David Cronenberg's Leading Men

I was in a David Cronenberg mood last night and decided to watch A History of Violence, Dead Ringers, and Naked Lunch. As I watched these films, I began to notice that all three leading men had a similar look: lean, middle aged, with a weathered face. After some thought, I realized that this is common for a Cronenberg lead. Let's take a look:

Scanners: Stephen Lack

Videodrome: James Woods

The Dead Zone: Christopher Walken

The Fly: Jeff Goldblum

Dead Ringers: Jeremy Irons

Naked Lunch: Peter Weller

Spider: Ralph Fiennes

A History of Violence: Viggo Mortensen

The Dangerous Method: Michael Fassbender

There are a few rare exceptions, such as James Spader in Crash, but for the most part Cronenberg seems to have a favorite type for his leading men. I believe he cast all of the above actors because he perhaps sees himself in them. Here's a photo of Cronenberg:

Their Greatest Performances: Jeff Bridges

                                  
Bad Blake/Crazy Heart
This is the film that won Jeff Bridges an Oscar a career that has spanned almost half a century. Only an actor as great as Bridges can make a washed up, alcoholic country star equally likeable and stomach turning. Watching the film, I go back and forth from wanting to have a drink with him and feeling as if I could actually smell him from my seat. Here’s a scary side note: After seeing the film with my mom, she stated, “I’ve dated that guy before.”

Rooster Cogburn/True Grit
Other than Heath Ledger as The Joker, I can’t think of an actor other than Bridges that has been able to take on another actor’s most iconic roles and make me completely forget about it. I never expected Bridges to do a John Wayne impression, but what he does with the role still surprised me. He almost disappears into the role and continues to be the top most actor to play inebriated characters.


                                  

President Jackson Evans/The Contender
As President Evans, Bridges gives us his most morally “decent” character to date. He is always in control and always one step ahead of the politics that are being played around him. He is what we all want a president to be.

The Dude/The Big Lebowski
The Dude is THE iconic Bridges role. He is a jellies and bathrobe clad stoner who drifts through the film in a laid back manor that is truly original for a film about kidnapping and ransom. Bridges give a master acting class and makes me believe he is actually stoned, which is a feat that Cheech, Chong, Bill, and Ted has never accomplished.

Ted Cole/The Door in The Floor
Bridges stars in this under-appreciated film as a popular children’s book writer who is coping with the death of his two sons as well as the dissolution of his marriage. This is not as showy as his top two performances, but is instead very grounded in reality. He has proven to work very well with children in films such as True Grit and Crazy Heart, but his scenes with Elle Fanning as his 4 year old daughter in this film is what makes this character so memorable.

Bad Movies: Stargate

Things I thought while watching Stargate last night:

-If the Stargate was found in Egypt by an Englishman, How did it end up in American hands?

-When Kurt Russell’s character is informed that he is being reactivated while sitting in his son’s room holding a gun, why didn’t the soldiers bother to ask him if he was feeling alright?

-If Kurt Russell was so suicidal, How did he manage to get over his grief and report for duty fully committed by the next scene? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for him to have been committed in the other sense of the word?

-When they reach the other planet, why is the tribe they first meet portrayed as middle eastern stereotypes? That and the score both appear to have been ripped off from Lawrence of Arabia.

-Speaking of rip-offs, Wasn’t the mutli-moon world used in Star Wars?

-Who the hell let French Stewart into the military?

-Why did we choose to send a monkey into space before humans, but have no problem sending a group of seemingly ordinary military members to an unknown star system almost overnight without any way to return?

-How much did Kurt Russell get paid to sport that hair cut…and cover it with that beret?

-Isn’t Ra’s back-story essentially the same as Superman‘s?

-Hey!, There’s Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou. I wonder why he choose only to be credited as Djimon in this instead of by his full name?

-Ra isn’t a very scary looking villain. He looks more like a crazy ex-girlfriend. (Maybe that is pretty scary)

-Why is Roland Emmerich still allowed to make movies? Someone take the camera away already!

-Looks like Emmerich re-used the space ships in Independence Day and the costume designs for 10,000 B.C.

-Kurt Russell may not have destroyed Stargate, but Stargate seemed to destroy Kurt Russell’s career.