5 Questions: The Collectors
Fans of strictly mainstream movies that are released theatrically may well believe that Casper Van Dien’s career ended after he played Tarzan as the follow up to his most notable role as Johnny Rico in 1997’s Starship Troopers.
But real movie fans know that Casper Van Dien has been keeping busy for years…
Recently I watched a film that Casper made back in 1999 called The Collectors. His co-star in the film, former NBA star with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, Rick Fox.
As I watched the Sidney J. Furie directed The Collectors I began doing some collecting myself in the form of questions to share with all of you in this installment of 5 Questions…
1. Who wore it better?
I have long suspected that Casper Van Dien idolized Charles Bronson. The number of his on screen collaborations with his British accented wife, Catherine Oxenberg, rival those of Bronson and his British accented wife, Jill Ireland. But when I saw Casper’s Death Wish II like wardrobe in The Collectors I knew for sure that Casper is a Charles Bronson fan and that raises his stock in my book.
2. Who selected the music for this movie?
The “soundtrack” to The Collectors is quite possibly the worst soundtrack I have ever heard. According to the credits Steven Corn was responsible for the “music” in this film. Well if you hung Steven Corn for picking quality music for The Collectors, you’d be hanging an innocent man. If there was a feature on this site called What Not To Listen To, my first installment would be about The Collectors soundtrack. The music does not fit the movie, of course the music would not fit any movie.
3. Is yelling “FIRE!” in a crowded strip club as illegal as yelling it in a crowded movie theater?
If the answer is yes, then Casper’s character A.K. should have been arrested for that along with murdering people.
4. What does the A in A.K. stand for?
In one of the more tender moments, A.K. reveals to Ray (Rick Fox) that his middle name is Kermit. But we never learn what the A stands for? Anthony Kermit? Alan Kermit? Abraham Kermit? Alexander Kermit? Albert Kermit? Andrew Kermit? I think I may need to Tweet, Mr. Van Dien to find this one out. I’ll keep you all posted.
5. Was Catherine Oxenberg really the best person to play the role of a New Orleans cop?
As I stated earlier Casper and The Ox have appeared in A LOT of movies together. But surely they could have found somebody else, maybe somebody with a Cajun accent instead of a British one, to play the role of the cop from New Orleans looking to take down Ray and A.K.
Had Oxenberg and Casper Van Dien already been married at this point, I would chalk up the casting of Oxenberg as part of the deal to get CVD in the movie. But that was not the case… in fact, The Collectors is the movie where Casper Van Dien and Catherine Oxenberg’s romance began. So while she may not have been the most logical choice for the role of a New Orleans cop, whoever made that decision unknowingly changed the lives of Catherine Oxenberg and Casper Van Dien forever!
