20 Thoughts on Groundhog Day

Hard to believe but Groundhog Day, considered Bill Murray's best movie by many, will have it's 20th anniversary in February. To celebrate, Vulture writer Chris O'Shea took some time to reflect on the film, and came up with 20 thoughts about it. I'll highlight some here, but be sure to click here for the full list!


1. When Groundhog Day was released in 1993, pretty much everyone loved it. Roger Ebert gave it three stars and said that while it was clearly a comedy, "There's an underlying dynamic that is a little more thoughtful." The New YorkTimes praised it for being "witty," and the Washington Post called it "wildly funny."

5. How Connors deals with his Groundhog Day strikes me as fairly realistic. I like that Ramis has Connors delve into his evil side when he first realizes there won't be any consequences. When no one is watching — and there’s little chance we’ll pay for the wrongs we commit — what are most of us likely to do? Bad things ... like steal money from perhaps the dumbest armored-car guards ever. In time, my guess is we'd all lose interest and begin to question what we did to keep us in this looping nightmare, just like Connors does.

7. Something that has always puzzled me about Groundhog Day: Why didn't Connors just stay awake past 6 a.m.? That's the point at which February 2 begins again and he wakes to the awful "I Got You Babe" blaring. Drink some coffee, chase that with some Jolt (the energy soda for people who preferred their heart failure to taste like battery acid and come in a fun package), and a king-size Snickers — whatever you need to do. I suppose it's inferred that Connors tried to stay awake through it, but Ramis should've made that clearer.

11. A lot of ambiguity surrounds just how much time passes during Connors's endless loop. Ramis at one point is on record as saying it was ten years, but then he changed his mind and said it was "more like 30 or 40." Tobolowsky (Ryerson) claimed in interviews that Ramis told him it was 10,000 years. I would say the 30 to 40 years is accurate, because Connors would need at least that to remember every tiny detail he learns about the townspeople, how to play the piano, etc. (Click the Groundhog Day tag for more on this!)

17. Groundhog Day is definitely a time-travel movie. This is why Connors is capable of remembering details and learning new skills, like playing "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paginini," by Sergei Rachmaninoff, on the piano. Connors is on a broken time record; when 6 a.m. hits, the record skips back to the exact same point of February 2.

20. The moral of Groundhog Day? The easiest way to prevent undesirable time travel is to stop being a jackass.

What is the meaning of life?

In an interview with Tom Huddleston for Time Out London, Bill Murray discusses Hyde Park on Hudson, his penchant for being in mostly good movies (I'm looking at you, Garfield), party-crashing, and the meaning of life. I won't spoil it for you, but it may or may not involve cheese.

Read the entire article here!

Some Ghostbusters art

Via

In other Ghostbusters related news, there was recently a new app released for the iOS. It's a fairly fun free game that pits 3 new Ghostbusters against various ghosts in order to level up. Worth a download!

Teaming up with Terry Gilliam?

From Bleeding Cool:

He’s also being courted for a role in Terry Gilliam’s The Zero Theorem, but isn’t sure he will have the time (read: inclination) to do it. “Terry’s a fun guy to hang out with,” he says. “His stuff doesn’t always work for me, but it’s not for lack of trying. He really throws it out there.”

As the article will go on to say, The Zero Theorem is in post production so it may not be an accurate story unless Bill is providing just a voice part, is filling a new role, or is uncredited. Perhaps Murray is being considered for a role in the next Terry Gilliam movie and not this one? More news when/if it becomes available.

Mike Egan, the man who advised Bill about polio

Mike Egan, a native of Leicestershire UK, was diagnosed with polio at the age of 4. He's had to live with the condition his whole life, needing full-leg calipers and crutches to walk and move around similar to FDR. Mike served as an adviser to Bill Murray on the set of Hyde Park on Hudson, teaching him how to portray a person who is afflicted by polio. After viewing the film at a cast and crew screening, Egan approved of Murray's performance:

"I thought he did very well and the film goes a long way to bringing it to people's attention and highlighting the fact that there are still thousands of people living with polio around the world."

Read more at this is Leicestershire

Bill Murray catches bank robber in Tokyo?

If only! This story ran on Super Official News, a site similar to The Onion. Regardless, I feel like it's not out of the realm of something Bill would do. I'll repost the whole story below for your enjoyment:

Tokyo, Japan — A bank robber was apprehended today in Tokyo after stopping to talk with none other than Bill Murray. “The man robbed the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, ran out, saw Bill Murray walking on the street and stopped to talk to him. That’s when authorities were able to apprehend him,” Tokyo Police Chief Yakuza Mori told reporters. 

