A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

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Richard Kaufman
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A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 9th, 2010, 12:35 am

Got this link from The Roger Ebert Club:

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3027b4 ... -ricky-jay
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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby James Cotton » June 9th, 2010, 9:06 am

Ricky Jay is a terrific actor.

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Richard Hatch » June 9th, 2010, 10:25 am

He does a great job playing himself in this!

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Brandon Hall » June 9th, 2010, 1:54 pm

Ricky Jay never acts. He says the words and never bumps into the furniture.
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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Tabman » June 9th, 2010, 4:24 pm

Watch it with the sound off. It's great. I kept trying to imagine Ricky Jay wtih long hair in that card throwing pose. Nice work.

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 9th, 2010, 4:37 pm

I suggest you try saying the words, not bumping into the furniture, and see if you can get hired to work in films and TV.

It's not so simple.
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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Magic Newswire » June 9th, 2010, 5:08 pm

I totally ignored this when it was sent to me last week. Who knew that people would find it so interesting. Just goes to show that you never know what will appeal to the audience until you do it.

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Brad Henderson » June 9th, 2010, 5:26 pm

Mamet has an interesting take on the job of the actor. True and False - interesting book.

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Brandon Hall » June 9th, 2010, 5:29 pm

Simple nothing, it's darn near impossible. Been trying it for years...
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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Magic Newswire » June 9th, 2010, 5:34 pm

His latest book, which he discussed with Ricky during a live appearance, "Theatre", is also very very good!

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby James Cotton » June 10th, 2010, 6:57 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:I suggest you try saying the words, not bumping into the furniture, and see if you can get hired to work in films and TV.

It's not so simple.


It helps if you're best buddies with David Mamet, too.

Jay's best performance was in Heist. His worst in that Bond flick.

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Dustin Stinett » June 10th, 2010, 12:36 pm

Ricky is the first guy to say that he has a way to go before being a "great" actor.

I thought his turn in "The Spanish Prisoner" was quite good and he also did well in the HBO mini-series "Deadwood."

Dustin

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby AMCabral » June 10th, 2010, 5:19 pm

Brad Henderson wrote:Mamet has an interesting take on the job of the actor. True and False - interesting book.


Yep. It's pretty muchsay your lines and don't bump into the furniture. Results in some awful performances if you're not watching William H. Macy or Joe Mantegna.

-T

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Brad Henderson » June 10th, 2010, 5:33 pm

It privileges the role and responsibility of the writer above all.

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Tim Ellis » June 10th, 2010, 6:15 pm

Someone just sent me a short film with a similar title, 'Erotic Magician'.

The quality seems to be a little lower than the Mamet offering though.

http://www.fuzzwich.com/?_fz_aid=1086487

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 10th, 2010, 9:51 pm

Tim, that's neither interesting nor funny.
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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Doomo » June 10th, 2010, 10:42 pm

Well, it is certainly no cake fart!
RFA Productions yeah... It is cool stuff.

www.rfaproductions.com

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 11th, 2010, 12:27 am

Ah, that touch of class.
Keep it private, Tony.
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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Tim Ellis » June 11th, 2010, 2:49 am

Richard Kaufman wrote:Tim, that's neither interesting nor funny.


True

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby AMCabral » June 11th, 2010, 3:01 am

Brad Henderson wrote:It privileges the role and responsibility of the writer above all.


Agreed. And yet, when you let great actors at the material under someone else's direction, you get glory like "Glengarry Glen Ross". Otherwise, you get people reciting text at the camera, like Steve Martin in "The Spanish Prisoner".

-T

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Joe Mckay » June 11th, 2010, 5:50 am

Hey - 'Glengarry Glen Ross' is my all time favourite film.

You should all try and check it out!

Joe

PS I have always being fascinated by Mamet's theories on acting. Basically that it should involve no theory or technique. Instead to be a great actor is something you are born with, and can build on by gaining experience on the stage, trusting the script (for instance there is nothing a good actor can do about a bad script) and just generally 'improving yourself' (eg your voice, your posture and perhaps learning other artforms like dance, comedy or magic). I would love to know what others think about David's intriguing anti-theory theory?

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Re: A New Short Film by David Mamet Starring Ricky Jay

Postby Brandon Hall » June 11th, 2010, 1:42 pm

I will tell you that some actors feel he overwrites. If you read his scripts, you will notice that he writes every breath the actor should take, every stutter and every stammer and pause...it's all right there on the page. He's very meter conscious, so to do it justice you must follow all of his stage directions. It can actually be very liberating for an actor...It's an "outside in" approach as opposed to the "inside out" methods more popular in America.
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