Is Gene Hackman the GOAT A-hole bad guy in cinema?

[cottagecheesefan]

Just watched Twilight with Paul Newman being the star, but Hackman was the second lead. Won't say much to avoid spoilers. It is a bit slow pace, crime-noir type, geriatric detective film. Would recommend tho, plus prime Reese Witherspoon tits.

I also rewatched The Firm., forgot how great that film was. Hackman was a lot more redeemable in the end, than I had remembered. Btw, I am a fan of Tom Cruise, but is this the first movie that had one of his famous chase scenes? When I first saw the move years ago, it had not become a joke, that all of his movies feature a long scene of him running. I am thinking this was the spark that set the flame. Such a great movie.

It wouldn't make sense with the movie plot, but I wish Gene Hackman and Ed Harris had some dialogue. They would have made an awesome War movie together. I am not aware of one, if they did make one.

 

[minute bull]

Ed Harris and Gene Hackman were also in ABSOLUTE POWER, but I doubt they had scenes together. That's the film where I pretend Eastwood is playing a version of Old Batman.

Another great Hackman film is HEIST.

 

[moreorless87]

Honestly though I tend to think Hackman is more of a likeble asshole, most of his best roles are prickly good guys/protagonists.

 

[wlu.29]

 

[cottagecheesefan]

No Way Out. He was amazing. He’s one of my favorites. He was also good in Target. Not a great movie and he was the good guy but a great performance.

Holy shit man, I just watched No Way Out, because of your post. My mind was blown, amazing movie. I am not going to say to many details, because I encourage anyone who has not seen this movie to watch it. The entire movie is great, and then the ending is crazy. I usually don't like Coster, despite liking a number of his movies. I usually think he is bland, and average (movie pun intended), but he did an amazing job. He is a great actor himself, just not very charismatic.

I watched the movie Twilight last weekend, and would recommend it, but NOT go out of your way to watch. This movie is certainly a must watch. Crimson Tide is a must watch, but I think I liked this better.

Thanks for the recommendation,
your loving sherdog bro

 

[cottagecheesefan]

Btw, the wheel chair guy in now way out is also in Crimson tide.

 

[gspieler]

Has Jack Nicholson ever played a guy that wasn't an asshole?

 

[BisexualMMA]

Has Jack Nicholson ever played a guy that wasn't an asshole?

If it's not a rhetorical question...

About Schmidt, The Missouri Breaks, Terms of Endearment, The Pledge, Wolf.

An asshole at times in a few of them, but I wouldn't call the characters assholes.

 

[pookiyama]

Converaely, Ed Harris is the GOAT likable bad guy.

 

[Deleted member 220895]

Hack-Man, the evil nemesis of Christopher Reeve.

 

[gspieler]

If it's not a rhetorical question...

About Schmidt, The Missouri Breaks, Terms of Endearment, The Pledge, Wolf.

An asshole at times in a few of them, but I wouldn't call the characters assholes.

Never seen those. All I think is Departed, Batman, As a Good As It Gets, A Few Good Men, The Shining, Anger Management. All variations of assholes.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Never seen those. All I think is Departed, Batman, As a Good As It Gets, A Few Good Men, The Shining, Anger Management. All variations of assholes.

He literally plays Satan in the Witches of Eastwick.

 

[TheFakeMacoy]

Never seen those. All I think is Departed, Batman, As a Good As It Gets, A Few Good Men, The Shining, Anger Management. All variations of assholes.

He wasn't really an asshole in Chinatown.

 

[n...not crazy]

Never seen those. All I think is Departed, Batman, As a Good As It Gets, A Few Good Men, The Shining, Anger Management. All variations of assholes.

About Schmidt is one of the most bizarre and uncomfortable movies, and you just may laugh your ass off.

Anyways... Hackman is fucking great. There are so many old guys who will never again be equaled. It's just not fair. I am stuck in 2018 and I can't get out. FUCK

 

[Goon Dog]

Holy shit man, I just watched No Way Out, because of your post. My mind was blown, amazing movie. I am not going to say to many details, because I encourage anyone who has not seen this movie to watch it. The entire movie is great, and then the ending is crazy. I usually don't like Coster, despite liking a number of his movies. I usually think he is bland, and average (movie pun intended), but he did an amazing job. He is a great actor himself, just not very charismatic.

