[MrBuddyCasino]

Drop your favourite Hackman movies!

Heres mine:

--= The Conversation (1979) =--

"Schizo surveillance guy gets a contract that starts to derail things" is the basic premise, but there is more going on - "it has layers".

Francis Ford Coppola filmed this in between Godfather I & II. I believe it is less famous only because the target audience is smaller, not due to its quality.

The editing is perfect, the pacing just right and the acting mostly top notch. Gene Hackman absolutely nails it.

I found the whole thing to be mesmerising and gripping until the very end. Underrated masterpiece.

May he rest in peace.

[Lio]

I'd go with Unforgiven (1992).

He was perfect as the sherif. One of those morally ambiguous characters, that you warm to but know is really a bad guy (much like the Clint Eastwood's lead character).

(...to be honest it's a tough call between Popeye Doyle or Royal Tenenbaum too).

[booleanbetrayal]

I second this. "Little Bill" was portrayed in such a way, that as a viewer, you are pulled between rationalizing and condemning his actions. Fantastic movie with superb acting on Hackman's (and truly, every other actor's) part.

[relistan]

Clint Eastwood is not my favorite human by a long shot, but that movie and Hackman’s performance are both amazing.

[taude]

I won't say favorite, but who can forget his Lex Luthor in the original Superman!

Won't a favorite, but I recently watched Enemy of the State again, and was surprised by how much it held up over time, 27 or 28 years laster.

[bitwize]

There are a number of military surveillance technologies like GORGON STARE that got their start when some military brass saw Enemy of the State and said "I want that capability. Can we have that?"

[ryandrake]

Enemy of the State was a documentary. Prove me wrong!

[kunwon1]

Heist (2001) - Directed by David Mamet

It's not very well known or particularly well reviewed. It just clicked with me, I've watched it probably a dozen times. It's about a jewel heist and the drama surrounding it

[laidoffamazon]

I liked Heist and especially liked the cast (Delroy Lindo and DeVito are excellent in everything I’ve seen them in as well) - but there’s something up with Mamets direction and cinematography that makes the movies look way cheaper and older than they are. Never understood it, not in Spartan or the Spanish Prisoner (another underrated film IMO) or Heist.

[MollyRealized]

This is perhaps the most random and stupid comment in this thread, but I always hear Lou Costello going "HEY MAMETTTTTTTTTT!!!!!" in my head when I see his name. (Yes, I know he's saying 'Abbott'.)

[gilleain]

That was one of the first ones I thought of as well. Not sure why but the line "I can't be worrying about every little thing!" stuck in my mind.

[IanCal]

I love heist. Truly excellent film. It's been a while since I've seen it so I'll have to dig it out again.

[sandebert]

I love Heist. One quote that is etched into my brain, from Danny DeVito:

"Everybody needs money. That's why they call it MONEY!"

[captainmisery]

Yes! Heist is my favorite as well.

[AlexandrB]

The Royal Tenenbaums

"Asshole dad reconciles with his estranged children."

Probably my favourite Wes Anderson film with an extremely talented cast. Gene Hackman does a great job of playing a well-meaning buy very flawed father figure.

[mrcwinn]

"Dad, you were never dying." "But I'm going to live!"

I've heard he was just wretched to deal with on set and didn't really connect with the movie (at least at the time) — but wow what a performance regardless. That movie isn't what it is without him. You could say that for many of his films.

[Lio]

"Oh no, that's just dog's blood"

[xnx]

The Royal Tenenbaums: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Hbs0s6_sQ

[khy]

Just came across this, which I enjoyed: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/wes-anderson-difficulty-working...

[locallost]

French Connection, talk about nailing the role of a cop obsessed with getting his suspect. Even the sequel is not bad. Mississippi Burning, Hoosiers...

Didn't watch that one, seems interesting so I will check it out, thanks.

[UnreachableCode]

The contrast between the police eating hotdogs out in the cold while the gangsters wine and dine in the most expensive restaurant is the most memorable scene to me. I still need to watch the sequel.

[MrBuddyCasino]

The only contender for top spot, besides The Conversation.

[defaultcompany]

“Were you picking your feet in Poughkeepsie!?”

[kieselguhr_kid]

The Conversation is probably my favorite as well, but I always enjoyed Enemy of the State (1998) a lot. It has the same paranoid vibes as some of his work in the 70s, but with the subtlety replaced with sensational action. He was great in that film as a retired super spook, and his chemistry with Will Smith really elevated it.

