Chasing the ghosts of forgotten legends

Anthony Smith3 said:Honestly... I think Ludgren fits this thread better than Chris O'Donnell ever could. That guy was never really a household name; he showed up in Batman III and IV, drifted through Hollywood for a bit, and then vanished. He was just another pretty face from the 90s—kind of like how Brad Pitt started out, except Pitt actually put in the work to become a legend. Same goes for Alicia Silverstone.🤷

He did a decent job in that thriller/drama ''The Chamber,'' but let’s be real, Gene Hackman basically carried that entire movie on his back, so I'm with you there. It's kind of funny how both him and Alicia Silverstone ended up in the fourth Batman movie. Maybe it's just me, but where the hell did Bill Paxton go? He might not have been an A-lister, but man, as a character actor, he always knew how to elevate a scene...

briskhound2 said:He did a decent job in that thriller/drama ''The Chamber,'' but let’s be real, Gene Hackman basically carried that entire movie on his back, so I'm with you there. It's kind of funny how both him and Alicia Silverstone ended up in the fourth Batman movie. Maybe it's just me, but where the hell did Bill Paxton go? He might not have been an A-lister, but man, as a character actor, he always knew how to elevate a scene...

Yeah... they all tried to push him as the next big thing... but clearly, it didn't stick.

Now that's a name worth mentioning... the guy was—and still is—an absolute icon.👍

briskhound2 said:He did a decent job in that thriller/drama ''The Chamber,'' but let’s be real, Gene Hackman basically carried that entire movie on his back, so I'm with you there. It's kind of funny how both him and Alicia Silverstone ended up in the fourth Batman movie. Maybe it's just me, but where the hell did Bill Paxton go? He might not have been an A-lister, but man, as a character actor, he always knew how to elevate a scene...

There are actually three women in Big Love. :-)

David Price5 said:There are actually three women in Big Love. :-)

TV shows just seem to be winning lately—it’s like movies are slowly fading into the background (with a few exceptions, obviously)... But what happened to the big cinema stuff? Think about hits like Twister, Titanic, or U-571... then you’ve got him directing that killer horror movie "Frailty" and he basically vanishes from the spotlight, popping up only in small roles here and there—mostly back in the Alien era. I’d throw Kiefer Sutherland into the mix too, but his show "24" became such a massive global phenomenon (and "Mirrors" kind of squeezed in there as well), so he's pretty much back in the mainstream now—especially since it looks like he might be teaming up with Schumacher again, which hasn't really failed them yet... plus, who knows, maybe Bauer could turn into a full-blown movie franchise one day. I’m honestly hoping Cameron finds a spot for Paxton somewhere just to get him back onto the big screen... He’s more of a character actor than a leading man, but man, he always manages to steal the show from the A-listers...

briskhound2 said:TV shows just seem to be winning lately—it’s like movies are slowly fading into the background (with a few exceptions, obviously)... But what happened to the big cinema stuff? Think about hits like Twister, Titanic, or U-571... then you’ve got him directing that killer horror movie "Frailty" and he basically vanishes from the spotlight, popping up only in small roles here and there—mostly back in the Alien era. I’d throw Kiefer Sutherland into the mix too, but his show "24" became such a massive global phenomenon (and "Mirrors" kind of squeezed in there as well), so he's pretty much back in the mainstream now—especially since it looks like he might be teaming up with Schumacher again, which hasn't really failed them yet... plus, who knows, maybe Bauer could turn into a full-blown movie franchise one day. I’m honestly hoping Cameron finds a spot for Paxton somewhere just to get him back onto the big screen... He’s more of a character actor than a leading man, but man, he always manages to steal the show from the A-listers...

That old rule doesn't hold up anymore. Nowadays, a huge chunk of quality TV actually rivals the big Hollywood movies.

David Price5 said:That old rule doesn't hold up anymore. Nowadays, a huge chunk of quality TV actually rivals the big Hollywood movies.

