An El Guapo tribute:
Kevin Costner is fucking awesome. Pt. 2
Continuing my tribute to Kevin Coster, Part 2 focuses on the later part of Kevin's career, from the controversial Waterworld to last year's Swing Vote. Like a fine wine, Costner got better with age, making even bigger and better movies during the second half of his career. I won't be touching upon every single one of his movies, because my butt will hurt if I sit in this chair for six hours, so I'll be touching upon the movies most know and love. (Which is of course, all of them, but you know what I mean.) And at the end of the article, look for two images from Kevin's upcoming movie, The New Daughter.
Did you miss Part 1? Shame on you! Click HERE to read it, then cowboy on back to Part 2!
In my first of a series of actor tributes, I want to celebrate the man known to all of us as Kevin Costner. Kevin is a dying breed in Hollywood. An actor who can play the good guy, the bad guy and the tough guy. While most actors of today barely look like they can hit their marks, Kevin can still show that he's one of the greatest actors this generation has ever seen. He's played a cowboy, a baseball player, a bodyguard, and a serial killer. His box office gross is north of $1.4 billion dollars. The man can write and direct. From movies to music, Kevin Costner is fucking awesome.
Kevin Costner was born January 18th, 1955 in Lynwood, California. Growing up in various parts of California, it wasn't until college that he decide to pursue acting. At the age of 19, he got his first role in Sizzle Beach U.S.A., but that film wasn't released until after he became a star. It wasn't until 1985 when he appeared in Silverado did Hollywood and movie goers stand up and take notice about this rising star. After his breakout success with Dances With Wolves, Kevin has been one of the most entertaining actors to ever hit the big screen. In part 2 of my tribute, let's take a look back at some of the later kick ass films of Kevin Costner.
Wyatt Earp (1994)
Kevin's love for western films continues. While most people loved Tombstone, I actually thought Wyatt Earp was a much more accurate and better portrayal of the life and times of this famous lawman. Costner once again shows that with a little grit, a cool looking duster, and a shotgun, you too can clean up the streets of your dingy western town. Wyatt Earp is so awesome, Kevin's first born son's middle name is Wyatt. Makes me want to change my totally wussy middle name.
Waterworld (1995)
Dude. Whatever. Waterworld kicked ass. Costner once again does what no other filmmaker could do by making a movie that takes place entirely on water. Dennis Hopper plays the eye patch wearing Deacon and Costner has to protect that flat chested chick from Baywatch and her stupid kid from the 'smokers' in their search for dry land. And for a film that is supposedly one of Hollywood's biggest flops, it seemed to fair ok, almost doubling its $175 million production cost by taking in just over $264 million worldwide. Stuff that up your pipe Michael Bay. Costner knew how to make 'em big before you ever got the rep.
The Postman (1997)
Ok, so you didn't like The Postman. Fair enough, it's not a movie for everyone. But it is a film for everyone who thinks Kevin Costner IS FUCKING AWESOME. Despite the stupid acting by Tom Petty, The Postman was a pretty cool futuristic movie with Costner doing what nobody else would do. Deliver that piece of mail and reopen world communications. Wonder how much a stamp will cost in ten years?
For Love of the Game (1999)
For Love of the Game goes back and forth, from the mound to Billy Chapel's personal life and how this last game of his career could be his greatest. Will Billy pitch the perfect game and realize he has to stop acting like a boy and more like a man? Guess you'll have to watch it to find out. Wait, you haven't seen this yet? Minus 5 points for Gryffindor!
Thirteen Days (2000)
I got yelled at for skipping JFK in Part 1 of my tribute, so I can least make up for some of that ground by including Thirteen Days, the story about the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Kevin plays Kenny O'Donnell, who was a special assistant to the White House. You want history? Go to school. You want the truth? Watch a Kevin Costner movie.
3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)
Kevin Costner plays the King? Nobody is more fun to watch on screen then Kevin playing the bad guy, a role he excels in. Kevin plays Murphy, part of a gang of cons who all dress like Elvis impersonators during Elvis week in Las Vegas to rip off of a casino. Of course, things go wrong and Kurt and Kevin end up going after each other. It's a really fun movie and one that is, dare I say it? Fucking awesome.
Open Range (2003)
Open Range has to be one of the greatest westerns ever made, right next to The Searchers and Unforgiven. Kevin plays Charley Waite, a free grazer trying to make a living with his partner Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall). Things are going fine until one of their helping hands doesn't come back from a trip into town for supplies. The 20 minute end gun fight is one of the most realistic western gun fights ever put on film. It's gritty, raw, and you never know what's going to happen. It's a shame the Academy overlooked Open Range, but that's ok. We know what kind of masterpiece you made Kevin, and we're hoping you've got one more western left in you.
The Upside of Anger (2005)
Kevin plays, what else, a retired baseball player who befriends Terry (Joan Allen) a woman who believes her husband ran off on her and her family. The movie is a really funny romantic comedy that probably wouldn't have been as good as it was had it not been for the performance of Kevin Costner. Oh, who am I kidding, no movie is as good unless Kevin Costner is in it.
The Guardian (2006)
Even though it stars Aston Kutcher, Kevin Costner keeps this action movie from drowning. The Guardian is about a Coast Guard instructor trying to teach a young hot shot AST student the ways of the water. With the death of one of his ex workers still haunting him, and his wife wanting a separation, Kevin does everything he can to keep his life and the lives of those in danger...wait for it...afloat.
Mr. Brooks (2007)
You missed this gem of a thriller? You moron. Mr. Brooks is one of the best serial killer movies to come out in years. Kevin plays the psychopath Earl Brooks, a man so good at what he does, he's never caught. And what he does well is kill people. The scenes between Kevin and William Hurt are fantastic and despite that enormous douchebag Dane Cook being in the movie, Mr. Brooks is still a must see. Just like every other Kevin Costner movie.
Swing Vote (2008)
It's too bad more people didn't catch this funny, lighthearted comedy about one man who gains national attention when it's discovered that his one vote will decide the presidential election. Actually, I've always believed our right to vote should be taken away and simply decided by Kevin Costner. The world would be a much better place. And I'd get less junk mail.
The New Daughter (2009)
No poster yet for this upcoming Kevin Costner movie about but here's the synopsis as posted on IMDB:
Costner will play John James, a single father who moves to a farm with his two kids after a painful divorce. Soon, his daughter (Ivana Baquero of "Pan's Labyrinth") starts behaving ominously, and Dad begins to suspect that the burial mound in a nearby field might have something to do with it.
As promised, here are two images from The New Daughter starring Kevin Costner.
That's it! That concludes my tribute to one of Hollywood's greatest actors, Kevin Costner. I hope you enjoyed both Part 1 and part 2 of this tribute.
Stayed tuned, because I've already got my next actor lined up for a future tribute article. Can you guess who it is? Whomever it is, you can guarantee that like Kevin Costner, they're fucking awesome.
Comment below on how fucking awesome Kevin Costner is or e-mail:
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