[glitchc]

The Quick and the Dead for me. His turn as the villian was the best part of that movie.

Enemy of the State is right up there too.

[jhallenworld]

Never mind the story, the audio equipment was awesome :-)

https://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=vintage&m=224226

[tfigueroa]

I have to go with The Birdcage. Just a silly movie, with Hackman playing a rather timeless portrayal of a politician. The meandering story about “purple mountains” always gets me for some reason.

[echelon_musk]

The Conversation at 50: Why the paranoid thriller is more relevant than ever

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43194188

[toomanyrichies]

"The Conversation" is a masterpiece of the golden age of 70s film. "The French Connection" would be on my list too, for similar reasons. Popeye Doyle is a classic 70s protagonist.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "The Birdcage" yet. Fantastic ensemble cast, and Hackman plays his part to perfection.

"Heist" and "Royal Tenenbaums" would finish out my list.

[toomanyrichies]

EDIT- how could I forget “Mississippi Burning”?!? The man was truly a national treasure.

[ericcumbee]

Crimson Tide - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112740/ Gene Hackman, and Denzel Washington with the always outstanding musical score of Hans Zimmer.

[Arn_Thor]

Night Moves is essential neo-noir

[isleyaardvark]

He’s so good in it, and its treatment of masculinity was interesting.

Best read after seeing it: https://filmschoolrejects.com/night-moves-neo-noir/

[Arn_Thor]

Thanks for linking to that! Really enjoyed it

[thisismytest]

Enemy of the State

[xhkkffbf]

It is quite good on its own. And it's a bit ironic given "The Conversation".

But it's up against some great competition in this debate.

[wanderingmoose]

I really love Guy Ritchie's tip of the hat in The Gentlemen from Hugh Grant's character where when talking about watching a conversation through a telephoto lens he says, "But I filmed it, had it lip-read, translated, and transcribed. Rather like the classic 1974 film The Conversation starring Gene Hackman and John Cazale. You know, Coppola slipped that one out between the Godfathers. It wasn't really for me. It's a bit boring to be honest...."

I don't know why but that makes me laugh every time. (And I agree w/ The Conversation being underrated)

[computershit]

Hoosiers, for sure. "My team is on the floor" was such a flex as a coach, it is still difficult for me to separate the man he played in that movie and the actor, to me they're one and the same.

[tannhaeuser]

+1 for The Conversation, an underated, gripping, and creepy movie that is underrated indeed and that I came to watch or even know about only last year (featuring a really young Harrison Ford btw). It's ahead of its time, yet also vaguely reminiscent of 1960's avantgarde movies like Blow Up. I also loved Hackmann's comedy performances, like in French Connection II and in The Birdcage. RIP

[twoodfin]

Not my favorite (they’re all my favorites!), but maybe most underrated: Under Suspicion (2000).

The film’s only reason to exist is to put Hackman and Morgan Freeman in a room together sparring for 90 minutes. That’s more than good enough.

[bbx]

My favorite of his as well. Also in my top 10 movies of all time. Just a unique script, great cinematography, and a fantastic performance by Hackman. Love the sound editing. Special guests: Robert Duvall and Harrison Ford.

[ourmandave]

Young Frankenstein 1974

[MollyRealized]

YES! Nice to see someone else who knows about his cameo. "I was gonna make espresso..." Hackman ad libbed that line and the reason that it immediately fades to black afterwards is because the entire crew loudly cracked up, and they couldn't reshoot that line without everyone still getting the giggles.

[singleshot_]

Boy, “it has layers” is an understatement. Go watch this movie, it’s fantastic.

[TeaBrain]

This is my favorite of the films I've seen him in also. It is surprising how rarely the film gets brought up, considering its quality and it having been written and directed by Coppola.

[mihaaly]

All I seen are but I'd highlight his role in the Get Shorty, because it rarely mentioned. So perfecly played small person in a big game character, an other testament to his talent.

[FuriouslyAdrift]

Superman!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_(1978_film)

[pathartl]

I actually like Welcome to Mooseport. It's nothing special, but it's a pretty tame comedy from the start of the end of the, imo, golden comedy era.

[mikesickler]

Scarecrow (1973) is a little-known Gene Hackman and Al Pacino movie that's kind of great

[laidoffamazon]

I absolutely adored him in Crimson Tide and Enemy of the State. Brilliant movies.

[lsllc]

BAT21

Enemy of the State