Steve Martin or Bill Murray?

Discussion in 'Cactus Cafe' started by FAST FRED, Aug 27, 2015.

  1. FAST FRED

    FAST FRED 500+ Posts

    This was a topic elsewhere:

    Both guys are legends.

    Considering their entire body of work, who is the greatest?



    His entire body of work gives it to Steve Martin, IMHO.

    I think the length and the list quality of his career is more and his range of talent (stand up, comedy albums, acting, writing, banjo music) is demonstratively greater, although the misses in his movie offerings have been pretty numerous.

    His best movies ("The Jerk," "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," "Grand Canyon," "Three Amigos," "Roxanne" and "It's Complicated") are, for me, nuanced, layered and multi-dimensional.

    Even his flick (box office and/or critical) failures (and there have been many) are way out there, showing innovative cinematic creativity, which (this time) ended up as still interesting, but over reaching or unfulfilled missteps rather than completely realized films.

    He's a "wild and crazy guy" who's always been out on the edge with his many offerings.


    Bill Murray is very talented guy and he's certainly not a one trick pony.

    But, IMO, his movie portrayals have had an unmistakable sameness in the characters he plays.

    That's part of why his many, many fans like them all so much.

    He doesn't ever play against type.

    He personifies his type.

    Heck, given a chance, he could have played that big Leibowski dude without much effort, makeup, costume or probably even a script.

    With a good story and/or other fine actors you can get "Lost in Translation," "Groundhog Day," "Tootsie," "Hyde Park on Hudson," "Where the Buffalo Roam," "Broken Flowers," "St. Vincent" or "Aloha."

    I liked all of those.

    I was pulling for Bill to win the Oscar for "Lost in Translation."

    He may never have a better role with which to win an thespian award.

    When benefiting from Murray's creative collaborations with writer/director Wes Anderson, you'll get "Moonrise Kingdom," "The Darjeeing Limited," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Rushmore," "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" or "The Grand Budapest Hotel".

    I noticed movie making excellence in all five of those flicks (although none of them were my personal cup of tea), but Bill didn't really have a leading role in any of them.

    While enjoying "Ghostbusters I & II," "Caddyshack," " Stripes" and "Meatballs" multiple times, I've laughed at and even occasionally later quoted from the delicious satire and comedic musings of Bill Murray.

    His" Saturday Night Live" improvisational style was just right (and how) for those classic extended skit type of films.



    So, given the question, I'll pick Steve Martin.

    I hope they both keep doing what they do.

    And I think Bill Murray's best work could still be to come.

    JMO.

    Maybe he'll pick up some of those Robert Duvall as a curmugeon type roles, if if that Gus McRae portrayer ever retires.

    If Murray'd clean up, get a little style, comb his hair and wear a suit, I could even see him playing George Clooney's roles in "Up in the Air" or "The Descendants."

    Such castings would be a real stretch against Murray's type, but I could see it if Bill put out the effort.

    But, he probably wouldn't give acting that much exertion.

    Murray can do what he does now just by being himself.

    [​IMG]

    I know, weird topic.

    Any thoughts?
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2015
  2. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    Gosh darn, I love 'em both, have seen most of their movies and saw Steve Martin on stage a couple of times.

    If I had to choose only one, it would have to be Steve Martin.
     
  3. Seattle Husker

    Seattle Husker 10,000+ Posts

    Steve Martin. Though Stripes is in my top 10 favorite movies, Steve's body of work is better.
     
  4. 14tokihorn

    14tokihorn 1,000+ Posts

    i'll venture to add an item on Murray:

    Even though a consumerist flop, it's a recommended film.
     
  5. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    Steve Martin has a broader range of talent, imo. I saw his stand up routine early in his career and it was just genius.

    Grandmother’s Song

    Be courteous, kind and forgiving,
    Be gentle and peaceful each day,
    Be warm and human and grateful,
    And have a good thing to say.

    Be thoughtful and trustful and childlike,
    Be witty and happy and wise,
    Be honest and love all your neighbors,
    Be obsequious, purple, and clairvoyant.

    Be pompous, obese, and eat cactus,
    Be dull, and boring, and omnipresent,
    Criticize things you don't know about,
    Be oblong and have your knees removed.

    Be tasteless, rude, and offensive,
    Live in a swamp and be three dimensional,
    Put a live chicken in your underwear,
    Get all excited and go to a yawning festival.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  6. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    Steve Martin had a lot of funny lines but one I always remembered went something like this:

    I had a friend who was complaining about breaking up with his girlfriend
    Why is this such a big deal?
    I have found a simple and mature way to break up with a woman
    You say 3 times: I break with thee, I break with thee, I break with thee
    And then you throw dog poop on their shoes.:smile1:
     
    • Like Like x 1
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2015
  7. LonghornCatholic

    LonghornCatholic Deo Gratias

  8. georgecostanza

    georgecostanza NBHorn7’s Protégé

    "Actually, I'm kind of - I don't know, I'm kind of thinkin' about my old girlfriend, I guess. Sorry. It's just that I used to travel around and I'd be performing and I could kind of hear her laugh in the back - it'd mean something to me, you know and, uh ... I'm sorry. You know how it is. We were together about three years and, uh, she's not living any more so I kind of, uh-- [audience laughs, Martin gives them a disgusted look] You laugh? And I guess I kind of blame myself for her death. Uh, we were at a party one night and we weren't getting along and we were fighting and she began to drink and ... I didn't realize how much she'd been drinking. She ran out to the car, she asked me to drive her home and I didn't want to and I refused. She asked me one more time, would you please drive me home? I didn't want to ... So I shot her."
     
    • Like Like x 2
  9. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    Remember these two wild and crazy guys?

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    Steve Martin. I've never liked BM's style. Absolutely hated Groundhog Day. Terrible movie.
     

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