Al Swearengen and Trixie on Deadwood. I also think Al had great non-romantic chemistry with Dan Doherty. Dan was always getting insecure about Al trusting and valuing him, and Al would reassure him in his fucked up way.
Mickey and Mallory Knox in Natural Born Killers. I never would have thought Woody Harrelson could be that hot. Whatever happened to Juliette Lewis?
Veronica and Logan on Veronica Mars. I’m watching S2 too, and despite Logan being a psycho, they have chemistry.
Buffy/Spike. Loved it.
And the ultimate blue-balls hot chemistry: Mulder and Scully from The X-Files. Too bad that was ruined in such a completely sickening way by the end of the series.
I second the vote for “Midnight Run”. Both Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin not only had great onscreen chemistry but did a beautiful job of conveying a deepening friendship. It’s one of my favourite ever films for this reason. I am always sad for a second right at the end when Jack turns back to add somethng else to The Duke after they’ve said their goodbyes but he’s already long gone…
Elsewhere, still in the realm of the bail bonds business, Robert Forster and Pam Grier are amazing in “Jackie Brown” in their scenes together, with his wary adoration of her and her more complex fondness for him.
The Larry Sanders Show had amazing chemistry in the three male leads of Arthur, Larry and Hank. Especially Arthur & Larry. I think It’s one of the reasons that the show is so funny because the characters feels so real, therefore the humour seems very natural, no matter how outlandish it might be. Sigh, I miss that show.
You do know that show just came out on DVD, right? I’m watching the first disk now with Mr. singular, and it’s really a fun trip.
Oh, and I think the chemistry of many of the characters in True Romance is palpable. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper, and surprisingly, Bronson Pinchot and Tom Sizemore were all great together.
Any movie with Richard Dryfuss and Holly Hunter is great chemistry. I was so convinced by them that actually thought they were seeing each other at one time.
Another great one: George Clooney & Laurie Metcalf in the first season of “Roseanne.”
Dick & Mary and especially Harry & Vickie (and Harry & Nina) on “3rd Rock.” Come to think of it, French Stewart is one of those odd looking guys that just smokes on the screen.
I just remembed Kevin Costner and Graham Greene in Dances With Wolves.
Graham Greene also had chemistry with the actress who played his wife, Tantoo Cardinal. I was more interested in their relationship than Costner and McDonnell’s. Not much chemistry there.
Hey, now. Iceman had great chemistry with Slider, whom he was obviously sleeping with. Just like Iceman had great chemistry with Maverick, whom he obviously wanted to sleep with. And Goose and Maverick had good chemistry, 'cause they were probably sleeping with each other or wanted to.
It was only when the chicks showed up (Goose’s wife, Kelly McGillis’ character that had the man’s name) that the chemistry went all flat.
Great chemistry -
Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon in “Bull Durham.”
Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon in “Bull Durham.”
Heck, that movie is so note-perfect, everybody in “Bull Durham.”
Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell in “Battlestar Galactica.”
Bad Chemistry -
Katee Sackhoff and Jamie Bamber in BSG.
Katee Sackhoff and Michael Trucco (Anders) in BSG.
The only one that Starbuck has any chemistry with is Admiral Adama, in my opinion.
I read somewhere that they talked on the phone everyday after their divorce, literally up until the week he died. They adored each other but couldn’t live together because of his womanizing/drinking/gambling and her being about as anti-Lucy Ricardo as you could get off-screen (hard headed no-nonsense business woman and not the least bit interested in domestic or maternal stuff [the latter from her own children, who now that she’s dead and they’ve inherited her millions make no secret of the fact they were much closer to their dad]).
This is almost a tearjerker- Robert Stack reading a letter from Desi a few days after he died when Lucy was being honored at the Kennedy Center. Even Lucy falls apart.
good:
Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs
Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy
Burt Reynolds and Sally Field in Smokey and the Bandit
Natalie Portman and Timothy Hutton in Beautiful Girls
Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman in Rushmore
Owen and Luke Wilson in Bottle Rocket and to a lesser extent the Royal Tennebaums
bad:
Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic
Ed Burns and Maxine Bahns in both The Brothers McMullen and She’s the One
Billy Zane’s an actor that I’ve never seen have chemistry with an actress. (I know there are gay rumors like there are about every actor and the occasional movie camera, but there are gay actors who play straight just fine.)
Has anyone mentioned Brando and Kim Hunter yet? (Sorry, but my connection is slow as justice today.)
