will not be happy. That is an example of rushing the character, and to rush him in, you have to limit character building, and may even have to go off the Harry as a Goblin path (which, as I have previously stated, is what I want to see most in the movie). The result would be a very flashy, but shallow Spider-Man movie.

I agree with that part - but I disagree with the small Topher part.

People used to whine about Hugh Jackman being too tall to play Wolverine (Wolvie was actually a compact little dude - like 5'5''), but he still pulled it off.

But I don't Venom to be a 15-minute villain like some are suggesting - and I doubt that's how it will go down. Raimi's said that Venom is a complicated character, he's also said that Topher Grace is the ideal actor to handle that complicated role. He's made weird decisions before, but so far he's done very well, so I'm going to trust him on this one.

 

[The Kid]

I understand why some don't like topher-venom. It's part of his character that he's a big intimidating ass like flash. If raimi went with a puny guy for flash, we'd all laugh at that scene in spidey one and just walk out.

Making wolverine a bigger tougher looking guy is actually in an improvement in some ways since it suits his tough clint eastwood/james dean personality...

But I'm fine with topher. raimi's going for sleezy anti-peter here and not the mr. muscles with a bad attitude... it's an ok change... to me. I just hope venom's gross and large to make spidey look puny next to him. I always liked how he's superior to spidey in almost every way, size included.

what a challenge.

that's my penny.

 

[WTFimVENOM]

sooo many people are b**ching about the fact that Topher isn't HUGE.... I said it once and I'll say it again: BROCK WASN'T ALWAYS HUGE!!! He took up body building AFTER he was fired from his job as a photographer

 

[Tony Stark]

Even though Venom was not a villian that Rami grew up with or enjoys. I think he'll do a superb job because of his experience with horror movies. He does suspense better than just about anyone.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I agree with that part - but I disagree with the small Topher part.

People used to whine about Hugh Jackman being too tall to play Wolverine (Wolvie was actually a compact little dude - like 5'5''), but he still pulled it off.

But I don't Venom to be a 15-minute villain like some are suggesting - and I doubt that's how it will go down. Raimi's said that Venom is a complicated character, he's also said that Topher Grace is the ideal actor to handle that complicated role. He's made weird decisions before, but so far he's done very well, so I'm going to trust him on this one.

They have done a great job of casting, but this one I just can't see. I hope he proves me wrong, but as of right now, I am not too sure. As of right now, Venom's involvement concerns me.