Charlize Theron In Monster

[BruiseLee]

How many of you guys have seen this movie? For those of you who don't know what this film is about, Charlize (who is easily one of the most beautiful women to grace the silver screen these days) plays Aileen Wuornos, a highway prostitute turned serial killer. Her acting performance, both physically and mentally, will probably win her an Academy Award. It is sure a dark, depressing, disturbing film though.

In the film her character uses what looked to me like a 6" stainless L-frame Smith & Wesson. I believe it was a 10 shot .22. Does anybody know what model Smith this is? Is it the same model that the real Aileen Wuornos used to murder her victims?

I don't know much about the actual crime, but I do remember reading that one of her victims was killed with 4 shots, and another was shot twice. In the film, Charlize always seemed to fire at least 6 rounds at her victim. I guess the director choose to have her fire more shots to make the scene appear more dramatic.

I don't want to appear morbid, but she seemed to get good stopping power from her .22.

In short, Monster is an excellent movie based of the strength of Ms. Theron's performance. She really uglied herself up though for this role, so don't expect anything in terms of admiring her onscreen beauty. I also appreciate the fact that the writer/director did not villify the gun as the evil behind the murders. Rather, she tends more to blame the horrible life experiences and living conditions of the guilty woman.

Bruise

 

[TonyB]

I saw one of those American justice programs about this killer...she WAS nuts....the 22 as her weapon of choice just proves it.....I'll see the movie or video,Theron is great(although in this movie she's real scary).......

 

[BluesBear]

S&W made the 617 in both 6 and 10 shot versions. The very early 10 shot models had alloy cylinders. Later changed to steel.

 

[Hal]

Bruise
Just so ya know Char's an anti gun girl.

Weird thing is she of all people should be very, very, very pro gun. If her mother had been unarmed the night her uncle and father attacked her and her mother she wouldn't be alive today.

 

[Min]

I saw that movie. What a depressing film. It was very well-made though, and the acting of Theron was top-notch.

I wondered about the gun, too. From the crime sites, they said she used a .22, but did not specify what model. I'd say in the movie they used a stainless 6" SW. I do agree the effectiveness of the rounds were perhaps exaggerated in the movie, but then she was also shooting at point black range.

 

[Mulliga]

Charlize is anti-gun? Well, that's a shame. Quite frankly, I don't think I have many friends who are antis (haven't asked them all). At least three of my friends are serious shooters.

 

[moa]

Was Wuornos a lesbian? Also, has she already been executed?

 

[TarpleyG]

Those weren't .22 cartridges she was loading into that revolver during one scene in the movie. Looked like .38 or .357 to me. Didn't sound like a .22 either when she shot it.

I don't think she was a lesbian until she met this girl Shelby. Even the, does a fling make one a lesbian? Don't know. And yes, she was executed a few years ago IIRC.

GT

 

[Justin]

Tarpley- The sounds you hear in movies are almost never the sounds actually made by the person/prop/action on set at the time of the shooting. It's standard practice in the movie industry to use foley artists to do the sound effects for everything after the film has been shot and is in post-production.

So even if they did use a .22 for the movie, there's no reason for it to have sounded like one, unless they happened to hire a group of particularly gun-savvy or reality-obsessed foley artists.

 

[tyme]

I've also seen some pages claiming Charlize is anti-gun, but the only evidence I've seen presented is weak - she participated in an animal rights presentation at an event that was generally anti-gun.

 

[cratz2]

The real serial killer used both a 22 and a 38 special revolver. In one of her key arrests, she was charged with shooting someone with the 22 but had a 38 Special and extra ammo on her person and she was a suspect in the robbery of said gun and ammo.

If I recall, she was into multiple shots... I think on at least one victim, she shot him three times in the back and once in the back of the head. Also, keep in mind, she was in very close proximity to the people she killed. Not quite like it was a SD situation as she claimed... were talkin' very close proximity.

I'll have to break out my Encyclopedia of Serial Killers to check my details.

 

[Carbonator]

The movie waaaaaas disturbing. Charlize played her role almost too well - I couldn't recognize her from her role in Devil's Advocate.

Christina Ricci was also great, but seeing the two women kiss was revolting. Never thought I'd say that.

 

[Hal]

"The terrible thing is that everybody in South Africa has a gun … You know, but that's just the lifestyle there. And those things are handy; terrible things happen," Theron said.

"You shouldn't have those things around because when people get irrational and emotional and drunk, terrible things can happen."

-Charlize Theron - ABC News interview


Off hand I'd say anyone that says that is a definate anti.

I've also seen some pages claiming Charlize is anti-gun, but the only evidence I've seen presented is weak

How much stronger do you need?

 

[Lupine]

Well duh

Can't be a rising star in Hollywood and not join the anti-gun bandwagon.

By the way, introduced three of my girlfriends to shooting today. Started them with my .22 Single Six and stepped them right on up to my friend's SKS...wheeeeeee! And fun was had by all.

 

[Lone Star]

It is disturbing that Charlize can see only the way her drunken father (no uncle was present in the accounts of the shooting that I've seen) and not acknowledge that it was only Greta Theron's handgun that enabled her and Charlize to survive his drunken, armed assault. It was not the first time his temper and liquor intake had caused problems. The magistrate must have had little trouble in ruling the shooting a justifiable homicide...

I feel sure that she is under the usual Hollywood pressure to be against guns and to hug whales and bunnies. At least, she doesn't act like Britney or Paris Hilton. The lady has class to a degree rare in Hollywood today.

