The Thursday Afternoon Heavyweight Debate

[RedKnight]

Who do you prefer; De Niro or Pacino?

 

Both powerhouse actors with a stunning array of films between them. Both are committed, character actors who throw themselves into their parts.

 

For Pacino, the guy is just mesmerising to watch in nearly every film he's in. From the war hero turned mafia don in The Godfather or the cop fighting his own side in Serpico, he's amazing. Take his over the top performance in Scarface and ability to down play a role like The Insider or Insomnia.

 

De Niro's performances are some of the most memorable committed to film. His all Italian speaking part in The Godfather Part II, his excessive weight gain for Raging Bull, the man hanging on to his sanity in Taxi Driver and I haven't even mentioned Goodfellas.

 

Plus the two working together on Micheal Mann's Heat.

 

Choose your side.

[bri]

you talking to me!!!

 

bob every time for me. although both have made a fair few shockers in their time. Infact maybe DeNiro more so. But his Scorsese epics do it for me.

[Stouffer]

Who do you prefer; De Niro or Pacino?

 

Both powerhouse actors with a stunning array of films between them. Both are committed, character actors who throw themselves into their parts.

 

For Pacino, the guy is just mesmerising to watch in nearly every film he's in. From the war hero turned mafia don in The Godfather or the cop fighting his own side in Serpico, he's amazing. Take his over the top performance in Scarface and ability to down play a role like The Insider or Insomnia.

 

De Niro's performances are some of the most memorable committed to film. His all Italian speaking part in The Godfather Part II, his excessive weight gain for Raging Bull, the man hanging on to his sanity in Taxi Driver and I haven't even mentioned Goodfellas.

 

Plus the two working together on Micheal Mann's Heat.

 

Choose your side.

 

De Niro as he was in Goodfellas (Greatest film of all time.) and Pacino (Scarface the second greatest film of all time.) wasn't.

 

Damn close call tho'.

 

This baby is gonna get heated.

[wiiksie]

Good choice of poll RK.

 

My vote goes to Pacino because:

 

1) He had the best role in the Godfather

 

2) He wasn't in analyse this

 

3) Ive met him

 

4) Kevin spacey does the fucking best pacino impression on the planet

 

5) He kills De Niro in Heat

 

6) He's less of a cliche than bobby

 

But having said all that, my fave film of all time is still goodfellas, mostly down to Pesci though.

[RedKnight]

you talking to me!!!

 

bob every time for me. although both have made a fair few shockers in their time. Infact maybe DeNiro more so. But his Scorsese epics do it for me.

 

Especially in the last decade. Anyone remember De Niro in Rocky and Bullwinkle, Showtime or Godsend? Or Pacino in The Devil's Advocate, S1m0ne or The Recruit?

 

Both have done unheralded work too. Pacino was hidden under a ton of make-up in Dick Tracy and did two personal but interesting films in Looking For Richard and The Merchant Of Venice.

 

De Niro was awesome in The Untouchables and shows a great comic touch in Meet The parents.

[Michael Howard]

Gone for De Niro - he was ace in "Meet the Fockers" - "now listen here focker . . ." - gets me every time.

[RedKnight]

Good choice of poll RK.

 

My vote goes to Pacino because:

 

1) He had the best role in the Godfather

 

2) He wasn't in analyse this

 

3) Ive met him

 

4) Kevin spacey does the fucking best pacino impression on the planet

 

5) He kills De Niro in Heat

 

6) He's less of a cliche than bobby

 

But having said all that, my fave film of all time is still goodfellas, mostly down to Pesci though.

 

You've met him? Holy shit that's awesome. What's the story behind it?

[aws]

De Niro for me.

 

You didn't mention Once Upon A Time In America where he was just great in a role which demanded so much more than the usual gangster movie. The cut-away scene at the end where he lies on the bed in the opium den smiling to himself is one of the most haunting scenes ever.You can taste the nostalgia just looking in his eyes.

[RedKnight]

De Niro for me.

 

You didn't mention Once Upon A Time In America where he was just great in a role which demanded so much more than the usual gangster movie. The cut-away scene at the end where he lies on the bed in the opium den smiling to himself is one of the most haunting scenes ever.You can taste the nostalgia just looking in his eyes.

 

You see, they both have such an astounding range of movies you always end up forgetting one. There's Casino and Mean Streets too. Angel Heart and The Mission have their fans too (not me though).

[wiiksie]

You've met him? Holy shit that's awesome. What's the story behind it?

was seeing a lass a few years ago and she was going to drama school, so got a load of chairty tickets for the premiere of some shakespearian thing pacino directed (living with richard or summat). so down to the smoke, full paparrazi treatment. anyway, went to some after-permiere bullshit party thing and he was there. top man. Short as fuck though.

[Jose Jones]

This is fucking tricky.

I think De Niro does better character acting whereas Pacino is better at the understated stuff. He can still pull off an everyday bloke whereas if it's De Niro, you're thinking it's De Niro the whole time.

Erm.

Gonna go Pacino.

[wiiksie]

De Niro for me.

 

You didn't mention Once Upon A Time In America where he was just great in a role which demanded so much more than the usual gangster movie. The cut-away scene at the end where he lies on the bed in the opium den smiling to himself is one of the most haunting scenes ever.You can taste the nostalgia just looking in his eyes.

