It seems I have been honored to join The Ten Best Actors of All-Time Relay Race! It all started with the fine blog known as My Film Views - and here is how that blog's creator worded it:
"So what’s the idea behind the relay? I’ve created a list of what I think are the best actors. At the end of the post I, just like in a real relay race, hand over the baton to another blogger who will write his own post. This blogger will have to remove one actor (that is an obligation) and add his own choice and describe why he/she did this. At the end the blogger chooses another blogger to do the same. The idea is to make this a long race, so that enough bloggers get a chance to remove and add an actor. We will end up with a list (not ranked in order) which represents a common agreement of the best actors. It will also mean that those who follow this relay race will get to know new blogs as well!"
Pretty simple, and much like Forrest Gump - after that start it was RUNNIN!
My Film Views (created the original list: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Daniel Day-Lewis, Samuel L. Jackson, Charlie Chaplin, Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall)
The Focused Filmographer (Removed Hopkins, added Christian Bale)
Front Room Cinema (Removed Pacino, added Paul Giammati)
I Love That Film (Removed Jackson, added Edward Norton)
Flixchatter (Removed Giammati, added Gregory Peck)
All Eyes on Screen (Removed Norton, added Tom Hanks)
Time Well Spent (Removed Hoffman, added Leonardo DiCaprio)
The Warning Sign (Removed Hanks, added Paul Newman)
Movies and Songs 365 (Removed Duvall, re-added Anthony Hopkins)
And So It Begins (Removed DiCaprio, added Max von Sydow)
Cinematic Corner (Removed Bale, added Ralph Fiennes)
The Film Emporium (Re-removed Hopkins, added Jack Nicholson)
Duke & the Movies (Removed Oldman, added Humphrey Bogart)
Southern Vision (Removed Fiennes, added Harry Dean Stanton)
Defiant Success (Removed Stanton, added Jack Lemmon)
Cinematic Paradox (Removed von Sydow, re-added Ralph Fiennes)
Encore’s World of TV & Film (Removed Peck, added Richard Burton)
Okinawa Assault (Removed Lemmon, added Bruce Greenwood)
Amiresque (Removed Greenwood, added Peter Sellers)
Flickers (Removed Chaplin, added Jeff Bridges)
Aziza’s Picks (Removed Sellers, re-added Gary Oldman)
…let’s be splendid about this… (Removed Burton, added James Stewart)
Being Norma Jeane (Removed Bridges, added Johnny Depp)
U, Me, and Films (Re-removed Fiennes, re-added Tom Hanks)
Eternity of Dream (Re-removed Hanks, re-added Leonardo DiCaprio)
Lime Reviews and Strawberry Confessions (Re-removed Oldman, added Amitabh Bachchan)
Surrender to the Void (Removed Bachchan, added Gene Hackman)
Taste of Cinema (Removed Depp, added Marcello Mastroianni)
1001 Plus (Removed Brando, added Cary Grant)
Public Transportation Snob (Removed DiCaprio, re-added Charlie Chaplin)
1:37 Exactly (Removed Peter O'Toole and added Kevin Spacey)
My good buddy Melissa passed the baton to Matty V, who posted his run over at FilmMattic - and now I have it. Here then - the ten as they currently stand:
Humphrey Bogart
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| The Return of Dr. X! |
Daniel Day-Lewis
Robert DeNiro
Paul Newman
Jack Nicholson
Let's not forget he got his start with Roger Corman!
James Stewart
Cary Grant
Charlie Chaplin
John Cazale
Montgomery Clift
Monty inadvertently appeared in a Friday the 13th movie when footage from A Place in the Sun is seen on a TV in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning!
And now we're going to say goodbye to one of them.
For me, there's one guy in that list who's a little too perfect. He doesn't come out to play all that often, usually only every three or four years. It almost seems the only thing that does bring him off the porch is the smell of dangling Oscar bait. He's made a couple of really crappy movies, but they were in the 80's and no one remembers them. He never had the decency to appear in any outer space epics; or Roger Corman movies, or flicks featuring nature running amok, even when he was young and hungry.
That's just not what I'm looking for.
For me, there's one guy in that list who's a little too perfect. He doesn't come out to play all that often, usually only every three or four years. It almost seems the only thing that does bring him off the porch is the smell of dangling Oscar bait. He's made a couple of really crappy movies, but they were in the 80's and no one remembers them. He never had the decency to appear in any outer space epics; or Roger Corman movies, or flicks featuring nature running amok, even when he was young and hungry.
