The Smiley Smile Message Board

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I think the "actor suggestion" threads and related posts regarding BB's/Brian biopics have got to be my least favorite thing... other than Mike singing "Imagine."

 :-[

Just tryin' to have a little fun, Jon.
By the way - i LOVE your books!

Thanks. You go ahead and have fun, and I'll just cringe a little. "Imagin' all the people...livin' life in peace."

 ;D

By the way, Jon - - I just finished reading your David Marks book and the way you ended it was so brilliant and touching, I was practically in tears. I love the way you made the whole story come full circle with the memory of David watching Brian work out the musical harmonies from the record albums.
I am just completing a book about the life of Gene Simmons - and your ending to the book made me go back and revise my own ending because what you did was SO effective. So thank you for that!

Thanks for the feedback, and sorry to anyone who hates derailed threads. Good luck with your Gene project...a very interesting guy. I had the pleasure of spending a bit of time with Gene in his home last year, and he was incredibly gracious and generous. He sent me home with an armload of Kiss swag for my kids...including some really nice signed stuff. He also took the time to play me some rare demo stuff from the earliest days, plus his Van Halen demos. I'm not what you'd call a big fan of Kiss, and I doubt Gene and I have much in common(although our daughters have the same name)...but damn...he was really kind, and fascinating to chat with!

I think of Gene and Brian being similar in that they both went to a place of fantasy to deal with childhood traumas.

Did Gene help you with your new tome? ( The Beach Boys FAQ )

What? :brow

Simmons produced pre-record contract demos for Van Halen in '76, recorded at Village in L.A. and Electric Ladyland in NY. They sound real good.

Whoa! Had no idea...that'd be great to listen to.

kevin smith???? johnny depp??!!!  depp would be an ok 1980s brian.  emile hirsch and jeff bridges to round it out.

Do they sound pretty much like the finished article ? The first 3 or 4 Van Halen albums are very simply and effectively recorded.

Yeah pretty much like what came on those first albums, but perhaps a bigger bottom end sound, maybe more balls and less polish.

Alec Baldwin could do the BW of the last decade.
Zach Galifianakas could do the holland era through the bed era.
Tim Matheson could do the Landy/1st solo lp era Brian. No. Really.

Not sure about the early BW or the SMiLE Brian.

Sorry Jon.  Couldn't resist this silliness.

I'd be down for that. Would suck if they tried to make this a super serious ultra dramatic drama film.

If anything, Emile Hirsch should play Dennis - he already looks so much like him, more than he looks like Brian anyways.

I'd rather have a lesser known actor play Brian, someone who can really disappear into the role.  I feel like an Alec Baldwin or Zach Galifianakis would be too distracting.

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Ralph Wiggum to play teenage Brian.....and possibly SMiLE era Brian.

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John Hamm to play every other time period of Brian's life....only for the mere fact that he doesn't even remotely resemble Brian in any way whatsoever.

Really, Jon?  What about Stamos singing "Forever"???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwFthostwSk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZQF_bYwQQY&feature=related
I can't believe how I remember Stamos as a 'soap' opera 'star',
hanging on Dennis', while Dennis blew him off!  Somehow he migrated
over to Mike, who still loves exploiting him, to get them exposure...

I always saw Alec Baldwin as Brian Wilson. He so could do it. The only problem his age. But he's got the acting chops to pull it off. His performance would do Brian proud!

Crispin Glover could do a decent 1988-92 "landy era" Brian. Alec Baldwin could probably pull  off a decent "fat 1995 era" Brian. Jeff Bridges could do a killer bearded "1980-83 era" Dennis.

A lot of those Van Halen demos are on you tube and sound fantastic!

I think Russell Crowe would be a perfect candidate to play the part of an abusive early 60"s Murray Wilson,and I totally agree about Alec "the organ" Baldwin as an older Brian.

Brian = Kermit the Frog
Mike = Fozzie Bear
Dennis = Animal

It's not easy being green.  ;D

Check out a film from a couple of years ago called Smokin' Aces. Don't be put off that it has Ben Affleck in it as he gets killed very early on. There's an actor called Martin Henderson who is the absolute SPITTING IMAGE of bearded Brian era.

Bruce Campbell as 2000's Brian Wilson.

(http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/6629/briancampbell.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/508/briancampbell.jpg/)

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Cool, anything to stop him doing that bloody Evil Dead remake!

Bruce would be sweet because he can rock a hawaiian shirt just like Brian does> ;D

If Bruce Campbell plays Brian maybe Bruce Greenwood can reprise his Dennis role, Bruce Johnston can play himself, and Bruce Willis can be the Lovester!

Bigger Pics, if anyone's interested:

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JOHNNY DEPP
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b151/originalskiss/bwfat.jpg)
KEVIN SMITH
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b151/originalskiss/bw2day.jpg)
GEORGE CLOONEY

The obvious choice to portray Brian is Fred Weller. ;D

(http://www.actors-pictures.com/pictures/jeff-bridges-6.jpg)

Well that's Brian sorted...

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... and Alan.

Yep.  Jeff for Brian.  I think it was suggested some years back, as was William Hurt, when he still had some hair and Brian was slimmer. Not that I'm saying the Dude is as big as our boy, of course.

My personal pick would be for Brian Wilson to be played by Brian Wilson (pitcher of the San Fransisco Giants).....ahem