The most recent flop on this rundown finds the ball of poo knocked squarely into Wesley Snipes' court. He's been known over the past decade or so for a string of straight-to-DVD action thrillers, so the prospect of Las Vegas drama The Player was as good a bet as any over a more complex role. High concept and glossier than a thoroughbred smothered in hair gel, the idea was a sort of mash up of The Fugitive and Minority Report, as wrongly-accused tough guy Alex Kane (Philip Winchester) found himself drawn into a crimebusting gambler network under Snipes as sharp-suited pit boss Isaiah Johnson. It was pretty derivative stuff. Sometimes that can work to a show's advantage - after all, the glut of CSIs and NCISes don't make this the most innovative landscape. But the odds got stacked against The Player, and it didnt even make it to double digits before getting rudely ejected by bouncers. With the road ahead looking surprisingly quiet, maybe Snipes is regretting not being involved with the Blade series, which would have made great use of his various talents.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
