The 1-2-3 Killam
Mid-Card Championship Winner
I really like this section, but there's just not enough traffic or good discussion going on. I can't hold it against anybody, because I don't contribute all that often either. So I thought I'd start a new series; one that I'm actually interested in and that could provoke some decent conversation.
The concept is simple: I name an actor/actress and we discuss with the intent of coming up with their best film.
Their Best Film: Will Smith Edition
Will Smith has long been one of my favorite actors. I watched Fresh Prince religiously when I was younger, and I still catch the occasional re-run when I'm flipping through channels. He's come along way since Bel Air however, showing he has the range to be serious as well as funny, and produce excellent results almost every single time. Of course he has a few flops (Hancock, Men in Black 2, etc), but what actor can say he hasn't made a bad movie at some point?
Six Degrees of Separation: Smith's co-star Stockard Channing was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Ouisa. If I've seen this film I was very young, so I will be honest in saying I can't offer too much here. It has a 6.9 IMDB score, and is quite high on Rotten Tomatoes with an 88%.
Bad Boys: Many will argue this is the film that took Will Smith into the mainstream and out of his role as a TV star. It's still iconic and a large part of Smith's career, although not terribly well-received from a critical standpoint.
Independence Day: I've lost track of how many times I've seen this movie edited for television! Between FX, USA and all the other stations that play movie marathons over holiday breaks, I've probably watched Independence Day a good dozen times. Maybe more? And who does't love a good patriotic alien movie? Probably Roland Emmerich's best film too; the guy seems to have a thing for apocalyptic film, eh? (Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, 2012)
Men in Black: Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, to this day, are still one of the best comedic mash-ups in the industry. While Men in Black 3, I thought, was a really fun movie with a surprisingly emotional ending, it just pales in comparison to its source. It hasn't aged all that well, having just watched it again, but most comedies are like that. In ten years not even our generation will understand the appeal of The Hangover or Get Him to the Greek (which is, as weird as this may sound, one of my all-time favorite comedies).
Enemy of the State: Will Smith goes thriller - no, that's not a Michael Jackson reference - adding even more depth to his resume.
I, Robot: One of my favorite sci-fi films, and easily one of Will Smith's stronger roles. And who could forget that small Shia LaBeouf role? Talk about another guy that went from classic kids comedy to some serious (and excellent) roles... I think this is the film that Smith really started to shine. He had done some really great stuff before I, Robot, but this put him over as one of Hollywood's better "serious actors".
Shark Tale: I didn't enjoy it, but I offer it as a choice because it's one his rare animated roles, and one that I know a lot of my friends seemed to like.
I Am Legend: This movie, from top to bottom, was masterfully done. Few actors could go 50% of a film by themselves, and continue drawing the audience in. I dare say, the scenes when he WAS alone were far better than the few with company. His character was just so compelling, and the world created around him so devastated that Smith, as Robert Neville, simply took ownership of it.
Hitch: Aaaand Will Smith goes romantic comedy. I think, after doing films like I, Robot and Men in Black, there were a lot of female fans from the Fresh Prince days that they tried to capture with this. And honestly, it was quite enjoyable for the men that saw it too. The perfect date film, in my opinion. Women get their eye-candy, and the men get to pretend they're as smooth as Will Smith for 90 minutes.
The Pursuit of Happyness: In my opinion, one of the best dramas ever produced. You know a team did something right when you only want to watch a drama once, because you never want to be that sad, or invest that much emotion into a film, every again... Plus, how adorable was it that his son was actually played by his son? I think that's what made the film so real; it probably enabled Will Smith to hit new levels of relativity and trigger a whole new emotional spectrum.
Seven Pounds: Smith's other adventure into the drama industry. This film is interesting to me, because it's so critically hated, but so well-received by the public. Go compare the Rotten Tomatoes score to its IMBD score. It always intrigues me that a majority of professional movie watchers can come to a general agreement about something, and be so far from the public view. But sometimes that happens, and that's why it's on the list...
I chose Will Smith to start off this series because I think he's one of the few guys who can do it all. He's done comedy, post-apocalyptic fantasy, science fiction, drama, thriller, and even a romantic comedy and found huge amounts of success. That level of depth is so rarely found in Hollywood. Not now, not ever. In a lot of ways he's like the black Robin Williams, and to a much lesser extent Jim Carey. All people known for their diversity.
It's a hard decision. I'm torn between Pursuit and Legend, with MIB playing dark horse in the back of my head. On a side note, I'm excited that Will Smith seems to be back into acting, a few years hiatus following Seven Pounds. He has some big roles coming up. I question his judgement taking anything with M. Night's name attached, but if there's anything that can sell me on "After Earth", it's the father/son tag team of Will and Jaden Smith. And I REALLY question his judgement on signing up for sequels to Hancock, Bad Boys II and I, Robot.
