Back Logging Again: Comparison: 8MM/American Gangster

"American Gangster", 2007.

"8MM", 1999.

Above, Mr. Reedus in a small part in the Academy Award nominated film, "American Gangster". His character: Detective in Morgue.

Below is another portrayal of polar opposites: Mr. Reedus as prison inmate, Warren Anderson, whose opinion of women does seem a tad bit lacking, but was well portrayed and poor Warren, badly in need, shockingly, of a cigarette. :)

The same year as "Boondock Sai ... " wait a minute. I've said that before. Gimme sec -- (shuffling papers) Yeap -- four credits for that year. Four credits for the year before, 1998. Five for the next year, 2000 -- wow -- I never saw that pattern before.

But thinking about it -- makes sense. Mr. Reedus' first movie was in 1997 ("Mimic"): forty-nine credits on The List, yeah -- wow -- some of those years must have tough getting place to place.

Dialog from "8mm"

"She came to Hollywood to be a f***ing movie star ... and so did I. Check me out now ..."

I have heard more than one person aware of Mr. Reedus' career who thought that line was funny, bordering on ironic --because even as he held the mop, he still would have looked better in Hollywood than prison.

I am trying to think if I have seen -- thinking of a word -- a progression or

growth in the acting as I have been watching all of the movies so close together rather than as released. However I am thinking that it's not a talent thing or a growth in parts -- those two are a given. What I am thinking is it's more of a choice in parts. Starting with Harry Odum and moving to Murphy MacManus, to the some of the smaller roles and then onto parts like "Hero Wanted", "Red Canyon", "Clown" ... these are all vastly different characters, none of them resembling the others in the least. There were choices made to keep the job interesting while being able to pursue others interests, as well.

Neither of these parts, in these two movies, were ground breaking, but they did establish a presence and move a career forward. I would love to be able to talk more about the individual roles but there was not enough screen time, though Warren, with all his crassness and disdain, I still liked him. I think he should have gotten the cigarette! :)

If I had to be honest -- and I have never not been about the movies -- I would never have seen these two films except they were on the list, Mr. Reedus was in them, and one of my personal rules was I had to watch the whole thing no matter what his screen time. Okay, I didn't make it on that one with these two movies but I did try. I watched most of them. I just never wanted to see them when they came out, when the previews played at the theater. I am just not a fan of any of the lead actors in either of these movies. Watching them -- the actors -- except in a very small, select group of films, is really hard for me.

Watching Mr. Reedus, I can only think of one role that was hard for me to watch, and I got through that and I didn't even have to eat a cookie -- not because he behaved, though. It was during the donut fiasco so yeah, if I had been more than half alive --yeah -- :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr4DetoSwds (Start at 1:05)