The Actors' Canon - A Game!

Post by **BlueChair** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 11:11 pm

Okay.. here's a new game. Pick an actor or actress, and then pick the five films that you think they are at their best in.

I'll start with Jack Nicholson.

1. The Shining
2. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
3. Chinatown
4. Batman
5. About Schmidt

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 11:28 pm

Bill Murray

1. Lost in Translation
2. Ghostbusters
3. The Royal Tenenbaums
4. Groundhog Day
5. Little Shop of Horrors

Even if #5 was a small part, I thought he was hilarious

Post by **BlueChair** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 11:30 pm

What!? No Rushmore?

I totally agree with you on Little Shop Of Horrors though

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 11:35 pm

I considered that, but I couldn't leave out any of the others!

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 8:08 am

Steve Buscemi-

1. Ghost World
2. The Big Lebowski
3. Reservoir Dogs
4. Living In Oblivion
5. Trees Lounge

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 8:34 am

Meryl Streep
1. Plenty
2. Heartburn
3. Deerhunter
4. The Hours
5. Adaptation

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 3:18 pm

Marlon Brando. There's several Brando movies I haven't seen, but none of those include ones more well known than the last two.

On The Waterfront
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Godfather
One Eyed Jacks
Mutiny On The Bounty

notable mentions: Apocalypse Now, Last Tango In Paris, The Wild One.

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 3:43 pm

I was just watching Last Tango a couple of days ago, Bamboo.

For my turn, I'll take John Cusack:

Say Anything
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
High Fidelity
Better Off Dead
Being John Malkovich

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 4:09 pm

Spooky, I will be watching it again soon, it's been a while and I'd like to re-evaluate it because I couldn't quite see why it was as highly lauded as it was. Another good one I just remembered was Desiree, in which he plays a pompous Napoleon.

Can anyone recommend any other good Brando movies? I collect them.

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 4:15 pm

Well, Bamboo, it was late and DrSpooky was out of town, but I must confess to having fallen asleep just before the ending of Last Tango. Don't tell me, I'll make myself watch it again.

I like to watch movies over again every so often. As I change personally, I find my perspective and opinions on movies also change. I may hate a movie the first time I watch it, but really understand it and love it a few years later.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 4:19 pm

Peter Sellers...

1 - Dr Strangelove
2 - The Pink Panther (any)
3 - The Ladykillers
4 - Being there
5 - I'm alright jack

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:00 pm

These things are started to spur debate, correct?

Chair -

I'd have to have Five Easy Pieces and The Last Detail on my Jack Nicholson list. I'd take off The Shining and either Batman or About Schmidt.

Shoes -

I have to agree with your boyfriend about Rushmore. I'd include What About Bob? and Kingpin in lieu of Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters.

El Vez -

I'd have to include Fargo. Although I liked his part in Ghost World, the film left me empty - and a lot of his character was kind of taken from Crumb.

Not a big Streep fan - but gotta give her an honorable mention for Defending Your Life. Likewise an honorable mention for Brando in The Freshman.

I saw The Sure Thing at the drive-in and I think it was the first time I noticed Cusack and for sentimental reasons I'd have it on my list. I really really liked Grosse Pointe Blank (it was probably The English Beat on the soundtrack) and would throw that one on as well. I'm not as adamant about these choices as the ones from Nicholson, Murray and Buscemi.

Finally, I guess I'd want to include The Mouse That Roared on my Sellers list. I'm not sure shich one I'd take off.

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:02 pm

Dustin Hoffman -

1. Midnight Cowboy
2. Straight Time
3. The Graduate
4. Marathon Man
5. Little Big Man

the tough ones for me to leave off - Straw Dogs and All The President's Men. Wasn't that tough for me to leave off Rain Man and Tootsie.

Tim(e) · Post by **Tim(e)** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:32 pm

Ok, seeing as how everyone seems to be choosing males and caucasians, I offer the following in cotrast:

Gong Li in:

Raise the Red Lantern
Red Sorghum
Farewell My Concubine
The Emperor and the Assassin
To Live

Toshiro Mifune in:

The Seven Samurai
High and Low
Rashomon
Throne of Blood
Stray Dog

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:32 pm

Boy With A Problem wrote:Shoes -

I have to agree with your boyfriend about Rushmore. I'd include What About Bob? and Kingpin in lieu of Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters.

Yeah yeah, so Rushmore I'll concede on, but I couldn't possibly take off Groundhog Day or Ghostbusters! They're CLASSIC Bill Murray Roles!

