Kurt Hummel Snark & Bark Thread--Part 8

[MoviesAreLife]

@Heather: Yes, Chris received mixed reviews, but while some of them had valid points others were really judgmental and unfair. I got the impression quite a few people didn't get the movie and were dumbfounded that for once a character was in the limelight who was an ass but still ambitious and had a point to hate his peers. Still, it was Chris movie. He wrote, directed and stared in it. No matter what some critics may say, it is a major achievement. Darren has one minor part in a movie that gets released at festivals again and again and again. It is not a good movie, not with a good premise. I am not saying this because I dislike Darren, but because it to read at various internet outlets. Also only Darren fans seem to know it is his movie. The rest of the world sees Kristen Wiig.

That's what I'm saying. Some were fair and realized this was the freshman filmmaking effort of a very young artist, and others were blind with hate, judgment and were overly cynical/critical. I didn't even think Carson was that much of an "ass" and I liked him! And I usually go for the syrupy sweet, mary sue characters so....

Chris' movie is a major achievement. Darren's movie is just another paycheck.

[Lottie2303]

We already agreed I'd marry Carson. He was a kid with no guidance, big dreams and intense ambition. He was a character we rarely meet.

To be fair, I doubt Darren gets many offers. He took a chance when offered one. But he did a bad choice. No doubt.

[MoviesAreLife]

We already agreed I'd marry Carson. He was a kid with no guidance, big dreams and intense ambition. He was a character we rarely meet.

To be fair, I doubt Darren gets many offers. He took a chance when offered one. But he did a bad choice. No doubt.

You're supposed to marry me! LOL! But I remember that. Carson and you are so much alike. I'd feel intimidated toward Carson if he actually existed, but I admire him also.

I don't know. Darren is hot property at the moment. I'm sure he gets tons of offers, but he chose badly...like Lea and that New Year's Eve crap.

[Lottie2303]

No, he is not. Outside of Glee he is nothing. A year ago I dubbed him 'the weirdo with a bow tie and hair Gel'. He is only a tiny TV actor who believes to be bigger than he is because of a large fanbase.

What is with me a marriage on this Board nowadays!

[Buenos]

SBL was far from a flawless film, but it clearly was a labor of love with an aesthetic POV and a non stereotypical teenage flick of raging hormones and sophomoric humor. It had both drama and comedy interlaced in a bittersweet story . I don't think it was something that was cookie cutter, so while some reviews weren't laudatory I think it's a movie Chris can be justly proud of.

I don't want to bash Darren's movie, it's irrelevant here but I just think Chris achievements stand on their own.

Chris going to Paris to promote HIS movie, in every sense of the word, is beyond fantastic.

[MoviesAreLife]

Well, he did get a Broadway offer...but I suppose you're right. His fanbase is just really loud, not large.

SBL was not perfect, but it was smart, funny, tragic and had important things to say. It thought outside the box and was a labor of love...a passion project, and I will always respect that over some piece of fluff made solely for the purpose of turning a buck. Although I don't think Kristen's movie looks that bad, but it's her movie...not Darren's. A Very Harry Potter musical is something that Darren can all his own...you know what I'm saying?

Chris' projects do stand alone, and I hate that some Darren fans need to link every second of Chris' life to Darren.

[Ranwing]

The problem I have is not with him, but his fans, which is another story.

I have some serious issues with his behavior, enough that he has very much turned me off of him as a performer. I’m very good about separating actors from their roles and I try very hard not to let an idiot group of fans ruin an actor for me, but Darren’s behavior outside of the show (like his behavior at Chris’s premiere) have pretty much ruined my opinion of him.

His fans are completely out of control. They run roughshod over everyone else and this is going to hurt Darren in the long run. He’s not a big enough name to make a project successful to the point that crazy fans will be tolerated, and Darren himself has done way too much to encourage the crazy. I get the sense that he’s trying to rein in the worst of it, but the damage is done. I said once that there are times when I felt sorry for Darren because his fans are so completely batshit, but now I firmly believe that he’s got the fans that he deserves.

Nobody hate me, but while I enjoyed the LOS book , the novelization of SBL and the movie SBL, I still think (as of now) Chris most mature gift is his acting.

So on a selfish note, I want him to get alot more roles acting, I also want him to write and do whatever he wants, but to me, it would be a waste for him not to full utilize what I think is an exceptional quality. It still boggle me that Glee was really his first professional gig and he never took an acting class in his life.

