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Actors oo aint good

Started by The Duck Man, October 25, 2010, 10:28:30 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Jemble Fred

Roth is very good in The Common Pursuit, playing a role originated on stage by Rik Mayall. I'd like to have seen Rik's performance, mind...

Treguard of Dunshelm

Quote from: non capisco on October 26, 2010, 11:56:02 PM
I quite liked the bit in the nuclear village towards the start, it seemed like they were semi-successfully bringing the character into the 1950s. Then Shia La fuckingBeouf shows up in his 'Wild Ones' hat. The whole thing's arguably no worse than Temple Of Doom though.

Yeah, it's hardly an amazing work of cinematography but it's decent enough, LeBeouf aside.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

The Temple Of Doom is fucking miles better! You can stick that opinion arsewards.

Artemis

Bruce Boxleitner almost stopped Babylon 5 from being brilliant with his awful hammy acting. The dialogue given to him was pretty dire as well. He was always promising something was about to happen and "hell" was always "five minutes behind it". You could have made a great drinking game out of the frequency of those lines.

Quote from: Pedro_Bear on October 26, 2010, 09:23:51 PM
And Keanu Reeves is a bro.[nb]

The more us s/a/d lusers found out about his life during the sadkeanu.jpg meme, the more and more we concluded that he was a total bro. He was totally charming in replying personally to the lunatic emails we flooded him with, too. Very self depricating and he displayed a very keen sense of humour, picking up on in-jokes at his expense and rolling with them. He has very good taste in anime, to boot.

I really didn't rate him as an actor, even in Constantine were I thought he really courageously tried to embody that character as best he could and the film wasn't that bad, and I like Hellblazer. But seeing him in Thumbsucker changed my opinion of him completely, he's naturally an incredibly capable, if limited, comedy actor and it's baffling to me that Judd Apatow or someone hasn't stuck him in something.

BJB

Zooey Deschanel (have I spelt that last name right?) is quite pretty, but her acting is fucking horrendous. That same monotone, ironic, "Look how quirky I am" character/voice. Same goes for Joseph Gorden Levvit on that note.

SavageHedgehog

Quote from: BJB on October 27, 2010, 06:45:22 PM
Zooey Deschanel (have I spelt that last name right?) is quite pretty, but her acting is fucking horrendous. That same monotone, ironic, "Look how quirky I am" character/voice.

I imagine you'll get quite a lot of dissent on that one, but not from me, she always gives the impression she could barely be bothered to show up that day.

I think Keanu Reeves was genuinely good in Parenthood (a film I otherwise disliked), but mostly his career seems to have survived so long on the strength of stumbling across the a film half the world falls in love with once in a while (Bill and Ted, Speed, The Matrix). I quite like him personally, but being an action fan I have a high tolerance for lackluster actors who get by on presence or charisma or easy going charm.

El Unicornio, mang

Definitely think Spacey is overrated in American Beauty, totally robbed the Oscar from Russell Crowe who should have won for The Insider. One film I think Spacey is kind of different in is Glengarry Glen Ross, he's not his usual dry, deadpan self, but is kind of a wimpy little office manager, barely competent at his job.

El Unicornio, mang

Quote from: Pepotamo1985 on October 27, 2010, 11:18:11 AM


As I mentioned in a thread in Comedy Chat, I'm in a constant state of amazement that Tim Roth has a career at all, he's painfully rubbish in everything I've seen him in (I'd go as far as to say he ruins Reservoir Dogs for me, as the film almost entirely consists of him screeching in a terrible American accent, covered in blood, but I don't really like that film anyway). Has he ever done anything good?

Made In Britain, Meantime, Youth Without Youth are a few films I think he's good in. I like him in the two Tarantino flicks too, don't think his American accent is too bad (and US audiences thought he was an American actor so it can't be that bad).

Doomy Dwyer

Quote from: Pepotamo1985 on October 27, 2010, 11:18:11 AM

Tim Roth.....Has he ever done anything good?

I love 'Reservoir Dogs' but Roth's accent is piss poor. I've been in denial about that for years but can no longer live a lie. He's pretty good in Pulp Fiction, playing a Brit out of his depth, funnily enough. As El Unicornio says 'Made in Britain'. He's very good in that. And 'Rosencranz and Guildenstern', although it's been years since I've seen it. Him and Gary Oldman, Tom Stoppard play. Good stuff as I recall.

kidsick5000

Quote from: BJB on October 27, 2010, 06:45:22 PM
Zooey Deschanel (have I spelt that last name right?) is quite pretty, but her acting is fucking horrendous. That same monotone, ironic, "Look how quirky I am" character/voice. Same goes for Joseph Gorden Levvit on that note.

