Some cameos in the history of cinema are known for doing a splendid job of adding subtlety and subtext to the plot, and we are digging it.
Who does not like a bit of distraction, to be taken off guard, while watching a film? History has annals of jaw-dropping cameos, and a few instances of star presence are greater than the film itself. While some of these cameos had us in guffaws, others might have sent a bit of chill down the spine.
The third instalment in the series of Robert Rodriguez’s spy comedy has a stellar performance by Alexa PnaVega who plays Carmen as he gets trapped inside the gossamer of a virtual reality game. We have Elijah Wood spring up as The Guy, the fabled player with the skill to tame the “un-winnable” level. Wood is introduced as the saviour dressed in a plausible sleek, futuristic suit. His antithesis matches the grandeur of his brief appearance.
The 2008 comedy “Tropic Thunder” starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black had Tom Cruise in a stunning cameo with prosthetic hands, a bald cap, and a bulky shield of a suit. His role earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Legend has it that the cameo resurrected Cruise’s career as he increasingly was falling out of favour with the industry mavericks.
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World caused some chuckles for featuring every living legend of comedians alive during the time of the production. The star-studded list includes Stan Freberg, Jack Benny, Carl Reiner, Don Knotts, and Jerry Lewis. The cult favourite is perhaps the appearance of The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Joe DeRita) as the firefighters positioned at the Conejo Airport. Lasting only 50 seconds, the cameo remains an epic episode of American comedy that culminated to a zealous height in the 60s.
Will Ferrell plays Chazz Reinhold, the original wedding crasher who becomes a mentor to Owen Wilson's character, John Beckwith. Ferrell's character is introduced late in the film, and his eccentric, over-the-top personality adds a new dimension to the story. Ferrell’s antics bring comic relief to the film, which feels like a whiff of fresh air at that juncture. Beneath the comic surface also lurks deeper themes of loneliness that drive Chazz to crash weddings and funerals. The film faintly touches on these aspects, adding a layer of complexity to Chazz's character.
The Peter Pan film Hook had Glenn Close, who certainly was in the heyday of her career, for a fleeting cameo. Close’s appearance is also eccentric with the short and saggy grey hair and pirate gear on her. She played the part of a male pirate flaunting a bushy beard who was exiled to the “boo box” after the allegiance comes under heavy sus by Captain Hook.
Bill Murray has to be the most unexpected person expected to materialise out of thin air in a flick about the end of humanity. He appears at the very brink of a zombie apocalypse, and rumour has it that the role was originally written for Paul Wernick who was later deleted from the script. During his short stay, Murray, in his pre-apocalypse avatar, talks about the upcoming Garfield 3. All this precedes a very insane zombie rush, which even transforms Al Roker, who was interviewing Murray, into one. It is all very meta.
