Dream Casting: Jem - Supporting Cast and Others

Well now that Jem fans are musing about a possible live-action movie and suggesting their dream cast, here is my 2 cents on the rest of the cast. Every good movie needs a supporting cast and Jem had a boat load of them. Clearly I am a die hard fan and most Jem fans are. Also you may notice with the last post, I pick obscure and virtually unknown actresses in the roles, in other words, people you wouldn't normally thought of for the role.

Synergy
How Jerrica actually transformed into Jem was through a super advanced computer that her father built, originally meant for using holograms to revolutionize the music and entertainment industry but it became so powerful that he feared it landing in the wrong hands so he left it in possession of his birth and foster daughters. Her personality was modeled after Jerrica and Kimber's singer mother who died when they were young.

Brenda Strong
As it can be imagined, it was hard to think about what actress can balanced a stoic computerize mentor that gave motherly advice and also be coy. Brenda is the go-to dead mother narrator, I can see her both being funny and good with advice. I don't know how she will look in purple, but she would be good as Jacqui Benton in flashbacks.

Anthony Julian
Shana's boyfriend and confidant and director for virtually everything involving the Holograms such as movies and music videos.

Lee Thompson Young
Best known for 'The Famous Jett Jackson,' I think he would be charming.

Lindsey Pierce
She is a VJ that had her own show. Now, could any old MTV VJ play her or someone with personality? I think Kathy Griffin would be hilarious as a mix of Lindsey and gossip queen Harriet Horn. Or to be totally vicious, maybe someone like Perez Hilton in drag. Too bad Divine is gone. Or...

Sandra Benhard
She could totally do the vicious gossip queen shtick.

Vivien 'Video' Montgomery
The videographer of Jem's friends, if they keep it in the 80's, the big lugging camera would make sense. I guess if it is set now, she can have one of those small DVs and just be a doing a web-exclusive material for them.

Clea Duvall
Best known for "Heroes" and "Carnivale" and was that inviso-girl in "Buffy."

Constance "Clash" Montgomery
Video's cousin. She was the wild and crazy fan of the Misfits, she made a ruckus with symbols on her wrists.

Taryn Manning
McCrazy, she has done Crossroads, Crazy/Beautiful, and Hustle & Flow.

Zipper
He wasn't a doll but had his name on his jacket for some reason. Eric Raymond (baddie) used him for dirty deeds to 'ruin' Jem. He was a shady character that was also used for comic relief. For some reason, in some episodes his hair turned black.

Andrew Walker
He can be like the muscle and the bad egg, eye candy to boot.

Techrat
When writers got bored with Zipper, a new character was introduced. Techrat, a tech expert who Eric Raymond employed to 'ruin' Jem. Show writer Christy Marx originally wanted Techrat to be a Boy George-like androgynous and ambiguous. Unfortunately, whoever was in charge wasn't comfortable with the idea and made him male.

J.D. Pardo
With a live-action version, I think can get away with an ambiguous character like Christy previously envisioned. It would be much more looser to do so with this character since he wasn't a Hasbro doll. J.D. Pardo has done gender bending before with a lifetime movie based on the brave individual Gwen. I think something in between who fit nicely.

Giselle "Danse" Dvorak
Guess what she did? Well, she had an awesome storyline in which she broke her leg and had to go through rehab. Cartoon characters going through rehab, awesome.

Ashley Tisdale
"High School Muscial"
Update 12/29/09: On second thought, Maybe not.

Carmen 'Raya' Alonso
As with the characters, I say what the hell and cast the extra characters too even though they were not in the beginning. Raya was the 'new' Hologram and naive to the show business and had a Latina accent. Personally growing up, I liked that she was Hispanic. It might sound silly but I kinda identified with her--okay she is like a sister.

Belinda
Mexican pop singer, born in Spain. The only English she has done was in "Cheetah Girls 2".

Jetta
She was the tough new girl in the Misfits. She played the saxophone. She took crap from nobody. According to Christy Marx, when she suggested the new Misfit be African-American, the people in charge were against the idea but that a British character would be fine. It's funny. My vision of a black Misfit would have a mohawk for some reason.

Amy Whinehouse
I think she can do the mean strong chick thing. Did I pick her solely because she's British? Come on, she does Jazz and Jetta was into Jazz.
Update 12/29/09: On second thought, Maybe not.

