I am Dracula, and I bid you welcome....

This is a tribute to my favorite actor of all time, Gary Oldman. He is simply the most talented and underappreciated actor of our time. The only guy that comes remotely close would be Paul Giamatti since Johnny Depp has recently been recognized for his body of work. Gary as an actor has played everything from Sid Vicious to Dr. Smith.




His potrayal in True Romance as Drexl Spivey was classic!
In "The Contender" he plays Sheldon Runyon.
This was just another example of how he becomes a character.














Raise your hand if you have seen Bram Stoker's Dracula? This movie has the bizarre designation of the "Best" horror movie with the worst casting. Not understanding?Well allow me to retort. Gary Oldman single handedly carries this movie with what I believe is the best Dracula to ever grace the silver screen. He had to do this whilst being bombarded by horrible on all sides. His only ally in good acting is Tom Waits. I can deal with Hopkins in the movie but some can't stand the slight Hannibal nod, given by him. I once read that Gary verbally abused Winona to the point of tears just to try and get more depth out of her. That aside this still stands as my favorite Gary movie if only for the chance to hear him talk in Romanian. I love the first 20 minutes of this movie more than any other horror movie in it's entirety.

I want to give mention to a few of his best performances. State of Grace, Sid & Nancy, The Professional, & Romeo is Bleeding. There was no better choice than G.O. to play Jim Gordon in Batman Begins. G.O. as Sirius Black is my favorite part of that entire series. His performance in Red Dragon as Mason Verger.








Finally, the Scarlet Letter. This movie was so scorned by critics that I didn't bother to see it in the theatre. However, when I did finally watch it Gary makes this a completely enjoyable movie and that is not just Oldman reverence.

When watching a play or movie in which Gary Oldman acts, a curious thing often happens to the audience. The film ceases to be a film- it becomes real, it overwhelms the senses and draws one in to the fantasy. The emotions of the characters are one's own. The Greek word for such a powerful experience is 'catharsis', and seeing Gary Oldman act brings this word to mind. For such is his power- he completely draws in his audience- you feel you are there, living the character's events and feelings. An actor who can do this is often called brilliant, and that describes him perfectly.



All hail to the Old-man!

Yes even you Han Solo and Gary won't wait for you to shoot first!