Bill Murray who is in Tokyo promoting a new movie told reporters about the incident. “I saw this man in the street running towards me with a bag in his hand. Then he suddenly stopped when he saw me. He asked me if I was Bob Harris, the character I played in Lost in Translation. I told him, ‘sure, why not’. Then he started telling me how much he loved me and how great he thought I was. I was polite, I told him that was very nice of him to say. Then kind of out of nowhere, police showed up and tackled the man,” Murray said. “Some people might call me a hero, but I’m no hero. The real heroes today are the men and women of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.” 

34-year-old American Paul Horner who is in Tokyo on business was at the bank when the robbery happened. “I was just standing behind this guy waiting for my turn. Then suddenly he starts waving around a knife demanding money I think, my Japanese is mediocre at best. So they fill this man’s bag with whatever was in one of the registers and then he runs out the door,” Horner said. “I’m not shaken up about the robbery at all, I’m pretty much a foot or two taller than all the people over here, so I thought it was kind of like a really cute bank robbery if that’s possible. What I am shaken up about is that Bill Murray was the one who stopped this guy and I didn’t get a chance to meet him.” Horner continued, “Bill Murray is my personal hero and today he was an actual hero for the city of Tokyo. What a cool guy.” 

“We love Bill Murray very much in our country, he is very funny man,” said Tomi Tanaka who is manager of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. “Tomorrow, we are giving Mr. Murray an award with very big ceremony. It will be very excellent, everyone in Tokyo is invited.” 

The robber, who’s name has not been released yet, was apprehended and taken into police custody. On his person police found a knife and a bag filled with 4,550,00.00 Japanese Yen, or about 5,000 USD.

Bill #32 on Rolling Stones '50 Funniest People' list

#32

Murray doesn't take straight comedic roles anymore, but he's a national treasure who still exudes a singular brand of melancholy nuttiness. In recent years he's made a habit of interacting with shocked strangers in public (like when he crashed a New York karaoke party), telling them "No one will ever believe you." Murray recently played FDR in Hyde Park on Hudson and promoted the film with a Letterman appearance in which he was wrestled in by stun-gun-wielding "kidnappers," smoothed down his suit, and announced, "It's nice to be back." What other actor could cameo as a (presumably) more stoned version of himself in Zombieland, then, three years later, take on a wartime president? Anybody else would just seem like a punchline.

Read the rest of the list here

Bill Murray Appreciation Day

What a great idea! Two USC film students, Christopher Guerrero and William Goldstein, are shooting a movie called You Had Me at Goodbye and want Bill Murray to star in it. Since he is nearly impossible to contact, the duo has decided to make February 2nd "Bill Murray Appreciation Day" in an attempt to woo him onto their cast. As any Murray fan knows, February 2nd is already an important date as it is also Groundhog Day. So what can you do on February 2nd this year?

The students are "hoping that Murray fans around the country will dress up as their favorite Murray character and hit up their favorite local bar". However if you're in the L.A. area, Guerrero and Goldstein are seeking a crowd of fans at the Vista Theatre in Silver Lake; from there they will be moving on to the Good Luck Bar. Let's hope Mr. Murray is among that crowd!

Bill Murray Infographic

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Bill Murray to play Pawnee mayor on Parks and Rec?

Could it be? One of my favorite actors on one of my favorite shows? If Amy Poehler has her way, the answer would be yes:

“I want Bill Murray to play the mayor, and I just dream about it every night. I whisper it to a bird and then I open the window and the bird flies away to Bill Murray’s house and just sits on his window and goes cocoooo-cocooooo, and hopefully it just transmits into his brain.”

I imagine that actually wouldn't be a bad way to get in touch with the notoriously difficult to contact Bill Murray. I know he'd at least appreciate the humor of the situation. Hard to believe that the mayor of Pawnee hasn't been shown yet on Parks and Recreation, but if anyone could pull it off it would be Bill. Hopefully Amy's and all of our wish comes true!

