Tuesday 3 October 2017

Alternate Best Actor 1974: Robert Mitchum in The Yakuza

Robert Mitchum did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Harry Kilmer in The Yakuza.

The Yakuza I found to be a pretty effective action/crime film about an retired American detective with connections in Japan being sent there by an old friend/businessman whose daughter has been kidnapped by a yakuza gangster, naturally things aren't as they appear.

Robert Mitchum managed to fashion a later career for himself not by attempting to hide his age but by embracing it. Mitchum was willing to play the meek schoolteacher in Ryan's Daughter and the down on his luck mobster in The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Although Mitchum gets to play perhaps a more traditionally appealing leading man here he does not attempt to position the part as something its not in fact he ensures the years past are something which define his Harry. Now from the outset though Mitchum made his breakout originally through crime noirs  and here is returning to a genre though with a twist through its setting which mostly takes place in Japan. The appeal of Mitchum's screen presence is of course quite evident, and it is perhaps only amplified by his age to be honest. Mitchum has that same ease onscreen and is naturally compelling as usual. This is not a copy of those earlier performances though by any means, as again Mitchum takes in consideration who Harry has been and where he has been. This is not a man fresh into the life of dealing with crime, he's a seasoned veteran, and Mitchum brings just the right inherent world weariness within his work for the crime world.

Although Mitchum properly keys into the losses in the life of this man, he carefully does not let that be the character's only definition. In a early scene we see Harry as he goes to see the Japanese woman Eiko and her daughter who he had saved and had an affair with long ago. Mitchum is great in this scene as he brings such a genuine warmth creating such a strong sense of the love they once shared, and which he certainly fully feels towards her. Mitchum uses these moments so well in creating a real honest tenderness within the character, that makes it all the easier to invest into his story.  There is a severe complication though is in her apparent brother Ken (Ken Takakura), who seems to hold quite the disdain for Harry, though is honor bound to help him for what he did for his sister. Mitchum is careful in also creating this history between the two men as there is a strong sense of the bitterness which Mitchum shows not within Harry himself rather he portrays it as part of this unease he exudes in their early interactions. Mitchum always emphasizes though a definite respect in the way he looks and interacts with Ken.

I'll spoilers for the rest of this review since of course while saving the kidnapped girl goes well the rest does not as soon becomes known that the kidnapping was due to an arms transaction between the yakuza and Harry's American friend which leads to Harry and Ken being the ones in the line of fire. Now in part this does lead to some premium Robert Mitchum as an aged badass, seeing him take down bad guys with a pistol and double barrel shot gun definitely has an appeal. Mitchum always is good at being "cool" in such scenes, while never compromising the intensity of them. In fact here's he's particularly good in every moment of his physical work portraying the way Harry becomes rather exasperated throughout the experience. Mitchum being just entertaining to watch is only part of his performance here as he goes much further in developing the continued relationship with Ken which becomes all the more complicated when he learns that Ken was in fact Eiko's husband not her brother. Mitchum doesn't let a moment of this slide bringing such a poignancy in his reactions to learning this information. Mitchum importantly lets this dictate their later interactions, as he does not make this a ill-fitting action duo, rather Mitchum offers a real sensitivity in portraying in every moment such a guilt and severe concern for the man in every interaction. When the battle is won by the two of them they share a final scene that Mitchum is incredible exceptional in. Mitchum brings such a power in revealing the modest yet palatable gratitude in his eyes that reveal a sadness for what he has done to the man, but also an appreciation for all his sacrifices. Even though the scene involves chopping off an appendage, Mitchum and Takakura make it heartwarming in its own way as in the brief interaction between the two they reveal a mutual understanding between the two that feels wholly earned by both performances. This is a terrific performance by Robert Mitchum as he not only offers a strong presence to keep this thriller compelling, he goes further by amplifying any substance to be found within it. 

120 comments:

Luke Higham said...

Thoughts on the rest of the cast.

Charles H said...

Takakura might get a 5 in supporting if reviewed.

Luke Higham said...

Charles: Is Jordan a possible review.

Charles H said...

Luke: I'd say he's a possible review. But Takakura is 5 material.

Matt Mustin said...

I finished season 3 of Game of Thrones and again I loved it. Once again, everyone in the cast is so good it's hard to pick a favourite, but my choice for MVP of this season might actually be Liam Cunningham, although Michelle Fairley and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau both make very strong plays for the position.

Luke Higham said...

Matt: For me, Nikolaj is #1.

Matt Mustin said...

Luke: He definitely has the strongest individual moment.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Thank you, Charles and Varun :)

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the "You never really understand a person" scene in To Kill A Mockingbird.

Calvin Law said...

Hope Takakura gets saved.

Just got to Part 6 and Harry Dean Stanton achieves so much with so little time.

Anonymous said...

Calvin: It's Harry Dean Stanton. He can have so little screentime and make that screentime that he has memorable.

Henry W said...

