The Next Film Legends

[Guest TonyJaymzV1]

As I said in the Brando topic, with his death we have less and less film legends. I'm talking about actors like Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. This thread is about who you think should be considered a legend or who will be a legend.

 

my list of those who should become legends:

Willem Dafoe- This guy chew's up the scenery like it was bacon. i swear, I've yet to see him in a bad role. He was the perfect Norman Osborn, the was god in Platoon, he made The Boondock Saints that much cooler. He just needs that one breakthrough role, the one that everyone recognizes. Maybe The Clearing, a movie he made with Robert Redford that is coming out soon(or out now?), will do that for him.

 

Harvey Keitel- To me, he is in the same position as Dafoe: Always great in performances, just needs that one role. Also, may just be the coolest old guy I know.

 

Sly Stallone- Oh shit...i'm gonna get heat. To me, Sly was the one "big action star" that could actually act. The Rocky Movies and Copland cement this for me. Hell, he made Get Carter great. He just falls into that hollywood trap of doing all those mindless action films.

 

Gary Oldman- look at the Dafoe/Keitel explanations. He's got all the tools, just missing that one role.

 

David Boreanaz, J. August Richards, Alexis Denisof- Okay, these are my wildcards. These three guys are such the great actors, it amazes me nobody has made them into big stars already. Boreanaz has grown into a great actor in the 5 years on Angel, he should be doing tragic hero roles all over hollywood, and yet he keeps doing chick flicks. He was the only interesting character in Valentine. Richards and Denisof both became these great actors on Angel, to the point where I cried when Wesley died. Yes thats right, I admit it, i cried.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

There won't be any next great film legends.

 

Great acting can't sell nearly as many tickets as CGI does.

[Dangerous A 0]

As I mentioned in the Brando thread, I think Edward Norton is a handful of great roles away from being mentioned in the same breath as Pacino,De Niro, etc.

 

 

I dug him in American History X and 25th Hour.

[caboose 0]

I'd agree with Norton.

 

As long as we are nominating Legends from the 70's-80's, how about Clint Eastwood? For me he's a lock, many great films and just as many great performances. He is a different type of actor as well, his face does everything while other actors may use their body more.

 

Currently, I could see Brad Pitt as I've said, with the right roles become a thorough legend.

 

James Woods could have been great too, but he's never got given BIG roles. Too many 'manic' roles.

 

If it wasn't for his horrible late 90's to now run, Harrison Ford should have been massive.

 

Tommy Lee Jones is another guy who delivers performance after performance but is remembered purely for MIB and the US Marshall series.

[Guest TonyJaymzV1]

I'd agree with Norton.

 

As long as we are nominating Legends from the 70's-80's, how about Clint Eastwood? For me he's a lock, many great films and just as many great performances. He is a different type of actor as well, his face does everything while other actors may use their body more.

 

Currently, I could see Brad Pitt as I've said, with the right roles become a thorough legend.

 

James Woods could have been great too, but he's never got given BIG roles. Too many 'manic' roles.

 

If it wasn't for his horrible late 90's to now run, Harrison Ford should have been massive.

 

Tommy Lee Jones is another guy who delivers performance after performance but is remembered purely for MIB and the US Marshall series.

I agree with about Norton and Eastwood. Norton will be a legend in years to come, and god nows Eastwood is a legend.

 

Harrison Ford comes of like he doesn't care anymore. I miss him as Jack Ryan, I really do.

 

Brad Piitt impresses me, but he just hasn't had that one role yet. Most of his "mainstream" movies are cookie cutter romance movies, and his best work is usally dark, gritty, and/or very cult-status. But to me, he is a god, just for Fight Club.

 

lol we should make a TSM Film Hall of Fame.

[razazteca 0]

There won't be any next great film legends.

 

Great acting can't sell nearly as many tickets as CGI does.

How much money did the Final Fantasy movie make?

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

There won't be any next great film legends.

 

Great acting can't sell nearly as many tickets as CGI does.

How much money did the Final Fantasy movie make?

Let's compare the box office resiepts of every special effects laden movie in the last 25 years and compare them to every box office take for the critcally aclaimmed best acted films.

 

Things were different in the 50s, 60s and 70s...and that's why it just won't come again.

[Guest Coffey]

I like Brad Pitt. Snatch, The Mexican, Ocean's Eleven, Seven, Fight Club & Interview with a Vampire just to name a few of his movies that are widely acknowledged. He could get there. Hell, just being married to Jennifer Aniston could throw him closer than most people.

 

CGI fucking sucks.

[WrestlingFan4Ever 0]

Tom Cruise will be a film legend. Don't laugh either...the man has had a great impact on culture through his films. Most of his films, such as Jerry Maguire, Risky Business, and Top Gun are already classics. And to those of you who say he can't act, go watch Magnolia.

[Guest Brian]

I think Hanks and Cruise end up in that class. I think Chan deserves billing for what he's done for his genre. What about Denzel? What about Harrison Ford?

[Dangerous A 0]

Good call on Denzel. Hanks is in the convo as well.

[algrim 0]

Robert Deniro

Cristopher Walken

Al Pacino

Dustin Hoffman

Denzel Washington

Michael Caine

John Cusack (maybe)

[Ravenbomb 0]

Kevin Spacey

Liam Neeson

Ray Liotta

Billy Crudup (screw you, it coulc happen)

 

 

He's old (well...dead), but Toshiro Mifune should get talked about a lot more than he does

[NoCalMike 0]

The main problem with today's crop trying to reach the levels of the golden era's actors is that nowadays there seems to be a typical formula in acting: Start out by taking, challenging, compromising, controversial roles to get noticed, and then once the media hales you as a good actor, start making Romantic Comedies.

