(Ray Brandes brings the casting couch to your browser.)
The characters and events of our youth, it has often been suggested, would make excellent material for a big budget, Hollywood drama. Imagine having $100 million to re-create a show at the Che Cafe, a late-night Presidio Park gathering, a line of scooters outside the Ken Cinema for a showing of “Quadrophenia,” or a fight behind the North Park Lions Club, for example, using some of the top names in the business today.
Earlier threads, back in the days of the Che Underground blog’s infancy, floated names like Christopher Walken, Shia LaBeouf, Johnny Depp and Daniel Radcliff (of Harry Potter fame) to play Steve Garris, Matthew Rothenberg, Jerry Cornelius and Bart Mendoza, respectively.
Let’s set the film in April 1984, just for kicks. The Tell-Tale Hearts, the Wallflowers, Hair Theatre, the Answers, the Rockin’ Dogs and Noise 292 are playing at the Ché Cafe. The casting call goes out to all actors, living or dead, at any age in their careers. Don’t worry about limiting your cast list to characters who definitely would have attended that show — this is Hollywood, so anything can happen!
Who would you cast in the movie of our lives?
— Ray Brandes
This is a tough one. I would hate to offend someone by saying the wrong thing (Crispin Glover, say). I don’t think I was out and about much any more by the date in question, which is just as well because I would demand several different actors play my different phases and personalities (an unknown Zimbabwean youth, James Dean, Ricky Gervais, and Meryl Streep for starters). But if I had to be honest about who I was then, I think Cousin-Oliver-era Robbie Rist could handle the job…
I would be honored to have Wallace Shawn play me.
Young Dustin Hoffman would win an Oscar as a young Dave Fleminger.
We’ve got one photo on the site where Lou Damian’s a ringer for Brando.
I’m trying to figure out who could play Pat Works …
… And simultaneously, I’m trying to figure out who a young Mia Farrow would play.
mia farrow would play alexis.
i would ask a young natalie wood to play monica sullivan.
as for me? gene tierney.
I see The Tell Hearts as Ray Brandes: A young Robert Duvall with a Ray Brandes wig. Bill Calhoun: Mickey Rourke after being punched in the face 37 times. David Klowden: David Arquette. Mike Stax: Mike Stax (who else could play Mike Stax on Gods green earth), and myself, athough it’s so obvious I don’t know why I bother writing it, would of course be played by Clint Eastwood (“Man with no name” era).
Eric,
Robert Duvall,huh? Great actor. Damn near perfect in “The Prophet.” I always fancied myself looking like a young Michael Douglas, but it’s still hard to shake the memory of the time you said my hair looked like Ann Romano from “One Day at a Time.”
Now as long as we’re going with a young cast, let’s see about those other picks: I thought you were a little harsh with Bill Calhoun, so I’ll give him Ashton Kutcher. David Klowden: Jason Schwartzman. Andy Samberg from SNL could play you. Now as far as Mike Stax is concerned, there is an actor named DJ Qualls who could do him justice (just google him).
I would like at some poignant point for the soundtrack to feature the Unknowns’ song “Dream Sequence”. I can’t think of anything else that for me captures so many aspects of the SD experience…was it all just a dream?
A perfect track.
Sean Astin (Sam in ‘Lord of the Rings’, with same hairdo as in the movie) would be my choice to play Ted Friedman.
I love Michael Douglas as Ray Brandes. I’m struggling with who would play Jeff Lucas.
Heath Ledger coulda done amazing work with … Somebody. Dave Hinge?
How about a younger Jared Leto as Jeff?
I’m seeing John Lurie as Bruce Injection.
Jared Leto … Jeff Lucas? Yeah, that works.
Michael Douglas as Ray Brandes:
Dustin Fleminger!
WTF !! I wish I looked like that cat ! I look too French for that dude. He looks like an italian mobster boy !
Most people say I look like Humphrey Bogart now, which could be a compliment or an insult.
Have to post a recent pic and let viewers decide.
bruce
I guess that’s about right….