Are there any indie projects which you are excited to see this time of year with the NYFF around and such?

Anonymous said...

Louis: If Ironside doesn't voice Darkseid in the movie, what do you think of Keith David doing the voice?

Anonymous said...

*DCEU

Bryan L. said...

Thoughts on this 2000s cast for Sicario anyone?

Kate Macer- Charlize Theron
Alejandro Gillick- Antonio Banderas
Matt Graver- Viggo Mortensen

Anonymous said...

That's a perfect cast there, 94dfk1.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your 11-20 Al Pacino and Laurence Olivier moments.

Calvin Law said...

94dfk1: Not quite sure if Banderas could pull it off. Other two choices are great though.

Bryan L. said...

Calvin: It was either him or Andy Garcia, since they're the most prominent Latin/Hispanic actors of their age group that I can think of and would've been the right age during the mid-2000s haha.

Anonymous said...

Louis , what are your top 10 films of 2001 and 2002?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous:

http://actoroscar.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/top-tens.html

Anonymous said...

Louis: your top 20 laurence fishburne acting moments

Anonymous said...

Louis: Cast and director for a 2010s version of Blade Runner and Paris, Texas?

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: I came here to ask the exact same thing with Blade Runner haha.

Louis: Where would the interrogation scene in Lord of War rank amongst your top acting moments with Ethan Hawke and Nicolas Cage respectively? And thoughts on the scene overall?

Calvin Law said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bryan L. said...

Calvin: Not surprised to hear Abdi is wasted in the movie :/

Charles H said...

Calvin: Sucks that Blade Runner wastes it's cast.

Calvin Law said...

To be fair it's not so much wasted as this is very much a director's film. I'm going to sleep on it.

Louis Morgan said...

Also saw Blade Runner, I actually quite loved it. This should be Deakins's win I don't know if it will be though.

Armas - 4
Hoeks - 3
Wright - 2.5
Davis - 2.5
Juri - 3
James - 3
Bautista - 3.5
Leto - 4
Olmos - 3
Abdi - 3

I'll wait awhile before any thoughts on the cast since it would be have to be spoiler heavy.


I'll try to get those other thoughts soon.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Do you have a rating yet for Jennifer Lawrence in Mother!

Robert MacFarlane said...

I have my own ratings for the cast:

Gosling - 5 (My favorite performance of the year so far)
Ford - 3.5
Armas - 5
Hoeks - 4.5 (Don't know why you guys didn't like her, I thought she was genuinely scary)
Leto - 2.5 (could go lower)
Davis - 3.5
Wright - 3
Bautista - 4
Juri - 4.5 (loved her for what little she was in it)

Frankly I liked it more than the original.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Not high.

Robert:

I didn't dislike Hoeks at all, in fact I'd probably raise her to a 3.5.

I don't know why you guys hate Leto though I thought he was just the right fit for a completely self-indulgent twit.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I suppose I'm too harsh on Leto, though that character really did not work for me. But now that I think about it, there's nothing wrong with his approach. I'll raise him to a 3.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Now keep in mind, I'm not *too* big on the original outside of Hauer and the visuals. Ford's phoned-in Deckard was a big reason why. This one had the opposite factor: The protagonist was more interesting than the villains.

Psifonian said...

Genuinely don't get why people are shitting on Jared Leto. He wasn't all-time great or anything, but he was remarkably subdued and didn't play to the cheap seats like one typically would with that sort of a character/role (*cough* Eddie Redmayne in "Jupiter Ascending" *cough*). At most, you could criticize the film itself for not really doing enough with his character to truly justify his presence, but I kinda like that.

Robert MacFarlane said...

The character himself was by far my least favorite aspect of the film. Too much diabolic Nolan-lite soliloquizing for what was essentially a generic evil businessman. My initial reaction of distaste for his actual acting admittedly is a knee-jerk reaction I have to him in general (haaaaate his Oscar win). But yes, he himself was not the problem here.

Psifonian said...

Eh, I'd argue there's far more blatant proselytizing in the original film (which I recently saw on the big screen in preparation for "2049"), and Niander Wallace's God complex fits right at home in that milieu. Hell, I think if the role had been played the exact same way by David Bowie (the original choice for the part), the role would be celebrated. I think the memetic backlash against Leto has reached critical mass, and it's hard to objectively view him as an actor these days. I can understand people not liking Leto for his pretensions or for his performances (I myself am a fan of his Oscar win, although I prefer Abdi and Hill that year from the nominees), but the rabid hate he's garnered on the Internet feels so much like bullshit bandwagoning that I cannot take it seriously. I am not trying to single you out by saying that, but rather commenting on a distressing trend.

Psifonian said...

On another note, maybe it's because I've had him on my mind a lot this last month for obvious reasons, but watching the original film made me wish that Harry Dean Stanton had played Deckard.

Calvin Law said...

