lzzoso Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 In my opinion, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro are two of the greatest actors of any generation. Both have made some of the greatest movies of all-time. Al Pacino: the Godfather I and II - Serpico - Dog Day Afternoon - Scarface - Scent of a Woman - Sea of Love - Heat - are among his greatest performances. Of course there are more. Robert DeNiro: the Godfather II - Taxi Driver - Deer Hunter - Raging Bull - Once Upon a Time in America - Cape Fear - Heat - are among his greatest performances. Again, of course, there are more. So, if you happen to be a fan of these two "living legends" who would you have to say is the better of these two great actors? By using the word "better" I guess I am asking which of these two actors is your favorite? I love them both equally but I would have to say my first choice would be Mr. Robert DeNiro. Why? Hard question. I guess I just prefer his movies a little bit more than Mr. Al Pacinos. Just a little bit. Ironically, I would have to personally say that "Scarface" just might be my favorite movie of all-time. To me this makes sense. Better actor overall, DeNiro. Best film overall, Scarface. Again, if you are a fan of these two acting "giants" who would you choose? Big Al or Bobby D.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) They are both great actors but I've got to go with DeNiro. His versatility is simply peerless. There are at least two films he has done where his character portrayal was so convincing I did not even realize it was him until the end credits. Edited July 23, 2009 by SteveAJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
59LesPaul Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 From memory... It was a glorious time,and wiseguys were all over the place. It was before Appalachian,and before Crazy Joe decided to take on a boss and start a war. It was when I met the world It was when I first met Jimmy Conway..... He couldn't have been more than 28 or 29 at the time, but he was already a legend. He'd walk in the door and everybody who worked the room just went wild. He'd give the doorman a hundred just for opening the door. He'd shove hundreds in the pockets of the dealers and all the guys that ran the games. The bartender got a hundred just for keeping the ice cubes cold. (Jimmy: The Irishman is here to take all you guinenas' money) See,Jimmy was one of the most feared guys in the city. He was first locked up at eleven and he was doing hits for mob bosses when he was sixteen. See,hits never bothered Jimmy. It was business. But what Jimmy really loved to do,what he really loved to do was steal.I mean, he actually enjoyed it. Jimmy was the kind of guy who rooted for the bad guys in the movies. (Jimmy: You might know who we are,but we KNOW who you are,you understand?) He was one of the city's biggest hijackers of booze, Cigarettes.Razor blades. Shrimp and Lobsters. Shrimp and Lobsters were best. They went really fast. And almost all of them were gimmies.I mean,they just gave it up,no problem. They called him Jimmy the Gent. (Jimmy:Tommy,help the lady) The drivers loved him. They used to tip him off about the really good loads.And of course, everybody got a piece...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 In my opinion, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro are two of the greatest actors of any generation. Both have made some of the greatest movies of all-time. Al Pacino: the Godfather I and II - Serpico - Dog Day Afternoon - Scarface - Scent of a Woman - Sea of Love - Heat - are among his greatest performances. Of course there are more. Robert DeNiro: the Godfather II - Taxi Driver - Deer Hunter - Raging Bull - Once Upon a Time in America - Cape Fear - Heat - are among his greatest performances. Again, of course, there are more. So, if you happen to be a fan of these two "living legends" who would you have to say is the better of these two great actors? By using the word "better" I guess I am asking which of these two actors is your favorite? I love them both equally but I would have to say my first choice would be Mr. Robert DeNiro. Why? Hard question. I guess I just prefer his movies a little bit more than Mr. Al Pacinos. Just a little bit. Ironically, I would have to personally say that "Scarface" just might be my favorite movie of all-time. To me this makes sense. Better actor overall, DeNiro. Best film overall, Scarface. Again, if you are a fan of these two acting "giants" who would you choose? Big Al or Bobby D.? For me I can't choose as these two are the Kings of Acting. I thought that HEAT was an unbelievable movie and the scene in the coffee shop with the two of them...unforgettable. I think certain people are gifted and there are gifted who take it to the next level...they were born to do this. They do not let the media control them and have as much as possible kept their private life private and I respect that at well. Sorry, can't choose on this one:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGDAN Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 From memory... It