Elfslut · Post by **Elfslut** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:38 pm

Johnny Depp

1. Pirates of the Carribean
2. Sleepy Hollow
3. Chocolat
4. Once Upon a Time in Mexico
5. Edward Scissorhands

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:40 pm

What, no Ed Wood!?!?!??!?!?!

Elfslut · Post by **Elfslut** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:45 pm

The problem with Johnny Depp is that I love all of his movies are great..

I left off From Hell too..and Blow...

Both great films that I love...

I'm hoping he gets the lead role in Willy Wonka..or as I think Burton's going to call it..

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (after the book)

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:56 pm

I don't know why I can only think of comic actors tonight...

Gene Wilder...

1 - Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory
2 - Blazing Saddles
3 - Young Frankenstein
4 - The Producers
5 - Stir Crazy

Who's gonna do an EC filmography? Ive only seen him in Spice World

pip_52 · Post by **pip_52** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 7:04 pm

Elvis Costello

1. Straight To Hell (for the brilliant "death scene")
2. 200 Cigarettes (for his "walk by" part)
3. Austin Powers (for those sideburns!)
4. Prison Song (2 roles in 1 movie, he's got range, see)
5. Americathon (cause it was his acting debut)

Too bad I dont think Ive seen Spice World. Am I missing an important part of the EC filmography?

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 7:07 pm

Not in the slightest...he plays a smiling barman in one scene.

That's it.

pip_52 · Post by **pip_52** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 7:09 pm

That would probably make it to #6 then . . .

And I think maybe it should be "brilliant" death scene, not brilliant "death scene." I havent decided yet . . .

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 9:01 pm

Crow - What about Silver Streak ?

Elfslut - What about Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas?

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 10:22 pm

I'll avoid going over everyone else's comments, except that I agree that Ed Wood was one J. Depp's best -- and a real step forward for him.

Also to Tim(e). Gong Li rules! She also rocks. Generally, let's just say that Gong Li both rocks and rules.

I'm a big fan of the character actors, those go-to people who can always be depended upon to bring up the level of whatever scenes there in, so I'm going to choose one from the present day and one from the decent past.

For the present, I'd be tempted to go with Joan Cusack, only I can't think of five movies I've seen her in...(loved her burning down the office in Grosse Point; stunning work in "In and Out"; and she took what could have been an ordinary or silly part in "School of Rock" and really made it sing, as it were)

So, instead I'll go with the always amazing Phillip Seymour Hoffman. This guy can pretty much spin dross into gold. John C. Reilly is another candidate, but we'llgo with Hoffman.

1. The Talented Mr. Ripley
2. Red Dragon (an ordinary movie; an ordinary part that he makes extraordinary)
3. Hard Eight -- I've played craps with THIS guy, hated this guy. And he was this guy. Just one scene, but Jesus.
4. Punch Drunk Love...hard to describe if you haven't seen it....
5. Magnolia -- really nice people are hard to play well (again, I wasn't even particularly fond of this movie)

Honorable mention: Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski and probably something I forgot.

From the great past of cinema...well, so many. But Claude Reins is a personal favorite....

1. Casablanca as "Louie" - the world's suavest, nicest serial sexual harrasser. Never has a scumbasket been so lovable! Look at how he delivers lines like "I'm just a POOR corrupt official."

2. Notorious -- this time, he's the world's sweetest Nazi! Actually, a MUCH nicer guy than Cary Grant, if you leave out the Nazi-spy-trying-to-build-a-nuclear-bomb thing.

3. Lawrence of Arabia -- once again the master cynic, once again, the voice of a kind of semi-twisted reason

4. Now Voyager. It would have been unethical, but I think Bette Davis should decide to marry her shrink, if she knows what's good for her.

5. The Adventures of Robin Hood -- a more conventional villian as Prince John, but still, at least he's not a dupe like Sir Guy of Gisborne....

I'm leaving out the "The Invisible Man" because it didn't make all that big an impression on me, though I really need to see it again; and "Mr. Skeffington", because I've never seen it!

Elfslut · Post by **Elfslut** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 11:11 pm

I like all of Johnny's films...

I left out Benny and Joon that was hilarious....What's Eating Gilbert Grape...(another fantastic film)...Don Juan DeMarco..

Can't pick just one...or 5 it seems

Wait..best Tim Burton films with cameo's by his then girlfriend Lisa Marie

1. Mars Attacks
2. Ed Wood
3. Sleepy Hollow
4. Planet of the Apes

Drat she didn't do five..that's sad.