I just didn't think Hoeks or Leto really worked, the former more in terms of her performance, the latter I just didn't think there was all that much to his character. I'd bump Armas up though, her performance is really sticking with me.

As for the film itself...hm, still give me awhile. I'm leaning more towards positive. And I agree with Psifonian on Stanton.

Calvin Law said...

I think I'll revise my ratings to such:

Gosling: ??
Ford: 4
Armas: 4
Hoeks: ??
Leto: 3
Davis: 2.5
Wright: 2.5
Bautista: 3.5
Juri: 3.5

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the Return of Optimus Prime two-parter. (If you remember it)

Henry W said...

How would you guys compare Gosling's performance in Blade Runner 2049 to his previous performances in terms of where it ranks?

Louis Morgan said...

Giving Blade Runner more time to settle its only becoming stronger in my mind, and I'd raise Armas to a five actually, given how much she made me care about a hologram. I think what may be turning off some is that the film isn't really about the perceived main plot, it's about how Gosling's character deals with it, and that's what I loved about the film actually.

Luke:

Keith - 3(He's a decent piece of sleaze, along with the early false face of sincerity though I would say I've seen better.)

Edelman - 3(He brings a nice bit of just genuine warmth in his few scenes, and I liked his sort of bit of humor he found in portraying the guy who's just sort of there.)

Kishi - 3.5(Her role is somewhat limited though I found she effectively portrayed her specific type of chemistry with both Mitchum and Takakura. She helps to create the relationship with both of them, and the idea of the history between the two both and separately is well realized.)

Okada - (He's fine but is a more than a bit underused.)

Shigeta - 3.5(By the way he has kind of one of the underrated voices go in cinema. Shigeta though is rather effective in his role portraying the right up front coldness in a way in delivering the direct uncompromising exposition from the character. He finds the right nuance in his key moments though to allude to a real concern for her father despite certain pretenses.)

Anonymous:

More than anything it's just a great scene for Peck's performance that so beautifully realizes an important bit from the book and does so with such a reserved yet oh so powerful warmth in his delivery of Atticus's words of wisdom.

Tahmeed:

Pacino:

11. Meeting the FBI - Dog Day Afternoon
12. The Hospital - The Godfather
13. Kiss of Death - The Godfather Part II
14. Making a sale - Glengarry Glen Ross
15. Wedding - The Godfather
16. Anyone Can be Killed - The Godfather Part II
17. Birthday - The Godfather Part II
18. "Helping" shoplift - Scarecrow
19. Where's Sal want to go - Dog Day Afternoon
20. His son's overdose - Donnie Brasco

Olivier:

11. In Bed - The Entertainer
12. Wrong Costume - Rebecca
13. Court commentary - The Devil's Disciple
14. Eating diamonds - Marathon Man
15. Claudius confessing - Hamlet
16. Creating the clown caper - Sleuth
17. Cheering up the family - The Entertainer
18. Crassus and Varinia - Spartacus
19. Rejecting his wife - Wuthering Heights
20. Start of the play - Henry V

Anonymous:

Fishburne:

1. Words to Live By - Boyz N the Hood
2. Where grief shows - Mystic River
3. Murder - Deep Cover
4. His last scene - Event Horizon
5. Rage - Othello
6. Trying to pin Dave - Mystic River
7. Gun Stores at every corner - Boyz N The Hood
8. Everything starts going wrong - Event Horizon
9. Trigger finger - Apocalypse Now
10. Breakdown - Othello
11. Before the shooting - Boyz N the Hood
12. Not knowing everything - Deep Cover
13. Confronting his wife - Boyz N the Hood
14. "GET THIS MAN A GUN" - John Wick 2
15. Which pill - The Matrix
16. Clean's demise - Apocalypse Now
17. Vinnie's words - Searching for Bobby Fisher
18. Interrogation - The Matrix
19. A fight - Rumble Fish
20. "You're Show is Terrible" - The Muppets

Anonymous:

Blade Runner 2010's Directed by Denis Villeneuve (obviously)

Deckard: Ryan Gosling
Rachel: Ana de Armas
Pris: Mackenzie Davis
Leon: Dave Bautista
Gaff: Benicio Del Toro
Sebastian: Giovanni Ribisi
Tyrell: Stephen Dillane
Roy Batty: Mads Mikkelsen

Paris, Texas 2010's directed by Jeff Nichols:

Travis: Louis Herthum
Walt: Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Anne: Marion Cotillard
Jane: Elizabeth Debicki

Calvin Law said...

That's an interesting way of putting it Louis. I feel like I probably went in expecting one thing and getting another. I'll have a proper re-watch before giving my final thoughts.

Calvin Law said...

Henry: I've held off giving a rating but he is great.

Omar Franini said...

Louis: what are your thoughts on The Wonder Wheel, Roman J. Israel, Esq. trailers and the second trailer of The Killing of a Sacred Deer?

Louis Morgan said...

Omar:

The Wonder Wheel - (It looks great, visually that is, but should you expect less from Vittorio Storaro? I can't speak for the rest of though, the performances seem all a little broad, but that could easily work in context. I will say I'm glad this isn't a Old man/young woman plot at the very least. With Allen these days you never know in terms of quality, and this really wasn't much of a major indication either way.)

Roman J. Israel Esq. - (A little strange that Washington seems from a 70's period piece in a modern set film, I'm going to assume that's the point? Maybe? Washington looks like his performance could be fun, if a little much, the film though looks like a generic if not frankly bad legal thriller from the trailer even when keeping the reception out of mind.)

The Killing of A Sacred Deer - (Bizzaro thriller version of What about BOB? it seems. Eh the vibe seems mildly intriguing at times, however I lose my patience for it within the trailer itself so I'm not so sure about a feature length.)

Luke Higham said...

I'll probably wait until Sunday for Blade Runner 2049, I kinda want to watch the original again after so long.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I can tell that Gosling's going to do very well though has your opinion of him as an actor strengthened to the point where you would consider one of the very best of his generation, when you were somewhat down on him after Only God Forgives. Not that he was was bad, but his silent approach didn't work for you that time.

Henry W said...

Guys, here's a question:

Which actors do you find have the most expressive bodily features such as eyes, face etc? Do they use these features well in their work?

Calvin Law said...

A few come to mind for me:

Dana Ashbrook (good)
Nicole Kidman (can be great or terrible in the use of these features)
Max Von Sydow (such expressive eyes)

Psifonian said...

I think when talking about expressive performers who can do so much with their eyes, Marion Cotillard, Rooney Mara and Mia Kirshner have to be in top discussion for the ladies.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: The only thing I remember from Gosling in Only God Forgives is, unsurprisingly, "TAKE IT OFF!!!!".

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on Catherine Zeta-Jones as an actress.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I've seen Our Souls at Night. It's visually and technically rather unassuming which is fitting for the kind of the movie, the problem really is the extremely clichéd screenplay. It's not bad, but it's only worth-seeing for Redford's and Fonda's heartfelt performances and their terrific chemistry together.

Redford - 4
Fonda - 4
Schoenaerts - 3.5
Armitage - 2.5
Greer - 3
Dern - 2.5

Anonymous said...

Louis: your top 11-20 jeff goldblum acting moments

Louis Morgan said...

Saw Battle of the Sexes, I quite enjoyed it.

Anonymous:

Zeta-Jones I would say can have a little charm and a bit of screen presence however most of the time these are even absent. She's someone who frankly needs limited roles since in complex ones she falters with very obvious overtly mannered turns whenever she goes dramatic, even in some of her performances where she's suppose to be entertaining. Her performances just stay very much to those surface expressions which are lacking to begin with, so I have to say I'm not a fan especially since in Feud I felt she gave one of the worst performances I've seen.

Henry V:

Of all time Toshiro Mifune was the master of using every part of himself. More recently I think Emma Stone and Emma Watson are two sides of the coin, where Stone uses her very expressive face brilliantly, and Watson...does not.

Anonymous:

Goldblum:

11. Mad teleportation theory - The Fly
12. Must go faster - Jurassic Park
13. I was next - Next Stop Greenwich Village
14. Athletic - The Fly
15. Call to the editor - The Big Chill
16. Reading a Schematic - Jurassic Park
17. Bringing a dog to heel - The Life Aquatic
18. Limo dispatch - Deep Cover
19. Was that my cat? - The Grand Budapest Hotel
20. I'll keep all of this money - King of the Hill

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the film and cast.

Luke Higham said...

And do you know when you'll be able to see Stronger.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

The film itself I thought was entertaining and effective as really just a straight forward "crowd pleaser" type of film, I don't agree at all with those who said it was unfocused as I felt all the additional elements in regards to Riggs and King's private lives, as well as her fight for pay equality all naturally folded into the lead up to the match itself. It's not some masterpiece on the subject however it realizes its two central characters, as well as gives the right substance to the other side characters, and although the directors occasionally went a little too on the nose at times, for the most part they created a compelling and emotional film particularly in its climax.

Stone - 5(Her first foray into really a mannered performance so to speak though in a rather low key way as I thought she excelled in capturing the very specific physical, and most notably facial manner of King while making it feel entirely natural to her performance. This in some aspects is just primo Stone in terms of being overtly charming, but she actually tempers this properly as she always brings it through a lower key style that's fitting to a star athlete, but not quite performer. Stone brings her typical energy though which is great here, and excels particularly with the comedic moments because again she doesn't oversell, she rightfully makes them subdued to the character yet still makes use of those moments that are there, even if that is mostly left to Carell. Stone's terrific though in offering the real needed fiery passion within the character that offers the needed dramatic weight to her fight, against the purposefully lightweight antics involved with Riggs. Stone knocks her scenes particularly the ones she shares with Pullman. Stone again though never just turns King into a figurehead and in the personal life scenes I found to be extremely effective in creating the sense of King's discovery, along with a certain insecurity, but also a definite guilt when dealing with her husband. Stone finds the complexity in sort of her self-realization beautifully as Stone makes this work as a both an endearing star performance, but also a wholly successfully realization of this character.)

Louis Morgan said...

Riseborough - 3(She's good in creating a believable chemistry with Stone, but I didn't find she created a real emotional investment into the character. She does serve her purpose, but she doesn't quite go the next step unlike...)

Stowell - 4(Well color me, any color really because this was a really good performance from him. Stowell makes such a strong use of his relatively brief screentime to so effectively portray the complex relationship his character has with King. In that he puts upfront just such a strong warmth showing his love to be absolutely genuine. As King explores her sexuality though Stowell is incredibly moving actually in portraying his heartbreak over it and not overplaying his moments of slightly lashing out, rather wholly earning them making Larry so much more than just the disposable "other guy".)

Silverman - 3.5(Found her to be quite good here.She instead actually does a terrific job in presenting the right type of certain shrewdness in the method, with more of just a hint of the more genuine passion seen in Stone's performance. Silverman doesn't make it disingenuous though but rather shows very much the business mind in every moment.)

Cumming - 3(Stops just short of becoming too much of a caricature. Didn't think he was the most dynamic presence still, but his flamboyant style here certainly worked for the part.)

Shue - 3.5(Liked seeing her at all to be honest, and as a plus she made the most of her screentime I felt. In that although she's kind of mostly there for a more humorous moments, which did well with, I thought she managed to balance those moments by creating a real, properly difficult, chemistry with Carell as well.)

Pullman - 3.5(I thought he was quite a good villain here, really putting on the cocky sleaze to great effect with that smarmy smile and whole demeanor that suggested a wholly unearned sense of superiority.)

I'm not sure when I'll be able to see Stronger.

Anonymous said...

Louis what are your current winners, besides actor/supporting actor of course?

Matt Mustin said...

Wait, Austin Stowell, the guy from the boring parts of Bridge of Spies?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Picture: Blade Runner 2049
Director: Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk
Actress: Emma Stone - Battle of the Sexes
Supporting Actress: Mmmm still mulling over between Armas and Swinton.
Score: Dunkirk
Sound Editing: Dunkirk
Sound Mixing: Blade Runner 2049
Production Design: Blade Runner 2049
Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049
Editing: Dunkirk
Visual Effects: Blade Runner 2049
Costume Design: Blade Runner 2049
Makeup and Hairstyling: Blade Runner 2049
Original Screenplay: Okja
Adapted Screenplay: Blade Runner 2049

Matt:

One and the same.

Anonymous said...

Louis , how do you rank the Austin Powers films?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

International Man of Mystery
















The Spy Who Shagged Me
Goldmember

Bryan L. said...

Blade Runner 2049: I'm not a huge fan of the first one but this one is very good. Compelling story with everything working on a technical level. Expands even further on the world the first one created as well. Bit long though.

Gosling-4.5
Ford-4.5
Hoeks-3.5
Leto-4
Armas-4
Wright-3.5
Davis-3
Juri-4
Bautista-3.5
Abdi-3

Calvin Law said...

Saw Lucky. Great directorial debut by John Carroll Lynch, funny and heartbreaking and of course, you know it, what was expected to be great is even greater than expected.

Stanton: 5
Lynch: 4.5
Livingston: 3.5
Begley Jr.: 3.5
Skerritt: 4
Grant: 3.5
Darren: 4
Henley: 3.5

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Calvin: Glad to hear Stanton gave a great swan-song performance :)
Could I have your updated top 5 for Lead?

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed:

1. Stone
2. Keen
3. Kidman
4. Seo-Hyun
5. Theron

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I actually meant to ask Calvin his updated Top 5 Lead Actor line up, but thanks anyway Luke. :)

Luke Higham said...

My bad Tahmeed. I thought you meant Louis.

I could probably post his top 5 now, because I can't see Stanton not being number 1.

1. Stanton
2. Jackman
3. Renner
4. Kaluuya
5. Hawke (Maudie)

Needs a re-watch of Blade Runner 2049.

Henry W said...

Guys, what are some really solid performances outside real time TV and film (such as video games, cartoons, animated film etc). What would you rate these performances?

Luke Higham said...

Henry W: There's too many to name, though for Animated films, Tony Jay in The Hunchback Of Notre Dame who I'd give a 5 to. For Video Games, Troy Baker in The Last Of Us and Rob Wiethoff in Red Dead Redemption. With Cartoons, Mark Hamill in Batman.

Álex Marqués said...

I'm currently watching Bojack Horseman and there is some pretty great voice acting in that show, especially Will Arnett.

Calvin Law said...

Tahmeed: Luke nailed it on the head. It might be my favourite performance of his, actually. I'll have a ranking and rating for Gosling next week or so.

Alex: Arnett's voice is one of the most underrated assets in television.

Anonymous said...

Henry W:
Nolan North as Nathan Drake and Deadpool
Mark Hamill as Joker, Hobgoblin and Fire Lord Ozai
Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor
Tony Jay as Frollo
Steve Blum as Wolverine and Spike Spiegel
Fred Tatasciore as Hulk
Kevin Conroy as Batman
Grey DeLisle as Azula and Catwoman
Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime
Jensen Ackles as Red Hood/Jason Todd

Anonymous said...

Louis: So, are you saving Carell?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Henry: Justin Roiland is downright amazing in his portrayal of both of the titular characters in Rick and Morty. The massive range he shows with either is a testament to his talent.

Stefan Klein said...

Saw "It". If you are interested... Well, I'll say it anyway. I found it a complete failure. I liked the cast, the town. Didn't mind the 80ies setting. Or Skaarsgard's Pennywise. But it's not scary in the least. I remember seeing "Mama" from the same director, and that one wasn't scary either. It's interesting, the people I've talked to shared my sentiments, while most (?) of you guys seemed to really like it.
Also saw "Alien: Covenant". Outside of Fassbender, I absolutely despised it. And I didn't hate "Prometheus".
After reading your comments, I'm pumped for "Blade Runner". Actually I don't know if I like the original that much or if it's mostly about Hauer and Scott's realization of this future world which Louis described so beautifully in his review. Have a nice weekend you all!

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Is Carell Lead or Supporting.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Henry W:

Top of my head:

Robby Benson in Beauty and the Beast
Earth Kitt in The Emperor's New Groove
Tony Jay in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Allesandro Julliani in Death Note
Vic Mignogna in Fullmetal Alchemist
Troy Baker in The Last of Us and Persona 4
Mako in Avatar the Last Airbender

Anonymous said...

Henry W: Honorable mentions for really good vocal performances include Chris Ayres as Frieza and Dameon Clarke as Cell in Dragon Ball Z Kai.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: thoughts on Carl Struycken, So Strobel and Hank Worden on TP?

Robert MacFarlane said...

Louis: Is there any chance Armie Hammer can be upgraded for The Social Network?

Anonymous said...

Louis: your top 20 frances mcdormand acting moments

Matt Mustin said...

Louis, what's your ratings and thoughts on Walken, Pacino and Arkin in Stand Up Guys? I saw it not too long ago and mostly found it forgettable but not altogether terrible.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: also, Charlotte Stewart and Jane Adams.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Well Carell could be nominated so yes I'm saving him, but eh I'll admit I would be saving him at this venture anyways.

Luke:

He's lead, though if he was nominated in supporting it would not be overly egregious as category fraud goes.

Calvin:

Struycken - (He's simply fascinating in every moment he's onscreen as his otherworldly presence not only is effortlessly fascinating it is also haunting in its own way particularly in the moments where he is directly warning Cooper about the coming dread.)

Strobel - (He's downright amazing in the series, and is just another actor from the series that I struggle to understand why he didn't get more work, I mean it'd be worth it to write in that a character is missing an arm for Strobel's talent. His ability to to be both is downright amazing to be honest being so unassuming and wholly naive as the shoe salesman, then being downright chilling and endlessly compelling as Mike. His recitation of Fire Walk With Me in particular is a highlight of the entire series as he creates such a powerful demonic presence, though he alters it so brilliantly in creating some sense of a regret while still being entirely unnerving in his own way.)

Worden - (Lynch's mastery of how to use an actor is perhaps best realized here. Worden technically isn't all that much different from his work in the Searchers yet its worked through instead into this daffy and almost ethereal bell hop makes him so very fascinating and rather humorous as well. Lynch knows exactly how much to use him, and in doing so makes every moment of his oddball acting shine so perfectly.)

Stewart - (I thought she was entirely fine in the original series although she mostly there to be around Don S. Davis and be rather similair yet with less focus. She did that well however I rather love her scene in the revival where she takes up sort of his role in creating that very particular sense of sort of a pure goodness in her whole being. She brings that same type of sheer emotional optimism in her words to Bobby, similair to the Major when telling Bobby of his vision.)

Adams - (Really enjoyed her work here in just creating quite bit of character in very brief time, offering such genuine enthusiasm in her terrible jokes, while still delivering sort of the right weight when breaking down her work so to speak. Her moment though with Albert though is just about perfect and hers and Ferrer's reaction to one another is something quite special as in that moment they create such a moment of two kindred spirits finding one another.)

Robert:

Yes.

Anonymous:

Might as well wait until I see Three Billboards for those.

Matt:

Walken - 3.5(I really didn't like the film, as old guys In Bruges I thought had enough of a potential, but proceeded to waste it with terrible Viagra jokes. Thankfully he basically gets to avoid the comedic material, and we gets a poorly written rather reduced version of Ken from In Bruges from him. Walken doesn't hit those heights, the material just isn't there, but Walken does make something out what is there. He manages to create the conflict, though limited, and gives the only real substance to the film.)

Pacino - 2.5(I did like that he toned down his excesses here and he's more than decent, though certainly not great Pacino, in his dramatic moments. He though unfortunately has to deal with some of the worst comedic moments in the film and is brought down by them. He can't make them work and unfortunately they undercut his performance overall.)

Arkin - 2.5(It's Arkin, Arking it up which is too often all he's called upon to do these days. He's still manages to be somewhat enjoyable in this, but this isn't a great example of it by any means.)

Mitchell Murray said...

(Louis) Late comment but nevertheless - I find it extremely intriguing has gotten another 5, so as it stands which do you prefer between this and her utterly radiant turn in La la Land.

Also, since she's by your account the one to beat who's her greatest competitor for best actress at the moment?

Henry W said...

What do you guys think about Harvey Weinstein's whole harassment controversy that has erupted recently?

Calvin Law said...

Henry: Honestly not surprised, the industry can be a twisted place.

Henry W said...

Calvin:

Well hey, at least the controversy is crystal clear. With most of these, they always turn out to be allegations or something. Weinstein was a noted casting coucher, so he deserves the treatment he's getting now that dozens of women are revealing what he's done.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Henry: It's sad to say, but even in this (slightly) more tolerant age, it seems unlikely that someone would take the word of a young woman over that of an old, powerful white man's. It's even worse that it's apparently been an open secret for years.

Anonymous said...

Luke Higham

Henry & Tahmeed: This doesn't surprise me and I never really liked him to begin with.

I concur with Tahmeed. The BBC had a huge sex scandal not long ago where accusations were made against past and present employees. Some of them came as a shock and others were blatantly obvious. One in particular sexually assaulted more than 40 girls, even while visiting hospitals and died before he would pay for his crimes

Henry W said...

Tahmeed:

I agree wholeheartedly. That those women would feel such fear as to bottle it up for decades is disturbing.

Louis Morgan said...

Henry W:

It is a sad and frankly horrible truth to the entertainment industry, the fact that there are references to such behavior in 42nd street a film from 1933, and it continues to go to this day suggests a serious and disturbing problem that needs to be confronted.

Henry W said...

Louis:

Goodness, a film referenced it? I'll be sure to check it out to measure the depth of its depravity. Still shocks me that this has gone on for decades in the movie business.

And as a whole I'm glad that that, ahem, asshole Harvey Weinstein is getting what he deserved for ages.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Given that Weinstein is a jerk, it's no wonder why people don't like him.

Louis Morgan said...

Mitchell:

Need to time to think about which performance I prefer overall. I wouldn't quite classify her as the "one to beat" even for my own personal choice since I haven't seen the performances of Streep, Hawkins, McDormand, Ronan, Robbie, Chastain or some other potential dark horse candidate.

I will say in terms of Oscar potential she has a chance to win, it could have even been a done deal if she had not won last year, given that she has the praise, and the fact that she plays a real life inspirational figure is always a boon. Consecutive winners, though they do happen, don't happen often so I wouldn't bet on it. It also doesn't help that the film has under performed at the box office, the film probably should have been released in December in order to build their marketing on awards buzz. I would be surprised if she is not nominated though.

Luke Higham said...

Hey Guys, what's your top 5 for 2001 Supporting Actor.

1. Sean Bean - The Fellowship Of The Ring
2. Paul Bettany - A Knight's Tale
3. James Gandolfini - The Mexican
4. Ian McKellen - The Fellowship Of The Ring
5. Jude Law - A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Robert MacFarlane said...

Luke:

1. Joe Pantoliano in Memento
2. Ian McKellen in The Fellowship of the Ring
3. Paul Bettany in A Knight's Tale
4. Heath Ledger in Monster's Ball
5. Robbie Coltrane in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I've just seen Blade Runner 2049. Absolutely loved it.

Gosling - 5
Ford - 4.5
Armas - 5
Hoeks - 4.5
Leto - 3.5/4 (I've yet to decide how much I liked him but I thought his performancr worked)
Bautista - 3.5
Davis - 2.5
Wright - 2.5
Juri - 4

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the main theme of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Calvin Law said...

Saw Last Flag Flying. Really funny and heartfelt, though it's probably way too understated for the Oscars.

Cranston: 4/4.5
Carrell: 4.5
Fishburne: 4
Vazquez: 2.5
Johnson: 3.5

Charles H said...

Luke:

1. Sean Bean - The Fellowship of The Ring
2. Jude Law - A.I Artificial Intelligence
3. Tsutomu Yamazaki - Go
4, Brian Cox - L.I.E
5. James Gandolfini - The Mexican

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your Mia and Sebastian for a 70s La La Land? I'm thinking James Caan could work for the latter.

Álex Marqués said...

Robert: Pantoliano is a cool pick. He's very good in Bound and in The Sopranos as well, great character actor.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Perhaps Morricone's most iconic piece of music, although it is not my favorite even from the film, it's a one of the all time great theme tunes. You instantly think of the film from a single whistle of the reeds from the intro, as well as think of the western genre itself. The song though is more than that even with such a powerful build as it introduces the electric guitar and grand vocals, supplemented by the horns to create such a rousing introduction to the masterpiece.

94dk1:

I'd say Christopher Walken, and Diane Keaton.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: When are you posting Warren Oates' review.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your top 10 Ingrid Bergman and Alicia Vikander acting moments.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

1. Sean Bean in The Fellowship of the Ring
2. Ian McKellen in The Fellowship of the Ring
3. Paul Bettany in A Knight's Tale
4. Jude Law in A.I. Artificial Intelligence
5. Joe Pantoliano in Memento

Matt Mustin said...

Louis: What's your thoughts on the original Treehouse of Horror episode?

Calvin Law said...

Louis: thoughts on Part 11 of Twin Peaks. I've loved each and every episode thus far but this is easily my personal favourite thus far. It had absolutely everything: Wacky and strange occurences on the FBI side of things, Shelly and Bobby, Carl Rodd being awesome, weird accidents happening, Bushnell being the best boss, and the final 20 minutes or so with the Mitchum brothers in the desert (almost like a humorous Se7en), 'Mr Jackpots' and the Cherry Pie was so heartwarming.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis and everyone else: Regardless of your opinion of a song itself, what would be your top 5/10 music videos?
My own would be:

"Thriller" by Michael Jackson
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"Hurt" by Johnny Cash
"Stan" by Eminem
"Wake Me Up when September Ends" by Green Day
"Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley (no explanation needed)
"1-800-273-8255" by Logic (expected EDM trash, but it's actually more poignant than I expected)
"Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley
"Every Breath You Take" by the Police
"November Rain" by Guns and Roses
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

Calvin Law said...

Mr Brightside. Lol jk, the song is amazing, the MV not so much.

But on a serious note anything Sia does.

RatedRStar said...

I am just sat here nervously waiting for the pre screen reviews of The Snowman which will happen sometime before this Friday, with my fingers crossed hoping that it gets good reviews =D.

RatedRStar said...

I dont know if I could give a top 5 because they would be Rock or Metal and most bands have terrible videos that consist of them playing in a garage or a darkly lit room lol.

I would say Weezer and OK Go do excellent videos.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Bergman:

1. The Party - Notorious
2. Confrontation - Gaslight
3. Defending herself - Notorious
4. The Opera - Gaslight
5. Play it Sam - Casablanca
6. Being in "love" with Alex - Notorious
7. Ending - Casablanca
8. The War - The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
9. Rendezvous - Notorious
10. Car breakdown - Journey to Italy

Vikander:

1. First Interview - Ex Machina
2. Learning of the executions - A Royal Affair
3. First Error - Ex Machina
4. News of Roland - Testament of Youth
5. Dress - Ex Machina
6. Understanding the doctor - A Royal Affair
7. Escape - Ex Machina
8. Injured Victor - Testament of Youth
9. Front line hospital - A Testament of Youth
10. Confronting the party - A Royal Affair

Matt:

I like the framing the device well enough, in fact I prefer when they had them.

Bad Dream House - I will say it's strange that they didn't use James Earl Jones for the voice of the house, and instead as just the mover, but I digress. It's memorable segment though with actually having a bit of intensity with the "die die everybody die" portion, and the end result is rather hilarious.

Hungry are the Damned - More overtly comedic, and that's just fine. Referencing the Twlight Zone is usually a good thing for the segments and that is the case here having some great moments throughout particularly the pride the aliens have over Pong, and then their disgust over the misunderstanding of the cookbook with a large amount of space dust on it.

The Raven - Well great narration however I don't particularly love the segment. It doesn't balance well going straight or directly into telling the poem. It sorta does tell it straight most of the time making the little asides not work all that well, and most of the gags not really working. Still overall not a bad segment.

Calvin:

Love the episode, but hey I love every episode to be honest. This is a particularly good one though. As usual Lynch giving it all so brilliantly. Having such genuine moments there between Bobby, Shelly and Becky with only the best support from old Carl, I especially love his Legend of Zelda method of calling his transport. Then there is the screaming woman scene that could only be brought by Lynch that starts out hilarious with the woman's complaints, becomes horrifying with the little girl, then hilarious again as the woman makes the same scream again and again.

The best part though for me would be Mitchum brothers scenes that are just sheer delight from beginning to end with both being so funny in first their anticipation of killing Dougie, then their exuberance with what happens later. The cherry pie scene though is something magical though particularly due Badalamenti's score.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

I'll cosign on Hurt, Thriller, Bohemian Rhapsody, and of course Never Gonna Give you Up. I'd ad "Take on Me", "Holy Diver (nothing like the random fantasy music videos from the eighties and of course "Fat (best Weird Al parody video by far)".