Okay, without going into exactly why I'm watching TV at 3am...

...I can't believe that I'm currently watching a Total Gym fitness-whatsit infomercial featuring Wesley Snipes. I mean, has it really come to this? It seemed like he went from A list star, to crap theatrical features, to 'shot anyplace life is cheap' direct to video actioners the blink of an eye. Now this?!?

My first instinct was to half-suppress a giggle, but now I just feel bad for the guy. It's one thing to see Seagal or VanDamme take the easy money - but Wesley had chops! I've heard all the Blade 3 stories, so I'm sure that some of it is his own doing, but is must take more than that to wind up in the express career lane going in the wrong direction. Has any major star in recent memory blown it this fast?

Catherine Zeta Jones? Remember those phone commercials? How about that MadTV parody with Mo Collins playing her and hocking phones, Chiles, mattresses, and wearing a chicken suit.

There were stories in the news awhile back about Snipes having problems with the IRS.

William, I know who that is yet looking at her imdb credits, I haven't heard of any of her films (I didn't even know there was a new Herbie).

How did that happen?

Cheers,
Alex.

But the difference is that when Lindsay Lowhands shows up on QVC hawking he own line of boob cream, nobody will be the slightest bit surprised (unless it was to discover that she made it to the studio without arrest)

The list of Hollywood screw-ups is longer than The Transformers - but Snipes was, and for quite a few years, a very good actor with the potential to be much more. Now he's just a celebrity mug shot in waiting.

Star possibly...but was Snipes ever really A-list? Seems to me his career was pretty much genre oriented - gangsta, vampire, bad ass cop, etc.

I mean if you had to choose leading man A-list star - even when Snipes was on his popularity crest - I doubt he was first choice except in roles that required a certain amount of muscle flexing...hence his turn as gym equipment pitchman at 3:00 A.M. on TV.

In the early 90s, Snipes was proving himself to be a stand-out dramatic actor with King Of New York, New Jack City, and his Spike Lee films. He was especially good as the charismatic burn-out paraplegic in The Waterdance... I really want to know what happened to that actor! But he wanted to be a muscle-bound kung-fu action star. I guess I can understand if he wanted to make the kind of movies he loved when he was younger. And the money sure didn't hurt. But he really didn't pick his roles well enough. Even Blade, his signature role, didn't really play towards his strengths as a fast-talking smart ass, hiding his movie star eyes behind shades and rarely cracking a smile.

I caught some of Blade Trinity on TV recently... phhheeeewwwww! What a stinker! I could even tell where he refused to open his eyes and they had to CGI them in. Considering how crummy the scene was, I almost don't blame him.

The guy had potential. It's a shame.

Sniped reportedly got 13 million for BLADE: TRINITY, which seems to be the film that he finally blew his career on, as much for his behaviour on set then even the film itself.

Man, that backtax fiasco must've been expensive if he's reduced to doing infomercials. Ouch.

Btw, Catherine-Zeta- Jones got an awful lot of money for doing those phone commercials. Her husband Michael Douglas is one of the more powerful movers and shakers in Hollywood, so I don't think she's in any big trouble. Unless you count her new movie.

My co-workers and I used to riff on a potential vehicle for Steven Seagal called BACKTAXER about, you guessed it, an ex-CIA tax collector ("I'm just a tax man.").

Guess we just found out who Seagal's up against...

What about Cuba Gooding Jr.? From an Oscar to Boat Trip, Snow Dogs, Daddy Day Camp, etc.

Could you imagine a buddy action film with Steven Seagal and Wesley Snipes. But what director could be found who would be brave enough to handle those two egos? And could they be put together in one room, or would the set just implode and create a giant black hole?

Feed 'em to Abel Ferrara.

I disagree that Snipes strengths as an actor are best displayed when he's cast as "a fast-talking smart ass", or that his potential is spent. One of my favorite roles of his was in SUGAR HILL, a pretty good crime film that falls completely apart in its third act. He has incredible presence there; haunting the film like a ghost, he's the epitome of quiet screen cool. It's a shame the MILES DAVIS biopic he once said he longed to do never got off the ground, as SUGAR HILL and another favorite Snipes role, in Mike Figgis' moody ONE NIGHT STAND suggest the way he might approach the role.
As for "reports" about the BLADE 3 set, I've never heard Snipes' version of what happened... just a snarky internet account from a PA and remarks made by the film's director (who unlike Snipes, hasnt made a single movie he should be THAT proud of).

Sorry, I can't allow that to slide though. Seagal's DTV quality has dropped through the floor but Van Damme's output has been steadily and consistently terrific. His last slew of movies have all been energetic and dramatic. IN HELL with Ringo Lam is really good. WAKE OF DEATH, SECOND IN COMMAND and UNTIL DEATH are all getting great reviews. He's playing more dramatic and troubled roles and there are fewer high-kicking set pieces but I'd say his career is on the up, not the wane.

Victor

Interesting interview with Snipes about his legal troubles:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20165873,00.html

Just to yank this thread a little further off-course, UNTIL DEATH is a good movie. Not just "for a Van Damme movie," but a decent movie period. It's probably the finest performance of JCVD's career and certainly the one in which he (believably) shows the most range. I think it would be interesting to see him move into character parts in major motion pictures. Same goes for Dolph Lundgren, who has also improved with age (and physically aged well).

Absolutely. I loved it. Which release did you watch? According to dvdcompare.net, the US edition has a happy ending and is listed as 2.35:1 whereas the UK release I have uses a downbeat ending and is full-height 16:9, probably unmasked rather than cropped.

Victor

I saw the happy ending of UNTIL DEATH, which wasn't very happy for one character who gets royally screwed over. Without seeing the more downbeat ending, I think the movie earns its implausible happy ending, though I did feel bad for that one guy.

Oh really, I was wondering how they squeeze a happy ending out of this particular story of redemption that seemed inevitable in it's tragedy.


MASSIVE SPOILERS

I don't know how the happy one ends but Anthony Stowe dies in the European version which makes complete sense as there's no way we'd expect him to survive a second bullet in the head. I thought perhaps that's how the US release would end but It'd beggar belief so I'm assuming the final confrontation between Van Damme and Rea is reshot. So who get's screwed over then?

Also, there's a featurette on the UK disc that shows and extended or alternate take of the scene where Stowe's wife tells him she's pregnant. As she leaves and he calls after her about the valet, he makes his character even more redeemable by calling her the "C" word.

Victor

The verdict.

Snipes just got sentenced to 3 years in prison (the maximum) for his three charges. No doubt that Walter Hill movie helped him prepare for this.

http://www.wesh.com/news/15979487/detail.html

I assume it's safe to say that he will not serve all three years of that sentence, provided he stays out of trouble.

Well, they can still do a new BLADE movie. I mean, after all, they CGI'd most of his performance for the last one.