David Thewlis was, my friend, relatively under the radar back in the late '80s, mostly cutting his teeth in British TV series.😉But once he popped up in Naked in '93—man, things really started moving...
A true Berlin native (to borrow a phrase from 😁 JFK) who built a pretty impressive career back home, though he hasn't quite conquered the massive scale of Hollywood just yet—at least not as we know it today.
The Birch-Tree Meadow (also known as Birkenau) (2003) — an incredibly heavy, gut-wrenching drama filmed right on location at the camp itself. He stars alongside the legendary Anouk Aimée
The Ninth Day (2004) — directed by Volker Schlondorff
The Counterfeiters (2007) — an Oscar winner
Inglourious Basterds (2009) / Salt (2010) — his big taste of a Hollywood Production
The Thing (2011) / Season of the Witch (2011) / In a Better World (2010) / the great The Silence (2010) / Centurion (2010) / The International (2009) / The Broken (2008) / the excellent musical Allegro (2005) / Kingdom of Heaven (2005) / Apples (2005) / the multi-award-winning Brothers (2004) / Blueprint (2003), and so on...
He first really grabbed the public eye in Thomas Vinterberg's cult classic Festen (1998).
It seems like everyone is focusing on the folks from the English-speaking world, which makes sense, I suppose. But honestly? It feels like a missed opportunity not to look a little closer to home...
Jeroen Krabbe
He’s been a massive name in the Netherlands for decades now. He even had his big moment in Hollywood after playing a villain in The Living Daylights (1987). Since then, he’s popped up in various character roles in major Hollywood Productions, like Robin Hood (1991), The Prince of Tides (1991), Immortal Beloved (1994), An Ideal Husband (1999), Ocean's Twelve (2004), and Transporter 3 (2008).
He also starred in two really standout films—Left Luggage (1998) and The Discovery of Heaven (2001).
Honestly, this is exactly why you tune into YouTube, instead of wasting your time with all those mindless cat videos...😁
Marlon Brando - Rebel Without a Cause - Screentest (1947)
I’m pretty sure this marks Brando's first unofficial step onto the Hollywood stage...
It’s absolutely fascinating to see how things might have played out differently if J. Dean hadn't eventually landed that iconic role for the finished script back in 1955...
It’s true that his acting took a bit of a dive later in his career—you can see it clearly in those lesser works like "Free Money" from '98. But honestly, nothing in today's acting landscape even comes close to the sheer, masterful brilliance he displayed in his iconic roles. I'm talking about his turns as Lt. Diestla in "Young Lions," Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront," and, of course, his absolute powerhouse performance as Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire." Nothing else even touches it.
I’m currently on the hunt for some 12" maxi singles from the golden era of the 80s—think heavy synth-pop, new wave, electronic vibes, or anything along the lines of ethereal, alt, or indie subgenres.
I’m looking for high-quality stuff only; specifically vinyl and sleeve conditions ranging from VG+ (EX) all the way up to Mint.
I'm interested in pressings from the US, UK, Germany, Canada, or any other international editions.
Ideally, I’m looking to acquire larger quantities sourced from well-kept private collections.
For those of us who followed his career religiously back in the '80s, watching how things unfolded during the second half of his life is truly heartbreaking.
Beyond the roles we've already discussed, I find his performances in Liliana Cavani's relatively obscure 1989 art film to be unforgettable. Also, the chemistry established in the 1990 remake of The Desperate Hours starring Anthony Hopkins was quite fascinating to watch.
Following 1992 and that solid performance in The White Sands, the decline definitely happened much faster than anyone expected.
That brilliant cameo in Coppola's The Rainmaker from 1997 served as such a sharp reminder to everyone at the time just how much untapped potential he really had.
As far as I'm concerned, his last somewhat interesting piece of work was Tony Scott's Man on Fire back in 2004.
It’s a shame... a genuine tragedy, really.
He could have easily joined the ranks of one of the greats.
Every single time I happen to stumble upon Angel Heart (1987), that exact thought keeps circling back to me.
casualranger2 said:Dead Or Alive - That's The Way (I Like It)
It’s common knowledge that things went south with Pete back in the mid-80s after a pretty nasty falling out, so seeing him praise his work from that era is actually quite surprising. 😁
Dead Or Alive - Mysty Circles (Dub) (1983) (Sophisticated Boom Boom - LP - 1984)
Honestly, once you take a closer look at their debut album cover, the breakup makes perfect sense. 🤣
Look, *Futurology* is a solid record, but trying to give it this high-brow international flair by bringing out a famous German actress like Nina Hoss for something so trivial feels a bit over the top to me.
Europe Geht Durch Mich (live at Coachella 2014))
If only she had a voice that matched her presence. 😁
A little cultural enrichment never hurts anyone. 😁
Hamlet (1996)
The full version is the complete adaptation by Ken Branagh, clocking in at a solid 242 minutes.
Strangely enough, there was also this heavily butchered edit—the kind that used to hit theaters back in the day (I caught it once at a local Film archive)—that ran for only about 129 minutes.
Honestly, the difference between the two is night and day. 😁
The screenplay, cinematography, and direction are all top-tier. As for Tom Hardy, he puts in a really solid performance—though, if I’m being honest, I think this kind of role would have been perfect for an actor with a more striking, expressive look, someone like Tom Hiddleston or Mark Strong.
It’s honestly shocking how lackluster and underwhelming this turned out for a major Hollywood A-list production. The script and the dialogue? A total disaster.
The only thing that might save it is the rumor that the original cut ran nearly three hours and was intended to be a gripping mystery thriller, but due to heavy studio interference, we ended up with what we got.
Raymond Walker5 said:It left a massive negative impact on him!
Exactly... that’s precisely why the author holds Gary Numan and his Original Beast in such high regard. This particular cover probably just left him feeling completely indifferent... 😁