January 14Jan 14 I don’t know if I’ll like a Hollywood fiasco more this year. Paramount decides to purchase and distribute “Better Man,” a biopic of Robbie Williams (famously unable to get any traction in the U.S.) where he’s played by a CGI ape and it made 580k on opening night. I just want to have been in the room for this pitch: ”So here’s the film, it’s a biopic about this mega pop star. Only no one in America knows who he is or can name one of his songs. I’m telling you, he’s a complete nobody here. A zero. But it won’t be him in the movie, it will be a chimp. Only maybe it’s all in his head? No one ever mentions it in the movie. It’s not clear, but everyone else in the movie are people and he’s a singing ape. That’s the hook. I’m telling you this will do numbers!”
January 15Jan 15 I have a few Robbie Williams songs on my Spotify 'Liked Songs' playlist, so I feel like I'm an expert here, and this is some weird shit.
January 15Jan 15 They have the 3rd world shill reviewers working OT on this one. At one point, it was 95% positive critic reviews until some actual non-Brit/Aussies chimed in.
January 15Jan 15 Author 28 minutes ago, Red Five said: I understand nothing about any of this. Robbie Williams is a Brit mega-star for inexplicable reasons cause his songs are really not that great. He is legitimately iconic in Europe playing massive arenas and formerly was like 1 of every three videos on MTV when it played music. His cultural penetration there is on par with maybe someone like Justin Timberlake. But, not for lack of trying, he just could not break through at all in the United States. Americans have no clue who he is unless you’ve been overseas and mystified your European friends by not having a clue about one of the biggest stars in their world. It’s almost a running joke that we don’t care about him. And some genius at Paramount signed off on trying to promote his biopic, where he is played by a CGI ape, in a country that famously has no clue who he is. The movie took in something like one million on opening weekend, it’s a complete fiasco.
January 15Jan 15 About the only thing I remember him ever doing was a music video where he ripped all of his flesh off. Saw it while very drunk and could never un-see it, but never wanted to see it again sober.
January 15Jan 15 About 4 years ago on a work conference call a British co-worker said something about Robbie Williams. When I responded who? He was stunned that I had no idea who the hell he was. To make it even funnier, apparently Robbie Williams was a member of a boy band called Take That, which was apparently as big as NSYNC or backstreet boys. I'd never heard of them either. My Brit coworker did not believe me. Sorry man, that's just some Euro trash
January 15Jan 15 I have absolutely no idea who he is. I thought I must be missing something about him. My music history knowledge on rock is middle of the road at best though. I contemplated watching this just to try and figure out who he is, but I’ll skip it. I’ll wait for the Peyton Manning giraffe biopic.
January 15Jan 15 i know who he is, i actually like a few of his songs. im not even sure Timberlake could draw this kind of crowd. having said that... this movie looks weird af and certainly not a draw in the US. what a boneheaded move lol.
January 15Jan 15 7 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said: ”So here’s the film, it’s a biopic about this mega pop star. Only no one in America knows who he is or can name one of his songs. I’m telling you, he’s a complete nobody here. A zero. But it won’t be him in the movie, it will be a chimp. Only maybe it’s all in his head? No one ever mentions it in the movie. It’s not clear, but everyone else in the movie are people and he’s a singing ape. That’s the hook. I’m telling you this will do numbers!” there had to be at least one sane person sitting in on that pitch like
January 15Jan 15 Hold on - This is an actual biopic but they replaced the main character with a chimp. I saw the preview before seeing Nosferatu and had no idea this was about an actual person. How did this ever get the green light?
January 15Jan 15 my favorite Robbie Williams story is when he had already obtained ultra-mega star level in UK/Europe, and then they booked him to play Club de Ville at SXSW in the early aughts. They did not have tea for him and he was nonplussed. Was unaware of the existence of Take That until Derry Girls
January 15Jan 15 11 hours ago, mchookem said: i know who he is, i actually like a few of his songs. im not even sure Timberlake could draw this kind of crowd. having said that... this movie looks weird af and certainly not a draw in the US. what a boneheaded move lol. I've definitely heard of him and knew he was huge over there. I thought he'd actually done a Bond theme but after researching, it appears he did not. That crowd size in the YT vid is absolutely insane. I know a little of his stuff but mostly when used in movies or shows. Haven't sought it out. The song/performance in the YT definitely appeals to me long before Justin Timberlake would. I'm a sucker for British music. (I doubt I will be catching this movie.)
January 15Jan 15 I lived in London in '99 and he was EVERYWHERE - that was at the height of "I've Been Expecting You" (his 2nd solo album that was his biggest seller) and the dude was inescapable on radio, TV, subway posters, tabloids - you name it. That was the album they thought would really break him in the states, but aside from a few dalliances with the Hot 100/Top 40 charts, he never did anything - which brings us to this completely incomprehensible decision by Paramount to drop coin on this film for the US market (although it's gotten strong reviews).
January 15Jan 15 18 minutes ago, C-Man said: I'm a sucker for British music. (I doubt I will be catching this movie.) Waiting for the Spice Girls biopic?