Thats an extremely good shout.

 

But I'll counter it with the scene in GF II when pacino tells fredo he knows he betrayed him to hymen roth.

[RedKnight]

was seeing a lass a few years ago and she was going to drama school, so got a load of chairty tickets for the premiere of some shakespearian thing pacino directed (living with richard or summat). so down to the smoke, full paparrazi treatment. anyway, went to some after-permiere bullshit party thing and he was there. top man. Short as fuck though.

 

Did you have a conversation with him? Did you call him Al (Paul Simon gag alert) or Mr Pacino?

[Stouffer]

You see, they both have such an astounding range of movies you always end up forgetting one. There's Casino and Mean Streets too. Angel Heart and The Mission have their fans too (not me though).

 

Taxi driver too.

 

Hey, I'm not square, you're the one that's square. Your full of shit, man. What are you talking about? You walk out with those fuckin' creeps and low-lifes and degenerates out on the streets and you sell your little pussy for peanuts? For some low-life pimp who stands in the hall? And I'm square? You're the one that's square, man. I don't go screwing fuck with bunch of killers and junkies like you do. You call that bein' hip? What world are you from?

 

All the animals come out at night - whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal. Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets.

[aws]

was seeing a lass a few years ago and she was going to drama school, so got a load of chairty tickets for the premiere of some shakespearian thing pacino directed (living with richard or summat). so down to the smoke, full paparrazi treatment. anyway, went to some after-permiere bullshit party thing and he was there. top man. Short as fuck though.

 

Did you introduce him to your leeetl fren?

[wiiksie]

Did you have a conversation with him? Did you call him Al (Paul Simon gag alert) or Mr Pacino?

hehe yeah, mumbled a few words to him about some shite, but remember wishing Id said something like 'wadda bout them red sox huh? sheesh'. he did thank me for going though (as all premieres are for charridy).

[wiiksie]

Did you introduce him to your leeetl fren?

:D:D

 

fuck, just rememebered another pacino classic, carlito's way:

 

"you think you're big time? you're gonna fuckin die, big time"

[RedKnight]

A few more to throw into the mix.

 

For Pacino we have Dog Day Afternoon, Glengarry Glen Ross, Donnie Brasco, Carlito's Way and Scent Of A Woman.

 

For De Niro we have Cape Fear, The King Of Comedy, The Deer Hunter, Backdraft and Midnight Run.

[LEF]

Pacino for me.

I feel de niro has slightly tarnished his name with certain films in recent years. Although at his best he is as good if not better than al.

[wiiksie]

A few more to throw into the mix.

 

For Pacino we have Dog Day Afternoon, Glengarry Glen Ross, Donnie Brasco, Carlito's Way and Scent Of A Woman.

 

For De Niro we have Cape Fear, The King Of Comedy, The Deer Hunter, Backdraft and Midnight Run.

I love all those films except scent of a woman.

 

Glengarry glenn ross is often overlooked, but its genius. and I think walken steals the show in deerhunter. saw cape fear again recently, thats a fucking good remake n'all.

[RedKnight]

I love all those films except scent of a woman.

 

Glengarry glenn ross is often overlooked, but its genius. and I think walken steals the show in deerhunter. saw cape fear again recently, thats a fucking good remake n'all.

 

It's twisted. De Niro makes a good fist of being a complete pyschopath.

 

A lot of people don't like Scent Of A Woman, I put it down to Chris O Donnell being in it. He's rubbish and he knows it.

[Stu Monty]

I can't make my mind up. King of Comedy is a little appreciated gem from the above.

[Paul]

How anyone can vote for Pacino is beyond me. Great though he undoubtedly is, he too often falls into shouting mode just for the hell of it. De Niro, for me, is the greatest screen actor of all time. The subtleties of his performances are incredible: sometimes it's a slight gesture or other times he'll twitch his cheek in a certain way, but he always exudes the character he's playing. I think he'd be useless on stage because his movements would be lost, whereas Pacino would be perfect for the theatre.

[Jose Jones]

It's twisted. De Niro makes a good fist of being a complete pyschopath.

 

A lot of people don't like Scent Of A Woman, I put it down to Chris O Donnell being in it. He's rubbish and he knows it.

 

Without Scent of a Woman I wouldn't be able to do my comedy Pacino impression.

Mate in pub: "What do you think about that girl over there?"

Me: "Don't think much of her face.... but she's got a greeeaaat ass! Woo haa!!"

Hours of fun.

[Guest Will Warmer]

You see, they both have such an astounding range of movies you always end up forgetting one. There's Casino and Mean Streets too. Angel Heart and The Mission have their fans too (not me though).

 

Angel heart is a head fuck of a film to follow (Let me know if I'm alliterating a bit too much or not enough here by the way) but very good. I have it on VHS if anyone wants me to send them a picture of it on the shelf.

The more I think about Pacino the more I am drawn to picking him but De Niro is just too much of a violent man for me to let that pussy win so I will close my eyes and vote for De Niro....and nearly fall over my mouse wire attempting to do that. Anyway De Niro it is guys, so if your weak willed, follow me...