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Elizabeth Taylor's Best Movies: 10 Reasons She Was a Hollywood Legend

By Bob Cannon (Subscribe to Bob Cannon's posts), Posted Mar 23rd 2011 10:00AM
Filed under: Features, Movie News, Best and Worst

How you think of Elizabeth Taylor, who died Wednesday of heart failure at 79, depends largely on your age. Younger fans might remember her as the tabloid creature whose fluctuating health was breathlessly chronicled throughout the last three decades of her life. Others may think of the gossip-rag queen who made headlines for stealing Eddie Fisher from America's sweetheart Debbie Reynolds, her eight marriages, and her tempestuous romance with (and double marriage to) Richard Burton.

If either of those descriptions fits you, though, that's a shame. Because for those who came of age in the '50s and '60s, Elizabeth Taylor was one of Hollywood's most luminous talents, one whose beauty dazzled moviegoers and who had the dramatic skills to match. Wanna talk about clout? Her diva-like behavior on the set of 1963's 'Cleopatra' postponed that epic production and nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox.

But frankly, we wouldn't have cared about any of that had she not had the beauty and the talent to begin with. So, ultimately it's what she left on the screen that matters. Here are 10 of Elizabeth Taylor's best movies -- 10 reasons that clinch her place as a show business immortal.

Watch Elizabeth Taylor movies on Netflix Instant right now.
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Best Denzel Washington Movies: A Look Back at 10 Classics, From 'Glory' to 'Malcolm X'

By Bob Cannon (Subscribe to Bob Cannon's posts), Posted Nov 12th 2010 11:00AM
Filed under: Features, Best and Worst

Denzel. Say no more. The name means consistency in Hollywood: always a good role, always a great performance, and (almost) always in the running for top awards. With today's release of the runaway train thriller 'Unstoppable,' the versatile Denzel Washington once again brings his formidable dramatic skills to the screen.

Sure, Will Smith wins at the box office, but Washington, with two Oscars and five Oscar nominations, is arguably the pre-eminent African-American actor of his time. All of that made it tough to whittle down his resume to a top 10. (Though with full disclosure, it was easy to lop off 'Carbon Copy,' on the grounds that sometimes a young actor will do anything just to get a break.) Otherwise, with his subtle delivery, total immersion into a wide range of characters, and a smoldering intensity that always has the potential to go volcanic, Washington is that rare actor who either makes you hold your breath or leave you just plain breathless. Here are his top 10 heart-stopping performances.
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George Clooney Movies: His 10 Best Films

By Bob Cannon (Subscribe to Bob Cannon's posts), Posted Aug 30th 2010 12:01AM
Filed under: Features, Best Movies Ever, New Releases, Best and Worst
For a long time, George Clooney was just another handsome rake who turned up in guest shots on TV. But his five seasons on 'ER' changed all that. Not only did his role as likable cad Dr. Doug Ross make him a household name, but it also made feature film casting directors reassess him as leading man material.

To put it mildly, Clooney's scored big in that kind of role, and has used his good looks, native intelligence, good humor and smoldering stare to manage a dual career as a serious dramatic actor and a good-time comedic lead. Clooney is unafraid to tackle films that ask serious questions about the world of politics and power. He also knows how to pick vehicles that will sell tons of popcorn.

With the release of the assassination thriller 'The American,' here's betting he does both -- just as he did in varying degrees with these, his 10 best films:

10. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
With 'ER' a ratings winner, Clooney caught the eye of Robert Rodriguez, who directed this horror flick written by Quentin Tarantino. Clooney plays Seth Gecko, a lowlife who's on the lam after a bank robbery, and stops off in a strip club that just happens to be full of vampires. (Dontcha hate that?) Since this is a horror flick, the rules dictate that Clooney eradicate as many of them as possible, which he does in graphic, bloody style (a.k.a. the Tarantino Rules). A tongue-in-cheek thriller that helped further solidify Clooney's devil-may-care screen persona.
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Best Heist Movies: Our Favorite Capers, Crooks and Cat-and-Mouse Games

By Bob Cannon (Subscribe to Bob Cannon's posts), Posted Jun 20th 2010 12:00AM
Filed under: Features

With the third season of TNT's crime series 'Leverage' premiering June 20, we're inspired to show our appreciation for a timeless action category: the heist movie. From the beginning, filmmakers haven't been able to resist telling the tale of of that one well-organized (or hopelessly bungled) caper that criminals hope will be the Big Score. Better still, it gives us the chance to live vicariously through the perps as they plan the job, put it in motion, and most likely pay for their crime. When done properly, the formula ensures nonstop drama or laughable absurdity. But it's always hard to look away.

Here are 11 great heists that have proven -- at least in cinematic terms -- that crime does indeed pay.
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Dennis Hopper's 10 Best Movie Roles

By Bob Cannon (Subscribe to Bob Cannon's posts), Posted May 29th 2010 2:15PM
Filed under: Features, Movie News
Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider

Dennis Hopper, who passed away from prostate cancer on May 29, 2010, at 74, was one of our most recognizable stars who managed to turn a string of perennial outsiders, misfits, and deranged characters into the embodiment of our worst nightmares and sometimes even our own best hopes. Anytime he appeared on screen, he was an outright scene stealer, the visual equivalent of walking into a gas station with a lit match. His characters weren't always pleasant, but they never let us look away. Here are 10 roles that stood out.

News: Dennis Hopper dead at 74.
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That Guy! William Fichtner

By Bob Cannon (Subscribe to Bob Cannon's posts), Posted Apr 12th 2010 6:00PM
Filed under: Features
To be a convincing character actor, you have to be versatile, to be able to play a benign best-friend type, then turn into a malevolent bastard on command. Few do that better than William Fichtner, the handsome Buffalo, NY native who plays DA Frank Crenshaw in the Steve Carell-Tina Fey comedy 'Date Night,' and who has made a career of alternately playing Best Buds and Total Jerks.

Fichtner got his start in the late '80s on the classic daytime drama 'As the World Turns,' then followed it with bit parts in films like 'Quiz Show,' 'Heat,' and 'Albino Alligator.' Before long, though, Fichtner's ability to portray a somewhat menacing antagonist -- or an equally likable best friend -- put him in blockbusters like 'Contact,' 'Armageddon,' 'Black Hawk Down,' and 'The Longest Yard.' ReadReadReadReadReadReadReadReadReadReadReadReadReadRead
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Watch 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot' Online

By Bob Cannon (Subscribe to Bob Cannon's posts), Posted Mar 11th 2010 12:00PM
Filed under: Documentaries
Fans ought to know: Touring musicians have always held a treasure trove of what they call "bus tapes" -- hilarious, often off-color and generally curious pieces of music, films and whatnot to get them through those long hours on the road. From that wealth of material comes 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot,' a 1986 documentary that in 17 brief minutes draws a raucous portrait of a crowd of Judas Priest fans outside the Capital Centre in Largo, Maryland, prepping for a headbanging evening with their idols.

What we get is an uproarious snapshot of 1980s suburban America, complete with muscle cars, big mall hair and acres of shirtless dudes and those metal-band T-shirts that are fetching big bucks in vintage stores today. And alcohol. And drugs. Which bears mention because, not to put too fine a point on it, this crowd is trashed. One fan muses (rather loudly) that "They should make a joint so big it fits across America!" Another 20-year-old reveals that he's two weeks from reporting for Air Force duty -- as he sticks his tongue down his 13-year-old girlfriend's throat. (That sigh of relief you hear is probably her father's.) ReadReadReadRead
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