Althouse: "Heathers," etc.

March 31, 2009

"Heathers," etc.

1. The Daily News has a where-are-they-now photo essay on the various actors from the great 1989 movie "Heathers."

2. I didn't know Jennifer Connelly turned down the Winona Ryder role, though I did know that Ryder has done nothing of note since her 2001 arrest for shoplifting. That poor woman paid such a heavy price for her crime. Come on, everyone. Forgive Winona.

3. I didn't know Kim Walker/Heather Chandler died of a brain tumor in 2001. (Classic "chainsaw" video clip — language alert.) ("Please send Heather to Heaven.")

4. I was happy to see that Glenn Shadix/Father Ripper is still a busily working actor. ("I love my dead gay son.")

5. And look what became of the nerdy boy.

6. "Betty Finn" was a real Estevez.

7. They're working on the Broadway musical version of "Heathers." The new Veronica Sawyer might be Kristen Bell. What do you think of the idea of "Heathers," the musical? Is the movie popular with Broadway fans? Sort of like "Hairspray"? I loved the movie and I loved the original movie "Hairspray," but I had no interest in seeing the show "Hairspray" or the movie made from the show. But that's just me. I guess I don't want to see any Broadway shows made from movies, though I did see "Nine" many years ago... when Raul Julia played Guido.

8. I miss Raul Julia! But what the hell was going on here?

18 comments:

Lem Vibe Bandit said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/31/09, 7:17 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: If you wanted to get noticed in HS in the 80's you dressed up.

I dont remember how but I always found money for clothes.; 3/31/09, 7:18 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Color me impressed. Westerberg High was sure a rockin' place!; 3/31/09, 7:46 AM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: I don't remember this movie. It must have been one of those the Cuban government either censured or couldn't pirate.

I think Julia (what a great actor!) was doing a commercial for an "inspirational" seminar company??; 3/31/09, 8:04 AM
Anonymous said...: They're working on the Broadway musical version of "Heathers.

The startup costs of a B'way show are so high, its getting so no producer/ investor will take a chance on an unknown or unproven brand.

Soon we'll be seeing Cabbage Patch Dolls, The Musical.; 3/31/09, 8:09 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: I remember Slater catching some grief for basically impersonating Jack Nicholson though the whole movie.; 3/31/09, 8:14 AM
Unknown said...: Ha! I just quoted Heathers on this blog a few days ago. Took advantage of someone's typo. Hmm, where did it go?

I remember Slater catching some grief for basically impersonating Jack Nicholson though the whole movie.

I don't think he denied it.

My favorite quote: "This is Ohio. If you don't have a brewsky in your hand you might as well be wearing a dress."; 3/31/09, 8:21 AM
Anonymous said...: There already is an internet version of "Heathers," but they missed a great marketing opportunity by renaming it "JournoList."

I never thought Slater himself was imitating Nicholas, but rather that Slater's charachter was imitating Nicholas.; 3/31/09, 8:29 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: I always saw Heathers as the anti-John Hughes teen flick.; 3/31/09, 8:43 AM
Wince said...: I think Henry is an old time golf fan.

Me too!

Haven't watched TV golf since the Golden Bear hung-up the cleats.; 3/31/09, 8:44 AM
yashu said...: Poor Winona Ryder. (The quintessential "Generation X" actress?) I read somewhere that Woody Allen originally had her in mind for the role of Melinda in M & M (maybe even wrote the role for her?), really wanted to cast her, but (because of the incident) nobody would insure her. Confirmed by Wikipedia, with some extra trivia: turns out Woody wanted to cast WR and Robert Downey Jr.; neither could be insured. (Since Downey had his renaissance, maybe WR someday can?) I wonder what part he wanted Downey for? Hobie or Moonsong? Interesting to think on the movie that would've been. Still, Radha Mitchell was really good (in a not-so-great Allen movie)...

WR was quite interesting as femme fatale in Celebrity (another not-so-great Allen movie with some great female performances, like the fabulous Judy Davis)-- completely unlike her typical movie personas yet completely convincing-- maybe more convincing as femme fatale than, e.g., the lovable tomboy waif. I can see, in that performance, what Woody saw in her-- the ability to incarnate the 2 faces of Melinda.

Raul Julia, mi compatriota! So so wonderful in every single thing he's done. Last movie I've watched him in: The Eyes of Laura Mars. Somehow, nothing he does (& a number of his performances are terrifically eccentric & extravagant) ever seems like overacting... it's like, somehow, the sheer presence of the human being/ character on the screen is big enough and deep enough to fully contain or embody the performance, or something. As for what he's going on about, heh, EST... groovy, man.; 3/31/09, 9:49 AM
David said...: I liked Ryder in "The Darwin Awards" Thought she was beautiful and funny alongside Joseph Fiennes.; 3/31/09, 11:04 AM
Kurt said...: I'd agree with your assessment, Hoosier.

Still, I have to wonder how many other people thought about the movie Heathers at the time of Columbine and other assorted school shootings. (OK, I thought of both Heathers and the song "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun.")

Seriously, though, one thing that the movie does very well is to parody the whole share-your-feelings grief industry that arises whenever there is such a tragedy. Heathers quite effectively mocked the hyper-sensitivity that was in the ascendancy.; 3/31/09, 11:06 AM
Will said...: Winona Ryder will be playing Amanda Grayson (Spock's mother) in the upcoming Star Trek film. I do believe this is the biggest thing she's done since she got nicked.; 3/31/09, 11:10 AM
tim maguire said...: I've been in love with Winona Ryder since Mermaids or maybe Beetlejuice. But I think her career was on the skids before the shoplifting incident. Mostly it was just a sad "looks what she's come to" moment that turned her into a joke. And being a joke is something very few come back from. I still love her though.; 3/31/09, 11:20 AM
fivewheels said...: I wouldn't say Ms. Ryder was that significant an actress even when her career was hot. More of a starlet, really. Her appeal was mainly to guys who wanted to say they were attracted to a woman with a smart persona and pretend it wasn't just because she was the most fashionably gorgeous thing out there, which she was.

Since the arrest, I did enjoy A Scanner Darkly quite a bit, and she was at least OK in it.; 3/31/09, 11:43 AM
Revenant said...: I did know that Ryder has done nothing of note since her 2001 arrest for shoplifting. That poor woman paid such a heavy price for her crime. Come on, everyone. Forgive Winona.

Her career is in pretty much the same state it was in before she got arrested. She peaked in the mid-90s.

The new Veronica Sawyer might be Kristen Bell.

Nice! She's a much better actress than Ryder was.; 3/31/09, 12:35 PM
Chris Althouse Cohen said...: That article leaves out one of the most important stories. One of the actors (Jeremy Applegate, who played Peter Dawson, the sort of nerdy guy who prays, "I don't think I could handle suicide") actually did commit suicide, by gunshot.

Also, one of Kim Walker's one-liners in Heathers is, "Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?"; 4/1/09, 2:06 AM