|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
In Reply to: TOMMY posted by Mart on August 14, 1999 at 12:31:37:
This brings up actors/actresses I've learned to avoid because their mear partisipation practicly guarentees an abismal failure. They each may have an exemption a piece but their entire work is mostly phoned in:
- Jean Claude Van Damm
- Merrill Streep
- Glenn Close
- Anthony Bandaras
- Brad Pitt
- Leonardo DiCaprioI would certainly remove Merrill from that list. Also, as much as I dislike Glenn, she is talented too. Has she done anything good lately, or just trash like the Airforce One?
For the last name Nigel will wash your mouth with soap and sand - get ready.
How about the Dumb and Dumber himself? I think he should head the list.
I also nominate Tom Hanks for position on that list as well - he is the Mr. Politically Correct. He shares this title with Denzel Washington.
Some might find my position hard, but really, guys, with so many great actors and so many good performances why waste time on trash? Why not set the plank pretty high and keep it there? I still have not seen every good movie ever made, and probably will not have done so for years and years, so why should I even consider the Titanic?
But there is bright spot just about everywhere. There are actors and directors every work of whom is a must see. Jack Nicholson surely belongs on my list, together with Woody Allen, Kubrick, Audrey Hepburn and many others.
When did she put out a credible performance & in what movies?I've only suffered through such dreadful tripe along the lines of Fried Green Tomatoes . I'm sorry but don't recall anything she's done at the moment. It must be selective psychosematic amnesia. She seemed compelled to walk through "chick flicks" leaving them even more bereft of substance than you thought was even possible. I started feeling sorry for the poor director who must've had to hide her vallium. She almost obliterated Hamlet just as Robards did in Julius Ceasar , but thank God she wasn't on screen long enough. It was more like a short absurd distraction like Keanu in Much Ado About Nothing .
Actually, I think it was Glenn Close who starred in Mel Gibson's Lethal "Hamlet", not Meryl Streep ("Sophie's Choice", "Deer Hunter", etc.).The actor that annoys me a lot is Kevin Costner, whose "star quality" outshines his acting ability in nearly all of his films. Charlie Sheen has even less acting ability.
I did some soul searching on subject of Meryl and I agree with Mart more and more. She certanly looks and acts intelligently (and I am a big sucker for anything intelligent), but I went through all her filmography and it is true, I didn't find one movies that I would like to keep in my collection. All those "French..." and "Bridges..." are nothing but waste of everyone's time.***The actor that annoys me a lot is Kevin Costner, whose "star quality" outshines his acting ability in nearly all of his films.
Boy, that is so true. He is very high on my list of non-entities. Right next to Harrison Ford.
***Charlie Sheen has even less acting ability
Oh yeah? And how about Richard Gere then? Can you down THIS choice?
This weekend was a disaster. My wife managed to score four lousy ones out of six. I will give her another chance, but she surely gest a warning. The best old one probably was "How Green Was my Valley" - but maybe I am still way too young for that. There was the Hoop Dreams, of which I saw some glimps and I don't generally like forcing myself - I am not big fan of any illiterate sports figures. The brightest spot was probably the Howard's End once again. This is pathetic because usually I choke on those actors and associated ambiance.
Speaking of ambiance, contrasting with the stifling "End" are such things as Dangerous Liaisons (by the way, a pretty good job by Glenn there). Full of light and airy interiors of my favorite period.
Steve, did you see Charles Bronson in the Honor Among Thieves (don't recall its French title now)? They say it was not his usual and rather good. Can't find it anywhere to rent, may have to just buy it. Amazon has the DVD for $9.
Hi, Victor
Though I hate this *genre* (biography... melodrama...),
I love this particular *movie*. And I LOVE Meryl in
this film. :)Bridges... hmm... some fine jazz in the soundtrack...
not a 100% waste of time imho.
regards, gnat
Though I hate this *genre* (biography... melodrama...),
I love this particular *movie*. And I LOVE Meryl in
this film. :)Yes, Meryl was good in the Africa.
Redford is another story altogether. Can't stand him, there is something totally phony about this Mr. Allegedly Goodlooking. I only watched all the way through the Horse Whisperer, tolerating him all along the way, because of Thomas - I like her, but need to be careful, for some reason my wife is not too keen on her...
***Bridges... hmm... some fine jazz in the soundtrack...
not a 100% waste of time imho.I probably agree some. Also, I have that soft spot for Clint from his early work.
from the late '50's horse opera "Rawhide?" Just by being in a scene he ruined "Gil Favor's" career. Gee Victor, I didn't know you were that old. Clint's in the same category as John Wayne, his screen personna is so huge it really doesn't matter what he does up there. My favorite is Outlaw Jose Wales, because the supporting cast is so good. Who would have thought to cast real Native Americans to play the Indians? I bet the Italian actors were mad about that! (like the famous Italian "Indian" who sheds the littering tear). A pretty funny film, that tries hard to be serious. Who's the guy who plays the Union officer that tracks Clint, and then lets him go? He was great! Love the resonance of his voice. But please, why didn't the commancheros kill Clint's girlfriend when they had the chance? That's the biggest flaw in the movie.
...just how old am I, since I enjoy "Good Bad & Ugly"
and "Dirty Garry"?Hell... where's my "Lawrence of Arabia"? :)
regards, gnat
... just means you don't want to remain serious 24/7 drama. But I much prefer Olivier's Shakespearian work over his modern dramas.
***Who would have thought to cast real Native Americans to play the Indians?Every person who is born on the American soil and spends his life on this continent is Native American.
You are right about Clint, but remember, my familiarity with him really started only about 20 years ago. I didn't have chance to grow up with him. I am not Native American, just a dedicated naturalized one.