was a glorious time,and wiseguys were all over the place. It was before Appalachian,and before Crazy Joe decided to take on a boss and start a war. It was when I met the world It was when I first met Jimmy Conway..... He couldn't have been more than 28 or 29 at the time, but he was already a legend. He'd walk in the door and everybody who worked the room just went wild. He'd give the doorman a hundred just for opening the door. He'd shove hundreds in the pockets of the dealers and all the guys that ran the games. The bartender got a hundred just for keeping the ice cubes cold. (Jimmy: The Irishman is here to take all you guinenas' money) See,Jimmy was one of the most feared guys in the city. He was first locked up at eleven and he was doing hits for mob bosses when he was sixteen. See,hits never bothered Jimmy. It was business. But what Jimmy really loved to do,what he really loved to do was steal.I mean, he actually enjoyed it. Jimmy was the kind of guy who rooted for the bad guys in the movies. (Jimmy: You might know who we are,but we KNOW who you are,you understand?) He was one of the city's biggest hijackers of booze, Cigarettes.Razor blades. Shrimp and Lobsters. Shrimp and Lobsters were best. They went really fast. And almost all of them were gimmies.I mean,they just gave it up,no problem. They called him Jimmy the Gent. (Jimmy:Tommy,help the lady) The drivers loved him. They used to tip him off about the really good loads.And of course, everybody got a piece...... Nice one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mangani Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 De Niro. Pacino 'overdoes' it sometimes too much for me. Not that I think Di Niro is the greatest actor ever. I don't think there is such a person. By the way, my fave De Niro film? Midnight Run.LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 De Niro. Pacino 'overdoes' it sometimes too much for me. Not that I think Di Niro is the greatest actor ever. I don't think there is such a person. By the way, my fave De Niro film? Midnight Run.LOL. I agree Mangani. Pacino does overdo it sometimes. Loved him in The Godfather I & II though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reswati Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 De Niro for his role in "Stardust", made me laugh my ass off. For some reason or another I hate Scarface, around here are too many idiots I met over the years who watched that movie too often, and ended up with overstuffed noses and overdone coke attitude problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppFanForever Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 (edited) In my opinion, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro are two of the greatest actors of any generation. Both have made some of the greatest movies of all-time. Al Pacino: the Godfather I and II - Serpico - Dog Day Afternoon - Scarface - Scent of a Woman - Sea of Love - Heat - are among his greatest performances. Of course there are more. Robert DeNiro: the Godfather II - Taxi Driver - Deer Hunter - Raging Bull - Once Upon a Time in America - Cape Fear - Heat - are among his greatest performances. Again, of course, there are more. So, if you happen to be a fan of these two "living legends" who would you have to say is the better of these two great actors? By using the word "better" I guess I am asking which of these two actors is your favorite? I love them both equally but I would have to say my first choice would be Mr. Robert DeNiro. Why? Hard question. I guess I just prefer his movies a little bit more than Mr. Al Pacinos. Just a little bit. Ironically, I would have to personally say that "Scarface" just might be my favorite movie of all-time. To me this makes sense. Better actor overall, DeNiro. Best film overall, Scarface. Again, if you are a fan of these two acting "giants" who would you choose? Big Al or Bobby D.? How's it going "lzzoso?" This is one hell of a question! You're talking about the two greatest actors in the world today. These are the two single greatest actors to come along since Marlon Brando and James Dean. It is extremely hard to choose one over the other because both have contributed great movies to the screen. HOWEVER, if I had to choose one, it would be AL PACINO ONLY BECAUSE of SCARFACE! SCARFACE was WAY far ahead of its time when it was released in 1983! If SCARFACE had not been released, there would be no GOODFELLAS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, CASINO, THE LETHAL WEAPON movies and other violent films that would follow. SCARFACE brought a whole new dimension in violence on film. Lets not forget THE GODFATHER Trilogy which stars both DeNiro and Pacino, as well as THE DEER HUNTER and the DIRTY HARRY movies! These movies would set the stage for the most violent film ever made for its time, SCARFACE!!!! SCARFACE would rewrite the rules in violence on film FOREVER! Hollywood would never be the same again. ROCK ON! Edited July 23, 2009 by ZeppFanForever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footsteps of Dawn Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I'm going to say Robert De Niro. I love them both, but as some of you already pointed out, I think De Niro has more versatility and is a little more subtle than Pacino. Not that Pacino can't do subtle, it's just he often chooses not to. So, yep, De Niro it is! And to get all girly on you here, Al is hot stuff, but I just went completely gaga for Robert after seeing The Godfather II for the first time, and Taxi Driver majorly reinforced that. Al is so sweet, but Robert is just sultry and smokin' - especially in The Godfather. Yeow. Uh, so back to acting talent... