Overacting aka big ol' hams

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Even in a reasonably calm performance like in 'Heat', he can't quite stop the ham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXij1xlhJsI

I think there might be a deleted scene that shows it, or maybe it was just how he decided to play it, but I believe Pacino's character is meant to be a cokehead.

edit: new PAGE ASS!

[greenman]

Scarface is a pretty obvious turning point towards hoo-ha acting.

Devils Advocate vs Angel Heart was a pretty good comparison of Bobby staying a bit more subtle for longer until be decided to jack in serious acting in the late 90's.

[Kelvin]

Scarface is a pretty obvious turning point towards hoo-ha acting.

I thought that seemed much too early, but checking Wikipedia, you're absolutely right. Looking at his filmography, what really stands out is that the pre-hooha phase is now absolutely dwarved by the hooha. Although I haven't seen them all, there's only about 10 films before Scarface, and 50+ after it.   

[Gulftastic]

It's such a shame. When you see him the first two Godfather films, he's amazing.

Saying that, he can still do it. I thought he deserved an Oscar nod for Donnie Brasco.

[Fr.Bigley]

I always thought Walken was hammy but watching him generally I think he's just one of life's perfect weirdos.

[Gulftastic]

I always thought Walken was hammy but watching him generally I think he's just one of life's perfect weirdos.

I think impressions of Walken tend to be a lot hammier than the man himself. Understandble, I suppose.

[greenman]

The best Walken roles though I think tend to have a mix of ham and subtly, a hint of desperation behind the over pronouncing bravado.

[kalowski]

The best Walken roles though I think tend to have a mix of ham and subtly, a hint of desperation behind the over pronouncing bravado.

I know he's #cancelled but Kevin Spacey doing Walken's Star Wars audition is delightful. "Fast. Ship. You've never heard of. The Millennium Falcon?"

Edit: got the line completely wrong.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I think there might be a deleted scene that shows it, or maybe it was just how he decided to play it, but I believe Pacino's character is meant to be a cokehead.

edit: new PAGE ASS!

Weirdly, Mann cut the "ferocious aren't I?" line after "heard she has a great ass" for the 2009 bluray release, to focus more on Azaria's reaction.

[chveik]

The best Walken roles though I think tend to have a mix of ham and subtly, a hint of desperation behind the over pronouncing bravado.

well said. The King of the New York is the perfect example of this (especially that scene where he asks his goons why they haven't visited him in prison)

tried to watch the last Soderbergh film and Oldman had a weird german accent. fuck off gary

[non capisco]

Pacino's descent into ham was all worth it for the CaB thread about him wanting to buy some football team or other and someone tagging it it 'Hoo-ha ya? Hoo-ha ya?'.

[imitationleather]

Pacino's descent into ham was all worth it for the CaB thread about him wanting to buy some football team or other and someone tagging it it 'Hoo-ha ya? Hoo-ha ya?'.

Hahaha.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Pacino's sudden descent into hoo-ha ham really is bizarre, isn't it? As has been pointed out by several impressionists, Coogan and Brydon included, '70s Pacino had quite a high, nasal voice. His actual voice, presumably. But from the '80s onwards he started talking in this low, gruff, husky way, which was obviously a conscious decision. Nuts.

[greenman]

well said. The King of the New York is the perfect example of this (especially that scene where he asks his goons why they haven't visited him in prison

Its why I think Walken faired much better than Pacino from the 80's onwards as the kind of Godfather/Sepico like subtle drama roles dried up. Walken from early on was giving performances like Deer Hunter, alot of mannerisms but with some more realistic depth behind them.

King of Newyork for me is a much better film than Scarface, both have the over the top crime element to them but Newyork you get the sense the lead character has a kind of doomed decedent ennui around him rather than just being a cartoonish gangster who meets his end in the same fashion.

[An tSaoi]

'70s Pacino had quite a high, nasal voice. His actual voice, presumably. But from the '80s onwards he started talking in this low, gruff, husky way, which was obviously a conscious decision. Nuts.

I don't know if it's entirely a conscious decision. He was (and maybe still is) a very heavy smoker. They wanted to bring him back for a Scarface video game in 2006, and while he let them use his likeness, he didn't do the voice acting. Apparently he had tired to sound like his 1983 self, and just couldn't do it, so he personally chose a different actor to mimic him.

[Icehaven]

I mostly enjoy Tom Hardy in every sense of the word but he can really overdo it sometimes. His Heathcliff in that TV version of Wuthering Heights was enough to give you diabetes.

[Mister Six]

Clogged arteries, surely?

[AsparagusTrevor]

Stanfield in 'Leon' is kind of weird (he's basically playing a Nolan Batman villain a decade prior to Nolan's Batman flicks) and throws the whole film off balance like Hopkins did in SoTL
rolling and emitting disturbing noises like a rhino giving birth.

I genuinely have no idea whether his character is supposed to be English or American in that film.

[jobotic]

I watched the end of The Godfather the other night. I've never seen it. Pacino fine in his moody way, but why does Brando do that? It's not just the voice - it's all very hammy.

[Shaky]

I honestly think his Jor-el in Superman is more involving and grounded than Don Corleone.

[TheBrownBottle]

I've always enjoyed the bigness of OG ham Peter Ustinov.  I tingle.  Also does the rolled 'r' that all classic British hams must do.

Willem Defoe is my favourite alive & licking ham.  When he goes full ham it is a beautiful thing to behold.  Boondock Saints is probably the indie pick for this, but his big-budget films are just as likely to be ham-packed.

Least favourite current ham who I don't think has been mentioned yet is Tom Cruise.  I just can't watch him.  Permanently grinning but the cunt can't smile with his eyes.  Every time I've seen him he seems to be playing blokes who would love the smell of their own farts. 

[TheBrownBottle]

I watched the end of The Godfather the other night. I've never seen it. Pacino fine in his moody way, but why does Brando do that? It's not just the voice - it's all very hammy.

I always felt he was the worst part of the film; I tend not to voice that as many seem to instinctively think it's contrarian.  It's a pantomime performance in a naturalistic (though stylised) film.  Having said that, James Caan chews a fair bit of scenery.

[greenman]

Pantomime pronounced in a Walken fashion.

I do think Brando is perfect at the end of Apoc Now although rather more nuanced there as well.

[Menu]

I watched the end of The Godfather the other night. I've never seen it. Pacino fine in his moody way, but why does Brando do that? It's not just the voice - it's all very hammy.

Would have been interesting if it had been Orson Welles, who really wanted the part. Another great HAM of course but he was always a magnetic presence on film.