This thred was inspired by having just caught Alan Quartermain and the city of gold on TV. It is such a bad movie, as I’m sure anybody who has ever seen it will agree with.
But this thread is about James Earl Jones. I think he is a great actor, and would love to see him get a good role everyonce in a while. And I know you have to pay the bills and all dude, but Jesus Christ, how many roles this bad can you choose. 90% of his fame is from the voice of Vadar, and the rest from field of dreams. Can’t somebody give him a script worth his ability, and can’t he show a little discretion in roles?
Anthony Hopkins is another guy I love, and end up suffereing through really stupid movies just to watch him.
Sean Connery is another one. His acting is no where near as good as the other too, but in a good role he is fun to watch. But he takes so many horrible, unwatchable roles.
Jones was an incredible presence in Dr. Strangelove…
…okay, maybe not, but I’m sure most people who saw this film for the first time in recent years said “Hey, it’s James Earl Jones!”
I second Keanu Reeves. I don’t think he’s much of an actor, but he has been in some films that I enjoyed; unfortunately, I think I enjoyed the films despite him and not because of him (although he was great in the Bill and Ted films, perhaps because he wasn’t actually acting ).
Okay, maybe that was a cheap shot, but some people would probably say that “I don’t think he’s much of an actor” is an understatement. I would like to see this guy prove people wrong and actually show that he deserves the high paying roles he gets.
Another actor who I never became a big fan of is Kevin Bacon. He’s obviously been in a lot of good films like Animal House, A Few Good Men and Apollo 13, but whenever I think of Kevin Bacon I think of (shudder) Footloose.
I think one actor who I have yet to be disappointed in as a supporting actor is Ed Harris. He’s done so many movies and different roles and never have I found him in the lead role. But he has to take the step and get a lead role I suppose.
I try to respect Meg Ryan despite all the roles she holds which… don’t… really… test her abilities. I know that’s not the necessary truth but she doesn’t exactly seem to reach out for new roles.
Just today I read about Bruce Willis and how he picks roles which will test him and make him be something new or be someone new, that’s an awesome belief to make your role choices by - if it’s true or if it is just fodder to feed the press. But being Bruce Willis I doubt it’s just smoke, he doesn’t strike me as that kind of guy. And he has had a good bit of variety in his movies…
OK, I’ve done my share of the mocking. The calling of Mr. Reeves Ke-anus. But, the thing is – he is dedicated to his craft. If you read his interviews, he loves the art of acting, and puts lots of thought into the roles he chooses. It’s a damn shame that he can’t get the “Dude!” out of his voice.
Plus, he’s the only actor working today that has CLASSIC leading-man good looks, apart from Brad “I Stole my DNA from Robert Redford” Pitt.
Speaking of Pitt, I didn’t really respect him until I realized that he’s a character actor with leading-man good looks. Look at “12 Monkeys” and “Fight Club” – total character work. Plus, he gets to poke Jennifer Aniston every night.
Oddly enough, I didn’t think much of Tom Cruise until I saw “Mission: Impossible”. I have no idea why, especially after “Born on the 4th of July”.
There are 2 Bruce Willisi (I assume that Willisi is the plural of Willis). There’s ACTION MOVIE Bruce, and then there’s “Moonlighting”/“Pulp Fiction” Bruce. He can act – just give him a role he can run with.
I’ll second Anthony Hopkins. I don’t really mind the bad movies he’s in, ‘cause he always ends up the best part, as his performance usually turn out well. Two examples: Nixon. A lot of people agree that it’s a tediously long movie, but Hopkins’ performance as Richard Nixon was excellent. Same thing with Amistad, with Hopkins as former President John Quincy Adams.
Ever seen James Earl Jones in A Family Thing? That’s a great movie.
I don’t watch all of Keanu Reeves’ movies, but I love A Walk in the Clouds and Hardball. For these two movie alone, he has my respect. I just avoid watching movies of his that I feel I am destined not to like. (Though I did like Speed and a few others, but not enough to own the DVDs.)
I have found that almost anything with Burt Lancaster will be good. OK, scratch that. Almost anything. I think some of his stinker projects are harder to find, while the good stuff is easily rentable. Just saw The Seven Days in May. Great movie. I also liked Valdez is Coming, even though it is a violent '70s Western. Didn’t think I’d like it, but I did. And then there’s John Frankenheimer’s The Train and Birdman of Alcatraz. Damn. Good movies. I guess collaborating with John Frankenheimer was a good thing for Lancaster.
I’m having a hard time knowing what to expect from Tom Berenger. Here is the guy who did Platoon, Rustler’s Rhapsody (great movie, in a weird, hilarious way), Last of the Dogmen, At Play in the Fields of the Lord and many more movies that I really love, but he’s also done some really stinky BAD B-movies, especially lately. Tom, Tom, what’s the deal here? I know you’ve put on some weight recently, but still, I don’t get it! Come on!
Well, James Earl Jones has done some schlocky movies, mostly for the money, but his best work has been on the stage. He was a wonderful Othello (opposite a BRILLIANT Christopher Plummer as Iago), and he was awesome in August Wilson’s “Fences.”
