The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

Jackson co-starred with Gina Davis in this action blockbuster. Davis was the mild-mannered small-town teacher who found out she was really a CIA assassin with amnesia and hires private detective Mitch Hennessey (Jackson) to help her find out what happened to her. I love this film and should have seen Davis do more action films. Writer Shane Black (of Lethal Weapon fame) was paid a record $4,000,000 for the script but was a commercial failure. Jackson is a lot of fun in the film – he has a lot of jokes and his character trying to cope as he is wildly out of his depth dealing with CIA kill squads.

A Time To Kill (1996)

Jackson plays Carl Lee Hailey whose daughter is raped and who then goes on to murder the men who did it. What follows is a courtroom drama with Matthew McConaughy’s character defending Hailey while outside the trial the area is exploding with racial tension, with violence on the streets. Much of the film is concerned with can a black man get a fair trial in that part of America (or perhaps anywhere in America). A memorable scene is when Hailey challenges Brigance (McConaughy) after the lawyer says they’re friends, pointing out Brigance never came to his house and that for all Brigance is committed to opposing racism, it’s still part of him.

Jackie Brown (1997)

Jackson’s second Tarantino film saw him co-star with Pam Grier as Ordell, a gun-runner and general criminal concerned that Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is going to destroy his business after she is arrested. The film is a mix of plots, betrayals and quick-thinking as everyone tries to stay one step ahead of the law and/or the wrath of dangerous criminals. At the time the film split people – it was quite a departure from the huge success that had been Pulp Fiction, some disappointed but some loved it. Over time it’s certainly been recognised as a great film.

The Red Violin (1998)

A film I had never even heard of let alone seen, this is the story of a famous red violin, as it passes through history from the 1600s to the modern day. Jackson plays Charles Morritz in the “Montreal” section of the film, an appraiser sent to work out if it is the real red violin. Morritz unravels the secrets of this beautiful instrument, including its distinctive colour. It’s an unusual film for any actor and perhaps this is why it sticks out for Jackson.

187 (1997)

Another film I was unfamiliar with but having looked it up I learned it was Jackson’s first film where he received top billing and whatever else would obviously have a huge meaning for him. Jackson plays Trevor Garfield, a high school teacher recovering after being stabbed by a student, and his new job he soon finds himself in a similar position of tensions between gangs and the authorities, trying to teach students in extremely difficult circumstances and protect these students – sometimes from themselves.

Also Read: What Makes A Tarantino Film?

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post Samuel L Jackson Picks His Top 5 Acting Performances appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Today I’m going to look at 7 funny and absurdly titled horror movies, from a range of sub-genres and see if their plots are as weird as their titles. Well, let’s get to it.

When Nature Attacks: Snakes On A Plane (2006)

Synopsis: When a mob boss is due to be put on trial, he releases a mass of snakes on a plane to kill the chief witness and his FBI escort.

Trivia: With such an OTT title the film received a lot of attention online before its release. Production company, New Line Cinema, even allowed for reshoots to make the film more fan-pleasing. This resulted in the film going from a PG-13 to an R rating and the inclusion of Samuel L Jackson’s famous one-liner.

Monster: The Bye Bye Man (2017)

Synopsis: Upon moving into a new house, three college friends find that they’re being haunted by a mysterious entity called the Bye Bye Man. And the only way to get rid of him is not to say or think his name.

Trivia: The unthreateningly named villain is played by Doug Jones, Guillermo Del Toro’s frequent collaborator. Jones has acted in six of his films.

Zombie: Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972)

Synopsis: A group of thespians head to a deserted island. While there they dig up a corpse and use it to perform a mock ritual, which raises the dead. Will the actors survive? Or will they die? That is the question.

Trivia: This funny take on the zombie film marks both director Bob Clark and screenwriter Alan Ormsby’s debut in the horror genre. Clark would go on to helm Black Christmas (1974) and Ormsby went on to write cult favourites like Deathdream and contributed material to Disney’s Mulan.

Possession: Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977)

Synopsis: Once upon a time a demon fell in love with a woman and built a bed for her. But when she died the demon cried bloody tears onto the bed causing it to come to life and devour anyone unlucky enough to cross its path.

Trivia: With a title so on the nose you would think this movie would have done great business with b-movie enthusiasts back in the day. But despite the film having its print made in 1977 it didn’t have any official release until it’s 2003 home video debut, 26 years later.

Sci-Fi Horror: Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Synopsis: When a meteor crash lands in a sleepy little town two teenagers investigate and discover that a group of monstrous alien clowns have come to earth. But no one believes them. Can they stop the killer klowns before everyone dies?

Trivia: The film was directed, produced and written by the Chiodo Brothers (Charles Stephen and Edward). Charles also contributed to the production and Klown design and the brothers have been teasing the release of a sequel since 2012.

Christmas: Santa’s Slay (2005)

Synopsis: 1000 years ago Santa Claus (son of Satan) lost a curling match with an angel and was cursed to be nice to children for 1000 years. But time is up. And Santa is about to start killing everyone, naughty or nice.

Trivia: Bill Goldberg, who plays Santa, met his wife, stunt performer Wanda Ferraton on the set of Santa’s Slay.

Cult: The Death Wheelers/Psychomania (1973)

Synopsis: “The living dead” motorbike gang have discovered a way to come back from the dead and become immortal, simply believing hard enough that they will come back. The gang later commit suicide and return from the dead, much more violent than before. Can anyone stop these emboldened, immortal delinquents?