Ryan Murrphy said that Lea Michele's voice comes once in a generation (or something like that) , well I feel that way about Chris Colfer's acting. Even in Season 4, with limited screentime he just pulls focus with his acting and screen presence. Take "The Break UP" his heartbreak and horror on the realization of Blaine's cheating, it's so subtle yet powerful, it's almost like Acting 101 how to utilize the emotions in a scene with subtlety and nuance.

I think that the chances are good that Chris will find acting jobs once his time on Glee is done, if only judging by the amount of respect he has as an actor among his peers. This is the guy who was picked to acting alongside George Clooney and Brad Pitt (among others) after all. And if Diana can land a motion picture with Robert De Niro (and she hasn’t had a fraction of Chris’s critical acclaim and no awards for her time on Glee) then the odds are in Chris’s favor that he’ll be offered projects. He’s right now limited by his commitment to Glee, but once that is over? All bets are off.
The key will be for Chris to select the right roles where he can show that he’s more than just Kurt Hummel. He started that process with Carson. Now he’s got to stretch his acting wings even further. If he can land something, like a historical drama where he can really push himself and blow away the image that the audience has for him, then he’s got a good shot of getting out of Glee’s shadow. And there are certainly a number of highly respected and critically acclaimed actors who got their start on television comedies. Actors like George Clooney and Tom Hanks, for example.

But I enjoy all of Chris’s other work so I certainly hope that he’ll continue writing and just maybe… one day, despite not having any ambition to do so at this time… record and album. Just for us fans who love his voice.

[ColdFlame96]

The problem I have is not with him, but his fans, which is another story.

I have some serious issues with his behavior, enough that he has very much turned me off of him as a performer. I’m very good about separating actors from their roles and I try very hard not to let an idiot group of fans ruin an actor for me, but Darren’s behavior outside of the show (like his behavior at Chris’s premiere) have pretty much ruined my opinion of him.

His fans are completely out of control. They run roughshod over everyone else and this is going to hurt Darren in the long run. He’s not a big enough name to make a project successful to the point that crazy fans will be tolerated, and Darren himself has done way too much to encourage the crazy. I get the sense that he’s trying to rein in the worst of it, but the damage is done. I said once that there are times when I felt sorry for Darren because his fans are so completely batshit, but now I firmly believe that he’s got the fans that he deserves.

Nobody hate me, but while I enjoyed the LOS book , the novelization of SBL and the movie SBL, I still think (as of now) Chris most mature gift is his acting.

So on a selfish note, I want him to get alot more roles acting, I also want him to write and do whatever he wants, but to me, it would be a waste for him not to full utilize what I think is an exceptional quality. It still boggle me that Glee was really his first professional gig and he never took an acting class in his life.

Ryan Murrphy said that Lea Michele's voice comes once in a generation (or something like that) , well I feel that way about Chris Colfer's acting. Even in Season 4, with limited screentime he just pulls focus with his acting and screen presence. Take "The Break UP" his heartbreak and horror on the realization of Blaine's cheating, it's so subtle yet powerful, it's almost like Acting 101 how to utilize the emotions in a scene with subtlety and nuance.

I think that the chances are good that Chris will find acting jobs once his time on Glee is done, if only judging by the amount of respect he has as an actor among his peers. This is the guy who was picked to acting alongside George Clooney and Brad Pitt (among others) after all. And if Diana can land a motion picture with Robert De Niro (and she hasn’t had a fraction of Chris’s critical acclaim and no awards for her time on Glee) then the odds are in Chris’s favor that he’ll be offered projects. He’s right now limited by his commitment to Glee, but once that is over? All bets are off.
The key will be for Chris to select the right roles where he can show that he’s more than just Kurt Hummel. He started that process with Carson. Now he’s got to stretch his acting wings even further. If he can land something, like a historical drama where he can really push himself and blow away the image that the audience has for him, then he’s got a good shot of getting out of Glee’s shadow. And there are certainly a number of highly respected and critically acclaimed actors who got their start on television comedies. Actors like George Clooney and Tom Hanks, for example.

But I enjoy all of Chris’s other work so I certainly hope that he’ll continue writing and just maybe… one day, despite not having any ambition to do so at this time… record and album. Just for us fans who love his voice.

