Dre Rivas,
Aug 29, 2007
Balls
of Fury serves its way into theaters this week and you all
know what that means ... Christopher Walken worship! The guy is an icon
and an audience favorite for his odd line readings, his great villain
roles and his recent stints in comedies. Below I've cooked up my ten
favorite DVD picks for the highly regarded actor.
Saturday Night Live - The Best of Christopher Walken
Seriously, has there ever been a better guest on SNL? I'm
talking all time here. "The Continental," "Rainbow Head," "Cowbell,"
his Dead Zone knock off, his cameo when Tom Hanks hosted ...
I could literally go on forever
about the skits. Walken is such a good guest on the show he deserves
two DVD volumes. Pop this disc in and enjoy it with a nice bottle of champagne!
True
Romance
In a movie jam-packed with great scenes, Christopher Walken and Dennis
Hopper share the best. Walken's face when he says, "Come again?" is
priceless. You can check it out here.
Warning: Strong, offensive language.
Pulp
Fiction
Once upon a time, little Butch Coolidge was watching his cartoons when
Captain Koons walked in to tell the little boy the story of "The Gold
Watch." He was in awe of the story, little Butch was, and it stayed
with him forever. Audiences of Pulp Fiction reacted
accordingly (mixed in with a whole lot of laughter). Take it all in
again here.
Warning: Strong, offensive language.
The Deer Hunter
This movie just destroys me emotionally, I admit it. He won the Oscar
here playing Nick, a man completely and utterly broken
by the end of the film. This is an essential man-cry movie.
Annie
Hall
Duane Hall. One of Walken and Woody Allen's greatest acting creations
appears, albeit briefly, in Annie Hall. A classic movie, a classic
scene.
Biloxi Blues
As a little seen and underappreciated film this is even more classic
Walken. I'm not sure if he added the deranged element to Sgt. Toomey or
if he was just written that way. That aspect always seems to get lost
with me in his movies because you know, he's nuts.
At
Close Range
There's three things I always remember about this movie. One is the
film's abrupt, powerful ending. The second is Madonna's "Live To
Tell" song. And the third is this great
scene. Warning: Foul language. Walken's role and
performance are truly upsetting.
King of New
York
This was the Reservoir Dogs of it's day before there was a
Reservoir Dogs. It's a great, violent crime film with one of
the actor's most iconic sociopaths.
Catch
Me If You Can
The big guy scored his second nomination here and was my sentimental
pick in 2002. At first look it appears he's playing an almost -- dare I
say it -- normal guy. But as things progress it is clear he is more
than just a lovable con man. He's an encouraging sickness passed onto
DiCaprio's character. Great stuff.
View To a Kill
Easily one of the most entertaining Bond films so long as you're
heavily liquored up. Consider the unintentional comedy of the
following: Grace Jones, Duran Duran's theme song, Dolph Lundgren and Walken's
over-the-top (even for him) Max Zorin. All in one movie!
Did I overlook a Walken classic? drop a comment below.
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Dre writes three times a week for Film.com. He does a crappy
Christopher Walken impression. Email
him!
