“When Diesel says he loves you, he seems like he means it.”
March 12, 2016 4:05 PM Subscribe
A Powerful Collective Rooting for You: On Vin Diesel’s Facebook by Muna Mire [The New York Times] Vin Diesel’s hugely popular Facebook page is a community for inspiration and fellowship.
“If his string of seemingly endless box-office hits aren’t evidence of our collective love affair with the bald pated baritone, his 97 million fans on Facebook are. VinBook, as the thriving self-contained online community is called, has more likes on its Facebook page than Barack Obama, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, YouTube, Katy Perry, “The Simpsons,” “The Big Bang Theory,” One Direction, Beyonce, Coca-Cola and God. It’s more than just a fan page: it’s a home base, a community hub where people can compliment Vin Diesel, express gratitude over Vin Diesel and ogle photos of Vin Diesel.
Need advice or cheering up or to see some photos of a guy working out in a muscle tee? Check VinBook. His page is a stream of resplendent images paired with tidbits of wisdom, generally quotes from Diesel. “Slow down and think about life,” VinBook advises. “Look inside yourself for the answers and always move forward with an open heart.” The advice, gentle and empowering, is transposed over placid images, most often beach sunsets.”
I really like Vin. Vin and The Rock. They seem like big, big-hearted guys, and in a lot of ways are good role models for young men. I guess the idea of "role models" is pretty old hat, but I think they fit.
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:29 PM on March 12, 2016 [27 favorites]
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:29 PM on March 12, 2016 [27 favorites]
Vin has always seemed like a genuine and likeable type of personality. I hope that my image/vision of him in my brain is not destroyed at some point in the future. It's hard to not think of celebrity culture like this these days and not think of Bill Cosby.
posted by Fizz at 4:35 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Fizz at 4:35 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
His genuine friendship with Paul Walker and all the subsequent tributes he made since his death have always warmed my cold cynical heart.
posted by numaner at 4:45 PM on March 12, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by numaner at 4:45 PM on March 12, 2016 [6 favorites]
Vin Diesel, John Cena and Dwayne Johnson seem like awesome dudes who I would love to have a drink with, maybe play some cards or D&D. I know they're flawed humans like the rest of us but damn they just seem legitimately decent in a way I wish more people were.
posted by Sternmeyer at 5:02 PM on March 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Sternmeyer at 5:02 PM on March 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
I put Terry Crews in this same category. big, big-hearted dudes.
posted by suddenly, and without warning, at 5:06 PM on March 12, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by suddenly, and without warning, at 5:06 PM on March 12, 2016 [7 favorites]
Thanks for this. I had no idea about any of this and have long made facile jokes featuring Mr. Diesel as the punchline. It's a good reminder to stop judging everything so damn much.
posted by Lyme Drop at 5:08 PM on March 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Lyme Drop at 5:08 PM on March 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
big, big-hearted dudes.
Particularly their left ventricles.
posted by srboisvert at 5:16 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Particularly their left ventricles.
posted by srboisvert at 5:16 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Hehehe, I love Vin Diesel - I don't doubt his sincerity one bit :-)
posted by Calzephyr at 5:17 PM on March 12, 2016
posted by Calzephyr at 5:17 PM on March 12, 2016
As this is a Vin Diesel thread, it behooves me to extoll the awesome that is the Iron Giant.
posted by parki at 5:39 PM on March 12, 2016 [17 favorites]
posted by parki at 5:39 PM on March 12, 2016 [17 favorites]
This post just made me realize that my brain has subconsciously fused Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson into one person. I now have no idea which factoid or imdb entry belongs to which man, in my head it all got filed into the box marked "likable former wrestler who's an actor now." It's going to take me ages to untangle this mess!
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:49 PM on March 12, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:49 PM on March 12, 2016 [10 favorites]
Heh, soren_lorensen, I hear ya. Before having the same realization, I was curious if VinBook talked about cod at all.
posted by Theophrastus Johnson at 6:23 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Theophrastus Johnson at 6:23 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I went to see "The Last Witch Hunter" based on an interview Diesel did for one of the London free papers in which he made a really intelligent point about the Silmarillion.
It was terrible, but my love for Diesel remains unshaken.
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:42 PM on March 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
It was terrible, but my love for Diesel remains unshaken.
