Today sees the release of RED 2, the follow-up to 2010’s RED which was inspired by the comic book of the same name. The action-comedy has an A-list cast starring Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich, among others. In light of the release, we decided it would be fun to look back at films that benefited (or not) from an all-star cast. Slap on your shades and strike a pose, it’s about to get all Hollywood up in here!
The Outsiders, 1983
Director Francis Ford Coppola chose a group of relatively unknown actors to star in this coming-of-age drama, but little did he know (or did he?) that this group would grow up to become the cream of Hollywood. Starring Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez and Matt Dillon, this film unwittingly kicks off our all-star cast list.
Ocean’s Eleven, 2001
This 2001 remake packs a star-powered punch and provides us with plenty of eye candy along the way. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia and Matt Damon heat up the screen in the stylish crime-comedy and by all accounts, had a ball while filming. Rumour has it that not only did the cast gamble together during their downtime (apparently George lost 25 hands of blackjack in a row) but Clooney decided that he should have a keg of Guinness installed in his dressing room proving that he indeed is not just a pretty face and he and I should definitely party together one day.
New Year’s Eve, 2011
A cheesy rom-com jam-packed with big names, some of which are rather surprising. I could’ve guessed that Zac Efron, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michelle and Katherine Heigl would have had no hesitation working on what turned out to be a poorly executed, predictable and frankly boring 188 minutes, but Robert De Niro? Really Bobby? Why?! And Hilary Swank you should know better! Proof that big names do not always equal big success.
True Romance, 1993
With director Tony Scott and writer Quentin Tarantino at the helm, it’s no surprise to see a cast full of incredible actors. Stars Patricia Arquette and Christian Slater shine alongside an impressive list of supporting actors including Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken and James Gandolfini. Although it didn’t do too well at the box office when it was released, the film has developed a cult following over the years. Oh and the ‘F-Word’ and its derivatives are used 225 times throughout… badass.
Movie 43, 2013
Maybe it’s just me but for the amount of names in this film, it seems to have been kind of under the radar. Considering it was released in January of this year, I have only recently heard of it and that’s thanks to a viral, faux Tampax commercial… You know, the one with the shark. Anyhoo, the premise involves lots of well-known stars in a number of sometimes gross, maybe offensive, comedic vignettes. The cast includes Emma Stone, Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Elizabeth Banks, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Uma Thurman and lots more. I’ve seen it, I really didn’t love it and the comedy seemed pretty slapstick most of the time. We’re talking skits about testicles and graphic toilet humour so if you decide to check it out, you have been warned.
