Paul Giamatti, Please Be a Little More Selective

Oh, Paul Giamatti. He's the man you can't help but love and respect. He's got acting chops on all sides of the fence, being able to play it straight and serious just as much as over-the-top ridiculous and campy -- in other words, the perfect combination. Giamatti has come a long way since he popped up as Kissing Man in Singles, and these days, he's the kind of actor who might even lead you to movies you would not have otherwise considered. But now the man needs to get a little more selective.

For ages, he's been attached to Bubba Nosferatu, a project that got immensely worrisome when Bruce Campbell exited over the screenplay (only to get Ron Perlman). It might seem like a project going nowhere, but according to the new Elvis, the film will finally play out during Perlman's Sons of Anarchy hiatus. And Giamatti is still on-board. Strike one: Sticking with this project post-Campbell when the original barely made it to the screen and the film's fans don't want Bubba without Bruce.


But really -- it's inevitable that an actor will take part in something you don't like. You can't please anyone all the time, and while it's a worrisome project, it's far from the worst.

And I'd be happy to accept it if not for the second strike: Becoming Larry for the Farrelly revamp of The Three Stooges. This was like a sword through the heart ... and I had thought Sean Penn was taking drugs ... I'm beginning to wonder if this remake is the Holy frakking Grail of Hollywood with the amount of talent it's attracting. I just don't get it, and I don't see why Giamatti would take it on. If it was a biopic, sure. Indulge in nostalgia, the challenge, and introduce a new audience to the charms of the Stooges. But as a Farrelly adaptation? Egads.

To be fair, he is balancing it with some intriguing fare. I can't wait to see him in Barney's Version, and I'm antsy to see how he takes on Philip K. Dick in The Owl in Daylight. But these two above -- Larry especially -- leaves a bad taste in my mouth and just make me ask: Why?

I realize that it's only two films, but I'm taking a cue from Miles and getting a little irrationally aggravated out of appreciation. He is better than a cult sequel and Larry mimicker. Don't you think?