And to think I had respect for you three. 
Actually, jarbaby’s point is well taken. I don’t recall particularly disliking Kevin Kline in that movie, so his Stantonhood probably stands. To be honest, it was mostly the score that had me frothing at the mouth and yearning to commit horrible crimes.
John Cusack is my HDS. Not much range, but he’s always lovable. And his habit of casting his sister Joan in all his movies would annoy me if I didn’t think she was brilliant.
But sadly, there was Batman Forever. Although Tommy Lee Jones was better than pretty much all of his cast-mates in that movie, I still think he could have done way better.
John Cusack and Kevin Kline are both good choices, but I think I’ll nominate John Malkovich just to be different.
And Suo Na suggested Janeane Garofalo to me, since there haven’t been many women mentioned, but when we checked the IMDB to be sure we found such things as Titan A.E. and Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, so she’s out.
There’s also William H. Macy; let’s hope Jurassic Park III doesn’t knock him out of contention.
But…but…but…I liked “Up Periscope”…
cringe
adam yax, a friend of mine loaned me that book once, so now I can’t see the name “Harry Dean Stanton” without thinking of it.
What about Alec Guinness? If he’s ever made a true howling-at-the moon stinker, I have yet to see it. Maybe this is because he took more stage than movie roles?
John Cusack and Ed Norton, for actors that are still alive. Either one of them being in a movie is enough for me to watch it at least once. They may each have some clunkers in their careers, but I’ve not seen them if they do.
In the dead actor category, Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Even if the movie stinks I always enjoy watching them.
Humphrey Bogart?
Have you seen The Return of Dr X ? Of course that was before The Maltese Falcon.
One more word on Bruce Willis: Moonlighting. Sure, it’s not a movie, but damn, folks, that’s gotta count against him somehow.
My HDS would probably be Harrison Ford, Sean Connery or John Cussack. Sure, they’ve made stinkers, but I’ll check something out based on their involvement alone.
Check that: add DeNiro and Pacino (except for that one w/ Keanu <shiver>)
John Wayne was never in a bad movie.
And I’ll whip any of you Pilgrims’ behinds if you so much as say otherwise 
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0049092
Sir, I await you with non-bated breath. The Duke as Genghis Khan, fa chrissakes? This is also (allegedly) the movie where the cast was exposed to high levels of radiation from nuclear tests. Notable mainly for (as IMDB points out) some of the worst casting ever.
Wow. Rarely have I seen a post (outside of religious and political threads) that I disagree with more strongly.
I have never, ever, at any point other than his very brief appearance in “True Romance” seen Gary Oldman give a good performance. I can’t understand what his appeal is. His delivery is always stilted; he seems to be just a hair out of synch with the other actors in the production (and I’m eeven including Rozencranz here) and he just alwyas seems to me that he’d rather be doing anything else than appearing in his role.
I understand I’m in a definite minority here, and all comments are made solely IMHO
I am trying to see all of Harvey Keitel’s films since I “discovered” him after having seen him for years. He is such a great actor and is in such a variety of roles. He takes “what would be” risks but since he is so established they are not risks.
He is the absolute BEST!!
This is a great thread BTW.
I’ll have to second De Niro and Edward Norton on one condition- stick to drama!
No more comedies ever, promise!
Dude! That was a joke, fercryinoutloud! I love John Wayne movies, but I know he’s done his share of stinkers (especially back in the day when they had him as a singing cowboy). That’s why I attached the wink smilie on the end. Let’s move on, shall we?
Dude! I know, I just love bringing that up whenever anyone mentions the Duke as “one of tha Guureatest Amurrican actors”. I still have (apparently) no opposition to my offering of Sir Alec, BTW.
**Tom Hanks ** does the HDS thing for me. I count up 30 movies that he’s been in, from 1980’s “He Knows You’re Alone” to the upcoming “Road to Perdition.” Of the lot, my only quibble is his first one, 1989’s “Turner & Hooch” and 1990’s “Bonfire of the Vanities.” (And before you jump, yes, I did indeed like “Joe vs. The Volcano”) That gives him 27 out of 30 for a 90% good rating. That’s batting .900 in anybody’s book. Give him extra points for the fact that a full third of his movies have not just been good but outstanding:
Splash
Big
League of Their Own
Sleepless in Seattle
Philadelphia
Forrest Gump
Appolo 13
Saving Private Ryan
The Green Mile
Cast Away
And a few more points for picking roles that make you think. He could have made comedies or romantic comedies forever, but he has more sand than that.
Oh, and a few more for being solidly married and seemingly unaffected by the Hollywood nonsense.
Dang, he’s good - and would be good to have a beer with, too.
frances mcdormand?
Mandy Patinkin.
And don’t gimme any CRAP about Dick Tracy… YES, it coulda been better, but it had redeeming values.
He’s been in some stinkers. One time me and a dumb friend went to the video store, we each picked a movie. I got ‘Bad Lieutenant’. She got ‘Monkey Trouble’. Watched ‘Bad Lieutenant’ first, then we pop in ‘Monkey Trouble’ - and I discover that Keitel is in BOTH movies, as an evil monkey trainer in the second. That was weird, seeing him in a childrens flick immediately after Bad Lieutenant.
Jodie Foster comes pretty close, though Nell is pretty questionable.