Wouldn't it be great if fictional characters were real? Yeah, imagine how great it would be to meet James T. Kirk, Bugs Bunny, Bill Clinton, or Godzilla!What film character would you most want to meet in real life?
Panelist: ScottDS
My stock answers are usually heroes like Captain Kirk, Indiana Jones, James Bond, etc. However, for this question, I will say HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. I find the idea of conversing with an artificial intelligence fascinating. (For the purposes of this question, let's assume I'm not on a spaceship!)
Panelist: AndrewPrice
Keyser Söze! Not only is he an incredible story teller, but there's an outside chance that he's actually Satan! I'd love to find that out.
Panelist: T-Rav
Depends on the circumstances. If I'm in a jam and need help fighting my way out of a tough spot, or just want some adventure for a while (the circumstances in which I would most want to meet a film character), then probably Han Solo. Or Mal Reynolds. One of the two.
Panelist: Tennessee Jed
Why Mr. Spock, of course. I mean, come on, meet a Vulcan? Who wouldn't . . . .
Comments? Thoughts?
Cleopatra, the Elizabeth Taylor version. :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, if a character is interesting enough to follow in a fictional plot, I think they would likely be jerks to know in real life.
Would Captain Kirk want to sit around shooting the sh*t with some guy from Pacoima? Wouldn't Indiana Jones be your typical uber arrogant college professor?
Non serious answer: (Rubs hands together hungrily) Ellen Barkin's character in The Big Easy.
ReplyDeleteSerious answer: Jeff and Jane Blue from Undercover Blues. They seem like a really fun couple and would be good people to know.
Say Anything's Lloyd Dobler. Any person who listens to their Replacements at super-volume would be cool to hang with for any amount of time (even if the actor playing Lloyd needs a Don the Dragfon-style kick in the head).
ReplyDeleteAlmost Famous' William Miller, too. Oh, the stories he could tell.
Any film character huh?! Okay, how about "Q" from STNG? Only if he's on your side of course. The ability to change reality, dimensions, anything actually, would be quite the power to be around. If you didn't like the results of an election say, your buddy Q would be able to reverse it! ...and no one would be the wiser.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe Superman?! "Pre-conversion" Tony Stark?
Too many to mention......
So did everyone take the weekend off? I don't recall authorizing that? LOL!
ReplyDeleteI'm sticking with Godzilla. He's a true benefit to mankind... and urban renewal.
K, The truth is that most of these people be pretty unpleasant to meet in real life. They probably have very to really say to you and most of them are pretty one dimensional. But you never know. :)
ReplyDeleteShawn, I can safely say that I don't know Undercover Blues?
ReplyDeleteOn the non-serious front... Jessica Rabbit. :D
I'm with Jed: Mr. Spock!
ReplyDeleteEric, I suspect you can duplicate the stereo effect in your own home! LOL!
ReplyDeletePatriot, I like Q a lot actually. Sure, he was mischievous, but who wouldn't be in the sterile universe of TNG? I'd be causing problems all over the place. And he had a great sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteDUQ, Logical. ;)
ReplyDeleteCall me old... I'd love to meet Scarlett O'Hara.
ReplyDeleteAlways been a fave character of mine. The lady knew how to make decisions and how to stay alive.
darski, She's an interesting enough character to carry a film, that's for sure! I don't think I'd want to date her, but meeting her would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteWow, it's a low-attendance Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI think Bev would be wanting to meet Rhett Butler. Other than Andrew, it's interesting how many people made sci-fi picks.
T-Rav, Tell me about it. It's like someone turned off the net today? Strange.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting that so many people are picking science fiction characters. My guess is that science fiction is becoming the most interesting genre because has absorbed the best parts of all the other genres.
my cousin stopped by on the way to Birmingham, so just getting on-line now. I think dating all the various Bond girls in their respective primes (not to mention my own) would be an interesting exercise
ReplyDeleteJed, I like the way you think! :)
ReplyDeleteThen again, Baggar Vance might do the most for my golf game. Then again, Dr. John Watson might finally spill the beans about the giant rat of Sumatra ;)
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, Science fiction rocks!
ReplyDeleteJed, That's great thinking!
ReplyDeleteI would like to meet Kaylee from Firefly.
ReplyDeleteJoel, She is the definition of "sweet."
ReplyDeleteKelly, it does indeed!
