The movie is a compromised mess, but that didn't stop Lakeview Terrace from rising to the top of the box-office heap this weekend. I'd like to think it did modestly well ($15.6 million) because audiences were interested in what director Neil La Bute, author of In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors, The Shape of Things and other blistering intrusions into the male psyche, might do with a conventional crime thriller. Not much, as it turns out. But it's clear that audiences were lining up to see Samuel L. Jackson's L.A. cop get all up the face of his white neighbor (Patrick Wilson) as well as the other movie competition. Last week's top grosser, the Coen brothers' Burn After Reading still had the heat to take second place with $11.3 million, but poor Ricky Gervais found the prickly fun he added to Ghost Town falling on dead houses for a paltry $5.1 million and a tired eighth place. Depressed yet? All of us should be. I'd like some input on why Sam Jackson can still bring in the crowds. And it's time to ask an important question about Big Sam.
Does he still have the juice? Or is he just repeating himself? Jackson has starred in over 40 movies since knocking it out of the park in 1994's Pulp Fiction. But most of the movies are junk. Snakes On a Plane, puh-leese! And don't even bring up the last two Star Wars atrocities. I can make a case for The Long Kiss Goodnight, Jackie Brown, Unbreakable and his voice work in The Incredibles, but such movies as Sphere, XXX, Basic, S.W.A.T. and Jumper smack of the paycheck and the sense of being the same movie.
So let's hear your choices for the best and worst of Sam Jackson since Pulp Fiction.
Share
Email
Stumble
AIM
Del.icio.us
DiggThis
Fark It!
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.
Get RS Mobile
RSS
soma bay cascades | August 8, 2009 11:12 PM
Great site. Good info.
lowest price adipex | August 8, 2009 8:35 PM
Perfect site, i like it!
Erik Schwob | September 24, 2008 1:50 PM
Jackson has had alot of good movies since Pulp Fiction that were mentioned including:
Eves Bayou
Hard Eight
Changing Lanes
Fresh
and even the schlock is decent schlock like
Coach Carter
XXX
Sameul Jackson plays Samuel Jackson. But man after this and the Deniro and Pacino blog, who picks these scripts for the stars? Do they even read them? I look at actors like Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Russel Crowe( that movie about the garden with Ridley Scott aside), and other big stars that always seem to at least pick an interesting project even if it fails. Tom Hanks probably has the best track record in the modern era. Whats the difference between those guys and talented actors like Jackson? How does he keep turning up in schlock and they always headline an interesting movie
Phlegmingway | September 24, 2008 10:33 AM
I love Samuel L. Jackson, but I wouldn't waste money on a decent performance in a bad movie. What's more striking in this article to me is the mention of how poorly Ricky Gervais's movie did. That's too bad, but then again it might be better if he doesn't get too huge in the U.S. I don't want him to rest on his laurels. American audiences aren't really known for selecting the most talented artists to support. His humor is too intelligent for the dumbed-down American audience. Sorry, but it's true.
THX-1138 | September 24, 2008 12:54 AM
I personally believe that Changing Lanes is Sam's best performance of the past decade. It's a very underrated film with some pretty good work from Ben Affleck and Sydney Pollack as well.
Sergio | September 23, 2008 6:52 PM
Mmmm, i think Pulp Fiction's good, but not his best. I', more for Unbreakable or even Jackie Brown, but i have to say yes, he's been doing again n again the same role.
but let's be honest, that role is still better than most of what other nowadays actors are doing
JP | September 23, 2008 4:10 PM
If you can defend "The Long Kiss Goodnight" (Which was so horrible. I threw the videotape in the garbage after I finished watching it.), then I'm going to defend "Snakes On A Plane". First of all, the movie is a dead pan parody of horror and action movies. If you took any of that seriously, then of course you would've been disappointed. In fact, you can argue that Samuel Jackson insistance of revving up the lame dialouge saved the movie from being a generic movie.
His best performance will always be Jules from "Pulp Fiction". His best un-Samuel L. Jackson performance was Mr. Glass from "Unbreakable".
I honestly have no problem with an actor doing a paycheck movie as long as it solidly entertaining. Which explains why I'm waiting for "Righteous Kill" to come out on DVD before I watch it. Since "Lakeview Terrance" was a compromised project, it's hard to say if Samuel L. Jackson did this one for the paycheck or for a better script that was given to him before the compromises.