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zosodude13 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 You gotta remember De Niro in 'Meet the Parents'.... proof of his diverse skills "I have nipples Greg. Could you milk me?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?" 'So you're sayin' I want to fuck my Mother now?' Analyze This Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 They're both such great actors with different strengths, it's a bit hard to say but I guess if pressed, I'd lean towards DeNiro. There's just a certain something about his acting that I can't explain, but really grabs my attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie_72 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 For me I can't choose as these two are the Kings of Acting. I thought that HEAT was an unbelievable movie and the scene in the coffee shop with the two of them...unforgettable. I think certain people are gifted and there are gifted who take it to the next level...they were born to do this. They do not let the media control them and have as much as possible kept their private life private and I respect that at well. Sorry, can't choose on this one:-) I agree, they are both so amazing!! I like them in everything they do, and they don't disappoint, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 DeNiro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquamarine Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 De Niro. Pacino is great, but in a head-to-head, no contest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hickory Man Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 De Niro. Pacino is great, but in a head-to-head, no contest. Yep, I'm sure Al Pacino has more gears than what he shows, but Deniro gets the nod for actually using his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzzoso Posted July 25, 2009 Author Share Posted July 25, 2009 According to my unofficial tally, so far it seems that Bobby DeNiro is way out in front with 15 "votes" (or whatever), to Big Al's 2 votes. A couple of undecideds. Again, I personally feel this is a good topic because, like I said at the beginning, I love both actors equally, well almost equally. I did say that I slightly prefer Robert's movies over Alfred's movie just a tad more. You know what the cool thing about this whole thing is? Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino are and have been great friends with each other since pretty much when both their careers began (from what I have read). Al is a few years older than Bobby but both made it big just around the same time and in the same city. Not Los Angeles but New York City. If you want to get technical, Al made it first with the "Godfather" (1972) and Robert followed that with his role in the "Godfather II" (1974). Since those early days right up until last year when they both starred in the movie "Righteous Kill", which in my opinion is another great movie. It has too be great, in my mind, since it stars these two men we are commenting about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppFanForever Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 According to my unofficial tally, so far it seems that Bobby DeNiro is way out in front with 15 "votes" (or whatever), to Big Al's 2 votes. A couple of undecideds. Again, I personally feel this is a good topic because, like I said at the beginning, I love both actors equally, well almost equally. I did say that I slightly prefer Robert's movies over Alfred's movie just a tad more. You know what the cool thing about this whole thing is? Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino are and have been great friends with each other since pretty much when both their careers began (from what I have read). Al is a few years older than Bobby but both made it big just around the same time and in the same city. Not Los Angeles but New York City. If you want to get technical, Al made it first with the "Godfather" (1972) and Robert followed that with his role in the "Godfather II" (1974). Since those early days right up until last year when they both starred in the movie "Righteous Kill", which in my opinion is another great movie. It has too be great, in my mind, since it stars these two men we are commenting about. How's it going "lzzoso" as well as our fellow die hard hard core ZEPPELIN fanatics? Its FRIDAY and I'm out partying with my sister and daughter at their most favorite bar outside of Sacramento. Its also one of the VERY FEW bars out of many that my sister and daughter have not been kicked out