Tcali Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Neither. He's very highly rated as he should be. Yes he's made some movies that were so-so quality, but as an actor he's still one of the best. Exactly.Neither. He is a very accomplished actor.
KnightRider Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 He still does the voice-overs for Oppenheimer Funds, too. The PCU thesis was that you could go a continuous 24 hours on basic cable television and never be without either a Hackman or Caine movie. The clincher was "A Bridge Too Far" which had both (among many, many others). Wow, Jeremy Piven, Jon Favreau, David Spade and George Clinton... surprised it isn't a bigger cult classic. Then I remember... it wasn't that great. Hackman is in a few movies that I can catch at any time and be hooked: Crimson Tide, The Firm, & Runaway Jury. Trivia: He and Dustin Hoffman were roommates way back in the day, but Runaway Jury was the first time they had ever had a scene together on screen. Oh, and don't forget Hoosiers. No way out was pretty engrossing, too...
Pete Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 BTW I think Hackman is a great actor. Very solid in every film. Tenenbaums- very interesting film! I have seen it a few times and I am not sure if it is brilliant or if it is dog sh--. It does seem to stir up strong opinons one way or the other. The Royal Teneboms should be it's own thread. Sorry if I hijacked this thread. Gene Hackman
R. Rich Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Hackman is in a few movies that I can catch at any time and be hooked: Crimson Tide, The Firm, & Runaway Jury. Trivia: He and Dustin Hoffman were roommates way back in the day, but Runaway Jury was the first time they had ever had a scene together on screen. Oh, and don't forget Hoosiers. Crimson Tide was alright, but too similar in tone to the Hunt For Red October (not identical in plot) for me. The Firm was perhaps the worst of the Grisham novels converted to film. I still haven't seen Runaway Jury, but I'm sure I will @ one point. I remember watching the A&E Biography they did of Hoffman where they mentioned the two were roommates before. They even mentioned how Hoffman was rooting for Hackman to win the Oscar over him when they competed against each other (Hoffman won for Rain Man; Hackman was nominated for Mississippi Burning). Oh, and in the "don't forget" category, did anyone mention Hackman's Oscar wininng peformance in Unforgiven, or his hilarious role in The Birdcage?
agilen Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 The PCU thesis was that you could go a continuous 24 hours on basic cable television and never be without either a Hackman or Caine movie. The clincher was "A Bridge Too Far" which had both (among many, many others). Wow, Jeremy Piven, Jon Favreau, David Spade and George Clinton... surprised it isn't a bigger cult classic. Then I remember... it wasn't that great. Wasn't that great? Isn't a cult classic? How old are you? PCU is second only to Animal House in the college-comedy genre. How can you think throwing meat on a vegetarian protest isn't funny?
UnionAMG Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 BTW I think Hackman is a great actor. Very solid in every film. Tenenbaums- very interesting film! I have seen it a few times and I am not sure if it is brilliant or if it is dog sh--. It does seem to stir up strong opinons one way or the other. The Royal Teneboms should be it's own thread. Sorry if I hijacked this thread. Gene Hackman Tenenbaums really is an interesting movie... in that people either absolutely hate the movie and find no value in it whatsoever, or they think it is brilliant. I think it is hilarious. When I saw it in a full movie theater, I was probably one of only 10 people laughing... but we were laughing througout the entire movie. Either you get it or you don't (I don't mean that the people who don't get it are wrong, its just a certain kind of humor). I remember when the one Tenenbaum tries to commit suicide and they are all rushing him through the hospital on a stretcher, just Bill Murray's manerisms in relation to the "seriousness" of the situation in that scene made me burst out laughing. I can't even explain it very well, but I thought the movie was great.
KD in CA Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 The PCU thesis was that you could go a continuous 24 hours on basic cable television and never be without either a Hackman or Caine movie. The clincher was "A Bridge Too Far" which had both (among many, many others). Wow, Jeremy Piven, Jon Favreau, David Spade and George Clinton... surprised it isn't a bigger cult classic. Then I remember... it wasn't that great. Don't be that guy.
Bullpen Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Rated just right... Great as Lex Luthor in the first two Superman movies. Great in Royal Tannebaums, Hoosiers, Unforgiven, etc... Meh in the Replacements. What makes him great is he can really make you hate him in Unforgiven, but love him in Hoosiers and really like him when he's telling you about Lowes.
IDBillzFan Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Meh in the Replacements. Don't take this personally, but am I the only one who cringes every time he reads a post that includes the word "meh." It's working it's way up to an obnoxious status heretofore only seen from the insightful phrase, "It is what it is."
Bullpen Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Don't take this personally, but am I the only one who cringes every time he reads a post that includes the word "meh." It's working it's way up to an obnoxious status heretofore only seen from the insightful phrase, "It is what it is." meh... it hasn't gotten that obnoxious yet... How 'bout if I change it to "conversely" or "on a contrary" followed by the LSI " "
LongLiveRalph Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 his hilarious role in The Birdcage? He was great in the Birdcage. That speech he gave about driving from Ohio and watching the foliage was top notch...Perfectly acted...Droll and painful for everyone else, yet Hackman's character (through all the drollness) was able to remain enthused about it...Too funny...
R. Rich Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 He was great in the Birdcage. That speech he gave about driving from Ohio and watching the foliage was top notch...Perfectly acted...Droll and painful for everyone else, yet Hackman's character (through all the drollness) was able to remain enthused about it...Too funny... And he can sing a mean "We Are Family" too.
HopsGuy Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Wasn't that great? Isn't a cult classic? How old are you? PCU is second only to Animal House in the college-comedy genre. How can you think throwing meat on a vegetarian protest isn't funny? You buy, I sell. That's what makes a market. I don't hate PCU, I'm just saying it wasn't that great. If we're talking genres, I prefer Revenge of the Nerds & Real Genius over PCU. But you'd expect that... I was an Engineering major. Good call by others on Unforgiven & No Way Out. Good roles for Hackman.
tennesseeboy Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Hackman had some very good early movies, as Popeye Doyle in French connection and in The Conversation. Actually he was good in some bad movies as well (The Poseidon Adventure comes to mind). I think he is one of the best character actors. The equivalent for today? Probably Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Chilly Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Don't take this personally, but am I the only one who cringes every time he reads a post that includes the word "meh." It's working it's way up to an obnoxious status heretofore only seen from the insightful phrase, "It is what it is." Yes, yes you are. Expressing the averageness of something or a lack of general caring about something is nicely summed up by the word "meh". OTOH, I want to hurt people who say "It is what it is"
rockpile Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Don't take this personally, but am I the only one who cringes every time he reads a post that includes the word "meh." It's working it's way up to an obnoxious status heretofore only seen from the insightful phrase, "It is what it is." If that is the way you feel, you will LOVE this -> click here
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