Related Topic: Dreamcasting Jem

Yay! Everybody supports my Jem movie plea

Before I found out they were plans to make a 'Thundercats' movie and now 'He-Man' is back in production, I wrote a 'dream cast' on a live-action version of the 80's animated series. 'Jem' revolutionized the music videos in cartoons, which believe or not, there is still montages in animated children series. Anyhoo, there are a lot of fans that are itching for a live-action Jem as well. I am sure Story writer Christy Marx would be up for it if whoever still has the rights wake up and smells the money. Come on, honestly--like one of my fellow bloggers on BuzzSugar--'Bratz'? Come on, is this what we expect little girls to see at the movie theaters? Girl movies are still scarce... as much as chick flicks. Plus, this will attract moms, aunts, uncles everywhere as well. And if they do decide to make it.. they would be idiots not hire Christy Marx to write it.

"So there ya have it folks, Thundercats are on the way with Voltron, He-Man, and Transformers! Now lets hope for some Jem."
Ultra Entertainment Blog
"However, Transformers, G.I. Joe and He-Man... but no 'She-Ra' (on her own, outside of the He-Man movie)? No 'Jem and the Holograms'?! Where are my '80s ladies? It's obnoxious that there's a Bratz movie but no movie based on 'Jem and the Holograms.'"
BuzzSugar

Yahoo! Answers negates Jem being in production
Entertainment Weekly making fun of this new fad

Related Topic: Dream Casting Jem | Thundercats! Ho!

Dream Casting: Jem

One of my favorite cartoons from the 80's is Jem and it was real good soap. People demean it but it had such great writing and the music is universal, really beautiful catchy music. Unlike the Care Bears and Ninja Turtles, Jem is a difficult property to bring back. Would they have to update it or keep it in the big hair 80's?

Quick Summary for ya'll who don't know about the show: Jerrica Benton was left a music company and foster home by her deceased father but the guy he left the company with--Eric Raymond was threatening to take over and didn't take her seriously. Another thing her father left her, made its prescience known---Synergy, an advanced techno-magic computer that created holograms. So she adopted a new persona--Jem and pretended to be her and started a band and took control of the music company. Their rivals were Eric's clients, the Misfits.

Well, like I did with Sailor Moon, here is my dream cast for a live-action movie. I do think it has great potential for a live-action film because they can focus on Jerrica's deception and schizophrenia , stuff they couldn't do in the animated series. The show was about wish fulfillment. I don't think Jerrica meant to deceive but was forced in a situation where her father's music company was at risk and she had to be the leader of a up and coming band to save the company but she couldn't let people know---she escaped from herself. Being Jem, allowed her to do things she wouldn't normally do. I personally would keep it in the 80's.

Jerrica Benton/Jem
Jerrica could have be considered a goody goody two-shoes but she was concerned for her family, friends and foster kids. She had internal conflicts like any person. The mysterious Jem with no last name and no past. Jerrica got to go free.

Rachael McAdams
Yes she was bitchy in Meangirls but she was also sweet in The Notebook. Dunno if she can sing. I know you might be saying, why not Gwen Stefani but unfortunately age is a factor and Jerrica was a teenager or in her early twenties I think. No, I didn't pick Rachael McAdams because of the new pink streaks she has but because I think she has the qualities for Jerrica that would make the audience care for her.

UPDATE 9/16: On Pop Culture talk show on 9/14, Samantha Newark (the speaking voice of Jem) even said she thought Rachael would be a good pick!!!!!

Rio
Jerrica's long time sweetheart who learned under her father and became the group's manager. He fell for Jem and was torn between the two. He also had a mean streak, a thing about liars.

Rodrigo Santoro
He is Brazilian and foreign and sexy. And from 'Lost,' we know he can be a dick so thats good.

Kimber Benton
Jerrica's kid sister, the youngest and most passionate of the group. She let men hang on by a string, she dated and dated. She had her own 'sister shadow' issues like any little sister. She wrote the songs for the band.

Zooey Deschanel
She has been cast in a Janis Joplin biopic, I haven't ever heard her sing though. She has been in The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy and Elf. Her older sister is on "Bones" so she knows about sister rivalry. I think she has the sarcastic rebel thing going for her and I don't think she would look bad as a red head.

Shana Elmsford
In the beginning she played the drums. She was real good at designing clothes and dreamed to have her own fashion line or something. She was a foster girl who grew up with the Benton sisters.

Rihanna
She has a wonderful voice and is sexy and I think she can work the shy drummer thing well.

Aja Leith
Lead guitarist and tomboy, Aja also grew up with the others. She was very courageous and no bull kind of gal.