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:42 PM on March 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
That article (and Mr. Diesel himself) is just charming as hell. Thank you for posting it! I'd never have known about VinBook otherwise.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:49 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 6:49 PM on March 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Huge fan, though I don't advertise it. However, xXx actually holds up pretty well on rewatch.
posted by fraxil at 6:51 PM on March 12, 2016
posted by fraxil at 6:51 PM on March 12, 2016
The Iron Giant is still one of the most beautiful and subtle voice acting performances, that I've ever had the joy of listening/watching. It was on this morning and I still cry every fucking time, right at the end. It's such a sucker-punch to the emotions.
posted by Fizz at 7:34 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 7:34 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I think Vin's career as a voice actor that specializes in doing very little actual dialogue is hilarious and awesome. It really is harder than it looks but it's funny that when producers are like "Ok, we have this really emotionally touching rock monster" Vin is who they turn to.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 7:49 PM on March 12, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 7:49 PM on March 12, 2016 [6 favorites]
based on an interview Diesel did for one of the London free papers in which he made a really intelligent point about the Silmarillion
OK, now you've got me curious. What was the point?
Not many A-list stars let their nerd/freak flag fly as free as Vin does and for that he had my eternal admiration.
posted by Ber at 8:16 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
OK, now you've got me curious. What was the point?
Not many A-list stars let their nerd/freak flag fly as free as Vin does and for that he had my eternal admiration.
posted by Ber at 8:16 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
As this is a Vin Diesel thread, it behooves me to extoll the awesome that is the Iron Giant.
NO, YOU'RE CRYING!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:20 PM on March 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
NO, YOU'RE CRYING!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:20 PM on March 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
My favorite movie star. I regret nothing!
posted by Beholder at 11:57 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Beholder at 11:57 PM on March 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
really intelligent point about the Silmarillion
What did he say?
posted by Zonker at 3:30 AM on March 13, 2016
What did he say?
posted by Zonker at 3:30 AM on March 13, 2016
As this is a Vin Diesel thread, it behooves me to extoll the awesome that is the Iron Giant.
I am GROOT.
posted by radwolf76 at 3:53 AM on March 13, 2016
I am GROOT.
posted by radwolf76 at 3:53 AM on March 13, 2016
What did he say?
Survey says:
I am GROOT.
Superman!
Hrrrmm.
Man, I finally watched The Iron Giantthis afternoon.
Even having a good idea how it ended, "Superman" right at the end was... ugh.
(And, yes, I hatred Man Of Steel even more).
posted by Mezentian at 4:42 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Survey says:
I am GROOT.
Superman!
Hrrrmm.
Man, I finally watched The Iron Giantthis afternoon.
Even having a good idea how it ended, "Superman" right at the end was... ugh.
(And, yes, I hatred Man Of Steel even more).
posted by Mezentian at 4:42 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I really like Vin. Vin and The Rock. They seem like big, big-hearted guys, and in a lot of ways are good role models for young men. I guess the idea of "role models" is pretty old hat, but I think they fit.I've often wondered whether the whispers about both these men's sexual orientation were borne out of the "Male who is not an asshole; must be gay" thing.
Plus, Dame Judi Dench likes Vin so that's enough recommendation for anyone.
posted by fullerine at 4:48 AM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
This may be what Pallas Athena was referring to:
"The Silmarillion was probably one of the first fantasy pieces that played with immortality that wasn't straight up deity mythology. As an author, he's playing with immortality in this really cool way."posted by neushoorn at 5:00 AM on March 13, 2016 [12 favorites]
"Tolkien proposes that mortality is a gift," Diesel adds. "Immortality isn't a gift, it's the mortality that's the gift. And which is something that we were kind of close to and I was able to kind of factor into our mythology."
Vin Diesel is a serious nerd, and I adore the guy for it. He sat down and did a D&D session with the folks at Critical Role[1] a while back. I have read that he taught Judi Dench how to play, which, man, I want to be in that campaign.
