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Usenet Posted 17 years ago
Screenwriting
Matt Damon -- not just a pretty face.
Matt Damon is in Cape Town shooting a Clint Eastwood movie, "The Human Factor" on the 1995 Rugby World Cup. He's playing the part of Francois Pienaar, the victorious Springbok captain (who in real life is about 50 lb of solid muscle heavier than Matt).
Yesterday Matt Damon rode for charity in the Argus Cycle Race on a tandem with his brother Kyle, who is a triathlete. It was Matt's first time on a tandem. The race is a 110 km scenic route around the Cape Peninsula with some stiff climbs, and is the largest timed cycle race in the world. Most amateurs train for months before the race. Matt did no training at all.
He set off with 30,000 others, and finished before the cutoff time despite bike trouble. What makes his effort noteworthy is that this was the toughest race in its 30-year history. The "Argus Horribilis" someone dubbed it. A screaming 100+ km/hr South-Easter blew in peoples' faces the first half of the course, and to spite the tail-enders, turned and blew in their faces on the return leg. Many stragglers had to be collected by bus when they timed out on the road seven hours later.
As I write this I'm listening to comments on local talk radio. In one place the wind was so strong that cyclists had to climb off their bikes and push them downhill against the wind. In another you could see fields of cyclists fall over sideways as gusts hit them.
There is no way I would tackle the Argus. It's usually fun, but it's also tough. This year it was downright murderous and no fun at all, according to experienced competitors.
I've always liked Matt Damon. Now I respect him. What he did took grit.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=954877
CURIOSITY
One of the bikes was made of bamboo grown in Ghana. The manufacturers are touting it as a cheap low-tech alternative to steel or exotic materials, suitable for Africa. Apparently these bamboo bikes can carry enormous loads. The first things that break are the steel spokes, not the bamboo frame! Hopefully they are cheaper than the fancy bicycles which can cost R30,000 ($3,000) for a mid-range example.
Martin B
Yesterday Matt Damon rode for charity in the Argus Cycle Race on a tandem with his brother Kyle, who is a triathlete. It was Matt's first time on a tandem. The race is a 110 km scenic route around the Cape Peninsula with some stiff climbs, and is the largest timed cycle race in the world. Most amateurs train for months before the race. Matt did no training at all.
He set off with 30,000 others, and finished before the cutoff time despite bike trouble. What makes his effort noteworthy is that this was the toughest race in its 30-year history. The "Argus Horribilis" someone dubbed it. A screaming 100+ km/hr South-Easter blew in peoples' faces the first half of the course, and to spite the tail-enders, turned and blew in their faces on the return leg. Many stragglers had to be collected by bus when they timed out on the road seven hours later.
As I write this I'm listening to comments on local talk radio. In one place the wind was so strong that cyclists had to climb off their bikes and push them downhill against the wind. In another you could see fields of cyclists fall over sideways as gusts hit them.
There is no way I would tackle the Argus. It's usually fun, but it's also tough. This year it was downright murderous and no fun at all, according to experienced competitors.
I've always liked Matt Damon. Now I respect him. What he did took grit.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=954877
CURIOSITY
One of the bikes was made of bamboo grown in Ghana. The manufacturers are touting it as a cheap low-tech alternative to steel or exotic materials, suitable for Africa. Apparently these bamboo bikes can carry enormous loads. The first things that break are the steel spokes, not the bamboo frame! Hopefully they are cheaper than the fancy bicycles which can cost R30,000 ($3,000) for a mid-range example.
Martin B
Top answer
Matt seems like a really nice guy, but I never understood why he's a major star. He looks just average IMO, not especially charismatic or talented. A decent actor.
- Matt seems like a really nice guy, but I never understood why he's a major star.
- He looks just average IMO, not especially charismatic or talented.
- A decent actor.
- Mark Wahlberg is a lot more interesting in the same kinds of roles.