I'll start a club with you for the first one.
But then I'll fight you on the second. I reckon JG-L is one of the more capable actors today, and probably going to (or at least I hope so) go stellar soon. I feel I could almost guarantee he's going to get one of those physical/character transforming, Oscar bothering roles soon.

BJB

Quote from: kidsick5000 on October 27, 2010, 07:57:08 PM
I'll start a club with you for the first one.
But then I'll fight you on the second. I reckon JG-L is one of the more capable actors today, and probably going to (or at least I hope so) go stellar soon. I feel I could almost guarantee he's going to get one of those physical/character transforming, Oscar bothering roles soon.

Maybe its because I hated absolutely everything about the film 500 Days Of Summer that I lumped him in there. But I couldn't help but dislike him in Brick, and I was really hoping he'd be brilliant in Inception. It was better then I thought, but still not enough to make me like him.

non capisco

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on October 27, 2010, 03:32:05 PM
The Temple Of Doom is fucking miles better! You can stick that opinion arsewards.

It's the weakest of the original three though, with Indy being saddled with two irksome foils all the way through and the tone being all over the shop. Watching it directly after the sheer perfection of Raiders it feels like an interesting misfire, which is how I felt about Crystal Skull more or less. I can watch Raiders and to a lesser extent Last Crusade all the way through with no complaint but there's bits of Temple Of Doom that really get on my tits, mainly whenever Willie Scott is just going "oh my gaaaad oh my gaaad oh my gaaaad". You really miss Marion Ravenwood giving Indy a run for his money, and Short Round can fucking do one, frankly. To be fair I've only seen Crystal Skull the once and perhaps I was willing myself to like it more than it deserved.

Temple Of Doom does have a great opening sequence, I'll give it that.

phantom_power

watch the lookout for some great joseph gordon-levitt acting. and he got great plaudits for mysterious skin, though i haven't seen it. also check out his seminal turn in gi joe: rise of the cobra.

i think dechanel plays a perfectly adequate pixie dream girl and is cute as a button to boot so she gets a pass. she and him are good as well.

neveragain

James Bolam in everything after the Likely Lads.

gmoney

I thought he was quite a good Harold Shipman. Nearly ruined the Likely Lads for me for a bit though.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

QuoteI felt about Crystal Skull more or less. I can watch Raiders and to a lesser extent Last Crusade all the way through with no complaint but there's bits of Temple Of Doom that really get on my tits, mainly whenever Willie Scott is just going "oh my gaaaad oh my gaaad oh my gaaaad". You really miss Marion Ravenwood giving Indy a run for his money, and Short Round can fucking do one, frankly

Temple of Doom is just gloriously gloriously entertaining. And Willie is obviously hamming up the squeamish diva thing to the nth degree. What I found interesting about her is how physically unattractive she is, without having any particular feature wrong with her. Anyway, moving on, I love Short Round so you can bog off.

I think in the original trilogy it gives a wonderful sense of both variety and balance to them as a set of films.

Crystal Skull has very little of any of the elements of the original. It's poorly directed, poorly structured, full of meaningless shots, full of crappy cgi that take you further away from the drama rather than closer (especially the end, where the giant tornado thing is packaged with about as much threat or danger as a Mars Bar). And while it's hammy fun like Temple Of Doom, it's nowhere near linear enough to get away with it.

What happened to Short Round after the events of TOD?

Ignatius_S

Quote from: neveragain on October 28, 2010, 03:04:10 PM
James Bolam in everything after the Likely Lads.
Erm, well he was rather good in When The Boat Comes In. Also, his performance as the pimp in Stella Does Tricks is astounding and chilling.

Although Second Thoughts on TV wasn't much cop, it was a very decent radio show and he was very good. Alan Plater's The Beiderbecke Trilogy might not be to everyone's tastes, but like many, I thought it was cracking - great performances from the two leads and an ace supporting cast.

I think the complaint most people have about Bolam is his choice of work, personally I think he's always good value for money.


