I mean if you look at his record on imdb he has a steady body of work. In most interviews he claims the reason for this is to fund his own projects like What is it? But considering the movie had a budget of 125k, you would think he would have that money on hand. It is Fine, Everything is Fine! couldn't have cost that much more.
share[deleted]
How much do you suppose it costs to maintain a castle in the Czech Republic these days?
shareCrispin hasn't used the word "mainstream" to describe the kind of film that he is working in. He uses the words "corporately funded and distributed films" to describe the films that are put forth to the public at large. These are the films that What is it? is reacting to. These words describe every film he has acted in and would continue to act in unless he only acted in his own films that he personally funded. He has clearly stated this. Everyone can get frustrated by the system of how their work environment operates and it seems that is what he is dealing with in What is it?
Also the original post seems to have it's numbers wrong. Crispin stated that the cost of What is it? to the point of having a 35 mm print of the film was between 150k and 200k, and Everything is fine! was about 200k. That's somewhere between 350k-400k for funding the two films, plus as the second poster pointed out he is continuing production on his films at some sort of estate in the Czech Republic by making his own sound stage. This of course would not be inexpensive.
It seems perfectly reasonable that Crispin continues working in a field that he began professionally over 30 years ago to put forth films that he enjoys making.
It seems to me that he is the only actor out there who said, "I act in 'Hollywood' [or 'Mainstream/Blockbuster/etc.'] films only to get enough money to make my own films"... and actually meant it. I mean, he takes either very small roles in films, or else takes parts that are "right up his alley" (i.e. - weird, strange & bizarre), or things where he can "hide" (i.e. - animation, video games, heavily disguised). Then he stays true to his word and makes commercially unviable (is that a word?) films with his own money, which he then goes and self distributes/tours with as part of a "Crispin Glover Show". These "shows" also include anything he's working on, short films, Q & A's, and more recently, his other movie "It's Fine! Everything Is Fine!".
Unlike Tim Roth and Gary Oldman (don't get me wrong - I still admire Roth's work; Oldman, however, hasn't done much of anything besides Batman, Harry Potter, and lots of video game voice-overs since... sheeeit, 1994's "Leon The Professional"!), who both made promises similar to Glover's, but instead did a *LOT* more "Hollywood acting for the money", and a *LOT* less "making the films I want to make!". Roth made "War Zone" in 1999; Oldman directed "Nil By Mouth" in 1997. Both were, without a doubt, non-mainstream; however, both were also a) made about EIGHTEEN years ago; and b) were not followed up with anything as small as a "plan for my next film".
So you have to give Glover props for that. I would also say that Sean Penn falls into the same category; he's directed a film every five years or so since 1991 (i.e. - when he got away from Madonna and started being taken seriously as an actor). His movies, while not being as "abrasive" as Glover's, are distinctly Sean Penn Creations.
Just to mention one of my favorite actors that has always had this same goal of acting in films for a secondary purpose is Jason Patric. (Most people probably still know him best as 'Michael' from "The Lost Boys"). Fully aware that the ultimate currency to get movies made as an actor comes in the form of being a bankable "Summer Blockbuster Star", Patric (in his own words): "I wanted to skim into the global marketplace so that I could make small movies like Your Friends & Neighbors (1998). There was enough hype around Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) that I was able to get the funding for Your Friends & Neighbors (1998)" - On why he did Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997).
Go Glover! Go go go (to Edmonton...)
"I am insane... and you are my insanity" - James Cole, 12 Monkeys
-ak
Utter nonsense.
I caught his act in person a couple years ago and I think he's either deluded or a hypocrite.
I'd say he has more than enough money to finace anything he wants.
He's created this "eccentric genius" persona and a few have bought into it. Don't give me the spiel about "corporate mass produced films" while appearing in Epic Movie, the Charlies Angel movies, and others.
I saw this movie and it was nonsense, something a movie school grad makes that is a mess. Put my name on the movie and you'd all rightly laugh at it.
Crispin, quit the mainstream movies and make your own movies. Then, we'll see if you are just a windbag or you really mean it.