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8 Answers
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Matt seems like a really nice guy, but I never understood why he's a major star. He looks just average IMO, not especially charismatic or talented. A decent actor. Mark Wahlberg is a lot more interesting in the same kinds of roles.
00
[nq:1]Matt seems like a really nice guy, but I never understood why he's a major star. He looks just average IMO, not especially charismatic or talented. A decent actor. Mark Wahlberg is a lot more interesting in the same kinds of roles.[/nq]
Your mileage clearly differs. I've always found Wahlberg utterly bland as a leading man, whereas he's fine in character roles e.g. THE DEPARTED.
T
Your mileage clearly differs. I've always found Wahlberg utterly bland as a leading man, whereas he's fine in character roles e.g. THE DEPARTED.
T
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[nq:2]Matt seems like a really nice guy, but I never understood why he's a major star. Â He looks just average IMO, not especially charismatic or talented. Â A decent actor. Â Mark Wahlberg is a lot more interesting in the same kinds of roles.[/nq]
[nq:1]Your mileage clearly differs. I've always found Wahlberg utterly bland as a leading man, whereas he's fine in character roles e.g. THE DEPART
[nq:1]Your mileage clearly differs. I've always found Wahlberg utterly bland as a leading man, whereas he's fine in character roles e.g. THE DEPART
00
"Philby"
[nq:1]Matt seems like a really nice guy, but I never understood why he's a major star. He looks just average IMO, not especially charismatic or talented. A decent actor.[/nq]
It's hard to look more average or less charismatic than Tom Hanks.
Is there a Guy Next Door category?
Martin B
[nq:1]Matt seems like a really nice guy, but I never understood why he's a major star. He looks just average IMO, not especially charismatic or talented. A decent actor.[/nq]
It's hard to look more average or less charismatic than Tom Hanks.
Is there a Guy Next Door category?
Martin B
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[nq:2]Harper Lee only wrote one novel. I found that much more unusual.[/nq]
[nq:1]Margaret Mitchell only wrote Gone with the Wind, and died young - her movie came out in 39 and she went in 49 - hit by a cab in Atlanta, I think - but she wrote one biig book and it was a biig deal.[/nq]
And to this day, I can't figure out why.
RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"
[nq:1]Margaret Mitchell only wrote Gone with the Wind, and died young - her movie came out in 39 and she went in 49 - hit by a cab in Atlanta, I think - but she wrote one biig book and it was a biig deal.[/nq]
And to this day, I can't figure out why.
RonB
"There's a story there...somewhere"
00
[nq:2]And to this day, I can't figure out why.[/nq]
[nq:1]Because you, my friend, are male.[/nq]
I think that's probably it. The movie just seems like a long, tedious soap opera to me. Though I have to admit some of the big scenes like the burning of Atlanta were pretty impressive, especially considering when they were filmed.
What's odd, is that my father thought it was a great movie
[nq:1]Because you, my friend, are male.[/nq]
I think that's probably it. The movie just seems like a long, tedious soap opera to me. Though I have to admit some of the big scenes like the burning of Atlanta were pretty impressive, especially considering when they were filmed.
What's odd, is that my father thought it was a great movie
00
[nq:1]Oh, it's a good read, but it's a lot more pages than I usually like. The character reveals are way ... loyal household help - their fading respect and ultimate disdain was really expertly rendered - that shame was well dome.[/nq]
My problem is, I've got to like the characters to like the story. So the heroine is a woman who seems incapable of loving (or at least marrying) any man who isn
My problem is, I've got to like the characters to like the story. So the heroine is a woman who seems incapable of loving (or at least marrying) any man who isn
00
I quite liked GWTW. I remember going to see the re-mastered version when it came out, but more as a historical curiosity than for entertainment.
What really piqued my interest in how movies get made was a book I found in the library, which from the title you'd expect to be dry-as-dust, but which in fact was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the industry.
"The Memos of David
What really piqued my interest in how movies get made was a book I found in the library, which from the title you'd expect to be dry-as-dust, but which in fact was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the industry.
"The Memos of David
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