Comments on: Head of the Class http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/ Development site for Bronx Banter Blog's upcoming look and feel Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:32:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: RustyJohn74 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94502 RustyJohn74 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:11:02 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94502 Hackman represents a kind of actor that just isn't around anymore...the type that was around in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I always felt he was more like Lee Marvin, Jimmy Stewart or William Holden than his contemporaries. Best Hackman roles have to be 1) Royal Tenenbaum; 2) Popeye Doyle; 3) Little Bill Daggett; 4) Lex Luther and 5) Kevin Keeley if only to see him in drag singing "We Are Family." By far my favorite Hackman scene is from the Royal Tenenbaums when he is attending Margo's play and he's sitting at the table with the turtle neck, sunglasses and cigarette and is asked what he thought of the play. "Hmmm, it didn't seem believable to me." Then turns to Eli, "Why are you wearing pajamas? Do you live here?" "Well did you at least think the characters were well developed?" "What characters? There's just a bunch of kids dressed up in little animal costumes! Sweetie, don't be mad at me. It's just one man's opinion." Hackman represents a kind of actor that just isn’t around anymore…the type that was around in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I always felt he was more like Lee Marvin, Jimmy Stewart or William Holden than his contemporaries. Best Hackman roles have to be 1) Royal Tenenbaum; 2) Popeye Doyle; 3) Little Bill Daggett; 4) Lex Luther and 5) Kevin Keeley if only to see him in drag singing “We Are Family.”

By far my favorite Hackman scene is from the Royal Tenenbaums when he is attending Margo’s play and he’s sitting at the table with the turtle neck, sunglasses and cigarette and is asked what he thought of the play. “Hmmm, it didn’t seem believable to me.” Then turns to Eli, “Why are you wearing pajamas? Do you live here?”

“Well did you at least think the characters were well developed?”

“What characters? There’s just a bunch of kids dressed up in little animal costumes! Sweetie, don’t be mad at me. It’s just one man’s opinion.”

]]> By: The Hawk http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94501 The Hawk Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:06:03 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94501 The best Superman still is those Max Fleischer cartoons, imho. Big problem with Spacey's Lex Luthor is his stupid scheme which was an homage to the stupid scheme Hackman's Luthor had. It's cool to pay your respects and all but you gotta pick your spots. The best Superman still is those Max Fleischer cartoons, imho.

Big problem with Spacey’s Lex Luthor is his stupid scheme which was an homage to the stupid scheme Hackman’s Luthor had. It’s cool to pay your respects and all but you gotta pick your spots.

]]> By: Shaun P. http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94500 Shaun P. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:29:25 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94500 [21] "but no one has claimed Lex Luthor yet." Not in any of the movie versions of Superman, perhaps - I though Hackman did a good job - but John Shea's performance as Luthor in the TV series "Lois and Clark" is, for me, the "iconic" one, even though he was only around regularly for the first season. The "portrayal" of Luthor by Clancy Brown in various animated shows since the animated Superman" of the late 90s (where Tim Daly voiced Superman) was, and is, also outstanding. Though of course voice acting is a bit different. [21] “but no one has claimed Lex Luthor yet.”

Not in any of the movie versions of Superman, perhaps – I though Hackman did a good job – but John Shea’s performance as Luthor in the TV series “Lois and Clark” is, for me, the “iconic” one, even though he was only around regularly for the first season.

The “portrayal” of Luthor by Clancy Brown in various animated shows since the animated Superman” of the late 90s (where Tim Daly voiced Superman) was, and is, also outstanding. Though of course voice acting is a bit different.

]]> By: The Hawk http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94499 The Hawk Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:10:48 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94499 Ha, it's somewhat ironic but I just noticed who's in that picture accompanying the "Dark Harbor" post. There's the best ever, hands down. Ha, it’s somewhat ironic but I just noticed who’s in that picture accompanying the “Dark Harbor” post. There’s the best ever, hands down.