So, basically, he has to pull a Daniel Radcliffe, or to a lesser extent a Zac Efron. Dan seemingly sealed his career when he decided to sign up for a super popular kids franchise at such a young age. But in the past few years, he has broken away from boy-wizard Harry by playing darker, grittier, more mature roles and basically telling the public that he's actually a full-grown man in his 20's and he's not that little 10 year old kid anymore. I think Chris needs to do that. The first step was Carson, who unlike Kurt, is not exactly a feel-good character, and SBL was not exactly a feel-good movie either. Apparently, the filming for his new movie is supposed to start sometime this summer, so if that goes well, it could help him out, because those kinds of movies are not generally family-friendly. Because of the content and subject, usually they are R-rated. Being in an R-rated movie is basically screaming 'Look at me! I'm an adult now!'

[brisallie]

Well, he did get a Broadway offer...but I suppose you're right. His fanbase is just really loud, not large.

This. Sincerely I've always have doubted how big is his fanbase, and as you said I believe they're louder than bigger. But it took me by surprise that his tour was sold out or sth like that I read, so I don't know what to think at this moment. The only thing I'm sure is I blame his fans for my dislike toward Darren, they usually made a fuss of everything. Like the one they're doing now with Girl Most likely.

And as someone have mentioned Daniel Radcliffe, when Darren was chosen as the new Pierrepont Finch, I remember I read an article that it says he was following Daniel's steps. As you know he became known because of AVPM and then he was in Broadway doing the same role that Dan did previously. Coincidence?

[MoviesAreLife]

Well, he did get a Broadway offer...but I suppose you're right. His fanbase is just really loud, not large.

This. Sincerely I've always have doubted how big is his fanbase, and as you said I believe they're louder than bigger. But it took me by surprise that his tour was sold out or sth like that I read, so I don't know what to think at this moment. The only thing I'm sure is I blame his fans for my dislike toward Darren, they usually made a fuss of everything. Like the one they're doing now with Girl Most likely.

And as someone have mentioned Daniel Radcliffe, when Darren was chosen as the new Pierrepont Finch, I remember I read an article that it says he was following Daniel's steps. As you know he became known because of AVPM and then he was in Broadway doing the same role that Dan did previously. Coincidence?

I forgot about his tour being sold out, but there is a theory going around that his management bought most of the tickets. WTF?

[MoviesAreLife]

Apparently, the filming for his new movie is supposed to start sometime this summer, so if that goes well, it could help him out, because those kinds of movies are not generally family-friendly. Because of the content and subject, usually they are R-rated. Being in an R-rated movie is basically screaming 'Look at me! I'm an adult now!'

"I've written another movie, this time definitely R-rated about a 1930s asylum,"

http://www.examiner.com/article/chris-colfer-reveals-first-details-about-his-second-self-written-film

[ColdFlame96]

Well, he did get a Broadway offer...but I suppose you're right. His fanbase is just really loud, not large.

This. Sincerely I've always have doubted how big is his fanbase, and as you said I believe they're louder than bigger. But it took me by surprise that his tour was sold out or sth like that I read, so I don't know what to think at this moment. The only thing I'm sure is I blame his fans for my dislike toward Darren, they usually made a fuss of everything. Like the one they're doing now with Girl Most likely.

And as someone have mentioned Daniel Radcliffe, when Darren was chosen as the new Pierrepont Finch, I remember I read an article that it says he was following Daniel's steps. As you know he became known because of AVPM and then he was in Broadway doing the same role that Dan did previously. Coincidence?

I forgot about his tour being sold out, but there is a theory going around that his management bought most of the tickets. WTF?

His tour is not even close to being sold out. His management bought all the tickets so it would appear that way and there's still hundreds per venue available on stubhub for a very cheap price.

[MoviesAreLife]

Why would they do that? Weird.

[fantastica]

it's a lot of hard work to get a music tour going. criss is not lady gaga or the rolling stones. he's relatively unknown for anyone outside of the glee fandom. it's very hard to have a music career and get your name out. if you go to youtubes there are TONS of talented (and not so talented) musicians/singers and people can't remember all the names. only the few stand out. glee has given criss a ready-made fan base which guarantees that he will sell a big portion of tickets. still, it's a lot of hard work plus hard luck to be a successful artist of any type.