[1] Critical Role is a bunch of voice actors who started a weekly show streaming their long-running D&D campaign on Geek & Sundry's video channel.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:03 AM on March 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
[1] Critical Role is a bunch of voice actors who started a weekly show streaming their long-running D&D campaign on Geek & Sundry's video channel.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:03 AM on March 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Pitch Black remains his greatest movie. A by-the-numbers space monster movie. Except brilliant.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 7:26 AM on March 13, 2016 [12 favorites]
posted by Pyrogenesis at 7:26 AM on March 13, 2016 [12 favorites]
This is probably the right thread to indulge my fantasy of a movie version of Bester's "The Stars My Destination" starring Diesel as Gully Foyle.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 9:13 AM on March 13, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 9:13 AM on March 13, 2016 [7 favorites]
Vin Diesel is a serious nerd, and I adore the guy for it. He sat down and did a D&D session with the folks at Critical Role[1]
I don't want to shit on your parade too much, because I was excited when I heard about this little factoid as well but after watching that episode, I was a bit let down. Vin just kept on responding the same way to every situation in that D&D session and there were moments where the other players were kind of wanting him to craft a more imaginary/fantastical experience, but it was all: I ATTACK with my giant sword or I ATTACK with this, etc.
I don't deny that he knows how to play and that he's enthusiastic about it, but it left me wanting a bit more. I still like Vin though. I think he's a generally cool individual based on what I know about him.
posted by Fizz at 9:55 AM on March 13, 2016
I don't want to shit on your parade too much, because I was excited when I heard about this little factoid as well but after watching that episode, I was a bit let down. Vin just kept on responding the same way to every situation in that D&D session and there were moments where the other players were kind of wanting him to craft a more imaginary/fantastical experience, but it was all: I ATTACK with my giant sword or I ATTACK with this, etc.
I don't deny that he knows how to play and that he's enthusiastic about it, but it left me wanting a bit more. I still like Vin though. I think he's a generally cool individual based on what I know about him.
posted by Fizz at 9:55 AM on March 13, 2016
This is probably the right thread to indulge my fantasy of a movie version of Bester's "The Stars My Destination" starring Diesel as Gully Foyle.
SOMEBODY PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY FOR THIS.
It broke my heart a little when he aged out of eligibility to play Shadow in American Gods. He was my Headcanon Shadow from the first chapter (and possibly I am mis-remembering that at some point Gaiman said yeah, maybe he was his too) and, if that project had turned out to be a film, I think would have done a really great job with it. Ricky Whittle will be great on the show, but I will be a little sad when he overwrites my mental image.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:35 AM on March 13, 2016
SOMEBODY PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY FOR THIS.
It broke my heart a little when he aged out of eligibility to play Shadow in American Gods. He was my Headcanon Shadow from the first chapter (and possibly I am mis-remembering that at some point Gaiman said yeah, maybe he was his too) and, if that project had turned out to be a film, I think would have done a really great job with it. Ricky Whittle will be great on the show, but I will be a little sad when he overwrites my mental image.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:35 AM on March 13, 2016
tl;dr
Vin Diesel is worthless. He and Ted Danson ruined "Saving Private Ryan."
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 10:36 AM on March 13, 2016
Vin Diesel is worthless. He and Ted Danson ruined "Saving Private Ryan."
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 10:36 AM on March 13, 2016
It's a crime that he wasn't in the Conan remake. He's the only one who could have taken Arnold's place.
posted by Beholder at 1:10 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Beholder at 1:10 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
watching that episode, I was a bit let down.
To be fair, the situation he was in was far from ideal if you're looking for an impressive role-playing display. You need to have a certain level of familiarity with the other players, and especially with the DM, and have it happen in a relaxed environment to have the best chances for those amazing moments to suddenly occur. Those moments can't be forced, as it just turns into an awkward group improv session if you try.
It would have been far wiser to put Vin Diesel in the DM chair, and the Nerdist crew as the players. That would have given Diesel the opportunity to observe the players actions and styles, see their strengths and weaknesses, and exploit those to both challenge them and play off of to best effect. As a 'special guest' player, one usually hangs back a bit, feeling out the other players and the DM to see what their overall playstyle is (some go full on RP, while others are more game mechanics-oriented, etc). As a guest, you don't know what the acceptable limits are, and if you're not careful, can end up being an irritating ham dominating the game. In the role of a DM, Diesel would have the authority to steer the game's direction without stepping on anybody's toes. In many ways it's not unlike how a director guides an ensemble cast for an improvised performance - find out what elicits the best result, and lead them in that direction.
