Award-winning actor Robert Duvall has left his footprints all over the Wild West. Watch Lonesome Dove and you'll see an actor radiating dependability and timeworn wisdom! But the actor's early Western career narrates a different history... one of lawlessness, corruption, and murder! Say what you want about Duvall's Western career, but he can hardly be accused of playing the same character over and over again. Just take a look at this rap sheet...

Broken Trail (2006)
In this critically-beloved miniseries that comes courtesy of AMC (ahem), Duvall shrugs off the delinquency of his past to follow the cowboy code, and passes with flying colors. While he's ferrying a shipment of horses across the frontier, Duvall rescues five Chinese women being used as sex slaves. It seems like that the women don't take kindly to being referred to by numbers, but it's clear that Bobby's heart is in the right place.

Open Range (2003)
Duvall here plays "Boss" Spearman opposite Kevin Costner. He's a crusty old coot -- a type Duvall perfected in his late career -- who wants to preserve the frontier's open range. In a way, Duvall's old-timer reminds us of another late period performance: John Wayne's portrayal of Rooster Cogburn, Duvall's nemesis in True Grit. The similarities even extend to injuries. Duvall fractured his ribs during the filming, a feat that the Duke matched in a mishap during lensing of The Undefeated.

Continue reading "Beyond Broken Trail and Lonesome Dove - The Cowboy Career of Robert Duvall" »

The "Scarface" that launched a thousand rap careers, Al Pacino is known as much for his on-screen histrionics and catchphrases as he is for his legitimate acting. Chances are, though, you only really know his biggies: Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, Heat, and of course the list goes on. Perhaps it's time to broaden your Al Pacino horizons? Read on for a list of the ten best Pacino movies you've never seen.

1. The Merchant of Venice (2004)
Shakespeare's classic tale was given a modern-ish spin, casting Al Pacino's Shylock as a sort of dark anti-hero. Though the movie was a commercial failure, critics thought Pacino brought a unique intensity to the role that, in a certain sense, redefined one of drama's oldest characters. All this, and Pacino isn't even Jewish! Which is why it's called acting, remember?

2. Chinese Coffee (2000)
Here's one you've probably never seen because for a long time, Pacino wouldn't let anyone see it. The movie was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival and not released until years later as part of a forgotten, low-selling box set. He shouldn't have held it back: The movie is a heartfelt night-long conversation between Pacino's character, and the late Jerry Orbach, that plays like an all-male Before Sunrise.

Continue reading " Flashback Five - The Ten Best Al Pacino Movies You've Never Seen" »

The World Series is officially over and unless you're a Yankee fan, it's been a pretty anti-climactic affair. Frankly, in past years, baseball's biggest matchup has been a bit more thrilling. On the other hand, in the movies, the World Series is pretty much always exciting. In A League of Their Own (1992), for example, Geena Davis loses the game, possibly on purpose, by dropping a ball at home plate. In The Scout (1994), Brendan Fraser strikes out all 27 batters on 81 pitches and hits a couple of home runs. Take that Derek Jeter! So which is more thrilling: The World Series on the big screen or in the ballpark?

Money doesn't always buy happiness -- or cinematic sensation. You can spend serious dough and still wind up with a total flop. But you can also max out your credit cards, call in favors from all your Facebook friends, and maybe -- just maybe -- take things blockbuster. (Case in point: Lee Daniels' stirring indie drama Precious, which sparked instant Oscar buzz despite its humble $3 million origins.) These movies were all made on a shoestring and went on to earn their keep and, in most case, many millions more. Sometimes, all it takes is a dollar and a dream -- and a really, really good idea.

Paranormal Activity (2009)
Production Budget: $15,000; Domestic Gross: $84 million
This supernatural thriller scared up amazing box office numbers despite having been made with the kind of spare change the director could have found under his couch cushions. Against formidable odds,  this claustrophobic ghost story was so good, remake-happy Paramount released it without changing a thing.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Production Budget $400,000; Domestic Gross $44 million
This clean-as-a-whistle celebration of geek chic divided audiences, but it sold enough tickets to qualify as a stunning success. Director Jared Hess, front-loaded the cast and crew with current and former students of his alma mater, Brigham Young University to keep things on the cheap. Who knew Mormons would prove so theatrically viable?

Continue reading "Not All Movies Need Big Budgets, as Precious and Paranormal Activity Go to Show" »

In 1972, ufologist Josef Allen Hynek categorized the three kinds of alien encounters, from UFO sightings to alien observations. Ufologists have since created a fourth classification: Alien abduction! The scifi thriller The Fourth Kind explores the phenomenon, as have so any movies in the past. Here's a look at ten cinematized abductions. Some of these characters' captors are evil incarnate, but others, as it turns out, are just overly curious intergalactic anthropologists.

10. Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), The Last Starfighter (1984)
This may not have all the benchmark traits of an alien abduction movie, but one scene says it all: When Centauri shows up at Alex's trailer park, he charms the glum starfighter into his car by praising his arcade skills! Once Alex is strapped in, Centauri whisks his bewildered passenger into outer space. The fact that Alex ends up having the time of his life (what, no probes?) lands this one at the bottom of the list.

9. Sam Phillips (Philip Sayer), Xtro (1982)
In this disturbing, gory low-budget flick, a father is playing with his son in their backyard when he suddenly gets sucked up by a beam of white light. He returns to Earth three years later to find his wife and son, but something is different. Could it be his ability to transform into a freaky creature with four legs? Bingo! The movie's ending -- no spoilers here -- makes it one of the starker abduction movies to date.

Continue reading "Classic Ten - Alien Abductions" »

Bleaching your hair blond? Growing a moustache? That's nothing! This week, The Movie List counts down the ten most truly unbelievable transformations. These actors starved themselves to skeletons (Christian Bale), ate themselves to unrecognizable shapes (John Travolta) and went totally gender-bender (Dustin Hoffman)... Sometimes for Oscar recognition. Sometimes for fun! See who's No. 1 when it comes to redefining their look.

Continue reading "The Movie List - The Ten Most Unbelievable Transformations" »

Is it really almost time for the holidays? It's certainly starting to feel that way! (If you've been to the mall lately, at least.) Crackling fireplaces, glittering parties, that infectious holiday spirit... and the obligatory Scrooge-types who crop up to spoil everyone's fun. In this tournament, Jim Carrey's Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol faces off against a slew of time-honored killjoys and he's got as good a chance as any -- but can he get his grimace on better than other Scrooge-y characters of yore? Your vote decides which holiday-hating character will live on in infamy.