ReplyDeleteJed, LOL! Yeah, that's probably the best guy on the planet to help you with your golf game! Or Chevy Chase from Caddyshack!
Of course you would, Joel. (sigh)
ReplyDeleteJed, does that include the tranny from that one Bond movie in the '70s? Just askin'.
Rav - I said Bond girls, not Bond trannies ;)
ReplyDeleteAndrew - "noonan" . . . .
ReplyDeleteOff topic, but since there is not much traffic today, for the 8 or so folks who read my review of Britt Marling's film "Another Earth," I just screened her second effort, "Sound of My Voice." In my view, it is an extremely interesting and provocative film. It reminds me in some ways of two other films recently reviewed at this site; The Village and Triangle. it has a great twist, one I could not see coming. That may be enough to inspire a guest review l.o.l.
ReplyDeleteJed, Cool, thanks! I will check that out. :)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of low traffic, what's funny is that I've learned that the internet has a "biorhythm." I get traffic data for this site and the others, plus sale data at Amazon and I go regularly to many sites where I can see the counters and the comment counts or the traffic counts in forums. And some days, there is simply no one online. I'm not sure what causes that, but today, everything is slow everywhere.
I just got back home late last night for Thanksgiving break, and I bet a lot of people did the same. Maybe that accounts for some of it. People hanging out with their families and all that.
ReplyDeleteSo was "Sound of My Voice" better than "The Village"?
well, Rav, one could go broke making bets on what somebody else may or may not like, but yeah, I think it is. It is weird, but it does make you think. It has fewer hurdles than either the Village or Another Earth in terms of plot holes requiring significant suspension of belief. I'll write a review, but the frustrating part about that is, like the others, it is hard to discuss with people without spoiling the ending. In the case of Another Earth, I am probbly one of at least a couple hundred people who actually saw that film. Here is the thing. I looked up some reviews, and there is a wide diversity of opinion. Some people love it, others -- not so much.
ReplyDeleteSince it's low-attendance Sunday, I'll go off-topic as well. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo I saw Skyfall last weekend...
...and I feel it would've worked better as Pierce Brosnan's last Bond film instead of Daniel Craig's third film.
I think the franchise has painted itself into a corner:
-They go to the trouble of "rebooting" the franchise and now, three films later, the characters are wondering if they're too old, if spying is still worth it, etc.
-Whenever the filmmakers go big, fans want them to go back to basics but whenever they go back to basics, fans want them to go big again... I imagine it's tough to find a happy medium
-I'm sure I'm not alone here but the Bond films exist in their own universe... he's been played by multiple actors, he was married once and this was referenced in two subsequent films with two different actors... I find it best not to think too hard about certain things
Anyway, this film had some major plot holes. A shame since it's perfectly entertaining and Sam Mendes' direction is excellent.
The film might be the best looking Bond film ever (shot by the great Roger Deakins). The art direction, the editing, the music... everything is top notch but the script could've used one more draft. I can't say much more without spoiling anything... and I'll end up buying the Blu-Ray anyway (I've got the rest of them)... but ultimately, the sum of the parts was better than the whole.
I would agree with your premise, Scott . . . and that's without having seen the film :) The point is, Daniel Craig actually is looking a little old to me. The whole premise of Fleming's Bond is threefold 1) witty & urbane; knowledgeable about cars, drinks, etc. 2) an irresistible womanizer- almost to the point of it being a running gang 3) a stone cold killer. It is hard to be credible on that last point once you get past 50. That said, I may actually see this film on IMAX. Believe it or not, I've never done that, so why not.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to meet Maverick from "Top Gun" so I could tell him what a douche he is. Ditto the Nick Cage character from "Firebirds".
ReplyDeleteFor fun I'd like to meet the Kristen Ritter character from "She's Out Of Your League." Snarky and fun woman with a smart mouth.
Clint Eastwood's Preacher in Pale Rider...Mel Gibson's Williams Wallace...Cary Grant's Dexter (Philadelphia Story) and Bev's Rhett......but you all get the idea!!!!
ReplyDeleteGoing with TV here: I'd love to have a sit-down with Gregory House.
ReplyDeleteJed -
ReplyDeleteI like Craig and I think he can be a great Bond but he can only work with what he's given. For the next film, I hope they don't worry about character development and instead just give us a wild ride! I want gadgets, and a supervillain, and Ken Adam-esque sets again. :-)
I would like to meet Elvis Presley, I'm pretty sure he is fictional because I'm the only person from Memphis who never met him...