[Jellyrolls]

Why would they do that? Weird.

So they can say it's sold out, and create hype. Some people will desperately want to go because they can't get tickets. They could be trying to sell some tickets at a higher price than face value to make more money. Then they'll release a "limited amount" of tickets at the last minute.

There are still over 400 (out of 2500) tickets for sale on stub hub for the Boston show.

When all was said and done, there were only about 30,000 tickets total available for all of the shows.

[AnneNeville]

Well, he did get a Broadway offer...but I suppose you're right. His fanbase is just really loud, not large.

This. Sincerely I've always have doubted how big is his fanbase, and as you said I believe they're louder than bigger. But it took me by surprise that his tour was sold out or sth like that I read, so I don't know what to think at this moment. The only thing I'm sure is I blame his fans for my dislike toward Darren, they usually made a fuss of everything. Like the one they're doing now with Girl Most likely.

And as someone have mentioned Daniel Radcliffe, when Darren was chosen as the new Pierrepont Finch, I remember I read an article that it says he was following Daniel's steps. As you know he became known because of AVPM and then he was in Broadway doing the same role that Dan did previously. Coincidence?

Darren got a THREE WEEK stint on Broadway. That is teeny-tiny. The theatre holds 1,424, so, at 8 shows per week, Darren had to sell under 35,000 tickets. And remember--some of those folks were probably not aware that they just missed Daniel Radcliffe. Some were out of towners who saw the Tony Awards performance and were intrigued. And some were DC fans who travelled, or who already live in this extremely populated area. (NYC alone has 8.245 MILLION people).

Sure, Darren sold out three weeks on Broadway. Sure, he got offered the role. And sure, he's following in Daniel Radcliffe's footsteps. Definitely. I have little doubt that Criss was cast in part BECAUSE he is "that other guy who played Harry Potter." A lot of the show was built around Radcliffe and his personae, and Criss is a simulacrum. (I agree with this article that talks about how the whole revival was built around Daniel Radcliffe/Harry Potter: Don't Let Him Be Such a Hero: Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch.)

Neither Darren nor Chris have proven themselves yet*, but Darren has a lot farther to go. And don't even say to me (says this Bway lover) that a three week stint as a follow up to the Other, REAL Harry Potter (around whom the whole revival was built) gives Darren the right to be called a "Broadway star." He was for three weeks. But not after he walked out the door.

This is harsh, but I firmly believe it is true.

* In terms of long term career viability/star-power.

[Buenos]

Actually Darren per a blog by one of the Darren Stans had something like 21,500 total paid tickets available per his national tour. I'm not saying this to knock him but to point out the numbers involved.


I think it's great Darren is enjoying his tour, but nobody on Glee other than Jane Lynch has proven major clout in the business so far. Jane made a couple of movies last year, she has a 4 month gig on Broadway in "Annie" , has been the spokesperson for several nationally advertised ad campaigns, is starting a new TV game show in the fall, in addition to having won an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Jane also has hosted the EMmY awards and been a guest host on "Saturday Night Live". She's at a level that neither Chris nor anyone else has reached of the younger Glee actors.

Lea has been used as spokesperson for several national ad campaigns also and has been on the cover of dozens of nationally circulated publications.

I do know that Chris' LOS sold at least 125,000 copies and made the NT times best seller list.

So in that broader picture, the amount of fans in the fanbase of any Glee actor is open to speculation.

[AnneNeville]

Actually Darren per a blog by one of the Darren Stans had something like 21,500 total paid tickets available per his national tour. I'm not saying this to knock him but to point out the numbers involved.

[snip]

So in that broader picture, the amount of fans in the fanbase of any Glee actor is open to speculation.

What a fortunate follow up! The tour actually has fewer tickets available than were available for his Broadway stint, and they are still having trouble selling them on stubhub in certain areas.

[Jellyrolls]

I used to think that Darren had a big fan base, but in recent months, I've come to realize that his fan base isn't really as big as I thought. They are small, but loud, and they know how to use social media to get their message out.

Darren's sell out stint on Broadway isn't nearly as big of a deal as his stans make it out to be. As Anne Neville said, there were less than 35,000 tickets total for his stint on Broadway, and I agree that a good chunk of those tickets were probably bought by people who wanted to see the show, not realizing Dan would be gone, or just because they had a trip planned.

