KRYPTON INC.
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Bumping this cuz... Why not?
So we recently lost Burt Reynolds and I'm sure plenty of Hypesters under 35 have only the vaguest notion of who he was. There's lots of films to recommend: DELIVERANCE, THE BEST LITTLE ****E HOUSE IN TEXAS, CANNONBALL RUN 1&2 (I prefer the CB films to SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT myself) and plenty others. Please check them out. But I'm gonna give some spotlight to two films of his that are on opposite spectrums in many ways but both showcase Reynolds' charisma and he gives his all in the parts.
First is a film about an aging Hollywood stuntman looking down the barrel of mortality while also serving as both a movie about movie making and a showcase for practical stunts and special effects from the era of it's release in 1978. Burt is his usual affable if egocentric charmer which works well with this kind of character and story. For those who have no love for CGI this film is a feast of big stunt set pieces that show off the both the grit of on set pre-digital SFX and stunts as well as their limitations. The cast surrounding Burt is solid with good performances from Sally Field, Robert Klein and Jan Michael Vincent. Here is the trailer for... HOOPER:
From 1974 this is probably one of the best things Burt ever did and it straddles a fine line by being a black comedy, a drama and an underdog sports film all at once. Which is quite the accomplishment. Burt stars as Paul Crews, a disgraced NFL player who after being drummed out of the League for point shaving gets himself sentenced to prison, where circumstances forces him to take part in a game between the prison guards' football team and a team he must gather made up of the other convicts. As stated, the film is darkly humorous with a definite cynical edge. The humor is also balanced really well as it never gets too goofy despite some broadly drawn characters populating it. Again, Burt handles being the center of an ensemble well and his charisma carries the day, despite Crews honestly if you see the character clearly, being a real SOB, and I don't mean in a "he's so naughty it's fun" way but in a "Geez, did Burt just slam that woman's head against the wall and then lead the police on a chase where people walking across the street almost get run over by him?" way. Probably one of the greatest football films ever made I think it's likely to have slipped through the pop culture cracks at this point. If you haven't seen it, give it a try. Here's the trailer for... THE LONGEST YARD (1974):
So we recently lost Burt Reynolds and I'm sure plenty of Hypesters under 35 have only the vaguest notion of who he was. There's lots of films to recommend: DELIVERANCE, THE BEST LITTLE ****E HOUSE IN TEXAS, CANNONBALL RUN 1&2 (I prefer the CB films to SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT myself) and plenty others. Please check them out. But I'm gonna give some spotlight to two films of his that are on opposite spectrums in many ways but both showcase Reynolds' charisma and he gives his all in the parts.
First is a film about an aging Hollywood stuntman looking down the barrel of mortality while also serving as both a movie about movie making and a showcase for practical stunts and special effects from the era of it's release in 1978. Burt is his usual affable if egocentric charmer which works well with this kind of character and story. For those who have no love for CGI this film is a feast of big stunt set pieces that show off the both the grit of on set pre-digital SFX and stunts as well as their limitations. The cast surrounding Burt is solid with good performances from Sally Field, Robert Klein and Jan Michael Vincent. Here is the trailer for... HOOPER:
From 1974 this is probably one of the best things Burt ever did and it straddles a fine line by being a black comedy, a drama and an underdog sports film all at once. Which is quite the accomplishment. Burt stars as Paul Crews, a disgraced NFL player who after being drummed out of the League for point shaving gets himself sentenced to prison, where circumstances forces him to take part in a game between the prison guards' football team and a team he must gather made up of the other convicts. As stated, the film is darkly humorous with a definite cynical edge. The humor is also balanced really well as it never gets too goofy despite some broadly drawn characters populating it. Again, Burt handles being the center of an ensemble well and his charisma carries the day, despite Crews honestly if you see the character clearly, being a real SOB, and I don't mean in a "he's so naughty it's fun" way but in a "Geez, did Burt just slam that woman's head against the wall and then lead the police on a chase where people walking across the street almost get run over by him?" way. Probably one of the greatest football films ever made I think it's likely to have slipped through the pop culture cracks at this point. If you haven't seen it, give it a try. Here's the trailer for... THE LONGEST YARD (1974):
