Is Eddie Murphy the Best Comedic Actor Ever?

BY: GURU JAY

Photo By: Wikimedia Commons

Of all celebrity types, standup comedians wear the thickest skin. Even Dave Chappelle gets booed offstage sometimes. Some people are mean, nasty, and never satisfied.

If you have a good sense of humor, a little negativity shouldn’t discourage you. You’ll find that constructive criticism helps propel you to newer heights. Nothing’s stopping you from becoming the next Eddie Murphy.

Comedy’s competitive nature might frighten some. I admire Murphy because he’s fearless. He doesn’t back down from a challenge.

Furthermore, Hollywood still embraces him after four decades. Eddie started on Saturday Night Live in 1980. Since then, he’s always been a conversation starter.

Comedians often impersonate Eddie’s unique laughter. Have you tried laughing like Edward? Man, Murphy is such a character.

If Eddie Murphy was strapped for cash, he could sue everybody who borrows from his ‘Raw’ and ‘Delirious’ comedy specials. Several comics cite Murphy as their influence. Without a doubt, the celebrity is a superior force in entertainment.

Moreover, Eddie Murphy’s movies dominated the 1980s and 1990s. ‘Trading Places,’ the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise and ‘Coming to America’ are just a few of Eddie’s blockbusters. In addition, the ‘Shrek’ franchise helped earn Eddie Murphy much respect and admiration.

Yes, he’s had many strikeouts, but he hits more home runs than Barry Bonds. If they start testing comedians for performance enhancing drugs, Eddie would fail the test. All I am saying is Murphy’s on steroids because he has a significant advantage.

Did you know Eddie Murphy has generated over $6 billion at the box office? According to box office mojo, he’s made more movie money than any other comedian. He’s currently the fifth highest grossing actor in cinematic history.

In the words of Sam Smith, when you’re in Eddie’s space, you latch on like fangirls. At the peak of the comedian’s fandom, he was first among equals. Out of all comedic actors, Eddie is the best ever.

Photo By: Wikimedia Commons 

I am Guru Jay launching off into orbit in 5-4-3-2-1!

Read More

Why Guardians of the Galaxy was #1

BY: GURU JAY

2014 belonged to Guardians of the Galaxy. The Marvel movie, which made nearly $775 million, was the highest grossing movie of the year. Chris Pratt demonstrated his on screen prowess. And Zoe Saldana showed why she is on top of the fantasy world.

It was an absolute must-see movie. The prison break scene was epic. Rocket Raccoon played by Bradley Cooper stole the show. Although Vin Diesel was unrecognizable as Groot, he was good nonetheless.

Why Guardians of the Galaxy was #1

Music + movies= success. I haven’t heard a better soundtrack than Guardians of the Galaxy in a long time. I give the music an A+.

B-School students should take note of Guardians of the Galaxy’s marketing campaign. Producers didn’t waste a single dollar. This movie could have easily cost Marvel $300 million. Instead, the film was made with a conservative budget of $150 million.

Thanks to casting there was a nice mixture of talent. But, the screenplay missed the mark. Why am I so hard on screenwriters?

With that said, I give the movie a solid B+. I enjoyed the scenes. It was a wonderful experience with amazing computer graphics.

If you want a fun family and action-packed film go with Guardians. It is a highly creative motion picture. This is Hollywood’s finest.

Guardians of the Galaxy was number 1 because everyone could enjoy it. It was a rare film that appeals to grandma and grandson. I highly recommend this highest grossing movie.

Have you seen Guardians? Will you buy it on blue-ray? What was the best part?

I am Guru Jay launching off into orbit in 5-4-3-2-1!

Photos By: Wikimedia Commons 

Read More

The Will Smith Comeback Story

BY: GURU JAY

The Will Smith Comeback Story

Will Smith will start the New Year off on a bad foot. There’s a good chance the Focus movie, starring Smith and Margot Robbie will flop. To sum it up, Smith soaked up all the money.

I love Will Smith’s acting. I hate his agent’s negotiation skills. The actor missed out on prime opportunities in the past and present.

Let’s say Smith makes $35 million + 10 percent at the box office for every movie. Well, what’s the rest of the cast making? I’m on the fence about this film because I’ve seen it already. It was called Ocean’s Eleven.

The Focus cast lack star power. Can you believe Focus was made with a $100 million budget? Hollywood’s got a problem.

In 2013, Robert Downey, Jr. received $75 million for reprising the role of Iron Man. The highest paid actor only starred in one movie. You could give some actors $5 million for Iron Man; and they will do a better job than Bob.

