Although I have not seen all of his films, these are the ones in which I remember him fondly (most of which were not considered ‘hits’)…

Absence of Malice [1981]
Directed by and co-starring Sydney Pollack, this is easily my favorite Newman film of all time. An intense newsroom thriller; his chemistry with Sallie Field is incredible. Newman received a Best Actor nod.

Harry & Son [1984]
I have no idea why this father-son drama touched me so much when I was younger, but I watched it every time it aired on cable. Co-starring Robby Benson.

The Hudsucker Proxy [1994]
An underrated Coen Brothers film. And the one where serious thespians Newman, Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh were actually…damn funny.

Road to Perdition [2002]
I’m still not sure why this one wasn’t more successful at the box office.  Newman received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in this dark tale of family loyalty. From director Sam Mendes, co-starring Tom Hanks and Daniel Craig.

Empire Falls [2005]
A very well produced HBO miniseries with a stellar cast (Newman & Woodward, Ed Harris, Helen Hunt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright Penn and Aidan Quinn).  Newman received both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

Of course he was more well known for and fantastic in Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Color of Money (for which he received his only Oscar – Best Actor) and Cars (as the voice of Doc).

But perhaps the most impressive characteristic of Paul Newman was his amazing generosity. Long before the days of well publicized celebrity adoptions and financial contributions to various causes, Newman created a very successful company (Newman’s Own) whose profits are donated entirely to charity. His philanthropy was unprecedented and his spirit will be missed.

Although it was not obvious from the trailer, Burn After Reading belongs to John Malkovich. 

I look back at his vast career and do not tend to say, “that John Malkovich is funny!”  Primarily, I think about The Killing Fields. Dangerous Liaisons. Even Con Air. He plays both dead serious and bad ass quite well, as you are well aware.

In Burn After Reading, you will find yourself laughing AT Malkovich for his exasperation, expression and delivery. But his character also has the honor of inflicting the film’s most heinous crime.

Burn After Reading features quite the ensemble; in addition to Academy Award winners George Clooney (Syriana), Frances McDormand (Fargo) and Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton), and the previously nominated Malkovich (Places in the Heart, In the Line of Fire) and Brad Pitt (Twelve Monkeys), the movie’s best moments belong to JK Simmons (Juno, Thank You For Smoking) and underrated character actor Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under).

As I watched this film unfold, my mind wandered in two directions. First, the Coen brothers were clearly yearning to return to lighter fare after No Country For Old Men. Second, these actors had a hell of a good time making this movie together. Clooney, Pitt and Swinton are frequent co-stars, and obviously McDormand is married to co-writer/co-director Joel Coen. Their combined comfort level is not a detriment; it is simply an observation.

After listening to a group of very passionate women at Comic-Con earlier this summer imploring me to read Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (imagine Beatles/Backstreet Boys level fanaticism during their heyday…but for a book), I finally gave in and bought it.  The aim is to finish it by Sunday.

The expectations for the film adaptation appear to be astronomical, and I’m sure that the dedicated masses will both dissect it to pieces and contribute to its monster success at the box office.

And even though I’ve been anxiously awaiting the debut of Alan Ball’s True Blood on HBO, my TiVO is apparently not a fan of bloodsuckers; it has failed to record the premiere episode every single time thus far. Crossing fingers for a successful effort tonight…stay tuned for a review this weekend.

Here are a few on my must-see list:

AUSTRALIA
Release date: November 26, 2008
Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman. Directed by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge).

BLINDNESS
Release date: October 3, 2008
Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny Glover, Sandra Oh. Directed by Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardner).

CHANGELING
Release date: October 31, 2008
Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Amy Ryan. Directed by Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby).

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Release date: December 25, 2008
Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton. Directed by David Fincher (Zodiac, Fight Club).

DOUBT
Release date: December 25, 2008
Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Directed by John Patrick Shanley.

THE DUCHESS
Release date: September 2008 tbd
Kiera Knightly, Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Saul Dibb.

MILK
Release date: November 26, 2008
Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna. Directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting).

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Release date: October 2008 tbd
Anne Hathaway, Debra Winger. Directed by Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia).

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Release date: December 26, 2008
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet. Directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty).

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
Release date: November 2008 tbd
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hope Davis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams. Directed by Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

THE SPIRIT
Release date: December 25, 2008
Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King, Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson. Directed by Frank Miller (300, Sin City).

W
Release date: October 17, 2008
Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn, Richard Dreyfuss, Scott Glenn, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright. Directed by Oliver Stone.

Of course there are many other new releases in the coming months which I’d like to see, but not necessarily in the theater.

Which fall & winter movies top your list?

CSI. Law & Order: SVU. Touched by an Angel. NCIS. Crossing Jordan. Robot Chicken…and a little show called Lost.

What do those films and TV series’ have in common? They’ve all featured William Mapother, whom I was honored to interview over on my Lost blog.  He was nice enough to take the time out of his busy rehearsal schedule to answer a few questions; a very kind and fan-friendly actor!