I never saw him do “The Great White Hope” on stage, but his film performance was remarkable.
As a postscript, I won’t excuse ALL the bad roles in ALL the dumb films Jones has appeared in, but bear in mind- as tough as it is for ANY actor to make a living, it’s even harder for black actors. Good roles don’t come along that often for anyone, and they’re ever RARER for black actors. So, if Jones has to do a lot of commercial voiceovers or the occasional “Conan” movie to pay the bills until something worthy of his talent comes along, I don’t hold that against him.
Let’s face it - to star in million dollar projects, you have to have some kind of acting ability. We might see Keanu Reeves and think that he stinks, as compared to Robert De Niro. But compare him with any actor on a day-time soap, and realize there are hundreds of actors working, who are a lot - A LOT - worse.
Also, it surely depends on the screenplay and the directing. As noted, Bruce Willis has made some very good performances. Most noteworthy is 12 Monkeys (IMHO). The same could be said for a number of actors. De Niro gets script, suited for his acting style and connected to the credability he created for himself in the 70’s. But frankly, what has he done lately that’s so remarkable? Same goes for Streep and a bunch of others, who are claimed to be great actors.
Of the ones working steadily now - two impress me more than opthers: Nicole Kidman and John Goodman. Kidman is beleivable in any part she plays and the variety is great. For those who don’t beleive me, check out Birthday Girl. I know a lot of people here despise her. Maybe for being married to Stupid Cruise, maybe for her looks. I don’t know. I just think she’s very, very accomplished.
Few film makers have used the full range of John Goodman. But geez, he has a range few others have. To be so truly evil, as he is in Barton Fink… The Cohen Brothers frequently use him, and always, always with good results. To bad he gets parts, where he’s supposed to be the jovial sidekick to the hero.
William Forsythe - I liked him a lot in Once Upon a Time in America, Raising Arizona and Waterdance, but he’s taken a lot of questionable roles in between.
Forest Whitaker - I forgave his appearance in Bloodsport after seeing his performance in Crying Game. I still haven’t forgiven his appearance in Battlefield Earth.
Frank Langella - Owns many of his roles, but often takes roles he shouldn’t. And besides, he has made it difficult to think of Dominique Swain without convulsing.
Eddie Murphy - I couldn’t stand most of his movies in the 1980s, but I thought he had great timing in Bowfinger, Mulan and Shrek.
Woody Harrelson - I liked his character on Cheers, but hated all of his movie work when he was “discovered”: Natural Born Killers, Indecent Proposal, White Men, etc. But then he was great again in Kingpin and then in EDtv.
Dan Hedaya - Speaking of Cheers, Nick Tortelli has turned in some great performances and some not-so-great performances.
Reese Witherspoon. Every generation of American actors has to go through a phase of making “tits & zits” comedies (like the Brat Pack did), before a few of them emerge as serious actors. I thought RW was in this catagory, but then she made “Legally Blonde.” I’d hoped she’d alternate this with a serious role, but instead she made “Sweet Home Alabama.” Next up now is a sequel to “Legally Blonde.” I know these crowd-pleasers are great for the money and popular recognition, but I think she’s squandering her talents. Watching Christina Ricci take dares in “Pumpkin,” and “The Opposite of Sex,” I’m always reminded of what Reese Witherspoon is not doing.
Amazingly talented, and almost always funny. But c’mon… Addams Family Reunion? Earth 2? Family Affair? He’s practically got “will act for food” written on his forehead. poor guy.
I don’t know if I’m the only one in the whole world, but I seem to be, and maybe I’m just not getting it, but I think Brad Pitt is one of the worst actors out there. I find him absolutely unwatchable, and yet because he continues to get such good roles and remain so loveable by so many I’ve really really tried to see his talent. But I just don’t get it. He never seems natural in anything. He always seems like someone trying too hard. Please if he really has talent, someone tell me what I’m not seeing.
I’ve read an amazing amount of vitriol re Kidman, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Anniston. It seems that good looking actresses, making lots of money, are to be despised. In the same way Di Caprio or Keanu Reeves are.
Speaking of American Psycho, Christian Bale: You’ve got the skills, you’ve got the looks, and you’re wasting time on Reign of Fire?
Jet Li is also majorly underperforming. He needs to stop hanging out with DMX and get himself in a good picture, one that lets him actually fight instead of forcing the editor to do all the tricks.
OK…Anniston is vacuous but harmless. And I Like Julia Roberts. But I have always, Always disliked Kidman. I don’t think her acting is believable, I don’t see growth from movie to movie (beyond from her being too old to be in BMX Bandits 2 now). She is the same Shallow Cold Bitch in every movie I have ever seen her in. Personally, I find she rates high in the top 5 of “Actresses in Hollywood You’d be Afraid to Sleep With Cause You Know Damn Well There’s A Knife Under Her Mattress To Castrate You When She’s Through” poll.
She’s one of those actresses that women seem to gush over as beautiful while most guys are left asking “You’re joking, right?”
Look, this has Nothing to do with the Cruise-meister either; I didn’t like her long before she dug his gold.
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