Saturday, March 29, 2014

Spin-off Blogathon


Here's my entry into Sati's blogathon, which asks one to choose a minor character who deserves his or her own spin-off.

My choice:

Dex in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead


Note: SPOILERS below.

Before his character is introduced, Dex's brother-in-law Bobby (Brian F. O'Byrne) is killed in a failed robbery that is planned by the two lead brothers: Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke) Hanson.

Dex (Michael Shannon) and his sister Chris (Aleksa Palladino) meet Hank to discuss the financial affairs of his dead brother-in-law. They want a financial settlement for Bobby's death.

Dex dismisses Chris and intimidates Hank, even getting his address from his driver's license. All Dex wants is $10,000 to settle the matter and take care of his sister. While he threatens going to the cops, he admits that he doesn't like them.

They schedule a meeting in two days. Andy and Hank go to the meeting together, and everything is turned upside down when Andy pulls a gun, frisks Dex and shoots him on the spot. That's all we see of Dex.

I want to see Dex get his own movie because Michael Shannon delivers a chilling performance in only two brief scenes. He gives Dex a cold, hard grit infused with twisted wit. This is a character who gets things done - not always legally - and wants the best for his family. He dies in the film, but I say give him own crime drama.

The spin-off would have the same tone of the original film, but it would focus on Dex's own back-handed dealings. It would delve into his damaged life and the challenge of living under tough circumstances in New York. I'm not sure of the specific plot, but I know Shannon would nail the performance again, as he gives minor characters the stuff that leads are made of.

12 comments:

  1. Michael Shannon would totally own this too. Awesome choice. I really need to watch this film again. I never did get to finish it.

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    1. Thanks! Oh, you definitely need to watch it again. :)

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  2. Love the idea! I saw the movie years ago so I only have a vague memory of a character but Shannon being the lead can only be a good sign, I also hope he gets back on the track soon 'cause his most recent work was rather disappointing.

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, he needs to pick better projects. Though, he does have another Jeff Nichols film coming soon.

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  3. Hey, I was curious who you'd pick Josh! Bummer I have not seen this film yet but it's one I've been hoping to see. I like Michael Shannon and he seems to be good no matter how small the role he got.

    Btw, I ended up coming up w/ 5 characters (+ 1 TV) for my entry ;-)

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    1. Hope you get to see it at some point, Ruth!

      Nice. I'll check out your post soon. :)

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  4. Great entry Josh! It's a fabulous film with excellent performances but you're spot on; Shannon makes this small role so much larger and if love to see a full movie of this guy.

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    1. Thanks Mark! Glad to hear you're a fan of the film and his performance as well.

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  5. Great choice buddy! Shannon works best with these kinds of characters. A film fleshing this man out would give him all the legroom he needed to nail something special.

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    1. Thanks pal! Shannon's career has taken a different turn lately, but I'm hoping for good things in Jeff Nichols' latest.

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  6. Oh man, this is an excellent spin-off idea. It's amazing how much Shannon conveys in just two scenes. I love him in this movie.

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    1. Thanks man! Shannon thrives in roles like these. He's just so natural, so intimidating, so charismatic.

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