That's just not what I'm looking for.
Adios, Daniel Day-Lewis!
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| Sit right there and think about what you've done. |
Now, we get to add someone to the list. Right away I knew I wanted to add someone who ran the gamut from comedy to drama; who had a huge body of work; and who never met a paycheck he didn't like - yet at the same time never seems to be phoning it in, no matter how goofy the project. He always makes the movie more interesting; his co-stars love him; he's been going strong as an actor in seven decades now.
Greetings, Michael Caine!
And here are the Top 10 Reasons I love Michael Caine and am adding him to this list:
10. Has been killed by Steven Seagal. (On Deadly Ground)
9. Worked for producer Irwin Allen twice in the 70's, battling killer bees (The Swarm) and helping to loot the capsized Poseidon before it slips beneath the waves forever (Beyond the Poseidon Adventure).
8. Has acted with William Shatner, Jim Belushi, and the Muppets (Miss Congeniality, Mr. Destiny, The Muppet Christmas Carol).
7. Came back to play Harry Palmer for the fourth time after 28 years (Bullet to Beijing).
6. Is the voice of a talking Aston Martin in Cars 2.
5. Has been nominated for an Oscar at least once in five consecutive decades (1960s-2000s).
4. Played Austin Powers's dad Nigel (Austin Powers in Goldmember).
3. Played the younger man in Sleuth (1972). Then played the older man in Sleuth (2007).
2. Has been the co-star to both Sean Connery (The Man Who Would Be King) and Roger Moore (Bullseye!).
and
1. Accepted his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Hannah and Her Sisters via satellite from the set of Jaws: The Revenge.
When asked later about Jaws: The Revenge Michael Caine said "I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific."
I love Michael Caine!
Now who to pass this along to? Well, after much thought (more than it took to settle on Michael Caine, actually) I have decided to hand this baton over to Cody and Jay at Life Between Frames! Here's the extra stipulation - as they are a two headed blog - Jay gets to pick the gentleman to be removed; and Cody gets to pick the new addition. Should either gentleman be indisposed, the other handles both duties.
Can't wait to see where this thing goes from here!
Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!
Terrific job, Craig! You've invigorated the stately proceedings, at least from my perspective, by conjuring your quirky superpowers and adding some amusing trivia. You've justified my decision impeccably.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't imagine a more emblematic choice, an actor who warrants tremendous praise and also inhabits that zany Craig Edwards World of Cinema.
And let me be the first to shed a tear for the departing Mr.Day-Lewis who's unquestionably one of the most skilled actors working today. Your reasons for vanquishing him were understandable, too.
Well-done, Sir!
Thank you, Matty! I was thrilled that you picked me to take on the next section of the race from you - it's nice to produce a post with all of these talented and classic actors in it - kind of classes up the joint, know what I mean?
DeleteI can't wait to see the next installment!
Your addition of Michael Caine rocks, my friend. He is representative of all that I thoroughly admire and enjoy about LGOOH. Though I do love DDL, you're absolutely right. There are no monsters/killers/freaks in his background. What a shame, every actor male and female, needs a good monster in their closet. High fives and fist bumps, Mr. Edwards!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Ms. Bradley! The monster in the closet is so very, very important.
DeleteLove that this race is still going strong :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I have to agree with your choice of Michael Cane, he is an awesome actor. Only saw the remake of Sleuth, didn't know he also was in the original. Want to check that one out now! :)
I hope you get to soon! Thanks for stopping by! What a great blog post series!
DeleteCraig, what an awesome idea for a post! I'll be checking back to see how the race is going. Go Caine!
ReplyDeleteThanks Maurice! So far I haven't heard from the gentlemen at Life Between Frames...hope they see this or my email soon!
DeleteCraig: You make a terrific case for Michael Caine. I love him! But I'm not thrilled with you putting DDL on the chopping block. He is INSANELY AMAZING in my book. I would have made Montgomery Clift walk the plank. However, your reasoning is valid and I support your decision.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Caine love - sorry about DDL - but it's so much of a slam dunk that he would be included that I felt it was imperative to shake things up. Like Joe Bob Briggs says about the good horror movies "anyone can die at any time!"
DeleteI am just glad Oldman survived....I would insert Tim Roth for Burton if I were playing
ReplyDelete