The new World War II drama The Monuments Men hits theaters this Friday. And while the film isn't exactly a masterpiece, it is a nice change from the tired buddy cop comedies and low-budget horror flicks that usually dominate the early months of the Hollywood calendar.
Oscar nominee Bill Murray is one of several big stars to appear in The Monuments Men. We suspect he's also on the brain of many comedy buffs given that Groundhog Day occurred earlier this week.
Murray has enjoyed an interesting career, first starring in countless mainstream Hollywood comedies in the '80s and '90s before transitioning to more independent and intellectual fare in recent years. It's a resume robust enough that we had to give him the Top 15 treatment instead of the usual top 10, and it's a lineup that includes a quirky blend of iconic comedies and off-kilter collaborations with the likes of Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch.
Wild Things is probably best remembered for its risque sex scenes, but there was a smart little suspense thriller lurking beneath all the bikinis and sexual intrigue. That's the charm of Wild Things - it manages to be both intelligent and proudly lowbrow at the same time.
The movie revolves around a teacher (Matt Dillon), his lawyer (Murray), two comely students (Denise Richards and Neve Campbell), and a police investigator (Kevin Bacon), all caught up in a web of lies, lawsuits, and betrayals. Viewers are confronted with one twist after another as each character tried to scheme their way to the finish line and a massive payday. All of this deceit is bolstered by strong chemistry between the actors, who seemed to relish the lurid characters and subject matter.
Wild Things eventually spawned three direct-to-video sequels, but the quality predictably took an immediate nosedive.
Professional bowling is serious business, but that doesn't mean it can't also be mined for comedic gold. That was the thinking behind this 1996 comedy from the Farrelly brothers. Woody Harrelson starred as a down-on-his-luck, one-handed bowler named Roy Munson, while Randy Quaid starred as his naive protege, Ishamel Boorg. Murray played the nefarious villain, Ernie McCracken, who dueled Munson in a climactic face-off with $500,000 on the line.
If not as fondly remembered as movies like Dumb & Dumber or There's Something About Mary, Kingpin is nonetheless one of the funniest efforts from the Farrelly brothers. It's always a treat to see Murray play the villain, as his biting humor makes him a natural fit for that role. It didn't hurt that Murray has some real bowling chops, pulling off an impressive three strikes in a row in one take. If that acting thing ever dries up, at least he has something to fall back on.
Stripes is a military-themed comedy that started life with the pitch "Cheech and Chong join the army." Eventually Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong were replaced by Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, but otherwise the movie played out pretty much like you'd expect. Murray and Ramis played two bumbling losers who join the army and manage to get themselves into all sorts of crazy hijinks.
Stripes is a memorable chance to see Murray and Ramis doing their thing together three years before Ghostbusters made them superstars. The movie also boasts a robust lineup of comedians and supporting actors, including John Candy, Warren Oates, Judge Reinhold, and John Larroquette.
Director Wes Anderson tends to include a lot of familiar faces in each new film. And the cast of Fantastic Mr. Fox was certainly a familiar bunch, including Anderson vets like Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson alongside newcomers like George Clooney and Meryl Streep. But cast aside, this was a very different effort from Anderson. Not only is Fantastic Mr. Fox his first film adapted from another story (in this case, the classic Roald Dahl children's book), it's also his first animated film. Stop-motion animated, no less.
As unique as the visuals are, many of Anderson's distinctive trademark elements are still very much in play. Fantastic Mr. Fox is an impeccably crafted and very charming adventure that puts its robust vocal cast to full use. If it didn't come out the same year as Coraline and Up, it would be the clear choice for best animated film of 2009. But that's still very good company to be in.
Murray's role in Zombieland is only a glorified cameo, and wasn't even advertised beforehand. But as it's one of the funniest and most unexpected cameos in recent memory, the film definitely deserves a nod here.
Zombieland follows the cross-country journey of four survivors of a zombie apocalypse (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) as they search for a California amusement park supposedly free from infection. Their most memorable stop along the way comes when they spend the night in Bill Murray's abandoned mansion. Or seemingly abandoned, rather, as Murray rears his head and reveals he survived the outbreak by disguising himself as a zombie. Thus begins a brief but memorable friendship as the quartet bond with Murray and reenact moments from Ghostbusters using Murray's authentic proton pack prop.
Murray has developed a reputation as a fickle actor who only tackles roles he finds intellectually stimulating. This brief role proved that he is willing to just cut loose and have fun on screen. And it gave us hope that maybe Murray doesn't hate the Ghostbusters franchise as much as he seems to, and that a sequel could still happen some day.
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