CALAA
As we head into the final stretch of the countdown, recently recognized by Greencine (thanks for the shout-out!), I thought I should clear something up. There is one actor who will not appear on this list, even though he greatly deserves it. He deserves it so much, in fact, that he is beyond this list. There is no list that can contain the recipient of the Character Acting Lifetime Achievment Award, or CALAA, for short.
Actually, there are two, but I’ll come back to them.
The recipient has been acting in TV and film since 1953. If there is such a thing as “casual intensity,” he’s delivered it in performance after performance. There’s always something a little off, yet instantly likeable (or at least attention-grabbing) about his characters. In his own way, he has more screen presence than just about any leading man in history.
This is the part where I continue to tease you as to the identity of the recipient (by doing things like calling him “the recipient”) and hand out little pieces of trivia like the fact that he’s the only non-SNL alum to have his own SNL Best Of DVD. But after a while, I kind of want to just cut to the chase and tell you that the recipient (see?) of this year’s (well, the only) CALAA is the one, the only, the inimitable (except by the near-thousands of comedians who do impersonations of him, including your friends and Kevin Spacey)….
Christopher Walken
At some point, (I think it was after the “Weapon of Choice” video, but I could be wrong) Walken ceased to be a very good character actor who carried the distinction of having lower standards for what he’d appear in than Gene Hackman and became a legend. It was more than just a Cult of Walken or a purely ironic appreciation of The Prophecy Trilogy, this guy was actually good. Somewhere in the neutral zone between talent and kitsch, Walken took the best of the two and created his own solar system.
And so it seems unfair to compare him with all these other fine, but mortal, actors.
There are two lists this generates. One, Christopher Walken’s Ten Greatest Performances. Not an easy list – there are so many. I’ve avoided mentioning most of them here since I want you to tell me what you think should be on that list. Feel free to include television appearances along with films.
The second list is more basic. The Five Best Christopher Walken Impersonators. This could include people you know (of course, I’d have to take your word for it, but you seem trustworthy).
I’m counting on you. Christopher’s counting on you. The American public is…okay, really I’m just counting on you.
At this point, Christopher Walken himself would show up to accept the award after a montage of his films, (judiciously filtered for crap like Envy, which even he couldn’t save) and give some speech like…
“I’m…(5 sec. pause)…honored to receive this…(4 sec. pause)…award. (Pause of indeterminate length during which you think he might be done) ACTING…(2 sec. pause)…is a fascinating…(3 sec. pause)…creature. When I was…(2 sec. pause w/ a drop in octave)…four years old…”
I’ll let you imagine the rest.
May 11th, 2005 at 9:48 am
Jay Mohr does the world’s best Walken impression. Kevin Pollack is a close second. My favorite Walken performances are probably not his best, but I don’t care: his roles in Pulp Fiction and Suicide Kings are my picks.
May 13th, 2005 at 7:17 am
[...] ted release this weekend, is here. And now, on with the countdown… (And keep those Walken entries coming!) 15. Brian Cox Since 2000, Brian Cox has averaged 4.6 movies a year. He’l [...]
May 14th, 2005 at 7:32 pm
Best Walken roles? Suicide Kings and Scotland, PA. The Weapon of Choice video never ceases to make me smile, but I tend to attribute the brilliance of that more to Spike Jonze.
May 15th, 2005 at 8:44 pm
Gotta agree with Amanda on Scotland, PA. Almost any Christoper Walken appearance makes me go, “yay!”
Favorite TV appearance, hands down, “Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription is more cowbell!”
May 29th, 2005 at 1:05 am
ok, top 10 Walken performances, in no particular order (except for the greatest one.)
Walken demanding more cowbell, a tv classic the moment it aired.
Walken delivering the watch to Butch in Pulp Fiction, explaining that his father would” be Damned if any slope was gonna put their greasy yellow hands on his boy’s birthright.”
Walken in Suicide Kings playing most of the role while duct taped into an easy chair.
(this comes back later)
Walken as the Nazi scientist’s Russian-Test-Tube-Super-Baby turned Psychotic Computer Chip Magnate/horse raising Billionaire James Bond Evil villian who learns karate from Grace jones while fucking her in View to a Kill, possibly the wierdest Bond Villian this side of the guy with the third nipple.
Walken in Prince of New York, because he’s buddies with Lawrence Fishburne, but pops caps at Wesly Snipes and David Caruso.
Walken as the psychotic metal plate in the head drill instructor in Biloxi Blues.
Walken as Max Shrek in Batman Returns with the wild white hair and those perfect Tim Burton pinstriped suits, convincing the Penguin to run for mayor because he would have “access to Captains of Industry” and “unlimited Puntang.” and deciding that if hs crazy secretary kept bugging him about trying to kill her he’ll “push her out a higher window.”
As Don VIncenzo Coccotti in True Romance, perhaps the greatest single scene in his career, paired with Dennis Hopper, discussing the origins of Sicilians, and boasting blithley that he hasn’t killed anyone, “since 1984″.
Walken in Deer Hunter. Wow.
and the greatest Walken performance ever, delivered in a totally paralyzed state, acting only from the neck up, Walken in Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead, where Jenny McCarthy is his nurse, he threatens to force Andy Garcia to “suck my dead dick” orders mob executions by having Steve Buscemi shoot guys up the ass, because he imagines it’s “like crapping white hot razor blades”, where he’s dissapointed in his own son because “he’s crazier than a shit house rat. The other day, they catch him in a school yard, grabbin’ itty bitty titty. It’s a mess” He never moves a muscle except in his face in the enitre perfomance, and it’s Walken at his nuanced weird ass best.
July 6th, 2005 at 5:55 am
The person who posted right before me gives an excellent list. In order from best to worst:
1) Has to be Deer Hunter. I know its an easy one because its what he won the Oscar for, but darned if it wasn’t just an amazing piece of acting.
2) Dead Zone – Not just because of the parody in SNL in the 1980’s; but what a great film. Great role by Walken. And who was that playing the insane president that would lead us all to annihilation? Martin Sheen.
3) True Romance – Unfortunately, a lot of his scenes were cut. But the interrogation scene with Dennis Hopper was electric.
4) Scotland, PA – Playing the vegetarian Lieutenant McDuff who is working with the dumbest police department this side of Reno.
5) Sarah Plain and Tall TV Movies – No, really. What range to be able to play the soft spoken, salt of the earth, type-charectar he plays as Sarah’s husband. Well done.
6) The Addiction – A cult film which uses Vampirism as a metaphor for drug addiction. Walken plays a vampire who is “recovering” from needing to drink human blood. Interesting movement, and his charecar adds depth. Very noir and very bloody, so be aware before renting.
7) Antz – They made the ant look and act like him. Ok, its more the animators then Walken, but it made the film that much more enjoyable.
9) Batman Returns – I would have loved to see Walken do the Joker as rumor has it was the original plan (picture his career with a role as The Joker and Han Solo in it….a much different career to be sure) but he fills the supporting role perfectly for a Tim Burton film….”Bruce Wayne, why are you dressed up like Batman?”
10) View to a Kill – Not just a great movie because of their overuse of the “Dance into the Fire” theme song, but CW and Grace Jones are amazing as villains. Yeah, they’re cooky bond villains to be sure, but they’re both outstanding and really play the roles like nobody else.
As for imitations:
I always thought Joy Mohr’s Walken imitation kinda sucked. His guest spot on MAD TV in the “Pulp Fiction Sequal” where he played Walken as owning a watch store never ceases to bore me to tears.
Spacey does a good one. So do I. Thats about it. Oh, and the people that did his Celebrity Death Match against Gary Oldman.
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