quote:

ericg75 posted:

Even though I wasn't a fan of the film, Pitt was awesome in "Snatch".

In enjoyed both the movie Snatch (2000) for its distinctive directorial and cinematic style (the ability just to keep up with what was going on as well as the tie-in of the various subplots revealed talent of the director) as well as Brad Pitt's performance which is among the most endearingly odd character in recent years that goes to demonstrate the extended acting abilities of Mr. Pitt.

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Edward Nygma posted:
I don't know, for me there are only 2 good Brad Pitt performances: Fight Club and Twelve Monkeys.

I have to disagree with you on Brad Pitt. Of the twenty-nine of so films that Brad Pitt has been in several other performances seem to stand out for his unique, non-stereotyped contribution to the film:

Meet Joe Black (1998) where he plays death, in what I consider to be one of his best distinguisable roles.

Spy Game (2001) where in plays a spy and while his role isn't dramatically different from other roles, in this role he has an opportunity to play a serious and quite riveting performance of pain and exhausting and helpless defeat.

I can accept that a majority of his roles have been popular, mainstream roles in traditional movies that are produced for entertainment and I won't condemn Mr. Pitt for that. The balance between seasoned performances and the more blockbuster, profitable movie is never an easy one. I enjoy watching Brad Pitt in all of his movies regardless of stereotyping and knowing that Mr. Pitt has demonstrated from the number of quality movies he has performed that he can should he decide to be the actor's actor.

Another one to add -- if he's not already mentioned -- is the absolutely atrocious Rock Hudson. He rivals Robert Taylor and Richard Egan as one of the most wooden actors of all time.

I just watched John Sturges' clunky ICE STATION ZEBRA from '68 and Rock was Rock. Absolutely no range at all. He always played Rock, using the same limited expression in every film.

I gotta call ya on the Rock Hudson post. In Giant, he gave one of the best performances of the '50s, playing a young, unthinking, sexist-racist cattleman who gradually evolves into a very well-rounded older man who strongly cares for his family, no matter what race becomes part of it. He was also a great farceur in movies such as Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back.

I’d like to fan the embers on a couple of nuggets here. Are they still glowing?


Quote: Another one to add -- if he's not already mentioned -- is the absolutely atrocious Rock Hudson. He rivals Robert Taylor and Richard Egan as one of the most wooden actors of all time. — ChrisFromAstoria Know-It-All

Quote: I gotta call ya on the Rock Hudson post. In Giant, he gave one of the best performances of the '50s, playing a young, unthinking, sexist-racist cattleman who gradually evolves into a very well-rounded older man who strongly cares for his family, no matter what race becomes part of it. He was also a great farceur in movies such as Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back. — mark f "Forum Moderator" Super Bad-Ass JedI



This may be a little off-course, but I totally agree with both of the previous comments, ChrisFromAstoria, that Rock Hudson has always been rather difficult to watch for the very fact of his (obviously) ‘wooden’ demeanor.

However, Hollywood sold Rock as a ‘hunk’ and attached his personae to some fine-looking women; consequently, as a young girl, I fell in love with one of the most beautiful men I‘d ever seen and could forgive his stilted deportment whatever the role…forget that, at the time, I didn’t even know what ‘stilted’ and ‘deportment’ meant! Yet, this was the wistful perception that influenced my appreciation of every one of Rock Hudson’s films.

And, though I’m honestly not homophobic (‘some of my best friends are gay!’), going back to watch any of his films…for the nth time, by the way…is like driving drunk: I’m still under the influence of his intoxicating good looks; however, my vision is dangerously impaired by the hard knowledge of his true sexual identity. (Perhaps the ‘naughty truth’ is the very reason for his stilted on-screen demeanor, considering the heterosexual ‘front‘ that Hollywood pursued…and prevailing mores demanded…in marketing him.)

Nevertheless, there are definitely moments…and more…when I can set aside my loathing of Hollywood’s publicity games and forgive it’s abetting the devastation of a naïve young girl’s innocent fantasy to consider the man as actor-unfettered and acknowledge that Rock Hudson did, indeed, possess the ability to effect an admirable character portrayal. (Might the fact of his ‘naughty truth’ also be the reason his heterosexually-oriented character portrayals can be commended. Patronizing bull? I don’t think so.)

Devoid of extraneous scrutiny, I can honestly say, mark f, that I, too, genuinely enjoyed both Rock Hudson and Doris Day in Pillow Talk. Their sarcastic phone banter and Hudson’s unabashed masquerade in an effort to bed Day through deception are (still) hilarious. However! Giant is much too long a movie to venture a re-run. Uhh…maybe later.

Enough said.

Except that I am compelled to (re-)submit the name of Keanu Reeves as Hollywood’s most deadpan, lifeless, stilted, enigmatic, wooden, worst actor of all time…although I am looking forward to seeing his latest release, The Lake House…so there!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Marmie,

no actor in the history of hollywood played himself more than john wayne,catch the duke in ANYTHING other than a western or a war movie and you've got a problem.

My fave Duke Wayne flick is The Quiet Man. Yeah, it's got plenty of fights and even some horses, but it's not a western nor a war film.

Giovanni Ribisi and Juliette Lewis somehow always manage to bring this retarded dimension to their characters with the exception of Heaven and Aurora Borelis respectively.

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ZaHybrid Posted 18 December 2006 04:36 AM Hide Post

Giovanni Ribisi and Juliette Lewis somehow always manage to bring this retarded dimension to their characters with the exception of Heaven and Aurora Borelis respectively.

I quite understand your observation regarding Ribisi and I have found it to be a pretty damning one for Ribisi. Fortunately, there is hope if his one role that I saw in Flight of the Phoenix (2004) portends his ability to create a different persona.

Anthony Perkins will always be typecast as Norman Bates. I can't take him seriously. Every time I see I think of PSYCHO.

Tobey Maguire is one of those actors that just seems to fall into the same characters over and over again. After seeing The Cider House Rules, I thought he was a really good actor. However, after comparing that movie with Pleasantville and the Spiderman series… I see the same croaky-voiced, good-hearted character who looks like he’s going to fall asleep at any given moment. ;-)

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Brad Dourif! He always plays a weird, creepy guy. No matter what movie he is in, he just brings this nastiness to every role. It's not a bad thing, though. He may only play a creep but, he damn well plays a good one! Jeff Goldblum is also another one. He always seems like he's making the dialoge up in his head. Also, this doesn't make him a bad actor but he just always plays the same type.

Nicholas Cage
Keanu Reeves
Bruce Willis(lately he has been the depressed man who turns out to be a hero)

Al Pacino in his movies is just "What if Al Pacino....."

That's why he's one of my favorite actors: Al Pacino rules as Al Pacino!

Arnolad Swartzanger