Aitor | September 23, 2008 10:28 AM
His Best... A Time To Kill, he even cries!
My other favorite... The Long Kiss Goodnight! Great flick!
Honorable mentions Die Hard with A Vengeance "Hey Zeus!", Jackie Brown, The Negotiator, Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park, Coming to America, Eddie Murphy Raw, I like Mace Windu too!
I haven't seen everything, He is the same in all movies, but he's good, he's Samuel L Jackson, there is no other.
val | September 23, 2008 9:23 AM
i realy like black snake moan,
jackie brown, unbreakable, juice and fresh was cool also
worst: s.w.a.t.
Japes | September 23, 2008 9:21 AM
Jurassic Park was killer... Hold on to your butts
Joe | September 23, 2008 2:54 AM
Mr. Jackson is the Michael Caine/Gene Hackman of the new millenium. He takes almost every movie that comes along, sometimes to our detriment. But like the Hackman/Caine movies of the late 70s and early 80s, he's the only reason we go to see them and he's normally the best part of them. Face it, would we have gone to see "Snakes on a Plane" if he wasn't in it? Sure, we want him to have a role as juicy as Jules in Pulp Fiction, but that doesn't mean that he should apologize for being a working actor.
Miles Snow | September 22, 2008 11:50 PM
Sam Jackson was brilliant as Gator the junkie in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever." I believe that was the first movie where people started taking notice of who he was and it helped him get the part of Jules in "Pulp Fiction."
Jackson has done plenty of films since "Pulp Fiction" but only an handful brought out the very best in him.
He was terrific in "Eve's Bayou", "Jackie Brown" and "The Negotiator" which were all decent films. And Jackson also shined in smaller supporting roles in movies like "Kiss of Death", "The Long Kiss Goodnight" and "Unbreakable." And although the movie itself wasn't special, I always thought that Jackson was an ideal heir to Richard Roundtree in John Singleton's "Shaft" remake.
But Jackson has too often lent his talents to cookie cutter, formulaic fare (and even though I enjoyed Jackson in it I must include "Shaft" in this category). I understand that an actor would want to be in films that would do big box office, (and bring about big paychecks), but I'd like to see him do more independent films (or mainstream films that are more character than action and special effects driven).
An actor as good as Jackson shouldn't be taking parts in "Snakes on a Plane" or "Jumper." I'm ready for Spike Lee or Tarantino to take hold of him once again so that he can remind us of how good an actor he can still be.
sammmm | September 22, 2008 11:49 PM
DEEP BLUE MOTHERFUCKIN' SEA. That shit was bad to the bone.
Matt09 | September 22, 2008 8:58 PM
I'd have to go with Jackie Brown. Something with him just clicks when Tarantino's behind the camera.
man | September 22, 2008 8:37 PM
he was really fantastic in Unbreakable.... after that, nothin.........
Adam | September 22, 2008 7:33 PM
Black Snake Moan and The Incredibles probably represent his best movies (I'm not that into Pulp Fiction anyway), followed by Jurassic Park. Can we basically say that his performances that aren't basically a carbon copy of Jules Winnfield are good, and everything else is kind of a tired rehash? I'm even willing to give him Unbreakable (though M. Night hasn't exactly been knocking it out of the park either).
ap | September 22, 2008 4:29 PM
Unbreakable and Black Snake Moan were good, and different.
The question is... | September 22, 2008 4:26 PM
Were's my supersuit woman?
spook76 | September 22, 2008 3:51 PM
After "Pulp Fiction", I think Jackson's best was "The Long Kiss Goodnight". It was also Geens Davis' best, after "Thelma and Louise" and "The Fly".
Movie Mike | September 22, 2008 3:40 PM
The only reason it debuted at #1 is because it was the only thing out there that was new. If that crap starred Bruce Willis, or Christian Bale, or some other decent-sized name...it still would have debuted at #1. It's the middle of September and there just isn't anything else. And $15 mill for an opening weekend isn't jack.
Big Sam has been cashing paychecks for 14 straight years. Remember "The Man" with Eugene Levy? Are you serious? How about "Basic" with Travolta...maybe the worst movie ever.
How 'bout the XXX's, Twisted, Rules of Engagement, or Deep Blue Sea? Horrible. I mean...he gets eaten by a shark about half way into Deep Blue Sea. You serious!!??
MD | September 22, 2008 2:19 PM
Pulp Fiction is the only good work he has done.