]]> By: The Hawk http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94498 The Hawk Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:09:17 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94498 I'm blissfully unaware of any acting techniques so maybe that's why it works for me. Though I also think she's a magnetic on-screen presence, which isn't something I'd think you could chalk up to technique. I’m blissfully unaware of any acting techniques so maybe that’s why it works for me. Though I also think she’s a magnetic on-screen presence, which isn’t something I’d think you could chalk up to technique.

]]> By: Alex Belth http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94497 Alex Belth Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:38:16 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94497 I think Meryl Streep is the most overrated actor in the history of movies. I'm always aware that she's 'acting,' she's all technique. Like her in comedies. She is extremely talented, of course, I don't mean to dismiss her, but she leaves me cold. I think Meryl Streep is the most overrated actor in the history of movies. I’m always aware that she’s ‘acting,’ she’s all technique. Like her in comedies. She is extremely talented, of course, I don’t mean to dismiss her, but she leaves me cold.

]]> By: The Hawk http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94496 The Hawk Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:27:12 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94496 I don't really see too much range from Hackman. Of the actors mentioned, I'd say Hoffman and probably Duvall display more. I do like Gene though. I don't know why actors are divided up by gender either: Meryl Streep is by far the greatest American actor of that generation, methinks. I don’t really see too much range from Hackman. Of the actors mentioned, I’d say Hoffman and probably Duvall display more. I do like Gene though.

I don’t know why actors are divided up by gender either: Meryl Streep is by far the greatest American actor of that generation, methinks.

]]> By: Paul http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94495 Paul Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:05:18 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94495 Only movies where I haven't liked Hackman? Superman. He may have been directed to camp, but another actor could have done much better. But I didn't like Spacey as Lex Luthor either. It's weird. We've had two very good Jokers, and Ledger was fantastic, but no one has claimed Lex Luthor yet. It doesn't seem like a tough character either to pull off, but it seems he would require a more layered performance. Superman is the foreigner. Luthor is the human in the narrative. Only movies where I haven’t liked Hackman? Superman. He may have been directed to camp, but another actor could have done much better. But I didn’t like Spacey as Lex Luthor either. It’s weird. We’ve had two very good Jokers, and Ledger was fantastic, but no one has claimed Lex Luthor yet. It doesn’t seem like a tough character either to pull off, but it seems he would require a more layered performance. Superman is the foreigner. Luthor is the human in the narrative.

]]> By: Chyll Will http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94494 Chyll Will Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:15:39 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94494 [4] I didn't think Little Bill was simply a bad man as in "villain"; my thinking was here was a man who thought he was doing good by doing extreme things for the sake of order (and yet in the name of order he ironically could not build a decent house and was very sensitive to that fact); a very complex man in region where there was no time to think. There were many layers to Little Bill and Hackman does a really great job in peeling all those layers off from beginning to end, and ultimately exposing a morass of good intentions meshed and entwined with intentionally evil deeds. <blockquote> <b>LB:</b> <i>"I don't deserve this... to die like this... I was building a house!" </i> <b>WM: </b><i>"Deserve's got nothing to do with it." <b>LB:</b><i>"I'll see you in Hell, William Munny..." <b>WM:</b><i>"Yeah..."</i> ca-click..................................................... BLAM!!! </blockquote> Classic, period. Unforgiven was one of those films that you had to contemplate who was actually the good guy in the story; absolutely no one stood out as a beacon of morality or even deserving a lot of good will except William Munny's already dead wife; and how much of that was true we can only speculate. No one was clean, not even the book writer who's attention and affections jumped from English Bob to Little Bill to ultimately Will Munny. No one was innocent. The only movie that immediately jumps to my mind that reminds me of <i>Unforgiven</i>'s values and overall quality is <i>The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.</i> Damn good movies. [4] I didn’t think Little Bill was simply a bad man as in “villain”; my thinking was here was a man who thought he was doing good by doing extreme things for the sake of order (and yet in the name of order he ironically could not build a decent house and was very sensitive to that fact); a very complex man in region where there was no time to think. There were many layers to Little Bill and Hackman does a really great job in peeling all those layers off from beginning to end, and ultimately exposing a morass of good intentions meshed and entwined with intentionally evil deeds.

