Gods Behaving Badly (partially found unreleased film based on satirical novel; 2013)

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GBBPoster.jpg

Official poster for Gods Behaving Badly.

Status: Partially Found

Gods Behaving Badly is a film adaptation based on Marie Philip's 2007 satirical novel of the same name. The film was directed by Marc Turtletaub, with it being Turtletaub's first feature-length directorial debut in the film industry, starring a cast of well-known actors such as Christopher Walken and Sharon Stone[1][2]. It was then screened at the 10th Rome Film Festival in 2013[3][4] where the film received appalling reviews from critics and audiences[5][6]. After its first and only screening, the film has never been released in any form.[7][8]

Plot

The film centers around a young couple, Neil and Kate (played by Emon Moss-Bachracc and Alicia Silverstone), crossing paths with Greek gods and goddesses living alive and vigorously in Manhattan (the setting for the novel was originally London, but was changed to New York City in the movie.)[2][3][1].

With Aphrodite (played by Sharon Stone) wanting to curse Apollo (played by Oliver Platt) for loving and having more interest in other mortals rather than her, she then sends Eros (Gideon Glick) to curse Apollo to love a woman who won't love him back, that woman being Kate[5][6]. Kate was then hired to be a maid for Aphrodite and Apollo[5], with Apollo being madly infatuated to their newly hired maid[6]. Kate eventually quitting her job as a maid, but not long after, was struck by Zeus' lightning and was found dead[5]. Apollo, devastated and heartbroken, spent his remaining powers blocking out the sun and thus, turning himself into a statue[5][6]. Neil, Kate's fiancee, was sent to the Underworld by Artemis (played by Edie Falco), to negotiate with Styx (played by Kathlyn Turner), to unblock the sun and thus make Apollo alive and well again.[5][6]

Cast

Turtletaub, according to him on an archived page for Gods Behaving Badly at the 10th Rome Film Festival[3], had this to say on how the cast was formed:

"After writing the screenplay, we sat around dreaming who would be the ideal cast to play our gods. Whoever it was, they would have to be bigger than life. How about Chris Walken to play Zeus? Yes, everyone shouted in agreement. John Turturro as Hades? Of course. Why not Sharon Stone as Aphrodite? Oliver Platt as Apollo! And Edie Falco, Rosie Perez and... We threw out all our favorite ideas. And then, something amazing happened: they all said yes. I wanted to create a fable in which the gods exhibited all the foibles of mankind and forgot their true nature. Only by having this incredible cast and crew to support me was it possible to tell this story."[3]

The cast of Gods Behaving Badly includes:

  • Emon Moss-Bachracc as Neil[9]
  • Alicia Silverstone as Kate[9]
  • Christopher Walken as Zeus[1]
  • Sharon Stone as Aphrodite[1]
  • John Turturro as Hades[1]
  • Edie Falco as Artemis[1]
  • Oliver Platt as Apollo[1]
  • Rosie Perez as Persephone[1]
  • Phylicia Rashad as Demeter[1]
  • Nelsan Ellis as Dionysus[1]
  • Gideon Glick as Eros[1]
  • Henry Zebrowski as Hermes[1]
  • Kathlyn Turner as Styx[9]

Reception

The film premiered at the 10th Rome Film Festival in November 2013[3][4][5][6] on where critics and audiences were very much looking forward on seeing Turtletaub's directorial debut[4]. Unfortunately, the film didn't match everyone's expectation, and was met with various negative reactions[7]. Variety.com had stated this reaction to the film:

The Greek gods always behaved badly, but in producer Marc Turtletaub’s remarkably feeble helming debut, they’re merely insipid, despite a heaven-sent cast grossly squandered on the kind of bland comedy reminiscent of 1970s TV series like “Love, American Style.” This Gotham-set update, about a couple of colorless mortals who save the world when a lovesick Apollo puts out the sun, has zero texture and negative charm: Tellingly, Athena, goddess of wisdom, is absent from the lifeless script. So wishy-washy it’s possibly unreleasable, “Gods Behaving Badly” is best relegated to airplanes and VOD.[5]

Another media publication, the Hollywood Reporter, had stated this reaction to the film:

The deities of Mount Olympus descend to the streets of New York City, where they wreak havoc on mortals and much worse on the audience, in Marc Turtletaub’s myth-inspired comedy, Gods Behaving Badly. Rounding up a cast of stars — many of whom had their heyday two decades ago — this outdated, unfunny satire feels like an extended SNL sketch from the early ‘90’s, and one that probably would have been tossed into the waste basket. Some bankable names and a mildly clever idea should send these immortals straight to VOD, with a small courtesy release in select cities.[6]

Availability

As of 2022, the film has never been released in any form and is very unlikely to be released in the foreseeable future[8]. Fortunately, various clips from the film, such as its title sequence and incomplete render of a CGI scene from the movie was uploaded on Vimeo and are some of the existing footage for the film outside of its only premiere. Various behind-the-scenes videos and cast photos are available online as well.

Gallery

Images

Videos

Title sequence for the film.

An incomplete CGI render used for a scene in the film.

Sharon Stone interview for the film.

Trivia

  • Note that this is not to be confused with the 2014 film Behaving Badly, starring Selena Gomez and Nat Wolff, as it frequently pops up online.

External Links

References