For sure, but let's be real—not everyone has the bandwidth to binge-watch every single show out there... back in the day, seeing someone in a big-budget Hollywood flick was how you measured their "status," and I guess I'm still kind of stuck in that mindset since I rarely find the motivation to commit to an entire series from start to finish. You catch a movie and you're like, okay, so this guy's still a big deal, he's still relevant, cool. It lets me keep him on the radar—sort of "on ice"—until he pops up again in something else (like Paxton) and actually delivers something solid...

briskhound2 said:For sure, but let's be real—not everyone has the bandwidth to binge-watch every single show out there... back in the day, seeing someone in a big-budget Hollywood flick was how you measured their "status," and I guess I'm still kind of stuck in that mindset since I rarely find the motivation to commit to an entire series from start to finish. You catch a movie and you're like, okay, so this guy's still a big deal, he's still relevant, cool. It lets me keep him on the radar—sort of "on ice"—until he pops up again in something else (like Paxton) and actually delivers something solid...

Times have definitely shifted. TV budgets have exploded lately, and you see top-tier screenwriters moving over to television. Just look at shows like *Band of Brothers*, *Damages*, *Rome*, or *Deadwood*. Sure, not every series is a masterpiece, but then again, not every movie is either. A lot of films are just mediocre. Honestly, what do you think—does someone like Bill Paxton make more from movies or from television these days?

Man, I’d give anything to see Mel Gibson get back in front of the camera... but from what I’ve been hearing lately, he’s pretty much done with acting and just wants to stick to directing. 😢

Since you brought up Bill Paxton, I gotta mention my absolute favorite Marine from *Aliens*—and also the guy who stood up for Sarah Connor back in the first *Terminator* Michael Biehn . He played both Dwayne Hicks and Kyle Reese...

Kind of a bummer he didn't really stay in the spotlight after the 80s ended...

He might not be headlining big Hollywood blockbusters anymore, but he certainly stays busy churning out projects.

# Fire Bay (2010) (in production) .... Richard M. Bissell
# Bereavement (2009) (post-production) .... Jonathan Miller
# Young Americans (2010) (completed) .... Policeman
# Psych 9 (2009) (completed) .... Det. Marling
# Streets of Blood (2009) (completed) .... Agent Brown

David Price5 said:He might not be headlining big Hollywood blockbusters anymore, but he certainly stays busy churning out projects.

# Fire Bay (2010) (in production) .... Richard M. Bissell
# Bereavement (2009) (post-production) .... Jonathan Miller
# Young Americans (2010) (completed) .... Policeman
# Psych 9 (2009) (completed) .... Det. Marling
# Streets of Blood (2009) (completed) .... Agent Brown

Sweet 👍

But what's up with this "policeman" credit? Please tell me he isn't just some extra with zero lines. 😲

Streets of Blood

Val Kilmer, Sharon Stone... 😂

It’s basically a parade of total flops. Honestly, the only thing missing is Kevin Costner... 🤣

Richard Wilson4 said:Sweet 👍

But what's up with this "policeman" credit? Please tell me he isn't just some extra with zero lines. 😲

Maybe we just don't have the full story yet.

David Price5 said:Times have definitely shifted. TV budgets have exploded lately, and you see top-tier screenwriters moving over to television. Just look at shows like *Band of Brothers*, *Damages*, *Rome*, or *Deadwood*. Sure, not every series is a masterpiece, but then again, not every movie is either. A lot of films are just mediocre. Honestly, what do you think—does someone like Bill Paxton make more from movies or from television these days?

Regarding the paycheck, I'd bet they're pretty much neck and neck, except TV gives you that steady, reliable check... plus, he was never really an A-list superstar pulling ten mil per movie to begin with. And all those shows you listed... most of them featured actors who already had established "movie star" careers before jumping into TV, people who were actually respected by critics and audiences alike. Some folks found fame later on, sure, but when it comes to Paxton and his series work, I'd say the creators definitely walked away with more profit than he did...

@Richard Wilson4 — You hit the nail on the head there, he’s such a charismatic guy who somehow just never quite landed a truly great film. The one exception for me has to be *The Rock*, mostly because he actually held his own against Ed Harris (even if he lost that round again)... probably one of the brighter spots in his filmography...

briskhound2 said:Regarding the paycheck, I'd bet they're pretty much neck and neck, except TV gives you that steady, reliable check... plus, he was never really an A-list superstar pulling ten mil per movie to begin with. And all those shows you listed... most of them featured actors who already had established "movie star" careers before jumping into TV, people who were actually respected by critics and audiences alike. Some folks found fame later on, sure, but when it comes to Paxton and his series work, I'd say the creators definitely walked away with more profit than he did...