I did see her on Jay Leno's show, and saw the clip from, "Monster". Gad, I knew that she was a heck of an actress, but in that role, she was scarier than my second grade teacher!

I do admire her on some levels. Her first language is Afrikaans, and her English wasn't especially fluent when she came to the USA. She watched American TV to broaden her vocabulary and to develop a US accent, at least when speaking English.

I guess you know she won a Golden Globe award last night, and is thought to be the leading nominee for an Oscar as best female actress. She deserves it.

Besides, I'm tickled to see a white South African make news in a positive light. It isn't typical of the media to honor one.

Lone Star

 

[Sean Smith]

Off hand I'd say anyone that says that is a definate anti.

There is a big difference between a passive antipathy towards firearms, and actively campaigning to take them away from others. The former is her business, and I'm not inclined to hold it against her. There are enough folks in Hollywierd actively campaigning to take your rights away that I don't think we need to look for enemies that aren't really there.

And she sure underwent one HELL of a transformation from "The Italian Job" to "Monster."

 

[Mal H]

Good news. My wife was watching the Golden Globe awards show last night. Charlize Theron is back to her usual gorgeous self again. Oh, and she won the GG for "Monster". If someone had seen her for the first time only in that movie and then watched the show last night, they would have wondered who that was accepting the award for Theron - what a transformation.

I don't read total anti gun sentiment into what she said. She was stating the way things are in her country of birth.

 

[Min]

Did you know Theron produced the movie "Monster" too?

I hear they had to do two hours of makeup everyday on her for that movie. She also gained 30 pounds. But her perfromance has to be seen to be believed. Amazing that a South Afrikaaner could do a Florida prostitute so well.

 

[tyme]

Ah. That's a 2004 quote; no wonder I hadn't seen it. Thanks.

OTOH, the cast of The Italian Job agreed she was the best driver of them all.

 

[BluesBear]

people get irrational and emotional and drunk, terrible things can happen

Yes and they will happen just as often and just as fast even when no guns are present. Excess alcohol will make moderately stupid people do really stupid things.
A drunk can be dangerous and hurt you as bad as any sober person. Being drunk is not a valid defense against acting stupid.

Sane, sober people need protection from all dangers.

 

[gunsmith]

speaking of white South Africans

some smart alec school kids nominated a white south African kid
as African American of the year in their school,much to the chagrin
of the politically correct teachers.
I heard it on David Sussman show on ksfo am talk radio,David Sussman
seems to mention that AWB should sunset, pro CCW stuff on every show!
in prk no less!

 

[Hal]

After spending a number of hours online I've come to the conclusion:

Charlize Theron has no brain.

 

[Lone Star]

Hal-

The great problem with forming your opinions from what one sees online is that much of what appears there is speculation, interpretation, or outright false. Frequently, the Net consists of the "barely sighted " leading the blind.

I gather that you have never seen Charlize Theron give an interview in person, or chat on the talk shows. She is one of the brightest bulbs in Hollyweird. Her intelligence easily eclipses that of many major stars, and she is having to communicate in a second language, sounding like an American, for the sake of her career.

I saw her on Leno a couple of weeks ago touting, "Monster", and just last night, saw her on what was evidently a re-run of Letterman, because he pointed out that the movie would be released in New York on Christmas Eve. (Which amused them, given its content.) They then discussed the difference in Christmas in South Africa and here. (Largely seasonal, as the southern hemisphere has summer weather in December. She said that most who can afford it drive to the beaches, and others hold barbecues- braaivleis, although she didn't use the term - and sit around in bathing suits. No Santa coming down the chimney, as they usually don't have chimneys.)

Charlize is exceptionally intelligent and articulate for an entertainer. Like German supermodel Heidi Klum, the late night hosts don't mess with her the way they do some guests, as both ladies can easily turn the audience against them, getting the host laughed at on his own show. And they deserve it, especially Letterman, who has a cruel streak, in my opinion.

She told Letterman that she doesn't even like to see what her big dogs do to rats. (Guns weren't mentioned.) But she bought a home in the hills near Los Angeles, and can't keep cats or small dogs, as the coyotes and bobcats will kill them. One of her huge dogs is a very skilled "ratter"!

Charlize also eats red meat, which is supposedly awful in some celebrity circles. One guy who interviewed her for a men's magazine a couple of years ago said he was surprised at how big a steak she ate...

I'm sure she could be much more pro-gun, but given her family tragedy, and the damage it would do to her career, I don't see her joining the NRA any time soon! However, I would love to talk wth her about several subjects, and I'm quite sure that I wouldn't be bored! This girl is sharper than a new Victorinox knife!

Lone Star

 

[Tamara]

Sane, sober people need protection from all dangers.

And drunks should be able to shoot back at pink elephants!





Wait... Did I just say that out loud?

 

[Mal H]

My opinion of Charlize Theron's intelligence is on par with Lone Star's. It is based on a conversation with her on some show, which I have forgotten, right after she made "The Astronaut's Wife". She was discussing some of the improbabilities of the space and rocketry scenes in the movie. Hardly a topic for someone with no brain.

I will reserve my opinion of her take on gun control until she says something directly for or against it. In reality, I could give a rat's behind what her take is on it. It would mean as much as the report yesterday that Ted Danson has given his support to Gen. Clark. When we heard that on the news, my wife and I looked at each other and said simultaneously, "Who the cares!?"