ReplyDeleteOutlaw - fantastic comment l.o.l
ReplyDeleteScottDS: Have you read the original books? In particular "From Russia With Love"?
ReplyDeleteThey should go back to the original and make a period piece Bond - including the pictures of Stalin on the wall and the real Smersh.
One problem these days is that kids have no idea what the Soviet Union was and what the cold war was all about - something which they are likely to remain ignorant for obvious reasons. Which means the above treatment is probably off the table completely.
Interesting question to contemplate.
ReplyDeleteThe Outlaw Josey Wales.
Rooster Cogburn
McClintock
The Frisco Kid from Blazing Saddles
And of course, Jack Burton. :^)
General Patton
Moses (Heston's version).
Ben Hur
Man, I can go on for a long time.
I haven't heard much criticism of Skyfall but it did seem to me from the previews that Craig was looking a little old. That doesn't have to be a deal-breaker, though. Both Connery and Moore were getting a bit long in the tooth by the end of their runs, if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteK -
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the books and while I don't think they should go back to the Cold War, I do think that's an interesting idea to explore in another movie. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Bond movie, but a cool Cold War-era spy movie could be pretty cool if done correctly.
Jed and Scott, I like Craig. I haven't seen Skyfall yet, but I actually liked his first two for the most part. I wish they would drop the garbage they always through in though to try to make him weepy. It just doesn't fit the character. But if you exclude that, then he's been a very solid Bond and I think the films are a good mix of cool yet brutal... which is what Bond really needs to stand out.
ReplyDeleteOutlaw, I would love to see that scene as you walk right up to Maverick and let him have it. LOL! That would be awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteCris, I do indeed the idea! :) I really liked the Eastwood character in Pale Rider, he's got that right mix of "is he just a person or is he more" going on!
ReplyDeleteannoyedelephants, Something tells me he may not be a very nice man to meet! LOL!
ReplyDeleteScott, I actually want Bond to go the other way. The gadgets turn the character into a cartoon. I like the more grounded/brutal Bond they've got going. I just want the stories to be tighter.
ReplyDeleteCritch, Isn't that the truth! I have yet to meet anyone from Memphis who didn't claim to have run into him somewhere. Ditto with all the kids of Robert E. Lee in Virginia. Apparently, he fathered the state.
ReplyDeleteBen, Jack Burton! The ultimately drinking buddy. :)
ReplyDeleteWho is John Galt?
ReplyDeleteJohn Galt is Hostess my friend! ;)
ReplyDeleteTo K's comment, there is (or at least was) a very reasonable boxed set of paperbacks of all the Bond novels, novellas, and short stories from Fleming. I picked them up a few years back and went through the entire set in about a week. Still my favorite scene/chapter? Dinner at Blades from Moonraker in which Bond sets up a cheating Hugo Drax with a set-up lay down grand slam. This was Bond at his finest :)
ReplyDeleteEasy question.
ReplyDeleteFirst Choice: Lisa from Weird Science.
Second Choice: Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie.
Third Choice: Samantha from Bewitched.
You may detect a pattern.
Er, you only want to meet characters from before 1990?
ReplyDeleteSeriously. No one wants to meet Yoda? I would totally sign up for his three-step Jedi program:
ReplyDelete1) Crash land on Dagobah.
2) Training montage.
3) Awesome Jedi Powers.
I'd also like to meet Caprica 6. In all honesty, I share a number of (negative) personality traits with Gaius Baltar, so I'm sure we'd hit it off nicely.
Skyfall: saw it last night and really liked it. I guess I need to admit that the only Bond movies I have seen all the way through are Daniel Craig's 3. I have seen pieces of most of the others, but they didn't keep my attention. And I think that Craig is one of the best looking Bonds. And T-Rav - he's not 50!!!! Geez.
ReplyDeleteI liked this one best of the 3. And the bad guy was creeeeepy. I also like Judi Dench as 'M', so that storyline was interesting.
actual topic: Mal Reynolds, Craig's Bond, Frank Martin, Jake Brigance, the original Lt. Starbuck; The Avengers, Jacob "Big Jake" McCandles, GW McLintock, CK Dexter Haven.
Interesting question! One of the best. Have to think hard about this one. Some thoughts:
ReplyDeleteJoshua Laurence Chamberlain as played by Jeff Bridges in Gettysburg and Gods and Generals is one who comes to mind. He'd be fascinating to talk with about all sorts of subjects, given his education both as a student and instructor. (OK, he's a real person, but Bridges played him so well that the real and fictional seem pretty close.)
