Former US Vice-president and Nobel Prize-winning environmentalist Al Gore has levelled a scathing indictment of comedy actor Steve Martin, saying that Mr Martin had now "Crossed a dangerous tipping point of polluting the world with crap films."
The comments were made by Gore at an environmental summit in Switzerland. During his rousing speech, Vice-president Gore argued that "In my opinion, the number of crap films he has made now outnumber the number of good ones. He has therefore become a net film polluter." Mr Gore also urged Martin to "...for the sake of the planet, please stop pumping this toxic filth like Pink Panther 2 and Cheaper by the Dozen 1 and 2 into the world. The ability of great films like The Jerk and Planes, Trains & Automobiles to absorb this kind of crap is running dangerously low." Mr Martin has declined to comment.
Is Al Gore right?
Classic Steve Martin Films: The Absent-Minded Waiter (short); The Jerk; Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid; The Man with Two Brains; All of Me; Little Shop of Horrors; Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; LA Story and Bowfinger. (10)
Crap Steve Martin Films: Parenthood; HouseSitter; Leap of Faith; A Simple Twist of Fate; Mixed Nuts; Father of the Bride; Father of the Bride Part II; Sgt. Bilko; The Out-of-Towners; Cheaper by the Dozen; Cheaper by the Dozen 2; Shopgirl; The Pink Panther; Baby Mama and The Pink Panther 2. (15)
On the fence: Pennies from Heaven; The Lonely Guy; Three Amigos!; Roxanne; Grand Canyon and The Spanish Prisoner. (6)
Number of years since Martin made a good film (Bowfinger, 1999) : 10.
Answer: Yes, but the on-the-fence swing vote could just barely swing it for Martin - but there are other films we haven't mentioned (never heard of) like Joe Gould's Secret.
Verdict: Gore is correct - Martin has become a net film polluter.