@Richard Wilson4 — You hit the nail on the head there, he’s such a charismatic guy who somehow just never quite landed a truly great film. The one exception for me has to be *The Rock*, mostly because he actually held his own against Ed Harris (even if he lost that round again)... probably one of the brighter spots in his filmography...

Every production features its own set of reliable actors. They might not always be household names, but they bring real weight to the screen. Take *Damages*, for instance—you have Glen Close and Rose Byrne delivering incredible performances. Then there's *Deadwood*, which features Ian McShane, who is essentially a TV legend, alongside Timothy Olyphant. Just take a look at those casts; the talent is undeniable. John AdamsTake a look at how many Oscar winners or nominees we have in this group. It’s quite impressive!

David Price5 said:Every production features its own set of reliable actors. They might not always be household names, but they bring real weight to the screen. Take *Damages*, for instance—you have Glen Close and Rose Byrne delivering incredible performances. Then there's *Deadwood*, which features Ian McShane, who is essentially a TV legend, alongside Timothy Olyphant. Just take a look at those casts; the talent is undeniable. John AdamsTake a look at how many Oscar winners or nominees we have in this group. It’s quite impressive!

That’s exactly what I’m getting at—none of those guys really made a massive splash beforehand (well, Glenn Close obviously, and maybe Jenna Davis has her own series if I remember correctly)... but before that? Not really. This *John Adams* thing looks pretty interesting though, and I've always had a soft spot for David Morse, so I'll probably end up catching that one eventually. As for *Deadwood*... yeah, Ian McShane is definitely a TV staple, but his work in *Lovejoy* was actually genius back in the day. And Olyphant... being from the younger crowd, I find him interesting, but he still needs to really nail a major film to prove himself. Now, someone like Gary Sinise—that guy is a powerhouse, and the man's career is basically everything people dream of—but that stint on the third season of *CSI*... wasn't really necessary. He’s one of the few who actually admitted the gig worked because he could stay close to his family (and since the show seems to run forever, he's set for a while), so I guess his choice makes sense...

briskhound2 said:That’s exactly what I’m getting at—none of those guys really made a massive splash beforehand (well, Glenn Close obviously, and maybe Jenna Davis has her own series if I remember correctly)... but before that? Not really. This *John Adams* thing looks pretty interesting though, and I've always had a soft spot for David Morse, so I'll probably end up catching that one eventually. As for *Deadwood*... yeah, Ian McShane is definitely a TV staple, but his work in *Lovejoy* was actually genius back in the day. And Olyphant... being from the younger crowd, I find him interesting, but he still needs to really nail a major film to prove himself. Now, someone like Gary Sinise—that guy is a powerhouse, and the man's career is basically everything people dream of—but that stint on the third season of *CSI*... wasn't really necessary. He’s one of the few who actually admitted the gig worked because he could stay close to his family (and since the show seems to run forever, he's set for a while), so I guess his choice makes sense...

If we are judging by those standards, then 95% of film actors are just average when you compare them to icons like Will Smith, Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, or Angelina Jolie.

gentlebadger88 said:Man, I’d give anything to see Mel Gibson get back in front of the camera... but from what I’ve been hearing lately, he’s pretty much done with acting and just wants to stick to directing. 😢

Edge of Darkness - January 29, 2010 (USA) 😉

Frank Moore4 said:Edge of Darkness - January 29, 2010 (USA) 😉

Whoa, I didn't even catch what was going on there at first. Could actually be pretty solid... Thanks 😁

I was just sitting here thinking about Val Kilmer. Man, what a ride his career has been. He was absolutely killer in stuff like "Top Gun," and let’s be honest, his turn as Jim Morrison in "The Doors" was legendary—he really captured that rock icon vibe. Then you’ve got "True Romance," which wasn't even his biggest role, but still great, plus he crushed it in "Tombstone" and that intense masterpiece "Heat." But then... things started to shift. He drifted into more B-movie territory and indie projects. Don't get me wrong, there were some gems in there where he actually delivered solid performances, like in "The Salton Sea," "Felon," or "Wonderland." But seriously, hitting rock bottom? That was definitely when he lent his voice to K.I.T.T. in that "Knight Rider" remake. Talk about a letdown! Still, looking at his recent schedule, the guy is working like crazy lately. It looks like we might see him pop up in ten different projects over the next couple of years, so who knows... maybe one of those will finally land him back on the A-list.