Mel Gibson
Harrison Ford
Robert Deniro
Edward Norton
[quote]AZMojo wrote:
Limo Driver wrote:
AZMojo wrote:
Bruce Willis? He couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag. I like that you mentioned Buscemi. I neglected him and he’s one of the greatest actors alive. Depp is also amazing. Good call. The rest of your best portion is pretty agreeable. I’m prone to disagree on “Ken” Norton. Ed is a very good actor, pretty much every performance by him is thorough, and when given a good movie to work within, he’s a force to be reckoned with. As far as worst, Keanu is awful, but nothing compared to Paul Walker. That guy sucks. Lots of really bad actors make a ton of money, it’s rather disturbing. Adam Sandler is not a truly fair call. He’s tons better than someone like Paul Walker. He might not be super-talented, but he usually plays the character pretty well despite the slapstick and whatnot, and also his performance in Punch Drunk Love is by no means bad. Not at all. Not to say he’s a very good actor, but listing him among the worst is really dumb. Also, Tim Roth is a great actor of the last 20 years. He’s really good. And Liam Neeson. And many others but those are two who I forgot.
My bad on the “Ken” Norton thing. I’ve been a boxing fan forever, so it’s kind of automatic. I do agree that he’s a good actor, just not as good as everybody seems to think. A great actor shouldn’t have to depend on the quality of a movie or role to give a great performance. The others on my list are great, even in shitty movies(Although Bruce Willis has been pretty shitty in shitty movies. Okay you’ve convinced me, I take him off my list.)
Let’s agree to disagree on Sandler. I thought his performance in Punch Drunk Love was terrible, moping is not acting.
I do agree with you about Paul Walker, but I was trying to avoid the typical hollywood pretty boys that everybody knows can’t act. Those guys are kind of a given.
For similar reasons, I didn’t include the likes of Johhny Knoxville.[/quote]
While I see what you’re getting at with Norton, have you seen Primal Fear? It’s not a very good movie, but his performance is stellar. Many would say it saved the film. But most actors do depend on the quality of the movie for their performance. If the movie is written poorly and their character doesn’t have much room for dynamic change and all that stuff, even the best actor won’t awe you. Perhaps that’s not true, because Brando and Olivier are pretty much always amazing, but everyone below them I guess.
[quote]Limo Driver wrote:
I don’t believe I saw anyone mention Tom Hanks. Shame on all of you. Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Daniel Day Lewis, Denzel, Nic Cage, Ed Norton, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Russell Crowe, Duvall, Kingsley, and more are my list toppers for the past 20 years.[/quote]
Yeah. I think Tom Hanks is pretty damn impressive too. He’s very versatile. From Forrest Drunk to an alcoholic manager in A League of Their Own to Big to Cast Away he’s done some great work.
[quote]Limo Driver wrote:
AZMojo wrote:
Limo Driver wrote:
AZMojo wrote:
While I see what you’re getting at with Norton, have you seen Primal Fear? It’s not a very good movie, but his performance is stellar. Many would say it saved the film. But most actors do depend on the quality of the movie for their performance. If the movie is written poorly and their character doesn’t have much room for dynamic change and all that stuff, even the best actor won’t awe you. Perhaps that’s not true, because Brando and Olivier are pretty much always amazing, but everyone below them I guess.[/quote]
I mentioned Primal Fear in my original post. It was a great rookie performance and led to lots of recognition and respect. However, it seems that all of his roles post-American History X have been the same type of character. He needs to get away from playing those roles and move on to something more challenging. Much like early Pacino, he shows great promise and range. Hopefully he blossoms. But, it won’t happen if he keeps playing the same character. He’ll be just another Tom Cruise(without the box-office clout).
Ed Norton: Given 10 more years I think he will prove himself to be the best of our generation.
SIDE NOTE: Greatest Movie scene ever??
True Romance → Chritopher Walken & Dennis Hopper Trailer scene.
Also, in my opinion the greatest movie of my generation. Tarantino has two in my top five [Pulp Fiction being the other].
