RIP Burt Reynolds

..and why not?
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Matt Wilson
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RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Matt Wilson » 06 Sep 2018, 21:16

Is this the right place for an obituary? Anyway...

Burt was a box office king in the late '70s/early '80s. Number one from 1978 - 1982. No one alive can claim that. Though he made tons of shit, his charm was always on display and Deliverance, if nothing else, is a classic. I also like Boogie Nights, White Lightning, Gator, The Longest Yard, Smokey and the Bandit, and Hooper (the last two with reservations).

Reportedly, he turned down the role of James Bond, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Terms of Endearment and a few more which aren't coming to me just now.

When we were kids, my friends and I saw every current film he was in. By the eighties, we were less than impressed though.

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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Jimbly » 06 Sep 2018, 21:21

Average actor, great Movie Star. I liked Sam Whiskey as well as Deliverance
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Matt Wilson
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Matt Wilson » 06 Sep 2018, 21:25

I always thought he was capable of better, he just wanted to chase the money and not stretch himself as an actor. I guess we'll never know.

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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Jimbly » 06 Sep 2018, 21:36

I totally get that, however it must've been difficult to resist the easy roles and vast success he had.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Matt Wilson » 06 Sep 2018, 21:48

Of course, and who's to say we wouldn't do the same? Would you rather be filthy rich and loved by most, or known as a great actor?

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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Jimbly » 06 Sep 2018, 21:56

Ideally, the route taken by the likes of Sean Connery and Harrison Ford being able to switch between art and commerce would be the way to go. Michael Caine would also fit this. but he wasted so many years turning out shite movies incessantly.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Matt Wilson » 06 Sep 2018, 22:04

To be honest, all of those guys are better actors than Burt.

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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Jimbly » 06 Sep 2018, 22:34

Yes they are but I was answering your question about being filthy rich or known as a great actor.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Sneelock » 06 Sep 2018, 23:41

acting is only part of what Burt Reynolds did. In something like "Hooper" he's in Steve McQueen territory. People went to see him be who he usually was onscreen. Not everybody can pull that off.

I think Matt's comments are fair. Burt took the "Elvis Route" and became a bird in a gilded cage onscreen. some of those cages stand up to repeated viewings much better than others.

what's that Matt? Steve McQueen was a better actor than Burt? of course. still, I think BR showed some chops now & then and not just in "Deliverance" or "Boogie Nights". even "gator" type stuff like shows a guy who knew what he was doing - where the camera is, how much reacting is enough etc..

I'm very fond of Deliverance & the Longest Yard. I think he's rock solid in both of those. I like "Semi Tough" & those Hal Needham comedies if he wasn't TOO slap happy. I think those "blooper reels" are pretty painful.

There's a scene in "Smokey and the Bandit" where Sally Field reaches into the backseat to get something. I looked up at Sally Field's surprisingly magnificent backside on the 40 foot screen right along with Burt Reynolds. we bonded.

too bad it seems like he went coo-coo because I think a lot of people realized he had more chops than he was getting credit for and was getting offered things again. well, it was fun while it lasted.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Matt Wilson » 06 Sep 2018, 23:54

Like I said, we'll never know what he was capable of. I mentioned earlier that Harrison Ford was a better actor. Now that I think about it, I'm not so sure. McQueen either, when you get right down to it. He was just smarter when it came to picking projects for himself than Burt was.

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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Sneelock » 07 Sep 2018, 00:04

bingo. we'll never know if Burt had a "Papillion" or "Sand Pebbles" in him.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Matt Wilson » 07 Sep 2018, 00:17

You know it's a fascinating question, really. In terms of who was the better actor - Burt, Steve, or Harrison. All three of them only had one nomination in their lives. Redford, too (acting, not directing). Those guys were pretty much just themselves onscreen. Some were just better at choosing their pictures than others.

Just looked up some of the roles he turned down. Han Solo was offered to him. It's funny, I can actually see that.
And I was wrong - he didn't turn down Cuckoo's Nest. He wanted to do that part.

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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Snarfyguy » 07 Sep 2018, 03:42

I don't think of any of those guys as "good actors." They just have natural charisma and they get (or got) by on it.

None of them have any range or real chops, which isn't to say their performances can't be enjoyable. But let's not fool ourselves. We're not talking about Laurence Olivier here.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Matt Wilson » 07 Sep 2018, 04:00

An actor doesn't need to be Olivier to be good though.

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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby naughty boy » 07 Sep 2018, 04:44

Sneelock wrote:There's a scene in "Smokey and the Bandit" where Sally Field reaches into the backseat to get something. I looked up at Sally Field's surprisingly magnificent backside on the 40 foot screen right along with Burt Reynolds. we bonded.


:D

That's a sweet little tribute.

RIP Burt.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Snarfyguy » 07 Sep 2018, 04:52

Matt Wilson wrote:An actor doesn't need to be Olivier to be good though.

No, but it depends what you mean by "good." Steve McQueen wasn't a good actor - he was just good at being Steve McQueen. He was cool, and fun to watch.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby fange » 07 Sep 2018, 04:54

RIP Burt, thank you man.
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Sneelock » 07 Sep 2018, 05:24

Snarfyguy wrote:
Matt Wilson wrote:An actor doesn't need to be Olivier to be good though.

No, but it depends what you mean by "good." Steve McQueen wasn't a good actor - he was just good at being Steve McQueen. He was cool, and fun to watch.


I think Steve McQueen was a terrific actor!
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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby Dayodead » 07 Sep 2018, 05:36

Average actor...terrible agent / manager....Four decent movies (Deliverance, Boogie Nights, Semi-Tough, The Longest Yard) and tons for dreck...Of the rumor attached films he missed out on (Some more myth than others...) only Terms of Endearment and One flew over the cuckoos nest would have been suited to his particular skill set...

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Re: RIP Burt Reynolds

Postby The Modernist » 07 Sep 2018, 09:10

His screen persona seemed to come from Paul Newman - that kind of warm,lovable wisecracking maverick (I'm thinking particularly of his performances in 'Butch Cassidy.." and "Cool Hand Luke" here). Of course that was just one aspect of what Newman could do, and even then there was something more complex going on underneath the surface in those performances. Reynolds seemed to present a simplified version of that and the films really were star vehicles for that (there seemed little point to them other than Burt being Burt). What I find surprising now is how big he was, but also how brief that period of fame was.


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