Among the movies that I’m glad I listened to Zach about, ’10 Cloverfield Lane’ is at the top of the list and is still a film that I can’t help but stop and watch when I encounter it on cable. It’s not that it is a perfect film (the ending still chaps my hamsteak every time) but instead a fascination with the terrifying performance of John Goodman as doom-spewing survivalist weirdo, Howard. Is it seeing the jovial dad from ‘Roseanne’ completely unhinged? Is it the familiarity of his pronouncements and doomsday prepping, thanks to my own Midwestern background? Heck, it could even just be that I’m a sucker for weird J.J. Abrams characters, but in any case, it leads us to today’s Slusho-infused query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) never expected to be that intimidated by good ol’ Dan Connor, asking: Which actor created the most unexpectedly terrifying performance for you?
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Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.
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Ben Kingsley is a Sexy Beast!
May not be the kind of terrifying you are asking about, but I was pretty unsettled by Robin Williams character in “One Hour Photo”. After being so used to Williams usual high energy silly characters, I came away from this one with a deep pit of my stomach unease. He had a greater acting range than a lot of folks give him credit for.
I’d also give special mention to his guest role on Law & Order SVU. A more sympathetic, but still kinda creepy character.
I mean, I never would have guessed I’d see such a scary version of The Joker come out of the blonde kid from The Patriot.
Harrison Ford in “What Lies Beneath”. Seeing Indiana Jones as the bad guy? But, wow, he did it so well.
Note, I agree 100% with Robin Williams as well. “Insomnia” came out around the same time as “One Hour Photo” and both of those made you look at Robin and go, “Okay, I need to watch Birdcage now and see a happy Robin.” A far better actor than he will ever get credit for!
Robert England in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). I could not walk down the hallway without turning on the light for months after seeing his portrayal as Freddie Krueger.