|
|
Post by urbanpatrician on Jun 20, 2020 8:35:27 GMT
Two pop culture icons. I love writing about pop culture.
Basinger from 1984-1997 was pretty cool. She's not Jessica Lange or Glenn Close, but she's in some of the most popular films of the Bird-Jordan era. It started with The Natural.... first time I thought she was a great addition to an all-star cast which in 1984 that movie must've meant a lot more than it does now. Then in 1986 anyone who knows pop culture knows the scene sex with Rourke in 9 1/2 weeks, then...... Batman (where I thought she was quite good) where she was her characteristic frail and weak-and-meek speaking self. Lost somewhere in those films is Fool for Love - which I give her a nomination for. Then in 1994, another entertaining presence in an action film alongside Alec Baldwin - The Getaway. I think the Oscar she won is largely because she's been here quite long at that point - although known primarily for being a pop culture icon - that they gave her that mandatory "been here long enough, we'll give you an Oscar for your longtime contributions to movies" ala Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side.
Sharon Stone can partially thank Michelle Pfeiffer for essentially her career. She got propelled to super stardom after Basic Instinct. Not that Verhoeven didn't like her enough to cast her, but I'm guessing the pecking order at the time was that Pfeiffer was an A-lister, and Stone was just there,..... as I don't remember a whole lot written about her before Basic Instinct. But as soon as that movie came around, she gets put in all types of frontlining films. Streak lasted all through the 90s in an abundance of films that were seen with her as a household name that everyone knew. I feel like the end of her run was Gloria (1999). Can't believe she got a Razzie nod for a Sidney Lumet film, but it's probably because the movie was seen as terrible... but at that point, it was about time to move on from her.
I don't know who I pick. I think Stone's iconography in Basic Instinct is the strongest remaining residue of both's career, but Kim has been in more films that were good, where she was good, and was worth remembering.
|
|
|
|
Post by pupdurcs on Jun 20, 2020 10:06:34 GMT
Here's a controversial opinion. I think Basinger gave the best female performance in any of the Batman movies (including the Nolan films). Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman may take those plaudits (I get it, it's edgy work and I rate it too), but Basinger's Vicki Vale was a damned near perfect performance. It was a true throwback to the kind of sassy performance that true golden age stars like Carole Lombard would give. In her own way, Basinger was just as good as Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson in Batman '89. Her combination of screwball comedy and playing it straight down the middle is exceptional, and was taken for granted. If she was that great in every movie, she'd have been as big a star as Julia Roberts.
She's good in other things, but that was the apex of her as a movie star, when she shone the brightest. It's a hugely undervalued performance. Her Oscar winning work in LA Confidential pales in comparison.
But Stone's peaks, though extremely limited in number are probably greater. She's incredible in both Basic Instinct and Casino, and mediocre in almost everything else (except Totall Recall).
This is a good comparison actually, as they are quite evenly matched. Basinger was good more often though, and her peak is underrated. I'll give it to Kim. But this is a toss-up. Next week I could give it to Sharon.
|
|
|
|
Post by urbanpatrician on Jun 20, 2020 10:34:49 GMT
Here's a controversial opinion. I think Basinger gave the best female performance in any of the Batman movies (including the Nolan films). Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman may take those plaudits (I get it, it's edgy work and I rate it too), but Basinger's Vicki Vale was a damned near perfect performance. It was a true throwback to the kind of sassy performance that true golden age stars like Carole Lombard would give. In her own way, Basinger was just as good as Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson in Batman '89. Her combination of screwball comedy and playing it straight down the middle is exceptional, and was taken for granted. If she was that great in every movie, she'd have been as big a star as Julia Roberts. She's good in other things, but that was the apex of her as a movie star, when she shone the brightest. It's a hugely undervalued performance. Her Oscar winning work in LA Confidential pales in comparison. But Stone's peaks, though extremely limited in number are probably greater. She's incredible in both Basic Instinct and Casino, and mediocre in almost everything else (except Totall Recall).This is a good comparison actually, as they are quite evenly matched. Basinger was good more often though, and her peak is underrated. I'll give it to Kim. But this is a toss-up. Next week I could give it to Shar Well.... Juno Temple was better than Hathaway so it doesn't take a whole lot to be better than that.  And Emily Browning - Sucker Punch > both Cotillard and Hathaway combined. But fuck, we agree again.  