 

I think James Woods is an outstanding Actor and is underrated.

 

I also think Kurt Russell is very underrated.

 

Keith David is really good, but I think he plays the same type of character too often to really be labled GREAT.

 

Gary Oldman

 

Harvey Keitel

 

Deniro/Pacino obviously

 

Jennifer Connelly nails just about EVERY role she takes on whether the overall movie is good or not.

 

Brad Pitt actually has a lot more range then people tend to give him credit for, it sucks cause all the media wants to do is play up his "hunk" factor, but he is actually pretty damn good.

 

Denzel is good, but he is heading down the "same character, different name" route....

 

I will think of more later......

[Ravenbomb 0]

The main problem with today's crop trying to reach the levels of the golden era's actors is that nowadays there seems to be a typical formula in acting: Start out by taking, challenging, compromising, controversial roles to get noticed, and then once the media hales you as a good actor, start making Romantic Comedies.

or in the case of Colin Farrell, Daredevil

[HarleyQuinn 0]

I think Johnny Depp could get in there if he gets a few big movies

[Guest SP-1]

Depp, Ferrel. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Ewan McGregor. Obi Wan aside, the man is an amazing character actor (much like Depp). Man. I'd love to see McGregor and Depp tackle a movie together and just completely transform ( a la Depp in Pirates).

 

unfortunately, Star Wars may have killed McGregor's chances of being recognized seriously.

[caboose 0]

McGregor doesn't want to be famous. He has admitted as such in interviews. He took the Star Wars thing because he's been a fan all his life and his uncle was in the original. McGregor will do what he wants. I respect that.

[Guest SP-1]

I respect that as well. I actually admire that. It guarantees he'll love the projects he takes and that means he'll be giving 110% to them.

 

I'd just kinda like to see the guy regarded with alot of respect years from now.

[WrestlingFan4Ever 0]

Johnny Depp definately.

[Guest Deebo]

Tom Hanks - without a doubt

Johnny Depp - although I think the Pirates of the Carribean sequels are going to be very important in determining this

Brad Pitt - could use one more huge role to put him over the top

Morgan Freeman - very underrated. rarely mentioned in "Great actors" lists, but IMO one of the best today.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Johnny Depp because he never puts forth a bad performance. Secret Window was a fairly dull movie IMO, but Depp was still on the top of his game.

 

Samue L. Jackson may play essentially the same character every movie(at least as far as his more well known roles go) but he does it with such perfection that he has a shot. Great presence to him.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Denzel Washington

Tom Hanks

Edward Norton

Gary Oldman

Chris Cooper (one of the most consistent actors going today)

Alan Rickman (underrated as fuck).

[Guest Choken One]

am i the only one who thinks John Cusack is god like? I can't think of ONE bad Cusack movie. Not One.

 

Always Delivers.

[spiny norman 0]

am i the only one who thinks John Cusack is god like? I can't think of ONE bad Cusack movie. Not One.

 

Always Delivers.

Con Air? Pushing Tin?

 

Anyway, I'd say Tom Cruise and Russel Crowe are the only two huge stars of the past decade who I'd put as certainties. I don't know about the rest. Maybe Cate Blanchett as being the Meryl Streep of sorts of our time.

[Guest Choken One]

Edward Norton is certaintly along Crowe and Hanks line.

[spiny norman 0]

Norton? Nowhere near.

 

You may like him, but he's only really been in two movies which have any chance of being remembered 30 years from now, those being American History X and Fight Club. And those are big maybes. I think people's personal liking of the actor has clouded their judgment in terms of whether he will be seen as a screen legend. He has had some good roles, and his debut in Primal Fear was quite impressive, but I think he has some way to go to reach legend status.

[Guest croweater]

I have a feeling that Crowe will be forgotten rather quickly.

 

Tom Cruise is HORRIBLE and just because he "acted" in Magnolia doesn't make him a good actor. He won't become a legend because half of people seem to love him and half hate him, but you could count the people who hate Jack Nicholson or Al Pacino on one hand. He has far to many critics and hasn't made a single great film or put in a single great performance. He's solid at best.

 

Norton should be up there especially with a few more great movies.

 

Brad Pitt will definately be there as he has everything required to become a legend.

 

Jonny Depp will be borderline, I'm not sure how long his apeal will last, but I do imagine him winning an oscar down the line. I have seen him act horribly once in an awful B-grade movie of eternal crapness. He playes a member of a Hillbilly family who is a country/rock singer. Ricky lake is in it and is pregnant and plays his sister....or girlfriend......it was so bad I didn't watch it for long. If anyone knows what the hell I'm talking about please tell me.

 

Denzel Washington and Maybe Morgan Freeman will become legends.

 

From the female side, Nicole Kidman is a possibility and ..... unfortunately Julia Roberts.

[ArkhamGlobe 0]

The Johnny Depp movie you're talking about is Cry-Baby by John Waters, essentially a kitsch parody of the 1950s. I haven't watched it in years (I have it on tape somewhere though) but I remember thinking it was quite funny. Plus, it's got Iggy Pop in it, that's always a plus.

 

As for the actual topic, the only name that pops up in my head is Depp, depending on where he goes from here. There are of course tons of great character actors who may or may have a big breakthrough role down the line. The problem is that stuff like that is almost impossible predict, so thusly I can't give a real answer.

[Guest TonyJaymzV1]

I can't believe we all forgot about Dustin Hoffman. Heres a legend, in my eyes. He can act with the best of them, and can make crap to gold(as he did in his role in Runaway Jury)