[quote]jsbrook wrote:
Limo Driver wrote:
Yeah. I think Tom Hanks is pretty damn impressive too. He’s very versatile. From Forrest Drunk to an alcoholic manager in A League of Their Own to Big to Cast Away he’s done some great work.[/quote]
Yeah, more like Cast Away 3 hours of my life. What a crappy movie.
I dont usually rag, but Nicolas Cage a good actor? It hurts my head to think about. Him and Keanu are monotone brothers.
The one I didn’t think of that is underrated is Jack Nicholson. How could I forget him? Batman was Batman because he was the joker. That’s why it will always be the best of the series.
[quote]Limo Driver wrote:
PGA200X wrote:
More Honorable Mentions:
Kevin Spacey
Bill Murray
River Phoenix (Died before his prime too!)
Tim Robbins
Billy Bob Thornton
More Underrated Mentions:
Marlon Waynes (Watch, Requiem for a Dream)
Will Smith (Showed his diversity in Ali)
I like your taste. I haven’t seen Wayans be worth his weight in piss though. Smith did well in Ali but he’s pretty shitty otherwise. But I like the River Phoenix, he was a very good actor. So is his bro.[/quote]
Yah, too bad about River Phoenix, very good actor & his brother is doing great work as well!
I don’t think I’ve seen Eddie Murphy’s name yet?!?!? Coming To America & I could go on & on with all the great roles he’s played.
my top four would be…presuming they are part of that new generation cos i think that is one of the stipulations…
Brad Pitt: IMO the most versatile actor, has the most “range” of any actor on the scene and from what i’ve heard isn’t one of those greedy fucks demanding $20 mill per pic.
Edward Norton: Good range as well and that part in Primal Fear when he reveals to Richard “Gerbal” Gere he had been faking the whole time, classic.
Christian Bale: Empire of the Sun, American Psycho, The Machinist, Batman Begins…what a resume
Matthew Mcconaughey: maybe a one hit wonder but, A Time to Kill, pretty impactive
as for just damn good…
Val Kilmer ( Doc Holiday, Tombstone)
John Malcovich: suprised no one mentioned him
Probably most underrated: William H. Macy
eddie needs to make a good movie fast, or todays kids will grow up knowing him only as the voice of a talking donkey
Oh yes, Joaquin Phoenix and Val Kilmer too…
1 Morgan Freeman
2 Denzel Washington
3 Jeffrey Wright
4 Samuel Jackson
5 Angela Bassett
Honorable Mention
Laurence Fishburne,John Vioght,Robin Williams,Alfre Woodard…etc
Shouldn’t most of the credit these actors are receiving go to the individuals writing these movies? I mean while Tom Hanks did, I’m sorry, IS Forrest Gump there was undoubtedbly someone behind the scenes, i.e. director, saying “Hey man could you say this line like this?” I’m probably wrong though so here’s my list (in no particular order)…
- Forrest Whitaker
- Ray Liotta
- Don Cheadle
- Anthony Hopkins
- Kevin Spacey
- Michael Chiklis - well…at least he kicks ass as Vic Mackey ;).
- Gene Hackman
Left some out who were already mentioned or are not coming to mind. And what’s with all the Keanu bashing? I think he can act (Devil’s Advocate)…I think he left a bad taste in people’s mouth with Bill and Ted - which kicked major ass by the way.
[quote]Tank53 wrote:
I dont usually rag, but Nicolas Cage a good actor? It hurts my head to think about. Him and Keanu are monotone brothers.[/quote]
Cage was great as a comedic actor. In action and drama, he’s not as bad as Keanu; more like Travolta, only more annoying.
And, someone mentioned Alec Baldwin. Has he ever played a character that was not smug? Granted, he’s pretty believable playing smug, as are most Baldwins.
Albert Finney is another great character actor that has yet to be mentioned.
[quote]bumpy wrote:
Honorable Mention
Laurence Fishburne,John Vioght,Robin Williams,Alfre Woodard…etc[/quote]
Robin Williams is actually a fairly decent actor. Unfortunately, in most of his movies instead of acting he does his irritating stand up routine. Whenever I see the director in an interview saying “We just let Robin loose”, or something like that, I know the movie will be a disappointment.