You are my only equal in terms of pop culture insights. (maybe pacinoyes the only other) I have Basinger in my supporting actress lineup of 1989 and I feel she's actually my favorite from the year, though maybe not the best. Angelica Huston was in Lonesome Dove, Enemies: A Love Story (on fire that year) along with Lena Olin. And Bridget Fonda was pretty cool in Scandal too. I like Basinger a lot, she plays a supportive love interest very well, she always has a tender and frail thing that just gets me every time. I think above all what kept Basinger below Roberts is she lacks the America's Sweetheart factor. She was never gonna be bigger than Roberts without that inherent advantage which was the widest marketable aspect in the 90s - a decade of the America's Sweethearts. I mean there were some in the 70s: Keaton, McGraw, Mason, Field but don't think any of those were anywhere as "sweet" as Witherspoon, Roberts, Bullock, Ryan, etc. I'm not too thrilled with Pfeiffer in Batman Returns. I mean, yeah... of course she deserves a nomination but I'm not seeing it as her career best work which some people automatically name it because..... they haven't seen The Fabulous Baker Boys or Love Field - she was way better in both. Not to mention The Age of Innocence. I definitely prefer Basinger too. And agreed on Stone. Those are the two that stand out from her filmography. She was part of some fun movies, like Total Recall (those antics are exactly why Verhoeven cast her, the first glimpses that she had the ability to create a wildly original character like Catherine Trammel), Sphere, and The Quick and the Dead but her movies are generally too terrible to remember. |
|
|
|
Post by TerryMontana on Jun 20, 2020 13:18:41 GMT
Basinger is a far better actress than Stone.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kirk-Picard on Jun 20, 2020 15:50:17 GMT
Neither
|
|
morton
Based
Posts: 2,811
Likes: 2,954
|
Post by morton on Jun 20, 2020 16:24:14 GMT
lol, they have their great moments, but they can definitely be the worst. I had to go with Sharon Stone though just because I feel she was way more charismatic, maybe not necessarily more talented, but at least I get why she was a star during her time at the top. With Basinger, while she could be good, I felt she was pretty dull when she was at her lowest moments and just let her stunning looks do most of the work at times. |
|
|
|
Post by therealcomicman117 on Jun 20, 2020 16:47:12 GMT
lol, they have their great moments, but they can definitely be the worst. I had to go with Sharon Stone though just because I feel she was way more charismatic, maybe not necessarily more talented, but at least I get why she was a star during her time at the top. With Basinger, while she could be good, I felt she was pretty dull when she was at her lowest moments and just let her stunning looks do most of the work at times. I think neither actress is especially great and they mostly have poor filmographies, but Stone at least played some nasty femme fatale villain type roles really well. Basinger tried her best with similar roles, but she came off more "fake", then anything. |
|
|
|
Post by Allenism on Jun 20, 2020 16:56:35 GMT
Sharon and it's not especially close. Kim outside of a few performances later in her career is pretty limited and often lifeless. Sharon can chew the scenery but she's also turned in a few legitimately great performances e.g., Basic Instinct, Casino.
|
|
avnermoriarti
Badass
Friends say I’ve changed. They’re right.
Posts: 2,388 
Likes: 1,271
|
Post by avnermoriarti on Jun 20, 2020 17:15:47 GMT
the one who's not a mannequin
|
|
|
|
Post by HELENA MARIA on Jun 20, 2020 17:16:45 GMT
Sharon for sure
|
|
|
|
Post by bob-coppola on Jun 20, 2020 17:20:02 GMT
What did Sharon Stone do to you to be compared to Kim Basinger? Poor Stone...
|
|
|
|
Post by thomasjerome on Jun 20, 2020 17:30:25 GMT
Guess I'll go with Basinger even though I like them both. I've found myself very impressed with the dimensions she found even in roles like "9 1/2 Weeks" and "Foul for Love". Then there are her soulful turn in "The Natural", a complex character work in "The Door in the Floor" and she also can be very entertaining in thrillers like "Final Analysis". Even though her character has not much of an arc or whatsoever, "L.A. Confidential" is still a great testament to her charismatic screen presence.
|
|
|
|
Post by cheesecake on Jun 22, 2020 2:55:07 GMT
Basinger, by a lot.
|
|
|
|
Post by cheesecake on Jun 22, 2020 2:55:53 GMT
Guess I'll go with Basinger even though I like them both. I've found myself very impressed with the dimensions she found even in roles like "9 1/2 Weeks" and "Foul for Love". Then there are her soulful turn in "The Natural", a complex character work in "The Door in the Floor" and she also can be very entertaining in thrillers like "Final Analysis". Even though her character has not much of an arc or whatsoever, "L.A. Confidential" is still a great testament to her charismatic screen presence. Love how many genres she's tackled. Speaking of thrillers, I love Cellular way too much. |
|
|
|
Post by thomasjerome on Jun 22, 2020 10:20:14 GMT
Guess I'll go with Basinger even though I like them both. I've found myself very impressed with the dimensions she found even in roles like "9 1/2 Weeks" and "Foul for Love". Then there are her soulful turn in "The Natural", a complex character work in "The Door in the Floor" and she also can be very entertaining in thrillers like "Final Analysis". Even though her character has not much of an arc or whatsoever, "L.A. Confidential" is still a great testament to her charismatic screen presence. Love how many genres she's tackled. Speaking of thrillers, I love Cellular way too much. Same here  And that's a very fine performance as well; she sells her character's fear and courage effectively. |
|
|
|
Post by cheesecake on Jun 22, 2020 15:22:57 GMT
Love how many genres she's tackled. Speaking of thrillers, I love Cellular way too much. Same here And that's a very fine performance as well; she sells her character's fear and courage effectively. "YOU NAMED YOUR KID RICKY MARTIN?" |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2022 20:36:51 GMT
|
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 1,558
|
Post by Nikan on Jun 13, 2022 20:42:04 GMT
I do like Basinger's win for L.A Confidential, but Stone got more presence and... excitement.
|
|
And Emily Browning - Sucker Punch > both Cotillard and Hathaway combined. 
You are my only equal in terms of pop culture insights. (maybe pacinoyes the only other) I have Basinger in my supporting actress lineup of 1989 and I feel she's actually my favorite 
And that's a very fine performance as well; she sells her character's fear and courage effectively.
