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Some big stars are in more throwaway movies than box-office hits
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John Travolta stars as a vengeful former Black Ops agent in "I Am Wrath," which went straight to video. - photo by Chris Hicks
These days, character actor Donald Sutherland is primarily known to younger audiences for his appearances as President Snow in the Hunger Games movies. But he was a big star in the 1970s and 80s after the movie MASH became a box-office smash.

Sutherland also became known for taking all kinds of roles, large and small, and playing all kinds of characters, which led to his churning out a lot of movies every year he was in five in 1970, and over that decade appeared in 28 theatrical films.

And most of them flopped.

So when I attended a New York press conference for Sutherlands latest movie in 1981, one journalist didnt hesitate to ask why he made so many bad movies.

The question was surprising and a bit more aggressive than most of us were used to hearing in that kind of setting. But Sutherlands answer was quick and classic: I dont go into a picture saying, Oh boy, this is going to be a bad one! I think theyre all going to be wonderful.

Of course, a cynic might suggest that its really a payday decision: Sure, its a lousy script and a mediocre director, but hey, its only a few days work and its a fat paycheck.

On the other hand, some stars just like to work. They want to keep exercising the acting muscles and are perhaps not getting that many great scripts. Do they take a lesser project or sit around the house and wait, perhaps for too long a time, for a better offer? And its an even more likely scenario the older they get.

Sutherland, 81 now, still works a lot. He co-stars in a European TV series and appears in 12 episodes annually, and he has three movies scheduled for release this year.

Of course, whether those movies will go to theaters is anyones guess.

A lot of major Hollywood stars these days Bruce Willis, Nicolas Cage and John Travolta chief among them are popping up in throwaway movies. Literal throwaways.

As in, the studios have thrown these films away by giving them straight-to-video/streaming releases instead of scheduling them for theaters. And fans throw them away by turning them off halfway through or falling asleep.

After all, any movie that starts out bad and doesnt get better by the halfway point isnt likely to take a sharp turn to greatness.

Of course, this is all based on the presumption that Willis and Cage and Travolta are still major movie stars.

They were once.

Willis, for example seems to be in every other one of these.

Looking at the past five years, his theatrical films have included small parts in Rock the Kasbah, The Cold Light of Day and Moonrise Kingdom, along with co-starring roles in Looper and sequels to The Expendables, G.I. Joe, Sin City, and of course Die Hard.

During the same period, Willis has also been in even more nearly invisible, nontheatrical films with generic titles youve never heard of, which arrived on DVD and on-demand streaming sites with zero fanfare: Precious Cargo, Marauders, Extraction, Vice, The Prince, Fire With Fire, Lay the Favorite, Catch .44 and Setup.

And despite his limited screen time in most of these, Willis face is plastered all over the movies online posters and DVD covers, luring unsuspecting fans into wasting a couple of hours for each one.

Nicolas Cage usually has bigger roles in his straight-to-video movies, but youve still likely never heard of Dog Eat Dog, The Trust, Pay the Ghost, The Runner, Dying of the Light, Outcast, Rage, The Frozen Ground, Trespass, Stolen and Seeking Justice.

Ditto John Travoltas most recent flicks: I am Wrath, In a Valley of Violence, Criminal Activities, Life on the Line, The Forger, Killing Season and Savages.

Kind of makes you wonder if this is the ultimate future for Matt Damon, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg or Brad Pitt.

Buyer beware.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Street musician killing it on clarinet

She must have lungs of iron! Its inspiring hearing the upper registers being played so well.

Posted by Clarinet Life on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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