Devon Aoki
She is of German and Japanese ancestry and she was in 2 Fast 2 Furious and Sin City where she played a feisty swordswoman. I think she can summon her inner fire and nail this character.

Pizzazz/Phyllis Gabor
The spoiled brat who is really a lonely girl inside, the leader of the Misfits. She was the bad girl you loved to despise.

Alecia Beth Moore "P!nk"
Okay I know what you're thinking, she should be Jem but come on, playing the bad girl is way more fun. I'm sure she'd have fun with it. And I also think, she can pull the soft side of Miss Gabor.

Roxy
The second hand man to Pizzazz. She'd follow Pizzazz but when she wanted to. She was illiterate and came from the 'bad side of town'.


Avril Lavigne
Where I can see her as the good girl, but like Pink, I think she'd have more fun as a baddie. She can sing but Roxy didn't sing that much solo, but in my fantasy anything can happen!

Stormer
The sweet compassionate 'always look at the bright side' pushover of the group.

Felicia Day
Oh, sweet sexy Felicia. Shes' in those cell phone commercial where she calls her friend's boyfriend's mom a 'cougar.' She was also in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog, I think she can cover the sweet pushover anytime. And in my fantasy movie, she gets the guts and stands up to her group mates. How will she look like in a dark blue wig? I don't know.

Eric Raymond
His name is the show writer Kristy Marx's brother. He was the only major character that wasn't a doll. He was the 'villain.' Basically the Misfits made him their bitch.

Julian McMahon
The go-to bad guy? And Eric wasn't sexy at all but heh, its a movie. I think he'd be a nice fit and it be nice women chewing him out for a change.

More Soon

Related Topics: My Sailor Moon Dream Cast | My Outer Senshi Dream Cast

My Sailor Moon Dream Cast

For you who don't know, there was a live-action Sailor Moon in 2003 done with Japanese girls. It was great. I can't get over the Japanese Live-action version of Pretty Solider Sailor Moon. Back when, there was talks about a live-action movie done by Disney and Geena Davis. I must repeat that this is all my doing. This is my dream cast. These are young actors I think can fit the bill. For characters like Amy who have blue hair, I would espect the same thing as the show where a black hair girl would transform and don a wig. Sailor Moon pictures from Shingestu web. For video on the series, there is plenty on YouTube. There is also fan-subtitled DVDS out there.

Disclaimer: These picks were done before Gossip Girl and Juno came out.

Sailor Mercury/Amy Mizuno (Amy)
Jena Malone

Age: 21
She has a sweet cherub face and fierce tongue, she can handle Ami’s one-liners. They’d probably have to put glasses on her like the PGSM version (Hama Chisaki).

Best known for: Saved!, Donny Darko

Sailor Mars/Rei Hina (Raye)
Ellen Page
Age: 19

She has a sharp tongue and exudes confidence and vulnerability at that same time, she could play most of these characters except for perhaps Usagi.
Best known for: Hard Candy/X-men: The Last Stand

Sailor Jupiter/Makoto Kino (Lita)
Blake Lively
Age: 19
She can dye her hair. She is tall: 5’8” I see Makoto as a tomboy trying to show off her feminine side by doing ‘girly’ things like cooking and cleaning. Blake would good at this.
Last seen in: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Sailor Venus/Minako Aino (Mina)

Amanda Bynes
Age: 20
Could just as well be Usagi. I am picturing the PGSM version of Minako (Komatsu Ayaka), a more serious role and I think it is about time Amanda shows her serious side. She may be the only ‘teeny bopper’ actress I’ve pick from the bunch.
Best Known for: What I like about you, All That, The Amanda Show

Sailor Moon/Usagi Tskunio (Serena)

Amanda Michalka
Age: 15
Last seen in: Six Feet Under
She fits the bill and is sweet enough to pull off charming the other girls.
Best known as: Alyson (Phil of the Future)’s sister

Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru Chiba (Darien)
Justin Chatwin
Age: 23
Maybe a tad close in age to the other actresses I picked but a good rough look to him.
Last Seen in: War of the Worlds

Motoki Furuhata/Andrew (Crown Plaza employee)
Greg Cipes
Age: 26
Best Known for: Voice Actor for Beast Boy in Teen Titans and others

He can handle comedy and the PGSM version of Motoki is real fun.
He is a turtle-loving goof, still cute though and after Makoto's heart.

Naru Osaka /Molly
Emma Roberts
Age: 15
She is sweet and nice, has acting skills. Knowing her family, she is a jewel in the rough.