Now
Bette Midler: Movies are like junk food
Oct 5, 2008
Actress says Hollywood no longer makes films of substance
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Bette Midler has revealed that she’s no fan of today’s film industry.
The actress says she’s decided to concentrate on singing instead.
‘Look at the movies that they put out,’ she says. ‘It’s so junky. So much junk, it’s like the food. No content. Nothing.
‘If you’re a performer like me the only thing you can do is [sing] live. So people of a certain age are back on the road, doing what they do well.’
Bette, 62, says she has little time for the younger generation of artists who don’t appreciate their success, particularly Amy Winehouse.
‘She has no history. She doesn’t know where she could be standing in the continuum of singers. If she did, she wouldn’t trash herself so,’ she tells The Guardian.
‘She’d have a little more self-respect. It’s very sad. Such a waste
http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/274816/bette-midler-movies-are-like-junk-food/1/
I totally agree with the thing about Amy Winehouse. When she first came out, she reminded me of a young Bette… but, after all of this crap that she’s pulled… I think she’s just out of her mind. She really doesn’t appreicate the success or the talent that has been given to her. Maybe someday she’ll wake and realize what she could be.
I think there are many celebrities out there that let success go to their heads, or just can’t handle the instant celebrity status and fame. Let’s look at Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton to name a couple. And, also, we’ve lost talented actors such as John Belushi, Heath Ledger and River Phoenix to the unfortunate use/abuse/mixing of drugs. We can go back to Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland and make a similar claim.
Bette is really the rare artist out there that is drug-free, focused, committed and hasn’t let fame go to her head. Sure, you can’t go backstage after a concert like you used to, and her concert tickets are now $250 a piece, instead of $7.50; but her energies are directed toward philanthropy and the environment. Instead of letting fame affect her in a negative and internal way, she turns it around to help those around her. There are very few people out there, celebrity or otherwise, with such a wise level of awareness and interest in humanity.
I applaud her for that, but also think (and here comes the hate mail), that it’s a bit unfair for Bette to assault the movie industry and/or dismiss Amy Winehouse for making bad choices. Amy Winehouse is a huge talent, and it isn’t diminished by the fact that she’s ruining her health and may die too young.
And the movie industry is run by numbers, dollars, and tickets. I happen to love foreign and art house films over the huge blockbuster, but the industry is not going to change as long as movies like “Iron Man” and “Dark Knight” rack up the big bucks. Yes, it’s great to make a movie of “substance”, but it needs the studio blockbuster to finance the “little” film, so it can be made. Woody Allen is probably the only director out there that can make movies that gross under $20 million (as a rule) and still get funding to make more movies.
It’s always been tough for women over 40 to get good motion picture roles. She’s in an unfortunate demographic, but it’s not going to change. Meryl Streep is the rare actress out there that can continually get roles, even when her films “bomb” at the box office.
However, I just checked Bette’s lifetime movie grosses (at boxofficemojo.com), and she share’s a couple distinctions with Meryl Streep–both actresses have averaged $35 million gross per movie, over their lifetimes. Meryl Streep has only had 4 blockbusters (out of 42 movies) that have grossed over $100 million each–the latest, and biggest being “Mamma Mia”! Bette’s had 2 blockbusters (out of 22 movies) that have grossed over $100 million each.
So where is all this leading–“Bette, get Meryl Streep’s agent! And, keep those roles coming in, because we want to see more and more of you in the movies!! You’re still destined to win that elusive Oscar, so don’t stop now–I know there’s an Oscar out there with your name written all over it!”
I`m sure Bette feels the same way many fans of Amy feel…I keep seeing Amy`s earlier shows and she was so amazing, it is sad when she can barely stand on stage. I swear to God I almost cried when I saw her lose her voice and be held by her singer in er lst show in Lisbon. She is not like all those stupid girls with no talent, she just doesn`t know it. Dam Bette, make the phone that phone call. You know you can, girl! LOL! I still adore Amy, she is right next to Bette for me. Ok, I`m crazier about Bette, but you have to understand that for years and years Bette Midler was the only godness to me.LOL!
Don, I`m too sleepy, I can`t see the f#$ keyboard anymore…I`ve just seen thousand of typing errors. LOL!
Cris you speak and write better than over half our population and it’s not even your native language…don’t worry about it…