I personally think Tom Waits could do a pretty phenomenal Jeff Lucas:
Ted Friedman and Greg S.:
Bob Geldoff: Jeff Lucas. I always thought he was a ringer.
omg. michael douglass is SO you, Ray. wow.
Matthew, don’t shoot me but I totally want to make you Billy Crystal.
Val Kilmer as Sergio? He did Morrison alright.
How about Steve Garris? Dennis Hopper? Beniccio?
Jerry Cornelius: that guy from Velvet Goldmine, Jonathan Rhys Meyers. perfect!
Myself. People tell me Laura Dern or Rebecca DeMornay.
Here’s DJ Qualls, Ray’s candidate for Mike Stax. This dude could be tricked out into a serious Patrick Works, too:
Kyle McLachlan coulda done some Patrick, too:
tom hanks plays
eric bacher
wesley snipes is
chris mathis
john travolta is
sergio
lou reed plays
matt r
ha ha
chevy chase is eric b
lou reed as matthew… yep. i see it.
bruce, bogie is no insult. nope.
jodi/cricket needs to be played by none other than edie.
Tommy Clarke, Cole Smithey, Eric Bacher and Paul Allen:
Lou is correct. Travolta as Sergio:
I want Jimmy Cagney to play Toby Gibson!
I hope Lou Damien will forgive my observation and suggestion, that he be represented on film by Wilmer Valderama.
Lou Diamond Phillips as Leighton Koizumi
Hugh Laurie as Steve Garris
Ron Perlman as Steve Epineter
Toby McGuire as Dean Curtis
Fairuza Balk as Kristi Maddocks
Ed Burns as Sean McMullen
Emilio Estevez as Toby Gibson
Jonah Hill as Brian Peck
Keanu Reeves as Darren Grealish
Jason Priestly as Dave Ellison
Definitely Ann Margaret as Monica Sullivan.
How about a young Tatum O’Neill as Shawna Davis?
How I spent 1986:
Lou Damian: Yeah, Lou Reed coulda played me. Of course, I think I was playin’ Lou, so it’s kind of tautological! 🙂
apologies in advance.
Toby: That’s the “After” shot! Except I have more hair. LOL
Oddly enough, I have thought before about who could play the members of Personal Conflict, and came up with some odd ideas.
Lloyd/Road House Swayze:
Joel/State of Grace oldman:
Dave Sharp:
Dave Sharp?
Wait! Wait!
Gary Burghoff playing Lou Reed = me in 1983!
Who’d be Marc Rude?
Lee Ving can play Marc Rude.
How about some of us girls?
Alena? Cyndie? Lori Shouldice? Claudia? Audrey? Kristin Martin? Michelle? Me?
I always thought Wendy Gibbler looked a little like Bernadette Peters. And as I recall, she sings real well too.
Here are some more suggestions:
Alena Tuscher/Molly Ringwald
Kristi Maddocks/Fairuza Balk
Wendy Gibler/Christina Ricci
Ray wrote: “Toby McGuire as Dean Curtis”
Toby McGuire as Ed Piffard.
David Bowie as Mike Stax.
Can we get Jim Jarmusch to direct?
Mike McCarthy:
Let’s just hope that it doesn’t turn out like
“That 80’s Show”
Set in San Diego -- with identifiable stand-ins for Club 9 and Tasha’s Music City.
Ok this thread is funny, I am sure I would not make the screen play but once a girl told me I looked like Gary Busey, and I am pretty sure she ment after motorcycle accident, another person said I looked like Jeff Healy, the blind singer whom had a hit song “angel eyes” he was also in the movie “Road House”….. Yeah I’m a looker.
Maybe I could just sell the popcorn.
River Phoenix … Awesome Hobie Hodge!
Rutger Hauer as Gary Heffern (doing “Nervous Fingers”):
Speaking of tautology: Steve Garris was simply “doing” Richard Burton [in “Candy”] and Rod Steiger in “The Illustrated Man”!
Ray, your Keanu-as-Darren and Priestley-as-Dave E. are obvious beyond words, and thereby perfect.
--Lesha: Blogging a dead horse once again.
[Who’d play me? An unknown extra!]