Talk about a role reversal! - Mad Dog and Glory (1993) Discussion

[–] 20 years ago

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methinks I agree and it's a very fun part for Bill Murray. It has to be his most evil role

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[–] 20 years ago

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Murray had a dry humor, he was bored with his mobster life. I agree, I think I was drawn to this movie because De Niro is not usually a passive charactor, which he played well. Good acting, have many faces.

Lex
"Ramblings with logic in mind"

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[–] jescci 20 years ago

DeNiro has played a variety of characters - this one didn't shock me. Nor was I shocked by Marray's character or performance - he too can do most anything. Found Thurman amazingly sexy - right from the start when standing in the doorway she massaged saav with her long delicate fingers onto DeNiro's burned hand.

Do you know that guy?
No. But he's a dick.

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[–] videokillerprods 20 years ago

See "The King of Comedy" if you REALLY want to see a role reversal - DeNiro plays an annoying twerp while Jerry Lewis gives a serious, straight performance!!!

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[–] sutcal 20 years ago

I actually thought he was a very good heel in the movie.

What makes you think he could not play that character?

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[–] fetter89 20 years ago

Both DeNiro and Murray are two of my favorate actors. I thought this flick was a great curveball. The story, casting, and roles played were genious.

Number of the Beast

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[–] DignanSWE 19 years ago

I think Murray is great in this movie

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[–] the_darkness_of_poetic_humor 19 years ago

I thought Bill Murrays performance was ok, I mean it wasn't magnificent, but like someone else mentioned he had little to do and he wasn't in the movie all that much, it was also a short movie. Uma Thurman and Robert De Niro....I've seen them in better performances and speaking of performances, has anyone seen Uma Thurman in Henry and June? That was a great performance!!!

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[–] AriesJB4 19 years ago

I thought the role reversal casting was great. DeNiro as the meek one and Murray the menacing one!

"Hey Ociffer, what's the word?" "We'll get her with soup". "Ever hear of botulism?" You've got to see it to believe it. Well done. I wouldn't want to tangle with the "expediter of your dreams."

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[–] marxandcola 18 years ago

I liked the role reversal too. It would have been too repetitive to see De Niro in another mob tough guy role for the millionth time.

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[–] remotedemon 18 years ago

Murrray is over 6 feet and looked like a well built vicious guy who would tear you to pieces to me.

i think this is one of the first movies that allowed him to show his range... maybe that hurt it in the market of public opinion.

(now he is seen as a great acter after "Lost in Translation" and "Rushmore")

i suppose his first serious role was bond to be not well recieved.

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[–] doherty-elle 18 years ago

I have to say that although this film is very endearing, it makes me cringe at how conservative and subdued De Niro is in this - The fight scene alone is too painful to watch as it's a complete galaxy away from what De Niro's characters are famous for

'Meet the new boss...Same as the old Boss'

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[–] KingKoala 18 years ago

"The fight scene alone is too painful to watch as it's a complete galaxy away from what De Niro's characters are famous for"

Heh, yeah. You just want to see Vito Corleone blow his head off.

But anyway, just to clarify, I never implied that either actor was bad at their respective role, just that it's unexpected, which was fascinating.

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[–] MrBlondNYC 18 years ago

"The fight scene alone is too painful to watch as it's a complete galaxy away from what De Niro's characters are famous for"

As a matter of fact, when the scene was originally shot Murray beat De Niro. But because people can't let actors act and want them to do the same thing over and over, test audiences didn't like to see De Niro get beat so the scene was reshot with him becoming tough all of a sudden. I think that's unfortunate because De Niro wanted to play the role for that very reason. It was different then his previous roles. But De Niro pulled it off and the scene is still good.

The revolution will now be televised. Sundays on Adult Swim.

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[–] hkrinkle-1 18 years ago

I remember reading somewhere, and this may or may not be apocryphal, that the casting was originally for De Niro as the gangster, Murray as the cop, and that De Niro had the idea of switching it around.

True or not, it worked. Great movie.

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[–] InsomniacJack 18 years ago

I have heard that story as well, though I can't recall who suggested the role switch in my version.

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[–] chizzit 16 years ago

Robert De Niro was initially offered the role of gangster Frank Milo, but he insisted on playing the timid Wayne instead.
source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107473/trivia

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] stevenackerman69 16 years ago

More for me to see Murray as a tough mobster, after seeing him on SNL and earlier movies like Meatballs, Stripes, and Ghostbusters. A pretty good performance, I might add.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] eyebrowmorroco 11 years ago

Inverting their expected roles makes for a nice change of pace.

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[–] MoviemanCin 9 years ago

Yes it was weird to see Murray as the tough guy, and it really didn't work for me.

Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar, or doesn't.

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