If high seas adventure was the game, lost treasure the topic and rum the choice of liquid poison, then I'd go with Captain Jack Sparrow.
Any character played by Barbara Stanwyck where she needs ... rescuing.
Kayle Frye in Firefly and Serenity. While Mal would be really interesting, she'd be a fun tomboy to pal around with. Besides, I'd learn how to keep a spaceship running with duct tape and bailing wire.
I may think of some more.
Hmm. You said "fictional," because I wouldn't mind meeting Jesus Christ (either Jeffrey Hunter or Jim Caveizal).
ReplyDeleteTo answer the actual question, the usual, predictable fanboy choices come to mind (Batman, Han Solo, the entire original crew of the Enterprise), but since it's the holidays, I have some appropriate choices:
Thanksgiving: DEL GRIFFITH from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
Christmas: either George Baily from It's A Wonderful Life or Frank Cross (Bill Murray!) from Scrooged.
Mycroft, There does seem to be a pattern there! LOL!
ReplyDeletetryanmax, Yeah, meeting 6 would be pretty terrific. Plus, she's twins! :)
ReplyDeleterlaWTX, Meeting Bond would be cool... until he killed you. :(
Mo, I will bet you that Jack Sparrow would liven up any party!
ReplyDeleteAlex, Speaking of X-mas, I'd like to meet the Grinch.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, yeah, but it'd be fun til then...
ReplyDelete(yeah, and that's the girly reasons, not the shoot-'em-up reasons)
Sheesh, all you women think about is sex, sex, sex! Shocking!
ReplyDeleteLOL! yeah, us women are like that sometimes...
ReplyDeleteActually, in my experience, women think with their uh... naughty bits, just as much as men think with theirs.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to be that kind of species.
I'd like to meet Patrick McGoohan's No. 6 and discuss current events. ;)
ReplyDeleteKenn, That's a great choice! I'd love to know just what the heck was really going on!
ReplyDeleteWas watching a couple episodes, the other day and it was pretty depressing how close we've come to a society that will "take care of you" as long as you keep your mouth shut and don't ask any questions.
ReplyDeleteKen, Agreed. Even more depressing is how many people actually like the idea.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you're a malaka, Mycroft.
ReplyDeleteQuint from Jaws would be cool to trade sea stories with.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, you should check out Undercover Blues, it's a fun little movie about a married couple who are spys on maternity leave in New Orleans just trying to enjoy their time off, and events conspire to pull them back into another case. It's all rather light hearted.
ReplyDeleteVery late to the party but this is such a great topic that I couldn't pass it up.
ReplyDelete1: Miss Mona,as played by Dolly Parton,because(A) I've always been in love with Dolly Parton
(B)When Dolly played Miss Mona she was 36 years old and at the absolute height of her powers.;)!
2:I think it would be fun to meet Bo (Bandit) Darville,although you might need a break after a while.
3:I'd like to meet the character Mel Gibson portrayed in Signs and talk to him about faith,it's ebbs and flows and how he came back to his.(Continued)
GypsyTyger
But the real reason I responded to this was part of the reason I was late.I'm a cop(Cincinnati) and we work rotating days off.I spent Sunday thinking it was Saturday,and when I actually checked the site it was late onday and I was just going to bed.
ReplyDeleteThe point I'm getting to is that I would love to have a relief party for all the great fictional cops over the years.(A group of cops who work together is called a relief in real life,in the movies and on tv they're called squads)Can you imagine how great that would be?
One of the great things about being a cop is that we all have basically the same experiences.The landmarks and the street names are different but it's essentially all the same drama.When you meet cops from other cities you're essentially bonded in half an hour.
When cops get together they bullshit and bitch about things they've done and bosses they've had,times they've been screwed over,etc.Can you imagine getting together and doing that with Jack Cates,Martin Riggs,John McClane,Raylan Givens,Frank Bullitt,Dave, Starsky,Ken Hutchinson,Sonny Crockett and The King Himself-Harry Callahan?Not to mention the ones I'll think of later.
Now that would be a party.
GypsyTyger
Gypsy, that's be a party alright!!!!
ReplyDeleteJohnathan E from Rollerball.
ReplyDeleteGood choice G_Man!
ReplyDelete