Trivia: The film carries the unfortunate distinction of being legendary actor George Sanders final role before his death.

Have any of these silly titles piqued your interest? Or do you have your own favourite horror movies with funny titles? Let us know in the comments. Happy watching.

Also Read: 5 Horror Films and the Real Events Behind Them

The post Horror-ibly Funny Movie Titles appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Martin Scorsese / Leonardo DiCaprio

This duo first appeared in 2002 with “Gangs of New York” and have produced four feature films together since, with two more in development as well as a promotional short. While this partnership has not produced as many films as Scorsese’s other famous partnership with Robert DeNiro, it is arguably more varied, with their collaborations including genres like crime, comedy (“The Wolf of Wall Street”)and biopic (“The Aviator”), with Leo helping the director win his first Oscar with his role in “The Departed”

Interestingly it was actually DeNiro who introduced the pair, after having worked with DiCaprio previously, DeNiro sang the young actors praises and that Scorsese needed to work with him, with the director referred to as “extraordinary fortune” and that they wanted to make movies the same way

Christopher Nolan / Michael Caine

When Christopher Nolan turned up at Micheal Caine’s house, he was initially going to turn down the part of Alfred, Batman’s loyal butler, as serving dinner and coffee didn’t really appeal to the veteran actor. Then he read the script and quickly changed his mind, noting that he had “written great parts for real actors“.

Michael Caine is a prolific actor who has been in the business for over sixty years, so it’s fair to say he recognises talent when he sees it, and that’s exactly why he keeps partnering up with Nolan. Since “Batman Begins” in 2005, Nolan has included him in every one of his films, with a small voice cameo in “Dunkirk” being the only time he hasn’t appeared in person.

Sam Raimi / Bruce Campbell

Raimi and Campbell have been friends since high school, making short films in their spare time. They eventually convinced some dentists to invest in their first feature “Evil Dead” and both of them became cult horror icons.

Bruce Campbell has gone on to have roles in various fan favourite projects, but aside from his role as Ash Williams, he is also known for his memorable cameos in various Raimi movies, especially his Spider-Man trilogy, appearing in various roles through the series. If Spider-Man 4 had ever gone into production, Campbell would once again appear, this time as the villain Mysterio.

Guillermo Del Toro / Doug Jones

Possibly the least recognisable duo on this list, not due to the body of work, but because Doug Jones’ face is often hidden behind hours worth of prosthetics, with his first big break actually being a McDonald’s ad. He first met Del Toro on the director’s English language debut “Mimic“. Despite the films’ troubled production, the two became friends, bonding over their love of monsters and movies.

Jones has appeared in all of Del Toro’s films since the original “Hellboy”, except for “Pacific Rim”, with his biggest arguably being the creature in Del Toro’s “Shape of Water” which won an Oscar for Best Picture.

Matthew Vaughn / Mark Strong

Some partnerships happen because of a pre-existing friendship or a recommendation. Some just happen because the pair find each other easy to work with, as is the case with Director Matthew Vaughn and actor Mark Strong.

The pair have worked together four times since their first collaboration in 2007’s “Stardust” with Strong only being absent for X-Men First Class. Having previously played villainous characters in “Stardust” and “Kick-Ass” he plays Merlin in the “Kingsman” films, in which he is a member of the super-secret spy organisation.

Wes Anderson / Bill Murray

Murray has worked with Anderson since his second feature “Rushmore”. Anderson sent him the script with no expectations, then had an executive leave their own office while Murray talked to him about the role. His role in “The Royal Tenenbaums” happened simply because Murray lived close to the shoot, the two talked about “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”.

Murray and Anderson have such a good rapport, that he instantly says yes when the director calls, no matter the project. He must get the call a lot as Murray has appeared in all of Anderson’s film since, totalling eight, with some being important parts, and others just wordless cameos.

Quentin Tarantino / Samuel L Jackson

Tarantino has several actors that he frequently collaborates with, which he refers to as his “Tarantino superstars“. However. he clearly has a favourite, Samuel L Jackson, whom he frequently writes roles in mind for. The admiration goes both ways, as Jackson cites some of his roles in Tarantino’s films as his favourites.

Jackson has appeared in 6 of Tarantino’s 9 films (Tarantino considers “Kill Bill” one film, and Jackson does not feature in “Once upon a time in Hollywood”). He actually auditioned for “Reservoir Dogs” but didn’t get the part, when he saw Tarantino again later at the premiere, the director told him he was writing something for him, which would turn out to be his Oscar-nominated role in “Pulp Fiction”.

Also Read: Video Nasties: The History of Censored Films in the UK

The post Dynamic Duos: Iconic Actor/ Director Match-Ups appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Want to enter? Simply like our Facebook or Instagram page and the post and enter your name in the comments on the Facebook or Instagram post for the competition and we will pick two winners at random: one on Facebook & one on Instagram.

The competition closes Saturday 23rd June 2018 11:59 pm (BST). Entrants must be based in the UK and over the age of 18.

Any late entries will not be considered. The winners will be announced on Facebook & Instagram and will be picked using www.commentpicker.com.

For further queries regarding the competition please e-mail hello@bigpicturefilmclub.com.

The post June Competition: DVD Bundle Giveaway appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.