January 15Jan 15 14 hours ago, 0xdeadbeef said: About 4 years ago on a work conference call a British co-worker said something about Robbie Williams. When I responded who? He was stunned that I had no idea who the hell he was. To make it even funnier, apparently Robbie Williams was a member of a boy band called Take That, which was apparently as big as NSYNC or backstreet boys. I'd never heard of them either. My Brit coworker did not believe me. Sorry man, that's just some Euro trash I know you’ve heard this song before, maybe three decades ago.
January 15Jan 15 5 hours ago, hornmpa96 said: Hold on - This is an actual biopic but they replaced the main character with a chimp. I saw the preview before seeing Nosferatu and had no idea this was about an actual person. How did this ever get the green light? Is he completely replaced by a chimp or just his head replaced by a chimp head?
January 15Jan 15 Sounds like a romantic date night for Banks and the monkey. And probably the stripper of neighborhood too.
January 15Jan 15 13 minutes ago, TheStoicPaisano said: I know you’ve heard this song before, maybe three decades ago. I don't know a single Take That song but I do know Robbie Williams since he was massive in Europe when I would travel there on business. He had two hits here and the last time I saw anything about him, he was doing the opening ceremony for the WC in Russia. I guess Taylor is a fan...
January 15Jan 15 15 hours ago, veritas aequitas said: About the only thing I remember him ever doing was a music video where he ripped all of his flesh off. Saw it while very drunk and could never un-see it, but never wanted to see it again sober. Rock DJ. When I was studying in London in 2003 we’d go to that upstairs pub in Covent Garden occasionally. They had a video jukebox. I’d always put that video on 5x repeat on my way out. I was cool.
January 15Jan 15 this may be one that some of you have heard... the chorus might sound familiar anyway. very Elton John-ish.
January 15Jan 15 I remember him doing an MTV Cribs episode however many decades ago, then it later coming out that it wasn't even his place.
January 15Jan 15 Robbie Williams tells hand job story with JustinTimberlake, Daniel Radcliffe, Anna Kendrick.
January 15Jan 15 4 hours ago, royiv said: Waiting for the Spice Girls biopic? Will never top Spice World
January 17Jan 17 42 minutes ago, RPM said: I've heard this is the worst film of the century. Critics mostly have liked it, actually.
January 18Jan 18 On 1/15/2025 at 4:53 PM, yoladu said: Robbie Williams tells hand job story with JustinTimberlake, Daniel Radcliffe, Anna Kendrick. Ok never heard any of his songs but I’m a fan now.
January 18Jan 18 On 1/15/2025 at 1:11 PM, TheStoicPaisano said: I know you’ve heard this song before, maybe three decades ago. With God as my witness, I never heard of Robbie Williams, Take That, or this song. I saw the trailer at a couple of movies over the holidays, and just assumed it was some concept movie with the conceit of a chimp born to a human family (kind of like a Stuart Little thing) who grew up up to be a famous singer, and that the life story was completely fictional. I had no idea that it was a basically true story about a real singer and for some reason they just decided to make him an ape in the movie. Having now learned that Robbie Williams is a big think across the pond, guess I can understand how this movie got made, despite the out of left field concept hook, but I still can’t understand why anyone thought Americans would go see it.
January 19Jan 19 I played soccer with him once. Introduced myself because i had no idea who he was. He just said, "hi, I'm Rob." Nice guy.
January 19Jan 19 Best thing about this movie is all the shit posts from kids stating how they haven't a clue who this guy is
January 19Jan 19 On 1/15/2025 at 3:53 PM, yoladu said: Robbie Williams tells hand job story with JustinTimberlake, Daniel Radcliffe, Anna Kendrick. Ok that was funny as hell
January 21Jan 21 Robbie Williams tells hand job story with JustinTimberlake, Daniel Radcliffe, Anna Kendrick. I know him from the handjob story
January 21Jan 21 I, also, had no clue this movie was about a real person. Listening to parts of a couple of those songs, they sound like the musical version of a Nicholas Sparks movie.
January 22Jan 22 According to IMDB it had an estimated budget of $110m. Opening weekend worldwide gross of $14m. Somebody's getting fired over this one.
January 22Jan 22 On 1/15/2025 at 4:53 PM, yoladu said: Robbie Williams tells hand job story with JustinTimberlake, Daniel Radcliffe, Anna Kendrick. This story is fantastic.
January 22Jan 22 I know the name. could never put it with a song. I think its a riot that he's such a huge fucking phenomena in Europe, and a complete zero here in the states. Thats gotta piss him off considering even Milli Vanilli got their 15 minutes.
January 22Jan 22 On 1/14/2025 at 7:41 PM, Herpa Derpa said: I know one Robbie Williams song but I can't spell it without a dictionary. good song
January 22Jan 22 Being half British myself and having lots of connections over there, I was aware of who he was when he was big and maybe even had a couple of songs on my illegal mp3 playlist at the time. But when I saw that movie preview, I was surprised it was being released in the US cause ain’t nobody over here know who he is, as evidenced by this thread. The chimpanzee angle is perplexing.
January 22Jan 22 I think more people have posted here than have paid money to go see this movie in the US.
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