LB: “I don’t deserve this… to die like this… I was building a house!”
WM: “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.”
LB:“I’ll see you in Hell, William Munny…”
WM:“Yeah…” ca-click…………………………………………….. BLAM!!!

Classic, period.

Unforgiven was one of those films that you had to contemplate who was actually the good guy in the story; absolutely no one stood out as a beacon of morality or even deserving a lot of good will except William Munny’s already dead wife; and how much of that was true we can only speculate. No one was clean, not even the book writer who’s attention and affections jumped from English Bob to Little Bill to ultimately Will Munny. No one was innocent.

The only movie that immediately jumps to my mind that reminds me of Unforgiven‘s values and overall quality is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Damn good movies.

]]> By: lroibal http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94493 lroibal Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:19:53 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94493 The French Connection, Unforgiven, the Firm, Get Shorty, like Maldon who passed away last year, Hackman is a believable everyman . He seems to simultaneously convey strength and vulnerability. Thanks for that....I didn't know he was retired. Time for a lifetime achievement award? The French Connection, Unforgiven, the Firm, Get Shorty, like Maldon who passed away last year, Hackman is a believable everyman . He seems to simultaneously convey strength and vulnerability. Thanks for that….I didn’t know he was retired. Time for a lifetime achievement award?

]]> By: Alex Belth http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94492 Alex Belth Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:03:43 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94492 I don't think THE CONVERSATION is a great movie but I think it is excellent and a perfect movie for its time--the paranoid Nixon era. What I think is remarkable about Hackman's performance is that he makes his character, a deep introvert, intruiging. DeNiro had a few of those roles at the time--notably in THE LAST TYCOON, and there was nothing behind the muted exterior. With Hackman, even though his character was private, and withdrawn, you could still see his fierce intelligence working. But it wasn't forced, it was natural, like everything else Hackman does. I don’t think THE CONVERSATION is a great movie but I think it is excellent and a perfect movie for its time–the paranoid Nixon era. What I think is remarkable about Hackman’s performance is that he makes his character, a deep introvert, intruiging. DeNiro had a few of those roles at the time–notably in THE LAST TYCOON, and there was nothing behind the muted exterior. With Hackman, even though his character was private, and withdrawn, you could still see his fierce intelligence working. But it wasn’t forced, it was natural, like everything else Hackman does.

]]> By: wsporter http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94491 wsporter Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:54:28 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94491 [16] I agree about The Conversation and it's place in great if generally and sadly not well known F.F. Coppala films. Hackman has a way of not eating the scenery when he could that helps make a film terrific. What an asset a great actor like he is must be to a director; it just seems he's there to make a movie as good as possible. I'm sure he has an ego like all those great guys but it never appeared to get in the way. A role that I really admire is as the heroic "Max' in Scarecrow. He and Pacino are absolutely mind bending together in that one. Favorite and most ironic line (even with all the great ones in the French Connection) I think is from Unforgiven: "I don't deserve this, to die like this. I was building a house." [16] I agree about The Conversation and it’s place in great if generally and sadly not well known F.F. Coppala films. Hackman has a way of not eating the scenery when he could that helps make a film terrific. What an asset a great actor like he is must be to a director; it just seems he’s there to make a movie as good as possible. I’m sure he has an ego like all those great guys but it never appeared to get in the way.

A role that I really admire is as the heroic “Max’ in Scarecrow. He and Pacino are absolutely mind bending together in that one.

Favorite and most ironic line (even with all the great ones in the French Connection) I think is from Unforgiven: “I don’t deserve this, to die like this. I was building a house.”

]]> By: Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94490 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:38:12 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94490 [5] "The Conversation" is one of the great American films , and Hackman's performance is beyond stunning. One of my all-time top-10! [5] “The Conversation” is one of the great American films , and Hackman’s performance is beyond stunning. One of my all-time top-10!