From what I've heard of his D&D style combined with what he values about story and character, he would most likely make a damn good DM - fair in judgement of game reality, a preference for a 'serious fun' style, exploit the consequences of player's actions to enrich the overall story, and able to call BS on silliness while knowing when to let things get goofy.
posted by chambers at 4:40 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
To be fair, the situation he was in was far from ideal if you're looking for an impressive role-playing display. You need to have a certain level of familiarity with the other players, and especially with the DM, and have it happen in a relaxed environment to have the best chances for those amazing moments to suddenly occur. Those moments can't be forced, as it just turns into an awkward group improv session if you try.
It would have been far wiser to put Vin Diesel in the DM chair, and the Nerdist crew as the players. That would have given Diesel the opportunity to observe the players actions and styles, see their strengths and weaknesses, and exploit those to both challenge them and play off of to best effect. As a 'special guest' player, one usually hangs back a bit, feeling out the other players and the DM to see what their overall playstyle is (some go full on RP, while others are more game mechanics-oriented, etc). As a guest, you don't know what the acceptable limits are, and if you're not careful, can end up being an irritating ham dominating the game. In the role of a DM, Diesel would have the authority to steer the game's direction without stepping on anybody's toes. In many ways it's not unlike how a director guides an ensemble cast for an improvised performance - find out what elicits the best result, and lead them in that direction.
From what I've heard of his D&D style combined with what he values about story and character, he would most likely make a damn good DM - fair in judgement of game reality, a preference for a 'serious fun' style, exploit the consequences of player's actions to enrich the overall story, and able to call BS on silliness while knowing when to let things get goofy.
posted by chambers at 4:40 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yo soy Groot
Pitch Black is such a cool way to introduce that character, and I really liked the second film (I mean, Dame Judi Dench as an air elemental?) with the constant stream of sci fi ideas it throws out. Any verdicts on the more recent one?
There were a couple of, if I remember correctly, really rather impressively well made games which were again sort of overlooked.
posted by lucidium at 5:31 PM on March 13, 2016
Pitch Black is such a cool way to introduce that character, and I really liked the second film (I mean, Dame Judi Dench as an air elemental?) with the constant stream of sci fi ideas it throws out. Any verdicts on the more recent one?
There were a couple of, if I remember correctly, really rather impressively well made games which were again sort of overlooked.
posted by lucidium at 5:31 PM on March 13, 2016
Well, I went and found the 2013 Riddick film and it's actually really fun so far. Riddick as a character is kinda Gary Stu, but if anyone can sell that it's Vin Diesel.
posted by lucidium at 7:27 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by lucidium at 7:27 PM on March 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Pitch Black is such a cool way to introduce that character, and I really liked the second film (I mean, Dame Judi Dench as an air elemental?) with the constant stream of sci fi ideas it throws out. Any verdicts on the more recent one?
It's a deliberate attempt to recapture the magic of the first film, and it mostly fails at that. It does, however, have Vin's most ridiculous kill scene, perhaps the most ridiculous kill scene in any film he's ever done.
posted by Beholder at 7:34 PM on March 13, 2016
It's a deliberate attempt to recapture the magic of the first film, and it mostly fails at that. It does, however, have Vin's most ridiculous kill scene, perhaps the most ridiculous kill scene in any film he's ever done.
posted by Beholder at 7:34 PM on March 13, 2016
I hate Chronicles of Riddick, a lot, but Riddick is better, although it has... issues. Serious issues.
posted by Mezentian at 3:35 AM on March 14, 2016
posted by Mezentian at 3:35 AM on March 14, 2016
Yeah, that went a bit strange. I like how the trailers I've seen genuinely didn't spoil most of the film though, and I enjoyed Formulaic Space Dog.
posted by lucidium at 8:45 AM on March 14, 2016
posted by lucidium at 8:45 AM on March 14, 2016
Vin Diesel as Shadow from American Gods is a pretty good fit. I'm only now realising that the image I have in my head of Shadow is of that ridiculously good looking prisoner meme that did the rounds a few years ago...
posted by trif at 7:25 AM on March 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by trif at 7:25 AM on March 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
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When I ask my High School drama students to write and perform a monologue, we look at this film first. It really helps kids get a sense of an actor's work, and the possibility of an actor's range before they become a celebrity (and perhaps get locked down into a lucrative caricature of some version of themselves - see also Will Ferrell).
Anyway, even if now he's just peddling an idea of realness, at least it's a good idea. If the kool-aid works ...
posted by kneecapped at 4:26 PM on March 12, 2016 [6 favorites]