of yet! I'm using their friend's Lap Top so I'm able to post a comment here. "lzzoso," you made a very good statement and I totally agree with you. It is extremely hard to choose between DeNiro and Pacino, its like a speck of dust that separates the both of them. As I stressed in my last post here on your thread, I chose Pacino only because of SCARFACE! In my opinion, SCARFACE should rank in the TOP 5 as being the most violent film ever made. SCARFACE, today, can still hold up to any of the most violent films ever made to this day. And just think, SCARFACE came out in 1983, that movie was way far ahead of its time. To let you know how close my voting is, if DeNiro would have starred in SCARFACE and not Pacino, I would have chosen Robert DeNiro over Al Pacino. SCARFACE can match any GREAT violent movie that DeNiro has starred in such as THE DEER HUNTER, THE GODFATHER II, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, GOODFELLAS and CASINO to name a few. In my opinion, SCARFACE is slightly better than all of them. That is why I gave Pacino a very slight edge over DeNiro which wasn't easy to do. I bet you that DeNiro wishes that he starred in SCARFACE. Than again, I bet that Pacino wishes that he starred in GOODFELLAS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA and CASINO. All of these are some of the greatest and most memorable movies ever made in all of movie history. My dream is that I would love to see both of these legendary actors along with Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas and Danny Trejo film the ultimate violent gangster film ever made. I mean a violent film that pulls all of the stops and dares to hold nothing back. Who knows, maybe someday it will happen. What a film that would be. You sure came up with a good thread here my friend. ROBERT DENIRO & AL PACINO RULES! ROCK ON! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 DeNiro makes you feel that he is the character he's portraying. Outside of Michael Corleone. I never felt Pacino was totally comfortable in any role that he's played since. A little like John Voight in the sense that he tends to overact like he's got a reputation to uphold or something. Neither are that good IMHO. DeNiro by at least two country miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mangani Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 My two favorites along with Clint. I love Clint Eastwood. The last great old style Hollywood movie star. I wouldn't put Clint alongside De Niro and Pacino as an 'actor' but as a movie star he is way above them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 DeNiro makes you feel that he is the character he's portraying. Outside of Michael Corleone. I never felt Pacino was totally comfortable in any role that he's played since. A little like John Voight in the sense that he tends to overact like he's got a reputation to uphold or something. Neither are that good IMHO. DeNiro by at least two country miles That's a good point and I think what sets them apart. You forget it's DeNiro and really do believe he is who he's playing where Pacino is Pacino playing the part (quite well I might add). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Pacino. Hands down (preferably on me ) Seriously, hamming it up aside (which they both have done plenty of), people should see more of Pacino's work. Some phenomenal performances outside of the most famous ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzzoso Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 Hello, everyone out there. The reason why I started this topic, aside from the obvious I stated about these two being the greatest actors of any generation, is because I was watching the biography channel the other night and it had Al Pacino on at 12am and Robert Deniro on at 1am (Central Standard Time, I am in Dallas, Texas). Believe it or not this was the first time I had ever seen the biographies of these two legends on television. Aside from watching them I also DVR'd them. Anyway, last night I was amazed to see that the Al Pacino movie, "Cruising" was on one of the Encore channels. I have seen this movie a long time ago but naturally watched it again last night. For those unfamiliar with it, it is the movie where Big Al goes undercover as a gay man in search of a serial killer targeting homosexuals in NYC. Decent movie. Released in 1980. Of course with Al any movie with him in it is worth watching. Anyway, what REALLY caught my eye was at the end of the movie when the credits were rolling it says PRODUCED BY JERRY WEINTRAUB. Now, for the true Led Zeppelin fans, we all know that the same Jerry Weintraub helped promote some of Led Zeppelins live concerts during 1977 North American tour. The same Jerry Weintraub who also promoted the almighty ELVIS himself. I personally found this pretty interesting. It seems there may be some kind of link between Led Zeppelin and Mr. Al Pacino. Another side note: Jerry Weintraub also produced at least 2 of the "Oceans Eleven" movies and its sequels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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