Will Smith and Robert Downey, Jr. are a splitting image of each other. They demand maximum money at the film’s detriment. Is Will’s heart still in acting?

The people on top don’t have a clue about what’s really happening. They’re writing checks, looking at names, and that’s it. I wonder if Ty Pennington can give Hollywood an extreme makeover.

The movie industry’s in bad shape. The problem is not the actors, but it’s the acting. Why do Aussies play American roles? Tom Hanks never uses an Australian accent.

Will Smith deserves a top payday. However, Hollywood needs to come back to reality. Give these actors a salary cap like the NBA and NFL.

Will Smith can walk away in the sunset with sunglasses and flip-flops. But that doesn’t change the fact he’s overpaid. Those flip flops he’s wearing probably cost around $500. 

I don’t blame Will Smith per say. He sets a high bar. He shows why work ethic still triumphs over talent. Lately, he's been bench-pressing and producing results.

Based on what I’ve gathered, I give the movie a C+ or potential B -. The Will Smith we used to know loved giving fans a show. Let’s not be too hard on him because he chose a bad film.

Will Smith’s filmography as a lead actor is exceptional. He consistently wins at the box office. You see Smith can sell out a crowd.

I wonder what Will Smith can't do. He has a can-do attitude. Hollywood feels an earthquake each time Smith leaves for Philadelphia.

20 years ago Will Smith received a warm welcome from the movie industry. Hollywood was ecstatic to have the West Philadelphia kid on their block. His strong TV fan base translated into box office success.

It’s no secret that charisma wins fans. The multi-talented Smith uses charms like a leprechaun. Is he half-Irish?

Before TV and movies, Will Smith made music. As a rapper he created songs like Parents Just Don’t Understand and Summer Time. Unfortunately, despite his success Will Smith went bankrupt. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air TV show let him redeem himself.

Everybody should get a second chance. This time Will Smith let money work for him. Nowadays, he picks and chooses roles.

The family man selects characters with positive images. By and large, he usually plays the protagonist. Fortunately Will Smith produced many good movies. He co-produced Annie.

The action hero maintains a high fitness level. Did you see the star in I am Legend? He’s at his absolute best. He shows why he doesn’t always do comedy.

I recommend Seven Pounds. If you like drama and suspense, you’ll appreciate this film. He makes a connection with Rosario Dawson which will give you Goosebumps.

While Will Smith never won an Academy Award, he was nominated for Ali and Pursuit of Happyness. He’s on the A list.

Buy and hold Dwayne Johnson’s stock. The Rock snatched up many of the Fresh Prince’s roles. That’s why Johnson appeared in Forbes.

He’s younger than Will Smith. Plus he’s built like the Hulk. At the moment, Dwayne Johnson is more popular than Smith.

I stand by my prediction, Channing Tatum will become the highest paid actor. His agent seems to negotiate fair deals. You could argue he is the most popular figure in Hollywood.

I don’t think Tatum took Smith’s parts. But, I believe screenwriters now develop scripts with Channing in mind. The writers used to love writing only for Will Smith.

There’s more to Smith than a dollar ($) sign. He’s a persistent workaholic. So, I recognize Will Smith as a brand as well as a person.

From day one, he’s been an awakening force. I wonder if he could act in Star Wars. Science Fiction films were his niche for a long time.

Smith secured a main role for Marvel. He will play DC comic’s Black Adam. The Hancock star’s experience is his best asset.

If Will’s acting career ended today, he could still call himself one of the greatest actors of all time. Did you see The Legend of Bagger Vance or Hitch? The Men in Black franchise along with Independence Day gained Smith instant fame.

Screen Rant reported Will Smith is not a part of the Independence Day 2 cast. After 17 years, Fox finally decides to remake a Will Smith movie but without the superstar. That takes a lot of guts but no glory. 

Maybe, they call themselves saving money. Fans speculate Smith demanded too much cash. But, I’m not buying that idea.

Here’s the problem. The movie executives are underestimating Will Smith’s appeal. And, at the same time Smith is overestimating his abilities. That’s why an agent is so important. In the scheme of things, I’d rather have Channing Tatum’s agent.

Remember Will Smith gives you his best. Sometimes you fail even when you do everything right. In order to succeed, you must learn from failure. I admire Will Smith because if he’s down and out, he’ll make a comeback.

I am Guru Jay launching off into orbit in 5-4-3-2-1!

Attribution- Photos By: Wikimedia Commons

Read More