The concept is simple: I name an actor/actress and we discuss with the intent of coming up with their best film.
Their Best Film: Will Smith Edition
Will Smith has long been one of my favorite actors. I watched Fresh Prince religiously when I was younger, and I still catch the occasional re-run when I'm flipping through channels. He's come along way since Bel Air however, showing he has the range to be serious as well as funny, and produce excellent results almost every single time. Of course he has a few flops (Hancock, Men in Black 2, etc), but what actor can say he hasn't made a bad movie at some point?
Six Degrees of Separation: Smith's co-star Stockard Channing was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Ouisa. If I've seen this film I was very young, so I will be honest in saying I can't offer too much here. It has a 6.9 IMDB score, and is quite high on Rotten Tomatoes with an 88%.
Bad Boys: Many will argue this is the film that took Will Smith into the mainstream and out of his role as a TV star. It's still iconic and a large part of Smith's career, although not terribly well-received from a critical standpoint.
Independence Day: I've lost track of how many times I've seen this movie edited for television! Between FX, USA and all the other stations that play movie marathons over holiday breaks, I've probably watched Independence Day a good dozen times. Maybe more? And who does't love a good patriotic alien movie? Probably Roland Emmerich's best film too; the guy seems to have a thing for apocalyptic film, eh? (Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, 2012)
Men in Black: Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, to this day, are still one of the best comedic mash-ups in the industry. While Men in Black 3, I thought, was a really fun movie with a surprisingly emotional ending, it just pales in comparison to its source. It hasn't aged all that well, having just watched it again, but most comedies are like that. In ten years not even our generation will understand the appeal of The Hangover or Get Him to the Greek (which is, as weird as this may sound, one of my all-time favorite comedies).
Enemy of the State: Will Smith goes thriller - no, that's not a Michael Jackson reference - adding even more depth to his resume.
I, Robot: One of my favorite sci-fi films, and easily one of Will Smith's stronger roles. And who could forget that small Shia LaBeouf role? Talk about another guy that went from classic kids comedy to some serious (and excellent) roles... I think this is the film that Smith really started to shine. He had done some really great stuff before I, Robot, but this put him over as one of Hollywood's better "serious actors".
Shark Tale: I didn't enjoy it, but I offer it as a choice because it's one his rare animated roles, and one that I know a lot of my friends seemed to like.
I Am Legend: This movie, from top to bottom, was masterfully done. Few actors could go 50% of a film by themselves, and continue drawing the audience in. I dare say, the scenes when he WAS alone were far better than the few with company. His character was just so compelling, and the world created around him so devastated that Smith, as Robert Neville, simply took ownership of it.
Hitch: Aaaand Will Smith goes romantic comedy. I think, after doing films like I, Robot and Men in Black, there were a lot of female fans from the Fresh Prince days that they tried to capture with this. And honestly, it was quite enjoyable for the men that saw it too. The perfect date film, in my opinion. Women get their eye-candy, and the men get to pretend they're as smooth as Will Smith for 90 minutes.
The Pursuit of Happyness: In my opinion, one of the best dramas ever produced. You know a team did something right when you only want to watch a drama once, because you never want to be that sad, or invest that much emotion into a film, every again... Plus, how adorable was it that his son was actually played by his son? I think that's what made the film so real; it probably enabled Will Smith to hit new levels of relativity and trigger a whole new emotional spectrum.
Seven Pounds: Smith's other adventure into the drama industry. This film is interesting to me, because it's so critically hated, but so well-received by the public. Go compare the Rotten Tomatoes score to its IMBD score. It always intrigues me that a majority of professional movie watchers can come to a general agreement about something, and be so far from the public view. But sometimes that happens, and that's why it's on the list...
I chose Will Smith to start off this series because I think he's one of the few guys who can do it all. He's done comedy, post-apocalyptic fantasy, science fiction, drama, thriller, and even a romantic comedy and found huge amounts of success. That level of depth is so rarely found in Hollywood. Not now, not ever. In a lot of ways he's like the black Robin Williams, and to a much lesser extent Jim Carey. All people known for their diversity.
It's a hard decision. I'm torn between Pursuit and Legend, with MIB playing dark horse in the back of my head. On a side note, I'm excited that Will Smith seems to be back into acting, a few years hiatus following Seven Pounds. He has some big roles coming up. I question his judgement taking anything with M. Night's name attached, but if there's anything that can sell me on "After Earth", it's the father/son tag team of Will and Jaden Smith. And I REALLY question his judgement on signing up for sequels to Hancock, Bad Boys II and I, Robot.