I also tend to connect the actor's screen work with his personnal life behavior. Many fail this test miserably. To me the screen role always is an extension of real life personality. This is why Leonardo has no chance of capturing my heart. Clint gets pretty low passing grade in my view - which is still better than many others. I don't know if I am being a complete hypocrite, but I am very forgiving towards Jack Nicholson. He may be full of vices, but one can't deny - he enjoys life and lets others around him to do the same.
what's wrong with Clint's personal life? Is there anything else besides Sandra Locke ? Because if that's it, unfortunately, you won't find anybody in Hollywood to root for.At least he's not one of typical Hollywood lefties like Demi Moore / Rosie O'Donnell out to make the nation into a fascist regime & won't settle for anything less than a complete revoking of the "Bill of Rights" & PC straight-jacket on behavior.
***what's wrong with Clint's personal life? Is there anything else besides Sandra Locke? Because if that's it, unfortunately, you won't find anybody in Hollywood to root for.Not much there at all, as I said before I have a lot of respect for him. We all work with the information we have and according to mine he could have been a bit more "manly". This may be skewed information, for sure.
***At least he's not one of typical Hollywood lefties like Demi Moore / Rosie O'Donnell out to make the nation into a fascist regime & won't settle for anything less than a complete revoking of the "Bill of Rights" & PC straight-jacket on behavior.
5000% agreement here. I could add many more names to that list, heck, I'd rather concentrate on the list of politically smart Hollywood personalities, it is hundreds of times shorter. I don't think anybody had analyzed the Hollywood psyche better than Rush. I see little need to repent it here.
... but haven't a clue about Rush 's philosophy.He's a tad too G.O.P. for me. I'm more of a conservative.
e.g.: There's is no surplus! But since it's convoluted non-existence is perceived as fact, it's best to have a tax-cut because the D.N.C. will further expand the debt much further & ensure the demise of S.S. & medicare radically sooner by its further expansion & growing entitlements. This isn't even debatable. The Dem's freely admit it, iff ( if & only if ) you listen closely enough. However, while I agree about the Rep's increasing deductions & removing the marriage penalty provisions ( even though I'm single w/ no dependents ), the G.O.P. want an across the board income tax cut. Hello?! This isn't where the illedged surplus resides. It's in the comparitively regressive withheld wage tax & that's where the across-the-board should take place ( even though I'd probably receive slightly more by the former plan ). That would be one bill fairly pork-free.
Also, since the G.O.P. has the reputation as cutting malious programs, such as the ...
... sanctimonious Department of non-Education that insists on promoting mis-information instead of teaching children history, literature, math, science, etc.
... elitist Nation Endowment of the Autistic that also enjoys routing money from schools in order to fund people with Tourette's Syndrome.Just do it! Bypass the entire bearocracy & reroute all funds directly to the schools.
But yes, you are right.***... but haven't a clue about Rush's philosophy.
He's a tad too G.O.P. for me. I'm more of a conservative.I am not a big scholar of his, but it seems that he is constantly on the GOP's tail for not being more "true conservative" and for not standing for their beliefs - for following the polls to closely. Heck, for paying attention to polls at all! I usually completely agree with his "die by your beliefs" philosoply.
***Just do it! Bypass the entire bearocracy & reroute all funds directly to the schools.
I am always in favor of giving directly. Does that mean we should start paying directly to Clint and Jack and yes, even to Leonardo, and completely bypass Stephen and Lucas?
... funding/imagination/inspiration/perspiration/clout/etc? By all means, YES! ... Absolutely!!! ... w/o a solitary doubt.
Nicholson is very loyal and generous to his friends, which is how he got stuck making "Man Trouble" as a favor to director Bob Rafelson ("Five Easy Pieces"). The pair teamed up again in 1997 to make the considerably better "Blood and Wine". It just occurred to me that Nicholson was sort of a dog trainer in "As Good As It Gets", too. He got it right the second time.Eastwood has definitely paid his dues to the industry. I still recall his role as a lab technician with an elusive mouse in 1955's "Revenge of the Creature", mostly 'cause my lab tech bears a strong resemblance (not to the mouse). I really like what he did in "Unforgiven", turning the typical Western gunslinger hero upside down to give us the ultimate antihero (like a classic Greek tragedy). But that singing he did in "Paint Your Wagon", yikes! (and I have the vinyl OST).
Speaking of bad "singing", I am mortified that Warren Beatty wants to run for public office after doing "Bulworth". That movie made me think that Jesse Helms is really on to something worthwhile.
but I intended to convey that Glenn Close was in Hamlet . Sophie's Choice was the Fried Green Tomatoes type movie I apauled. &, I don't recall her performance in Deer Hunter , much like my sister was trying to tell me a couple years ago who George Clooney was by informing me that he was in E.R. (a show I steadily watched for years) which didn't help a lick. Not until Batman did I even notice his character on E.R.. This geek, unlike Jeff Goldblum , is enormously forgettable!
The one movie I walked out on in recent memory was "Man Trouble" starring Jack Nicholson (as a dog trainer) and Ellen Barkin. An atrocious romantic comedy, it showed me that sometimes even the best actors can't make a lousy movie better. Rent it if you dare!
***The one movie I walked out on in recent memory was "Man Trouble" starring Jack Nicholson (as a dog trainer) and Ellen Barkin. An atrocious romantic comedy, it showed me that sometimes even the best actors can't make a lousy movie better. Rent it if you dare!I shall probably take your word for it and save a buck. However, I suspect that didn't stop you from making sure you saw his next one, did it?
Yes, even the greatest ones make mistakes. Eyes Wide Shut is one such example.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: