Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted June 10, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 10, 2013 One of the greatest American film actors over the 40-odd years he was working? Damn right. Here's some reasons why:-* Bonnie & Clyde - marker put down, Hollywood take notice. Steals the film.* The French Connection - now he's properly arrived. Popeye Doyle is one of the most believably dangerous obsessive cops in film history. He is terrifying during that car chase.* Prime Cut - saw this film only recently and it is an undiscovered little gem. He plays a farm owner whose farm is actually a cover for a whorehouse and slave labour camp who sees off Chicago gangsters who try and shut him down by grinding them into sausages and mailing them back to the Mafia. Brilliant.* The Superman films - when they weren't shit and didn't care about the sodding comic books and he made Lex Luthor an interesting villain and not some smarmy bald twat or some other nondescript cunt.* No Way Out - can he still do film-stealing support roles? Yes, thanks.* The Conversation - his finest hour. A masterpiece of a performance and a film. Everyone needs to see this film even if your taste is shit and if you think it's shit then I can bully you about it.* Bat*21 - underrated Vietnam film, almost a one man show.* Narrow Margin - yes, he can do a nice thriller on a train as well, ta.* Unforgiven - enough said.* Get Shorty - not a very good film but shows he can do comedy.* The Royal Tenenbaums - fantastic film, an even better performance where he outshines a brilliant cast.Plus there are plenty of others. Discuss! How dare he retire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Maverick Posted June 10, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 10, 2013 (edited) I'd like to throw out Mississippi Burning aswell, was the film that got me into Hackman and I thought both he and Defoe were very good together in that. He's one of the all time great's for me, wish he had've made more Westerns during his career as he was generally excellent in them. Edited June 10, 2013 by Maverick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted June 10, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted June 10, 2013 Forgot Mississippi Burning - not a huge fan of the film but he's excellent in it.He did a few westerns but I guess in the period he worked in and was most prominent during he wouldn't have got as much chance to do many. Still, he did four or five pretty good ones, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Apart from the the ones mentioned, a tip of the hat to The Poseidon Adventure and The Birdcage. The latter showing his comedy chops quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members chokeout Posted June 10, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 10, 2013 Nailed it with your pics but I'd chuck in his performances in Hoosiers ( not a great film but a stand out in the Coach takes a shitty team and turns them round genre) and Hackman vs Eastwood in Absolute Power. Everyone go and watch The Conversation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildSybianRider Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 I don't care about Gene Hackvman but I insist that Devon does one of these for Michael Madsen, to prove that he's a shit swalllowing super twat and Madsen pisses all over him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lefty Posted June 10, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 10, 2013 Can't praise The Conversation enough, it's a film I studied extensively in my first year of university and I have a lot of time for it. However, it ranks behind French Connection and The Royal Tenenbaums in my personal favourites, but as a piece of work it's by far his best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildSybianRider Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Â fuckoff, Gladstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildSybianRider Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Â The world according to gladevon-m(alcolm)anccunt-arp-stone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amazing_Red_Fan Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 I do enjoy a bit of Hack Man, he's a supremely talented actor. I'll throw Scarecrow out there for those with an interest in him (or Al Pacino). Certainly not his best but it's a hidden gem of a film and a good little road movie. I saw it on TCM a few years ago and haven't seen it on there since. It's a proper actor's film and the two leads play off each other really well. Won the Palm d'Or as well, apparently. It's directed by Jerry Schatzberg, who also directed the very underrated The Panic in Needle Park. Check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patiirc Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 * Bat*21 - underrated Vietnam film, almost a one man show.I love that film, it's fantastic. no idea why people slate it, Hackman is simply delightful in it. Amongst those not already mentioned, his turn in Enemy of the State is wonderous and as is him and Dan Ackroyd in Loose Cannons, which about 2 people ever have seen. It's is a shame as it's totally bonkers through out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted June 11, 2013 Moderators Share Posted June 11, 2013 Poseidon Adventure is amazing, but he loses marks for being in Runaway Jury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endorphin Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 'Unforgiven' for me, absolutely timeless film, and he is superb in it, you don't know whether to hate him or root for him.I hated 'The Royal Tennebaums', way too much forced quirkiness like pretty much every Wes Anderson film. Didn't find it funny at all. No fault of Hackman's though, it was the script, premise and general aesthetic that I despised rather than the actual acting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members bAzTNM#1 Posted June 11, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 11, 2013 (edited) All the famous ones, and the ones I would have chosen, have been taken so I'm going for " Bat*21 " too. " Bat*21 " Wiki Page Lt. Col. Iceal "Ham" Hambleton is a weapons countermeasures expert and when his aircraft is shot over enemy territory the Air Force very much wants to get him back. Hambleton knows the area he's in is going to be carpet-bombed but a temporary shortage of helicopters causes a delay. Working with an Air Force reconnaissance pilot, Capt. Bartholomew Clark, he maps out an escape route based on golf courses he has played. Along the way however, he has to face enemy forces and the death of some of his fellow soldiers. Edited June 11, 2013 by bAzTNM#1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members WWFChilli Posted June 11, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 11, 2013 French Connection was the first film of his where I really took notice of him sadly. The film is an absolute roller coaster and Doyle is just incredible as a character to observe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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