Samuel L. Jackson’s 10 Best Movies

Samuel L. Jackson, like fellow actors Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones, came late to superstardom.  Jackson was in his mid-40s when his career began to skyrocket with roles in Jurassic Park and his first of six partnerships with Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction.  Despite the late start, Jackson quickly became known as one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood.  His filmography has over 100 movies on it as Jackson continues to make several film appearances every year.  A huge comic book fan himself, Jackson’s Nick Fury was the backbone of the early MCU.  His Nick Fury was so popular that the character in the comics was redesigned to bear his likeness.  His plus-sized personality and range continue to grow (practice, if nothing else, makes perfect) and heading into his 70s, Jackson is as big a star as he ever was.

Octavia Spencer’s 10 Best Movies

Octavia Spencer was primarily a career TV guest star for the first 20 years of her career.  There aren’t many dramas or comedies from the late 1990s to early 2000s that don’t have a guest appearance from Spencer.  She picked up the odd role in films, but it wasn’t until her Oscar-winning turn in The Help that he exploded into one of the best character actresses in Hollywood.  Spencer is almost never the star, but any film is immediately elevated by her presence, versatility, and strength as an actress.  Equally comfortable with drama or comedy, Spencer has a deceptive intensity.  When she fixes her gaze on the target of her character’s focus, she commands not only their attention, but transfixes the audience as well.  With multiple Oscar nominations since breaking out in The Help, Spencer has become one of the most sought after additions to any ensemble cast.

Matthew McConaughey’s 10 Best Movies

Matthew McConaughey has had two phases to his career.  Bursting on the scene with 1996’s A Time to Kill, he seemed like the next superstar, but battles with substance abuse and a chronic lack of focus (probably not unconnected) left him nearly written off.  However in the last decade McConaughey has climbed back into the top rungs of leading men, culminating in his Oscar for The Dallas Buyers Club and his astonishing performance in HBO’s True Detective’s first season (which would have won him an Emmy any other year than Bryan Cranston’s last on Breaking Bad).  Since, he has kept up a steady stream of successes, and is always someone to pay attention to now in whatever projects he chooses to pursue.

Top 10: Courtroom Scenes in Movie History

There’s something about a courtroom showdown that makes for great cinema.  It’s an opportunity for an actor to monologue, to almost stage perform, or in the case of, say, A Few Good Men, it’s a showcase for two iconic actors to go at each other full bore.  In all it’s iteration over the years, cinematic legal showdowns have given us some of the best scenes of all-time.  I’ve narrowed it down to my top ten.