Friday, June 25, 2010

Al Pacino's Craziest Rants

Al Pacino is widely regarded as on of the most gifted actors of his generation, with accolades too numerous to name here. It's also widely agreed that sometime after the first two Godfathers and Dog Day Afternoon that he completely lost his shit. For some reason, Al Pacino stopped playing his characters and just played Al Pacino. Gone were subtlety and nuance, and a scenery chewing, overly emoting, rant raving (albeit awesome and highly entertaining) lunatic was born. Here are some of his finest moments.

Glengarry Glen Ross

Such a list requires a little warm up act and here it is. Glengarry Glen Ross is an early 90's indie film about a real estate firm in turmoil. Here, Kevin Spacey spoils a deal for Pacino, and Al proceeds to eviscerate him in a relatively calm and collected manner (at least compared to the rest of the list).
Choice Quote: "I don't care whose nephew you are, who you know, whose dick you're sucking on, you're going out!"

Any Given Sunday

Pacino rocks a pair of killer sideburns in Any Given Sunday about a struggling pro-football team. Here as the head coach, he inspires them by explaining (very loudly) the parallels between football, being a team-player, and being a man in general.
Choice Quote: "...life's just a game of inches..."

The Devil's Advocate

In probably his most brilliantly insane role ever, Pacino plays the Devil himself and screams at the top of his lungs as if he were Mussolini on the balcony. Here, he blasts God to a dumbfounded Keanu Reeves.
Choice Quote: "I'm a fan of man!"
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4 comments:

  1. fordhambatmanJune 26, 2010 at 2:22 PM

    While I love everything about Any Given Sunday, it's his 20 minute rant as the Devil that tops the list.

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  2. I to the CJune 27, 2010 at 1:28 AM

    Many forget but Al Pacino was a graduate of the very same high school we attended. (Yes, the very same school that broke my artistic spirit.) Do you think he played Chinese Poker during class and belts out a 25 minute rant if he lost? Could Mr. Pacino ultimately be 'one of us?'

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  3. I to the CJune 27, 2010 at 1:30 AM

    Correction... Al Pacino only attended our humble school. Per Wikipedia:
    "Pacino attended a school officially named High School of Performing Arts, a division of the Fiorello H. La Guardia High School of Music and the Arts in New York City, the main school of which was attended by Godfather II costar Robert De Niro.[6] Pacino flunked nearly all of his classes except English and dropped out of school at the age of 17."

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  4. I to the CJune 27, 2010 at 1:31 AM

    And in an odd coincidence, one of my favorite Pacino/De Niro films, Heat just started on TNT... wow...

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