Ignatius_S

Quote from: Maybe Im Doing It Wrong on October 28, 2010, 04:49:43 PM
What happened to Short Round after the events of TOD?
He appeared as Data in a little known film The Goonies - more recently, he's been on the other side on the camera.

Jemble Fred

As for the character, he rounded up a few of the surviving Temple kids, and put them to work for himself. He was finally lynched by an outraged crowd in 1959.

I meant the character. It's a bit worrying he's not in either of the subsequent films.

Cerys

Or Raiders, which is set after Temple.

Oh yes. Of course it is. I get the impression Indy killed him when he reached puberty.

Cerys

Nah, he just turned evil.  He'll show up in the next film as a nemesis.

Serge

Quote from: neveragain on October 28, 2010, 03:04:10 PMJames Bolam in everything after the Likely Lads.

Ignatius_S has already beaten me to mentioning 'The Beiderbecke Affair' (plus its sequels), and I have a soft spot for 'Only When I Laugh', in which he played a variation on Terry Collier, to be sure. I don't think he's a bad actor, but he has appeared in some bad stuff, such as the justly forgotten sitcom 'Room At The Bottom', or the ill-advised TV version of Andy Capp. I didn't see 'Shipman', but I remember him being excellent as Harold Wilson in a play a few years back. And my niece loves 'Grandpa In My Pocket'.

Quote from: gmoney on October 28, 2010, 04:39:17 PMNearly ruined the Likely Lads for me for a bit though.

I think the phrase I'm looking for is, 'wat'.

CaledonianGonzo

Didn't Bolam play Touchstone in a TV version of As You Like It?  I remeber him being quite good in that...

Ignatius_S

Quote from: Serge on October 29, 2010, 12:29:44 AM
Ignatius_S has already beaten me to mentioning 'The Beiderbecke Affair' (plus its sequels), and I have a soft spot for 'Only When I Laugh', in which he played a variation on Terry Collier, to be sure. I don't think he's a bad actor, but he has appeared in some bad stuff, such as the justly forgotten sitcom 'Room At The Bottom', or the ill-advised TV version of Andy Capp. I didn't see 'Shipman', but I remember him being excellent as Harold Wilson in a play a few years back. And my niece loves 'Grandpa In My Pocket'.

I think the phrase I'm looking for is, 'wat'.
I know I've already mentioned it, but Bolam is extraordinary in Stella Does Tricks – Shaun Williamson pops up in the film as well and I could never see Barry in the same light after that.

Personally, I think he's a terrific actor – and I think the opening scene of I'll Never Forget Whatshername in Whatever Happened to... pays testament to this. It's often said that it's tricky for an actor when they're supposed to be talking on the phone and for the first couple of minutes or so, the show is just Bolam doing this and brilliantly. In that series, there are times when the two leads muff a line, but Bolam's recovery was always better.

I've only seen a couple of episodes (if that) of When The Boat Comes In, but have been meaning to get it sometime as it's meant to have stood the test of time and was a role that established – or perhaps confirmed - Bolam as one of the best actors on television.

As we both say, it's the work, not his ability that lets him down.

I'm rather fond of Only When I Laugh – you're right, it's a variation of Collier. I've wondered if he was written for him as the star as Bolam certainly dominates it.

Good call about the Room At The Bottom  – I like both the leads, but I don't think I managed to put up with all the episodes. A more recent example of him in a poor sitcom was Pay and Display – which I actually deliberately avoided.

Have to confess, I actually enjoyed Andy Capp.

But do you remember Father Matthew's Daughter?:

QuoteFather Matthew (James Bolam) suddenly finds himself the guardian of eight-year-old Holly (Samantha Hurst).
He arranges for the girl to stay with the sister of his curate, Father Charlie (Ray Winstone).
The girl is initially a troubled, unhappy child, but Father Matthew is determined to change her into a normal, happy girl again.
http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/daughter/index.html

Ignatius_S

Quote from: CaledonianGonzo on October 29, 2010, 09:55:56 AM
Didn't Bolam play Touchstone in a TV version of As You Like It?  I remeber him being quite good in that...
Hadn't heard of that, but you're quite right - thanks for the tip!

Serge

Quote from: Ignatius_S on October 29, 2010, 03:13:34 PMI'm rather fond of Only When I Laugh – you're right, it's a variation of Collier. I've wondered if he was written for him as the star as Bolam certainly dominates it.

Allegedly, Alan Plater said that Trevor Chaplin in the 'Beiderbecke's had those initials for a reason...