He certainly doesn't deserve this crap, but take it from someone who's met him and knows others who've had personal contact with him over the years - the guy is a farkin' douchebag. I won't even discuss his childhood friend/fellow douche' - in - arms Jeremy Piven. No one from Chicago is particularly proud that he came from here - but his sister is well - known as a real mensch.

Yeah, I've heard that about him. And didn't he and Piven have a falling out when Piven briefly became more famous than him?

That's certainly a plausible scenario, since they've both acted like spoiled brats since they were in their teens.

Her top 5 movie actors: No. 1, John Cusack; No. 2, John Cusack No. 3, John Cusack (etc.)

Like, wow... Cusack so often speaks fondly of you guys....

Is there any reason to care if he's an asshole on an interpersonal level? Were you going to kiss him or something? Here are three things to really hate about John Cusack:

1. The never-ending radio station scene in Gross Pointe Blank

2. The way Pushing Tin adds nothing to the to New York Times article from which it was adapted, and actually turns to shit the moment Billy Bob Thornton appears on screen, even though his acting is one of the best things in the movie: Corner of 4th & Main, Squanderville, Ohio.

3. "Identity" (Columbia Pictures, 2003) Christ, what a turkey. I still hold everyone involved in that mother, including the guy who laid out the bagels at the craft service table, personally responsible. They still owe me ten bucks for the ticket plus popcorn plus parking. And a substantial annoyance fee, plus interest.

Is there any reason to care if he's an asshole on an interpersonal level?

Is there any reason not to? What makes him different than any other asshole we mock?

And I kinda liked Identity...

So let me get this straight - we're not supposed to mock celebrities that we may have personal knowledge of, yet we should mock those that don't treat the post - production crew with the appropriate condiments? What?

Well, Crid does have a point. (surprising how hard it is to type that). Discussing actors as people is almost entirely beside the point: in the end, the only thing we're really discussing is their talent at a very narrow skillset, and the piece of them that's going to be immortal. You don't have to agree with Crid's silly "auditioning for Florence King's NR spot when she dies" arguments* to understand the personal crap is just neither here nor Hair.

*- Of this, only #2 is correct.

> And I kinda liked Identity..

How dare you. How dare you.

Even during the explosion part, where the hideous-actor/child fearfully pulled his shoulders to his ears a full two seconds before the detonation? (And remember, they were shooting at something like 90fps.)

Also, there was no reason for Cusack (and whomever the other stars were) to be piling on during the beating of the Busey boy, since they were going to be exposed as colloborators seven scenes later. I've forgotten the details. The point is, I didn't care *at the time*.

Also, we never even got to see whatsername's nipples, and she was one of the first ones garroted.

> Of this, only #2 is correct.

Don't fuck with me! I have a copy of GPB right here, and a stopwatch in the other room. Let's review the radio station scene.

Six minutes, thirty two seconds. And they *knew* it was bullshit, tried to wrap it up at one point, and then just had to go back for more.

I liked Identity even though... what was it? Shoulders to ears? That part I guess didn't bother me as much as it did you.

Apropos of nothing, I watched Cusack run into a building in New Orleans while he was filming that stupid John Grisham novel movie. He had on a lot of makeup.

About 10 minutes later I watched a carriage horse drop dead.

New Orleans is awesome.

Jim, it was right at the end, when I was already pissed off. They threatened a child's life, and didn't even do it convincingly.

Runaway Jury was a fun movie, only 4 minutes too long

"Don't fuck with me! I have a copy of GPB right here, and a stopwatch in the other room. Let's review the radio station scene.

Six minutes, thirty two seconds. And they *knew* it was bullshit, tried to wrap it up at one point, and then just had to go back for more."

You're a bitter man, crid. Bitter and old, and you might as well throw the checkered spandex pants away- they are NEVER coming back, and you know you haven't fit in them since 1991 anyway, dancing in the mirror to Dio. With the bandanna.

Yeah, ok, it's a long scene, I grant. I'll go you one better: the fourteen minute scene inside the radio station wher..., oh, wait, it was only 45 seconds. Hm. Seemed it.

You know, I never got the feeling of watching a movie during it: Cusak's humanity may only appear on screen, but it is there: the thing moves at a clip, even (gasp)...no, I won't reference Quake*.
I am a merciful God. But you don't seriously have a problem with GPB as a whole, do you? I mean, the simple fact *I* didn't think anything of the potato(e) bomb is QED: it didn't feel long, therefore it wasn't. You're just being bitchy, Village Voicey, look-how-clever-I-am. My girlfriend does that same "look how contrived this scene is" routine that seems to come with post-graduate work in the Humanities, which is why I beat her. A smack or two'll turn you right around.

*- You know what I mean, bitch, no pretending.