The Improv of Bill Murray

I came across another Bill Murray article late last night, similar in tone to the last one. It should come as no surprise that everyone who comes across Bill holds him in high regard; he is always well respected and leaves fans in awe.
In this article, Steven Burneson talks about Murray's best quality: Improv. He details how he displays this skill in not only both funny and serious roles but in his real life actions. We all know about Bill's "no one will believe you" stories and Steven reflects on some of these; one in which Bill jokingly threw a Coke bottle into a crowd which struck a fan during a celebrity golf tournament in 2007!
After reflecting on Bill Murray's improv throughout his life, Burneson comes up with 3 life lessons:
1. Versatility is empowering
2. "Baby steps" can cure just about anything
3. Hardships in life are just gateways to funnier, better times

Sound like some good lessons to live life by. Read the full article here.

Zombieland TV show in development at Amazon

Apparently Amazon is following the lead of Netflix and Hulu and will be developing their own original series based on 2009's Zombieland. While I wouldn't expect Mr. Murray to make an appearance, the series could be interesting considering people's recent obsession with everything zombie. Though considering how awesome his cameo in the film was, I suppose anything is possible.

Bill Murray as Jerry Sandusky?

Al Pacino is already cast as Joe Paterno in an upcoming movie about his life, but who (if anybody) will play the infamous Jerry Sandusky? The Post Gazette speculates it could be Bill Murray:

2. Bill Murray — He is tall and graying and a good dramatic actor who, in another year, might have been nominated for his turn as FDR in “Hyde Park on Hudson.” Moviegoers and critics love when actors accept a challenge and this would be one. The only question: Would people be able to forget it’s the guy from “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day” and sit back and watch the movie?

My vote is yes. Bill has shown he has the range to play a variety of roles from hilarious to serious. He could bring his typical charm to an otherwise despised character.

Interactive Moonrise Kingdom Screenplay

You can now read the entire Oscar nominated screenplay for Moonrise Kingdom, written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola. Click the photo below to read (and download) the screenplay if you'd like! (via)

Charles Swan Trailer

Don't know why I haven't mentioned this before, but here's the trailer for A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, starring Charlie Sheen, Jason Schwartzman, and of course Bill Murray. Looks like classic work by Bill, and should be a good film. It was directed by Roman Coppola (son of Francis and sister to Sofia), though it has a Wes Anderson vibe to it. Check it out below, with some pics after the jump:

How Bill says "congrats" to the bride

Via

Moonrise Kingdom #7 on Truthout's Top 10 list

7. Moonrise Kingdom - This year's second-best film about precocious children facing a hurricane (see the top of this list for the other), Moonrise Kingdom is infused with the trademark twee, hipster style of indie film darling Wes Anderson. But beneath all the mannerisms and stylistic excess, this film also has heart. A touching story of young love (and an older generation's desire and frustration) Moonrise is a sentimental and sweet tale. It's also beautifully told and brilliantly acted by a spectacular cast that includes Edward Norton and Bruce Willis playing against type, as well as other ringers like Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel and Frances McDormand, and captivating performances by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, making their acting debuts as the young leads.

(Via)

What Would Bill Murray Do?

I came across this article yesterday in which golfer Ken Hegan applies the "Bill Murray philosophy" on a recent golf trip to Columbia. He calls Bill the "world’s greatest explorer" and "a fearless man of action, charisma and substance." Ken was invited to play golf by the Colombian government and, after a brief history lesson, asks himself "What would Bill Murry do?"  

Once he realized that Murray would undoubtedly say "yes" to the request, Hegan used Bill's autobiography Cinderella Story: My Life in Golf as his guidebook to the risky Columbia. Drawing inspiration from the book, his golfing improved and the trip was a success. Read more at the National Post.

BMB now on Facebook!

That's right, the Bill Murray Blog is now on Facebook! Be sure to click "like" to the right of this post, and share with everyone you know; it would be much appreciated.

Enjoy!

What 9 actors could replace Bill Murray in Ghostbusters 3?

In my opinion, it would take all 9 of these actors on screen at the same time to replace Murray's Peter Venkeman role in Ghostbusters 3. WhatCulture! provides a list of 9 potential actors that could serve as a replacement for the irreplaceable:

9. Beau Mirchoff
8. Nicholas D’Agosto
7. Jesse Eisenberg
6. Jane Levy
5. Dan Byrd
4. Jimmy Fallon
3. Shia LaBeouf
2. Dave Franco
1. Aaron Paul

My pick? Bill Murray

Bill (and his mustache) at the Golden Globes

 GIF of the mustache in all its glory and more photos after the jump.

And apparently at an after party, Bill was "dancing his face off" and "totally bouncing off the walls, doing kicks and everything". He even "single-handedly started a dance circle". I sure hope video of that surfaces!