[quote]En Sabah Nur wrote:
Left some out who were already mentioned or are not coming to mind. And what’s with all the Keanu bashing? I think he can act (Devil’s Advocate)…I think he left a bad taste in people’s mouth with Bill and Ted - which kicked major ass by the way.
[/quote]
Keanu in Bill and Ted
‘Woah’
Keanu is Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey
‘Woah, we’re dead dude’
Keanu in Much Ado About Nothing
‘Woah, I’m like doing Shakespeare’
Keanu In Devil’s Advocate
‘Woah, it’s the devil’
Keanu in the Matrix
‘Woah, I know Kung Fu’
Keanu in Constantine
‘Woah, it’s like the devil again dude, but like… A different devil from the last film I made with a devil in it. Bogus’
Gotta hand it to him. That guy has range.
Much as I love Bill and Ted I would say the only time I’ve ever seen him do something approximate acting was in that Sam Raimi film The Gift as the crazy fella.
Surely any talk of that man being a fine actor as opposed to being a big movie star is incomprehensible.
Also re the Tom Hanks thing - He tends to play ‘everyman’ parts which by their nature are more subtle and do not rely on grand histrionics. I’m not personally a massive fan but he is a very good, if unspectacular actor.
Again, he wouldn’t be anywhere near a list of the top four if you were talking acting ability rather than movie star status - Philedelphia I guess is probably his standout film - Thought Gump was overrated.
Morgan Freeman has made a couple of good films and a couple of great ones but he has also made a lot of utter crap. Including, funnily enough, Chain Reaction, which I believe starred Keanu ‘woah I’m a scientist in this one’ Reeves.
He has a great voice and great presence but when has he EVER stretched himself? Nope, he started late in Driving Miss Lazy, peaked around Shawshank/Se7en and has been happily phoning it in for a paycheck ever since. Good luck to him but that to me says not good enough for inclusion in a top 4 of the last 20 years.
[quote]larryb wrote:
Tank53 wrote:
I dont usually rag, but Nicolas Cage a good actor? It hurts my head to think about. Him and Keanu are monotone brothers.
Cage was great as a comedic actor. In action and drama, he’s not as bad as Keanu; more like Travolta, only more annoying.
And, someone mentioned Alec Baldwin. Has he ever played a character that was not smug? Granted, he’s pretty believable playing smug, as are most Baldwins.
Albert Finney is another great character actor that has yet to be mentioned.
[/quote]
Nic Cage was a truly great actor that seemed to give it all up for a life of making Jerry Bruckheimer produced action dross.
Watch Birdy, Wild At Heart and Leaving Las Vegas so see how talented he is/was. And then… I was subjected to National Treasure on a transatlantic flight recently and seriously gave thought to acting suspiciously just so an undercover marshall would shoot me and make all the pain go away.
[quote]chinadoll wrote:
RAY LIOTA.
Most underrated Great actor in history.
[/quote]
I agree. Perhaps not the most underrated, but certainly underrated. You can’t see Revolver and say with a straight face that he can’t act.
Also:
Christian Bale - The Machinist, American Psycho
Daniel Day Lewis - Gangs of New York
Jim Carrey - Eternal Sunshine
Matt Damon - Mr. Ripley, Good Will Hunting
Honorarable mention:
Tom Cruise - Outstanding work in Magnolia
Ron Jeremy.
- He’s such a good actor he makes everybody else look good.
- When you see him you stop what you’re doing.
Thats right, christ I cant believe I forgot about Carrey and Wittaker. Carrey gets blasted because of his deep physical comedy roots but he was great in Eternal Sunshine and the Truman Show. Forest Wittaker is an amazing actor. He’s only a spot man nowadays (never was really a lead) but he plays his part to perfection. He played a great young hustler in The Color of Money.
P.S. Hanks was great in A League of Their Own.
[quote]Damici wrote:
PGA200X wrote:
Damici wrote:
Russell Crowe (might be an asshole, but
He’s terribly overrated. He’s as monotone as it gets almost Keanu monotone. Let me know when he has a facial expression other than “constapated.”
[/quote]
OK So I got to say something about Crowe. If you have never seen Romper Stomper, go watch it, and if at the end you still think Russell is monotone, well then maybe you should stick with talking about airline mags.
'nuff said for now.