]]> By: Bama Yankee http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94489 Bama Yankee Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:57:00 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94489 [12] I don't think that's the real Joran Van Der Sloot who took the Hackman photo. Looks like that picture is from a Flickr account by someone with the screen name "joran van der sloot": http://www.flickr.com/photos/totallyfn/2605454608/ I guess it possible that it's the same guy, but more likely it's just a guy who decided to go with an "infamous" screen name. FYI, that dude has a few strange and disturbing photos in his collection if you take the time to look (I wish I hadn't). [12] I don’t think that’s the real Joran Van Der Sloot who took the Hackman photo. Looks like that picture is from a Flickr account by someone with the screen name “joran van der sloot”:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/totallyfn/2605454608/
I guess it possible that it’s the same guy, but more likely it’s just a guy who decided to go with an “infamous” screen name. FYI, that dude has a few strange and disturbing photos in his collection if you take the time to look (I wish I hadn’t).

]]> By: Shaun P. http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94488 Shaun P. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:28:01 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94488 Hackman is simply awesome - very good at so many roles, when you think of him, you don't think of just one type of character. For me, Crimson Tide and the Birdcage definitely stand out, among many others. I'm more shocked that Hackman is 80 - as shocked as I was, earlier today, to find out that Bob Uecker is 75. Neither seem to be that "old", but there you are. Hackman is simply awesome – very good at so many roles, when you think of him, you don’t think of just one type of character. For me, Crimson Tide and the Birdcage definitely stand out, among many others.

I’m more shocked that Hackman is 80 – as shocked as I was, earlier today, to find out that Bob Uecker is 75. Neither seem to be that “old”, but there you are.

]]> By: Sliced Bread http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94487 Sliced Bread Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:27:51 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94487 Hackman's performance in No Way Out raised the stakes making it a bonafide political thriller. Who else could have delivered that pivotal speech to Meryl Streep in Postcards From The Edge without sounding cornball? Two cases where Hackman gave credibility to movies and scenes that could have gone horribly wrong. Hackman’s performance in No Way Out raised the stakes making it a bonafide political thriller.

Who else could have delivered that pivotal speech to Meryl Streep in Postcards From The Edge without sounding cornball?

Two cases where Hackman gave credibility to movies and scenes that could have gone horribly wrong.

]]> By: boslaw http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94486 boslaw Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:12:54 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94486 Photo credit Joran Van Der Sloot. Isn't that the kid that's accused of killing Natalie Holloway? For me, Love Hackman, Hate Jeff Bridges - I think Bridges has been horrible more often than good. For me, his list of bad performances is long: Starman Arlington Road Vanishing Blown Away Baker Boys Tucker Movies I thought he was good in: lebowski white squall Photo credit Joran Van Der Sloot. Isn’t that the kid that’s accused of killing Natalie Holloway?

For me, Love Hackman, Hate Jeff Bridges – I think Bridges has been horrible more often than good. For me, his list of bad performances is long:

Starman
Arlington Road
Vanishing
Blown Away
Baker Boys
Tucker

Movies I thought he was good in:
lebowski
white squall

]]> By: The Mick536 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94485 The Mick536 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:04:32 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94485 Okay. Mississippi Burning? "Don't leave... I was going to make expresso." Not many left from that great movie. One of my favorite scenes in all movie history, him and Peter Boyle. Hard to top it. Forgot Royal Tennenbaums, too. Okay. Mississippi Burning?

“Don’t leave… I was going to make expresso.” Not many left from that great movie. One of my favorite scenes in all movie history, him and Peter Boyle. Hard to top it.

Forgot Royal Tennenbaums, too.

]]> By: RagingTartabull http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94484 RagingTartabull Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:57:06 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94484 mentioned it the other thread, but Randy Winn to the Yanks for 1 year/$2M...I'm not so sure about this mentioned it the other thread, but Randy Winn to the Yanks for 1 year/$2M…I’m not so sure about this

]]> By: Alex Belth http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2010/01/27/the-master/#comment-94483 Alex Belth Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:55:38 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=28400#comment-94483 Dag good call. Oddly enough, All the Right Moves was based on a story by Pat Jordan. Dag good call. Oddly enough, All the Right Moves was based on a story by Pat Jordan.

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