I watched the movie Twilight last weekend, and would recommend it, but NOT go out of your way to watch. This movie is certainly a must watch. Crimson Tide is a must watch, but I think I liked this better.

Thanks for the recommendation,
your loving sherdog bro

Glad you liked it! Funny what you say about Costner because I’m the same way. I don’t like him very much but he’s a terrific actor and I love many of his movies. He was awesome in Silverado.

Oh, and +1 on the ending of No Way Out. I never saw it coming. Terrific film.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I searched to see if this thread had been done before, glad it has not. I did see @Cheese made a thread in 2013 about Hackman being overlooked in general. This is more about his bad guy roles. He isn't a crazy villain, but he often plays a power hungry and/or just all around douche bag, top dog, bad guy.

I been watching a number of movies lately, and coincidentally a few had him as the bad guy. Crimson Tide, The Quick and the Dead, and Runaway Jury.

I have also seen him in Unforgiven, The Firm, and Absolute Power, and Antz.

I don't really like the movie, but he is also the "bad guy" in the Royal Tenenbaums, which he did play very well.

I am sure there are other crucial roles I am forgetting. He is one of the GOAT actors in general, but I am only now appreciating him as the GOAT asshole.

edit: What are some other good roles of him as a bad guy? And who compares?!

edit 2 for further discussion: Someone like Robert De Niro plays similar roles, but I feel he is not nearly as good, tho still good himself.

Regarding other villain movies by Gene Hackman, he's a real scumbag in Prime Cuts if I remember right.

As to other actors with similar roles... John Heard and J.T. Walsh played similar characters but who were a step down on the food chain and exuded a bit less power.

There are also some similarities with Donald Sutherland (e.g. Benefit of the Doubt, Outbreak could have been Hackman roles), Ronny Cox, Richard Crenna, late career Jon Voight, Robert Shaw, Patrick McGoohan, Brian Dennehy, Robert Loggia, George C. Scott, maybe Lance Henriksen.

 

[Mr. Shickadance]

He, Connery, and Moranis need to return to the big sceen

Connery is old, but I’d love it if he and the other two came back, especially moranis he isn’t that old

 

[Steve Rogers]

Necrobump.

I wouldn't say he was the bad guy in Crimson Tide. Just the antagonist. If he had been the bad guy, he probably would have been killed off by the end; not made peace with Denzel Washington and gone off to enjoy his retirement.

 

[cooks1]

Yes. He has that certain punchable face quality when he plays a bad guy.

That Tom Cruise lawyer movie comes to mind.

Edit: The Firm

The Firm only takes the bronze medal in Grisham film Hackman assholeness. He was a bigger asshole in Runaway Jury.



He was He was a much, MUCH bigger asshole in The Chamber.

 

[cottagecheesefan]

Regarding other villain movies by Gene Hackman, he's a real scumbag in Prime Cuts if I remember right.

As to other actors with similar roles... John Heard and J.T. Walsh played similar characters but who were a step down on the food chain and exuded a bit less power.

There are also some similarities with Donald Sutherland (e.g. Benefit of the Doubt, Outbreak could have been Hackman roles), Ronny Cox, Richard Crenna, late career Jon Voight, Robert Shaw, Patrick McGoohan, Brian Dennehy, Robert Loggia, George C. Scott, maybe Lance Henriksen.

Great post. Havent heard of Prine Cut. Going to check it out.

Donald Sutherland is also a good mention, and I love the movie Outbreak. Not based on a Michael Crichton novel, but reminds me of some of his work.

Coincidentally, I rewatch A Time to Kill last night. Donald was a good guy, but his son is the bad guy. It made me laugh now they are cast as unrelated characters, but it is obvious the are. Their nose and facial structure is so similar.

I feel Sutherland and Hackman are equal in terms of overall acting chops, but Hackman is a bit of a more alpha badass, and has a big bigger screen presence, where as Sutherland seems to be a bit more conniving and insidious.