If Darren had done a longer stint in the show, he would not have been able to maintain those numbers. Nick Jonas, who is more well known and had been in show business longer than Darren, only averaged about 70% over the five months he was in the show (and I'd expect that Darren wouldn't have hit that type of number if he had been in the show that long because outside of the Glee fandom, he isn't that well known, and he doesn't have much buzz around him outside the fandom). In the 10 months Dan was in the show, he filled over 90% of the seats.

You can see the Broadway numbers when Dan was in the show here and the numbers when Darren and Nick were in the show here.

So, Darren sold out his three stint not because he is a star who can draw people in, but because of the limited number of tickets available for the amount of shows he did.

To be fair, I don't think Chris has a big enough name to maintain a sell out crowd on Broadway for an extended period of time, but I do think that he could do OK for a 4-6 month run in the right show.

As an aside, I saw Dan in H2S, and I have to say that he was much better than I expected him to be, and I give him a lot of credit for the hard work he put into preparing for the role. That being said, he would not have been cast if he hadn't been Harry Potter. They definitely could have cast someone who was a better/more polished singer and dancer, but I definitely thought Daniel held his own in the show. I've gone to a lot of shows with celebrities over the years, and I have to say that Daniel was one of the few who I thought exceeded my expectations (Eric McCormack in the Music Man was the only one who surprised me more). Usually the celebrities are disappointing in their roles (try seeing Luke Perry as Brad in Rocky Horror or pretty much ever American Idol contestant I've seen in Rent over the years), and I leave there wishing the had cast a real Broadway actor in the role.

[AnneNeville]

One thing about the Daniel Radcliffe revival that makes me not mind the "celebrity" casting is that, in this case, the entire show was based around producers wanting to do a show starring Daniel Radcliffe . . . so it's not like they auditioned people and chose a "name." In fact, the show never would have happened without him. :-)

[brisallie]

One thing about the Daniel Radcliffe revival that makes me not mind the "celebrity" casting is that, in this case, the entire show was based around producers wanting to do a show starring Daniel Radcliffe . . . so it's not like they auditioned people and chose a "name." In fact, the show never would have happened without him. :-)

I had no idea that Daniel was purposely chosen to be Pierrepont Finch? o.o That makes me feel more proud of him. Though I'm agree with Jelly that being in the HP franchise probably helped him (a lot), but still, he was chosen among other actors, who I bet were better in terms of dancing and singing. But Dan proved that if you work hard, then you can improve your skills. That why I like young celebs like Chris and Daniel.

[ColferInspired]

TLOS sold 125,000 copies last year by Publisher Weekly.

It probably has sold more copies since then.

Jane has been around for years, so was already a name in the industry. She's more well known than any of the others on Glee, so of course she would be getting a four month stint on Broadway, plus she is extremely talented.

Chris is still new, his fan base will steadily grow with new fans with each project he does. People are starting to discover him, that don't even watch Glee, through his other projects.

I think when he does his new movie, his fanbase will grow even bigger.

Psychological thrillers are extremely popular.

And with shows like The Following, Hannibal, Bates Hotel, Chris would be wise to start filming as soon as possible as this is what people want to watch at the moment.

I have been watching The Following and I am now watching Bates Hotel.

The Following is absolutely brilliant.

[fantastica]

when i went to see a broadway show, i went to see a show that had good reviews. i didn't care nor knew who the actors were. i assumed they were all more than competent if not brilliant. i only heard about the celebrity casting thing since glee time. if not for glee darren would NEVER got a role on broadway.

not all of his fans will go to see him. some people cannot leave job/school/whatever. some people live too far away or dont' have money to pay for tickets. there are also many who simply prefer to watch on YouTube for free. so just because you have a big fanbase doesn't mean they will all come out for you.

it's a lot easier to buy a book /download the e-book version when all you have to pay is less than 10-20 bucks. same thing w/ buying a cd/album. but seeing a concert is a whole lot of effort -time and money and travel (which means more time and money). only the truly devoted stans would bother with that. one musican friend of my hubby told him that the most they sold on tour is t-shirts, not music.

[sjonnepon]

i don't think i have to say anything here about that OUT quote/article about Kurt.

[ColferInspired]

i don't think i have to say anything here about that OUT quote/article about Kurt.

Probably why so many are voting for him.

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