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The World Beyond BetterMost => The Culture Tent => Topic started by: Monika on July 15, 2011, 01:36:50 pm

Title: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: Monika on July 15, 2011, 01:36:50 pm
This week end I watched the TV series OZ for the very first time. Have been meaning to do it for years, but...
so now I'm late to the party - again.


But wow - what a great show. I'm amazed  at how new and inventive the show feels given the fact that it stopped running 8 years ago. Apparently it was the first 1 hour drama that HBO produced and aired, and you can tell they wanted to create something that wouldn't go unnoticed. So well-scripted and well-acted, too. My favorite character by far is Chris Keller (acted by Christopher Meloni, from Law & Order SUV). And his romantic relationship with fellow inmate Tobias Beecher much be one of the most dysfunctional and most interesting I've ever seen on TV. this series absolutely blew my mind a bit.
Title: Re: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on July 15, 2011, 02:33:37 pm
I've never seen it, but I understand that at some point Chris Meloni is butt-naked. That should be a treat!  ;D

He's not returning to Law & Order: SVU this fall.  :( and  >:( and I think he's making a big mistake.
Title: Re: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: Monika on July 16, 2011, 07:32:11 pm
I've never seen it, but I understand that at some point Chris Meloni is butt-naked. That should be a treat!  ;D

He's not returning to Law & Order: SVU this fall.  :( and  >:( and I think he's making a big mistake.
I heard about that, too bad for all the SVU fans. I've never seen an episode yet, but I'm downloading it as we speak.

Oh, he is naked many times :) In one of the more memorable scenes we get to see him pee into a bucket - hands free, so to speak, and butt naked.

The character he plays (Chris Keller) is a psychotic killer but Meloni gives his character dimension and depth and actually turns Keller into one of my favorite tv-characters ever. Yesterday I think I actually purred while watching a scene with him in it :laugh: After his role on OZ, Meloni became somewhat of a gay icon. His response to that was "I`m flattered." He has also walked in a couple of AIDS marches.

Chris Keller in action

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGts8yrwOUg[/youtube]
Title: Re: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on July 17, 2011, 07:32:41 pm
After his role on OZ, Meloni became somewhat of a gay icon.

No! Really?

 :laugh:

I think he's making a big mistake leaving SVU before the show comes to an end because I think he's limited in the types of roles he's suitable for. I like him as Det. Stabler, but he's got the look that I call "scary-sexy." He looks like he's angry even when he isn't. I'm sure "scary" had something to do with his getting the role in OZ. He doesn't have the charm of a George Clooney or a Patrick Dempsey. He's not suited for rom-coms. I think he's pretty much limited to macho types, like Keller and Stabler--cops, Marines, and serial killers.

Slightly OT, but I had made it a point to note the name of the woman who had the recurring role of Stabler's wife Kathy. Her name is Isabel Gillies (not sure I have the spelling correct). One of the first things that popped into my head when I learned that Meloni was not returning to SVU was that Gillies was out of a job, too. Then a short while ago I found out that she's also a published writer--I came across her in a story about summer reading, and I recognized her immediately. I meant to try to track her down as a writer, but it slipped my mind. In any case, I was glad to learn that she has another career beside acting.  :)
Title: Re: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: louisev on July 17, 2011, 10:42:14 pm
oh I don't know.  I do think he does policemen best - he had a small part in "Twelve Monkeys" ... I thought he left SVU because he had bigger and better things to do. No?
Title: Re: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: oilgun on July 17, 2011, 10:56:23 pm
I don't think Meloni is making a mistake leaving SVU.  That show is way past it's prime.  He's actualy a pretty versatile actor, remember him as Freakshow in that Harold & Kumar movie:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-03IlWs3xA[/youtube]
Title: Re: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: Jeff Wrangler on July 17, 2011, 11:20:54 pm
oh I don't know.  I do think he does policemen best - he had a small part in "Twelve Monkeys" ... I thought he left SVU because he had bigger and better things to do. No?

I've only heard that he decided not to return. I heard nothing of why he decided not to come back. Everything else immediately went to what would be up with Benson (Mariska Hargitay) without Stabler, and who would replace Meloni (last I heard the answer to that question was Danny Pino).

Harold and Kumar movies are not exactly my cuppa joe, but without having seen him, I would suspect that playing a character called Freakshow may well actually support my thinking that Chris Meloni's looks may tend to limit his roles. Hot as he is, this is a guy with a long narrow face and squinty eyes. Or, at least, he seems to squint a lot. This isn't Heath Ledger we're talking about here.
Title: Re: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: oilgun on July 18, 2011, 06:32:50 pm
And who can forget his turn as Sven, the effeminate gay hotel clerk in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCjJy9WUrNU[/youtube]
Title: Re: Any OZ fans out there?
Post by: milomorris on July 18, 2011, 11:48:57 pm
After his role on OZ, Meloni became somewhat of a gay icon

During the run of the show, he was quite popular among bruthas, too.